Comfort zone: A cage just big enough so that when you sit at its center, strangers can’t poke you through the bars with sharp sticks.
Like many of you, I’m a creature of habit. For instance, I must have powerful coffee immediately upon arising in the morning or someone will suffer. I used to haul a small espresso machine around, but in the age of a Starbucks on every street corner this has become unnecessary.
Or so I thought.
This morning I ambled into the motel’s breakfast nook and poured myself a cup of what appeared to be used chain degreaser, only not as tasty. Down the loo it went and out the door I went, cursing and spitting, in search of the velvety black jumper cables of life.
I prefer to deal with locally owned java shops when traveling but there was no time to waste on scientific experimentation. And besides, my motel is near the airport and nothing else. You’d think that where there are travelers there would be grog shops, taverns, alehouses, pubs, cafés, cantinas and yes, coffee shops, but not in South Tucson. Bubba. You want hot asphalt, fast food and faster cars, you’re in the right place. Everything else must be found elsewhere.
Incredibly, the nearest Starbucks was five miles away. A 10-minute drive! And I had to make it without coffee! Oh, the humanity. But I scored — a tall Americano, plus a bagel with cream cheese and a pint of Naked orange juice to stave off the scurvy (yeah, I checked out the motel’s “breakfast” before leaving, too).
Editor’s note: No motel staffers were harmed in the making of this blog post.
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In Italy they call that stuff acqua sporca (dirty water). Isn’t the “gourmet” swill they sell at Dunkin’ Dognuts as good/bad as Fourbucks? I remember going through this hell myself a few years ago at the Indy MotoGP. I might have even lowered myself to go into a Fourbucks if one could be found (their rest rooms are usually clean) but not even one of those was on our route to the track. Luckily I was saved by the nice folks running the Ducati promo stand (I smelled the Lavazza from a long way off) since my pal had the required proof-of-ownership of a Duck and they’d let ya bring in one espresso-starved amico in with you. My next worry was the line of bozos using the self-service machines would blow them all up before I got mine! Almost happened — two of the three machines were dead by the next morning–we didn’t even look elsewhere, just made a bee-line to the Ducati stand. For longer trips in the USA by car, we tote a cheapo Gaggia unit around with us to avoid these terrible things. Here in It’ly we popped for a Gaggia/ILLY iper-espresso unit since I’m too lazy to even pop down to the local bar in the morning and my own “herself” likes hers served to her in bed.
I count myself as truly fortunate. The future X-Mrs Boz is also a coffee fanatic. Our new coffee maker features a built on grinder. Imagine waking up next to a goddess and also having freshly ground coffee brewing to boot. I may not have a job or a boat load of cash, but I think the pave’ to happiness is well laid.
Larry; Me ex-bro-in-law lived in Italy for 15 years and became a Lavazza addict. He still has it shipped over regularly. That’s the only thing I really miss about that marriage. I still think about those black bricks of goodness.
I got myself one of those Aeropress gizmos over the holidays… I like it a lot, especially when on the road…
Most hotels I’ve been to lately have those little 2-cup coffee pots in the rooms but most supply them with demoralizingly bad t-bag coffee. I started bringing my Melita thermos and our own ground coffee and filters. We use the hotel’s coffee maker to heat the water and put it through our own drip coffee. That lets us start out the day on the right foot rather than by unhappily swallowing weak swill or over-roasted and bitter Starbucks.
Just got back from my uncle’s 90th B’day party, complete with Uncle Roy singing old Italian songs in the native tongue. All my cousins who I have not seen in decades were there. Fortunately, the art of finishing off dinner with strong Italian coffee has not been lost on them. Nor, of how to throw a massive feast. Burp…sleep…
No in-room “hotel coffee” here in Italy but of course in ANY decent place there’s a bar downstairs with someone skilled in the art of espresso. I can usually convince them to let me take the cup and saucer (and even sometimes a tray) up to our room when they (usually a woman) find out it’s for my wife. She brings the stuff down with her when we come down for prima collazione later and the same woman looks at her with envy — sometimes explaining her husband brought her caffe in bed — ONCE. On the road in the US of A she gets awakened to the sound of me steaming the milk with our cheapo Gaggia unit (which is also the backup at home for the higher quality Gaggia) that’s portable enough to pack in the car for road trips. At the in-laws, she cleverly convinced them they “needed” a Gaggia unit just like ours at home so yours truly could make ILLY caffe for everyone. The only dumb thing this woman may have done (just like O’Gradys wife) was say YES when I asked her to marry me!
If you’re ever in a pinch on the road, go to Burger King for coffee. No, really. They have that “liquid” stuff that some restaurants use, and it’s not too bad. It even tastes like real coffee. Or, maybe that’s just in Wisconsin? Anywho, it’s better than the local Starbucks.
The best espresso in Italy is found not at caffe’s for the most part, but at the Autogrill (truck stop) My guess is that their beans, whoever roasts ’em (Lavazza, Segafredo, etc.) are the freshest because they’re making caffe all day every day and the folks running the Faema, Gaggia, etc. machines there are experts for no reason other than they do this all day every day. We look for any independent espresso joint in the USA while on the road, avoiding Fourbucks like the plague it is. Funny how Charbucks never “conquered” Italy like they bragged about doing a few years back. Their espresso is awful and few Italians I know admit to liking brewed coffee (the acqua sporca)so who would go there unless it was next to the Hardrock Cafe in Rome?
Drew has it right…. The Aeropress is pretty much the preferred traveling rig amongst us a bunch of us folks that home roast.
When traveling the southern half of the country I tend to depend on the concentrated Chai mixes. Just add milk and you a better form of caffeine than is often available in some of the less addicted parts of the country.
Rush Carter
CS West Bikes