Valentine

On this day in 2006 I wrote about the three third-century martyrs with this name but omitted to mention the interesting fact that that the martyrdom of one of them was accomplished by scraping him to death with oyster shells. Anyway, not much is known about these saints and the modern practice of coming over all soppy on February 14th has nothing to do with any of them.

For this reason I do not find this festival as depressing as most of the others we are obliged to observe. Who could resent being given tokens of love, provided they demonstrate not merely affection but also good taste and knowledge of one's inclinations? Thus, this year's offerings gave me much pleasure: a little book of unhackneyed quotations (e.g. "You will understand that I should like to say many fine and striking things to you, but it is rather difficult, all at once, in this way. I regret this all the more as you are sufficiently great to inspire one with romantic dreams of becoming the confidant of your beautiful soul...." - Marie Bashkirtseff to Guy de Maupassant, 1884). Rather well put, I thought.

And there were chocolates (praline and truffle). I had three for breakfast, together with a Metformin tablet.

They were of course heart-shaped, an accepted symbolism on these occasions. But nowadays the conventional heart is not the only way of representing the organ: Froog, the Beijing bon vivant, discovered some other charming examples, including these, alleged to be anatomically correct.