A touch of myrrh

Other people, I noticed in May, bought little bottles of eau de Cologne when we stopped off in that city on our cruise. Not I. Having spent some considerable time in the cathedral, we popped into the very modern cathedral shop and bought ... incense. Better still, we bought this nifty little burner in which to warm said incense - no charcoal, but a tea-light strategically placed.

I've not even had it out of its wrapper till now, but the feast of the Epiphany seemed a suitable evening for a whiff of myrrh (for that, dear reader, was what we bought) in the house. I can report one or two pleasing results. Firstly, there is no smoke - smoke is fine in church, but not really desirable in the house of non-smokers. Secondly, the very small quantity of incense I used on this occasion gave out an elusive but decidedly authentic smell after about 5 minutes of heating. And last, but very definitely not least, I could smell it. I've been concerned that incense was joining the ranks of fave perfumes that I can no longer fully enjoy - azaleas, bog myrtle - but realise now that it was more likely that the incense I was thinking of was past its best.

Joy all round. And I took the Christmas tree down at midnight. As you do.