49th Parallel
If I ever opened my own coffee shop, it’d have a similar color scheme like the 49th Parallel in Vancouver, BC. Blue, white and brown. I might change the brown to a reddish baked brick color. The reason that we are going crazy over the cafe is because 49th Parallel was unanimously voted by my friends as the best espresso shot at the CoffeeFest a few weeks ago. Their business is focused on roasting but recently opened a posh coffee shop. It made it worthwhile for us to drive almost 3 hours and wait almost another 3 hours at the custom just to experience the cafe in person.
Sure enough, we were very pleased. The coffee shop uses a unusual combination of modern and old decoration which surprisingly went very well. It has high ceilings with a chandelier, tall dark wood furniture with floral print wall paper, an impressive Mitral espresso machine with bright LCD lights set atop a counter with a panel paved with multi-shaded dark brown mosaic. It seemed that everything was kept to the minimum and darker side of the color to put a spot light on the adorable cute blue espresso cups.
The espresso drinks were as superb as we had expected them to be: aromatic, not sour, full body, and flavorful without being burned. (Can’t believe I’m beginning to sound like a coffee snob.) After tasting a crumb off of M’s brownie, I got my own. It was moist infused with dark chocolate, and the chopped nuts and raisins added interesting texture and flavor. If I had my say, I’d spend the next two hours in this really happening cafe. Just to drink in the life along with another cup of heart warming goodness.
I can’t really describe why I love hanging out in a coffee shop so much. Not much is happening, especially peaceful. I think I will have my own coffee shop one day and bake my own dark moist chocolate brownie. Not to make money, but just to share that peace with people that want to live the same way. I think that would be an awesome dream to strive for.Counting down the days left in Seattle. The movers have packed and moved all my stuff, including Marco. Each day gone by makes me a bit sadder. I thought I was going to get really stressed out, but instead, what I want vs what I don’t want become clearer. Letting go of things that don’t work out in life only makes space for the new and better. Letting it go for now may not be forever.
