Don't forget about the super secret hidden in plain view search button. The oracle of knowledge will reward you with the answers to your questions.

And welcome both radish_beans (love that name) and Michael. I think you would be surprised to know how many of us work in IT during the day.

Hi home baristas. Hopefully I caught your attention with this blatant plugging of a well-known entity, but the true intent is to introduce myself as new HB forum participant. I've been leeching on the site for quite a while, but only recently registered, in an attempt of, perhaps, from time to time, be a contributory factor in a minor part of the discussions.

I live in Belgium, weatherwise quite wet but, in respect of coffee expertise, not much more than a barren desert, some or other welcome oasis excepted. Whilst some other, less distinguished leading figures have qualified us as "the chocolate makers", the "coffee" phenomenon in my country is being described in another (European) coffee forum as "a place where blue-haired ladies spend an afternoon sipping weak coffee". Just about right, that is.

Well. I was first inspired by "good" coffee in the sixties, in Mexico: café con leche. In later years, I found the coffee in Spain equally good, it's also called "café con leche" and that's what I make at home: yes, the Latin milk drink. Not to be confused with anything Italian: their latte is too weak (too much milk), the cappuchino is "different" (too much cream) and, quite frankly, I don't know what I would, to resemble "café con leche", order in Italy. Probably just stick to ristretto, or perhaps macchiato e latte caldo (or something like that). Since this post is getting too long, well, tomorrow 07:00 my good wife and myself take off from the airport, destination ROMA, Italia. La Tazza d'Oro! (remember, jealousy is a sin, homes!)

Arrivederci, bambini!
Paul

P.S. The "low intensity" restoration of my just-bought second-hand La Cimbali Junior D/1 will have to wait a week...