Breakfast in Bismark (a place I have never been)

I love middle of nowhere places like this. That’s why I’m here. Don’t get me wrong, this is a city and has the North Dakota State Capitol building to prove it. The only sky scraper for hundreds of miles it dwarfs any of the squat buildings in the rest of Bismarck.

Its winter and 11 degrees centigrade below, you need to stay in your vehicle or inside. That’s how come I’m in the Little Cottage Cafe on East Main. I’m eating blueberry pancakes and sipping watery coffee. A faint smell of frying fat permeates the air.

The waitress refills my mug and inquires,

“Where you from sweedy?”

“England” I reply.

I see she's thinking for a moment. Eventually she asks, “Is that near Sweden?”

I answer in the affirmative.

As I write, I can see great ruts of snow on the wide road. Occasional pickups and semis hum slowly by but no-one is walking if they can help it.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&rlz=1W1ACPW_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=cafe+bismarck+north+dakota&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=cafe&hnear=bismarck+north+dakota&cid=17889698380583175166

http://www.wunderground.com/webcams/leolson/2/video.html?month=01&year=2010&filename=20100110.flv

http://www.citytowninfo.com/places/north-dakota/bismarck