I started reading "French Milk" this afternoon and decide to knock off a few more pages while I waited for sleep to hit. In the midst of blindly reaching out for a bookmark, I came across an old note of mine. It was from a cafe in Prague. It was dated September 28, 2014.
It was from Cafe Louvre, on our trip, last year. And suddenly it all came rushing back. We were cold and wandering the streets. We were trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our night. There was a Lego store nearby. We ducked in, hoping to find a gift for my nephew. Instead we walked out with a frankenstein lego keychain. That's when I decided to do a random search of nearby places and Cafe Louvre popped up. It was a short walk away. We walked up a flight of stairs and wondered if we were underdressed. We were seated at a table and to my very cheerful surprise found a vegan option to go with my tea. My husband was all too excited to try their Turkish coffee.
We ordered. Afterwards as we waited for our bill, I noticed a some note paper and pencil. It was a perfect squared piece of paper with "Cafe Louvre" on the top. While we waited I quickly scribbled, "enjoyed a hot drink and dessert here tonight. Sunday, September 28, 2014. We leave to Brussels on Tuesday and Prague has been beautiful thus far."
I might have forgotten all about that night. But it is amazing how a quickly scrawled note can make such a difference. I can remember how I felt walking up those steps, the white and black color scheme, the salmon color standing out, the well dressed waiters, and the newspaper waiting to be read. I can remember all that and more. The sights and smells come back. I knew that someday I'd be looking back on that night and that that note would be a helpful reminder.
I may not be able to travel in real time but I can travel in time with mementos like these.
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