Marshalls Abroad

Life Monterey

Coffee Date with My Boys & the Importance of Kafa

I’ve been reading a lot lately on the importance of kafa (coffee!) in Croatia. The fascinating part to me is that it’s more about sitting down with someone for an hour, or two, or even three, to talk, and less about the actual coffee itself. Though we do hear the coffee is really good! There are coffee shops all throughout Zagreb, lining the streets, and I read that it’s common to go to the exact same one every day. I am so excited to dive into this part of the culture. I love a good coffee date. In Okinawa, Kenz, Stace and I would meet up atleast once (sometimes two or three) times a week in the morning with our little babes who were still small enough to sleep on us in a wrap, while we sat outside Coffee Casa talking about every subject under the sun, and reminding each other that the incredibly long nights of not sleeping would one day pass, laughing about the strange things our bodies were all doing after birth, and realizing that it was totally fine if our babies missed their usual nap attempts at home so that we could spend that time together. I always felt so refreshed after those mornings with them, even if I had only slept an hour the night before!

Early Monday morning, we made breakfast together, threw on clothes and went on a coffee date to Cafe Lumiere. It’s only a block or two walk from the harbor and their cappuccino and latte were so good (though they could never top yours, Lanney & Timmy Britt!)

It might look like we enjoyed a long, leisurely coffee date, but the real life version is that while it was so sweet being together, sitting and laughing, it lasted for about five whole glorious minutes. I wouldn’t expect our energetic one year old to make it any longer than that. We downed those delicious coffees in about two minutes flat and I was jittery the entire day, but so thankful for a morning date with my boys!

I also wanted to take you inside Parker-Lusseau Pastries & Cafe… It is darling. They are well-known in the area for their yummy pastries that are made fresh daily, and their whole selection and atmosphere is very inviting and very French. I took home a buttery croissant for Cam, two ciabatta rolls for our soup dinner and a morning bun and ratatouille quiche for a friend.

I’d recommend both cafes if you’re ever in Monterey!


Comments

  1. Caravan Sonnet says

    I love learning about Croatia through reading here and what y'all are learning! The coffee date idea sounds so wonderful and resonates deeply with me. Is there anything better than spending time with dear friends? I think not. *smiles* Love these pictures! It looks like it was a wonderful day!
    ๐Ÿ™‚ Rebecca
    p.s.- you are gorgeous sweet lady!!

  2. McKenzie says

    I miss tri-weekly dates and conversation on end. Missing you this week, sister, and loving watching your sweet family from afar! I dream of the day we can sit for hours over cup after cup of hot kava and talk about marriage, babies, being a woman, and loving Jesus. Love you dearly!

  3. Tim and Lanna Britt says

    Oh how I wish you all were just down the hall and I could bring you delicious cappies and have Tim make some yummy cheesy grits and bacon! Best. "Investment". EVER! As my sister once said, the fancy cappuccino maker is the "most important machine in the house!" ๐Ÿ™‚
    love, lanneybear

    • Amanda Marshall says

      I miss those morning sooo much!!! except the ones when I could not sleep a wink because I drank so much cappuccino that the caffeine made me crazy!! I miss you two dearly!! please tell snacks she can come visit, I miss her too!

  4. Tim and Lanna Britt says

    Oh, and last week I realize we had approximately 12 coffee beans left in the maker so I called Tim and literally said "THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. CODE RED. Pick up coffee on your way home!!!"

  5. Allie says

    Getting coffee is one of my favorite ways to catch up with people! You're right, it really doesn't matter how good the coffee is, it's all about the company. ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Kaysie says

    I would love to be in an environment that appreciates coffee more. There are definitely American cities that have more of a "culture" for it than others. We just got back from a NYC trip and I could literally walk into any coffee shop and be sure it would taste amazing (have you ever had coffee brewed with chicory? it's amazing).

    You have this way of making all the places you live seem so cozy and intimate, I can't tell if you're just getting really lucky or if it's your perspective! I'm sure Cali is quite crowded though. I wish I had the grace to yield that same perspective – I am so grumpy about our new home and I lose the positive things in all the parts I hate. Fingers crossed for our next base in… 2 years!

    • Amanda Marshall says

      Hi Kaysie! Nice to hear from you!
      I've never tried (or even heard of!) coffee brewed with chicory! I'll look out for it! But then again, I am pretty simple when it comes to coffee … latte or cappuccino for me. Yes, Cali is crowded but Monterey is tiny and during the week it is probably one of the least crowded towns I've seen. It's a quiet place. Weekends especially in the summer are crowded near Cannery Row and the beach during Indian Summer but otherwise it's quiet. I hope you guys end up enjoying where you are!! I felt the same way you do now when we lived in DC. Those were years filled with amazing (and ugh hard) memories and I am so thankful for all of it, but it is one of my least favorite places and I had to pray a lot to love and be grateful for the time there, especially in the beginning when I hated it and wanted to be anywhere else. God totally answered… as He always does. I hope you guys are able to make so many happy memories together where you are. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!

    • Kaysie says

      Thanks for sharing that – I'm in the same boat. With the possibility of a soon-future deployment, I feel even more resentful (?). Like, should I stay in this place I hate, alone, when I work from home? These are the questions no one tells you the answers to. I think I would love Virginia if we were more inland, in quaint towns in the valley, but the coast feels like any old place :(.

      Yes, do look out for chicory! I'm pretty simple too, I think, but it was pretty tasty!

  7. Georgia says

    Sounds a lot like Greek culture- socializing revolves around ฮบฮฑฯ†ฮญ and kafeneios. People sit around, drink coffee, smoke, play tavli (backgammon) and people watch- when work gets too stressful or business negotiations grind to a halt, this is where Greeks go to recharge their batteries. It doesn't matter what time of day (or night), either- the cafes are just as bustling at 11 pm as they are at 11 am!

You Might Also Like