Thirteen

Thirteen loaves of bread. No one does bread like the French.

Some fantastic bread, a bit of sweet butter, a hot cup of tea or coffee - and that's a meal.

I like good bread. I used to get fresh breads almost daily when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. French Sourdough, Sonoma Bagel Company, Alverado Street Bakery loaves.... bread isn't meant to last a week in a bread box. It's tough here to find good bread. I tend to buy and freeze it so at least it's fresh frozen.

No one makes pastry like the French either, for that matter. I've never been much of a pastry lover..... until I went to Paris and discovered pastry worth the calories! Seriously. I would get all misty eyed when I first came back home, thinking of all those wonderful warm apple tarts, almond croissants, and chocolate brioche so far out of reach!

William and I stumbled upon a patisserie - boulangerie? - in Montparnasse. In the 14th arrondissement. Of course we didn't know that's where we were at the time, we only knew we were trying to find Les Catacombs. Turned out that we had gone on a day they were closed, so we noticed this bakery with a line of people out the door. We got in line, bought a bag full of "breakfast", and carried it a few doors down to a small park where we sat on a bench and shared the mouthwatering pastries with each other and a small flock of kick ass city sparrows that fought off the ever constant pigeons for the crumbs. It was so delicious that I was somewhat pleased that we'd have to return another day to visit the catacombes - another chance to frequent this bakery. Since it wasn't in a particularly touristy part of the city, and because of the aforementioned line out the door, and the lack of English speaking employees, I suspect we had discovered a local favorite. I just mapquested the streets and I think it was on Avenue Defert-Rochereau.

Perhaps we'll go back there with Sam and Kyla, as they want to to visit the catacombs on one of their two days in Paris. And then hubby and I will have to do a taste test of other establishments to see if all the pastry is just as delicious.