Tag Archives: community

Well, folks. I've done it. It has taken me a week to let it all sink in... that the fika tour is over. But, the fika-ing has just begun! I have been having fika regularly for over 3 years now, so that habit won't be going away anytime soon. Still, this project is over and I spent the last week just letting the experience become a part of me. And wow...has it been ever the life-changing journey, to say the least. Aaaaand I have finally made my Top Ten list of the the things that I learned during my 40 day fika journey!

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let's face it. there is nothing better than coffee and books together. they go together like peanut butter and jelly. like peas and carrots. like tom and jerry. don't ya think? i certainly do. so, to get my week started off right, i decided to head downtown to malaprops... THE bookstore in asheville. a staple in asheville's cultural and artsy scene. an independent bookstore, a supporter of local authors,  an advocate for peace & equality & coexistence, and a community-oriented gathering place. but, it's not just a funky, cool bookstore with lots of books of all kinds  - mainstream, and not so mainstream. it's also a cafe. and it's a cafe that encourages sitting down, sipping coffee, and reading books.

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just off busy hendersonville road, south of the biltmore estate and biltmore village, you can find biltmore coffee traders. set back from the road a bit, the cute, red cottage looks inviting and, based on my previous experiences, i knew to let all expectations fall to the wayside. i just parked my car and went inside.

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i found the coffee version of Cheers (you know the 80s tv show about the pub/bar in Boston) in a strip mall just north of Asheville.

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i pretty much had no idea what i was getting myself into when i visited the downtown market. it sounds like a regular place. you know, cafes with the word "market" usually sell some sandwiches and soup. it sounds like a little bit of an upscale place where you'll find middle-aged people. lots of tourists. so, when i typed in "downtown asheville cafes" in my phone and downtown market popped up, i thought i knew exactly what i was in for. the only thing was, it was a little bit out of the way from the center, center of downtown, on a street headed toward the river arts district - known for its artsy-ness.

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sometimes you just gotta get back to basics. so i did something completely different for my 40 days of fika visit today. i left the hip, industrial cafes behind and decided to hang out at a typical american diner. you know a greasy, breakfast all day, sit at the counter, casual, regular folk kind of place.

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confession time: i have been to this cafe a few times already. ok, A LOT of times already. i guess you could say that i like it. but, what do i like some much about it, you ask? i actually can't really put my finger on it. i mean, the atmosphere - the global theme and all that - is right up my alley. there are cozy spots to sit inside. the coffee is good. and cheap. and there are places to sit in the windows. i mean, seriously, that in and of itself makes it cool, right? on top of all of that, there is ample outdoor seating. cute, little wrought-iron tables & chairs. and it is right in the middle of a great area, with tons of people. all stuff that i like very much. all things that make a top choice of cafes in my book.

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today's fika experience was a little bit different. i had it all planned out. (mistake number 1). i knew well in advance where i was going to go, so i drove downtown, parked in the parking deck, and descended the stairs from the grove arcade area to wall street. yes, asheville has a wall street - like nyc. only not at all like nyc.

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i am still reeling from the amazing day that i had yesterday. it was truly unbelieveable and i can't stop thinking about it. i think i needed my fika time today to just enjoy some time alone and process it all = write a blog post on my personal blog. so, i headed down to the RAD and did just that.

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