Sunday, August 23, 2009

Painter, salt and poached eggs.

For those who wondered what a fascinator is, it's a sort of small and whimsical hat -- it just so happens that Dan Holloway, the writer responsible for The Man Who Painted Agnieszka's Shoes, recently interviewed a maker of outlandish and wonderful fascinators.

1. In the Saturday morning sun, a Polish man covers the grimey balustrade around his tiny front garden with clean white paint. A line of brushes and a pint glass of juice stands at the other end; and an unassuming radio plays quiet music.

2. With my tea comes one of the packets of Rococo sea salt chocolate that Nick treked all the way to Marylebone to buy for me on Friday. It's gorgeously smooth, and surprises with crisp fragments of salt.

3. I like stirring up a saucepan of boiling water (salt and vinegared) until a whirlpool forms. I like dropping eggs into it so the whites squirl out like Miss Haversham's wedding dress. I also like cutting into the shrouded golden yolk and seeing it run out all over the toast.

Morning, errands and entertainment.

1. I murmur an acknowledging greeting to a passing bin man. He is a well brought-up African and replies with eye contact and a warm 'Goo...