Cappuccino and brioche: Valentine's Day

Thursday 13 February 2014

Valentine's Day

Red roses mean I love you, Je t'aime, Ti amo, Ich liebe dich, Te quiero ...

I love Valentine's Day.

I know lots of people that think it 's just an occasion for Florists to put the prices up , but I find it exciting and full of romance and love. This feeling started ehen I was at school. We would go in the card shops and have a great time reading all the cards and choosing ones to send. Once a friend of mine and I sent about 10 anonomous cards to the same boy to try and boost his ego, because he always seemed a bit sad. He somehow guessed it was us...

The great thing about the Royal Mail was that if you posted a card on the 13th February you could guarantee that on the morning of the 14th it would drop on the mat of your chosen Valentine, anonomously. Even now my Valentine's card is signed with a question mark .

Here in Italy there isn't the tradition of the cards so much, but there are red hearts everywhere and candle-lit dinners on offer in the restaurants. So grab your partner and celebrate .

This is a lovely poem by Robert Burns for Valentine's Day

A Red, Red Rose

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will love thee still my Dear
Till all the seas gang dry

Till all the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt with the sun,
I will love thee still my Dear,
While the sands of life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while,
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it ware ten thousand mile.

There can be no doubt that Robert Burns deeply loved the woman he wrote this poem for. Reading about his life it was probably for Jean Armour. He also wrote one for her called "I love my Jean".

Kiss me honey, honey, kiss me

Thrill me, honey, honey, thrill me

Don't care even if I blow my top

But Honey Honey ... don't stop.