Cafe Sacher, Innsbruck

This ancient and very elegant café, located in the Imperial Palace, was the perfect place to celebrate an equally ancient German tradition, “Kaffee und Kucken.”  So, there I sat in the early afternoon amidst delicate linens and fine china to enjoy a brief respite from my hectic travel schedule.

For the last 175 years this café has been serving a very rich and very delicious chocolate cake, the “Sacher-Torte”.  As I addressed my serving I proceeded very slowly.  At the side of the cake was a very large dollop of whipped cream.  I would take a small fork full of cake and pass it lightly through the whipped cream, then hold that bite in my mouth for a time to just let it dissolve.  I would place the tiny fork on the side of the plate and take a breath.  If I had been watching myself I believe that I would have detected a slight smile.  It was so good.  The chocolate icing had just a hint of cherry, which further enhanced the smooth flavor.  After every few tastes I would sip the double espresso that accompanied my plate of cake.  I do not know how long I basked in the joy of this tradition on this particular day but I believe that “Kaffee und Kuchen” is a very nice tradition.

At the end of my visit to the Café I strolled outside and commenced my afternoon walk.