We took it easy in Toronto, spending some time just reading and people watching in Queens Park: sitting around in the warmth in shirtsleeves just makes us feel good.

Other good finds include Tim Horton’s (a chain of very good value coffee shops which are half-way to being cafes as well) and Second Vinyl where we spent a happy hour finding lots of second-hand jazz and classical CDs. The former are quite common around the city; the latter is at 10 Wellesley St West.

Urbana Coffee was also a rare find at 1033 Bay Street, having free wireless, friendly service, and fair trade coffee, unlike the Starbucks everywhere around.

Finally, we had a lovely meal listening to light jazz (and more Elton John!) at Le Saint Tropez in the Theatre district, as recommended by Trip Advisor.

Interesting views from Tony Turnbull in the Times Magazine (25 Feb 08) on our coffee habits:

Don’t you think it’s one of the great myths of our time that we British bave become a nation of coffee aficionados? Yes our high streets may be blanketed by a competing froth of Starbucks and Costas and Caffe Neros, but can we really claim to be true lovers of the brew itself?
…

Why else would the decaf whipped caramel latte exist? Why would you flood a single shot of espresso with half a pint of milk and laughably call it a latte? These aren’t coffees, they’re milkshakes. We haven’t come on that far from the milkbars of the fifties.

Makes me wonder about my coffee preferences. I still have regular coffee most of the time, with 10% or so added milk, but given my favourite is a glass of mocha, I appear to have picked up the taste for hot milkshakes like the rest of us …

Bourton is, thankfully, not fitted out with a Starbucks, a Costa or a Ritazza. But we do both prefer more ‘interesting’ coffees than straight instant or filter ones, and so after a morning’s strenuous window shopping, we thought teacakes and latte / mocha was in order. The Mad Hatter tea shop looked good from the outside, and inside had some good Alice-in-Wonderland murals, but everything else seemed a bit uncared for. The tables were peculiar as they were covered a large doily covered with a thick pane of glass. Probably easier to keep clean, but they made me uncomfortable, particularly as between the two were tucked large adverts for a local B&B. The teacakes were OK - though why do they always have to go cold so quickly? - but the drinks weren’t. Delivered in mean-sized tea cups, which bothered Martha, the froth on the top looked suspiciously artificial, and the liquid appeared to have any coffee and milk that once been in there filtered out. I hardly ever complain in places, but this time I didn’t drink or pay for it.

We went in search of a better one, and as we were looking we went into a Christian books/gifts store on Moore Street, that looked like it was run by volunteers. The display of new and second-hand goods was pretty good in places, but still a long way from the professional but commercial of a Wesley Owen shop. It had a little café, adorned with a complete jumble of every kind of Christian poster and prayer. We got 2 lattes to takeaway, and were told that there was no charge for them, though we were invited to leave a donation and/or a prayer for God’s work in the Cotswolds. The coffee turned out to be less than impressive, but I think the attitude they had was. It seems a bold sign and reminder that God provides, and that they were trusting him to do that. And within that it allows hospitality and aid for those that can’t afford it - a concrete way of showing God’s particular concern for the poor and oppressed. (Though, you do have to wonder how many poor and oppressed are likely to be living in or visiting a small Cotswolds village?)

To bring this too-long story to a close, I’m happy to report that the next day we hit success at The Riverside Cafe, overlooking Kings Bridge. They produced a pretty good latte and mocha, in generous-sized glasses. (And good soup and danish pastries as well.) So, it took a day, but now we know where to get a good coffee - which they also do take-away. Recommended.