How Chocolate Came to Save Fran

We met outside the Collège Hotel in Vieux Lyon, somewhere between her place and mine. Immediately I could see that this chick needed some chocolate in her. Pale, wan, and with a sad look on her face, Francine presented herself, standing up a bit straighter than usual and buttoned up tight in an effort to put up a good front. At least she had her camera. That was when I think I saw tears swell in her eyes. She said "PMS" and I said "Bernachon". With that, we were off.


Did you ever have a friend that charges you with positive feelings just from being near her? A friend who is encouraging, helpful, generous, inspiring, beautiful, nurturing and creative all at the same time? My freind Francine is one of those. The first time we went out to lunch we found that we had more to talk about than we could fit in that day. Meeting Fran was like I had finally met a fellow member of the circus and right from the get go we were synchronizing double backs and gracefully mastering the leap from one to the other’s trapezes with the greatest of ease. I sometimes wonder if her inner eye has more strength and focus than she even knows. Her creative endeavors always bloom forth with a lot of energy and purpose.


Francine moved to a new apartment last month, a place with a garden. While moves are stressful and expensive in general, she was casting a positive light on the experience by putting a lot of thought into how her garden will grow, and how to arrange her studio space, etc. Once they got there and unpacked, Fran, being an island girl and accustomed to warmth and light, had to adjust within the winter confines imposed upon her by a new angle from the sun. It was the darkest part of the year. Her bones caught a chill, and it was at that moment yesterday that I caught her.


“What’s Bernachon?” She asked. Oh goodie, it was going to be just the thing. When they poured the chocolate we were both in rapture. Since she instinctively chose all of the chocolate flavored treats from the platter (the poor dear was really in need), I chose some of the other little mignardises and discovered they are very skilled at more than chocolate at Bernachon Passion. Oh la la. Pastry time! We have decided that we’ll hit the tea salons of Lyon one by one as we reach the milestones and deliverables of our respective life projects, or when we need a boost. That should give us plenty of opportunity, either way.