It occurs to me that I forgot to mention an incident at one of my employer's espresso bars here: I ordered a decaf espresso and the barista gave me that eye-rolling, "why bother?" look as he set it up alongside the six double- and triple-shot cappuccinos he had working.
You know—I've had decaffeinated coffee in both France and Italy and never got stick from the waiters. Seattlites should really dial back on the attitude.
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Reminds me of my favorite morning coffee story in Trouville, Normandy. After a year of the British instant coffee described in previous posts, it was heaven to enjoy un cafe across the channel. The trip was a spur of the moment long weekend respite from England's rain, so we found a room at a small inn without its own restaurant. And U.S. style pasty-Danish cheap "continental breakfast" concept had thankfully not reached that part of the Continent.
So I'm on holiday, blissfully taking my time waking up and getting ready for the day. Gender being as it is, my husband was ready in about two minutes and fidgeting, anxiously waiting for me to hit the road. "Why don't you go find us some coffee while you wait?" There were quite a few restaurants nearby, and the semi-well known Trouville fish market open at the crack of dawn, so I thought, should be a piece of cake (or gateaux given the locale).
Well, it was no trouble finding coffee. The trouble was explaining the concept "to go." My husband dutifully tried three restaurants -- all open for breakfast -- before finding one that could help. "But why does your wife not just come here to sit and enjoy her coffee?" was the typical response. The fourth restaurant rigged up a take-away cup from two soft drink cups stacked together with serviettes wrapped around it and held together by a baguette bag!
Needless to say, that's where we went for our petite dejeneur that morning. And they scolded me that cofee is meant to be savored and enjoyed while you contemplate the day ahead, not gulped on the run like in America. "See how much better in a cafe cup?" And I had to admit, they were right.
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