Dreamy Cappuccinos, Seaside Vibes, and Unexpected Bonds in Cyprus
Our ideal morning starts with a walk to a local coffee shop or pastacceria with outdoor seating where we leisurely sip cappuccinos and plan our day or dream for the future. We aren’t always able to do this in every country or city we visit, so we savor each occasion where it’s possible. We talk about it in our When do you find time to dream episode before we even became full-time travelers.
Now that we’re in Cyprus, this is our daily reality, and we don’t think we can be happier. But if you are a glass-half-full type of person, you’ll see that the universe likes to go bigger than your dreams if you give it the chance. Our happiest days have been when we’re near bodies of water—the Sienne, the Arno River, and the Thames are a few that bring us loads of joy. This harbor area where we’re staying may be touristy, but there are a few nice coffee shops mere steps from the sea. Since we’re huge fans of crashing waves, sea views, and sunshine sparkling on the water, we go on a hunt to find the perfect cappuccino joint where we can be regulars, especially since we’ll be in Paphos for an entire month.
Our first morning we choose Pingouino Cafe due to its generous indoor space, after our scouting trip turned windy and rainy. We find a spot to settle and spy a few nearby tables with a small plate of buttery spritz cookies topped with a dollop of jam in the center of each of them. I’m not sure if they are served as an accompaniment to a pot of tea, or whether coffee drinkers also receive this complimentary delight. We don’t have to wonder for very long because our cappuccinos do not arrive with the bonus plate of cookies. The experience is as dreary as the weather.
Our second attempt for cappuccinos is at Ta Mpania. We like that there are tables close enough to the water that you can feel some droplets from the waves on a windy day. And there is a cookie! But it’s a very thin, prepackaged Biscoff-type cookie. Not bad, but nothing like the elusive thumbprints at Pingouino. The atmosphere here is better, though. We think we can do better.
Like Goldilocks, the third restaurant is the charm. Alea Allday Lifestyle has seating in the sun near enough to the water, where we enjoy an unobstructed view a mere 10 yards away. The tables overlook the promenade and we have front-row seats to a daily parade of bicyclists, parents strolling with babies in carriages, and little children skipping. The cappuccinos are delicious, and they are served alongside a black oval dish cradling two fat, square homemade butter cookies. This spot has everything we want and more.
I tip my head back, close my eyes, and breathe deeply while the sun warms my face and peace floods through my body as I enjoy my first sips of java. We return again and again—19 times so far, and another nine days beyond that. We don’t always order breakfast, but we do enough of the time. Those cookies have brought a reasonable amount of business to this restaurant, and the other places could learn a thing or two from Alea. Perhaps it’s coincidental, but most of the time we are surprised by three cookies instead of the standard two. We know our waiters by name—Dimitrius and David—and they know our orders by heart. We see their eyes light up when they see us and we do the same with them. David perfectly encapsulates our relationship when he makes a comment that his day was off to a bad start, but seeing us walk into the cafe turned his day around. It’s a small but meaningful connection we’ve been able to build, and it only took a few cookies and a dream to bring us all together.
