27 August - Saturday

by Eleni Wittbrodt

Aug 28, 2022

11:50

Woke up late again and have been doing nothing but procrastinating a studio deep clean since. Went out to get a Saturday-worthy breakfast though: a pain au chocolat and a chausson aux pommes, plus the obligatory baguette for later. Now the coffee is dripping through the filter as I write. The bag containing the pastries has become almost transparent from the butter that’s transferred from pastry to paper, the bag is even leaving a greasy trace on the kitchen counter, a good sign.

First bite of the day is the side of the pain au chocolat and it’s perfect. A thin, crispy outer shell, then soft buttery layers of pastry. It takes me a few bites to reach the chocolate, it’s soft and not too bitter. I finish the whole thing before my coffee is even cool enough to drink, then have half a cup of coffee solo before the chausson joins.

I read Etel Adnan and can see the text through my plate. A couple of pages later someone drinks coffee, too. In a short piece on living in wartime Adnan writes a sentence that resonates with me all afternoon: “Die Nachrichten wie einen bitteren Trank schlucken.” - Swallowing the news like a bitter potion.

15:40

Very hungry after getting the cleaning done. Lunch is a glorious omelette with a piece of baguette. I’m trying not to make a mess but it’s hard to control the crusty baguette crumbs. Tune as dessert.

22:10

Back from a long afternoon at the museum. Had some water from the bathroom tap there and later a lemonade on the terrace. The bike ride was a lot longer than anticipated and I really need some food. A cascade of chaotic snacks follows: Schtroumpf, a small bowl of nuts with unidentifiable dried fruits, another one, Schtroumpf, magnesium, a couple of glasses of water. Finally half a melon from the fridge, very cold, which I eat sliced at the open window and soothe my eyes with the darkness. There’s one bright star. I wonder if it would be crazy to eat the second half of melon as well (I don’t – Hawthorne Effect?). I filter my cold brew coffee and pop it in the fridge ready for tomorrow.