Monday, August 14, 2006

Starbucks-On-Sea


I'm back at Starbucks this time I think I ordered a white mocca chocolate something. I'm not sure what it is exactly but it tastes delicious. I read somewhere (in Freakonomics, I think) that there are literally thousands of ways you can order your coffee in a Starbucks. This is a huge step up from the way things used to be when I first came to Thessaloniki in 19.... well, lets just say it was AD.

In those days there were basically two choices to be had in virtually any cafe you went to. In winter it was either Greek coffee or Nescafe instant coffee. Whereas in summer you had a choice of either Greek coffee or Frappe (Nescafe instant coffee served ice cold).

For those wanting to live on the wild side you could, if you searched hard enough, find a place that served filter coffee; the height of urban sophistication. Then again, this was an era when spaghetti Bolognese was considered the last word in culinary adventurousness.


Still, the gorgeous view hasn't changed. As blogging spots go this has to be one of the nicest. I'm outside on the pavement watching the sun reflected off the Aegean which is about 15 metres away.

As it is a public holiday most of the inhabitants of the city have headed out of town to spend the long weekend on the beach, which is why I'm still here. I'll go when things have calmed down a bit.

3 comments:

Theodora Papapanagiotou said...

You think it has calmed down? I was at Tsimiski earlier and I couldn't believe that so many people remained in the city!!!
Have a nice holiday!

Mr. D'Onofrio said...

That is a beautiful vision you have put in my head. You're living the daydream that so many of us have--sitting in a cafe with the laptop, while creating.

I don't suppose there is any poetry being created? :)

teacher dude said...

Well, Dora, its not as chaotic as it usually is. Still, compared with the past when the whole city just shut down for August, I guess you're right.

Alas, Frank, no poetry. I don't have the wit for it.