Politeness rituals. I wonder just how common across cultures the 'no, I sincerely love and am devoted to leek and potato soup'; 'but are you sure?'; 'yes'; 'you can be honest'....etc type of exchange is.

I thought I knew every kind of vegetable soup under the sun, but had to google golden vegetable soup. : ) There seem to be wide variations between recipes. The nicer ones would have had me fighting for the flask. Others clinging to the leek and potato.

Stunning snowdrop drifts.