Los Cafés

After only one day here in Segovia, our group made a special pact. Pinkies crossed, we promised never to enter one café or pastelería more than once. This way we would be able to sample the delicacies of every pastry shop in Segovia. But only if it were that easy. Here, it is nearly impossible to walk a couple hundred feet without passing a coffee bar of some sort. And given the weather, we have tasted sweet treats from already over a dozen Segovian eateries. To do so is almost irresistible. Because as you open those glass doors to the new world behind them, something magical happens.

As the air circles around you with the closing door, the bold aroma of coffee beans wafts up to your nose at the same time your eyes reflect the images of tiny squares of chocolate filled pastry dough and kiwi topped tarts. For a second it feels as if, maybe, you have already arrived at heaven before you knew you were dead, until you realize that you have to choose which one you want. Most often, we order tea, coffee, or cappuccino, but on those special occasions, we drink chocolate caliente. Much different than your average ski mountain chalet hot chocolate, the Spanish serve their chocolate thick and rich. Rather than adding chocolate to milk or water, they add hot milk to a steaming cup of what is as thick as a melted bar of fudge. And if the chocolate was not enough of a deadly sin, the desserts are to die for.

Multiple glass counters containing three or more shelves of treats line the edges of the room like garland on a Christmas tree. A favorite of Cassie's are mantecados, one of Segovia's specialties. These traditional crumb cakes appear to be just a typical cookie but your mouth will tell you other wise. Light and full of flavor, the sweet delights melt in your mouth just like a snowball in your bare hand. Ricardo praises the polvorones, or almond cookies whose rich insides dissolve around the almond slices on your tongue. Mazapán is served in layered squares alternating flavored custard with marzipan almond paste for a fiesta of flavors. My favorite are the chocolate filled waffle cones so small they can fit in the palm of my hand and so good they are gone before I leave the store. And of course, Spain's famous flan, a vanilla egg custard topped with caramel sauce, is served in a variety of flavors that all come in single portions.

Although every café we go to is unique, and we have experimented with a wide variety of Spanish delicacies, every establishment we have been to has had one thing in common: an atmosphere conducive to and reminiscent of a love for conversation. Of course the treats are positively delightful and hot tea sure hits the spot in this cold rain, but I could never remember what exactly I had purchased at each store. But none of that really matters to me, because the memories I will keep forever, are the words and laughs that flow out of our mouths and into our ears, a cycle that has built a stronger friendship with every café we visit.