Okay, so I was all set to post last night (probably the latest I've ever been) and the power went out (internet down) ..... and stayed out for fifteen hours!!!... TIA. Now, here I sit hoping the power stays on long enough to post last week's Crawl.
I thought it appropriate to begin this post with a quote I saw in the menu of last Thursday's Crawl site... "A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent." Anon
My daughter, Liz, informed me that the very same quote hangs on the wall of the employees' break room of the Starbucks in D.C. where she once worked as a barista, though she remembers these profound words being attributed to someone whose name she doesn't recall.
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| Meet the Barista Yoalnda  |
Anyway, last Thursday's Coffee Crawl was "time well spent" at The Market Cafe located inside the Fruit and Veg Market on the William Moffett Expressway in Charlo. Thursday's Crawlers, Beth Vieira, June Nash, Rebecca Marx, my daughter, Liz, Nomusa Nkomo, Fran, Keith and Mandy de Beer, Vicki Minnaar, Beryl and Stella Dawson, Gail Darne, congregated to "taste some happiness" at this Fig Tree Comnplex shop. The Market Cafe opened only a year ago and has become a popular rest stop for Fruit and Veg customers. Though inside the Fruit and Veg store, the coffee shop is removed enough from the busy-ness of the store proper that it retains a cozy coffee shop feel.
The Market Cafe is a small shop, seating only about 32 people.... with twelve other Crawlers joining me on Thursday we took up more than a third of the available seats! So, once our group was situated I took the opportunity to chat with our hostess/waitress/barista, Yolanda. At first she was shocked to hear that The Market Cafe was #74 of the coffee shops we've visited in PE. Then she commented, "Well, people gotta eat, man." Yolanda proceeded to take our orders, prep the Sumatran brand coffees and deliver excellent beverages to the table. There's certainly no moss growing under her feet!!!
The Market Cafe's menu includes breakfast (served all day) and lunch selections, a kids' menu, and quite a variety of hot and cold beverages. The shop's hours are 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily.
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| This Week's Crawlers Keith, Vicki, Nomusa, Beth, Fran, Mandy, Liz, Rebecca, Stella, June, Gail, Beryl |
Last Thursday's Crawlers received a special treat when Beth brought her son and Crawler Angela's wedding album from their nuptuals in August. Beautiful pics!!!
Liz and Rebecca then went on to tell some tales of their unusual experiences volunteering at SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre) at Cape Recife. Rebecca even showed off a "war wound" in the form of a penguin bite!!! Girls, we're all very proud of you in your wildlife conservation efforts.
Then, one of the strangest discussion topics at the Crawl, to date, ensued.....that being the fear of driving under water, ie. in "The Chunnel" that runs under the English Channel, and the fear of driving under rock, ie. through the Lehigh Tunnel in PA or the Lincoln Tunnel in NY. A favorite travel game among passengers in cars driving through these mountain tunnels is attempting to hold your breath for the duration of the ride through the tunnel. I've been in cars where the driver has attempted this feat as well, making for a harrowing few moments before the "light at the end of the tunnel!" As for the Chunnel.... I don't think anyone has succeeded at the breath holding game on that drive!!!
I will be making another trip to the U.S. next week so no Crawl post for a short while. I'm excited to see the beautiful fall foliage in Upstate NY. Hopefully, when we return to SA Fruit and Veg will have some carving pumpkins just in time for Halloween.
~Thank you to Yolanda, our very busy hostess/waitress/barista
~Happy Birthday to Gail Taverner - Oct 18
~Happy Halloween (a bit early) to all - Oct 31
Until next time,
Ellen