I don’t remember much about my first 24 hours in England, it was a precious few hours of consciousness between disembarking at the Canterbury East station and passing out stone drunk in a nunnery bunk bed at 11 in the morning (it’s a long story involving an embarrassingly small quantity of farmhouse cider, a homeless Welshman named Tom and the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, who is a lovely man and has the softest hands of anyone I’ve ever met.)
What I DO remember was standing on a bridge and having my neck brushed by these feathery white star-shaped flowers and breathing in the heavily scented air in absolute and only slightly medicated delight.
Today’s cheap thrill is Belvoir Fruit Farms Elderflower Pressé. It is gorgeous, gorgeous stuff. Available at most World Markets for $4 for 750mL, it’s something along the lines of an Italian soda’s more delicate sister, with gently sparkling bubbles and a fragile floral sweetness that transports me straight to that Green and Pleasant Land. It’s completely natural, no high fructose nastiness or that sort of thing and the best part is there’s no passport –or Welshman– required.
Not too long ago the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral gave the sermon at my church. I remember thinking that he had the poshest English accent I’ve ever heard. Lovely man!
Comment by Toddson — July 22, 2008 @ 11:35 am