Baker at Work!

My second successive blip of a bakery, but given the importance of bread in French culture I think it's permissible. It's fun to see LARGE--don't miss the oven behind the baker.

This bakery is even a bit closer to our apartment (in Paris 13e) than yesterday's; I ran up this morning to get croissants and a baguette de tradition for breakfast with our guests from Rennes (we've known them for twenty years; we'll be returning the visit in mid-February and I'll introduce them then).

The round pastries on the left are Galettes des Rois (galettes of the Kings)--consumed around the Feast of the Epiphany (in France, throughout January). They are usually made with marzipan, with a small pebble-like object inside (the fève); the person who finds the fève is King (or Queen) for the day and gets to wear the paper crown that comes with the galette. The Wikipedia article on galettes des Rois (unfortunately it seems to be only in French) includes a characteristically uproarious painting of the King's Feast by Jacob Jordaens