Sitting on the large plaza a few days ago while watching another parade walk by made be consider how things have changed in the few years we have been around. Also how little things have not....This one was headed first by a gaggle of snare drums followed by a flock of 7 to 8 year olds, all dressed up in their school uniforms followed by more older children holding signs advocating "Saving Water" or something like that, I was unable to focus as the signs were bouncing sideways not allowing my eyes to focus on exactly what it was.
Well, seems like there is always some kind of parade around the plaza. At least once a week, traffic is stunned for about 5 minutes while the flock passes on their way to the smaller plaza then back and it's all over.
Sipping my "Fuerte Cafe" made me think of how the coffee situation has changed in the years that I have been doing this coffee thing.
At first there was only one or two places around the plaza that offered coffee, and it was pretty awful at that.
When people describe dishwater, that would have been pretty close, it was a little darker and had almost a faint taste of the roasted bean.
Weak, thin, light, I don't know of how else to describe it.
Now at my usual place they bring me my strong coffee, immediately when they see me sit down.
The waiter there seem to have great people and sever skills or maybe they equated decent service with a decent tip.
I also see more industrial coffee machines strewn about the restaurants and cafes then there were at first......nice to know strong black coffee has finally come to town.
Now if I could only get the Italian or Espresso roast beans here, I would be satiated.
I did bring my own coffee roasting machine and occasional I will find green coffee beans which allows me to stink up the house with burning beans.......
But then I have my dark roast.
I wonder what the future years will bring to the Grande plaza? We got a Oxxo store about 2 years ago, maybe a Starbucks.......yeah that's it!
I know Felipe likes that kind of progress, but since he is part of the cafe syndicate on the plaza I doubt he will support that one........maybe , maybe not!
3 comments:
If a cup contains caffeine, that´s good enough for me. I´m no effete snob.
Actually, there are four Oxxo stores now in Pátz. For those over the border, think 7-Eleven. You´d never know the difference. Oxxo is a Mexican chain.
Aside from not being a coffee snob, I would like to see a Starbucks here. They have nice places to sit, and it would irritate many of the local Gringos, just seeing it, and that would make me smile.
The Starbucks in San Miguel is spectacular.
I remember when the first Oxxo opened here on the outskirts of town, near me, actually. Oh, the indignation of the Gringos. Now, two of the four Oxxos are directly downtown, but you would not even know what they are unless you were directly in the door. They fit in fine, appearance-wise.
Oxxo is nice especially on the road, since getting something fresher than the dark, dimly lit roadside bodega is a crapshoot.
I would love a Starbucks here too,I frequent the one across from Sears in Morelia and it is a great comfortable spot to sit and gossip or check whats going on. It would probably promote some professionalism in the square (?) probably not.
Actually, OXXO makes a pretty good cup of coffee, and it's cheap enough.
But as to Starbucks, the one in Morelia on Camelinas is passable, but the one on Enrique Ramírez, with two levels, is extra nice. Usually, you can get a decent cup of coffee at Starbucks, but there's just one pulga in the unguento.
Paper cups. Coffee never tastes as good when served in a paper cup as in a china cup.
That's why Starbucks or Lillian's for me will never replace the Gran Hotel cafe or La Surtidora or Felipe's sister-in-law's place for coffee. (And, by the way, the cups at sis in law's are the nicest of those around the Plaza Grande.)
Constantino; Cafe Europa in Morelia carries a Café Tueste Italiano, suitable for your espresso.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
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