11.17.25: French Cafés

Paris cafés are less about coffee and more about theater. You sit outside, watch strangers, and pretend you’re part of some cinematic scene. The waiters don’t care about you. They’ll serve when they want. At first, it feels rude. Then you realize it’s freedom. Nobody’s rushing you out. I once sat three hours at the same table, notebook open, finishing barely half an espresso. Nobody blinked. Time slowed down. In a world obsessed with turning tables and maximizing profit, Paris cafés remind you that sometimes the most valuable thing you can buy is the right to sit still.