Enfin! We have found the perfect croissant, here in little old sleepily gorgeous Vientiane.
Laos retains much more of à French sensibilité (if they were British of course it would be sensibility), than Vietnam. We suspect it’s the laid- back attitude of the Laotians lacking the revolutionary zeal of their border brothers and sense too that they’re a little over being ‘advised’ by bigger, richer countries (which is err, just about every other country).
China is now squirting cash around the third world like a drunken sailor on shore leave and is looking for ways to inject money into this delightfully sleepy little country, but the Laotians have seen it all before and know there’s no such thing as free noodles.
But back to croissants… and the fabulous Le Banneton pâtisserie. Ooh la la!
Above are two real-live Frenchies who agree with us about Le Banneton’s croissants and who are pictured here earnestly discussing post-modernism, the death of the author (we didn’t even know he was sick), and the tragedy of butterless baked-goods in France.
Below cometh the Egg Man. We were holding our breath that our intrepid oeufier didn’t encounter any potholes and avoided bring sideswiped by passing minivans.
We had slept in having spent a riotous evening listening to Spanish and Laotian musicians
in the company of some young Americans who told us of the bamboo saxophone inventor of Bangkok
and things had already started running out such is the pastry passion of the Vientianese. Fortunately there were one or two items left in Le Banneton.
Below is one of the eponymous dislocated ones, braving the elements for you, our dear readers in our inimitably insouciant fashion.
Fashion Note: Yellow plastic and striped sandals are all the go here on the Riviera of Indochina, where the Monsoon has finally caught up with us. The rain is tremendous and comes at one from every angle, seeming to even leap up at you from below, most refreshingly…if somewhat surprisingly.
Perhaps we are walking on our hands ? Could it be anything to do with the Lotus Seeds we’ve been happily munching ? Here they are
The seeds of the Lotus flower, (nelunbo nucifera). They are crunchy, look like peeled garlic and taste like a cross between cashews and almonds.
The Dislocated Hippies 