Get me a large mocha, a bit of gateau and a copy of The Good Soldier Švejk, please ... Café Slavia in Prague
We are fast approaching the time of year when, with the evening light rich and warm, thoughts drift to stepping off the treadmill for a while and heading off on a summer holiday.
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I've never been one for reading on the beach, but sit me in an shaded square with a good espresso and a book of my choice, in a spot where I can lift my eyes from the page to people-watch whenever I feel like it, and - I really don't have to say more, do I ...?
Just as important as picking the right book to take with you (I always run out of books to read) is, for me, choosing the right place in which to read it. I imagine we all have our own criteria for what makes a great café (beyond, of course, great coffee) but I actually find the nowadays near-ubiquitous café-in-the-bookshop a bit overwhelming - the tables in most Borders, for example, quickly become messy with others' discarded reads.