Whenever I have an opportunity to travel around Europe visiting a "Konditorei" or even an old classical style cafe is near the top of my "to do" lists.
When I was travelling in my late teens, after peering into the windows in places like Vienna, or Munich, and I would end up having a fancy cake or extravagant pastry for dinner at a fancy place before hopping on a train to another city where I would continue with this funny plan.
Not only in big cities, a nice cake and coffee, and maybe also a pastry could be found in smaller places like Altdorf in Switzerland.
I especially like it when there are several others in the shop which tells me that the food is good, and also it gives me more time to make a better decision. It is pleasing to the eye to see all the bright colours and tantalising designs and imagine what each thing tastes like.
It is even more fun to get advice on what to choose from the experts! I had an excellent Schwartzwalderkirschtorte by recommendation of a guy I met sharing a Vienna youth hostel room with me as we popped over to a lovely shop near by selling them.
My new love of the old classical looking cafe was born when my Polish friend living in Warszawa took me to a famous one which was on the "high end" side, complete with snooty clientele. The formal feeling in the place didn't intimate us. We took an intimate table and ordered something and during our lively conversation. He let me take a sample of his glorious Polish cake which was much better than my choice of cake. We laughed and giggled so much that it looked like we were misbehaving, but no one suggested anything to us and it was a memorable time!
While staying with my Czech friends in Prague, we went to an old classical cafe which might have been like being during the Hapsburg days! Green glass covered lights, tall ceilings and small intimate seating. Another place in Prague where my friend would take me was a humble neighbourhood sandwich shop where we both took delight in choosing many different varieties to taste and enjoy, sitting in the back room.
It is a challenge to find a similar environment when back home which always makes a good incentive to return to see my friends to enjoy and discover some more!
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