When in Doubt, Eat a Pastry

Pastries.

You really can't go wrong with those. If ever lost in a foreign country, feeling homesick, or not getting along with your travel companion, eat a pastry. Even if you are having the best time of your life, stop and smell the roses while eating a pastry.

If you have a big decision to make, are happy to be alive, or just in the vicinity of some freshly baked goods, eat a pastry. But make sure it's a good quality one. Don't waste the calories on the prepackaged junk at the grocery store. Splurge for the fresh out of the oven, homemade delicacy that melts in your mouth.

My brother's family currently lives in a tiny town outside Naples Italy. The pastry shop is less than a mile from their front door. I know - I walked there. We stopped there 3 times in the 5 days I was there visiting. The other days, and a few overlapping, we had to stop in at the gelateria that was only a kilometer from their front door. I have my priorities straight.


They were amazing. They even had a little pastry shell with Nutella filling in the center, along with the same shell filled with white chocolate. They were so fantastic I didn't even have time to snap a picture before popping them into my mouth. Anytime I'm in a foreign country high on the list of things to do is stop at a pastry shop for the amazing fresh goodness. It just goes without saying.

Whether your fancy is a chocolate croissant, the classic cream filled donut style, Laduree macarons (one of my favorites!), churros, cream puffs, or fruity tarts (love those!), and everything in between. It doesn't matter. Life is too short. Eat a pastry.