In the lands of the coffee, from the book, Searching for treasures
Queretaro Historical Center, Queretaro, Mexico
The next day, he got out of bed early and full of energy. After indulging in a refreshing shower which he appreciated immensely, he went back to the Fonda Paisa for breakfast and found Doña Juli waiting for him with a warm smile on her face.
“So, how have you fared with your visit to Marsella. Is the gentleman content with his stay?” she asked in the kindest of tones.
The traveler answered good-naturedly:
“Yes, I am most happy to be here! Yesterday, I enjoyed this quite interesting international walk-around. It was certainly a success, I may add.”
“How can that be?” Doña Juli asked, “If the gentleman went on an international bout, how is it there he’s here, in the neighborhood, this wonderful morning?”
“Well, allow me to explain how this can be,” he answered, warming up to the restaurant’s owner’s kind disposition.
“Yesterday I left Marsella, and I walked down the road until eventually reaching Venecia, all this on foot and only in a few hours. If I had done this in Europe, it would have taken days to complete the same trip. Now, I am convinced that if I write back home and tell this, they will never believe me!” he answered, his face beaming.
“Mrs. Juli, besides the breakfast, which by the way, is the best in its kind, would it somehow be possible to have some coffee, or do you only offer chocolate? He asked with a bit of concern.
“Thank you, as you say, I offer you the best breakfast you can find in town, but also, I include the best chocolate in the region. In this coffee-town, you can find high-quality coffee in many places, but the chocolate I have, you can only find here. Or am I wrong?”
Grudgingly, he had to accept that she was right, but Jean Marie also cheered up as he remembered the delicate taste of the steaming, hot drink.