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Instead of the City of Light or the City of Love, Paris ought to be called “The City of Carbs.”

So far, I haven’t met a pastry or a baguette I didn’t like –and trust me, we’ve had a few. Our trip is about food and its relationship to culture. From bakery tours to market places to the dinner table, we’ve had more than our fair share of breads. We sampled goods from the finest big-name bakers to small street vendors who simply have “Bakery” on their sign.

Eric Kayser was an incredible experience. Under a garland of white branches, silver ornaments, and fake snow, our group sampled a little bit of everything from this artisanal bakery. This pear and chocolate tarte was better than I could have expected!

We headed to Aux Merveilleux afterwards, sampling their famous iced and chocolate-rolled meringue. Known as Merveilleux, this pastry came about during the revolution as a way for people to experience a little bit of extravagance in their everyday lives. I’m usually not interested in meringue, but these were so light, fluffy, and delicate, I couldn’t resist. I’d recommend them to anyone visiting Paris!

Our final bakery, Maison Guinion, was actually in the city of Versailles, about 10 miles outside of Paris. These exquisite pastries reflected the elegance of the city and the palace of Versailles. These pastries were more decorated and intricate than the others, with little icing designs and pretty paper, folded in a way to protect the pastry from being crushed. The attention to detail is what makes these pastries so memorable and enticing.