We saw the spires too (photo’s at some point when I can get them sorted)! And the huge bookshop (thanks Sinead!) But the coffee shop was what made me laugh!!!

Having strolled around for several hours it was time to chill with a large receptacle of caffeine for half an hour, a coffee shop in a bookshop seemed to the sensible place so I hunted down a table whilst Emma ordered coffee…. I spent much of the next half an hour trying not to laugh helplessly and unable to tell Emma why!

Allow me to set the scene:

• MacBook Man
  The gent to my immediate right was pondering whilst typing onto his MacBook, his reading matter interested me somewhat – not exactly light coffee shop reading: “The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich”
• French Teapot Man
  Sat alone with his teapot, staring out of the window.
• Student Giggling Guy
  With his tall hot chocolate and his nose buried in a book.
• Highlighter Girl
  Frantically scribbling notes on a pad (this isn’t a library you know!!), and highlighting in relevant colours!
• Studious Girl
  She arrived a little later and sat behind me.

So, being the techie I am I snoop a bit at what MacBook Man is doing every so often, Word documents never interest me so I pretty much ignore him until he starts fiddling with iTunes – if he kicks that thing off  in here – he’s going to get some damned funny looks! The he starts glaring into space, this is well and good – he’s probably the creative type….. Until I realise he’s not actually glaring into space, he’s looking down Highlighter Girl’s top every time she changes colour of pens!! It’s all I can do not to spit out my coffee in laughter.

Before I know it Studious Girl has appeared, with more books than really she can physically carry (I’m sure she hasn’t paid for them yet and is just getting a free read – is that right in these sort of places!?!?). This causes a problem for MacBook Man – he has Highlighter Girl on his right, and Studious Girl behind me on his left – it’s like watching a game of tennis as he swivels back and forth – he’ll be getting dizzy soon.

The staff eventually inform Studious Girl that she really must order something if she wants to sit there (and not spill it on the books that she hasn’t paid for!!!).

Whilst this is all going on, behind MacBook man sits French Teapot Man, who whilst constantly answering his phone – can’t pour from his teapot! He keeps spilling it everywhere…..On his second (or possibly third) spillage, Student Giggling Guy lets out a giggle, Teapot Man glares (and nearly spills more tea!), so does MacBook Man (and nearly falls off his chair dizzy with all this swivelling) – thankfully he’s not laughing at either of them – just his book – for a moment I thought I was going to witness coffee shop rage!

MacBook man is clearly on the pull, but I don’t think this is the time or the place – nor is it the time or place to stay for longer in case I get involved in this little charade in some way. Having finished our drinks we put our coats on……..

And I have sneaky look at MacBook Man’s Word document…………………

“How to write a surrealist comedy whilst in Auschwitz”

Hmmmm…….. Comments?

photo credit: Teo