On this particular day, her daughter was elsewhere, and we were having a short break from work so we sat in the front yard.
The problem is (if you can call it a problem), there are just too many cheery cafes to fit them all in. (I do realise this isn't a *real* problem*...). The one we currently head to most frequently is at the local city farm, a couple of miles away on the other side of town.
If I'm with Peter, we shy away from expensive places, heading for where a mug of tea costs less than £1.50. I rarely go in a chain cafe - there are just so many little independent ones to choose from round here. We support charity cafes, or tea stalls at little local events when we can. With friends, we meet where is convenient, but again, there are so many cafes that we often have a difficult choice to make.
I don't think of cafes as a way to get food, although they do provide that function too. They're a place to sit, to watch other people, read a book, make plans, chat with a friend or two. Occasionally I find myself alone in a cafe, usually if I'm away from home for work, and there's something cheering about that too, sat in a corner with a book and a cup of tea, a little rest from walking around and a space to think for a while.
Oddly enough, I don't think we're going to make it to a cafe this weekend. Today we've already had breakfast, so no need for brunch, and we have an afternoon of house-related activities planned. Tomorrow we're off to another city to visit family, and I imagine there won't be time for cafes.
Never mind, there's always next weekend (and I might see if I can sneak in a weekday lunch too). In the meantime, we have 'cafe at home' - today with stewed apples grown by a friend and home made pancakes. Would've cost a fortune if we'd bought that in a cafe...