My husband is passionate about his coffee. At home, he grinds the beans, froths the milk, and enjoys his cup with breakfast. He makes himself an espresso while working from home in the afternoon, but he never drinks coffee after 4.
Except in Italy.
For the past two weeks, Mike “Sweetie” Francini has enjoyed his coffee fix from Venezia to Roma with Firenze in between. He’s had a cup at the Zurich airport and again in Roma. He consumed small cups of the brew on a train.
When his coffee arrived at the end of a meal or in the company of a luscious pastry, I started documenting the ceremonial downing of each hot brew.
I am a blogger, after all.*
~ ~ ~
I learned (about ten minutes ago) that according to ellianos, Italy had its first taste of coffee in the 17th century when the “bustling port city of Venice became one of the first European hubs to import coffee beans from traders of the Ottoman Empire.”
In the late 19th century “Italy introduced espresso to the market. Espresso isn’t a specific type of Italian coffee. Rather, it’s an efficient and concentrated brewing method that can be used on any type of coffee bean. This new Italian method completely changed the way people enjoy coffee around the globe.”
*I prefer tea, which has been my hot beverage of choice my entire life. Dad hailed from England after all and my Nova Scotia-born mum drank instant black coffee. It wasn’t really a choice at all.
Gardening Nirvana 
Cappuccino will never be the same again! ;)
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:-)
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They sure have great coffee over there. I love my coffee too. The weather is so great in the fall for travel. Looks like a lot of blue skys.
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I, too, am a tea drinker. But I sure did enjoy those pictures of Mike drinking coffee. My oh my, he looks happy!
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We enjoyed many good meals on our travels, and special breaks to drink coffee, and in my case a Coke Zero, sparkling water, the occasional fruity drink, all the while people-watching and marveling that we were on the streets of Italy.
I drink tea at breakfast and in the evening (Rooibos so no caeffeine). In the winter I drink even more. How about you?
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I drink different teas throughout the day, sometimes black, sometimes herbal, sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Tea is my drink, and there’s such a variety.
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That is true!
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Your husband seems just as awesome as you! Enjoy you two.
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Thank you! As I jokingly say: “He’s a keeper!” We’re so happy together.
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It has been suggested that the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s would have struggled to get off the ground without coffee. As in ” coffee breaks”.
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Ah. That makes perfect sense.
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Mike looks justifiably happy. Black ground coffee with no sugar for me
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In my book, good coffee is right up there with good dessert. A thing to be savored and enjoyed, and he looks like he certainly enjoyed his. :-)
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I like your analysis, Judy. I think many coffee drinkers agree.
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Great series of posts from Italy Alys 👍🏻. You both look like you had a great time. One day Terry and I will make a trip over there. I love a great cup of coffee also but once in a while I like a cup of Twinings English Breakfast Tea 😊
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Mike always looks happy but the coffee and time with you just adds to that vibration. I like both, coffee and tea. My coffee will never, ever be espresso though. Half and half decaf and regular hazelnut very watered down but black. Tea needs a little honey. My sister was so embarrassed by my light coffee drinking ability in Germany. I can handle a very large beer though. I love that you documented Mikes love of espresso’s and cappuccino’s. These will be fun to look at later. Thanks so much for the history lesson.
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He looks very happy in coffee nirvana! Wonderful serious of photos! I am a tea person but John loves his expresso and makes himself a latte each morning with our expresso maker. I tease him that soon he can get a job as a barista and give up that software engineer career – ha!
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I love this analysis and the happy Mike pics!
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Glad he could enjoy so many cups of his favourite drink while you documented it for him! LOL! I love a good cup of coffee or two, but can also drink instant and love my tea as well!
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I love coffee too
But now coffee doesn’t love me – nor tea! I believe it’s the caffiene that upsets my system, takes months to come back to normal.
I do however get my kicks from the “smell at a cafe” and of course my “paper that I love to coffee dye”, usually way more concentrated than any coffee drinkers taste!!!
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