Where is Café2U?

Some of my very long time readers might remember that a decade ago or so, I sometimes used to blog about Café2U. It was, it is, a franchise of coffee vans delivery coffee and other hot drinks at offices. We used to receive the visit of the van every few days, back in my old, old job. I mean the job I had between 2010 and 2017, so four employers' ago. I loved their very decadent hot chocolates and sometimes I treated myself with one cup of them (as I loathe coffee). Now that I work from home, I don't buy myself treats from coffee vans, but I see them sometimes around in the neighbourhood, going to the various business estates in our little town, while we are on the school run. But I haven't seen a Café2U van in a decade or so. I checked their website, and the company still exists. So where are the vans? If you know the business, if you once drank their coffee, or their chocolate, tell me in the comments.

Café2U is back! (for now)

Today I had a happy surprise in the morning: Café2U was back! I thought they had gone bankrupt. They had stopped coming more than a year ago, in July 2012. I had seen their vans after that when I was walking home, in the little town where I live, back in September or October 2012. That had been the last sight. Then thir morning, a little bit after 10, I get this mailer saying they were here. Sadly they didn't have the delicious chocolate cornetto they used to have, only plain croissants. So I had a hot chocolate as my Friday treat. Not as big as the one they used to make: there was no whipped cream or marshmallows. I think they learned from their mistakes and know they must be more efficient delivering their food and drinks. I hope this time they last, and thrive, because I love their little business and they are lovely people.

The coffee van is gone

I was expecting it, but not so soon. Last Wendnesday, when I bought a brownie at Café2U, I thought the van looked empty and there was barely any of my colleagues there. Today we learned about it in an email: a lack of demand means they are not going to show up anymore, not on mornings, not on afternoons. I am partially to blame, but I am kind of sad. I simply stopped having time, maybe I stopped taking the time, to go there and order something to treat myself. So no more fancy warm chocolate croissants for breakfast on a whim. No more brownies for dessert. No more hot chocolate with all the trimming (marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles) on cold mornings (and there are plenty of those, even now in July). No more impromptu Italian lessons. It is sad. When they first came, I was not even interested and I snubbed their free coffee. I have learned to appreciate them, because of the croissants, the hot chocolates, the staff and the bits of Italian. Well, now they are gone and the days will look a little bit more grey.

Wednesday treats

Wednesday is maybe the day I like least in a week. it is too... Too much in the middle of the week. It often feels bland, whatever the weather is, however busy or not I am at work. I treated myself today: right after lunch I bought a brownie from Café2U. I hadn't done such a thing in a while, mainly because I am always buried in work when the van comes (and it comes less and less these days). There was barely anything left in the van, but there was this brownie which was absolutely yum. I was glad I could buy something from the van, just because I think they are struggling. Which is sad, as every time I eat or drink something from them it is always enjoyable.

And tonight, I had as dessert blueberries. It is not quite the right season for them, not from my experience anyway. Where I come from, it starts at the end of July. Blueberries are a treat for many reasons: they are light enough for an evening treat, they are full of goodness, antioxidant and what have you, but they are also, and maybe it matters more than anything else, the emblematic fruit of my region. I blogged about it before. Anyway, it is fitting that a Blueberry eats blueberries.

Blue Wednesday? (And early post-Christmas blues)

Today I was back to work, after the shortest Christmas holidays I ever had in my life. There is alledgedly such a thing as a Blue Monday, the most dreadful day of the year, which I blogged about before. Going to work reluctantly today, I was wondering if there wasn't a Blue Wednesday. I am still not sure whether my day was good or bad.

It was certainly exhausting. I was overworked all day in a still sleepy and half empty office. And confort food wise, it was sorely disappointing: my favourite sandwich shop was still closed, so were many others, so I had to go to a convenience store to buy an overpriced but disgusting sandwich for lunch. I didn't have time to buy my morning hot chocolate at Café2U. At least I had a biscotti again, which somewhat cheered me up. I think most people, heck, the whole Western world, are still running on holiday mode, so the working people like me are out of phase. The trains are still running on holiday schedule, so I arrived to work late... On the plus side, like last Friday, the trains were almost empty. And the later train coming gave me plenty of time to read. But overall I felt that the Christmas holidays were too short. I know we have New Year soon (and then I have at least something to look forward to), but for me when new year comes, Christmas, the heart of the holidays and the part that I enjoy most, is already gone. So I already feel the post-Christmas blues.

Italian language and food (again)

I am blogging again about Italy, Italian language and about Italian food, my second English post in a row. Sometimes circumstances bring me to repeat myself... As for food related blog, for some reason I think there will be more to come. Anyway, I blogged before about the coffee van. It's proper name is Café2U and it seems that it is a fairly big franchise. At first, I thought it was not for me, as I dislike coffee. But they also serve hot chocolate and croissants, and they now also show up in the morning. Which means that as a treat (and extra breakfast), I have croissant and hot chocolate, when I have time to take a short break. I even took a loyalty card (why not, it's free?).

So this morning I went to Café2U to buy my hot chocolate (with whipped cream and marshmallows) and my chocolate croissant, which in French is called chocolatine, in English pain au chocolat (go figures)... I asked for a chocolatine, the employees did not udnerstand, so I said a pain au chocolat and while they gave it to me they said that it was in fact a cornetto. And I said my usual line: "Io parlo bene Italiano", etc. And one of the employees was Italian and we spoke a few words! In his mother tongue. I could only say a few words. Then he asked me if I was Italian or just Italian speaker. I am always flattered when one thinks I am Italian, especially when it is an authentic Italian. But sadly the illusion didn't last long. All the same, I will order in Italian next time.