ordinary wonder

Anděl, Prague Thursday, May 7, 2025 2:10 pm

Outside weather: spring cool, overcast skies, light breeze

Sounds:

• Coffee machine percolating, milk foaming
• Pop song on the speakers
• Tapping of foot by a customer
• Brief conversations between three cafe staff members from behind the bar, in Czech
• Two distinct conversations of customers at tables close to mine
• More sounds of steam being released by the coffee machine

Interior:

The floor plan of the cafe's main room is circular.

The ceiling is dome-shaped. The walls rise up and then curve inward to meet the ceiling.

Three tables are on the left of the bar and three on the right. They have a square, blond wood top attached to a black metal pier supported by square black metal base.

Two tables at each end have three chairs around them, with the fourth side snug against the wall. The remaining four tables have two chairs, but two of these tables offer a third seat in a curved space inset into the wall.

Four tables have lamps over them. The lamps have a black round metal shade, and give off a soft yellow light matching the color temperature of the afternoon daylight on this cloudy day.

Two tables, located by the windows, receive natural daylight, and do not have lamps over them.

The chairs are all identical: wooden, dark brown, with a curved back.

All tables are currently occupied, some partially, some fully, by a total of ten guests. Two guests are each by themselves, working at a computer.

On the bar countertop:

• a glass jar of water, with lemon and mint, with a steel tap; next to it are about ten glasses; the cafe offers water free of charge
• a brightly colored light-green portable payment machine
• a large black coffee grinder, with its glass container full of light-brown coffee beans; attached is a black placard on which is written “Etiopie, Brazílie, Kolumbie, Vietnam”, “Českáva Portheim” and some illegible letters.
• a large coffee machine, partially visible; on top of it are many saucers and cups
• on the far end of the bar: a crate with dozens of oranges
• two lamps along the two sides where the bartop curves toward the back wall

Behind the bar:

• several shelves containing glasses of various sizes and bottles of various clear spirits
• a smaller shelf containing a small refrigerator with a glass door; the refrigerator has four shelves displaying various cakes. The wall next to it shows labels for the cakes; from top to bottom: Čokocosta, Malinový koláč, Red Velvet, Citron.
• a smaller shelf on the far side with upturned wine glasses

On both sides of this room shelves are set directly into the curved wall. They contain books, a sewing machine, two red candles, and an old photograph of this building — a chateau — from the 1800s.

One of the bookshelves — closest to my table — offers a view into one of the smaller rooms.

From the glass panes of the two windows and the door:

• several branches of the giant sycamore tree at the cafe's entrance
• a chestnut tree with reddish flower clumps
• lush green lawn of the Portheimka Park
• dark green railings of the steps leading up to the red-brick St. Vincent Church
• white umbrellas of the cafe's outdoor seating
• a few customers seated outdoors, visible partially

3:10 pm

A newly arrived customer is looking at an ebook device.

Another is typing an email in Outlook on her computer, while her colleague taps on her smartphone with her thumbs.

The man at the far table continues to work at his computer. He has his over-the-ears headset on over his dark flat-cap. He is wearing a blue jeans jacket.

Outside, part of the grass is now sunlit, as are some of the leaves of the sycamore.

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