Pain chocolat may be a way to achieve “death by chocolate” in Paris, but the experience is anything but painful.
Rising to the occasion for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this chocolate-filled bread (pain, pronounced “pen”) is a killer combination of two of France’s primary food groups.
The morsel-stuffed loaves are available from tiny, aroma-filled patisseries as well as cafés mere steps from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
And, best of all, they double as a good excuse to not get in a hurry.
If one decides to tour the city á pied (on foot), he or she can purchase pain chocolat from a bread shop near the Arc d’Triomphe on the Champs-Elysées (Paris’ most famous avenue) and walk all the way to the Louvre, the massive museum home to such artistic works as the Mona Lisa.
And what many tourists say they discover is the country’s most delightful surprise — the stereotypes are not catered to tourists. Rather, the stereotypes are simply true.
That’s why many say visitors shouldn’t limit their French experience to the quick tour of national icons.
The beauty of the country lies in the slow heritage and history nestled into the rapidly moving French culture.
A breathtaking view of the Parisian cityscape is waiting from Sacré Coeur, a basilica on a hill overlooking the city.
Just behind the massive church and entrancing city lights, tourists can slip away into a street scene that looks as French as what they’ve seen in any coffee table book.
Quaint street cafés that unapologetically seep piano music into the night air beckon to passersby.
Cobblestone streets echo with the sound of footsteps just around the corner.
A moment in time
Painters lazily work in the square, trying to capture on canvas the vibrant life all around them.
The pace is a far cry from that on the bank of the Seine River, where Paris visitors can feast their eyes on the French novelties they’ve seen in pictures — the Notre Dame cathedral and the Eiffel Tower.
The tower, the world’s tallest building at 984 feet until New York’s Chrysler Building came along in 1930, commands attention, even from those who live in its shadow.
Does it ever get old, passing the Eiffel Tower each day? The locals say no.
As restless as the French appear, they never seem to have trouble making time for age-old perfection in their gastronomy or architecture.
Near the impressive structure a gray-haired woman can be seen walking home from the grocery store, a long baguette of specially-baked French bread tucked under her arm.
And the businessman jogging beside her jostles his cell phone in one hand and his own sack of fresh bread in the other.
They stop frequently at the small, world-famous street cafés to enjoy the scenery over a slightly-overpriced cappuccino — a small investment for the quiet seat.
Restless yet relaxed. No time, but all the time in the world.
So take it from the locals — while in Paris, don’t miss taking turns through the Musee d’Orsay, home of Whistler’s Mother and the likes of Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir. And don’t forget the Mona Lisa. But definitely don’t neglect taking time to stop at that little café on the corner.
And enjoy that pain chocolat.
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