MAR 23, 13 .. BAKER STREET ..

Here in Pondicherry .. the French who have homes here and live here for a good-part-of-the-year .. 'fancy' a French Bakery called .. Baker Street.

So I walked up there this morning to check-it-out!

A close-up of their sidewalk-sign.

"I don't think Sherlock Holmes was French 'Zilla!" 

The entrance.

Inside we go!

Oui Oui !

It IS! .. After all! .. EASTER SEASON!

Oui!  Oui!  Again!

HE IS RISEN!

"I am so sorry 'Zilla!  But 'Ol Buddy.. I can NOT explain to you precisely how the Death and the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead relates to Chocolate Easter Bunnies and Jelly Bean Easter Eggs!"

This IS .. My Doxology! .. Cap ..

MAR 19, 13 .. BREAKFAST AT HOT BREADS ..

Those of you following along here KNOW that I buy my bread at Hot Breads.

They bake one loaf of Herbal Bread a day.

'Zilla I  haven't a clue as to why in the world they only bake one loaf each day!

On the days I need a loaf of my Herbal Bread I am at the front door just before 7AM when they open.  At 7AM the staff step-aside-for-me and I make-a-beeline for my loaf!

Just look at it!  ZOWIE!  Will I miss this and my fancy Olive Oil when I leave the 27th!

On this earth there may be an equal .. but there is none better!  "Yes 'Zilla I am drooling!"

Some of you have-the-idea that because of all my meals at Daily Bread .. I do not eat at Hot Breads anymore.

Not true!  I eat breakfast at Hot Breads about five days a week.

Below is the basic Omelette with Toast (no butter and no jam thank-you-kindly!) and Juice.   With tip .. $1.80 US.

  
The 16-oz green plastic Tupperware Tumbler is filled with my drinking water.  

The juice (I select it) is chilled Mango Juice.  

I will drink about 4-oz of my water from the Tupperware Tumbler and then I pour the Mango Juice into the remaining water.  This gives me a real 'shot' of liquid to start-my-day!

In the next Post immediately below I will go back to January of 2012 when I lost the above Tupperware Tumbler.  

MAR 10, 13 .. VIVE LA FRANCE .. OUI OUI !

"What's that 'Zilla?"  

"The French word oui in the title above means yes in French 'Zilla.  So Oui Oui means YES YES !  Oui is pronounced as 'wee' !"

'Zilla your questions sure enhance this web site!  Not everyone knows what 'oui' means!

Below are three of my most favorite .. FRENCH-influenced-establishments .. here in Pondicherry! 

All three are on my street !  All three are in my particular block of my street!   All three are .. more-or-less .. next-door to MOTHERS GUEST HOUSE !

Bon Bakes (new to you) is at the end-of-my-block!  Daily Bread (new to you) is next door to Bon Bakes.  Past the large-square-green sign in the below photo .. you can make-out Hot Breads.

Four photos below is a little better photo showing Hot Breads up the street.

Hot Breads you have seen in several Posts.  But Oui Oui Hot Breads!

And again the front of HOT BREADS !

BON BAKES IS NEW TO YOU ALL !

BON  BAKES  is definately a OUI !  OUI !  

Creme De La Creme !  THE cream of the cream !  The deserts in Bon Bakes are oh-so 'naughty' !  Decadent and Outrageous say it better! 

Right next door to Bon Bakes .. on its right in the below photo .. is a new-to-you restaurant .. Daily Bread !

Goodness the French LOVE their bread and pastries!

The below photo shows you all three a little-bit-better than the topmost photo above.  Just past the large-square-green sign you can see Hot Breads!

And now I want to 'zero-in' on Daily Bread. 

Vive la France and their BREAD !  You have Hot Breads and Bon Bakes and now you have DAILY BREAD !

Below is Daily Bread's sign located above its entrance stairway.

And below is a frontal view looking at Daily Bread which is on the second floor above the street .. between its sign and the sign reading COHINOOR.  You walk up-the-steps you see on the left side of the below photo underneath the square sign I showed above.

OK .. I have gotten you introduced to Daily Bread.  I am now going to sign off this Post and immediately begin a Post centering on Daily Bread!

MAR 10, 13 .. DAILY BREAD .. OUI OUI !

Daily Bread has become my 'default' restaurant of choice here in 'Pondi'.

Not by any means is .. or will .. Daily Bread be my only restaurant here in 'Pondi' .. but I prefer Daily Bread for most of my meals.  

In the Post above this .. I just gave you a little introduction to Daily Bread and now we will look in detail at Daily Bread.

I will repeat two photos from above to make this a complete Post .. below you see the front of Daily Bread.

Daily Bread is up on the second floor of its building.  

In the photo above and in the photo below .. Daily Bread is located between its sign and the COHINOOR sign.  You walk up the stairs located on the left side of the photo below immediately below the square Daily Bread sign.

When you have climbed the stairs .. you see Daily Bread's outside tables.  To your right is the street.

Now we are going to open the door to our left and walk into the interior of Daily Bread.  

We will then turn to our right and look in the direction we are looking in the photo above.  This will show you one view of the dining area.  

On the right in the below photo are the windows that face the street and the outside tables.  Use the man in the green-shirt as a reference point.

In the below photo .. I have walked past the gentleman in the green-shirt to the other end of the dining area.  Then I turned around 180-degrees to snap the below photo.

NOTE IF YOU WILL .. against the wall .. below the mural on the wall you are facing .. there are two tables immediately inside the entrance door on your left in the photo below.

On the right table you will notice two bottles of water.  

THIS IS MY TABLE AT DAILY BREAD !

My 'other' table at Daily Bread is the table to the left inside the entrance door against the wall you are facing.  IF neither are available .. I 'perch' at the two tables between the man in the green-shirt and my first choice table and casually wait until one of my two tables are available.  This pair of tables are reserved in perpetuity for large parties and I have never had a problem 'perching' here.  I will order my meal .. meals usually take 20-minutes to prepare .. and quietly occupy one of my tables when available.  Only one time have I actually eaten my meal at my 'perch' tables!

Now below is another photo with few people in it.  This photo clearly shows .. to the left of the photo .. some of the goodies!

Below is a close-up photo of the goodies against the wall to the left in the above photo.

Now turn around to-your-left about 90-degrees and you will see what the column of goodies two photos up looks like.

In the above photo .. directly to the lower left .. you see my 'perch' tables.  Against the display case against the wall on the  left of the photo you can see MY CHAIR at MY table!

In my nearly three weeks here in 'Pondi' .. I know the regular customers and THEIR tables.  The wait-staff know me and really treat me well!

What do I like at Daily Bread?

I get three versions of the below .. toasted .. open faced .. baguette sandwich!  Tuna .. Chicken .. and Veggie!  These beauties are to-die-for good!  The baguette sandwiches cost 80Rs or $l.60 US.

Oh My Goodness .. Will You Feast Your Eyes On MY Salad!  The below salad costs 70Rs or $1.40 US.

Vive la France!  Oui Oui Oui !

In this salad .. each day they differ slightly ! .. you have:  

Grapes in the center .. From the top moving clockwise .. you have sliced .. Apples .. Papaya .. Pineapple .. Oranges .. Tomatoes .. Cucumbers .. Green Beans ..

Let me tell you this!  India has fresh produce second-to-nobody!  The above fruits and veggies are from-the-garden fresh and tasty!

Vive la France!  Because of the demanding French visitors .. the above salad is SAFE to eat  because Daily Bread uses high quality water to wash and prepare all of its food.

Only in Goa .. and there because of the demanding standards of the German visitors .. will I eat fresh salads here in India.  Oh yes the five-star hotels are totally safe also!

Daily Bread has a full menu.  I also eat .. Chinese Food at Daily Bread (Chicken Chow Mein) .. very basic toasted veggie sandwiches .. OTHER salads notably their Waldorf Salad .. omelettes .. 

What do you think of Daily Bread?

I think it is a winner !  Oui !  Oui !  .. Cap ..

   

FEB 21, 13 .. INTO PONDICHERRY .. FRENCH BREAD AND OLIVE OIL ..

Hot Diggety Dog !  I am back in Pondicherry and I am in MY same guest house !  After getting kind-of-settled .. I went out and got water and olive oil and FRENCH BREAD !

To get a good idea of where both Chennai and 'Pondi' are located within India.. please see the map below following this Post.

Well fellow BREAD LOVERS enjoy the below photos !  I will start off by showing you a photo of the bakery (Hot Breads) immediately next door to MY Mothers Guest House here in Pondicherry. 
In addition to Hot Breads I enjoy the China Town Chinese Restaurant. 

When you enter the door .. on the wall to your immediate left .. you have the baked goods shown in the photos below.

OH THE FRENCH AND THEIR BREADS !  

OK I am going to 'zero in' on the loaves !   Isn't the love .. as shown in the artwork on the loaves .. just something very special ?

And every-other-day .. at 7AM .. I usually go in and I buy the one loaf of herbal bread they set out each morning.   I don't know why they only set out one loaf of the herbal bread .. but in the photo below is MY bread.

And OH YES Olive Oil Snobs .. this Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil cost me over Ten ($10) United States Dollars for 500ml .. take that you characters !  I have had Olive Oil Snobs look down upon Colavita Brand Olive Oil !  To me it tastes just great !

Luckily for YOU .. YOU do not have olive oil bottles talking to you ! I photographed Colavita with a white background and Colavita said to me .. "Dad ! I look better in black !"  Well Captain .. you don't have to listen and act do you ?

For a long writing on the trip here from New Delhi .. please  click onto the above link to .. Baba Kaps Doxology .. and you will find the most recent news ..

I am pretty 'road weary' but happy to be back in 'Pondi' and to settle for awhile .. 

MUCH JOY .. Cap .. 

DEC 27, 11 .. GOA .. ARAMBOL BEACH SHOPS

I am not down on all the stores here in ARAMBOL BEACH at all.. in fact many I really enjoy passing and just looking in as I walk by .. here are but a few.. 

The World Peace German Bakery is one shop that  I actually patronize regularly since Niklas from Sweden got me turned onto buying bread .. in fact Niklas took me here .. very good bread and a good selection of other products as well .. as you can see  by studying the below photo .. it is a bit more than only a bakery ..

 The below two shops are just a kick ..  one beside the other .. a contrast in products you would say for certain .. I need say no more .. smiles ..

 The below spice and tea shop certainly is a favorite of mine although I purchase neither .. IF this shop was at home I would be a regular customer .. the spices are on the left (see photo below this one) and the teas are on the right (see the second photo below this one) .. "Cap what is it you love so much about India ?" .. the man who owns or runs the shop politely stepped outside for me to snap the photo although I sort of wanted him IN the photo ..

 Can you smell the spices where you are .. I enjoy smelling them as I pause ..

 How about all of the teas .. can you taste them .. they almost make me want to become a tea drinker ..

 Herbal and holistic Ayurvedic Medicine is an ancient and widely practiced and well respected art here in India ..

 If you have IT .. they have a cure for you ! .. this is a close up of the sign in the above photo on the left front of the shop ..

 Moving right along .. IF music and DRUMS are your thing .. well trust me .. they have one just for you here in Arambol Beach .. how about a guitar to go with your drum .. they have them also .. how about a gourd to 'shake rattle and roll' with the drums and guitars .. they've got 'em too ..

 I thought with the below close up photo .. you might want to reach into the screen and plunk one of the drums .. 

 

 Trust me on this .. as with all of India .. there are NO free rides .. each of the above shops have a number of competitors .. yes there even is another German Bakery further up the street almost to the beach .. and the 'daily needs stores' also have EXCELLENT bread delivered to them from outside of Arambol Beach bakeries .. competition here in India is brutal ..