The weather was perfect. Sunny skies with a warm August breeze drifted down through the Alps. I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist. A feeling of excitement came over me we as passed table after table of goods; ripe apples, round melons, colorful dried beans sorted by color into square baskets.
 |
| A feast for the eyes! |
As eager as I was to explore the village, the shopping would have to wait. I hadn't had breakfast yet as my complaining stomach continued to remind me and Dana suggested a boulangerie (bakery) she remembered not far from where we stood.
We walked past several more vendors before coming upon the boulangerie. My senses came alive upon entering this world of baked creations. The rich scent of yeast, breads carefully stacked on shelves and in display cases, baguettes standing on end vying for attention over the decadent pastries and eclairs.
The uncomplicated baguette won. Three ingredients: flour, water and yeast. Three ingredients which when skillfully combined can create a thing of simplistic beauty.
We bought one baguette for the two of us and left the store in search of a cafe. In America, you wouldn't dream of bringing your food from one restaurant to consume in another but we discovered this was not out of the ordinary in France.
We found an outdoor table for four right near the market's stalls and a waitress came to take our order.
Quatre cafés, se il vous plaît.
My mouth watered and my belly growled in anticipation of the moment when the hot black coffee would first meet a bite of the warm, fresh bread. Four cups were brought out on a tray and I took my first sip of the rich, black liquid. A trace of foam left its mark on the inside of the cup as I put it down to pick up my bread.
I tore the baguette in two and gave half to my husband. The first bite did not disappoint. Crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside just as I had hoped. I looked over at my husband whose facial expression told me he also was lost in a yeasty paradise.
Three cups of coffee later, the bread was gone and I sat back and smiled with satisfaction finally absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of an open air French market.
So this was France.
