Across Continents

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Let them eat cake…

History has not been kind to Marie Antoinette. It’s quite possible she never actually uttered the immortal words ’Let them eat cake’. Even if she did, it was probably brioche, a type of bread, rather than cake, that she mentioned. Not that would have made much difference to the lot of the starving peasants.

Despite the controversy, I do have some sympathy for Marie Antoinette. Riding into the medieval town of Pontrieux I discover that whilst object d’art are plentiful, simple foodstuffs are much more elusive. Pity really, especially when you’re a hungry, and you’ve a cunning feeling that most shops in France are about to close for a couple of days.

Then, hidden amongst the many boutiques, art galleries, bistros and creperies, I find a combined boulangerie and patisserie (bakery and cake shop). So, I to am obliged to eat cake – chocolate eclairs – deux to be precise – well, trois would have been piggish. Perhaps then Marie Antoinette had also been cycling in Brittany. We will never know for sure.

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