.
Yesterday morning we put on new pants and went to the center of Aix. It felt like a day for new pants, as our stores have been closed for over a year. Masked and motivated we walked on Rue d’Italie, per the suggestion of our favorite pastry chef. (We went there the day before, fully clothed, but not in new pants, and the pastry master — although a master — was not making what we were looking for — hand crafted marzipan candies in the shapes and colors of realistic fruit. We have specific needs.) With our new information, and new pants, we set out on our adventure. Maybe that’s the gift that Covid has given us – a renewed sense of appreciation for the little things, like sweet and glorious handmade candies, from an open store, in an open city.
We walked up close to the window. Maybe… no, just callisons filled the window (also an amazing french delight, but again, the heart, or mouth, wants what it wants.) But wait, no, let’s go inside. There! There they are! Yes! Victory! Look at those beautiful candies. Should we get two bags? (in my defense, the bags are very small — tres petits!) Do we need two? We need two. She placed them in our beautiful sack for confiserie and we stepped lightly and joyfully (in my heart I was skipping like a schoolgirl) back to the car.
We took off our masks. Opened the bag, and each ate one. Slowly. C’mon! It was vacation! It was summer! It was open streets and soft sugar goodness! We ate a second, and Dominique told me to hide the bag. We finished the bag after lunch. I would have eaten anything for lunch just to get back to the candy.
I know we will finish the second bag today. We bought them to eat, to enjoy! There’s no need to put off deliciousness. Yesterday was an adventure. We filled our hearts. We fed our souls. We tasted this life!!!!
I can’t wait to taste today! Bon appétit!