My lack of blogging can be entitled to recent abundant non-exciting traveling and increase in very entertaingly strong migranes. Apparently my head hates take offs and landings in planes. I wish migranes didn't exsist but do you know one thing that makes them feel better? Beating my head against the wall and screaming, "WHY ME?!" Wrong answer. Hiding in a dark closet? Decent option. But if I hope to be a part of productive humanity my answer must be = Coffee. And one of the most beautiful coffees comes from this little coffee machine:
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| This little guy makes one great coffee |
And coffee, an espresso that is, is had several times a day. It is like having a shot of coffee. In Italy, you will never find the fancy options for coffee. Venti Soy Machiatto with a shot of vanilla? Nope. Carmel Frappucino on your craving list? Eh, sorry my friend. No Fraps, Machiattos, or Splenda here. The options for coffee are the following and only these:
Un cafè (what we call espresso)
Un Cappucino (called cappucio in the north)
Un cafè machiatto (an espresso with a drop of frothy milk on the top)
And absolutely no fake sugar is to be found anywere. You either use the real stuff or you go without. Oh and no customer service. The coffee maker or bar tender could care less about the happiness and satisfaction of the patrons.
That's it. If you want Dunkin' Doughnuts French Vanilla, or to mull over an idea, or work with your coffee steaming by your side you can forget about it! It's not going to happen. I did consider taking the 4 hour train to Rome just for the only Dunkin' Donuts in the country then decided against it. It was brutal, I know. I felt a stab in my soul when I realized I would look like my small towns lunatic if I walked around with my portable coffee cup. People would point and stare long after that day. "Mamma mia, quella ragazza beve il cafè per mezzo strada. Ma guarda comè li Americani sono cosi stranissimi. Che schiffo." So I sadly tucked my portable coffee cup away and used it only in the house. My neighbor did come over one day and chirpped curiously as if in a museum, "What's that?!"
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| Amercan coffee at its finest. |
I should have replied, "It's an American archeological chalis created in the 1980's to facilitate hydration, caffeination and to make the owner appear busy anc comfortable while leading a successful life while walking and driving. Those who carry a Starbucks branded cup and walk swiftly are considered to be too important and busy to make breakfast." One day that will appear in a museum as the explanation. Mark my words. So finding myself without my portable coffee cup I decided when in Rome....do as the Romans, right? In this case when in Desenzano do like the Desenzanese.
The north and south of Italy vary in every possible way and how and when to drink coffee is included in that rule. In the north, you have a coffee only in the morning or after lunch in a bar almost always with a brioche (croissant). Every coffee shop is called a bar. If you want a cappucino ask for a "Cappucio". The price is between 1 euro to 2 depending on how touristic the place is. Some bars are for retired men only and women (except bimbos) can forget about trapezing in there. Other bars are coed and if you see women in there, you can bet on it being ok to enter without harrassment if you are female.
In the south you have your coffee with what is called a "Cornetto" and guess what that is? A croissant! They call it different things that drive you crazy. If in Naples you ask for a brioche they will laugh at you, if in Milano you ask for a Cornetto they will stare through you trying to decipher what you mean. It's the same thing. Anyway, in the south the bartender will give you a shot of water that is meant to be drank after your coffee. There are also a wider choice of pastries to have alongside of your coffee. My favorite is Sfogliatella frolla, that can only be found in Naples and no other part of Italy. Darn, I know. In the south it is very common to have an espresso after dinner, riposo (nap time) or if company comes by. I found myself sipping my way thorugh 3 espresso's with ease through the day and loving the increase in energy I got.
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| Always pair your coffee with something sweet |
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| Why not? Life is short. Go for it! |
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| Mmmm....Mamma-in-laws homemade pastiera |
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| Yum |
Ending lunch with an espresso has become one of my favorite things. Lunch usually ends with a quiet moment then someone quips, "Ti va un café?" meaning, "Do you feel up to a coffee?" The cups are small and delicate, like for a child's tea set, the coffee machine tiny, the espresso robust, and the sugar caramelizes it. When I first got here I couldn't touch an espresso. It was like drinking roasted dirt boiled in water. No, not for me, thanks. My tastebuds wanted plain bold Seattle coffee with lots of cream and sugar. But now that I got used to it I understand my 3 coffee options and love them. A cappuccino is almost a meal with the heavy milk. But one little cup of coffee? Now I consider it pure bliss.
Pick your favorite coffee cup. Ti va un café?
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| American cofee cup meets Italian espresso cup= one cute friendship. Seeing these two together in the cupboard makes me smile |
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| Wedding espresso set (not mine but so pretty!) |
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| Horrible lighting but a nice pair |
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| My sugar packets were the same height as my coffee |
There's a Dunkin' Donuts in Rome??!!!
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