What’s so special about mornings at a French café?  Well, look at the photo.  See the guy sitting by himself reading?  What is he reading?  A novel.  Not a newspaper.  Not a magazine.  Not a computer screen.  Look around the cafe (which, by the way, is Chez Prune just off the Canal Saint-Martin).  Do you see any laptops?  Any milkshake-sized “coffee drinks”?  Any trans-fat pastries from a nearby factory?  Non. Just a strong espresso, a little glass of water, a novel, and the knowledge that you can sit and read until lunchtime if you so desire.  That’s what’s so special about mornings at a French café.