February has more or less escaped me - I'm having trouble with fibroids again, which has left me anemic and exhausted. Any energy left over after work has gone into knitting husband a slipover - honestly, there's no greater demonstration of love than starting a project on 2mm needles that involves lots of new to the knitter techniques. I can now successfully graft stitches though, which is a bonus as I've avoided doing that for years.
I've struggled with the concentration necessary for reading however, starting a lot of books but not getting very far with them. I did listen to both Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon which I might write about, but every time I read or listen to Sayers I struggle with her more, so might duck out of that too.
As for Viennese Bakery - I bought it, and it's beautiful, but I don't know when I'll bake from it given that I'm struggling to keep my blood sugar under control so cake is probably a bad idea. It doesn't matter. I loved Vienna when I visited, I particularly loved its cafe culture - an excellent coffee and a small slice of something to chat over, or to sit and admire a view over, or just as a chance to pause and take in the day is incredibly civilised.
In Vienna, it was also affordable - I remember a coffee in an incredibly smart - I don't even know if you could describe the rococo ballroom splendour of the place, as a cafe. We thought it would semi-bankrupt us. It was cheaper than going to a Starbucks here, and here anywhere that nice would charge more than I want to pay. Our cafe culture is improving, but it still has a long way to go.
Meanwhile, I have my Eau de Nil and gold cookbook, with its gilt edges, full of atmospheric pictures of Vienna and recipes that I can imagine making, or that fill me with nostalgia (and make me think another visit is in order). It is enough. And if I can't justify making myself an entire poppyseed cake I can go to the Polish deli, buy a slice of a slightly different poppy seed cake there, make a coffee in a delicate cup, fetch out the pastry forks, and enjoy the moment.
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