Café Ítaca

The cafe 'Ítaca' is a fairly special establishment. It's situated right in the heart of Murcia and especially in the 'tascas' area; an area very much visited by the local and Erasmus students alike. There are many kinds of bars and cafes in this area but this cafe is very special, due to the fact that poetry recitals take place in it and even concerts from independent artists.

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The fact that it's close to the university has greatly influenced this cafe, given that the 'owners' are really the students. They are the ones who decorate it with books and paintings and it is even for that reason that it is named Ítaca, the famous Greek island of Ulysses. The cafe having this name gives us an idea of the importance they give to culture and education in this bar.

It's a very homely bar. Anyone who comes in to have a drink will feel at home. It's decorated with dark wooden walls. The bar and the doors (including the entrance one) are also made with wood, just like the chairs - very comfortable for sure.

There is only one waiter (who is the owner) but he more than suffices to serve the customers. He always makes the evening more pleasant. On the upper part of the walls, there are shelves with old books, read by the people who have been to the cafe. If you ever want to read a book when you're having a coffee, you're always welcome to do so.

In the last part of the cafe; there is a stage and some other shelves, where there are a series of board games: chess, trivial... which encourages many groups of friends to come to play, have a good coffee and a pleasant evening.

However what is special about this cafe are the Thursdays. Every Thursday an event takes place; some political social gathering or on some other topic... They also do beautiful poetry recitals. Anyone (whether they belong to the university or not) can write a poem or a short story, get up on stage, sit down in the chair and recite the lovely poem they have prepared, microphone in hand.

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Many students of Hispanic philology who anxiously await Thursday to arrive, attend these meetings amongst friends. They are people who are passionate about writing and this is a place where they can express themselves with total freedom and expose their poems and stories. Whenever they finish their performance, the people in the audience congratulate them because they are great writers.

On occasion, students of English philology attend and recite texts in English. Although not everyone understands it, it's a great idea to expand this language, which is currently ever so necessary. It's a really good way to learn a second language in a fun way.

Anyone who wants to promote a film, short film or long film, as well as books or articles bring them to this cafe and they will always been greeted with kindness and it will be a very good way of publicising what they desire to.

Not just poems but also some theatre representations have been carried out but not very elaborate ones, given that the stage isn't very spacious and that only a limited amount of people can fit on it. Photos of the stage are also very difficult but they are sufficient to focus on what you want to see.

On occasion when I have attended, there have also been rappers or singers from other genres on the stage. These street artists manage to make you smile.

The cafe owner has a projector which is used to project films on the stage, from the back. On Thursdays many people attend these get togethers to have a good time watching one of the films they project. When the film ends, a debate takes place about what was good and bad about the film, what they could or couldn't improve and what will be the next one they project.

The good thing about this cafe is also its delicious teas. There is an ample menu of every kind of tea: Pakistani, Moorish... You can choose the one you fancy the most but always knowing whichever one of them you choose will be deliciously good.

To finish, I recommend this cafe to anyone who likes good poetry and gatherings amongst friends, accompanied by a delicious coffee or tea.

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