Just one cup …
April 25th, 2007 at 3:09 pm by james.. will make it better (to paraphrase Jaxx). Alas I have only one cup of Lavazza left and no security of supply in this land of milk and honey (but not good Italian coffee). Like the Chinese I will have to look elsewhere to secure supply (who would have thought that if you ran your ports like a Home Affairs queuing system and your railways so abominably it defies description that the world’s greatest consumer of commodities might look to places north to secure supply, even if it means building ports and tracks from scratch? Gobsmacked. Not.
The Cox’s kindly brought a heap of bags of Crema e Gusto in Feb, which I’ve worked my way through at pace. One lonely spoon left. Ho hum. When this buzz wears off I’m done for. Think of me when next you’re in Costa’s, Nero’s, Starbucks (or even Pret).
April 26th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Well now, this is perhaps the perfect opportunity to mention that we thought of you when we saw this featured in the Sunday Times Travel section on Sunday:
http://www.icone.co.uk/kitchen-coffee-pots/travel-set-for-preparing-espresso-coffee/alessi/richard-sapper/RS07SETUK/
For those too lazy to copy this and check out the site, it’s an espresso machine in a handy travel backpack. Airports would never be the same again, would they James? 🙂
When we win the lotto we shall be buying you this…
April 27th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I’d be happy to send you some if needed. Place your order 🙂
April 27th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
… and I’d be most grateful Mel. Don’t know what’s more interesting – that Alessi makes the gadget or that I’d happily use it in a crowded airport 🙂
Actually, I do know what’s more interesting …
April 28th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Yesterday we discovered Vida e Caffe. It’s smoother and lighter (if I wasn’t so desperate I’d just say weaker) but eminently drinkable. Crisis over for the moment.
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:53 am
Oh! Coffee crisis. And here we are drinking our Starbucks in utter abundance. Our delicious Cafe Verona freshly ground with copious amounts of half and half. You get the picture.
No, really, I feel for you…when I was in ZA, no good coffee to be had. It’s a wonder anyone in South Africa thought me remotely interesting without decent coffee in my system. What’s more, when coffee was to be had, they made me drink it out of a french press! Or worse: Nescafe.
I’ll send up a little prayer to the Saint of Coffee on your behalf.
May 2nd, 2007 at 12:09 pm
This is too much. I’m going to ask my coffee bean of a sister and brother-in-law to visit this site and explain how the perfect bean can be acquired and then presumably enjoyed, not only in South Africa but even in Cape Town. They have designs to become coffee roasters one day, so who am I to stand in the way of such an aromatic, dare one say narcotic, conversation? Who am I indeed.
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I would be forever in your debt … again …
May 4th, 2007 at 3:39 am
What are you talking about nephew???????? For the best, freshly roasted coffee in SA get yoursel down to Origin next to the Cape Quarter in Hudson Road. If you want prepacked, imported, roasted (and inferior by implication) try Giovannis in Somerset Road for all good things Italian.
There is also a boutique coffee supplier in Buitengragt before you reach Riebeek square and PnP at the Waterfront has freshly roasted coffee. Enjoy!!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
OK, OK. Lazy and desperate evidently. Thanks Barbi! I shall visit the fine establishments you’ve listed (not PnP then). There is something about the acrid pre-packaged pure Arabica taste of Lavazza that I’ve grown accustomed to. I sat next to an importer on the plane today who gave me some good (prepackaged) leads, but I can see where this is going: I’m going to have to get in touch with you about optimal grinding techniques Barbi.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Oh dear, now look what i have done. I can see that I am just going to lose touch with my family. We just won’t be speaking the same language. I thought Lavazza was a sort of caustic soda that you throw down the loo.
May 10th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
James,
Christmas may yet fall early this year. This all depends whether the transfer of 250g packs of ground coffee in foil packets is not stopped at customs with them thinking it is something else…
Mark
May 11th, 2007 at 9:48 am
You absolute star! Let’s hope they just sail on through. Thanks Mark.