I created a tour in June for a family visiting from Charlotte. They had been a week at Disney and I was the follow up. I hope I succeeded in giving them something to remember besides French Mickey! I organized a visit to my local bakery, a cheese shop and a chocolate shop.
The baker surprised me the most. I had casually asked him if we could “stop by” and take a peek at the ovens. Well, being the proud Frenchman he is, he spent at least 1/2 hour with us and not only showed us the ovens but showed us how to make the baguette that goes in them. Croissants too (I’ve never seen so much butter folded into dough in my life). I have a whole new respect for the art of bread-making and the man who’s baking the bread! He’s in the shop at 3:00 in the morning and leaves around 2:00 in the afternoon. He HAND makes 180 “traditions” per day and makes an additional 100 baguettes. And then there’s all the other bread he makes too. It was a great tour – as much for the adults as the children.
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- Cheese Vendor
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- Children from Charlotte in front of the Chocolate Shop
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- Rudy sending the croissant dough through the roller
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- Rudy explaining “tradition”
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- Pulling bread from the oven
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- Preparing the bread for the oven
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- Dough machine
Salut Donna.
Il fait beau a Los Angeles, viens boire un ver de vin blanc avec nous
Finalement Arlette sees the website! Some day soon I will call you to guide an antique-buying tour in Paris. So glad you’re in L.A. visiting your family!
Donna, those kids will never forget seeing how the bread is made. Maybe their parents too will now look for better bread. Who knows, things could start to change in Charlotte as far as bread is concerned-all because of you. When are you coming to Rome? (we have an actual baker that we watch too and some proud pasta makers). I have the idea of spending my 50th birthday in April in Paris-will you be there? We’ve got to find a hotel or apartment near you.
Lots of love,
Jacqueline