Look ma, no hand(le)s!
Ms Mac tweeted : "I remember when we first moved here and saw people drinking coffee from bowls- we thought it was terribly exotic!"
Fact : the French (and some other Europeans) often drink their breakfast coffee out of bowls instead of cups or mugs. You won't see the bol de café very often in restaurants in France, but it certainly exists in many French homes.
Sure, it gives more space in which to dunk your brioche (and potentially fish out bits if you've left it in there for too long), and I know it's a great French tradition... but the whole lack of handle thing bothers my anglo-saxon roots tremendously. It's just awkward to pick up and hold a bowl - I'm always scared it's going to slip out of my fingers. And it kindof feels impolite - I'm sure if my gran saw me pick up a bowl and drink coffee out of it she'd growl at me for it.
Luckily, my mother-in-law (who is used to my sensibilities about such things) puts out mugs with handles for my breakfast.
brioche = sweet bun
bol de café
ps. The Muffin Man, a big fan of the bol de café, wanted me to mention that his preferred item for dunking in his morning bol de café is a chunk of baguette smothered in butter and jam.
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In your Tourist Tips, you discuss shopping outside the shops. Here is a website that you will find interesting: http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisiens/Portal.lut?page_id=5675&document_type_id=5&document_id=10926&portlet_id=12148
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Oh my - the French and Italians are sometimes so much alike. that is EXACTLY what my husband loves for breakfast. well, he could eat it at every meal honestly, and sometimes does!
I'm with you on the bowl. doesn't feel polite at all...