Post by Grubb.
This morning I thought I’d go next door to the coffee shop/bakery and bring back a cappuccino (my third) to enjoy on the patio outside the back of our apartment. Again, to demonstrate the trusting nature of this inner-city neighborhood, I was allowed to take the ceramic cup of cappuccino with me since it was naturally assumed I, a total stranger, would return it.
In Spain I got sick and stayed in our BnB the whole day. Wynette went to the cafe across the street to get me a cafe con leche. They were a little reluctant to let her take the ceramic cup but on hearing her husband was sick in bed, but still craving coffee, they let her take the cup. Both high-trust societies but it sounds like the Dutch are a bit higher-trust.
I wonder if the etiquette is to bring back the cup washed or dirty. Though I imagine it would have to be rewashed for health and safety reasons.
This reminded me of a story I read in the New York Times (I think) about a Danish couple who were visiting New York. I don’t know if they were arrested, or just cautioned, but the reason for the arrest/caution was that they left their pram with a sleeping baby outside of a cafe when they went inside to have a coffee. They were charged with child neglect. They said that in Denmark it is completely normal to leave a pram with a sleeping baby outside a cafe. Talk about trust. (Okay, Ella, keep a watch out for this. This story was reported some time ago; I wonder if things have changed.)
Wow! I was in Copenhagen 7 years ago but don’t remember seeing anything like that. But of course, I wouldn’t have been peering into parked prams.
…and a beautiful heart of foam to boot!!!!!
Definitely!
Actually, I don’t think it was that they didn’t want me to take the ceramic cup (story Charlie was talking about), It was just that in general they didn’t offer coffee to go. But then when I told them that it was for my sick husband across the street they made the cup for him. When I expressed surprise when they handed me the coffee in a regular ceramic coffee cup and questioned whether it was okay to take it, they I just shooed me on with it. I’m pretty sure I washed it before returning it. 😊