The smoke curls out of her cigarette and slowly intertwines with the steam from her cafe con leche. It’s backlit perfectly to illuminate the particles dancing together in the mid-morning sun. The light hits my own cafe con leche from the side, casting long shadows toward me. It’s a sunny and warm mid-October day that I’m savoring because I know that all too soon, it’ll be cold, gray, and wet. So, today I’m sitting on the terrace enjoying the warmth and verdant views of Northern Spain.
I take a small sip off the top of my coffee and just the foam washes into my mouth in a cloud of bubbles. Savoring this first sip is my favorite way to begin. Then, I take a sip of the strong and milky brew and I’m reminded of why I love living in Spain: they make coffee just the way I like it. The moderately-sized, not-too-much-coffee-in-my-coffee cafe con leche is the perfect ritual to re-center me at any time. I particularly like this cafe because they give you a small square of cake with your coffee. Today’s cake is a little dry, but I’m still considering ordering another coffee just so I can have another piece. After this and the free tapas that come with your drink in Almería, I can confidently say that there’s nothing better than feeling like you've gotten something for free.
As I try to make my unusually large coffee (by Spanish standards) last an hour, I delight in watching the other patrons leisurely enjoying their breaks: a gray-haired group of cyclists, a chattering group of ladies, and a woman sitting with her two greyhounds and cigarette. There’s a lively energy to the place that surprises me, seeing as it’s located in a small village. But as I experience more of Spain, I’m learning that communities stand strong here. A culture built on the simple and important things in life, such as enjoying a reasonably-priced coffee with friends, is a culture that I want to be a part of. Spaniards sure know how to live a good life, and I’d even go so as to say that they’re hedonists here.
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