I order a coffee and two pastries, one that looks savoury and one that looks sweet, although I know not what is inside either of them.
There are no English subtitles to the food in this Latvian cafe.
I am fortunate.
One of the pastries has a salami and tomato centre and the other has a lemon filling.
There are two shelves high on the wall.
One hosts an antique tea set, complimented by something unexpected – a tiny statue of the Eiffel Tower.
I wonder if the owner knows it’s there.
Perhaps a customer placed it there surreptitiously.
On the other shelf sits a black ceramic cat, an old teapot, a small world globe, and some old books.
Over the speakers, orchestra music.
The artwork consists of nine small paintings of pastries, cakes, and colourful stacked cookies.
I cannot understand what the two women at the next table are saying, but their laughter is magical and brightens the room.
