text: The whole kitchen smelled like caramel. Eleonora wiped her hands on her apron and muttered. "Please let it be right this time." Her hair was messy, clothes were wrinkled, and flour and sugar were everywhere. Several pieces of waffle were scattered on the counter. Some pieces were burned, others still raw. Would she ever master it? She lifted the damp towel and examined the new batch of dough balls. This looked better. Carefully, she picked up a scoop and placed it next to the waffle iron. She looked at her recipe again, crossed out some old notes and reheated the caramel. "Heat caramel and bake the dough ball on both sides in the waffle iron." The smell of the caramel was overwhelming, but she shouldn't be distracted now. "Carefully cut the waffle in half while it is still warm. Spread over half with the caramel and then press them together." Patiently, or impatiently, Eleonora was waiting next to the waffle iron. She glanced at her watch. Was it already half past one at night?! &#x200B; An hour and a half later, six new balls of dough and two new caramel loads, Eleonora waited wearily beside her waffle iron. She yawned and didn't even dare to check the time on her watch. She quickly put on a jacket against the cold and walked back to her waffle iron. The caramel scent hung all over the house. She carefully lifted the waffle iron. Would it have worked? The waffles were well cooked! The color was perfectly light brown. Relieved, she clapped her hands and jumped for joy. Now she had to fill it with caramel. Eleonora took a sharp knife and with a towel to protect her from the heat in her left hand she took the first warm waffle. Concentrated, she carefully cut it open, quickly picked up the caramel and smeared one side of the waffle. Then she pressed the other waffle back on it and placed it on a plate. Immediately she took the second waffle from the waffle iron and carefully cut it open. She spread the caramel well over it before pressing it. "It worked!" &#x200B; She ran upstairs with her plate. Her husband was sleeping. "Vincenzo! I did it!" Eleonora dashed into the room, Vincenzo woke with a start and sat up straight on the bed. "What is it?" Startled, he looked around. "It is still dark, what are you doing?" "It worked! Can't you smell it?" Eleonora proudly pointed to her plate. There were two warm fresh stroopwafel. Not perfectly round, but still perfect. "Do you know what time it is?" Vincenzo puts on his glasses and looks at the clock. "It is late, I know. But taste it! They are still warm now." Eleonora moved the plate in front of Vincenzo. &#x200B; Vincenzo took a bite out of the warm stroopwafel. He knew the baking skills of Eleonora and he knew the fantastic stroopwafels they had in the Netherlands. He couldn't imagine she could copy it in Italy. The stroopwafel broke easily, the bite seemed perfect and the still hot syrup warmed his mouth. Slowly he started chewing, but soon noticed that he was wide awake. "This is fantastic!" he exclaimed with his mouth full. "You did it!" Eleonora proudly took a bite of the other warm stroopwafel. Her eyes shone with enthusiasm, and after the first bite, her fatigue was gone. &#x200B; A few weeks later, Vincenzo fills the third basket with stroopwafels. He packs them in a stack, so that they stay warm as long as possible. He quickly walks down the stairs of their apartment complex. The famous bridge, just in front of the market, is three blocks away. Eleonora was already there with her stroopwafels waiting for Vincenzo to bring the new load. Eleonora could have secured a spot next to a coffee shop, forcing the Italians who had breakfast there to walk past the delicious caramel scent. And that had worked! In only a few hours, the stroopwafel was famous in their Italian village. &#x200B; The moment Vincenzo walks around the corner, he sees Eleonora next to the bridge. He quickly takes his camera to take a picture of the situation: A line full of Italian coffee-drinking men is waiting in front of the stall for a warm fresh stroopwafel. Eleonora laughs. She succeeded. Her dream had come true.