I had a marvelous day at Versailles yesterday and a marvelous time at the Louvre today, but after a full 8 hour day at the former and 4 1/2 hours at the latter I am exhausted.
I do want to share one quick thing though. Yesterday we stopped for an appropriately decadent treat of thick hot chocolate and macaroons at Angelina's right inside Marie Antoinette's Petite Trianon. Angelina's was Audrey Hepburn's favorite place for hot chocolate and between that recommendation and having sites in posh locales (the other is right across from the Louvre) they ask a pretty hefty price for the pleasure. It was delicious though and, again, seemed like the thing to do before touring Marie's little corner of Versailles.
I was sitting there enjoying my macaroon when suddenly it occurred to me - this is what Nora is eating in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. She is eating French macaroons, not coconut macaroons. Maybe that was obvious to the rest of you or maybe you don't know what I'm talking about, but I love that play and I love coconut macaroons. I love them so much in fact that when my students read the play each year, I bring in coconut macaroons for the whole class so they all know what it is she's eating behind her husband's back through the whole first act. It never occurred to me that she was eating anything but coconut macaroons, because until yesterday I had probably only had/seen French macaroons once and I recall them being dull and dry and certainly not delicious enough to carry the symbolism of Torvald's infantilizing/Nora's deceit.
French macaroons makes more sense, right? Would they have had a lot of coconut in mid-19th century Norway? How will I find out for sure? And what will I bring to class next year?
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