Here’s a close-up of the pain aux raisins I referenced on Tuesday. Like I said, it was the best pastry I’ve had since returning from France last July.

You may recall me saying that I lost nearly 20 pounds while in France, something that surprises people. Most people figure a person will put on 20 pounds while living in France for a year, what with the butter, cheese, wine, bread and pastries. But it’s very interesting when you’re living there. Overall, people in France are much fitter-looking than people in the United States. A theory I heard, one that makes sense to me, has to do with there being a lot less “fast food” in France. Oh, it’s there, and it’s growing in popularity. But it’s nothing like here in the states.

It will be interesting to see if in the next 10 years people in France start talking about an obesity epidemic.