An unlikely combination of tastes...

My friend Mark often comes over for a cup of tea in the morning. Sometimes he brings pastry. Today he came in with two tarts from Konditor and Cook, an upscale bakery here in London. It looked nice, with slices of apple and something else. I bit into one, and was intensely aware that the "something else" was actually...meat. It turned out to be salami slices.

Now I don't know about you, but I never thought of apple and salami together as an appropriate filling for a Danish pastry. I couldn't finish mine (neither could Mark); they ended up in the bin.

Has anyone else ever heard of this particular combination? I looked at their website but there didn't have any description of their pastries, only their cakes.

I'm reminded of the old lady who appeared in the first season of The Vicar of Dibley (before it became the travesty it now is). She was known for unlikely combinations of ingredients in her confections, such as a lovely chocolate cake iced with Marmite.

How hath the mighty fallen!

Monsignor Eugene V. Clark, once secretary to Francis Cardinal Spellman, and spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York for many years, and until he resigned a few days ago Rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, has been named as co-respondent in a divorce petition filed by his longtime personal secretary's husband. She is 33 years Clark's junior.

You can read about it here, as long as you don't mind registering with the New York Times.

Clark has been on record as blaming the breakdown of priestly morality to the fact that seminaries have been admitting homosexual students. Obviously, this does not apply in his case.

I met Clark when I was a RC seminarian in New York, and he always seemed too slick for his own good.

There was a joke doing the rounds about him then.

Radio announcer: "And now I'd like to introduce Monsignor Eugene V. Clark, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, who will give the Church's position on a range of modern social and political situations."

Clark (shouts): "NO!"

Radio announcer: "Thank you, Monsignor Clark."

The good news for Monsignor Clark is that he is 79, she is 46, and they're still at it. It gives hope to us all.

And for those who are wondering, the Archdiocesan health plan (I have been told by friends who are covered by it) does not cover the costs of Viagra.