Good things come in petit packages.
It's true. Especially when you are traveling and don't have room to carry anything. And it's even better if said thing is edible and you can carry it in your belly and not in your bag. Like chocolates. Oh, chocolates.... So many to choose from. I was happy to find Patisserie Demoulin just down the street from where I'm living. I'd read about it a few times but never been. It's a classic - having been there for over 40 years. And it's cute. With a thatched straw roof decorating the outside it almost seems odd sitting on Boulevard Voltaire - out of place in time and space on a stretch of street that is ruled by strange pawn shops and dry cleaners. The first thing I got was an almond croissant. Wow. It was almost too buttery for me to fathom... and lord knows I love butter. That didn't stop me from eating the whole thing but it did leave me wondering whether or not I should have.
I then moved on to a small chocolate chip financier with a dollop of chocolate in the middle. Now THIS was devastatingly delicious. I was sorry it was over in three bites. But I savored those three bites to the max. You know when you close your eyes and revel in the flavor / texture / sensuality of something? It's pure bliss. That moment when nothing else matters and all thoughts cease to exist? And then it's gone. Sometimes it lingers around a while reminding you that there are pockets of time you can dip into. When the world pushes against you and you can palpably feel the pressure on your skin... It's a meditation of flavor.
Days later I remembered the tiny box of chocolates I bought. Sitting on my kitchen counter looking nonchalant with it's modest twine tied around it. Four chocolates awaited. One bite... (oh, this is good).... two bites (wow, what is this?).... three bites (should I be sharing these with someone?!).... four bites (here comes Duncan).... And then they were gone. My petit box of chocolates savored to the last bite. Every bite was a cosmic burst of pure genius. That melt in your mouth divine feeling that calls upon your every sense.
Another petit package awaits.
This one isn't edible but delicious in a whole other way. I stumbled upon this jewel box store while out wandering around a few months back. It's black walls are lined with glass boxes that house the hand crafted jewelry. Corpus Christi is it's name. Tiny sculpted wings, skulls, arrows, feathers.... it's the kind of place you walk into and just want to buy everything. I can't help myself... I love jewelry. I love the stones (and all the properties they bestow on you), the craftmanship and the way it has the ability to transform my mood. I guess it's like food in that way to me. A shift in perception. An appreciation of beauty. A moment carved out in a busy world. The oxymoron of my life, pastry chef / fashion model, plays out seamlessly. Things that don't seem to go together find common threads and co-exist beautifully. I'm often asked about this. People wonder how it works. Transformation, meditation, a lifting of the mundane. A quest for magnificence.
And now thanks to Joshua I can soar like an eagle through this game of life. I love my new necklace. And I love petit packages. The anticipation of what awaits inside is always so much fun.