I almost miss this

! I hope you're all doing great and with a cup of good coffee to make your day even better.

This year has turned out a little hard, my dear coffee friends, but I'm fortunate enough to still have some precious moments to treasure in my memory. I was recently in a magical place, one with lots of nature and homey flavors. A splash of coffee in my chocolate made this mocha one of the most comforting drinks of this year, despite all the sugar that got me (pleasantly) drunk, hah!

The Alto & Mar restaurant's owners are in the hiking business. You can click on the link and check that out on their IG page. We came here for soup and coffee, two pleasures we highly appreciate when in the countryside.

It was a 40 minute drive between the mountains and the sea...

As I sat in the back seat of our ride, I was able to appreciate the green and blue beauty of the landscape.

The light, polarized by the constant threat of rain, enveloped everything in an aura of enchantment. It was the sensation of crossing a threshold.

Soon we were in a different landscape. The houses reminded me of my father's village, old but sturdy houses, some with hints of colonial heritage, others with the simplicity of right angles, the bars that became necessary when the economy changed and brought the vices of the cities.

But in the end, it's the green and blue duo that conquers all, just like ancient love.

We had been buying plants in a house up in the mountains. Then we headed for a restaurant my brother in law had found on the web, one that promised traditional soup with natural flavors and good coffee.

I loved the place immediately. Every angle offered a lovely view, a warm detail to cherish.

The rustic feel, oh, I just loved it.

I had a delicious soup. It was hen soup, one of my favorites. And, as usual, if the view is good, the food tastes better.

This was my view from the table. In the foirst picture, you can see the cook; she was such a nice lady. She offered to refill our bowls if we felt like eating a little more, oh and we wanted, but in the end our stomachs were too full for that.

They served us hot soup and iced piloncillo lemonade, haha. No comment. Everything was delicious, delicious.

Even the big dog was friendly. I am a cat person, but how I love the vibe of dogs. The owners kept calling the dog, but he was too comfortable with my dad.

Alto & Mar is a place I won't forget. You feel out of this world while being there, breathing, seeing, feeling nature in the quiet. A big portion of chantilly on top of my mocha reminds me that I'm not so far from home, but still._

Nature can be as relaxing as it's overwhelming. Its immensity makes me feel small--along with my problems which is probably the best part, I must say--. That large dollop of whipped cream reminds me that we have grown too sweet and soft, too much so for this vast world. The sea that now looks up at us from below, while we are high up on these green mountains, is a reminder of that vastness. The large dollop of whipped cream is an atom of indulgence, but you and I know how big indulgence can be. This I'd bottle for the future: a reminder, you know.

We left after our coffee-dessert. The welcoming green now bid us farewell.

All text and images are my own. I have taken the pictures with my Redmi 9T cell phone. And if any GIFs here, I've used GIPHY for all them.

Thank you so much for your visit :)

Banner by @andresromero 🖤