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Day 2 Paris
Today was a fun day. It started with an espresso, while standing at the bar reading a French newspaper. Just as every day should start! Quebec made the front page, specifically the student protest. There was a little discussion about the cost of tuition (note: it is free to go to university in France), and a lot of discussion of vive Le Quebec libre. I didn't think we were to bad off - why would anyone want to leave Canada. But this of course me and my terrible French. Then I headed off to French croissant cooking school. It was three lovely butter filled hours of rolling, beating and whisking. We made croissant, pain au chocolate and pistachio filled rolled, but we can just call it heaven from now on. It was a small class of 4 plus the chef Olivier, who has worked with Gordon Ramsey and trained Jamie Oliver. He had a Michelin star restaurant in Paris, which he sold 3 years ago. Now all he does is teach. Of the 4 students three were Canadian and one was Olivier's cousin a well known chef in Paris specializing in traditional French cuisine. I can't remember
his name. It may have been the champagne. But he did give me the scoop on homemade ice cream. I wish there had been more time to talk, we were pretty busy. But after having eaten a croissant there I now know what a real croissant tastes like - it blows my mind and my calorie count. Hence my afternoon. Our course ended
at 1pm. Then I was off to the market at Bastille to pick up my lunch for the day - white asparagus, an avocado with lemon and salt, cheese, a slice of French bread and 2 apricots. All washed down with a glass of red. I picked up a beautiful bouquet of white peonies, because I could resist them and it was disgustingly reasonably priced. After lunch, I wandered around for 2.5 hours as I made my way to pere lachaise cemetery. Most of the shops were closed except for the cafes, boulangeries, and restaurant. Parisians sat in droves in the local parks. You couldn't see the grass for the people or sat around small tables in the cafes having animated discussions. The cemetery was lovely and very still. The light between the leaves, gently cascaded on to
monuments casting them partially in shadow. I left pere lachaise and wandered through the 20th arrondissement. Actually I got lost? But that is Olay, cause I eventually found the metro, and picked up a lemon tart for tonight. My second lesson of the day is that not all boulangeries are equal. I an equally sad and happy to say that I make a better lemon tart. My merengue is better. I just have work on the evenness of the crust. I wish there was a tart making course I could take.Dinner was lemon tart and red wine and my croissant to wash down the tart. I am going cook a bean soup for my mom, who arrives tomorrow. Then I will go for one more walk in the park.
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