Tag: coffee

Basel Ticked All the Boxes

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Been there - places, Trips and travel6 Comments

Basel was our first introduction to Switzerland, and what a pleasant place to start. Stereotypes of mountside cottages with goats and cows ringing their bells would have to wait, Basel is a big city.

Bicycles and pedestrians rule, crossing and swerving with no rhyme nor reason. Driving our car was a two person job – I watched the street and listened to the GPS directions, Tricia watched for pedestrians ready to step out in front of the car with no warning, or cyclists coming up on my right as I was starting to turn. Once our Dacia was tucked safely away in the underground City Parking we joined the chaos on foot.

My mornings started at the Confiserie Bachmann on Blumenrain street, next to the Rhine River. One lesson from our European travels is how coffee differs from region to region. I know how to order in France – un cafe, un double, un café crème, une noisette. In other countries it is not always the same.

My first morning I ordered a latte with an extra shot, I dislike most American lattes because all you get is coffee flavored hot milk, so at Starbucks I always add an extra shot or two of espresso so as to be able to taste the coffee – thankfully caffeine has never had any effect on me. Look at what the server brought me in Basel – on a tray, nice serviette, small glass of water, a small baked nibble, and the coffee beautifully layered in a tall clear glass. This is why I like coffee in Europe, no paper cup with a plastic lid.

The next morning I asked for a cappuccino. Thankfully many of the better coffee shops in Seattle serve them just as well, though, with the exception of one shop I know of in Mill Creek, the water and the tray are missing.

Tricia is the travel photographer in the family, she posts her enticing work on her blog site, Travels Through My Lens. However, while in Basel, I was drawn to people in doorways and on the streets that got me to wondering what they were thinking or feeling.

The food in Basel was equally impressive. One meal that stands out was this spicy steak tartar at ONO Deli Café Bar. It tasted just as good as it looks; when it is done right, food can be such a joy.

Our Brit friends have a phrase, “It ticked all the boxes.” Basel ticked all of my boxes: morning coffee while observing the city and sketching, people to watch, and excellent food to share with Tricia en plein air. As Bob Hope sang, “Thanks for the memories…”

Un Café – The Price of Admission

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Food and drink, France5 Comments

In France un Café is more than a beverage, it is the cornerstone of the café culture. In the USA coffee is something you do while you do something else, in France it is much more deliberate, for a traveler it is a perfect entry into the local culture.

I have never seen a drive-through Starbucks in France; the drive through food and beverage concept is as rare here as it is ubiquitous in the USA – as are insulated travel cups. In France you stop what you are doing to have un café. The Dunkin Donut idea of unlimited refills is just as strange, as would be a “grande” or “venti” size. These are uniquely American concepts where quantity often supersedes quality.

In France this is un café

In its most basic form it is a shot of espresso, always served in a cup and saucer, with a small spoon, sugar – never cream – and a petit biscuit. There are other drinks that are only coffee: un double which is two shots served the same way, un café allongé which is a single with more water forced through, and an americano which is espresso diluted with hot water to cater to the taste of Americans in WWII that found un café to strong – an americano is as close as you will get to a mug of coffee in France. One of my favorites is un café noisette which is an espresso with just a dollop of steamed milk.

One of my frustrations is that often when I order un café, with my best attempt at a French accent, they will either bring me an americano, or clarify that it is espresso I want, as they are so accustomed to folks from UK and USA not wanting a real un café.

In France coffee with milk is rarely consumed after early morning, having a latte in the afternoon clearly signals you are from Starbucks country. Un café is the norm after a meal, but of course without milk.

Un café is also your ticket into the café culture, you can sit for hours at a table, with no one implying that you need to give up your table, participating in the French pastime of people watching, or in my case sketching.

Le café and les cafés are one of the things I like the most about France. Whenever possible I go early and enjoy starting my day watching, sipping, and sketching.