Cafe #23: Invita

Date: Tuesday, 7 July 2007, 2.30pm
Location: Hardware Lane, near Bourke St.
Coffee: $3.00 - latte, beautiful (fairtrade) gluten-free foods available
Reading: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

When I sat down outside at this organic, vegan-y cafe the sun was out. The sky is cloudless-Canberra-blue, which is a pleasure and a joy after all the rain Melbourne's been gardens have been enjoying. However, now that the sun has moved from enlightening this part of the city it is chilly, a cold breeze bothering my neck. Still, it is a relief to have warmer weather.

I've been to the markets with E, relaxing and welcome as usual. Last weekend was an all-nighter with the CCLS department students and friends to farewell C. It involved three bars, the first loud and expensive and mainstream, the second quiet and baroque with $2.50 beers and friendly staff, the third a proper pub complete with young male rock band upstairs and a downstairs full of lounging drunk young people. Five of us ended up at Cafe L'Incontro on Swanston Street, drinking coffee until the first morning trains were due to depart Flinders Street Station around 5.30. Clearly I didn't have a very productive day on Saturday, though I forced myself to stay awake and read. On Sunday I wrote against Derrida, so I felt better.

Hardware Lane is cute - brick-streeted laneway lined with fancy restaurants, though the Bourke Street end is home to cafes rather than restaurants. Invita isn't the most charming cafe, what with its plastic rather than wicker chairs and contemporary look, but it did have the fairtrade coffee, and I couldn't aesthetically argue myself out of the ethics of that. I was rewarded for my moral fortitude by a beautiful cup of coffee.

Anyway, back to Weber.