The best part about my week as a modern academic
The best part about my week as a modern academic is the freedom I have to enjoy the little things in life - and as all my students know, coffee (or mochas) is definitely one of those 'little things'.
So lets talk about coffee! Over the recent months I have been visiting a number of local and not so local cafes with various people in my life. For my father, coffee is necessary for his daily routine often consuming a number of cups of coffee throughout the day - we won't go into the health benefits or detriments here. My point is that because coffee is such an important part of my father's life, it makes sense that I share my coffee adventures with him. So, every Monday has become our "Father-Daughter Coffee Date" and we have been enjoying the various cafes, coffee beans and aromas that Northcote, Clifton Hill, Thornbury and Preston has to offer. From our new local cafe Poke the Bear to a Clifton Hill patisserie inspired cafe, Cavallini, no two cafes are the same.
My favourites so far would be Poke the Bear and also Haytch (a new cafe in Thornbury that my father has yet to experience - only because they are closed on Mondays). However, we did have a good laugh the other week when I ordered a 'large' cappuccino and mocha from Cavallini and we received a ... bowl of coffee ... My father's eyes widened , and he thoroughly enjoyed this bowl. I thought my mocha was perfectly balanced, but I struggled to finish it all - more for dad I guess. The three cafes I have discussed here are my favourites for a reason, their mocha's are perfectly balanced, meaning that there is only enough chocolate to mask the taste and bitterness of the coffee bean. I also especially love how when enjoying your coffee at Poke the Bear you receive a feel good quote as well.
I also like to have an evening coffee with my partner. We often find ourselves driving around Melbourne around late at night to find a nice cafe that offers freshly made cakes and we are often drawn in by the aroma of the coffee beans. In Melbourne finding this kind of cafe can be difficult, however, we are resourceful and have found a few that we gravitate to. Our favourite, Vanilla, located in Eaton Mall in Oakleigh. We often treat ourselves to a Vanilla Pastes with our usual mocha and latte. The best thing about Vanilla is that it is open until late at night all week, which is absolutely perfect for us. There have been occasions where I have been researching and studying until late at night, and after being at my computer for several hours I get very restless, so we find ourselves hopping in the car at 11pm to head to Oakleigh and not returning until 1:30am.
I feel very lucky to have the time and freedom to head out to a cafe and grab a coffee. I also find that many cafes in Melbourne are open to me finding a quiet spot so I can read one of my nerdy law journals or spend some time researching for a few hours.