A Sinfully Divine Brioche.

Some of you might remember it as a Chelsea bun.

Memories are tied irrevocably to food or at least mine are and trussed up at that. Against my better judgement I saddled the chariot with a cooler box inclusive of ice blocks on the back seat and was on my way to Oberwart before eight this morning. Already it was warm and getting warmer with a predicted 40 plus this afternoon. Not the type of weather to be out and about but our larder is bare and the fridge tends to mirror our disappointed faces from its empty glass shelves.

Also for a chance to buy a pair of shoes after being terribly disappointed at the various sports shops in regard to finding a new pair of running shoes either because they don't have any in my size or because nobody thought it necessary to help never mind greet me. Last Friday I found out via the postman that Hofer ( Aldi ) had a pair of running shoes in stock today. Pamphlets somehow having been mysteriously stuffed into our postbox!

Before you shake your head at me, I have to say that those shoes were tested at a renowned sports university, are waterproof, padded for the heavy footed and don't look too bad for their price ( 1/3 of the name brand shoes ).

Each year when I buy a new pair of running shoes at astronomical prices ( for me ) I tend to wonder why, at those prices they still carry the Made in China label. Every time ( rightly or wrongly ) I see the sticker Made in China all those documentaries viewed jump to the forefront of my mind.

At least I'm going to give the Hofer shoes a try and see. It was rather surreal to see so many bargain hunters fighting over products before eight in the morning. Yours truly came prepared with a pair of socks in her purse!

All the other shops I needed to frequent only open at nine and so I went to InterSpar to while away the time in air-conditioned comfort. Just like all roads lead to Rome so do all lanes lead to the bakery department. Yum, yum, I had to try out their brioche just because it looked so inviting and fresh.

Well, I took it home to have after lunch and the first bite I took transported me back to the campus of Durban University and the little tearoom on it. They served the most divine Chelsea buns, huge, fresh and glazed with iced sugar. Healthy, perhaps not but tasty for sure.

Through the years I've partaken in this bakery item in its various shapes, conditions and sizes and even now, I can recall the places I bought most of them and how much fun it was to eat them...

Biggi