Coffee with Goethe

"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Well my German odyssey has come to a close. Only an agonising long-haul flight between me and divine caffe lattes in my home town of Lismore in northern NSW. But before I depart I must give it one more shot. Arriving 3 hours early at Frankfurt airport - there was no way I was going to risk missing my flight and be stranded in the land of the macchiato latte - I pulled up my stool at the only alluring cafe at Frankfurt airport, the Goethe Bar. A cafe named after Frankfurt's prized literary genius and philosopher, who frequented the early coffee houses of Europe with other great thinkers of the Enlightenment, would have to turn out decent coffee and I was ready to give it one last try.
Surrounded by locals drinking large glasses of beer and consuming plates of bratwurst and sauerkraut at 9am, I happily placed my order. Having sworn never again to be lured by the macchiato latte, I went for the safer option - a cappuccino.
With dreams and images of luscious lattes swirling in front of me, I sat back and waited. Then it arrived. Slapped down on the counter by a jolly waitress, was a receptacle that looked like it had been dragged straight from Goethe's crockery cupboard. It was a cup with that time-worn look, dotted with a motif of Goethe's head and bust. This was sitting on an equally time-ravaged looking saucer complete with coffee slops. The coffee had that aerated look with a few meagre sprinklings of chocolate dust on top. I immediately reached into my bag for camera and pen to record this vision from Goethe's kitchen and by the time I resurfaced a miracle had occured. Half of my cappuccino had disappeared. The milk had been so aerated that it had literally evaporated and left me with half a cup of thin watery espresso. Let's hope the coffee was better in Goethe's day. So there my trip ended with me, Goethe and the mystery of the vanishing cappuccino!

marshmallows and macchiatos in Mainz

I saw the culprit at breakfast this morning at my hotel in Mainz - the long life milk carton sitting next to the instant coffee jar. This would explain the strange taste of the lattes I have endured. I have arrived in Mainz after a most enjoyable boat cruise along the Rhine River from Koblenz. After my bad coffee experience at breakfast I was well and truly ready for a shot of espresso so I hit the pavements. I wandered down to the picturesque old town of Mainz and came upon it - a Lavazza coffee sign over a small espresso bar. In I went and perched up on a stool and perused the coffee selections. There it was again. It was either a small macchiato or yes, a macchiato latte. Ha! I wasn't going to be fooled this time.
I ordered the small variety and thought well at least I will get a shot of Lavazza espresso. The macchiato came in a cute Lavazza glass and was just what I needed, if a little bitter. Dogs are everywhere in Germany and here was no exception. There were two giant Golden Retrievers spread out and snoozing taking up much of the floor space!
Being in no hurry I did some further surveillance and noted that the latte glasses on top of the coffee machine were not as huge as those I'd encountered so yes dear reader, I was drawn again to try the macchiato latte!
The picture says it all. This was another example of the Marshmallow Latte. I note the coffee is always poured from a metal jug and added to the milk and the result...A mountainous eruption of foaming milk over the top of the glass that clings to the nose and upper lip and a small layer of bitter espresso beneath. Well I am beaten. The macchiato latte had seduced me yet again and I was the one who came off second best. Never Again!
I fly back to Australia tomorrow. Needless to say, a decent caffe latte will be high on my list of priorities!

Coffee Classico!

Sitting up to my morning caffe latte at the Hotel Classico where I have been staying in Bremen, Germany. This morning I am in rapture having been to Maria Farantouri's concert at St Stephani Church. It was a stupendous event and well worth crossing the seas to be there. She sang a host of Theodorakis classics and other moving ballads. She was in fine form and received standing ovations from a packed house. She is a true Greek Diva. I even got to meet her after the show. Sublime!

Coincidentally the Hotel Classico where I am staying in Bremen is owned by a Greek man who has decorated the rooms and restaurant, where I am having my morning latte, in Greek themes. My room is the Saloniki room and is adorned with photos from the owner's beloved homeland. The restaurant has an up-market Greek kitsch feel with Greek columns and large gold framed mirrors and classical Greek wall murals. So I am having a very Greek-German cross-cultural experience!

And the latte...well that sort of fits in as well. As you can see from the image, it is certainly as tall as a Greek pillar and its multi-layers are also reminiscent of the stone segments of the pillars of the ancient Greek temples. I've learned that if you give this creation a stir, you can then taste the espresso which is reasonably palatable and certainly beats the macchiato latte.

So my stay here in Bremen has had the perfect blend. Greek music, Greek Divas and the Greek Pillar Latte at the Hotel Classico!

Macchiato Latte? Bremen Germany

Just got off a very fast train from Frankfurt to Bremen. Having spent 4 hours being jet propelled across Germany I was well and truly ready for a latte by the time my feet hit solid ground. Inside the large Bremen central station arrival hall I saw a vision - a familiar red and black Segafredo sign. Now having had this brand of espresso back home and found it quite palatable I thought I may have found it...I had learnt from a helpful waitress in Frankfurt that what I needed to ask for was a macchiato latte to get what I would normally call a caffe latte, so with confidence and my wheely case in tow I strode up to the counter and placed my order. Then I waited and watched...Down came the tall parfait glass,not a good start, this was then filled to the brim with hot milk. But wait I thought, "Where's the room for the espresso?" Then it came, a tiny metal jug from which was poured a few tiny drops of espresso which did little but add a tiny stain to the milk. So there it was - the macchiato latte...my search for a decent caffe latte continues. As you can see from the image the drops of coffee finally settled in the bottom of the glass, leaving a 4cm layer of white scorched foam on top.
When the coast was clear I made a dash and came upon this jolly group of town musicians who had journeyed to Bremen in search of a better life. My spirits instantly lifted and I decided not to be beaten by the macchiato latte.

Caffeppuccino, Frankfurt

Well I didn't know myself until a week ago that I would be reporting on my next caffe latte experiences from Frankfurt, Germany. I was drawn to fly to Germany on a spontaneous whim to accept an invitation to a concert by the stupendous Greek diva Maria Farantouri. The concert is in Bremen on Oct 1st. It marks the 85th birthday of Mikis Theodorakis, the famous Greek composer whose works Maria will perform, as well as the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Germany - so quite an event and I will be there! Attending a concert in a foreign land is, more importantly, an opportunity for me to explore the local caffe latte scene. Having just stumbled off the plane today after a long haul flight from Australia, I checked into my hotel in a rather dubious but convenient location near Frankfurt's main train station. I then went on what I thought could be an overly ambitious search for an espresso coffee to help me through my jet lag. But to my joy and surprise, I turned the first corner and there it was - Caffeppuccino - an authentic Italian espresso bar. It had that true espresso bar feel of no comfort to discourage malingerers - high stools and benches. This latte came served in a tall glass, with a decorative coffee bean motif and a tall spoon. It was therefore a weaker style latte but made from a satisfying rich espresso. Unfortunately the whole taste was spoiled by the milk which had that strange long-life feel to it. All was forgiven, however. I got my espresso hit and a great panini to go with it and all just around the corner from my hotel...