International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Chamonix

[James]

This is the popular place for coffee…this is a large.

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Heh. I started losing my mind with French coffee and the quantities plus it’s basically espresso with hot water added or milk. I just wanted a freakin’ 16 oz cup of filtered coffee with some hot milk. Ok, I’ll settle for 10oz. Then 8.
You have to find a place that has filtre coffee. But beware, some think that’s a license to serve it lukewarm.

Vallee Blanche probably off the table because of weather (today, Sunday, Monday last days) talked to guide office this morning. Going to check with them tomorrow, but I’m catering to my daughter, so probably just not going to work out.

You know you can get a guided group snow shoe tour. I joined one. They drove us up near Les Houches and we tromped around. I did it because I only had a half day and the snow was rock hard.

 

[Tex]

Right now there is no snow lower elevation. At guide office yesterday I asked about crossing country skiing, they said it is not good because of this. Higher elevation snow is good tho, great coverage, and we got some fresh. I have not hit one rock.

We have 2 more days, 50% chance snow/rain today (Sunday), daughter wants to ski. Think we are gonna try La Tour area, we can catch bus right by our hotel. Tonight 100% of snow starting midnight through Monday morning, daughter plans on skipping last day, so might take a private powder lesson/guide, we will see how it goes.

 

[Tex]

Heh. I started losing my mind with French coffee and the quantities plus it’s basically espresso with hot water added or milk. I just wanted a freakin’ 16 oz cup of filtered coffee with some hot milk. Ok, I’ll settle for 10oz. Then 8.
You have to find a place that has filtre coffee. But beware, some think that’s a license to serve it lukewarm.

My hotel has coffee machine, I hit the button twice fills it to the top. 2 doubles and I’m ready to roll, it’s been working great. I went to Moody first day, and went again yesterday getting different skis. But looks like where the locals go, always a line. Then right across the street everyone gets in another line for pastry shop, looks like another local stop.

 

[Cheizz]

'Cafe Americano' basically means 'ruined coffee' here in Europe. And rightly so...

And what's with the buckets?

Anyway, back to your day-to-day report, @Tex

 

[Tex]

Yesterday, March 16th, was festive here, streets block, light shows, music, celebrating 100 years Olympics or something…

 

[Tex]

Anyway, back to your day-to-day report, @Tex

Sorry, I guess it’s getting tiresome.

 

[dbostedo]

Sorry, I guess it’s getting tiresome.

No, no... he just didn't want to distract from your day-to-day with too much coffee talk. Continue the day-to-day!

 

[fatbob]

My coffee snob friend has wired his van for a Nespresso machine rather than suffer French coffee. Not like Italy where a bit over 1 Euro gets you a top quality espresso wherever you want a hit.

 

[dbostedo]

Can't you get, like, a 12 or 16 ounce French press coffee in France? Or is that one of those things that is "French" like French fries or French dressing?

 

[SBrown]

Can't you get, like, a 12 or 16 ounce French press coffee in France? Or is that one of those things that is "French" like French fries or French dressing?

I'm pretty sure we used a press at our house for breakfast each day, but we only ordered cappucinos when out, so I don't even know how to answer that. I bought an insulated mug for the car as a souvenir (and to use while there), so I know I was able to make more than a couple ounces .

 

[Cheizz]

16 oz is 500 ml, right? What would you need a half-liter bucket of coffee for? It will be cold before you get halfway through that amount.

#puzzledeuropean

 

[dbostedo]

It will be cold before you get halfway through that amount.

Some options:

1) Drink faster
2) Go ahead and drink it lukewarm
3) Get a better insulated cup/mug

There is an extreme prevalence of insulated mugs/cups here in the US... I have several myself, like these, but there are a lot of popular brands:



I also don't mind mildy warm coffee (or tea), and like to drink it over a longer period of time... but that's just me.

 

[SBrown]

16 oz is 500 ml, right? What would you need a half-liter bucket of coffee for? It will be cold before you get halfway through that amount.

#puzzledeuropean

I actually agree, I only use the big insulated mugs when I am driving somewhere and need to take all the coffee with me. I prefer smaller cups because coffee stays warmer, but there are a ton of 16oz mugs sold in the US. Maybe for the fancy drinks that add other stuff too.

 

[Jwrags]

You could just not drink coffee

 

[James]

16 oz is 500 ml, right? What would you need a half-liter bucket of coffee for? It will be cold before you get halfway through that amount.

#puzzledeuropean

Nope. Do it all the time and I don’t like luke warm, though many people don’t care.
A Venti at Starbucks is 20 ounces = 592ml !

Cafe Americano is not American coffee. Only place that’ll have it has to have an espresso machine. It’s an extension of a Cafe Lungo just bigger.
American coffee is drip filter coffee, though even more American is percolated. But percolated has been out of favor for decades except in banquets and large settings.

Can't you get, like, a 12 or 16 ounce French press coffee in France? Or is that one of those things that is "French" like French fries or French dressing?

Basically not I think. That amount is kind of obscene it seems. French press- doubtful. Just too expensive. Cleaning etc. Though in some places you can get pour over or aeropress. But that’s in specialty coffee places.

I agree with @SBrown , a lot of times it’s just easier to order a cappuccino.

 

[BMC]

I’ve always just ordered espressos in France. Thats what they do there. Live like the locals and profite de la vie!

 

[Cheizz]

You could just not drink coffee

If all they have is a stupendous amount of drip stuff, that would be my strategy. I hardly ever drink coffee on ski trips. Just an espresso after Italian dinner. SO that amounts to 3 or 4 in the entire week.

 

[James]

Espresso just doesn’t work for drinking coffee while driving. Or doing anything else frankly. It’s just too quick.

Some years ago in Venice I used to go to this cafe run by two hipster women. On the third time I decide to speed things up. Instead of ordering a coffee, getting it and sitting down, then doing it over, I ordered all at once at the counter. So I ordered two espressos and two cappuccinos. She then asks, “ how many people is this for?” When I told her just me, she looked at me like I was nuts. But I didn’t want to go through the half hour process. Let’s get the assembly line running. The next day they just laughed. Good times.

I also liked to go to the train station in Venice and stand at the bar drinking cappucinos. Nice view to the canal. Because it was a train station I guess, they didn’t have a thing about serving cappuccino in the afternoon. I never paid attention to that.
That whole concept might have made sense before refrigeration, but it’s as dumb as continuing to make bread without salt because salt was taxed 500 years ago. Let’s move on people.

 

[Cheizz]

Honestly, I have never had a problem ordering a cappuccino in the afternoon. I'm not saying it's a myth, but most places I go to in Italy, they're used to tourists being tourists. What they think and say about me behind my back I don't know (or care).

What amazes me is the huge quantities of anything that Americans are used to and expect abroad as well. It's more of the general portion size thing than it is about coffee.

 

[BMC]

Honestly, I have never had a problem ordering a cappuccino in the afternoon. I'm not saying it's a myth, but most places I go to in Italy, they're used to tourists being tourists. What they think and say about me behind my back I don't know (or care).

What amazes me is the huge quantities of anything that Americans are used to and expect abroad as well. It's more of the general portion size thing than it is about coffee.

Same. Drink it when you like. No disrespect to Italians, but it’s definitely in the ridiculous arbitrary rule category.