Or as the French say, meilleurs voeux pour le nouvel an!
It’s the pleasures of the day-to-day that this stay in
France is about, and café sitting is one we never tire of. No matter that it’s winter and
that, even in the south, mornings are nippy and later the air cools with the
setting sun. The café
terrace remains center stage.
In Paris and other northern cities, cafés are glassed in for
the winter with portable walls, but here those are a lot fewer. People may be bundled in jackets
and scarves, huddled under the heat lamps, but sit outside they will. Some cafés have a partial awning
in deference to the occasional shower, some don’t. Doesn't matter - outside is where everyone wants to be.
Café-sitting requires that you take your time. It’s all about NOT rushing. It’s true that you can sit for a
long time for the price of one cup of coffee, though doing this through the
lunch hour is not appreicated.
Once the tablecloths and silverware are set out, you’ll be told politely
(or maybe not so politely) that the tables are reserved for those who order
food.
If you don’t want to eat much, morning – sometime between 9
and noon, and afternoon, from about 3 till 6 or 7, are prime times for just
sitting and watching the world go by.
You must, of course, choose a seat looking out on the
passing scene.
You can shift
the chairs around to share one of the tiny tables, or take up two tables if
it’s not a busy day. But sitting
with your back to the passing crowd misses the point.
The café of course is only partly about the coffee or the
wine or the food – it’s about surveying the passing scene, while you yourself
become part of it.
Some café
sitters are solitary, some hang out with a friend or two, of whatever
species.
Alas, café-sitting is no longer an inexpensive tourist
activity. Still, it’s true that
the croissant always taste better with a café wrapped around them.
No comments:
Post a Comment