Friday 25 October 2013

Coffee, Anyone?
Espresso with Cream at Café Prückel


Your Choice
Single red Zinnia
to the left


or single red Zinnia
to the right
of your reading lamp


Having a hard time
deciding which side your zinnia should lean to?
No problem, simply sit down
and enjoy the view of an orchestra's
worth of flowers on top of the
glass vetrine with the sweet
t e m p t a t i o n s


and order your
espresso with cream
on the side


Select a newspaper
or three or a magazine,
but feel also free to read
your own book
from cover to cover


Your waiter will let you get lost
on your island
between the lines,
as lost as you allow yourself to become,
because everything stands still while you read
or contemplate or create in the far corners
of your mind.
Time does not exist here,
no waiter will nudge you to consume more,
and if it takes you a hundred years
to finish your thought or your book,
he will still be there -
he has been already for 106 years -
he will be there to serve you
as soon as you lift your hand
for more coffee or call out
"Herr Ober, zahlen bitte!"

*

Photographed in the late afternoon
of Wednesday, 12 May 2010,
at one of the famous Viennese Ringstrassen Cafés,
Café Prückel *, founded in 1904
Images and Text © by Merisi

* Clicking on the name
will lead you to an article in the
New York Times -
if not for any particular reason but
for an amusing misspelling of the German name
for Vienna, twice: Wein and Weiner, instead of Wien.
Now I am not so sure anymore,
is it Wiener or Weiner Dog
?

+

Nota bene
This is a re-post

The New York Times
has corrected the spelling
since I published this post
on 13 May 2010

15 comments:

  1. I always bring my own book to such places.

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  2. It does indeed look like a real experience! Love the instructions on coffee.

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  3. What a great place and I wish I were there right now!! Love your captures, Merisi, as always!! Hope you have a lovely weekend!

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    Replies
    1. I thought I write "The Rules" down - too many misunderstandings, visitors from abroad complaining about bad service when they are not constantly interrupted by a waiter asking if they'd like to order more. ;-)

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  4. What a chic way to serve the espresso.
    Sam

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    Replies
    1. This was my first experience with espresso with cream, a friend ordered it. I have tasted it myself since, and he's right: tastes great! ;-)

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  5. Sweet. I like the pops of red.

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    Replies
    1. I love how they place these flowers, just so .... ;-)

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  6. I would not worry which way my flower was leaning :-) I love the look of this place :-) just to be there would be fan.

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    Replies
    1. I try to imagine the fun you'd have with the fan! ;-)

      Delete
  7. Looks nice, and sounds like the perfect place to be!
    One day.... after the winter I hope to go there.
    The number of tourists must reach higher and higher after reading your blog!:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful place to get lost in a pile of newspapers. My favorite way to spend the day -- reading with a cup of coffee

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