Boats on the Bay

French Journal Day 129 (Travel Diary Day 209)

I’m enchanted by French cafés. As a proud coffee addict, I like to enjoy my fix in comfortable surroundings. When I find a coffee shop I like, I tend to frequent it often. Every café we’ve visited here has had a cozy charm, without the flash furnishings of modern day coffee shops.

Our favourite coffee places in Korea and Indonesia had one thing in common: they both made great coffee. French cafés, however, go one step further – they feel lived-in, if that makes sense. There’s a soul to these joints that modern establishments rarely have.

A few weeks ago we were meandering down a narrow cobble-street with crooked, old buildings either side in the small town of Vezelay. There was a chill in the evening air that increased the allure of a hot coffee in a cozy spot. We’d passed a nice little café earlier which seemed to fit the bill.

After we’d found the place, ordered our drinks and sat down, we noticed how interesting our surroundings were. Instead of wallpaper there was poster upon poster of plays and events that been and gone in the town. We spent some time looking for the oldest poster. I think we found one from the late 80s, which may not sound particularly old but it had probably spent more than 20 years on that wall.

The rest of the building seemed significantly more dated. The huge fireplace was playing host to a healthy blaze with a large, friendly-looking dog curled up in front of it. People were chatting comfortably and most seemed to know each other. I was happy to sit there and slowly enjoy my poison.

Our favourite watering hole in Auxerre is the café du theatre – a tiny wooden clad joint with a barista who dresses like a pirate. We sit in the corner of this dusty place staring out of the window and watching people run to fro about their business. The café plays dramatic classical music that makes me feel like I should be giving an inspirational war speech.

Cafés and coffee shops have, in some form or another, played in important role in our journey so far. They have done more than simply satisfy my favourite addiction; they have been the bases at which we have planned many of our adventures. They have served as places of recuperation and solitude in desperate times. When we were robbed on an overnight train in Indonesia, our first stop after leaving the train was a coffee shop. We regrouped, found new strength and also received free drinks from the sympathetic employees.

Coffee shops have also served as social binders. Many of our Indonesian conversation exchanges took place in coffee houses and I used to meet my Spanish conversation partner every week in a Korean coffee joint. We even spent our first Christmas abroad in a Korean coffee place with friends, exchanging gifts.

Despite our love affairs with coffee shops, this is the first time that I’ve felt we’re getting to know a culture, ever so slightly, by visiting them. Modern coffee shops are often sleek or quirky and populated by young hipsters. In French cafés, on the other hand, we see older men enjoying an afternoon wine while reading the paper. People chat to us and sometimes we listen to the barista talking with customers about the local gossip.

In short, I don’t know where I’d be without the right place to enjoy a cup of the good stuff. Thankfully, there’s one right at our doorstep in our new apartment in Paris. My addiction couldn’t be happier and hopefully we’ll be a tad better acquainted with France by the end of it.

Today’s Photo – Boats at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

This is digitally blended using nothing but luminance masks and painting in different exposures.