Coffee Diary: Roasted Rituals

 It's been a while and you're all probably desperate for some new coffee places. Seeing as it's nearly Spring and you're not necessarily going to want to sit inside to drink your coffee, this place is perfect. Saying that, I've been visiting all winter so really it's an all-year round kinda place. Now, brace yourselves because I have a huge statement to make. I think I might have found the best Flat White in Bristol. No seriously, Roasted Rituals is the real deal. You can find it just off Apsley Road and it clearly already has it's loyal customers. It's run by Kiwis who are clearly very passionate about their brew, they have their own roast, a drip filter option and proudly sport a South West Coffee Guide. The other thing that makes this place super special is the price - £1.50 for any black coffee and £2 for any white coffee. Such a bargain! Even more of a bargain when you think that a Flat White at Starbucks in now 2.50 (2.70 if you want to have their origin espresso, which improves the taste considerably) There is a perfect coffee, milk ratio. Even at the top you can taste the richness of the coffee and the flat-white silky milk foam is so consistent, it's hard to believe such perfection exists.  I've popped down to the van when I've had a break from rehearsals and it's so relaxing to just sit sipping my cup of joe, listening to a podcast, watching the world go by and getting out of the crazy theatre world for half an hour or so. This place is HIGHLY recommended, perfect for a pit stop or an outside coffee date. Definitely go check it out!

SPRING

 It always captivates me how the seasons manifest themselves physically. After months of dark, cold, winter mornings, you step outside and the sun is warm. Warm enough to soothe your skin, bright enough to adjust your gaze. Bristol stops being 50 shades of grey and the sandstone starts to reflect the colour of the sky. Blossom surprises at street corners and daffodils sneak out of the ground. All of a sudden, everything's looking up again. The cynicism, loneliness and isolation of winter, that you didn't realise you were carrying around inside, starts to dissolve and you can't help but exclaim 'it's March! It's March!' to all your friends. 

Choices

I've been meaning to write a New Year's post because I'm a blogger and if I don't tell you about my 2014 with a stream of perfect photos and inspire you with my resolutions then I've failed. Alas, I don't really feel like being a blogger today and haven't really felt like being one for a while now. Being at home over the last two weeks has given me a chance to catch up on my blog-reading and get all excited about whimsy photographs and creative projects and all the bazillion ways I can drink and document my coffee experiences. I love it, I really do. I love reading people's stories, I love celebrating engagements and cooing at wedding photos, I love exploring the world through the lenses and words of other people. However, it makes me doubt myself. It makes me miss travelling and exploring and question why on earth I'm still living in Bristol when I could be living in Berlin or Florence or somewhere in the American wilderness. 

Unfortunately, it is not just blogs that make me feel like this. Coming home for Christmas has been like stepping out of a bubble and into the real world, where everyone's life has moved on without you. It dawns on me that a lot of close friends got married this year whereas I ended my 2.5 year relationship. Others got exciting jobs that pay well and moved to the cities to start that exciting young professional existence, whilst I moved back to my university town to start a postgrad course with limiting career prospects. Others went travelling or bought houses or started amazing projects that are going to have huge impacts on society. But I made a choice. In fact,  this year has been a series of choices that I made independently. I could have had these things but I chose something else. When I stop being critical and actually REALLY look back over the year I see myself choosing to fight for a life worth living; I chose to fight mental illness and finish my degree, I chose to invest in edifying friendships, I chose to travel when I could, I chose to make space to find God again, I chose to take the risk and pursue my dream and above all, I chose to be kind to myself. My life might be going at a slower pace to others, I might not have a proper income, I might never find someone to marry and I might never own a house and shop at Waitrose but I am absolutely not a lost cause. I don't feel stranded and I don't feel torn. There comes a point when people start to enter different life stages but it's not a competition and it's not a race. My life may be less bloggable and my instagram account may be full of people dressed in leotards but I feel alive. 

In his book The Artisan Soul, Erwin McManus writes: 'We will never create anything more powerful and significant than our lives.' If the only masterpiece I leave behind is the life that I lived then I want to take time to craft it well. I hope this year you won't compare your choices (big, small, easy, difficult, significant, insignificant) to anyone elses. Make them and be proud. Our choices reflect who we are, how we see the world and what we dream about. Please don't belittle them. 

COFFEE DIARY: Mockingbird

This little place caught me by surprise. I was walking down Alma Vale one lunchtime and made a mental note to try it out as soon as possible. Mockingbird is a new player on the busy Bristol cafe scene, serving up a flavour of the American South. With this in mind I took two experts along with me to try it out. So far so good! It's calm and warm, without being sweaty, perfect for a weekend morning with the papers and your favourite person. The interior is pretty Scandi with the odd reference to the US, but I guess the menu is the most important part of the theme. The prices are a little peculiar, with an americano costing the same as a latte, but the atmosphere and the crockery are totally worth it. The coffee is rich and slightly bitter (but in a good way!) and last week I tried their chai latte, which is made from teabags and spices rather than the usual syrupy packet mix; an absolute winner for those of us who don't like their drinks too sweet!  Sarah, Charlotte and I have decided to adopt it as our new local, which is obviously a HUGE decision. Everything about it is relaxing and friendly and unpretentious, so if that's what you fancy, make your way there before everyone takes up the window seats!

The Downs

It's impossible to feel claustrophobic on the Downs. You can get lost by simply starring too hard at the horizon. The expanse is constantly changing colour with the light and the seasons; I have no favourite. It even has it's own little community: runners wearing the grass to mud with their head-torches and various assorts of lycra, mums and dads with dogs and prams watching Saturday football matches, commuters framing the rosy light from the sunrise in their long lines of cars, students hurrying with heavy backpacks and students lolling home, couples falling in and out of love, friends on weekend walks and the lone rangers stomping out their inner monologues. Every morning I feel part of it's routine as I scurry across the frosty fields to school and every morning it lifts my spirits and reminds me of bigger pictures. Even on the weekends I cannot resist its charm as it consolidates new friendships and helps to settle a frantic mind. Last week I walked into the settling dusk and began to acknowledge how important this space has been since moving back here. It is part of the Bristol continuum and yet it is impossible not to experience its beauty anew again and again. 

Abundance

I used to be afraid of anticlimaxes. I filled my head with expectations so prescriptive and exact, that reality would always fall short. People used to tell me to be more accepting of the present, to stop daydreaming and be in the moment. I have thought about this time of my life for years, it has always shimmered undefined and attractive in the looking glass of my mind. There has been this sense of a decision all my own and now it is here and it looks nothing like I imagined. I was terrified of being disappointed, of being permanently fixed to a catherine wheel of  the next thing and the next thing. Here I am back in a city that I tried to leave, charged with hard and lovely memories, back in my favourite time of year when the leaves turn and everything is poignantly beautiful. I was sceptical of what this place could offer, I thought I had squeezed it of every possible moment and opportunity, but I was wrong. I find myself in a season of abundance, there is almost too much to harvest. Everything is new, EVERYTHING is new; new friends, new places, new routines, new knowledge, new perspective.  I walk home and wake up with a laugh, my mind is finally preoccupied with things of worth, I can finally see the blessings, the favour of friendships old and new that have walked me here in one piece. It's like I've swallowed the sun and for this moment in time, there is only light, only discovery and rediscovery.

Song

That moment when you're walking home and the sun is in its sweet spot and a song clicks on to your ipod, a song you synced a while back without really paying attention, one of those tunes you skip through on a daily basis, but today you decide to let it play and some of the lyrics are speaking your heart and you realise that you're not the only one who's felt nomadic, you're not the only one searching.

The Song

Nostalgia

I am guilty of indulging in nostalgia before the season warrants it. There's something so dreamy and precious about these last few days; throw in a bit of a sunshine and its almost unbearable. I have that familiar itch to throw my arms around the city and its inhabitants. I oscillate between loving and loathing my work, finding moments of inspiration in sterile computer rooms before rushing out to the park so I can lie in the sun and pretend that it's all over already. Everyone is responding differently: some are munching through packets of digestives, huddled in a study-cave, papering their walls with flash-cards and diagrams, others have lost the will to live, the phrase 'I think I did more work for my GCSEs than I'll be doing for my finals' thrown around, some are finished and are scampering around the country on numerous mini-adventures, people like myself are trying to maintain a balance, our simmering spontaneity breaking through at just the right moments. Work hard, play hard, that's the motto. Either way, I cannot help but notice, that despite all the stress, uncertainty and flatness, these are some of the happiest moments of my time here. 

Thankful for...

1) Catching the sunrise on a Monday morning

2) The Multi-faith chaplaincy with all its fruit, toast and delicious coffee

3) Re-connecting with a friend I thought I'd lost

4) Saturday evening garden dinner parties with wine and pals

5) Stokes Croft on a Saturday afternoon

6) This beautiful piece of music

7) This man's voice

8) This man's lyrics

9) The friendly man in the admissions office

10) Housemates that make me belly-laugh and provide countless cups of tea

11) 1 Thessalonians 3:8

12) 6:30am runs on the Downs

13) Dungarees

14) The end of University in 2 weeks time!

15) A future that is hopeful and exciting.

The Blind-Friend-Date

Everyone assumed that Luce and I knew each other. I'd talk about Berlin or Germany or German Theatre and everyone would ask me whether I knew her and everytime I'd say 'No, but I'd like to'. Then one afternoon before jetting off to die Hauptstadt I got asked once again whether I was going to visit Luce and something snapped. I wrote to Luce and suggested meeting up for coffee. Turns out she'd been experiencing the same thing as me and before I knew it we had a date in Kreuzberg. Three hours spent sipping cappuccinos in Luzia, splurging about German theatre, Bristol and love and new friendship was formed. I count her as one of the most exciting and genuine ladies I have ever met.  Sometimes it pays to be very uncool and make the first move. Is there anyone you know you'd get on well with if you just made the effort to meet up with them? I can't recommend meeting up with them enough! 

COFFEE DIARY: Didn't You Do Well

I've walked past this little cafe so many times and have always made a mental note to pop in sometime to try it out. It's not really the sort of place you can sit and work in for hours, nor is it really the place for a deep and meaningful with a pal. The space is incredibly intimate and when I was there you could hear a pin drop. If you're looking for somewhere to get a bit of peace and quiet then this is your spot. The coffee is good too, although a bit pricey and with an interesting aftertaste. Lots of people were coming in to get a take-out, which is pretty ideal considering how close it is to the university and other businesses. The strawberries and cream filter coffee is pretty incredible and I want to pop back in to try another flat-white. The staff are also very knowledgeable and friendly, so the silence isn't too awkward! There's also this cute little vimeo to inspire you. 

Didn't You Do Well, 20 Park Row, Bristol

Life Lately - March

1/2 Slow, easy 6am wake-up calls thanks to extra daylight. My favourite.

3/4 Finishing essays in Friska, celebrating with dirty-chai and stomps around the city. Turns out we agree on a lot of things. 5/I spent a Sunday morning in a Clifton Park reading Zelda Fitzgerald - it was GLORIOUS. Bring on a summer of reading for pleasure. 6/ Saying that I'm really enjoying my dissertation research; it's all coming together!

7/8 Two lovely Berliners came to visit and we spent three days indulging our Bristol crush with copious cups of tea and long conversations about life and stuff. 

Weekend Escapades

As soon as the temperature rises and the ever allusive sunshine returns to Bristol you know it's time to ditch the books and plan an escapade, if only to avoid any growing resentment towards libraries and work. My blogging galpal Charity always talks about having a staycation (essentially staying at home and holidaying in your surroundings) and I am determined to embrace this idea for the upcoming months. After all, I might not be living here much longer and there is so much of this wonderful city that I have yet to explore! So, a few Saturdays ago, my pal Amy and I decided to catch up on a spontaneous walk to Ashton Court. I can't believe I have never been before! It is so beautiful. There is something about a country house that inspires a gooey patriotism and a tendency to walk around as if you were in a BBC costume drama. I mean, I cannot think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in springtime!

We grabbed a take-out at Clifton Boston Tea Party, paused at the suspension bridge to admire the view, then swanned across the bridge towards the Ashton Court estate. Four hours of walking and talking in the sunshine is perhaps my best cabin-fever cure to date. 

COFFEE DIARY: Joe's Coffee

Another recent addition to Bristol's independent coffee scene is Joe's, situated just off Whiteladies Road. I've had a few coffees there already, but a few weeks ago I grabbed a date with one of my Bracknell-turned-Bristol gal pals Emily K, to review the place properly. It's small and smart, without sacrificing cosiness. There's a perfectly situated arm-chair near the window; wonderful for people-watching and snuggling up with a book. Drinks are reasonably priced and the coffee is locally sourced at Bristol-based Extract Coffee Roasters. It has one of the best Flat-Whites in the city, which is saying something! Their selection of teas is equally pleasing. Probably the best thing about this place is the service - they are the friendliest Baristas in Bristol. I will definitely be back for another cup of Joe soon!

When the View's THIS GOOD...

you cannot help but fall in love with the city all over again; falling back into step with it's rhythm, resonating with the beat. Bristol you've got my heart. 

FRISKA: Dirty Chai

I'm not really a sweet-coffee kinda gal. I used to be, but these days I drink it black and aromatic, perhaps a splash of milk, every so often a touch of micro-foam.  Anything that distracts me from the taste of the coffee is quickly discarded. I confess that I hate pumpkin spiced lattes and gingerbread syrup (I'm pretty sure I can no longer call myself a blogger now). Anyway, a few weeks ago I stumbled on the Dirty Chai (basically a chai latte with a espresso shot) and it is perhaps my new favourite thing. FRISKA is a great place for coffee generally and I promise to write a full report on its brilliance in the new year, but if you're in B-Town you really, really have to go and try their Dirty Chai. It is reliably perfect every time - perfect amount of spice, perfect amount of coffee, perfect amount of foam. Drink on rainy days, when the sky is falling in or across from a friend that makes you happy or with an easy read or just by yourself so you can admire its beauty.