Mary Poppins Has Got Nothin' on Me

I'm coming to think of my weekly solo adventures as my Mary Poppins break--except instead of every second Tuesday, I get every Sunday afternoon off.  Anyone who finds me an umbrella with a parrot-head handle gets a high five and a free night on the sleeper sofa.  (seriously--this thing needs to be broken in.  We've had it over a week now...and never mind that it's free anyway.)

Cafe Museum: The closest thing to home...literally.

Today I was running a bit later than usual and didn't want to spend that much time out of the house.  We had had so much fun at the museum this morning and the girls weren't taking naps, so I decided to hit up something close to home...which turns out to be a place called Cafe Museum.

hmmm...that cauliflower looks extra crunchy

This cozy cafe is mere blocks from the Secession building (nicknamed 'The Golden Cauliflower' for it's unorthodox crowning glory) and the Staatsoper; it has been in operation since 1899 and, after several interior renovations, is now is decorated in it's original form: a minimalistic, simplistic design that differed greatly from the overly ornate cafes that were so popular when it first opened.  Unsurprisingly, like any Viennese cafe that has managed to remain in operation through two world wars, it was a popular hang out for many aspiring and successful artists (like Gustav Klimt), writers, and architects (Otto Wagner was known to grace the cafe regularly with his presence).

A table with a view

Outside of hopes for some fantastic cake, I  had no real expectations when I first stepped in, but I found a table near the back of the cafe and ordered a big Melange and some topfen torte.  Soon after Herr Manfred (I did not make that up) brought me my coffee, a woman waltzed in, strode past my table and, entirely without ceremony, began playing the piano directly behind me.  It was lovely; everything from Mozart to Moon River floated through my head as, from my excellent vantage point, I watched the tables fill to bursting-- the Herr Obers waltzing around each other with a silver tray (or two) in each hand, efficiently delivering coffee and sweets to the cafe's many appreciative patrons, most of whom had their noses stuck in their guide books or the newspapers supplied by the cafe on traditional wooden spindles.

empty plate, full heart

In the end, I didn't spend as much time out of the house as I usually do, but I did have time to savor my cake--to savor some time spent with my Lord and Savior, with nothing but my own thoughts to distract me.

I doubt Mary Poppins had anything on her every-other-Tuesday that rivaled this...magical expanding carpet bag and all.