Morning
In a dusty little corner of down-town Austin (Texas, US)
stands a bit of heaven for brunch-eaters and egg-lovers. We discovered it quite
by accident last weekend. It all started with my thirty year old bones refusing
to cooperate as I tried to coax them into crank-starting my day in the kitchen.
The clock on the wall too chimed in favour of these errant bones informing us
that we were well past breakfast hour and way too early for a full blown lunch.
What the hour was perfect for however, was that enticing, often elusive meal which can be indulged in only when one has oodles of spare leisure time –
Brunch!
After a dozen frenetic Internet searches with two empty
stomachs emanating unimaginable groans
and grunts in the background (making for
an interesting soundtrack), we settled on a charming little family run bistro
called ‘The Omelettry’. An hour later we were standing in front of its
unassuming edifice which was buzzing with Saturday afternoon activity. If the
name had left any shred of doubt in our mind regarding what the joint
specialized in, it was completely expunged by the décor. A rooster perched
precariously on the roof and egg themed graffiti covered every available inch
of its façade.
By the time a friendly waitress directed us to our booth, my
tongue was salivating copiously. Much to my delight, I was appeased instantly
as we dug into crescent shaped stuffed omelettes oozing rivulets of golden
cheese, spongy buttermilk pancakes doused in maple syrup, sugary slices of
cantaloupe and glasses of chilled chocolate milk. A motley mix of people – dishevelled
university students, leather clad bikers, merry old couples, the odd lone
artist, saucer eyed foreigners like us – strangers of all colours, shapes,
sizes and forms in general shared a few hours of relaxed bonhomie.
Polishing off a mammoth meal within minutes has some well
known side effects, one of them being an onslaught of giant waves of
drowsiness. With drooping eyelids and unresponsive brains it was almost a mini
miracle that we made it back home in one piece. Before one could say ‘boo’ we
were out like light bulbs, collapsed in heaps on the bed, floating away
peacefully in our own individual dream worlds.
An hour or two later, when we finally resurrected from our
comatose-like slumber, it was but natural for the desi within to crave a cup of
sweet, milky masala chai. Gilt tinted sunshine filtered through the windows
casting a spell on us as we sat in silent harmony, sipping tea. In that moment
everything seemed bright and shiny. Not a care in the world ruffled our
feathers and not a frown creased our brows.
Night
With a hey, and a ho
and a hey-nonny-no,
These pretty country folks would lie
In springtime, the
only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing,
Hey ding a ding, ding.
Sweet lovers love the
spring.
This carol they began
that hour,
It was a perfect summer night. A moist evening breeze laden
with the above notes along with the scent of wild flowers and freshly mowed
grass made Zilker Hillside outdoor theatre the perfect venue for our last
adventure for the day. Under a leafy canopy, on a rather large green patch, we
stretched out amidst several theatre enthusiasts to experience Shakespearean
comedy at its best. The characters of Rosalind and Orlando, Touchstone and
Audrey, Oliver and Celia magically came alive as thespians from the Austin
Shakespeare Company enacted the famous play ‘As You Like It’ in front of a rapt
audience.
As is the case with most theatrical comedies, humour was
meshed with a few strands of thought provoking dialogue. Lines like “I had
rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad” and “The
fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” and
“But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s
eyes!” provided food for thought. After much drama and comedy of errors, the
petite, pixie-like Rosalind finally tied the knot with her tall, lovelorn beau
Orlando. With a great flourish the curtain came down bringing a great Saturday
to an end as well.
Although I have some idea about lazy/calm weekend morning in countryside texas but what caught my imagination was picturization of entire day !!! I have to say lovely ideal/idle saturday well spent ! Well done Preeti !!! Would try to emulate the same this weekend though on different continent !!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am glad you liked my description of a near perfect Saturday :) Would love to hear what you did to make your Saturday awesome.
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