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여행에서 돌아오면서 작은 선물을 준비하여 사랑하는 사람들에게 나누어 주고 싶은 마음은 다 똑 같을 것입니다. 특히 자주 가지 않는 다른 나라를 여행할 때는 그런 마음이 더하지요.

여행에서 돌아오면서 작은 선물을 준비하여 사랑하는 사람들에게 나누어 주신 게 언제셨나요? 그 작은 선물은 단순한 선물이 아니라 전해주는 사람의 마음일지도 모르겠습니다. 여행지에서 그를 기억하며 여행의 기쁨을 함께 나누고 싶은 마음 말입니다. 이런 따뜻한 사랑의 마음이 있기에 때로는 삭막하다 할지라도 살맛나는 세상이 되는 게 아닐까 싶습니다.

여행지에서의 선물은 구태여 값비싼 것일 필요는 없겠지요. 어떤 사람들은 해외여행에서 명품을 쇼핑하여 온다는 이야기를 들었습니다만 극히 일부의 이야기가 아닐까 싶습니다.

바락 오바마 미국 대통령이 취임 후 첫 해외방문으로 캐나다에 왔었습니다. 약 여섯 시간 가량의 짧은 일정의 실무방문이었지요 반나절에 가까운 일정이라 안타까워하는 사람들도 많았지만 두 나라간의 우의를 확인하는 중요한 만남 아니었나 싶습니다.

오바마 대통령은 10시30분 경 오타와 공항에 도착하여 미셀 진 총독(governor general)의 영접을 받았으며 국회의사당으로 이동하여 캐나다 수상인 스티븐 하퍼와 오찬을 겸한 정상회담을 가졌습니다. 오타와를 떠나기에 앞서 야당인 자유당의 당수 이그나티에프를 만나기도 하였습니다.

오바마는 바쁜 일정 중에도 잠시 시간을 내어 시장(market)을 방문하였습니다. 특별히 쿠키를 판매하는 가게에 들러 딸들을 위해 단풍나무 잎 모양의 쿠키를 샀습니다. 저녁에 워싱턴으로 돌아가 딸들에게 선물로 전해주고 싶었던 게지요. 공식적인 일정을 하지만 사랑하는 가족과 딸을 생각하는 마음이 참으로 아름답게 여겨졌습니다.

세상에는 크고 중요한 일도 많지만 사랑하는 사람을 기억하며 그들에게 작은 선물로 마음을 전달하는 것 역시 참으로 소중하고 귀한 마음이 아닐지 모르겠습니다.

대통령이 돈을 지불하려하자 가게의 여자 종업원은 돈을 받지 않겠다고 사양하였습니다. 딸들에게 전할 작은 선물을 사려는 대통령에게 그저 주고 싶었기 때문이지요. 웃으며 슬그머니 테이블위에 돈을 놓는 대통령의 모습 또한 보기에 좋았지요. 이런 작은 사랑의 마음, 따뜻한 마음이 때로는 사람들로 하여금 멋진 살만한 세상이 되게 하는 게 아니겠습니까.

대통령의 방문으로 인하여 쿠키를 만들어 판매하는 이 가게와 공장은 사람들이 찾아와 쿠키를 사려는 사람들이 줄을 서고 있다고 합니다.

추위로, 경제 한파로 얼어붙은 우리들의 마음을 따뜻하게 녹여주는 훈훈한 이야기가 아닌가 싶습니다.

<Obama puts shop on map-a few cookies make big difference>

Nothing like having the president of the United States drop in unannounced to put your company name on the proverbial map.

Business was beyond booming yesterday at Le Moulin de Provence on 55 ByWard Market Obama casually popped in for a handful of mouth-watering, better-than-homemade-maplel-leaf shaped short bread cookies thoughtfully outlined in red icing.

"I figure I'd get some points from my daughters," Obama said to astonished staff and shoppers, after picking out the large cookies from bakery employee Isabelle Corriveau, 18.

Corriveau was smart enough to offer the goods gratis, telling the prez these Canadian treats were on the house."

And what a house this is - a ByWard Market mainstay for more than 10 years.

Owner Claude Bonnet employes around 50 people who bake, create and keep the crowds coming back for everything from the most delicate of French pastries to biscotti cookies to a menu that, based on blog chatter, has some of the finest French cuisine around.

This from a place that offers more than 250 products and where baking is an all-night affair.

"And our chef is amazing," said Bonnet yesterday, somewhat shouting to be heard over the din of shoppers and the hissing of cappuccino being made. "But we have to be good-our food is artisanal, and we ues only the freshest ingredients...our menu is half French, half Italian and we not only have a retail division but we're wholesalers as well."

In fact, many of Ottawa's top hotels serve the sumptuous goods from Le Moulin de Provence.

Bonnet is so passionate when he talks about his eatry he lapses into Italian to describe the many offerings this shop offers.  "Our biscotti are not to be believed and we've dozens of cookies, along with breads and pastries, "along with the hot foods offered.

Obama's not the only politician who has passed through the shop's doors-several prime ministers as well as members of parliament have passed by the bite into some fresh and delicious offering. "We bale all night," says Bonnet, "it's our passion to produce only the best."

But-maple-leaf shaped cookies? What are the odds Obama found treat so indicative of our Canuck roots-apart from the famous ObamaTail he ordered to go.

"I had no idea-our short bread recipe is very good, as we use only the finest butter. And we cut the cookie dough into different shapes-for the tulip festival, we cut them into tulips - we just happen to have made the maple-leaf shaped cookies in honour of his visit...it was fate that he came in."

Fate was not smiling on staffer Oliver, who admitted the day of Obama's visit was real snore-fest and "the place was so dead, I decided to leave after working my 10 hour shift-what are the odds(Obama) would come in a half hour a half hour after I left.

"Just my luck."

Just our luck the Obama girls get to enjoy a true Canadian cookie, did we mention Obama picked up three-one of the road we figure. Le Moulin de Provence is open seven days a week and can be reached at 613-241-9152

(source: Saturday SUN Feb. 21, 2009 page 14)

<Shoppers hot on Obama's tail>

Talk about a Midas touch.

Every Byward Market business graced by US president Barack Obama's presence Thursday was overrun by customers yesterday.

The French bakery where he bought two maple leaf shortbread cookies? It sold 3000 of them by lunch. Le Moulin de Provence brought in extra bakers on their day off the bake 5,000 to sell today. The bakery normally sells about 100 of those cookies a day.

"We make and we sell, we make more," owner Thierry Bannier said in a thick Parisian accent.

"Today every body wants a taste of the presidents choice."

The gift shop where Obama picked up a key-chain with a turning centre featuring a moose and maple leaf? Oxxo Silk and Gift was sold out of the key-chains early yesterday morning. 

Owner Adnan Ustun has ordered dozens more and plans to frame the Canadian $5 bill the president handed him for the $4 Keepsake.

Ustun grinned like a kid in a candy store as he pulled out the drawer where he keeps the Zip-lock-bagged bill and one remaining key-chain.

"I think that's the most important $5 I've ever had. I'll keep all my life that one."

There was a lineup of people waiting to indulge in a gooey, calorie-laden Obama -Tail.

"I wanted to try it, I just wanted to be part of the experience." Montreal resident Hilde LePore said, wiping whipped cream off her upper lip.

 She was headed next to the bakery to try to nab one of the hottest confections in town.

Lisa Bergeron was one of the lucky people who spied the president in the market Thursday, and was lined up for an Obama Train yesterday. She wanted to keep the excitement going.

"It just tells you what kind of a guy he is, picking up souvenirs for his wife and kids even though he was only here for a few hours," she said.

Jessica Milien, the teenager who handed Obama his namesake tail was in Toronto yesterday, doing lots of television interviews.

Her colleagues were left in the Byward Market shack, dishing up fried dough and answering the same question-over and over and over.

"A lot of people are asking, 'Can I have what are the president had?' and they all want the details of exactly what happened," said Jennifer Kasun.

So...What exactly happened?

"His Secret Service agent came up to the booth and asked that one staff member come out with a BeaverTail to meet the president."

The agent didn't specify which flavor.

"(Obama) asked what was on it and then said he was looking forward to enjoying it."

While Obama was enjoying a whipped cream-covered pastry, local businesses were enjoying the fallout from his consumer choices.

(Source: Saturday SUN Feb. 21, 2009 page 22)