Day 19: Sunning in the city.

Liz McGuire September 30, 2013 Food

It was a totally last minute decision to head to Charlotte Street and visit the City Bakery Cafe. It’s a fairly popular place for people who live in Asheville, at least I think it is. Though I am not sure where I am getting that information from. In any case, it was another beautiful day and I was just dying to be outside. For some reason, this cafe popped into my mind and I headed to Charlotte Street, hoping they had outdoor seating.

You know, I can never get enough of the urban architecture in Asheville. There are so many brick warehouses, art deco spaces, arts & crafts cottages & bungalows… and Asheville businesses and individuals are really into repurposing, reusing, and redecorating. i mean, just look at this building where the City Bakery Cafe is located… above the first floor, where the bakery is, are a few apartments. i can just imagine all of the character and amazingness up there…

jackpot. there is a small outdoor seating area. it’s a busy road, but, who cares. i was ready for a little cup of coffee – and perhaps a bite to eat. hehe. time to go in…

city bakery cafe actually has two locations in asheville, one in the middle of downtown, and this one… just north of downtown on charlotte street. as most of the coffeehouses and cafes in the area, they work with other local businesses to create organic, local, and fresh coffee, pastires, sandwiches, and breads. oh, the breads… the cafe bakes fresh breads daily… it smells heavenly, as you can imagine.

the inside of the cafe surprised me (surprising, huh?). for some reason, i pictured it as a more pick up and go kinda place. but, there were people coming in and out constantly, people working on their computers, people chatting with each other. i immediately spotted an amazing red chair by the window that i wanted to snag and soak up the sun streaming in the window. but… i promised myself to go and sit outside. so, after order coffee and a fluffy, american biscuit, i went to find a little space in the sun.

as you can see, downtown is there in the distance. so, it’s not that far away from the action. actually, charlotte street is quite a coveted neighborhood area, with tons of those bungalows and cottages and arts & crafts style homes. some have been converted into apartments. some are single family homes. but, it is one of the places to be… albeit a little on the expensive side.

i sat at one of the wrought iron tables and watched the traffic moving past, both people traffic and driving traffic. by the way, there were people darting in and out of the cafe the entire time, picking up a cup of coffee to go or fresh baked bread. well, i sipped my coffee and just sat there… watching people and enjoying the amazingly warm indian summer day. i just love the bright blue skies of autumn around here.

after a while, i decided to cross the street, so i could get a little photo of the front of the cafe. i scrambled across, in between all the traffic, balancing my keys, my coffee, my camera, and my trash. i caught my breath and snapped a few photos before realizing that i needed to go soon. si i risked my life again, crossed the street and entered the cafe one more time to throw my trash away.

and , man i am so glad that i went back it. as i threw away my trash, a newspaper caught my eye. my eyes immediately fell on my horoscope, which lay there wide ope, right in front of me. i picked up the paper, sat down in that empty red chair in the sun, and soaked up the amazing words before me. it was such a great message. i’m not usually a horoscope kinda girl, but i do believe that when we are open, there are little messages and signs all around us. it’s actually more about just being aware. here’s what it said:

“the most important thing is to find out what the most important thing is” wrote shunryu suzuki in his book zen mind, beginner’s mind. that’s your assignment for the next three weeks. do whatever it takes to find our beyond any doubt what the most important thing is. meditate naked an hour a day. go on long walks in the wildest places you know. convene intense conversations about yourself with the people who know you best. create and sign a contract with yourself in which you vow to identify the experience you want more than any other experience on earth. no waffling allowed, libra. what is the single most important thing?

i looked up from the newspaper, feeling inspired. directly above me was this piece of art work. a sort of mosaic of the asheville area… the small vertical pieces in the middle symbolizing the downtown area, and the rest of the symbolizing the natural area surrounding the city. i thought it was magical. and i must, say, that it moved me. so, feeling completely connected and grounded and inspired by all that i had seen, felt, tasted, and read, i was quite ready for… well, anything.