Italian Cafes.

OK, so it's been a while now.  But I think I can still describe what a  typical Italian Cafe is like.  They are certainly different from, say, a typical Korean coffee house.

Korean: Similar to American Cafes. Large, a number of tables, variety of coffees, variety of fare.

Italian: Small.  Narrow.  Few tables. Various coffees?  No. Various types of coffee.  Well, yes, I supposes.  Espresso.  Cafe Americano.  Double espresso. Maybe....something else.  But that's it.  They usually have only the traditional pastries that I've discussed before.

There was one cafe I would occasionally visit.  Very small and narrow.  And tables?  I recall maybe....three.  And that day, they were all taken.

Many of the cafes in Italy actually have a bar.  You know.  Like in a....bar?  But, all they have is coffee.  I would sit sipping my "giant" Cafe Americano while many Italians would order an espresso, down it in one or two gulps and boom!  they were out of there.

Well, this day I decided to use the bar.  There are no chairs at the bar. I ordered my coffee - my giant coffee and started drinking.

I recall how many Italians came and went in that entire time I was casually sipping my giant coffee.  Six?  Eight?  And here I was...still standing.

And then I just got tired of standing.  I started to fidget.  Put my weight on one foot.  Then switch to the other one.  I stood there for what seemed like 10 minutes.

And then I was finished.

I never drank at the bar ever again.

I should mention that many of the cafes have handmade Italian sodas.  I never had one. 

That would have required me to speak more Italian.