Life in Italy: The Morning Coffee

I'm not much of a coffee drinker at home.  I'll occasionally make an espresso in the morning, but typically I try to limit my caffeine intake to a big mug of tea (or two!) every afternoon.  In Italy, however, I drink coffee like a fiend.  I don't think it's because the coffee is significantly better than at home (even Starbucks makes a good espresso), but because I love the culture of coffee here.  I stop at my favorite coffee shop, Bar de Vivo, nearly everyday before work.  I take my cafe normale (espresso) or cafe macchiato (espresso with a small dollop of frothed milk) amara (without sugar).  It's best when served with a glass of fizzy water, and drunk in a minute or two while standing at a counter.  On Saturday and Sunday mornings, when I have a little more time, I might treat myself to a cappuccino and and a cornetto con cioccolato (croissant with chocolate cream in the center) while I sit and talk with friends.



My Italian friends are very particular about how coffee is drunk.  They have no interest in large or elaborate coffee drinks, and they rarely linger too long over a single cup.  They believe that coffee and pastries should be eaten separately (first the coffee, then the pastry), and the pastry should never be dunked into the coffee.  Oh, and don't even think about ordering a cappuccino after lunch!



For less than 1 euro a cup, I can't think of a better way to start the day.


I'm an archaeologist who lives in America during the year, but travels to Italy and Greece to conduct research in the summer.  I'm currently living and working in (and blogging from) Pompei, Italy, where I spend my days digging up the ancient city.