I found myself at a bakery the other day with Ada and I ordered a cup of Milchkaffee (coffee with milk).
Ordering coffee most places here involves a very large, very clean machine that purrs like a kitten. It has this slightly frothy crema on top, even the plain old cup of coffee. It is simply marvelous.
You get a cup of coffee. Curiously strong, by the way.
No venti.
No skim milk.
No extra hot.
No smiling barista asking if you would like a scone to go with it.
And the funny thing is, this type of cup is nearly everywhere, from gas stations to bakeries to regular restaurants. These days you can get a cup of coffee to go (zum mitnehmen), but most people will order their coffee, stand at a tall table, and drink it right there. I have never seen a person order their cup of coffee to be taken "to go" in a reusable thermal container. I'm not sure what the person would say, but I'm certain that I won't try it.
So you order and you get your cup of coffee.
In a glass cup.
With a saucer.
There is not a mug to be found as far as I can see.
I find this particularly lovely. There's something special about getting your plain old cup of coffee elevated to a higher level with a pretty presentation. Glass cup and saucer (almost universally white), presented often with a tiny cookie of some sort to go along with it. There is also the small coffee spoon that accompanies each cup of coffee for those that use sugar.
The little things. I appreciate the way they make an ordinary thing more beautiful.
I do not order coffee often, as like in the US, it's expensive to do on a regular basis. We usually brew at home with the occasional cup ordered out a few times a month.
When I do, though, I savor it. I plan to sit down with Ada, who likely has a pretzel on which to munch, and take ten to fifteen minutes to just breathe.
And the funny thing is, this type of cup is nearly everywhere, from gas stations to bakeries to regular restaurants. These days you can get a cup of coffee to go (zum mitnehmen), but most people will order their coffee, stand at a tall table, and drink it right there. I have never seen a person order their cup of coffee to be taken "to go" in a reusable thermal container. I'm not sure what the person would say, but I'm certain that I won't try it.
So you order and you get your cup of coffee.
In a glass cup.
With a saucer.
There is not a mug to be found as far as I can see.
I find this particularly lovely. There's something special about getting your plain old cup of coffee elevated to a higher level with a pretty presentation. Glass cup and saucer (almost universally white), presented often with a tiny cookie of some sort to go along with it. There is also the small coffee spoon that accompanies each cup of coffee for those that use sugar.
The little things. I appreciate the way they make an ordinary thing more beautiful.
I do not order coffee often, as like in the US, it's expensive to do on a regular basis. We usually brew at home with the occasional cup ordered out a few times a month.
When I do, though, I savor it. I plan to sit down with Ada, who likely has a pretzel on which to munch, and take ten to fifteen minutes to just breathe.
