One of my favourite parts of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games was the way they brought out the friendly, welcoming side of Paris. The Games also gave us several new landmarks across the city, from the rings on the Eiffel Tower to the hot-air balloon in the Tuileries Gardens.
Now, the Olympics and Paralympics are over, but some of those monuments may be sticking around.
Rings, hot-air balloon and horse: What now for Paris Olympic landmarks?
Recently, The Local received an email from a reader asking us if French bread and pastries are getting worse. While it is true that frozen products account for almost a quarter of pastries and other sweet goods sold in France, taste is in the eye of the beholder.
We decided to get a better idea of the bread/pastry situation in France, so we ran a survey asking whether other readers in France found this to be true. Here’s what they had to say.
‘Tastes like straw’ – Are French bread and croissants really getting worse?
For me, it really comes down to trial and error. You have to make it your mission to test out all of the boulangeries in your area. I am certain that with enough time, effort and sampling, you will find the delicious, homemade bread and pastries you were looking for.
The only downside is that the best places tend to be popular with locals and have often sold out of fresh pastries by mid-morning, so you might have to become an early-riser.
Pâtisseries are very important to French people – so much so that the average French household spends €350 a year on them.
5 things to know about French pâtisserie
Pastries may have fruit on top – like my favourite, the tarte aux fraises – but I’m not sure they count toward the recommended daily intake of fruit and veg.
France’s public health agency, Santé Publique France (SPF), issued a range of healthy eating recommendations for parents of children aged between four and 11.
Interestingly, one of their top recommendations was not about what children eat, but how they eat. They encouraged families to eat together at the dinner table, avoid screens at mealtimes, and when possible, cook together.
Fruit, chocolate and meals at the table: What French doctors say children should eat
For families with children, a large chunk of that pâtisserie budget might go toward afternoon snacks – the goûter.
SPF did have something to say about this – they encouraged families to “limit the daily intake of viennoiseries such as croissants and pains au chocolat” [chocolatines, if you’re reading from southwest France].
This might be easier said than done, however. The goûter is a very important tradition for children in France, and the expectation is that snacks will involve a healthy dose of sugar.
Le goûter: The importance of the afternoon snack in France
And finally, last week, I mentioned that Emily in Paris is back with another season.
I have to admit that I have been avoiding the new episodes, but I was tempted to turn on Netflix when I heard France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron will make a cameo this season.
Apparently, Mme Macron “has great talent!”
France’s first lady makes cameo in new Emily in Paris episode
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