It’s Bleu, Blanc, Rouge, Messieurs!
Le quatorze juillet, or Bastille Day is celebrated in many ways in Sydney. Some visit the monument of La Pérouse, in the south-eastern suburb named after the French navigator Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, who landed in Botany bay in January 1788, just a few days after Captain Cook. Others go to see La Pérouse museum nearby, or opt for culinary celebrations.
And if you’re like me, you’d want to take part in all of the above.
You’d expect to find Croquembouche Pâtisserie somewhere in Paddington, Balmain or Mosman, not in the proximity of Port Botany, where trucks and heavy vehicles burn rubber along busy Botany Road. But once inside the shop, the industrial setting is quickly forgotten among rows of delicious cakes, tempting tarts, buttery pastries and savoury treats.
In celebration of Bastille Day, Croquembouche served a slice of France with accordion music playing old favourites like La Vie en Rose, Le Cancan and the ever nostalgic tune of Sous le Ciel de Paris. Sweet crêpes with sugar, lemon, honey, walnuts, strawberry and cream and the adopted French daughter, Nutella were made to order. A cassoulet lunch with coffee and cake was also on offer for those who like to bask in the atmosphere on the premises.
Opting for the prêt-a-manger alternative, or the cassoulet takeaway, I took my slice of Paris home to be enjoyed later in the evening with a bottle of St Emilion Grand Cru and the sounds of Yves Montand and Thomas Fersen.
But not before paying homage to those who have served pour la France, carried the flag in official ceremonies, and reminded us, “It’s Bleu, Blanc, Rouge, Messieurs!”
Croquembouche Pâtisserie
1635 Botany Road
Banksmeadow, NSW
La Pérouse Monument and Museum
La Pérouse
Sydney, NSW
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