Monday, November 18, 2013

The more alternatives, the more difficult the choice.






Real November weather. Thick, swirling, Dickensian mist. The ground wet and chill underfoot. Bob and Sophie aren't fussed. They rush out of the front door and disappear into the fog. Sophie lets out one quick yelp of delight as if to say '' This is going to be the best day ever ".

The beer and absinthe crowd do not like the fog. The damp has forced them from their table under the arcades to a table by the working radiator in the backroom of the bar. Bob and Sophie's arrival generates a brief flicker of interest, a half hearted chorus of ' Salut Bhub, Bonjour Soffee ' then the early morning imbibers are back off to glumland. Why Bob warrants a 'salut' and Sophie gets a ' bonjour ' one of those mysteries of the French language. 

To the bakers.  Bob stands outside the shop. He's simultaneously trying to chase his tail while making strange ' I'm not going to let on how excited I am ' facial contortions. His overbite much in evidence. Sophie lets out her patented ' I'm being tortured with cattle prods ' howl of joy. The bakers wife gives them half a handful of choux pastry. PON heaven. I find myself laughing out loud.


12 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

I wonder how many other readers today will be mentally making their choices from the patisserie good on display. "Une piece de tarte aux framboises por moi, s'il vous plait! (And apologies for any mis-spellings - French 'O' level was a long time ago..).
Cheers, Gail.

Fat Dormouse said...

The picture you paint in words of the two PONs outside the bakers is glorious! You have a wonderful talent.

...and I've bagsied the millefeuille!

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

Loosening the belt for a tartelette aux fraises...
Never dull there .
Or here. Just seen our tenants girlfriend on the wanted to arrest page of the local police. They are currently not in residence but their return will be tres interesting!

VirginiaC said...

I find myself laughing out loud too....very loud.
Angus I thought we'd agreed not to start your posts with those delicious pastry photos....it gets me every time....said she who ate a LARGE slice of cherry cheesecake and felt ill afterwards on Saturday....smile.
How on earth do you manage to choose only one or two items???

Julie said...

I'm feeling very greedy now as my first thought was, "One of each please"!

It's that time of year when just a poking their nose out of the backdoor means muddy paws and soggy dog, like little sponges or rather bigger sponges in the PONs case

Kari said...

Tartelette for me! That's for now. Still deciding on what would make the trip home. How you and the font manage to stay trim is beyond me.

What is this about Bob's overbite? Does it look like he has a perpetual smile?

houndstooth said...

I guess they already have the locals trained! Too cute!

Angus said...

They have everyone trained !

Angus said...

Who says it's only one or two ?

Juliet said...

Can anyone become part of the beer and absinthe crowd? I fancy being an early morning imbiber off in glumland. Well, maybe just for a while.

Whispering Walls said...

What's Oper 9?

Anonymous said...

In reference to today's title listen to http://m.npr.org/news/Health/245034685 "Are We Happier When We Have More Options?"
"Psychologist Barry Schwartz [author of "The Paradox of Choice"] takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied."