Coffee moments and a dream

How are you amazing people of Read.cash. And even though it's still Tuesday for a few minutes here, most of you are already on Wednesday, so Happy Hump Day!

A day ago, I wrote an entry for a contest in one of my favorite Hive communities, one dedicated to coffee. Yes, I am a coffee lover, and I think everything we do with a cup of coffee in front of us, we do it better.

Well, the contest winner was my dear Eddie Wildlife @TengoLoTodo, who invited us to have coffee with Dafty, and my dear friend @FarmGirl and her ideal coffee shop in front of the lake came in second place. My entry took the third prize. So it was all in the family, and it seems the BCH guys and girls are rocking the Hive.

Getting back to my entry, it was an acrostic about a dreamed coffee shop. I was inspired by a dream I had in my college years; at that time, I wanted to have a small coffee shop and bookstore. I had the thought that after working for a while in the business world, I would like to retire and set up that small cafe. That dream never materialized, and to tell the truth, today is only a dream of youth, and it is not in my plans to have that cafe now. But to write my publication, I was inspired by some coffee shops that I have visited in all these years, leaving an unforgettable memory.

The first one is a cafe I visited many years ago in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a family trip, and we were visiting one of the city's most traditional neighborhoods with a lot of steep streets. We went into a small cafe to have a drink and rest. The coffee shop had a very informal atmosphere and a small lounge with super comfortable sofas. There was also a shelf with books and magazines that invited them to sit and hang out. And like everything in the Alfama neighborhood where it was located, it seemed that time in the area stopped, and there was no rush. The coffee was pretty good as most of the coffee in Portugal. I was looking for some pictures in my files, and the only one I found of the place was this one of my son.

The second cafe that inspired me was one I visited years ago in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, also a traditional neighborhood. It is very bohemian, full of antique shops, and where many of its buildings may seem a little neglected and give it a slightly decadent atmosphere, but it is full of corners that are worth exploring, and that also seems to have stopped in time. One morning during that visit, we discovered a tiny cafe near the small hotel we were staying in; I remember we had a good time in it because the guy who was at the counter was Venezuelan and we talked a lot with him. While we were there, we took this picture, and every time I see it, I want to go back to the cafe and, like the guy with the headphones, sit there with my computer and watch the world go by through the window while sipping a cup of coffee.

The third cafe that inspires me is one that is here in Caracas. I've written about it in Hive and published some photos of it in Noise. Years ago, when I started to go there, the owner tended the bar and you could spend hours sitting there chatting with him. This cafe is famous for serving one of the best espressos in town, and although it no longer seems to follow that motto, I loved that they used to open when they wanted to and had a sign that no longer exists that said: We open when we open and close when we close. So they opened their own way, sometimes they were closed at mid-morning; sometimes they were open on Saturdays and sometimes not.

The place is full of antiques, posters, and news of other times on the walls.

And now, the acrostic of my dreamed cafe.

Morning sun shines on a street where, despite the hustle and bustle of the city, people seem to be relaxing and enjoying a new day. Many seem to be heading for a store whose door is flanked by a few pots of blooming geraniums.

Your senses will be delighted with the scent of the coffee been freshly ground as soon as you walk in the door.

Daily routines seem to take place all over the space. Everyone seems comfortable as if they were at home.

Rear of the place is a cozy living room with soft sofas and armchairs. That invite you not only to have a cup of coffee but also to spend hours reading.

Eating a couple of croissants and drinking espressos is a couple in one of the sofas while each of them is reading a book, and they seem to be in no hurry.

Aside from the window, a guy with headphones is working on his laptop while sipping a cappuccino at a tall bar-like table. He looks up overlooking the people strolling down the street from time to time. He seems ready for a long day's work at the café.

Meanwhile, behind the counter, the barista on duty prepares a macchiato for a girl while they chit-chat about a movie they watched last night.

"Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.”, a David Lynch quote is in a small sign, and it is one of the many that hang on the wall behind the counter.

Decorating the place are also some antiques and vintages details. Among them, some retro coffee makers are on display.

Crypto payments are accepted. And it is the favorite method of payment of the place's regulars.

Assortment of sweets to have with a cup of coffee is always freshly baked. There is never a shortage of alfajores, pastéis de nata, and coffee cakes.

Few minutes in the place, taking your coffee to go, spending hours chatting or enjoying a day of reading, impregnated with the aroma of good coffee. No matter what option you choose, whenever you enjoy the good vibes of the place.

Even if this coffee shop just exists in my mind, don't you think it would be nice to grab a coffee there?

If you made it this far, thank you very much for reading.

Thanks to all my sponsors. Those who have recently renewed your sponsorships, those who have been in my bar for a long time, and the new ones. You are all awesome!

All images and writing are my own unless otherwise stated.

© CoquiCoin  

You can find me also at Noise.Cash ⊛ Hive ⊛ Torum ⊛ Twitter

Until next time! ;)

January 4, 2021