goûter and other delicacies.

by - 4:40 PM

goûter v. /gu'te/ : lgoûter ou « quatre heures » est un repas léger pris en fin d'après-midi. An afternoon snack taken around 4pm. 


I arrived to Paris on the second of January, very rusty in my french language and quite worried about how best to win the affection of the four boys I would be caring for over the next 12 months. The problem and the solution was revealed on my very first day: goûter. On the two days a week that I collect the boys after school, it is imperative that I bring along their beloved goûter, which in France is always a  chocolate based snack for the boys. Leave it to the French to create a noun and verb for what is simply referred to as a snack, by the rest of us. Goûter is a national obsession, as precious as the Mona Lisa, the Tour Eiffel and the perfect baguette. 


A word to the wise: don't ever forget the goûter. But if you do, don't worry: the aftermath will insure that you never make that mistake again. My children prefer pre-packaged crepes, but at any given school courtyard you'll find boxes of cookies, baguettes, or croissants tucked under the arms of nannies, mothers and grandmothers, patiently waiting for their kids to burst out of l'ecole. 


This goûter-obsessed has got me convinced that the future of France, the Parisian children, are running on a dangerous sugar high. Once the clock strikes 16h, watch out: they're crashing, quickly



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2 comments

  1. I love your new design! And I could go for a chocolate based snack right now...

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  2. Love Paris, love your posts! Can appreciate your life as an Au Pair...have two boys and have had 6 Au Pairs from Europe who are now like sisters to me! Just started blogging and read the same article about content. Was feeling the same way. Check out my site...you may love some of the ideas you can do with your kids! Good luck
    xo
    E
    http://www.urbanchiqueness.com

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Merci pour des commentaires! Thanks for letting me know what you think!