Cappuccino at the Milan Airport
After trying my best to sleep on the long flight from NY, I knew I’d need some caffeine for the last leg of the trip to Rome. I stopped on my way to my connecting flight at the Milan airport for a quick cappuccino.
Unlike every other airport I’ve been to before, this coffee was not “to go”. It was served in a ceramic cup. Like all the Italians at the coffee bar, I stood at the bar, sipped my cappuccino. Slowly. What a treat that cappuccino was. When you stop moving your feet and stay in one place, you actually really appreciate your drink.
Most Americans drink their jumbo coffee drinks in paper or plastic cups. Fast. Often in motion while walking or driving somewhere. How different it can be to stay in one place, just for a few minutes and actually be with your coffee. This cup was smaller than the “tall” size at my local Starbucks and oh so much more satisfying than any cappuccino I’ve had to drink at home.
While sipping my drink, I watched the staff collect the empty ceramic cups and load their super speedy wash machines. There were no over flowing garbage bins filled with paper cups. Less trees destroyed to make paper cups that are used just once. This system has got to be better for the environment.
I’m looking forward to more cappuccinos in the days ahead.
Amen. There is something so refined about the way Europe treats the coffee ritual. I am amazed at how excellent the quality is no matter the location. It could be at a bus terminal or at a restaurant, the quality of the coffee making process is always consistent and delicious. And I love the attitude of always having the time to stop and enjoy the coffee, no such thing as “to go”!
At an outdoor arts fair along the river in Frankfurt in 2007, we bought plates of food from different booths: Indian, Moroccan, etc. We paid a deposit on the plates (they were ceramic). Same with a real glass for wine or beer. After our meal, we returned the dishware to the respective vendors to get our money back.
we stayed for hours, with live music, performances and fireworks. And after we ambled through the park and streets with no sign of a street party’s waste in sight.
This is the way it’s done in countries with no real estate for garbage.