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As I sit here sipping my morning coffee, I’m reminded that I leave for Spain in about two weeks. Neat, right? You bet. Am I getting excited? Absolutely. I’ve told lots of people that Spain is a country I never intended to visit, but when an opportunity came my way, I said yes and completely fell in love with the country. Mountains? Yep. Beaches? Some of the best. Good food? Oh yea. Nice people? Hard to find nicer folks anywhere. Interesting cities? Yes. Architecture? Yep. Easy public transportation? Check.
Gosh, with all these good things, what’s not to love about Spain? Well… If you’re accustomed to drinking multiple cups of coffee each morning (okay fine, throughout the day), I’m not sure Spain will satisfy this craving, or at least it doesn’t for me. I’ll explain.
Here in the US, we’re spoiled because we can find nearly any kind of coffee if you look hard enough. And even then, you really don’t need to look that hard, right? Honestly, travel to any sized city and you can’t throw a rock without hitting about four coffee shops. Disclaimer: don’t throw rocks in cities. In my experience, this isn’t always the case when I travel abroad. I’ll also point out this is descriptive of Europe in general, not just Spain.
First, I’m not a coffee snob. Sure, there are times when I’m picky with my beverages (wine, beer, whisky…the important things), but coffee isn’t one of them, at least not usually. I don’t buy the bulk-size red or blue cannisters of coffee that we’re all so familiar with in the US, but I also don’t gravitate toward the super expensive artisan stuff either. When I walk into a coffee shop, I’m easily overwhelmed and so usually defer to my usual: black, drip coffee. But even that is getting complicated: do I want brewed coffee or a pour over? Maybe French Pressed? Honestly, I don’t taste the difference, so give me the one that costs less. I know, I know…I can hear the disapproving gasps from here. *shrug*
Trouble is when I’m in Europe I can never find brewed coffee. Walk into any coffee shop and ask for a coffee. What do you get? Espresso. Don’t get me wrong: I like espresso and espresso-based drinks just fine. However, first thing in the morning I look for the familiar taste of simple brewed, black coffee. Remember: I’m not fancy. Instead, anytime I ask for a ‘coffee’ in Europe, what I most often receive is an Americano. For those who don’t know, an Americano is a shot (or two) of espresso diluted with hot water. Just so we’re on the same page, this is not the same thing as brewed coffee, even if it does look the same. Espresso, in my semi-educated opinion, has a darker roast and so is more bitter than most brewed coffees. Could I add sugar? Sure, but that’s…not the point.
For a while, I got in the habit of taking instant coffee with me on my long travels. Instant coffee?! Surely you’re joking. I know, I know: instant coffee has a terrible reputation. However, I’m happy to say some companies are starting to crack the code on this and are putting out some decent options. Are they as good as fresh brewed? Certainly not. But they can come in handy when all you need is hot water. Also, you’re able to find these in the US and, because they’re dehydrated, pack easily for your adventures. Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place is currently the best I’ve found.
Or you can learn to enjoy (okay, enjoy might be too generous a word) its stronger cousin while abroad. After all, when in Rome…
