Having not had a chance to play with A ALL day on Sunday Little Prince was ecstatic to learn that the same day we were heading to Troy, A and M were also going to be running an errand there and we would be able to tag along with them. Where logistics are concerned I felt much more comfortable riding the road to Troy with A and M. There is safety in numbers when cycling, and when accompanied by an experienced local. M also provided us with a quick history and guide to the local scene in Troy. The town is an old factory town from the days of the American Industrial Revolution and it is interesting to see that it is still broken up along similar wealth and status lines.
X’s to O’s
Troy is also home to an AMAZING vegan bakery called X’s to O’s bakery where not only are sweet treats available (and with gluten-free options) but lunch items are too! And I can not begin to tell you how truly amazing their food is. But, I think my favorite exchange with one of the staff members came when I asked for my usual order (Little Prince knows this by heart now) which is a loose leaf chai tea with steamed almond milk. In some shops this is a tea au lait. In other places its something else. And the reason I order this is because chai lattes are often pre-mixed with honey as a sweetener or sugar. And, as a vegan, both are not acceptable. But as a nutritionist and tea-lover these are also big no-nos. Chai tea should bite, not be sour, but have a slight kick to it. And the sugar added is often too much for me.
What made me laugh was that in the confusion of making the drink a supervisor came over to help and realized what I had ordered was a chai latte. When I told her “yes, but I don’t want any sweetener.” She looked at me with a horrified face, and exclaimed that other places put sweetener in a chai latte?!
Therefore, X’s to O’s, you will always have a soft spot in heart because not only did you carry the most amazing baked goods, savory and healthy foods, provided a whole smorgasbord of games for Little Prince but you clearly understand us crazy folks who feel there is an overabundance of sugar in our American diet!
Library
While more than 80% of our day occured at the bakery, Little Prince and I did also take time to check out Troy’s library (again, no pictures, sorry). I was able to finish my thesis work and send it off to my adviser, now I just sit back and wait for comments! I also did a little work on the blog while Little Prince wrote in his log book and completed his school work for the day. Once completed, he inquired of the librarian if he could also use a computer, turns out in Troy they require a child be 8 years old, so 7 and 3/4 just doesn’t cut it!
We didn’t stay much longer before heading off back to the bakery to grab dinner before they closed and then ate at waterfront park before meeting our host for the evening J, watching an episode of My Little Pony, reading a chapter from Dorothy and the Wizard, and falling fast asleep. And it was a good thing to, because the next day we headed out on the Erie Canal!
Elizabeth E. Yahn 