Tiny Cups of Coffee

(image by David Lebovitz Aug. 31, 2012)

If you are a morning coffee and a Danish kinda gal like me, then you will be delighted by what Barcelona has to offer. On every street corner is a gorgeous coffee shop and patisserie with earthly delights displayed beautifully in the window casings. It is difficult for me to walk past and ignore these, especially at the 10-11 o’clock hour, when I had my recess coffee break as a teacher for thirty years. It is also a dangerous habit for my health, but never mind.

Their coffee is also fantastic. There’s every option available, from cafe con leche to lattes and cappuccinos. My husband wanted to try the tiny cups of jet fuel that the Mediterranean is famous for. I made a point of posting a photo of him sitting outside on a patio pretending to enjoy this mud-like espresso, trying hard to look like a ginger, freckled, pale-blue-eyed Spaniard. Mission failed!

You really need to experience the social milieu of these local gathering spots. This is where the locals come on their work breaks or just to hang out and watch futbal (soccer of course) and while away the hours outside of their crowded family apartments. The banter can be passionately political, about Catalan independence, or mundane gossip of relationships, as in any city.

This is how I like to travel. I prefer to stay put in one place for an extended period of time and get to feel how the locals tick from day to day. I loathe the idea of a bus tour, crammed like sardines into a fixed itinerary with a bunch of strangers. No, let me roam the city for at least a week from one end to the other and soak it all in. Barcelona is a fantastic walking city, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Where have you most enjoyed a cup of coffee? Please comment below.