Rome and Coffee By Leon Kammer At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A regular morning in Rome does not begin without the “stand up espresso or cappuccino” at the local coffee bar, usually accompanied by a cornetto, a sweet, horseshoe shaped pastry; easy to eat, handed to you by the “barista”
( the bar man ) in a paper serviette.

You can grab a table if you want and pay triple or you can be part of the “entire blend” not just the coffee, by standing at the busy bar, part of the local culture, the interaction,where it’s all happening, hearing a string of “buon giorno’s ” from the barista’s to the continuous stream of customers; at lighting speed he empties and refills another round metal container with fresh coffee, seamlessly clicking the devise onto the Gaggia. The fresh liquid appears filling the small white cups, two at the time.

The bar itself is usually glass topped, a perfect height for standing and sipping; glass extending halfway down, displaying oven fresh trays full of cornettos and other sweet choices of the morning; the custom of paying the cashier before you order and handing the receipt to the barista, leaves you with a sense of freedom to fully participate.

Even in the midst of this frenzy, you sense a general unspoken politeness, that you are there too; a “prego” as the person next to you, moves to give you some space.

You can watch the stylish Italian customers, classical Romans, come and go, typically waving their arms in mid conversation: this is not just having coffee it’s an Italian movie, thrown in.

In Rome, especially, you’ll find a bar on almost every street corner; if you can’t see them, just follow the aroma of the coffee beans or the clanking sounds of cups and spoons hitting against the saucers as the barista, serves yet another espresso; the daily sounds of Rome, these are not English tea rooms, rather a morning alarm, just to make sure you are fully awake and as soon as that espresso hits you, even though only four or five sips to that tiny cup, your ready for another day in Rome, but first the bar.

The bars have a reputation, of who serves the best coffee: it becomes an important part of the conversation among Romans, which filters through to visitors, non Romans who have come to the ancient city looking for a superior coffee shot.

We wonder if Achille Gaggia who invented the espresso machine in Italy in 1948, knew that his invention would lead to a national instituition.

While you’re in Rome, looking for that special coffee,you’ll need accommodation, and since the hotels in Rome, like the rest of Europe tend to be expensive, you might like to try a Rome apartment to rent.

You can live like a local, have your morning coffee at the bar with the Romans, then see what delicious fresh produce the open fruit markets can offer you and try your hand at some Roman dishes in your own apartment kitchen.

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