Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

Saturday, 22 December 2018

Risen but not shining

As I rise without shining
The dawn fog still clouds my mind
Despite the fact that dawn was many hours ago
On this the second shortest day of the year.

I take a walk to clear my head
Driving to my destination, of course,
A land of smashed avocado and faux marble surfaces
And florists, so much Christmas topiary.

My vision of the shoreline is monochrome
but not lacking in glitter
as the sun makes its wary appearance.
Perhaps the sea-breeze will blow me into technicolour?

The cappuccino wears a thick jumper of woolly foam
A hobnob plays companion to my caffeine pick me up
Will this coffee clear the clouds?
Distracted by this vision of avocado and chorizo, feta
and balsamic vinegar, the colour creeps in...
in the periphery of my vision.

Wandering between shoppers back whence I came
A brass band plays
A woman who sells wooden toys comments that today
The shoppers are 'merry'
Makes a change, I suppose.

Clutching a few choice purchases
I walk back to the car
Accompanied by so many dogs!
(and their owners) of every size,
shape and colour imaginable!

Restored to colour I return home.
Risen and not shining but perhaps
Vaguely rosy round the edges,
warmed by the sun, and chorizo, brass bands
and a fleet of shopping dogs!


Sunday, 1 December 2013

Hamburg T2D3: Coffee with and without eyes

Hi,

Yes I know I've been keeping you waiting some three weeks to find out what happened on day 3, I've been off having important meals, getting new jobs and exploring new cities if you must know! But sort of vowing to do better in December.

Coffee without eyes: Dialog im Dunkeln

So, when I was at the Toll Museum I saw an advert for this exciting adventure-experience. Dialog im Dunkeln Hamburg is a part of a much larger international outfit (India, China, Argentina all have sites) giving visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of situations blind. In a similar way to Dans le Noir, the tables are turned and the blind guides of this social enterprise become the confident ones, visitors are entirely at the mercy of the guide and their little white stick. My experience lasted 90 mins but it felt like just 5! What an adventure, Jann our guide took us through a variety of simulated experiences based on Hamburg's tourist scene, bridge crossing, boat trips, picking fruit at the market, even crossing the road. The space is entirely devoid of natural light so even with your eyes open you are reliant on your other senses. I was surprised how quickly I adapted to the loss of sight. In the cafe I bought a cup of coffee, I was amazed at how much more important the texture of even the coffee cup became once the visual aspect of coffee had been removed. Bit pricey for a standard adult (20€) but they offer plenty of discounts. And I've never been so grateful for my eyesight.


(so trendy it hurts)


(Amazing Apfelkuchen)

 (Cute advertising...)

Coffee with eyes: Cafe Brooks

From the museum I headed East on the U-bahn out to Hasselbrook station. I was meeting a couchsurfer for coffee at Cafe Brooks. What a great cafe. It definitely fits in with that Shoreditch/ Berlin/ antipodean unique coffee vibe and the Apfelkuchen was nearly as good as May's, and that's saying something! It was great to meet Theres. She even took me to this beautiful, peaceful park (Stadtpark) near her house. I'm getting somewhat into the habit of frequenting peaceful parks before returning home on the plane. Company, the cafe and the park were all A+.

(Stadtpark)

I'm back in Germany next weekend enjoying Aachen's Christmas Market and catching up with friends...