More than a cup of coffee

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Strangely, or should I rather say coincidently? Many of my previous posts were written in cafes. Cafes of different styles. Vintage cafes with an old-fashioned charm, stylish ones with prime focus on minimalism, family-run cafes with a homely atmosphere, and exotic taverns with beautiful sea views, located either on a Greek or Gran Canaria island.

I had a cup of cappuccino and icecream in a tiny family-run cafe in a small town in Tenerife, which is just below the Volcano Teide. The owner, an elderly woman, wasn’t particuarly keen to have a conversation with us, most likely a consequence of language barriers.

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I have a bad reputation of being unreliable when having family trips. The children often complain that I would disappear at any time and leave them to their father without giving them any notice. I acknowledge my flaw. I’m frequently drawn to nostalgic cafes and vintage shops, which I think are far more interesting than theme parks or science museums.

On that autumn afternoon we paid a visit to Skansen Open-Air museum in Stockholm. When the children were enjoying the interaction with horses and cows, I disappeared into a traditional Swedish style cafe, which had a astonishing display of cakes and cinnamon buns.

I ordered a cup of tea and was served a mug of Earl Grey with milk. My apply pie topped with whipped cream was enormous. Sitting at the round small table made of stone or marble, I sipped my tea and marvelled at the view of the trees and garden. The leaves were loosing their colour and falling. Some were blown away by the wind.

I pretended to be a woman living in the 19th century, thinking what they might’ve been thinking on an autumn day like this. The rain was dripping down the window, the green was turning soft yellow. A sure sign of winter approaching slowly, and cautiously.

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Author: Isabelle

Content writer / editor & Language advisor

54 thoughts on “More than a cup of coffee”

  1. Aww! All these cafes look so amazing. You are so lucky to have a beautiful cafe like this near your home. Cafes have sometime such nice introvert communities. It feels like some great authors of future are sitting there. Which one pf all of these is your favorite cafe?

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    1. Thank you lovely littlemisssunshine! It’s hard to pick one, generally I love vintage cafes with a nostalgic touch, which often give me good feelings, and I tend to be a bit more creative. These cafes bring me back in time and I love create different scenarios for my own pleasure 😊❣️

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    1. Hi Neil,

      Thank you for the thoughtful words. Very much appreciated. I love cafes, and letting the mind wander while hiding myself in the corner of a cafe is such a pleasure. Cannot get enough.

      Have been waiting for your post, I like your sense of humour. Your posts make me smile.

      Take care.

      Isabelle

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  5. Very nice Isabelle😀 great post, 😎 pics & fantastic writing! I really enjoyed reading. You did have that trick of making the reader feel like they where there with you. Thanks!😎

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    1. Oh thank you Warrior! I’m overwhelmed by the compliment. Did you mean it? Just have to double-check so I’m sure you weren’t kidding 😅 Anyway, your nice comment made my “evening”. It’s literally evening or even night in both the UK and Norway I think. Have a great week! 😁

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      1. 😀 Of course I meant it!!!! & I suppose that will always happen with me being a funny twat all the time😝 but yeah I mean it Isabelle😀 great post & fantastic writing. I really enjoyed it thanks.

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      3. I gathered that😀 some how, I think? Maybe its the big grin & al the crazy yellow faces😲why some may think I’m taking the *@!# but its just part of the online voice you see😎 glad I gave you confirmation though!

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  7. Oh, that table of sweets, yum! What warm spaces and gentle thoughts. You have such a lovely way of writing Isabelle. Cafes, cozy corners, the comings and goings of strangers who touch for a moment in time. I feel as if I’ve spent a quiet afternoon in a far away place. Beautiful, thank you Isabelle 😊❤️

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    1. Thank you for the warm and thoughtful words Suzanne, as always. I actually treated myself with a piece of big-sized apple pie topped with thick cream that afternoon. I sat by the window for about an hour, just to get that remote feeling by imagining how people lived in the past. It was a cold autumn day last year, the coffee they served was so good, not those fancy ones such as cappuccino and latte, just basic brewed coffee. The aroma of their freshly brewed coffee caught me. It was a nice afternoon. Good to know you enjoyed the post Suzanne and lovely to have a chat. Have a good week 😊❤️

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      1. Sounds heavenly all the way round. When I was a girl we drove past a huge coffee roasting plant every morning on the way to school. I loved the aroma of coffee long before I enjoyed drinking it. Thank you for the visit Isabelle. Take care 😊❤️

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      2. Then we’ve got something more in common Suzanne 😊 I also can’t stand the aroma of coffee though I’m a heavy tea drinker. In a cafe I sip my tea and absorb the smell of coffee. I’d love to live by a coffee roasting plant. I associate coffee with good feelings. Happy Easter Suzanne 😊❤️🐥(chicken symbolises Easter in Norway, not sure if you have the same tradition in the US, I put one up there anyway 😊)

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      3. I didn’t know that about chickens. 😊Thank you. I love chickens. They seem like such gentle silly birds. I imagine they’re a lot of trouble but I still think it would be fun to have a few some day and gather ones own eggs. Happy Easter Isabelle 😊❤️🐣

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    1. Oh thank you Kevin! Writing in a cafe calms me down, strange isn’t it, given the noise around me. It feels like some kind of inner peace. A very reassuring and comfortable feeling. Have a great week! 😊☀️🍀

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    1. Indeed! Paying attention to the surroundings and making reflections is a good way to understand the world, and it’s the primary source for inspirations I think. Thank you, appreciate your thoughts very much! 😊

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  11. Weather is improving here too Isabelle, yesterday being brightest since many days and warmer at 8 degrees. Snow is melting and lakes trees are coming back to life again. It’s a big relief. Observing people around specially in a different country is something I like too for it makes us realise that we all are same despite the many differences. I do same and it inspires me too. The pictures you clicked are beautiful and I can understand why you would love to read in cafes ☺
    Have a great week ahead !!

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    1. Thank you cherry for taking time to give me such a comprehensive and nice comment! Good to hear it’s getting warmer in Sweden too. You know we’re heading to Stockholm soon, it’s Easter break in Norway this week. Haven’t got enough of Stockholm, especially the Old Town. It’s a selection of cafes I’ve been to, I’m glad you liked them. Take care Cherry 😊

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      1. Oh great!! That’s next weekend 😊
        Thanks Isabelle
        Have a great vacation
        And old city Gamla stan is beautiful in its architecture and appeal!!

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  12. I can see how much you enjoy this time to relax and observe. Accents are very funny and I thought about writing a post on it. There are so many Spanish accents, even within each country.

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    1. Thank you Aixa and it would be very interesting if you would write a post about Spanish accents. I had a subject called “Accents in the British Isles” and we went through many of the accents in the UK. But I have no knowledge of Spanish accents, we travel a lot to Spanish speaking territories and it would be great to know more about the language. I might take a Spanish course some time in the future. 😊

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    1. I really do Keen 😊 It seems I’m getting more productive when working in a cafe, or a library. Observation stimulates the thinking process and generates new ideas, it works for me. Thank you for the lovely comment, as always! 😊

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    1. Thank you so much! I’m very much a cafe-person though I prefer tea when I’m actually sitting in a cafe. Can’t stand the aroma of coffee and warm, sometime intimate atmosphere I feel in cafes. 😊

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  16. Hey Isabelle!!! Visited this yesterday (but my wordpress was in twilight zone and I was blocked from commenting) and thoroughly enjoyed Your thoughts and photographs. I was in a very hurried mood and anxious about the zillion things to do on my list…Your post was a little retreat! I calmed down, took my time and was smiling so big because we experience cafe culture in the same way. You express it beautifully and perfectly. When my eyes latch onto someone else’s who is also sitting silently….just observing….it feels like we’re having our own energy conversation of joyful being ness. It’s been far too long since I made time to cafe…..You are brilliant at it and a constant reminder that it’s time! Thank You and Cheers!!! 🙂

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    1. Thank you thank you so much Katy!! It’s always lovely reading your thoughts and reflections. A moment I cherish very much. I hope you can sense it, Katy 😊 Sitting on a train right now, heading to Stockholm. A short Easter break from the routines. It will take about 5 1/2 hours, plenty of quiet time for reading and enjoying the view outside. The sun shining and the wind blowing gently.
      That we experience cafe in the same way makes me smile, it’s a lovely feeling that we share something despite the distance between us. Sometimes mind-to-mind interaction is more precious than face-to-face conversation. I think in this way. Take care Katy and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in a nice place. It does something to the mind and the soul I think. It really does. Thank you. Cheers and hugs!! 😊❤️

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      1. OH!!! LOVING that You are taking an Easter break and are on a train! And yes….I can sense it. Another of my favorite activities!!! Have a wonderful time! I completely enjoy chatting with You as well in this manner. You always gift a smile. And how right You are…it truly does something to the mind and soul to just sit and enjoy coffee/life. Hugs and Cheers!!! 😊💖

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  17. I love your photos! I too enjoy listening into other’s conversations. I used to write the silliness down I heard up and down the country. You realise how alike humans truly are…

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    1. Yes we realise that we are all different, we think differently, and we express ourselves and react in different ways. It reminds me of respecting the differences between people and embrace the world with the right attitude – tolerance and love. Thank you Lana! Appreciate your comment very much.

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