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hearfit · 3 months ago

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Tips on How to Get Better Sleep and Improve Sleep Quality

The Most Common Causes of Lost Sleep – Tips on How to Get Better Sleep and Improve Sleep Quality In today’s fast-paced world, sleep deprivation has become an all-too-common issue. Whether due to stress, environmental factors, or lifestyle habits, millions of people struggle to get the restful sleep they need. Lost sleep not only affects your mood and energy levels but also impacts long-term health. In this article, we’ll explore the most common causes of sleep disturbances and provide actionable tips to help you improve your sleep quality. The Most Common Causes of Lost Sleep 1. Stress and Anxiety Stress and anxiety are among the leading causes of sleep disturbances. Racing thoughts, worries about work or personal life, and overthinking can keep your mind active even when your body is ready for rest. When your stress levels are high, the body produces cortisol, a hormone that makes it difficult to relax and fall asleep. 2. Screen Time Before Bed Using electronic devices like phones, tablets, or laptops before bed can interfere with sleep. These devices emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin production—the hormone that regulates sleep. Exposure to blue light close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep and disrupt your circadian rhythm. 3. Poor Sleep Environment Your sleep environment plays a significant role in the quality of your rest. A room that is too noisy, too bright, or too hot can cause frequent awakenings or prevent you from falling asleep in the first place. External factors like street noise or a snoring partner can also contribute to lost sleep. 4. Caffeine and Alcohol Caffeine is a stimulant, and consuming it late in the day can keep you awake for hours. Similarly, while alcohol may make you feel drowsy, it can interfere with REM sleep, the restorative stage of sleep, leading to fragmented rest and lower sleep quality. 5. Irregular Sleep Schedule An inconsistent sleep schedule, where you go to bed and wake up at different times each day, can disrupt your body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. This inconsistency makes it harder to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed, even if you get the recommended hours of sleep. Tips on How to Get Better Sleep Improving sleep quality is all about addressing the factors that disrupt rest. Here are some actionable tips to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed. 1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule One of the best ways to improve sleep is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up naturally in the morning. 2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine Having a calming bedtime routine can signal to your body that it’s time to wind down. Activities like reading, practicing meditation, or taking a warm bath can help you relax and transition into sleep mode. Try to avoid intense activities or stimulating content, such as work-related tasks or watching suspenseful TV shows, just before bed. 3. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed To prevent blue light from interfering with your sleep, avoid using screens at least an hour before bed. If you must use electronic devices, consider using a blue light filter or setting your device to night mode to reduce its impact on melatonin production. 4. Optimize Your Sleep Environment Creating a sleep-friendly environment can significantly improve the quality of your rest. Here’s how: Noise: Use noise-canceling devices like QuietOn 3.1 Sleep Earbuds to block out disruptive sounds like traffic or snoring. These earbuds are designed to cancel low-frequency noises, helping you sleep more soundly. Temperature: Keep your room cool, ideally around 65°F (18°C), which is the optimal temperature for sleep. Lighting: Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out any light that might disturb your sleep. 5. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol Intake Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, as its stimulating effects can last for several hours. Similarly, limit alcohol consumption before bed to prevent disruptions to REM sleep. Instead, opt for herbal teas like chamomile, which can have a calming effect. 6. Manage Stress with Relaxation Techniques If stress and anxiety are keeping you awake at night, incorporating relaxation techniques into your daily routine can help. Practices like deep breathing exercises, yoga, and mindfulness meditation can reduce stress levels, allowing you to relax both mentally and physically before bed. Improve Sleep Quality for Better Health and Well-Being Good sleep is essential for maintaining both your physical and mental health. By addressing the most common causes of sleep disturbances—such as stress, screen time, and environmental factors—you can drastically improve the quality of your rest. If noise is one of your main challenges, consider using QuietOn 3.1 Sleep Earbuds. These earbuds are designed specifically for sleep, providing active noise cancellation to block out disruptive sounds, allowing you to enjoy deeper, uninterrupted sleep. With these tips and tools, you can create a more restful environment and develop healthy habits that support better sleep, leading to improved energy, focus, and overall well-being. Sold out Compare QuietOn active Noise Cancelling earplugs Regular Hearing protection, Smart Earbuds/ Headphones $299.00 With QuietOn, the world's best active noise-cancelling earbuds, you're just one click away from experiencing the blissful restorative power of restful sleep. It is perfect for travel, noisy environments, commuters, and those living in noisy neighbourhoods. These innovative earplugs are ideal for everyone, from frequent travellers who want to drown out the din of the aeroplane cabin or motorcycle engine. Add to wishlist Read more Quick view Compare QuietOn Regular Family Bundle Hearing protection, Smart Earbuds/ Headphones $750.00 Rated 4.68 out of 5 Save your pocket and your family with the QuietOn Regular Family Bundle. Share with your family, the peace of mind. Together experience the bliss of silence. The QuietOn Regular Family Bundle includes 2 pair of active noise-canceling earbuds. Add to wishlist Add to cart Quick view Compare QuietOn Pro noise-canceling earplugs Hearing protection, Smart Earbuds/ Headphones $329.00 Rated 4.70 out of 5 QuietOn Dental active noise-canceling earplugs are the ideal solution to protect hearing and reduce anxiety while in a dental office setting. The optimized technology allows users to block out most of the audible spectrum of dental office noise while still being able to communicate with both patients and staff. Make appointments more pleasant, no matter what type of patient is visiting, by recommending QuietOn earplugs; they help create a better experience all around! Add to wishlist Add to cart Quick view Compare QuietOn 3.1 Sleep Earbuds Hearing protection, Sleep Plugs $379.00 Rated 4.67 out of 5 With QuietOn, the world's best active noise-canceling earbuds, you're just one click away from experiencing the blissful restorative power of restful sleep. It is perfect for travel, noisy environments, commuters, and those living in noisy neighborhoods. These innovative earplugs are ideal for everyone, from frequent travelers who want to drown out the din of the airplane cabin or motorcycle engine. Discover the epitome of tranquility with our advanced Noise Cancelling Earbuds, meticulously designed to provide uninterrupted serenity during sleep. Our expertly crafted, world's smallest ANC earbuds offer a premium blend of Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology and passive noise reduction, ensuring a peaceful oasis free from disturbances such as snoring and urban clamor. Tailored specifically for sleep, these earbuds deliver comfort and efficacy, making them perfect for side sleepers. Add to wishlist Add to cart Quick view Compare BlueParrott B650-XT Wireless Headset Black Smart Earbuds/ Headphones $299.99 Experience crystal-clear communication with the BlueParrott B650-XT Wireless Headset. Designed for professionals on the move, this headset offers industry-leading noise cancellation, all-day comfort, and exceptional battery life, ensuring you stay connected wherever your job takes you. Add to wishlist Add to cart Quick view Compare BlueParrott M300-XT SE Bluetooth Headset Black Smart Earbuds/ Headphones $129.99 The BlueParrott M300-XT SE Bluetooth Headset in Black offers superior noise cancellation, up to 14 hours of talk time, and a lightweight, comfortable design. Perfect for professionals who need reliable, crystal-clear communication on the go. Add to wishlist Add to cart Quick view Read the full article

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automaticespressomachines · 7 months ago

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A Closer Look at the Best Automatic Espresso Machines According to Caffe Streets

In the realm of specialty coffee, where excellence is paramount and every cup tells a story, Caffe Streets has curated a selection of the finest automatic espresso machines. Renowned for their dedication to quality and innovation, Caffe Streets' list of top recommendations showcases machines that blend cutting-edge technology with the artistry of coffee-making. Let's delve into what makes these automatic espresso machines stand out in the eyes of Caffe Streets.

Crafted for Precision and Performance

At Caffe Streets, selecting the best automatic espresso machines involves a rigorous process that prioritizes precision and performance. Each machine on their list has been handpicked for its ability to consistently deliver exceptional espresso, meeting the exacting standards upheld by Caffe Streets' team of coffee aficionados. Have a peek here Caffe Streets best espresso machines

Features That Define Excellence

What sets these automatic espresso machines apart are the features that elevate the coffee-making experience:

Advanced Brewing Technology: From dual boilers for optimal temperature control to integrated grinders that ensure freshly ground beans for every shot, these machines are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to enhance extraction and flavor.

Customizable Settings: Whether you prefer a single shot of intense espresso or a creamy latte, these machines offer customizable settings that cater to individual taste preferences, ensuring each cup is tailored to perfection.

User-Friendly Interfaces: Despite their sophistication, these machines are designed with intuitive interfaces that simplify operation, making them accessible to both seasoned baristas and coffee enthusiasts alike.

Durability and Design: Built to withstand the demands of a bustling coffee shop or the daily grind at home, Caffe Streets' recommended machines boast durable construction and stylish aesthetics that complement any environment.

The Art of Consistency

Consistency is key in the world of espresso, and these machines excel in delivering it. At Caffe Streets, where every cup is a reflection of their commitment to quality, the consistency offered by these automatic machines ensures that each espresso shot is as impeccable as the last, delighting customers with every sip.

Guiding You Towards Coffee Excellence

Beyond just recommending machines, Caffe Streets prides itself on guiding customers towards coffee excellence. Their expertise extends to providing advice on maintenance, brewing techniques, and even selecting the perfect coffee beans, ensuring that your journey with their recommended automatic espresso machines is a rewarding and enjoyable one.

Conclusion: Elevating Your Coffee Experience

Whether you're a coffee aficionado seeking the pinnacle of espresso perfection or a casual enthusiast looking to enhance your morning routine, Caffe Streets' selection of the best automatic espresso machines promises to deliver a superior coffee experience. Each machine embodies innovation, quality, and the artistry of coffee-making, making it a worthy investment for anyone passionate about exceptional coffee.

Explore Caffe Streets' curated collection of automatic espresso machines and discover why they stand by these selections as the epitome of coffee-making excellence. Because at Caffe Streets, every cup is crafted with care and precision, ensuring that your coffee journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

#Caffe Streets best espresso machines

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28whitepeonies · 2 years ago

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Hii, omg thank you for answering! I will mostly try to walk or use public transport :) right now i have the peoples story museum, the writers museum and just like walking around on my list haha

Hi again friend

I have an ask from another blog who recently visited Edinburgh and has a better tourist perspective, I will post it right after this bc they have some recommendations for you of things they enjoyed too! I won't mention much of the tourist stuff because I suspect you'll already know about it and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

Since you've mentioned the writers museum, there's a really great, small radical bookshop in Edinburgh called Lighthouse. They sell books of course but they also do a lot of community and book events, they're one of my favourite places in Edinburgh and if you've got some spare time they are really worth a visit!

10 mins round the corner from the People's Story Museum is a plaque which marks the birthplace of James Connolly, it's a blink and you'll miss it kind of marker but if you are interested in working class history it's defo worth a wander past. This is a bit further out, but if you can manage it it is really worth a visit. The National Mining Museum is just outside Edinburgh, it's about half an hour on the train, probably an hour on the bus.

Edinburgh is on the Firth so I'd recommend a walk down by the water at Newhaven, there's a really cute lighthouse and you can walk along the edge of the water out to the old port, it's a good spot in the evening especially! Theres cold water swimming along Newhaven harbour too. (Portobello beach is another great visit but it’s a bit further out and you’d have to get a bus)

There's a fish and chip shop near Newhaven harbour that I hear is good but there is an even better one a 20 min walk away called Pierino's and it is near the Shore area of Leith which is really cute and has a lot of shops/pubs/restaurants. If you fancy the walk then either of those is a good opportunity to wander down Leith Walk from the city centre which has a lot of cafes/pubs and little shops but there are also lots of buses. There's a section of shops at the bottom of Leith Walk and a pub called Leith Depot, where they recently fought off a student housing development, it's a great pub and they do live music every night.

If you are looking for places to eat, then the very best caffe/greasy spoon in Edinburgh is called Snax, it's up a side street off Princes St/St Andrews Square and it does the best fry up you will find here! There is a great veggie bar/restaurant called Paradise Palms near the city centre if you wanted an evening place and a little cafe in Leith called Faceplant Foods which is also vegan and does the best Caesar salad & toasties you will ever experience. They make their own cheese sauce, it is incredible! Only opens 10-4 Thurs - Sun though. If you wanted a night out, then for a queer space open day/night CC Bloom's is the best around it's central and located in Edinburgh's 'pink triangle'. If you're not queer or wanted some live music then Stramash in the Cowgate is excellent!

Sunday is a good, but busy, day to visit Stockbridge, it's a wealthier part of Edinburgh but it has a fab, small Sunday market. There are fresh food vendors and different stalls selling unusual stuff. Stockbridge is also just lovely for a walk through and five mins from the market is Inverleith park which is great to spend an afternoon in. It's got a really cute duck pond and view of the castle.

Every Wednesday the Grassmarket Community Project has a free film night (donations welcome) but anyone is welcome to attend! The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are both really central, and are always worth visiting.

Hopefully that's a bit of a range of stuff that you might not already know about and places I regularly eat/drink at, I've tried to think of things in different parts of the city as well where you can wander around and just enjoy the city! Feel free to drop me a message though if you want more info on anything and defo come back and let me know how you enjoyed your visit (if you want to)!

#anon #edinburgh

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your-disobedient-servant · 4 years ago

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Aaron Burr and his umbrella misfortunes

Home at 4. Caught in the rain, having yesterday left my umbrella at Brentford—no doubt lost. Dinner, B. and K. Read out the review of the "Life of Washington" by Marshall and Ramsay. The review is full as stupid, and as illy written, as either of the books.

- December 6, 1808

Loses umbrella for the first time. (Bonus throwing shade on Life of Washington and its review.)

Rose at ten. Such is the mode in London. Sor. at 1. Going up Haymarket, met Madame O., and walked with her half an hour. Went to the stage-house in Piccadilly to inquire for my umbrella, but with little hope. It was there, brought by the coachman; 1 shilling 6 pence. How very honest people are here, and yet I am cheated most impudently every hour!

- December 7, 1808

Finds the umbrella, has to pay to get it back.

Rose at 6. Set off at 7. I sleep very soundly in these stage coaches. By sleeping, however, forgot to ask for my umbrella, which I had left at Stanmore.

- December 14, 1808

When he seemingly forgets it again.

Stayed to dinner. Out at 10; raining, took K.'s umbrella, having lost my own. Koe overtook me, having run all that way in the rain; sent by Bentham to bring me back to sleep, he not suspecting that I was going off. Apologized.

- February 8, 1808

And again.

As I was writing the concluding line of the preceding page last evening (about 1 o'clock) an ill-looking fellow opened my door without knocking, and muttering in German something which I did not comprehend, bid me put out my candle. Being in no very placid humor at the moment, as you see, I cursed him and sent him to hell in French and English. He advanced and was going to seize the candle. My umbrella, which had a dirk in the handle, being near me, I seized it, drew the dirk, and drove him out of the room. Some minutes after I heard the steps of a number of men and looking out at my windows saw it was a corporal's guard. It then occurred to me that this Erfurt, being a garrison town with a French governor (de Vismes), there might probably enough be an order for extinguishing lights at a certain hour, and I had no doubt but the gentlemen I had just seen in the street were coming to invite me to take a walk with them. So I bundled up my papers and put them in my pocket to be ready for a lodging in the guard house. It was only the relief of the centinels' going round and who the impertinent extinguisher was I have not learnt.

- January 9, 1810

So much to unpack here I don’t know where to even start. I don’t know if my favourite thing is

that there was a stranger barging into his room insisting he puts out the candle,

that he crankily attacked him with a knife,

that the knife was hidden inside the handle of his umbrella,

that he suddenly remembered there was a law forbidding light after a certain hour

and was afraid the guards passing by might be coming for him

...or that he had a rare stroke of luck and nothing happened

Sor. 11 to the umbrella-mender; nothing done.

- April 20, 1810

I had no paraplui² and was resolved not to take coach if one had offered. Got home wet to the skin, from head to foot. Jul. made me a good fire, for my chimney was reformed a little. Changed clothes. Caf. blanc, and am quite refreshed.

2 For farafluit. Umbrella.

- October 18, 1810

Deliberating on the state of my finances, found that this sans sous state was not only inconvenient, but dangerous; for instance, this morning I hit a glass window with my umbrella, and had nearly forced it through one of three large panes. In such a case you have only to pay, and there's an end of it; but had I broken the pane and not been able to pay for it, I must infallibly have been taken before a commissionaire de police to abide his judgment.

- December 10, 1810

Burr what were you doing

Thence to Vanderlyn's to get more newspapers. While there it set in to rain; had no umbrella, and got wet.

- December 12, 1811

A brilliant morning. Sun shining bright for this hemisphere. Went out without my umbrella. Before I got one hundred yards it began to rain. Went back for the umbrella.

- February 13, 1811

At least you went back for it this time I guess?

Very grave and philosophical, and full of good resolutions. Have lost my umbrella! But it is better to begin in the usual form.

- February 18, 1811

Had breakfast at 6. Was sitting in the parlor below reading a newspaper. Received a smart click on the head. It was Madame. "Mais vous etes la tout tranquille. Vous laissez tous vos hardes pele mele. Voila votre paraplui. Vous ne pensez a rien. Vous etes come un enfant. Le diligence va partir et vous ne faites rien"².

2 For "Mais vous êtes là tout tranquille. Vous laissez toutes vos hardes pêle-mêle. Voilà votre parapluie. Vous ne pensez à rien. Vous êtes comme un enfant. Le diligence va partir et vous ne faites rien." "But you are quite at your ease there. You leave all your clothes lying pell mell. There is your umbrella. You don'tthink of anything. You are like a child. The diligence is going to leave you and you are doing nothing."

- May 18, 1811

After the fireworks were done, Mr. L. proposed that he and I should walk along the river and about the palace, to see the various illuminations. F. recommended this; we saw her in the carriage, and she went off; we were to take our chance for a hack. Mr. L., not being well acquainted with the ground, and the confusion produced by the variety of light, led us astray, and when we reached the river found ourselves 1/2 mile above the bridge. It now began to rain hard; we had no surtouts or umbrellas. When we reached the bridge, there was nothing to be seen which we had not before seen from a better point of view. We, therefore, took shelter in the first house we could get in ; but the crowd was so immense that even this was difficult. At length we had room to stand up under cover. Mr. L. then went out to hunt a carriage. All were engaged. He went in another direction, and, after an hour, returned without success. He was not to be discouraged. Out he went again. A guinea was asked for a seat to town, about six or seven miles; and then you must be crammed in with six or eight drenched people. At 1/2 p. 1 he returned with a carriage; at what price I know not, for he would not let me interfere.

- June 23, 1811

I should say this was the same day as, or shall I say directly after the “got brain freeze and thought he was dying” episode. Burr just can’t catch a damn break.

The chevalier led me au P. R., after strolling an hour, in a caffe into a cellar, which I will describe as well as I can. We took ice-creams. There was music and a ventriloquist. We agreed to neglect Madame F. At 1/2 p. 10 I got home. [...] Mem.: Left my new umbrella at that confounded ventriloquist's and am sure shall never see it again.

- June 30, 1811

My umbrella is lost; lost 32 francs. Paid for our ice-creams 3 francs.

- July 1, 1811

To near Luxembourg 5 to get an umbrella which some one, unknown, left in my room a fortnight ago, and which has, therefore, become my property by prescription. Paid for mending it, 3 francs.

- July 11, 1811

Score! Gains an umbrella instead of losing it for once.

The morning appearing fine, went out without my umbrella and got well wetted. It is against my conscience, you know, to hire a hack.

- January 29, 1812

Set out for Lincoln's Inn Fields, but hard rain coming on, and having taken no umbrella, the morning being fine, turned about and stopped a few minutes at Godwin's. Continued in all the rain; by musing, lost my way and got wet to the skin. Home at 4. Changed and made a great fire.

- January 30, 1812

Burr. Burr.

And here is where the fun begins:

Got home at 4, and discovered that I had lost my umbrella; a most serious misfortune, and little hope of recovering it, as I have no recollection where I stopped. It is impossible for me to buy one or to do without one.

- February 18, 1812

Slept near seven hours last night, and did not rise till 8. My umbrella hung heavy at my heart. Went to hunt for it. Walked back on the track I came from J. H.'s yesterday, and called at the places I had been; but no umbrella. It is finally lost, and I must submit to the inconvenience of getting wet and of spoiling my clothes.

- February 19, 1812

Then home, following again the track of my poor lost umbrella, but to no purpose.

- February 20, 1812

I had intended to have breakfasted at J. B.'s, for the purpose of taking the retorts early to friend Allen; but in the first place I slept till 9, and in the next it rained in torrents and you know my umbrella is on a voyage. [...] The rain setting in again, bought me the cheapest umbrella I could find that was large enough. Cost 10 shillings and 6 pence.

- March 2, 1812

THE END.

#because someone had to do it #Aaron Burr #and the umbrella #amrev #the history peeps #thp #long post #own post

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passionate-baker · 6 years ago

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Italian Adventures Part II: Bologna

Finally, the time has come - welcome to Italian Adventures Part II: Bologna!

Boyfriend introduced me to the gorgeous city of Bologna not long after we got together, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s why it holds such a special place in my heart. On our first trip there, I fell head-over-heels for the city & ever more smitten with Boyfriend. We’ve been back a handful of times since that first visit, & every time - without fail - we dream of uprooting everything we have here in Dublin & running off to the Emilia-Romagna capital. It’s romantic, it’s quaint & peaceful, it miraculously remains somewhat untainted by tourism, and it’s the birthplace of one of our favourite meals: the mighty ragu.

Bologna is known as ‘La Grassa’ in Italian - which translates to ‘the fat’ in English - & it isn’t hard to see why: you will be extremely hard pressed to have a bad meal in the city. Although I’ve included a list of our favourite restaurants below, use that more as a guideline to get out & find the places that work for you; we’ve eaten at a hell of a lot more restaurants than are listed here, but these are our old faves. Wherever you find yourself, please don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy two dishes - tagliatelle al ragu & gramigna alla salsiccia - both of which are specialties of the city. You can thank us when you get home.

As with our Italian Adventures Part I: Florence guide, there is a huge amount of recommendations in this post. To make life easier, I’ve streamlined everything into six sections: Stay / Coffee / Eat / Drink / Museums + Attractions / Places to See + Things to Do. The difference between the last two sections is an entry fee; Museums + Attractions are all paid entrance, while the Places to See + Things to Do are free.

Happy travelling, friends!

S T A Y

Airbnb // we stayed in the most fantastic apartment on our last visit. The flat - Silent Bright Apartment - is located a stone’s throw from Strada Maggiore & was honestly the best Airbnb experience we’ve ever had. It was spacious and clean, it had a balcony, it overlooked the blazing rooftops of the city, the kitchen was extremely well equipped for cooking, the bed was amazing, and there was a bathtub in the bedroom. The location was about an eight minute walk to the main square in the city. Basically: it. was. perfection. Added bonus: there was a totally adorable turtle roaming free in the courtyard below! We named him Sporo and had a really hard time leaving him behind.

Albergo delle Drapperie // if you’re looking for something more central, you can’t really find anything better than this boutique hotel. It’s quite small, and it literally overlooks the bustling market stalls of the old town. If I remember correctly: the hotel is across the road from a beautiful flower shop (feast for your eyes), around the corner from Tamborini (feast for your belly), and a further few minutes walk from Osteria del Sole (feast for your Italian soul), which is kind of exactly where you want to be.

C O F F E E

Caffe Zanarini // for us, this is the Gilli of Bologna. The coffee is fantastic, the pastries are even better, and the space has that super Italian feel to it that just warms my heart. We normally nab a spot along the bar & enjoy our breakfast the true Italian way, but once in a while we treat ourselves to the somewhat extortionate prices for a table outside on the square. Let me tell you, it is always worth it, if even just for the people watching. (And pigeons.) A must-visit.

E A T

Trattoria Serghei // three words: gramigna alla salsiccia. After ragu (duh), this is the dish of Bologna, and Serghei do it extremely well. It’s a small, traditionally run family joint that we find ourselves returning to time and time again. The food is always exceptional. We normally go for the ragu & the salsiccia pasta dishes to start, and then share a big hunk of meat as a main - the last time, it was an insanely tender pork shank that was about the same size as Boyfriend’s head. Amen to that! A must-visit.

Osteria de Coltelli Da Biagio // a tiny bit further than some might be willing to venture, but the food is worth it. The dishes are on the larger, heartier side of things, and the meal as a whole was outstanding value for money! ... that said, we did notice the staff favoring the locals over tourists like us, but the quality of the food was high enough for us to let this slide.

La Capriata // wandering along a covered archway off Strada Maggiore one day, we stumbled across LC & decided to stop in for a lazy lunch. We ate in the most beautiful sun-drenched courtyard, surrounded by lemon trees. The food was outstanding. It was super fresh - we had an amazing caprese salad that was beyond delicious - and perfectly traditional; I had an unforgettable ragu with homemade pasta served in a Parmesan bowl. A bowl made of Parmesan = the stuff of dreams!

Pizza Regina // sometimes, you just need a pizza and you need it to be reliable. We opted for the less traditional take-out option and brought our meal with us to Osteria del Sole so we could have it with a beer. We ordered a custom made pizza - n’duja + mozzarella - & devoured it within five minutes of sitting down. It was amazing!

Lindt // I’m kind of a bit sorry/not sorry for including this in my list. Listen, just hear me out: we had delicious chocolate gelato in the most amazing chocolate hazelnut dipped cones and it was worth every single penny. I regret nothing.

La Sorbetteria Castiglione // for a more authentic gelato experience, we always trek a little bit out of our way and it never disappoints. Our faves are the pistacchio and nocciola!

D R I N K

Osteria del Sole // definitely one of our favourite places in all of Bologna. According to my notes, it’s the oldest osteria in the region - 1465 apparently! - and it is so bloody brilliant in it’s simplicity. You make your way through the market streets, buy some antipasti goods in the nearby market, bring it into Osteria del Sole, buy a drink to go with it, and have your lunch picnic style alongside locals at one of the long communal tables. It is fantastic. An experience not to be missed: a must-visit.

Osteria I’Infedele // a recent find. Similar in style to Osteria del Sole in that it was small, filled with locals, cheap & relaxed, but it had a more youthful vibe to it and a wider drinks selection of cocktails etc.

RosaRose // located on Via Clavature, this is a fantastic spot for people watching. Boyfriend & I sat outside for hours one evening, listening to a nearby street musician, soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the free platter of food that came with our spritzs, watching the sky change from blue to pink to dusk. Perfection. To experience the true Bologna vibe, this is a must-visit.

Enoteca Italiana // a beautiful wine shop that has a small amount of barrels & stools for dining on. We enjoyed some wine with a delicious meat & cheese platter on one of our first visits, and have since returned for breakfast & coffee.

Bar Senza Nome // a fantastically vibrant bar, located on a buzzy street lined with heaps of similar places. However! This one, apparently, is the only bar in Italy that is run & managed by deaf people. It’s amazing! You go in & the walls are lined with how-to sign language photos for ordering your drink! If you aren’t brave enough, the barmaids read your lips and that’s equally as amazing. Such a fantastic experience. Added bonus: you can eat your weight in free monkey nuts while drinking extremely cheap spritzs! Probably our favourite bar in the world. A must-visit.

Birreria Popolare // a hipster craft beer place that was located conveniently near to our apartment. We were drawn in by the beer emoji sign out front, and we sampled some nice Italian beer. Added bonus: if you’re lucky enough to visit at the right time (we were), you get a free platter of food with your drinks!

Le Stanze // I kind of liked the thought of this bar more than I actually enjoyed our experience there. It’s located inside an old chapel from the 16th century, and there are original frescoes still lining the walls & the ceilings. It was cool to see the artwork, but there was nothing distinctly Italian about the place. It was overpriced, and too touristy for our tastes.

M U S E U M S + A T T R A C T I O N S

Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio // one of the most magical, dreamlike buildings I’ve ever visited - somewhat reminiscent of Hogwarts. Boyfriend & I spent ages wandering back and forth along the arched passageways, but the real draw (and the part you have to pay into) is the wooden Teatro Anatomico from the 17th century, where they used to hold anatomy lessons. Worth the €3!

Santa Maria della Vita // the lure of this church, although pretty beautiful in its own right, is actually a fantastic group of wooden sculptures hidden in the back. They charge a measly €4 to see the group, but it’s certainly worth it: the scene depicted is the moment that Jesus dies, and honestly they are some of the most expressive pieces of art we’ve seen.

La Due Torri // yes, it’s very steep, and yes, it’s claustrophobic.. but it’s worth it for the breathtaking views over the terracotta rooftops of Bologna. Added bonus: it’s super cheap! A must-visit.

Palazzo Fava // a renaissance palace & art gallery space. The very first time we went to Bologna together, we saw an amazing Edward Hopper exhibition here, so it’s definitely worth checking upcoming shows just in case!

Museo Civico Archeologico // fantastic archaeology museum to wander around if you find yourself looking for something to do. Particular highlights for us were the beautiful building itself, and the Egyptian exhibition.

P L A C E S T O S E E + T H I N G S T O D O

Market shopping // wandering along the tiny streets around Via Drapperie and Via Pescherie Vecchie, you get a real feel for the Bologna lifestyle. The flower shops, the fish stalls, the butchers, the cheese-mongers, we love it all. Our favourite places to stop into for some goodies are Tamburini & Simoni, both of which are reliably great. Definitely a must-visit.

Basilica di San Petronio // the central basilica in the middle of Piazza Maggiore. A beautiful internal space, much bigger than it looks from the outside. Note: if you want to take photographs inside the church, you have to pay a small fee.

R E L A T E D P O S T S :

Bremen, Germany // Paris, France // Amsterdam, Holland // Copenhagen, Denmark // Cork, Ireland // Edinburgh, Scotland // Westport, Ireland // Barcelona, Spain // Munich, Germany // Vienna, Austria // London, UK i - ii - iii // Florence, Italy

#bologna #travel #italy

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gimmedatelephantwrites · 6 years ago

Text

Coffee Shop AU Oneshot - I'm Oliver You, Tom Riddle

I'll admit, Tom is a little OOC (out of character) in this, but like, I really wanted to write him with a raging boner for Oliver :/ just suffer through it, I guess,,,

Also I'm on mobile and dont know how to make a "Read More" thing so

________________

Darkly stained hardwood floors met emerald green counters, topped with clean, if slightly cluttered, darker-stained butcher block countertops; a silver register sat at one end of the counter space, an empty fish bowl filled with various pens of varying degrees of frilliness directly beside it; two-thirds of the counterspace was behind lightly frosted glass, which quite untastefully hid all of the various coffee making and blending apparatuses; round tables of a matching register-silver sat around the space, with cozy chairs of varying shades of green pushed in or hastily shoved aside were small comforts lying around the little caffe. Three of the walls of the caffe, the left, the right, and the entry wall, were the same shade of emerald green as the counters - Tom painted them all at the same time himself, while the back wall was tastefully and painstakingly painted various greys to sort of give more depth to the actual brickwork, but not leave it the natural red brick it was before. Tom still wasnt entirely happy with the paint on the brick, even today, but continually added more and more small touches here and there. A bright pink handprint smacked the top of the bricks, small spatters of pink on the stark white ceiling resulting from it, while a more carefully placed yellow print stood beside it. Anne had helped him paint and stain the caffe before she actually began working there, and had seen it fit to climb on top of the countertops, hand nearly dripping in pink paint, before she jumped - and fell off the countertop soon after as a result of her recklessness - and smacked her hand as high as she could. The yellow one came from him; he stood on the countertop, painted his hand, and pressed it firmly as high as he could.

Tom loved the sight of it. Every morning, he came in, started up a brew, had his morning cuppa - black, no sugar - and then was immediately greeted with his most hated thing: customers.

Usually, however, the early morning crowd wasnt too terribly awful, but there were exceptions to every rule. Especially when it came to, Tom shuddered, youngsters.

But he digressed.

It was drab and dreary that momentous day. Outside, it was raining fairly well, making the air outside pleasantly cool and delightfully scented. The streets had a mist, and Tom wanted nothing more than to go out and just breathe the rainy air in. Rainy weather had to be his most favourite type of weather.

But unfortunately, people enjoyed a hot, freshly made beverage on a rainy day, and that meant that his cafe would be busy. Just as it was now.

Thankfully, he wasnt dealing with the customers today, that was Anne's job on Wednesdays. All he had to do was work behind the counter, make the drinks, and call out the names or whatever the customers insisted on being called.

And, occassionally, when Anne needed a break, interact with the customers. Tom nearly shuddered at the vague thought.

"Tom!" Anne called. "I need 7 hot chocolates, two with two pumps of vanilla, whole milk, one of those with with whipped cream, cinnamon lightly dusted on top, one with 4 pumps of your Hot Unicorn Blood Elixir, coconut milk instead, three made with soy milk, and one with almond."

Anne was a very near and dear working companion of his. She was dark skinned, with very large breasts, a sweet face, and someone who enjoyed wearing clothing that was much too small for her. Even her uniform was too small, which shouldn't be as Tom had given her clothing that had to have been several sizes too large; it was all he had on hand at the moment. Anne must have known a tailor, or had done them herself.

"We should have never offered drink customization, Anne." Tom griped.

He made the hot chocolates, as asked for, and called out, "Ridiculous hot chocolate order for 7."

Six giggling girls came up and grabbed their order, one taking two cups, before returning to their table and awaiting friend.

Business slowed for a moment soon after that, but they werent ever completely devoid of customers in the queue.

And then, it was time for Anne's break.

Oh, how Tom dreaded Anne's break! Now he had to both take orders and make them.

Oh well, he supposed, time to get to work.

Taking the second customers order, the bell above the door rang as someone new entered, or as a customer was leaving. Tom glanced up, saw that it was someone coming in, and greeted him, "Good morning, welcome to the Half-Life Caffe. I'll be with you in just a moment."

And of course, the customer he was currently helping ordered a ridiculous hot beverage, but this time, it was completely asinine; a soy latte, no soy. They're "allergic to soy", as they have so far claimed, but enjoyed the way a soy-free soy latte tasted.

Tom tried his very best to not roll his eyes or groan at this persons incompetence.

It was the single most difficult thing he had ever done. He deserved a solid gold plaque for his deed. Or at the very least an official day of recognition. Perhaps a national holiday, The Day Tom Marvolo Riddle Didnt Roll His Eyes or Make Any Dissenting Noise at the Customers Stupidity.

It had a very nice ring to it, Tom thought.

And now, it was the new customer's turn to order.

"How can I help you this fine, if wet, morning?" And that's when Tom looked up, and met his gorgeous ocean blue eyes. And the rest of his beautiful face, for that matter.

Tom instantly took back what he had previously thought. Not openly gawking at this simply, perfectly stunning individual was the single most difficult thing he had ever done.

The customer was distinctly male, wild, curly blond hair falling every which way seemingly perfectly, even if it was dripping water onto his clothes, his cheeks and nose tinged a slight pink from the nippy air outside, giving him a perpetual blush. He parted his perfectly kissable lips and flashed a smile, all perfectly straight, white teeth, and oh! Then he spoke!

"Actually, I'm not quite sure what I want quite yet. I've never been here before." The stranger told him. His voice was like the sweetest music Tom had ever heard, lilted and bright and airy.

"May I recommend our unique Unicorn Blood Elixir? I invented it myself, and it's only available while I work." How Tom had managed to say that without stuttering was beyond him.

"Oh, that sounds lovely! I'll have the largest size you have, please! I'm not planning on going anywhere, if that makes a difference?" He smiled once again, and Tom very nearly dropped the tall ceramic mug he had just grabbed.

"Can I get a name for your order?" Tom cleared his throat, grabbing an Expo marker from the flowery fish bowl next to the register, and focused his entire will on writing this persons name.

"Oliver," he giggled.

Tom discreetly wiped his mistake away, and god he felt his cheeks begin to warm, how embarrassing.

"£6.50 please."

Money was exchanged, Oliver waved his farewell, and took a seat in the corner, pulling his phone out of his thigh bag and smiling down at whatever was on the screen.

Tom had a not-so-subtle hope it wasnt his boyfriend.

Or girlfriend, Tom wasnt one to judge, but he didnt look the type to have a girlfriend, if his fluffy, gaudy yellow sweater, sinfully tight black skinny jeans, shiny silver mid calf heeled boots, and dark leather thigh bag was anything to go by.

But, who knew, maybe she dressed him?

Tom returned to work, just as Anne came back in. Tom turned to glance at whoever it was, and sighed in relief when he saw it was just his coworker.

"Anne, get your arse back to work!" Tom called over the loudspeaker.

"Oh piss off!" She called back, already putting her apron back on. "What orders do we have now?"

Tom handed over the two easier orders, and worked on Oliver's Unicorn Blood Elixir.

" "soy latte, absolutely no soy"?" Anne questioned. "Couldnt they have just ordered a regular latte?"

"I tried to convince them, but they're adamant the soy-free soy lattes taste the best."

"Well. Oh well, more money in the drawer for us." She shrugged and began making the orders.

Tom braced his hands against his clean counter, staring down at the mug. He didnt ask if it were hot or cold. Why was he acting like this?

Tom! He scolded himself. Pull yourself together. This isnt you, and quite frankly, it's annoying.

He sucked in as much air as his lungs would let him, let it out slowly, and turned toward the front and called out "Oliver?"

Said boy looked up, a question clear on his face. He stood, leaving heavily charmed cell phone at the table, and approached the counter. "That was fast?" He seemed skeptical.

"Actually no. I just remembered I didnt ask you if you wanted it hot or cold."

"Oh! Yes. Of course, cold please! I just looked them up, over there, at that table, and they look so magical cold!" His eyes shone of a glowing wonder. Tom heartrate increased, and he could nearly swear he was dying because of this ethereal, tacky dressed vision in front of him.

Oliver should go to prison for attempted murder. Or maybe he just got out? Either way, he was, actively or not, trying to kill Tom.

Tom chuckled, "Yes, they're very blasé warm, I will admit. But still equally delicious, of course. You may return to your seat, I'll have your order ready momentarily." He smiled graciously, waiting until Oliver smiled back and returned to his seat.

Tom grabbed a new cup, a clear, tall glass this time, wrote Oliver's name on it with the Expo marker, and, before he thought better of it, wrote on the opposite side, this time in Sharpie, as if it were supposed to have it and wasnt just an additional, spur of the moment decision:

bewitching (verb):

Enchant or delight (someone)

Time to get to work, then.

He blended a thick pink, vanilla cupcake flavoured concoction in one blender, an equally thick pale green, Earl Grey flavored in another, and started up the lavender purple, lavender flavoured into the last of the blenders. He poured black tapioca pearls into the bottom of the glass and drizzled edible glitter laced caramel down the inside of the glass while he waited for the three blenders to finish their work, and, once they were done, carefully poured each of the blenders contents into reusable piping bags.

Normally, Tom didnt go through this step, but he wanted to make the drink absolutely perfect for the single most beautiful man in the shop. The rest of the customers who would inevitably see it, be damned; they were worth nothing in comparison to pretty Oliver and his heart stopping smile.

He piped in a thick line of pink, then green, and finally purple, filling the glass completely. He took one of the stainless steel stirrers nearby and very gently, very carefully swirled the colours just a bit, so it wasn't a stark pink, green, and purple, but a much softer, less defined array of colour.

Then, he brought out the hand-prepared pale blue whipped cream, swirled it on top, and brought out Anne's favourite decorations: the silver sugar pearls and sugar crystals. He tossed a handful of pearls on the top of the very colourful creation before doing the same with the silver sugar crystals.

Very nearly perfect. Tom grabbed two of the thick, white straws and arranged them just so, one taller than the other, and sighed.

"Anne?" He asked, cringing all the while. "Do we have any more of those pink, edible hearts?"

Anne gasped dramatically. Why does she have to do this? What does she have against him?!

Please dont draw Oliver's attention! He mentally pleaded.

"You dont put hearts on anything! Even if it's one of our Valentines Specials! What is wrong with you!" She was so loud, and Tom could cry, surely the bitch was going to get Oliver's attention, but then she reached up, into one of the cabinets in the back, and grabbed a small container filled with them. "Here you are, go nuts." And returned to her work.

Tom opened the container, grabbed one of the smaller hearts, and gently placed it in front of the straws. He smiled at his handiwork - Oliver's perfect face would light up as soon as he saw this! - and turned around, ready to call out the order, slightly startled to find Oliver already at the counter, looking flustered and a tad embarrassed.

Oh fuck, did he hear her Tom was going to murder her--

"I'm sorry," his eyes flicked down to Tom's nametag, "Tom. I know I said I wouldnt be going anywhere, but I just got a text from my friend, Gwen. I'm going to need my order to go." He looked dejected.

Tom had an instant hatred toward that look.

"That's alright, here's your order." He passed the glass over to him, a small, reassuring smile over his lips. "Dont worry about the glass, just take it." He said, before Oliver could protest on taking one of their more expensive glasses.

Oliver smiled gently, "Thank you, Tom. Though I do still feel bad at taking one of your glass cups."

"How about this;" Anne rudely shoved her way in, "give him your number, make it even."

Oliver, caught off guard, guffawed, setting his drink down on the countertop so he didnt tip it over on accident, and brought his hand up to try and quiet his harmonic laugh. "I'm sorry!" He got out through a laugh. "I'm not laughing at you, I just didnt expect that!"

Anne reached over, made the receipt machine spit out more paper, and grabbed one of her overly frilled, ostensibly girly, click pens, and passed the two of them over to Oliver.

Through his giggles, he managed to write down his phone number, his name just under it, a tiny heart dotting his "i".

"Here you are, Tom!" He slid the slip of paper over to Tom. "Call me sometime? If not, I'll just have to come back with my friends and make a huge dramatic scene. Maybe get the police involved?"

The cheeky shit! "Well, we cant have that, now can we? I'll call you when I'm off work later this evening, then. Dont make any plans to ruin my life or business just yet, darling." He winked.

. . . .1. . . .

. . . . . . . .2. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .3. . . . . . . . . . . .

His face burst into actual flames, "I'm so sorry, please ignore that last word." Can I die now? Please and thank you! He thought as he buried his face in his hands.

Both Anne and Oliver laughed at him, but Oliver reached his hand over the countertop and gently pulled Tom's hand away from his burning face, and looked imploringly at him. "I'll never forget it, dear." And then, when Tom looked up at him, Oliver pulled Tom's hand to his face, and, to Tom's horrified delight, pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "Anne, was it?" He turned his focus to her, "Could you make sure he calls me?"

She grinned, looking very much like a shark in that one Pixar movie. "I'll make sure he at least sends you a text. And if not him, I know I will~" she winked flirtingly at him.

Oliver giggled his perfect laugh, winked back, took his drink in hand, and left, waving goodbye just outside the window.

"Your face is still red." Anne so helpfully pointed out. "And seriously, you had better call him! He seems nice, and it would do you good to actually get in the game!"

"I will, Anne. He said he'd make a scene with his friends, maybe get the police involved, if I didn't." Tom sighed. "And hes the most wonderful person I've ever seen, can you imagine his disappointed face? Go ahead, Anne. Imagine that perfect face, disappointed. It breaks your heart!"

He paused. "Well, not mine. But I'm sure you get my point."

"I do, and I'm glad we're on the same page." She reached out and touched his shoulder gently, smiling a bit as she said it, before clapping her hands. "Time to get back to work!"

________________

Tom sat there, on his couch, cell phone in one hand, and Oliver's phone number in the other, and he was nervous.

After Oliver left, they got so busy that Tom had completely forgotten about Oliver's phone number, which had previously been a burning weight in his pocket.

And now, hes on his couch at home, completely nervous.

He may have already stated that, but to his current state of mind, it didnt matter.

He needed to call Oliver. And to do that, he needed to put the numbers in his phone, and then press the green "call" button. One step at a time, Tom.

To put the numbers in.

Now.

Right now.

There! The first 2 digits!

00769 7659

And there are the rest! Now, to make the call.

(A/N, I dont know english phone numbers, so idk if that's even correct in the slightest. I know mobile numbers start with 07 and are 11 numbers long, but idk about the rest)

(A/N: Also, DONT CALL IT. It might actually be someones number idk but like srsly dont call it) (I mean it)

He took several deep, calming breaths, or at least he tried to. He ended up hyperventilating for a few minutes. Once he calmed down enough, he turned his phone screen back on, and unlocked it with his password, "v0ld3m0rt".

Before he had any second to think about his actions, once more that day, he pressed the "call" button.

Then, he panicked, nearly dropping the device.

For 3 entire rings, he was frozen in place, staring in horror at his phones screen, nearly silently hoping Oliver wouldnt pick up-

But then he did!

"Hello?" Even from this distance he sounded beautiful ♡

And like he had just woken up.

He quickly brought the phone up to his ear, "Yes, Oliver? This is Tom. From-from the Half-Life Caffe?"

"Oh! Tom! Hi, hello! It's good to finally hear from you!" Despite his obvious giddiness, his voice still sounded rough. "I was just saying to Gwen a few hours ago that we were going to have to start a riot." He laughed, but it came across as more of a few breathy chuckles than anything. "Why are you calling so late though? Its half passed midnight." There was a rustling on the other side of the phone, like maybe Oliver was shifting in his. Bed, Tom figured, or perhaps he was rubbing his eyes, to get the sleep from them.

"Is it really?" He pulled his phone from his ear and checked the time; 12:34. "Oh, I suppose it is. My apologies, it must have taken more time to build up the courage to call you than I thought."

"Wait, 'build up the courage'?" He giggled softly. "Were you afraid of calling me?" Tom could hear the smile in his voice.

"Not afraid, necessarily, just. Nervous."

"Dont be nervous, Tom. It's just me." There was more rustling, and a series of pop-ing noises, before Oliver was back on the line. "Sorry, i was stretching."

They were silent for a few moments, and just when Tom started to feel like an awkward mess, Oliver spoke quietly, "I'm glad you called me, Tom. I really was worried you'd never call."

"Of course I'd call you, Oliver." Tom spoke equally quietly. This was a space in time all their own, and he hated to break the serene moment. He leaned back on the sofa, resting his slightly aching back. "Though, if I'm quite honest, I dont know what to say."

"I think I do. I was cleaning my glass from earlier, and I must say, what an amazing drink, when I noticed a little something on the side."

"Could it have been... your name?" Tom smiled.

"No, you shit!" Oliver laughed. Tom soaked in the feeling it brought him. "The other thing. Does the word "bewitching" ring any bells?"

"Oh, yes, of course. That. A different word and definition is written on all of our glasses, you see-"

"Mmm no, I dont think so." He said in a silly, sing-song voice. "Robert, another of my friends, tried my amazing beverage and wanted one of his own. So I told him where to get it, and to take it there, and he did. But oddly enough, there was no word on it, besides his name."

Oh, well. Maybe it just rubbed off. It's just sharpie on glass, it doesnt last forever."

"Mm-hmm. I thought youd say that. My best friend Andrea was there, too, while I was there. You, however, know her as Anne."

Tom made a terrible noise in the back of his throat.

Oliver must have heard because he giggled, "And she said that you put bewitching on my glass because, and I quote her exact words, I am the "most wonderful person with the most perfect face", and then she prattled on about how red your face was, among other things, and-"

Tom made another noise, and rushed out "I'm so sorry Oliver, I know it was bold of me--"

"Oliver?" A female voice asked. She sounded far away, and quite young, at that, Tom couldnt help but wonder who she was.

A girlfriend? A female friend? His mother?

"Who are you talking to?" She sounded much nearer now. "Its 1 o'clock in the morning, my love."

Tom deduced she was either a very affectionate mother or his girlfriend. No fenale friend called their male friend "my love" for no reason.

Tom felt a cold stab of jealous shame low in his belly. Anne had gotten his hopes up, the incredible bitch. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I'll text you later, I've kept you up for long enough. You should get back to your girlfriend, and get back to sleep while you're at it." Tom couldnt believe he was rambling; Oliver brought out the worst in him, that was for sure.

"What? My what? Tom--" Oliver asked.

- Click -

Oh.

Tom hung up.

Well. There went that. Oliver had a girlfriend.

So why did Tom feel so crushed?

Oh, yes. That's right. He had a crush, so of course his little infatuation would crush him. It was in the name.

Tom's phone lit up, and the song Different as Can Be, his ringtone that Anne had set up for him, started playing. Without even glancing at the devices screen, he denied the call and shut the phone completely off. Oliver wouldnt, or rather, shouldnt, have anything more to say to him. Tom knew he didnt have anything to say to the other boy, so why should he bother answering a phone call?

Tom was exhausted. And he had to get up early the next morning to open up shop.

__________

...10am the next morning...

Holy fuck Tom was l a t e

His phone was his alarm, and like a complete fucking dumbarse, Tom had shut his phone off the night before and didnt bother to turn the fucker back on.

He could have simply blocked Oliver's phone number, and yet.

Tom could well and truly throttle himself at his absolute stupidity, and he may or may not have tied his tie a tiny but tighter this morning as a result.

But, onward and upward. He had a business to run, no use fretting over more sleep. Anne had the key to the caffe, and today was Thursday, so she was, in fact, working this morning. Time to get to work.

Tom dressed, brushed his teeth, rinsed with mouthwash, and flossed evenly for good measure, before he brushed his hair out. He didnt have time to shower that morning, so styling his hair had to be a must that morning. After it was perfectly styled, he deemed himself ready for the day. Time to grab his wallet, his car keys, and--

Mreow

Oh, right. His cat, Professor Quirrell.

"I'm sorry, sweet boy. I nearly forgot all about you, didnt I?" Tom apologized to his cat. "Its just I'm late for work."

Mrrrow

"I know, being late is no excuse to not feed you. Let's get you breakfast, shall we?" Tom made his way to the kitchen, where his dearly beloved cat was sat at his spot at the kitchenette's small table. "It's going to have to be cheap this morning, dear, I dont have time to cook for you. Or for me, for that matter. But I can at least get something at the shop. You, my poor little man," Tom scooped his small, slightly overweight black cat up in his arms, "would starve all day. And that's just not fair, is it?"

Brrrrw, Professor Quirrell agreed. Tom nodded, gently setting Professor Quirrell back down onto the table, before reaching up into a cabinet to get one of his special breakfast plates, and grabbed a can of wet cat food on a lower shelf. He popped the can open, grabbed a fork from the drawer, and gently divvied up his sweet Professor Quirrell's breakfast.

And, of course, Professor Quirrell, being an asshole, took one smell of it, and proceeded to bury it with invisible dirt, before he moved on to the "empty" dish of kibble. You see, it wasnt really empty, but just had a small empty patch in the middle. Tom fondly shook his head at the little bastard man, grabbed a small scoop of crunchies, and filled the dish back up.

Once Professor Quirrell started eating, Tom gently stroked down his back. "There. Now you wont starve." Tom stood, "I'll see you tonight, stinky boy. Behave."

Tom grabbed his keys and wallet, conveniently left at the door, before he called out, "No wild parties, Professor. You know the rules."

He locked his apartment door behind him and strolled down the stairs, before getting to his car, a yellow, 3-door Vauxhall Astra with a silver grill, parked conveniently at the kerb. Dont worry, there werent any double yellows anywhere in the vicinity, so it's not like he would get a parking ticket from the traffic warden. Tom was an exceptionally safe car owner. :)

(A/N: my british bestie helped me with all of that. Everything you just read in that last paragraph is factually correct and 100% certified true by him, an actual british person. The rest cannot be accounted for)

Arriving to work, however, was a completely different story. Several police cars sat out front, two with lights flashing.

Oh. Shit.

Tom parked hastily just down the block a bit, desperate to see what had happened to his caffe. He stepped inside, expecting a murder spree, blood on everything, only to find seven or so officers of the law sitting at the tables, nursing mugs of drinks, and at least four more queued up to order more beverages, and Anne, grinning evilly behind the register, who all turned toward him as he entered, with nothing else amiss in the shop.

"Er... Hello, officers. Working hard. Or hardly working?"

Oliver suddenly turned a corner from the back of the caffe, assumedly returning from the restrooms, when a tall brunet officer from the front of the caffe turned to him. "This the one, Oliver?"

His beautiful face and gorgeous curls, a perfect vision he was yesterday, wearing the same shiny boots and thigh bag as then, but instead of a yellow sweater and black pants, he was wearing rose print white jeans, yellow suspenders, and a form fitted white button up shirt. Such a lovely sight.

Tom! Control yourself! He has a girlfriend.

"Yes, Robert. This is Tom." Oliver puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms over his chest, and Tom just felt even deeper infatuation with him.

(It couldnt possibly be love, oh no. Tom didnt do that.)

"That's all I need to hear. You're under arrest, Tom." The officer, Robert, pulled his handcuffs from his belt. "Hands behind your back please."

"What? What for?" Tom asked for the sake of his sanity. Of course, he still turned his back against the officer, hands behind him, but that was more out of courtesy and respect for the law than anything else.

Officer Robert came closer, snapping one cuff against his wrist, and pausing before doing up the other. "Why, for hanging up on sweet Oliver, of course. And then, for not answering any of his 17 phone calls after." And then he snapped the other cuff on.

Oliver had really gotten the police involved, just as he promised. The little tart!

Wait...

"Oh, but that wasnt the agreement." Tom started.

"Oh?" Officer Robert questioned. "Then what was the agreement?" Tom thought he heard a smug grin leaking through his voice.

"The agreement was I would call him, or Oliver would get the police involved. I did call him, so there are no reasons to arrest me, officer. I held up my end of the bargain." Tom smoothly talked.

"Why would you hang up on him, though? Have you ever spoken to him? You wont ever want to hang up." Another officer, presumably from the sitting crowd, asked.

"It was nearing 1am, officer. And I had to get to work early this morning."

"But here you are, at 11am. I don't count that as early, do any of you?" A woman asked. That voice... it wasnt Anne, and it sounded familiar...

"I turned my phone off last night. My phone is my alarm, so of course I didnt wake up at the right time." Tom explained.

"You didn't have to turn your phone off." Oliver said. He sounded grouchy, and Tom desperately wanted to see his Mr. Grouchy Face.

"You're right, I could have just blocked your number."

"You didnt have to do that, either!" There was a small k'thunk, very soon after that. Did Oliver just stomp his foot? How very childish, Tom couldnt help but chuckle at the mere thought.

"Oliver, it was late. I needed to sleep. You needed to sleep, your girlfriend needed to sleep, I dont understand why you're getting so upset with me for being responsible."

"I dont have a girlfriend!" Another k'thunk. "Gwen is a lesbian!"

"Hey, whoa now." The same female voice from earlier spoke up. "Let's not put any labels on anything, shall we? I prefer women, yes, that is true, but I would totally bang him too."

"You're just saying that because hes in handcuffs, Gwen."

"Can I be released now, please?" Tom asked, quite done with the uncomfortable cuffs. "Its obvious this is just a sham arrest."

Officer Robert cleared his throat. "Well, everything seems to check out, at least from what an eyewitness testimony states." Officer Robert quickly pulled the key from its place, "Dont let it happen again, however, young man. Next time, I wont be so lenient." And he unlocked the cuffs.

An entire five minutes and 15 seconds of being handcuffed, all because Oliver was a little pissy. Tom could already see himself dating this dramatic train wreck of a human.

"Thank you."

"Are we done now? I'm sure we ruined this poor man's business forever." Another officer spoke.

"Yeah, and now he knows Oliver can and will get the police involved in the future. I'm sure hes been scared enough for today."

Officers Robert and Gwen turned toward Oliver, as if asking if they were still needed. "Yeah, fine. Go away." Oliver said, suddenly sounding very tired. "Tom and I need to talk about a few things, and I know this is already going to spread around the precinct like fiend fire."

The officers stood, bringing their empty mugs to the counter to be cleaned, and getting to-go paper cups for the road. Anne was a saint for making more carafes.

Speaking of...

Anne, who had been suspiciously silent the entire time, was standing behind the counter, elbows resting against it, grinning madly, looking exactly like the shark from that Pixar movie. Or the Cheshire cat. Maybe a mix of the two.

"Fish are friends, Anne." Tom told her.

"I'm going to give the two of you a moment," she said, still grinning her crazed grin. "I need to say goodbye to Gwen. Oliver, we have security cameras. If you murder him, I cant help you with anything, but I am planning on making some meat pies eventually." She winked, took her apron off and hung it on the hook behind the counter, before she too left the caffe.

Once the last officer left, making the comment about how good the coffee here was, Oliver grabbed Tom's wrist to get his attention. "Tom. I dont have a girlfriend. I'm living with Gwen. The couch is uncomfortable, and we're close enough that we can share the bed without it being weird. Is that really the reason why you hung up on me-why you turned your phone off and ignored me? Or was all this just. Some little mistake?"

"I apologize for making such a bold assumption. You just seem to bring out the worst in my behaviour. I apologize for that as well. Yes, it was because I believed you had a girlfriend. I may have developed a sort of. Infatuation, if you will, with you. And while I know that's not any grounds for anything to become of us, I couldnt help but feel." Tom paused and chewed his lower lip, averting his eyes. "Jealous. I want you to be mine, and just the thought of you being hers, well. It didn't settle well with me." He finished quietly.

Oliver, the sweet boy, giggled. Tom looked up at him. "How about this? I get your work schedule, come in whenever I can, I get a drink, you get a drink, we chat for a while, and see where this gets us? Maybe, possibly, going on some real dates in between?" If Tom had known better, he would know that Oliver was blatantly flirting.

"That sounds wonderful, Oliver. Thank you." Tom truly meant it, too.

#gimmedatelephant writes #gimmedatelephantwrites #im oliver you tom riddle #ioytr #coffee shop AU oneshot #coffee shop au #coffee shop #tom riddle #oliver greyglade #just a fun mess #long post #but i fit it all into 1 document #so im proud

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kevinychen · 2 years ago

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Anchorage -> Talkeetna (7/13)

Before our drive to the small town of Talkeetna, we had brunch at one of Natalle's recommendations. It was called Snow City Cafe.

As with all things Anchorage, the wait was an hour and a half.

We put our name down. Luckily, we were right next to downtown Anchorage, so we started to stroll in that direction.

We walked east on 4th ave. It was pretty normal for a city downtown, with gift shops, cafes, and a courthouse. The first mile the interesting thing we saw was the Visitors Center, so we went in.

When the guide inside saw us, his eyes lit up. "Hey, are you Japanese?" We shook our heads. "Oh, well you should check out this building across the street. They have this cool exhibit about earthquakes in Japan. And I thought you all would be interested because I thought you were Japanese."

Becky, Tommy, and Natalle must have cringed and immediately left because when I turned around, they were already gone.

We saw a statue of a sled dog. I got excited because I thought it was Balto, from the Disney movie, but that turned out to be in the town of Nome over 500 miles away.

Downtown Anchorage was all about these commemorations. Here's a plaque right across the statue celebrating the first building built in Anchorage.

And finally (and this one to go while to find), we found the statue of Captain James Cook, the first European to discover the land of Alaska.

There was now only about 30 minutes until the estimated seating time to Snow City Cafe. Perfect for a quick trip to a Safeway about seven minutes away, right? Were driving to Talkeetna the next day, and we want to make some smores there.

We drive seven minutes to the Safeway, get out of the car, and... Natalle gets a text from the cafe saying that the table is ready.

We drive back empty-handed.

The caffe was ok in my opinion; I got a salmon cake benedict. Becky and Natalle really liked it though, and Becky even said it was her second favorite meal after her home cooked meal with asparagus on the first night.

After brunch we went back to the Safeway and had quite an adventure trying to find marshmallows. "Maybe we should also get fire starter," said Tommy. "We're getting everything else so we might as well get that too."

"Nah, everyone goes to Talkeetna for smores, so they'll definitely have fire starter there," said X. "Even though I see the fire starter right in front of me," X continued, pointing at it, "let's just hope they have it at Talkeetna and get it there."

We bought all the food and materials for smores, except for the fire starter.

When we got to Talkeetna, we had dinner at Shirley's Burger Barn, where I got a halibut burger and some really really good tater tots.

We then had a little bit of time before our scheduled hike at 6:30pm, so we walked over to the main downtown street. We saw Shirley's Ice Cream, with the special fireweed ice came flavor! But Becky and Natalle were out of character and for some reason didn't want any (yet).

"Do you think this is the same Shirley?" said Tommy. We kept walking.

We walked past a couple of souvenir stores, but didn't go in because of time. then I saw an old man greeting a woman as she got out of a car. "Hey Shirley!"

Apparently everyone here is named Shirley. On an obviously completely related topic, we pretended to do some mushing.

What is a dogsledder's favorite place?

Mushroom.

Anyway, we made it to the trail head at 6pm. The place was called XY lake, because there were three lakes: one was in the shape of an X, and the other two were named Y and Z probably because the namers didn't have imagination. And Z didn't even make it into the final name.

At about 6:05pm, a big van with a bunch of other people who were to join us on their walk drove up to us. A hairy guy who seemed like he was our tour guide stepped out and greeted us. "Hi, my name is Bernard." He gave a small speech about the area which I didn't find memorable. He also suggested us to put on bug spray. If you read my post on July 11th, then you'll know that we didn't need this reminder.

The walk started out being very informative, basically a brain dump from Bernard to us about all the different plants and berries along the trail. There was the Devil's Club, which was all along the trail, and has dangerous barbed thorns that can be really hard to remove. There were watermelon berries, granny smith apple berries, and delicious red currant berries. (But also similar looking red baneberries that can kill you.).

By the way, Becky already learned about Devil's Club, the raspberries, and all sorts of trees from her hike at Potter Creek. Wow, she's objectively so smart!

Next were the fungi. Basically in the summer time, Bernard would come here often to forage stuff for salads. So there was Old Man's Beard, which is a fungus that looks kind of like Spanish Moss, and tasted like black pepper.

We also saw a loon! And some moose hairs on the ground! And yarrow. And lupines! Which Becky had used to explain to Tommy about the pea family. (Though these purple lupines aren't edible.) And oak ferns! And moss ferns! (Though not really any ostrich ferns there.)

Towards the end, Bernard stopped talking about the plants and instead started talking about himself. Apparently he had been in Alaska since April 2011 and had worked as a guide for a lot of that time, even working at some very secluded and expensive lodges, and conversing with the Alaska elders to learn more about the local foliage.

After about three hours, and a bit of rain towards the end (but I had no shame taking out my umbrella), we finished the walk and headed home.

As we entered the Airbnb, I realized that a mosquito had followed me in. "Darned mosquito," I shouted. I lunged out and grabbed it by the leg. Then I released it back outside.

Rid of that mosquito, we played charades!!!

#alaska

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vanrelationship137 · 3 years ago

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breinersounds · 6 years ago

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Recommended Listening: solo stuff in PGH. EAST COAST! Jazz?? also check out my wife!

frenz! i hope you're all doing great and living your best lives. here's some good stuff to listen to: Star Rover :: I May Be Lost But I'm Laughing gee whiz these guys are just so so so great. will graefe and jeremy gustin have been making music together for awhile and it is ALWAYS good. the album comes out October 19 and i've been listening to the three available tracks pretty much on repeat lately. tom-heavy grooves. guitar sounds ranging from spaced out echo to raw and crunchy to desert americana (is that a thing?). beautiful vocals blown out with tons of reverb. sounds like someone you love singing a song to you as you're waking up from a half-dream. their previous album Western Winds Bitter Christians is also banana-nuts good. Yang Jin :: Folk Music Master i recently had the pleasure of meeting and performing alongside Jin in Ben Barson's insane climate change / migrant justice opera and i'm hoping to hear her up close a whole lot more. this recording of hers is beautiful and virtuosic and full of sounds that i think are familiar at first and then ... they aren't. really special recording by an amazing pittsburgh based artist. Michael Azerrad :: Our Band Could Be Your Life ok so it's not listening, but it's led me to tons of artists who i'd never heard before. i'm halfway through and even the bands that i'm not head over heels for musically have such awesome and compelling stories that i'm riveted anyway. granted, it's about the indie scene from 1981-1991, so it's super white-dude-y (and self-admittedly so), but damn there's so much good stuff. black flag, mission of burma, minutemen, hüsker dü... the list goes on. can't wait to read more and listen more. Hannah Epperson :: Slowdown hannah mixes violin loops, fragile vocals, poetic lyrical narratives, and electronics in ways that i really love. this new album always makes me feel like it's 2am. in a good way. ///// Weds, October 17 at The Abbey Pittsburgh. 8-11pm FREE hey guys i'm playing some jazz music. it just so happens that i wrote a lot of it and i'm pleased as punch to be playing it all with some exciting young players. come check it out! Eli Naragon- Acoustic Bass Antonio Croes- Keyboards Patrick Breiner- Tenor Sax Carter Freije- Drums and Cymbals ///// Thursday, Oct 25 Twin Talk at Spirit Pittsburgh 7-9pm NO COVER i'm not on this one but i set it up for my dear pals who are coming through PGH on tour from chicago. this is one of those bands that might not be back for a looooooong time. so make a point to come and scope. tenor saxophone, upright bass/voice, drums. Twin Talk is the real damn deal. unique and smart compositions mixed with telepathic group interplay. https://twintalk.bandcamp.com/ ///// Friday, Oct 26 Rooftop Garden Benefit Dinner at Spirit Pittsburgh 6:30-10pm Ticketssss not cheap but WORTH ITTTTTT. 5 courses by brilliant local chefs Becca Hegarty (Bitter Ends), Brandon Blumenfeld (Scratch), and Greg Austin (Spirit) paired with booze and bevvies AND ALL OF THAT PAIRED WITH MUSIC. tons of surprises. piles of amaze-balls farm to table grub. and farm to table tunes on top of it. i'll be performing solo saxophone up close and personal as Vartan. like i do. ///// Mon, 29 October 2018 8pm. $5-10 suggested at 1106 Reedsdale Street. Pittsburgh, PA Jim Storch - Electroacoustic set Patrick Breiner - Solo as Vartan Mamigonian Kuo/Bernabo Duo - Performance Trimm/McCune Duo featuring the Esteemed Betty Douglas - Free jazz WRIST (Weston / Ritter / Storch Trio ) - Debut performance i love this place (played duo here with jason nazary a few weeks back) and i'm psyched to be back in its beautiful post-art-pocalyptic embrace for a solo set. some new friends and some even newer friends are also performing and all of it will be good. ///// Fri, 2 November Vartan Mamigonian time tba at Caffe D'Amore. Pittsburgh great new intimate listening room in my neighborhood. you know you wanna get real close for those tiny freaky sounds. this will be a show you won't want to miss. ///// Sun, 4 November Myk Freedman and Freends 6-8pm at Barbes Brooklyn reunited and it feeeels so gooooood Myk Freedman - lap steel and comps PB - tenor saxophone Adam Hopkins - bass Wendy Eisenberg - guitar Carlo Costa - drums ///// Mon, 5 November at The Root Cellar Greenfield, MA Myk Freedman - lap steel and comps PB - tenor saxophone Wendy Eisenberg - guitar ///// Tues, 6 November Vartan Mamigonian and Mike Effenberger at The Button Factory at WSCA Portsmouth, NH PB - solo saxophone Mike Effenberger - something indescribable and amazing. seriously. mike is a genius and i can't wait to hear whatever the hell it is he'll be doing. ///// Sun, 11 November 2018 4-7pm. at Nick-a-nee's Providence, RI trio with Gingerbeard: Aaron Darrell - bass, voice Max Goldman - drums PB - tenor saxophone ///// also Sun, 11 November 2018 8-11pm at Tea and Sahara. Providence, RI the return of Pride of Lowell: Max Goldman - drums PB - tenor saxophone double bill w/ Phil Mazza nad Matt Crane ///// November 1-10 Midnight Radio's Frankenstein at Bricolage Pittsburgh 8pm or 2pm :: also there's one pay what you want performance, and one foley sound workshop Getchyo' ticketssssss so i'm not in this one, but my wife jamie agnello is a brilliant genius and works her friggin butt off in order to be brilliant and a genius. and she's in some shows coming up. she'll be playing Mary Shelley in Bricolage's Midnight Radio production of Frankenstein. it's in the style of a live radio play with live foley sound and it's going to be perfect. come! (there's also free booze before the show if you're into that kind of thing... ahem....) geez o man we busy and it's awesome! oh also if you're in PGH i'll be working at the Bureau starting later this month. it's a new coffee shop in east liberty brought to you by the fine folks at the Vandal. so swing through and get jitteryyyyyy. 206 N. Euclid. all the hugs!

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italiasoloitalia · 7 years ago

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Days: I’ve lost count but: Roma

Driving on italian roads is really not a problem, it’s the dropping car rental back that is always a problem - the place is always a nightmare to find and Rome’s is no different - on the 7th floor of Termini’s parking station! Though arrival soon after at the beautiful Hotel D’Inghelterra soothes frayed nerves and we’re upgraded to an room with balcony overlooking the rooftops around Piazza di Spagna. A knock on the door reveals a surprise ice cream cake with candle for il Signore as they had noted his birthday on passport at checkin. Sweet.

We’re soon ensconced at a table on the terrazza (why break the habit?) of the Sunset Bar of La Rinascente on Via Tritone, a Caprese salad and glass of wine in hand, cin cin, buon compleanno! Rome is so busy but still glorious as sun hits terracotta toned palazzi and the air is embed with holiday atmosphere as tomorrow is San Pietro e Paolo, Rome’s patron saints.

Aperitivo is at the sidewalk cafe of the hotel where a singer performs and adds a celebratory note 😉. I’ve booked dinner at Armando al Pantheon, recommended by some of the Italofiles I follow on Instagram. Unpretentious and superb Roman food. My carbonara, G’s a la gricia tops, then I devour scottadito d’agnello (so much so that the chef, Claudio Gargioli, comes to kiss my hand in pleasure at the polished bones 😛) and G’s salsiccie con fagioli also a hit. We’re seated very closely next to a young American couple and can’t help but overhear their conversation and G clocks the bottle of wine they’ve ordered in awe $$$ - we later learn it’s JJ Reddick, Philadelphia’s nba star (earned $23mill last year 😳)

G declares a very happy day 🎂🥂

Per me, oggi, museum 😉 day whilst G goes to Circus Maximus and catacombs of Caracalla and we meet up for lunch and then head over Ponte Cavour and back via Piazza del Popolo and Via Barbuino. Dinner at Da Pietro (certo on this day) and my calamari alla griglia is perfect. The table next to us this time has indulged in pasta with truffles and we’ve never seen so much truffle shaved over and then the huge nugget and grater is left on the table. The perfume is all pervasive and we’re sitting outside! Grazie for sharing.

Our last day and we head to Caffe Sant’Eustachio for a perfect cappuccino and a couple of their fab cups to add to our collection. Before we are to meet Silvana Volpato, (a botanical artist Facebook friend and exhibitor at Floraviva who had also made contact) at Piazza Navona we duck into Santo Luigi dei Francesi to see the Caravaggio’s in the Chapel of St Matthew. Extraordinary.

The Piazza is humming, the sky cerulean blue, the bells begin to toll...sigh. I spy Silvana, we embrace and head off to ‘un posto piu tranquillo’ again, talking in Italian this time, ten to the dozen. Silvana wants to show us another church with Caravaggio’s on the way but it’s closed 😕 so we move on to a great spot for a lovely insalata (best tomato pasta for G) and a lively, fascinating discussion. Silvana and I had a failed attempt to meet on our last visit to Rome 4 yrs ago and she insists on forming a pact that on our next visit we are to dine at hers, esp after G insists on shouting lunch. 🇮🇹🌿🇦🇺. 👭

Time to pack as we have an early morning departure and then we head off to see Giudizia Universale, viewer immersive show about Michelangelo and The Secrets of the Sistine Chapel, with score by Sting. Amazing mixture of live performance and spectacular special effects of 270 deg 3D projections staged at the Auditorium della Conciliazione just down from St Peter’s. Excellent.

Walk back via Lungotrevere on another beautiful afternoon, final Negroni 😪 aperitivo and people watching before a perfect final dinner at Da Nino. You squeamish lot look away now for grilled wafer thin fegato di vitello and fried lamb’s brains and zucchini is not for you but couldn’t haven been a better finale for us. A wonderful Badia Di Passignano red is pitch perfect too.

The taxi ride in the very early morn is like Rome kissing us goodbye...deserted streets, domes bathed in palest pink and blue, the Vittorio Emmanuel iced pearly white, iconic trees startling in profile, ruins eerily still and unbothered by tourists. Arriverderci Roma veramento! italiasoloitalia has been un sogno d’oro in so many ways and we feel fortunate and blessed too in so many ways.

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theepitomeofsimplicite · 7 years ago

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Hi everyone! As many of you may already know, Amsterdam is like a place I feel like home. This city is well… gold! Lacking for better words to say this simply 😉 As I was chatting via Instagram with the lovely Chloé (@chloe_mrnr), who is going to visit for the first time the Venice of the West, I was giving her my own Amsterdam city guide so I might as well share the tips with you all.

Amsterdam Centraal

Amsterdam Canal View from Amsterdam Centraal

Ok, so where would you like to start the city tour? If you are arriving by train (like me most of the times), then you are getting off from Amsterdam Central. Make sure to head outside to be mesmerized by the train station architecture once out there and you will quickly grab a sight on beautiful canals, the white and blue tram railing by, and among other things a handful of tourists. Your eyes will also intercept from a distance the church of Saint Nicholas and some covered gallery shops.

Keep walking over the canals and see from a distance the Saint Nicholas Church

Inside of Saint Nicholas Church. Free entrance!

Look at these colorful buildings hanging over the canal!

Amsterdam Centraal from a short walking distance away, admire this architecture!

Then, as you are walking further away from Amsterdam Centraal, there is the notorious Red Light District area with funky empty shops by day but at night fall, this neighborhood gets seriously busy. I still recall the awkwardness I felt when I visited this area with my mom the first time a few years back where she was describing each woman behind those recognizable red light windows as they were lacking of something she would call “normal”. I couldn’t help than laughing at this precious moment with her by having her refusing to be convinced that women are made of a variety of shapes and colors just like the sweet skittles we enjoy so much. Euhh sorry for this poor comparison, ok then I’ll skip there! Shall we?

Amsterdam is very simple to navigate through: walk, hop on the tram, or do as the Dutch; bike everywhere! The city is divided into 4 areas and I’ll start clockwise from the North West.

The North West:

Toki is a fav local coffee shop (but don’t you worry! There is business there. I just happened to take a photo when it was closed).

The street of Haarlemmerdijk is where there is lots of tiny independent designer boutiques along with delicious bakeries that have window glasses where everyone can drool over the artful pastries, delicious sandwiches, and you gotta check out all the variety of fresh Dutch bread. The locals can be proud of their breads but also the coffee is quite remarkable. One of the locals’ fav is Toki (Binnen Dommersstraat 15, 1013 HK Amsterdam), where I’d meet up with friend Kimberley (@theotherway) for coffee and cake!

Meet Kimberley! (@theotherway)

Kimberley is one of the very first Dutch women I met during my first visit to the Netherlands! Let me just start by saying that she set a very high standard for other Dutch folks haha. She is one of the sweetest and kindest person I know. I still recall meeting her over in Eindhoven de Burger (5, Kerkstraat, 5611 GH Eindhoven), where she had waited for me (Sorry!) then surprised me with the world renown Dutch Stoop waffles from Albert Heijn (a typical Dutch grocery store should you need anything) and some other goodies. I still have so many stories to share about our meet ups but let’s save it for some other post 😉

Kimberley street style is always impeccable! I wonder how she does it?!

I love strolling these streets, wouldn’t you?

A great place for a brunch is The Breakfast Club (Haarlemmerplein 31, 1013 HR Amsterdam) where Kimberley likes her pancakes haha. I also recommend strolling through the street of Haarlemmerplein where there are those tiny boutiques and lots of greens and flowers sprouting here and there in front porches of the apartments. I think it’s an Amsterdam signature landscape.

The Breakfast Club for brunch is delicious!

The Breakfast Club

Sorry, I couldn’t help to creep snapped a photo of these Dutch girls as they wore the exact same things as I was and found that twinning was funny (striped top, jeans, and Celine trio) 😉

Other great coffee spot is Café Thijssen (Brouwersgracht 107, 1015 GD Amsterdam) but also great for late night bites. This is where I met up on the terrace with friend Nikki (@sartreuse). After shopping, you may get great pizzas at de Pizzabakkers (Haarlemmerdijk 128, 1013 JJ Amsterdam).You must check out the Movies (Haarlemmerdijk 161, 1013 KH Amsterdam)! Aside from catching a movie, you can have a romantic dinner too!

Meet Nicki (@sartreuse)

de PizzaBakkers is a fav local place!

And the pizzas are delicious at de PizzaBakkers 🙂

at The Movies

At the Movies is a place for movies but food too!!

Some interesting architecture

The North:

In the Northern area, it’s easy to find A’dam Toren (Overhoeksplein 23-B, 1031 KS Amsterdam) because it’s a very tall modernistic building. There, take the elevator which has cool light shows (each elevator gives a different experience) all the way to the 20th floor and the observatory deck offers a sweeping 360º view over Amsterdam and the river and if you ain’t afraid of heights and seeking a thrilling experience then you can try to get on the red sensational swings where you get to be propelled in the air over the edge of the building. A tad bit scary in my opinion! There is good ambiance there for night out with drinks and clubs. Downstairs though, there is the Butcher for burgers and fish chips with a beautiful bar setup right in the middle of an arcade. For culture, nearby there is the EYE Filmmuseum (IJpromenade 1, 1031 KT Amsterdam).

Sweeping view of Amstedam from A’dam Toren penthouse

Not afraid of heights, then try out these swings at the A’dam Toren! It’s the highest swing in Europe!

The Butcher’s Fish n Chips and yummy burger

The Butcher Bar overlooking at the river has an arcade there

The East:

On my last trip, I went to this English place for brunch at Bakers & Roasters (Kadijksplein 16, 1018 AC Amsterdam) to meet with Kimberley and Silvana (@saisonlune). In need for green space, there are Hortus Botanicus (Plantage Middenlaan 2a, 1018 DD Amsterdam) and the Oosterparkbuurt. Oh check out the Skylounge for a great view and a great drink (Oosterdoksstraat 4, 1011 DK Amsterdam). After a visit to the park, there is time for shopping at the Waterlooplein Market (Waterlooplein 2, 1011 AL Amsterdam).

Bakers & Roasters

Bakers & Roasters’ crumble eggs and green juice are delicious. Very friendly staff!

Oosterparkbuurt is very relaxing

WaterloopleinMarkt

WaterloopleinMarkt has lots of jewelry, interior decor, and more!

The South:

Park Museumsplein

Rijksmuseum

This is the cultured area where we have many museums to visit like Van Gogh Museum and the beautiful Rijksmuseum. Don’t forget to take a break in between and stroll around the Park Museumsplein for a break. Are you now ready to shop, then go to Albert Cuyp Market (Albert Cuypstraat, 1073 BD Amsterdam).

Ok, now the real break to me is here at the Sweet Cup (Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 93HS, 1017 NH Amsterdam) where they make the best coffee in town in my mind. But then, others might say the Bocca Coffee (Kerkstraat 96HS, 1017 GP Amsterdam) is better maybe because the baristas are hotties. Hmmm I don’t really know why would some people think this place serves coffee best haha.

Bocca

Bocca coffees

Wait, there is far more so if you need to stay over the night, the Hoxton (Herengracht 255, 1016 BJ Amsterdam)!! There is great breakfast with yummy avocado toasts and carrot juice, and some cool kitchen to host parties like this wine tasting tour I once attended.

The Hoxton Bar

The Hoxton brunch!

If you are in the mood for shopping in quirky boutiques in this area, go along de 9 Straatjes (Wolvenstraat 9, 1016 EM Amsterdam). But I also personally like to stop by my fav designer spots such as Loves Stories for the sleepwear, and Filippa K for the essential wear.

When dinner time is ringing, I’d go to San George (Stadhouderskade 7, 1054 ES Amsterdam). The staffs speak loud Italian and the pasta is just beyond words can describe. See the pics for yourself! But I also recall my double date with Silvana here at Caffe Restaurant Panini (Vijzelgracht 3, 1017 HM Amsterdam) a while ago.

San George pastas are delicious!

The West:

The Breakfast Club Brunch!

Some of my favorite things to do in Amsterdam are if you haven’t already noticed eat and drink hahaha which may explain the weight gained. To satisfy my taste bud, thanks goodness there is Foohallen (Bellamyplein 51, 1053 AT Amsterdam) where anyone can find whatever he or she desires (sushi, small bites of tapas, sandwiches, beers, wine, cocktails, tacos, and even ramen). I last went with my frenchies Jo, Adrien, and Yohann. If you like thrifting and need art works for the interiors, I’m sure you will like de Hallen (Hannie Dankbaarpassage 47, 1053 RT Amsterdam).

Foodhallen

Ramen & Beer!

Back to The Center:

Jordaan District (Rozengracht 76I, 1016 NE Amsterdam) I think is really cool! The narrow canals and streets there are filled with indie boutiques, cozy pubs and hipster eateries. At Noordermarkt square market there are stalls that sell jewelry, clothes, antiques and even organic food. But this is not just for the hipsters, there are also galleries in the area for innovative contemporary art. Other attractions include the Houseboat Museum and the Amsterdam Cheese Museum. Hmm must have Gouda cheese! But I also like Waterlooplein Market (Waterlooplein 2, 1011 AL Amsterdam) for more second hand stuff and quirky finds. And if you are hungry (like me, I’m hungry all the time!!!), Cut Throat is a barber shop brunch & Bar (Beursplein 5, 1012 JW Amsterdam) where the beau gets his hair done while I get food and drinks haha.

At Cut Throat

Cut Throat Brunch

If you can’t get enough of Amsterdam yet, supplemental guides can be found below just for you my friends:

Handy Guide: iamsterdam

Handy Book for the foodies: The Amsterdam Gourmet

Amsterdam Hi everyone! As many of you may already know, Amsterdam is like a place I feel like home.

#Amsterdam #Brunch #City Break #City Guide #Coffee Shops #Europe #Life #The Breakfast Club #The Netherlands #Travel

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