Drinking coffee in France

Coffee in France is delicious. The French , the Dutch and the Italians have mastered the art of coffee beyond anything in the USA, anything. But once again we ( Eric and I ) had a lot to learn. Our first clue should have been when we realized the 10 year old car we purchased - don't laugh it is a Ford Mondeo station wagon with duct tape on all but one corner of our bumpers- had no cup holders. By the time we bought the car , just last year, we were thoroughly indoctrinated into "coffee" French style.

You really have to search and search to find something such as coffee to go. Unless you are in Paris where there are Starbucks. The coffee to go phenomena of America just does not exist in France. The French go to the local bar, bistro, brasserie to have their coffee when not at home. It is a quick cup of coffee. Lingering does not often happen with coffee in France but in the bars there will be locals starting on their wine or Pernod in the morning. The coffee is a one shot expresso in a "petite" cup. If you want cream you ask for a "noisette." Adorable but not what American's who drink "big gulps" and "Ventes" expect. So you adjust and once you have made the mistake of drinking more than one of petite cafe at a sitting you start to slow down and enjoy this little slice of life. See there is that "slow down" thingy again.

The hardest thing for us to manage was to find a place where you could have a coffee and a pastry. There are a lot of tea rooms in the bigger cities and they are great, lucious pastry and great coffee. But in the country side it is impossible. So we started to do as the French do - you go to the Boulangerie ,buy your pastry and take it into the local bar to have your coffee. We have to admit one other vice that is going to make you laugh at us. We now have found that McDonalds has McCafes- you can get a great capuccino and a pain au raisin for very little money. But we have to admit that McDonalds, which is unfortunately everywhere in Europe, does not add to the French experience.

Coffee also is priced according to location. If you drink it at the bar standing up it is the lowest price. If you have it at a table it costs a bit more and if you have it outside at a table it maybe a bit more.

The other phenomena in France is coffee is the very last item at the very end of your meal. You may not have it with dessert. We have tried and tried and failed each time. Even if you are not having dessert and there is someone in your group having dessert - you may not have your coffee until they are done. This usually becomes a game at each meal that we eat in a restaurant and to our delight the French have never failed to do what we now expect - coffee after dessert. It is worth the wait.