On Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:41:17 -0400, Peter Hendra
wrote:


There were a lot of little cafes making great, strong and flavoursome
(eat your heart out Vic) espresso coffee with beautifully maintained
polished brass and copper machines dating back to the 1920's. The only
other non-alcoholic drink was good old Coca-Cola kept cool with ice.
Expectedly, both tasted divine.

I do miss the espressos I often had in coastal European towns when in
the Navy years ago. I suspect this is due to my youth at the time and
the ambience of the surroundings more than the coffee itself, or just
an entirely faulty memory. In any case, good espresso is available
nearby, but the experience would certainly not be Ethiopian.
Your Coke reference brings to mind some other experience that may be
useful to those in the tropics and not having ice available.
My boiler room was normally @ 110-120 degrees F. when steaming in the
daytime Caribbean.
We boilermen often stood near powered vents to gain comfort from the
cool 100 degree air forced in from the sunny outside decks.
I always (after my first cruise, that is) brought some cans of Coke on
cruises, kept in my boiler room locker, which would hold about 12
cans. They became quite valuable after a few weeks at sea, and I was
offered as much as $5 for a can.
My monthly salary was @ $90 then. Anyway, I never sold any, but did
give away a few.
Our method of cooling a can of soda in the boiler room was to wrap it
in a wet rag and place it in a vent. The strength of the air blowing
there was very strong. Maybe 30 knots. The rag was wetted as many
times as necessary to cool the soda. Repeated wetting only whetted
the appetite for the imminent treat.
Can't say exactly how cold it got the soda, but I'd estimate 70
degrees or less. Damn cold relatively speaking.
And in the case of cooling Coke in a Navy boiler room, I am a
relativist.
Whether this would work for tropical sailors I don't know.

--Vic