Our last Monday in France was well spent with Antoine. We met Antoine early in the morning and were led on a walk through the heart of Paris. The buildings were now familiar to us. Tall, light colors, bright beautiful doors and balconies with flowers and plants were common. Antoine was kind enough to share the BEST bakery in the whole city with us, Pain De Sucree. We all stared at the different pastries in the window. Antoine picked out various different things for us to try, including plain croissants, pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants), a sweet pastry with apple, a treat that had cardamom filled cream (Nikkia’s favorite), and a couple of savory pastries with pate inside.
We walked around and saw many different shops and stores, the cobble stone streets played a part in the magic of the space. We got to see the National Archives and learned that although there may not be much greenery through out the streets, it is typical that behind the big buildings, there are also mini gardens.
After walking around for a while, we returned to the bakery to find some sweet treats to share with friends that we were going to meet for lunch. Pain De Sucree had many lovely cakes, pastries and macarons for your hearts greatest desires. We then took off to meet some friends to talk about social justice in Paris, how they handle poverty and issues in the troubled neighborhoods of France. It was very humbling that in such a magically country like France, that we were able to see communities that struggled with similar things that we have back home. We spoke about laws and programs and our differences over a wonderful spread of food. Lunch and presentations were helped in a small little cottage like building that was hidden behind many trees and plants. It was like a mini paradise. We enjoyed grains, stew, sausage, salad, bread and the divine pastries from Pain De Sucree.
The King's Garden Exchange: An UrbanGreen Project 