Labyrinth Walk with Pastry in Carmel Valley, California by Ruth Paget
A low-budget cultural outing I used to do with my daughter Florence Paget when she was a child was to visit the free, outdoor labyrinth walk at the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula.
Our first stop on the way to the labyrinth was the Carmel Valley Roasting Company in the Barnyard Shopping Center. They pride themselves on fine coffee roasts and smiled when I requested a creamy and fatty latte.
They had other beverages I liked that Florence liked as well, which include:
-Rishi Chai Latte – a spicy black tea infused with what seems to be star anise and cloves. The spices made it seem sweeter than it was. This drink originated in Central Asia. I took some to work with me everyday when I sold Persian carpets in addition to Tibetan art and Russian icons to set the mood as an art dealer of the exotic and wonderful.
-Ghirardelli hot chocolate – San Francisco’s primo merchandise was one of Florence’s favorites to go with a pastry.
-Mexican hot chocolate (probably Ibarra brand or Abuelita) – I knew chocolate originally came from Mexico, so I just had to try this for variety. Mexican chocolate is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon in the modern day, which makes it sweet and exotic and a perfect brew for the art gallery job where I also sold milagro miracle crosses.
Carmel Valley Roast Company smells buttery and sugary – all good scents to go with strong coffee. Florence ate a plain croissant or a chocolate croissant. I opted for a large bear claw filled with marzipan, almond paste. I ate half of the bear claw and gave the other half to Laurent at home.
With our provisions in hand, Florence and I would go down Carmel Valley Road from the Barnyard Shopping Center to the labyrinth located at the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula.
The labyrinth is a small model of the floor labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France. We would walk through it doing a pilgrimage in Carmel Valley with mountains on either side of us on the valley floor.
Florence was young, but I did tell her that people still went on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
I was happy to teach a little church history as Florence munched on a croissant and drank Italian hot chocolate.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
