16. Pink Pepper Trees, Mimosa Pouffes, and the allure of a four hour cappuccino
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Pink Pepper Trees
In Lagos, in the side yard of our airbnb, there was a weeping tree with wisps of what looked like dried berries. My dad and I combed through the tree a bit but stopped short of googling or delving too deep into it, instead just choosing to admire how it waved at us when we arrived back home in the evenings. On our last day, our host mentioned that the gardeners would be coming by to tend to the beautiful garden before new guests swooped in. The two gardeners, a married couple Filomena and her husband, whose name unfortunately escapes me. They pulled off these ‘berries’ and pointed out that it was actually a pepper tree! A pink pepper tree. We rubbed the beads of fruit in between our fingers and could smell a fruity peppery aroma.
Filomena told my dad that her family used to own this house and had sold it to the current owners about a hundred years ago. She knew every inch of the soil, and I wish I had asked more questions about certain plants, but was too occupied with being stressed with the impending errands in Lagos and drive to Lisbon.
Walking through our errands in Lagos we noticed a couple more spots with the same pink pepper trees. A little research led me to find out they are specifically the Schinus Molle pepper (Peruvian Pepper) and they grow all over the Algarve. The berries are dried and marketed as pink peppercorns, but differ completely in origin and plant relation to black peppercorns. Black pepper (Piper Nigrum) stems from South India and Schinus Molle from Peru. Pink pepper is similar in flavour to black but is sweeter and fruitier, which is clear from just holding and smelling the berries in your hand. Locals in the Algarve harvest the berries and sell them dried on their own, or ground in with black pepper and sold as a spice.
Mimosa Pouffes
When observing aspects of nature, there are always parts in my greedy human brain where I wish I could use these aspects in our every day life, such as this beautiful patch, which would be the most perfect carpet or bed:
Or mimosa pouffes, which if just a bit larger, would be the ideal substitute for a nap pillow, perched on a couch shoulder and observing the room like a cozy yellow soot sprite. These yellow puffs of sunshine are one of the lovelier things about gray winters, even though they don’t tend to flower this far north, they are flowing through the florists doors. They are the most stylish accessory to almost anything, including ice, like this one chef perfected here:
Once purchased as a bouquet, the fluff is difficult to grasp onto, as I learned the hard way, mine had died down within 24 hours. I have been warned against being drawn towards the most boastful of puffs, even though they are so glorious. Florists will hot water shock them for instant but fading beauty as you bike away, each bounce knocking one or two fluffs down a notch. Keeping them healthy is a bit of a science, which is detailed here. I managed to capture these babies in their height just before the droop:
The Allure of a Four Hour Cappuccino
Growing up my dad always prioritised his afternoon cappuccino. After a long morning of gardening or gruelling computer work, he would retreat to his favourite café. Said café has changed over the years but each café always holds a good 5-10 years in loyalty before the switch - usually due to a transfer in café ownership and my father’s dislike of the change. It became something of a joke within the family and with my friends, who to this day know of my dad’s infamous minimum four hour long cappuccino breaks. They are a way for my dad to truly turn off and relax, and I think that it is the secret behind his youthful longevity (okay don’t get too cocky at the compliment dad) and general relaxed demeanour. Over the years, my sister and I have often joined in on these long cappuccino breaks, with a beverage of our own and a book/magazine/device/something that kept us occupied.
In Canada, if you are not a student studying and caffeine fueling, it is not as in vogue to linger in cafés as it is de rigueur in Europe (especially the south). So when in Europe, my dad’s café visits become even more prevalent and of importance, especially with weather as lovely as it was in Portugal. By mid-afternoon, without planning, it was a known fact that we had to find the nearest cute café and mellow out from the day. These repeals into reading and people-watching offer a pleasantry that I wish more would indulge in. Bonus points if your café is located outdoors and/or surrounded by nature. A great place to start is park cafés or botanical garden cafés.
One café specifically located around a pond of banana trees and leafy palms in a city park in Lisbon was just the right amount of cappuccino meditation for us after a long day of walking:
Just like a coffee break doesn’t necessarily mean a break where you drink coffee, the four hour cappuccino pause does not mean you need to order a cappuccino (although in my dad’s book, you absolutely do). I have enjoyed fresh lemonade, pure squeezed mango juice, a caipirinha, whatever floats your boat. The point is to take that time away from the hustle and bustle, take in the milieu and check in with yourself and the environment around you. Unfortunately, I don’t participate in the daily four hour cappuccino trend (although it is tempting and possibly hereditary), but I do take a few moments in the late afternoon for a goûter, walk around the block or neighbour garden gaze. A little nature reset is always a good idea, even if you use that time to scroll (no shame), at least your lungs will appreciate the fresh air.
Some things nourishing me this week:
The bulbs peeking out along with the sun, not every day, but enough to keep us going
This article unearthing one of my favourite artists, Remedios Varo.
The end of mercury retrograde and also hopefully to things like this happening
Making the biggest bibimbap for Lunar New Year
I was never super into anime until a couple friends in my early twenties sat me down through Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle and I fell in love. Nico and I even geeked out at the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo a few years back. I tried to find a photo, but it is hiding on a hard drive in the very scary box of cables wires and other electronics. I would rather do anything else than swim through that. So when I read this article, it was soothing in a way I don’t really understand.
The news about Ottawa has been quite unsettling, I have found it hard to avoid since it is my hometown and I see posts about it constantly throughout Instagram. I felt I had to mention it because it is a giant elephant looming. I cannot say I fully grasp the situation since I am not there in person, but as you know I swing quite left and find any messages of hate or violence or disrespect completely unacceptable. I understand the human response to be drained and angry after the years we have had but I also believe in coming into a cause from a space of educated awareness (parliament is empty) and respect to your surroundings (those who live downtown are losing their minds). It is unsettling that so many public arguments nowadays are instantly pulled right or left, when life is not as simple as that. Issues like these have so many complexities and nothing can be solved by waving offensive flags and screaming. Sorry for the political tangent but I could not not mention it, especially when I heard about a freedom convoy rolling through Amsterdam, which was slightly mortifying.
I hope you are all having a great weekend and feel safe, and that the news isn’t stressing you all out too much. Has anyone started planting seeds? I have some dahlia bulbs I will attempt but have not planted them yet since the temperature is dipping a bit. Wishing you all the best for the week and thanks for being here <3
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