Savor Sunday

A lightly overcast late May morning easily distracts one from weighty thoughts. I am so glad. Instead of thinking about life’s brevity and the meaning of it all, I am simply concerned with where on this slow Sunday morning can I get some pancakes? Instead of dwelling on Hegel and Heidegger, I am concentrating on fried batter cakes.

The Baptist choir from across the courtyard sings How Great Thou Art in Portuguese. Their voices flat and sharp, on key and off, blend together and filter through the echo chamber of the courtyard becoming transcendingly beautiful. As I look towards the church my mind ponders great mysteries like do I need syrup or will fruit and crème fraiche do?

Within four blocks of my apartment are five brunch places. You can choose between red velvet pancakes topped with ice cream or toast with lox and cream cheese. You can opt for a good coffee and a pastry if you so desire. Me, I am focused on pancakes. When I suggest to my mate we have breakfast out there is no argument at all, none, not even a sigh.

Off we go and head down the hill. It is a funny thing really; all of the breakfast places are down the hill on a zig-zag route from my dwelling. We look at the first place and the prices shock the conscience, well at least my conscience. We pass the place with the Scandinavian name but it and its menu don't catch my attention today. Don't get me wrong it is an excellent place and we have eaten there before and will again, only not today. We walk on by and we walk on down.

The street becomes crowded with trees and old buildings. We look into a couple of places but uh …um…I am not sure. Finally, we stop at a café with outdoor seating and check the menu using our smart phones and QR codes. Remnants of the pandemic will last for years, if not always. And when I see the duck waffles I know we will eat here.

I will not get the duck waffles but my wife will. And they have a fruit covered waffle with coffee flavored whipped cream to top it off. Hell, what is a waffle anyway except a dimpled pancake, right? In a space near a major road but in a quiet location hidden around the corner, this place is inviting. Canopied by the bright green leaves of so many trees I find a bit of Sunday morning joy. My fork cuts through the waffle's brown crispness, spears a blackberry and drags some coffee-flavored whipped cream toward my mouth.

A quiet space on a not too warm, not too cool morning sitting at an outdoor café, is pretty damn close to heaven. In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, finding joy in simple moments like sitting at an outdoor café on a quiet Sunday morning can be a reminder of the beauty that exists in the everyday. Here in this place, I momentarily detach from my worries and savor the flavors of fried dough and ripe fruit.