Tag: Italy

This Cup of Coffee

This cup of coffee, the morning cup is the “jewel of all coffees “..it has absolutely no match. It simply tastes different…forget the brew, forget the blend, it’s the whole experience…an experience one fails to recreate later on throughout the day; I’ve endeavored to duplicate it though…for a certain period of time I’ve been wondering with each sip of the magic brew whether it tasted as good as the earliest one only to admit the evident: regardless of the place, whether outdoor or indoor, sipping my first coffee in silence seems the most enjoyable mission . This recurrent daily small pleasure is one of the simplest and cheapest life enjoyment, it’s the ritual I look forward to when at night I close my eyes in bed , and despite the build up I’m never disappointed. It’s a selfish pleasure…no company needed…

One home requirement though: the mug…I stick to on specific style and it shouldn’t be heavy, absolutely not…who wants to do weight lifting  in the morning?!

However I have to admit, my morning coffee is not the crowned King of all beverages … I have another daily ritual: the afternoon tea …and that’s another love story.

Arabic coffee, at The Emirates Palace Hotel’s Beach tent, Abu Dhabi UAE– 7 December 2018

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Capuccino italiano, Hotel Villa d’Este Cernobbio, Lake Como, Italy ­– 15 July 2016

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Palace cappuccino sprinkled in real 24-carat gold flakes at Le Café,­ the Emirates Palace Hotel’s – Abu Dhabi UAE 24 April 2015

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Latte, historic Demel Konditorei (1786) ­Vienna Austria ­– 12 July 2016

 

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Mochachino Mzaar Intercontinental Kferzebian Lebanon ­– 26 December 2017

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Café liégeois Liège, Belgium ­–3 Septembre 2018

Café gourmand Champs-Élysées ­– 9 September 2018 & Butte aux Cailles ­– 8 September 2018 Paris, France ­

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Kopi Luwak AKA civet coffee Bali, Indonesia ­–20 August 2012

It includes partially digested coffee cherries eaten and defecated by the Asian civet. Coffee producers claim that this process improves the coffee due to the following:

⁃ selection as the civet choose to eat certain cherries only

⁃ digestion affects the composition of the coffee cherry

Although kopi luwak is a form of processing rather than a variety of coffee, it has been called one of the most expensive coffees in the world, with retail prices reaching US$700 per kg.

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Coffee with a spectacular view Hotel Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman ­– 13 October 2017

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Tent service “morning coffee” campsite between Paro and Thimphu, Bhutan ­– 11 October 2016

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“On cloud nine” coffee between London-Abu Dhabi, Airbus A380’s lounge Etihad Airways – 18 October 2018

Florence Syndrome in Venice

Grand Canal – 9 July 2016

It was late afternoon when we reached Venice. Despite my son’s fervent advice, we got around the “Gritti or Danieli “ dilemma by choosing the latter,closer to Piazza San Marco.

With the check-in routine done, it was time for “Mission: Discovery “. The moment I set my eyes on the piazza, I was so moved I was petrified. Gripped by a powerful emotion, I grasped my husband’s arm, unable to speak, unable to walk… I was mesmerized!! I was suddenly like one of the multiple columns that frame the piazza.

No city has ever had such an impact on me. There was something special in the air, the esthetics of the piazza? Its history? A combination of both?…I felt it strongly and I’m certain I embarrassed the hubby, clinging on to him in the center of the quasi-empty piazza for a good couple of minutes.

I only realized the next day, once I saw it swarming with legions of tourists – mostly disembarking from the cruise ships – how fortunate I was to discover it the day before…

Hidden under layers of visitors, it was a different Piazza, there was a different energy… no “special moment” material… Truly how lucky was I yesterday for being in the right place at the right time!!

I recently read an article which explained the emotions I felt in the Piazza that day … it is common between tourists, and has a name: Stendhal syndrome!“Stendhal’s syndrome, hyperkulturemia, or Florence syndrome is a psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing art. It is not listed as a recognised condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.The illness is associated with the French author Stendhal who described his experience with the phenomenon during his 1817 visit to Florence. It was only named in 1979, when the Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini observed more than 100 similar cases among tourists and visitors in Florence”

Although psychiatrists have long debated whether it really exists, its effects on some sufferers are serious enough for them to require treatment in hospital. The staff at Florence’s Santa Maria Nuova Hospital are accustomed to dealing with tourists suffering from dizzy spells and disorientation after admiring the statue of David, the masterpieces of the Uffizi Gallery and other treasures of the Tuscan city.

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Outside Peggy Guggenheim Collection – 10 July 2016

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From the Castello – 9 July 2016

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San Marco – 9 July 2016

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From the Castello – 9 July 2016

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San Polo – 9 July 2016

 

Wonders of the World

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// Part 3 of 7 //

As of May 2018:

63 countries

6 New Wonders of the World out of 7

I hope it’s not a pattern; Brazil has been on top of my bucket list for so long! I don’t want to visit 7 more countries before I get to see the 7th.

The Roman Colosseum, Italy – 24 July 1993

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Taj Mahal, India – 10 February 1998

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Petra, Jordan – 3 September 2001

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Great Wall of China –2 September 2011

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Machu Picchu, Peru – 26 October 2011

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Chichen Itza, Mexico – 7 May 2018

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The Great Pyramid of Giza Egypt – 7 December 2016    Why?

Somehow I feel it belongs… I just couldn’t rule out of my “Wonders’ List” the oldest and only vestige – remarkably quasi intact – from the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World !