Monday, April 30, 2007

The most important meal of the day


French Breakfast
Originally uploaded by Miss Gab.

At the risk of launching into this post with the understatement of the century, I feel it needs to be said that my brain is weird.

Lately smells and sights have triggered such vivid memories for me and I find myself falling into easy daydreams and reminiscing about the good old days. Mostly about France, as it turns out.

Every day that I put on Calvin Klein Escape takes me back to 2001 when I studied in Vichy, France at the international school.

When I wore CK Escape every single day for six weeks.

When I cried on the phone to my parents (on almost a daily basis), about how much I hated it there and how lonely I was.

When I would get hopelessly lost in a 2-block radius owing to ancient cobbled streets.

When the French Government declared public holidays for no reason, and forgot to tell the international students, so you'd get up early for class only to find the school closed.

When I didn't drink alcohol for four weeks and lost so much weight I came home and bought designer skinny jeans that I've never been able to wear again.

Funny how a spritz of perfume can evoke so many memories, eh?

And today, I wandered bleary-eyed into my new favourite coffee shop to order the largest, darkest roast I could get my hands on. And my eyes strayed to the pastry case. And there it was.

NUTELLA CROISSANT.

I was powerless to resist. And so I stuffed all the flaky, buttery layers into my mouth and licked all the oozing hazelnutty goodness off my fingers.

And without even trying, just like the spray of CK Escape, the little croissant was able to catapault me straight back to France, and Kate's Parisian breakfast picnic came into my mind. And I was so happy.

And no, the skinny jeans still don't fit. And probably won't fit for a while, now that I've discovered my new pastry pleasure. But think 'big picture' people - I was smiling. On a Monday. Now that is a miracle of the mind for sure!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

...ahhhhh!!!! food memories ... 14 days travelling in Tasmania and trying a home made pie at every town we stopped at for lunch .... Lake Fyans (Grampians) on holiday, a closed tin of baked beans in the trailer while everyone went down to the lake for a swim, and then hot beans on toast for lunch .... a little munchkin hoeing into vegemite on toast and then throwing a "wobbly" .... hot chips on a cold day ... and a chiko roll ... and a hamburger with the lot from the Clearview Fish Shop .... eating cream buns while sitting on a swing in the backyard .... yeah!!! good memories .... and pants with elastic waistbands.

Anonymous said...

Smiling on a Monday eh Gab? People probably thought you just had a case if flatulence. Ha!

Parisienne said...

Ohhh, and it is not just smells, that photo being popped up on my Wednesday (almost like Monday morning after 4 day weekend) has got me smiling! You know you are all welcome back here for nutella croissants and fresh bread any time you want. And as for you Miss Jemma, get your skates on as I don't know how much longer I will be here!