His time as a prisoner-of-war, from 1942 onwards, was diverting to him not only because it led him to his future wife (a tall, blonde, determined Slovenian girl who came to visit him when he was transferred to an outside hospital) but also because he could observe those strange creatures, the English upper classes, up close.
It might sound like atall order, but for the Florida girl with no formal business qualifications who now shapes rears internationally, it might not be impossible.
Just as there is only one girl from Ipanema, there is one stew from Ipanema, and it is just as loved and revered as a cultural icon as the song about the tall, tanned girl.