Famous for its cafés, Paris was once a “cafe society”. Something of a French institution, a culture and a habit, there is nothing more cliché, or more enjoyable– than sitting at a café “en terrasse” and sipping on a latte.
Drinking coffee and people watching seems to be a special hobby of French people. Even in winter, the outdoor sittings are always full. The heating lamp seem to bring enough warmth. Drinking coffee or going to a cafe is a matter of an essential part of the parisian life. It cannot be cancelled or replaced. Time is not in consideration while in a cafe.
With a state of mind, everything becomes different.
Reading a romantic novel, a magazine, or bringing your laptop to work (or prentending to work) , a café is a place where we can be alone with our thoughts, but surrounded by the interesting display of humanity around. A place where we can take the time to relax—read, write, think, and watch the passing parade.
Ironically, Paris doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to the coffee quality. An espresso in many cafés often runs the gamut from watery to bitter to grainy. “Jus de chaussette” is a French term to describe the tasteless coffee. Luckily, the past decade has brought a coffee revolution to the capital, and a many delicious coffee spots have opened.
Of course, there is an art to ordering your coffee in Paris.
Once you pick a cafe at which to settle — it doesn’t have to be Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, which are popular choices for tourists, but really any cafe will do — you might not see your waitress for some time. Once you have ordered your coffee, it might be even more time until you see him. Don’t take it as the waiters is not attentive enough. In fact, he might just not want to interfere with whatever you are doing and making sure that you are not hurried away. If you do need something, a simple smile always work. He will notice and come to you.
A café doesn’t have to be chic in order to be pleasant to pass the time, but sometimes that is part of the charm. My own favorite café in Paris is Café Louis Philippe, just right across i’ile Saint Louis, facing the Seine. This café has been there for a long time. When I come here, I like to find a seat from which I can look across the boulevard, listening to the cars ( I don’t quite mind) and birds.
Sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper for an hour becomes a luxury, although once was a given right. We have been missing this so much during the lockdown period.
Could we really live well with out the Parisian cafés?
巴黎以咖啡馆闻名，难怪为什么巴黎曾经是“咖啡馆社会”。具有讽刺意味的是，就咖啡质量而言，这座城市没有最好的声誉。在大多数巴黎咖啡馆中，一种简单的意式浓缩咖啡通常会从水味到苦味再到粒状。 “ jus de chaussette”是法语用于描述无味的咖啡。幸运的是，过去十年给首都带来了一场咖啡革命，许多美味的咖啡馆也开始进入这座城市。
看街景喝咖啡仿佛是法国人的一种特别爱好，即使冬天，法国人也好坐在户外，身边点着路灯似的取暖炉，张张脸都冲向马路，表情散淡地观望着，像在看别人，又像在想心事。时间仿佛不是他们考虑的问题，喝咖啡是正事儿，是生活必须的内容，不能取消也是不能耽误的。
巴黎女人爱咖啡，在咖啡馆里，不乏独自端杯自饮的美女。
每天把自己收拾得精致讲究，下午三四点钟步行去那家固定的咖啡馆，找一个临窗的座位，一杯咖啡，一小块巧克力，看着窗外的街景，优雅无声地坐上两个小时。
可能是下雨天避雨。也可能是艳阳天独自享受温暖。天天如此。
既然咖啡都喝得如此随心又如此郑重其事，不把自己收拾得体面美丽也是断然出不了门的。一个人的咖啡，更加安静、神秘，一个人的咖啡更多了一份凝重和忧伤。在你孤独的时候，其实香气一直在陪伴。
有了一种心境，一切就变得不一样了。去咖啡馆喝咖啡才是法国人的喝法。
也许翻阅一本浪漫的小说，一本旅行杂志或细读当地的报纸，同时看着人们路过，过着自己的日常生活。当然，在巴黎订购咖啡是一种艺术。
不一定要光顾花神或是双溲咖啡馆这两个游客的热门选择，事实上任何一家咖啡馆都可以-在一段时间内你可能不会再见到服务员。点完咖啡后，更是大半天看不到他。不要误以为他是态度怠慢，他只是不想打扰你而已。
尽管曾经是上帝赐予的权利，但坐在桌旁坐着一杯咖啡，看一小时的报纸却成了一种奢侈。疫情下的巴黎，希望咖啡馆尽快开门吧！
