I'll be working remotely this month. ;)

I can't afford to take a month off from work. When you're a freelancer, you don't have back up. But that's fine with me because I like to work and don't like the beach! Or long hot dry summer days with no purpose. Things with my two main clients were a little slow this July, but there were enough small things popping up throughout the month that I had enough industry in my life to enjoy my down time. It's a fine balance for me.

Internet service is expensive in Italy, so I set up shop in coffee shops with wi-fi protected passwords. I'm thankful my laptop remembers the passwords—even from one year to the next!—so no time lost asking for it. These are my favorite haunts, each with their own uniqueness and personality. I move around a lot to not overstay my welcome. Sometimes 11 to 3 in one, 3:30 to 6 in another.

I also drink a lot of cappuccino—which is a gauche move after 11 am in Italy. Espresso is fine, but not coffee with milk. Here's what I found out about this. FASCINATING. I've excerpted a bit, but there's much more to learn about the subject on this site, which I credit for this info:

The site: http://italyexplained.com/cappuccino-history-rules/


Now to get to the root of the admonition that you never order a cappuccino after 11am.

The main thing to understand is that this has nothing to do with the cappuccino, and everything to do with milk.

Italians, you see, are obsessed with digestion. They think about it a lot. It’s not a taboo topic, and in fact is the subject of many, many commercials on Italian TV. Browse the yogurt aisle of any Italian grocery store to see how many containers promote themselves as digestive aids. (Remember Activia? It’s still a big deal in Italy.)

Consuming milk after a meal, Italians believe, will totally screw up your digestion. And since that’s not something they are wont to do, they avoid milk when eating. Breakfast doesn’t count, because Italian breakfast typically consists of a coffee drink and a pastry and that’s it. If your coffee drink of choice is a cappuccino, then the milk is sort of part of the meal in that case.

Back to my haunts.

Closest to my apartment is Caffe San Sisto. Mother and son seem to run it.

I love this guy because he pretty much ignores me (in a good way—lets me just hang) and sings along to a top 40 station. He's a content guy. I have six presets on the car radio but none seem as perfect as this station, so I finally asked him and he said it's Subasio. I had that on my presets already!

I tend to start with cappuccino, but if I'm in for the long haul, I later have a Coke Zero (aka Diet Coke).

There's a loft space where I used to go when Owen was with me last summer. It's harder to hang there alone because the bathroom is two flights down and it's a little too far to go since I often leave my laptop on the table.

Another plus about San Sisto is that many of the tables are next to outlets where I can plug in when/if my laptop runs low.

Next up is a new place (used to be a men's clothing store) called Amaris. Really special spot and the folks who run it are very sweet. It's new and super clean. Apparently it's all natural or microbiotic or something, which effects me not at all, but once Fred joined me at the end of an afternoon for a drink and the beers were all totally obscure. Good, but obscure.

Here's Amaris from the outside. Quite grand.

And this is where I often sit. Not totally outside (sun makes it hard to see my screen), but outside enough to catch a breeze and feel like I am.

This is the inside where I sit if I need to charge up.

 Plugging in!

Next up is an old sort of majestic place—structurally, anyway, not so much in decor. It was once a hotel.

Here it is from the outside. It's called Caffe Grandori and is located in a prominent piazza—Piazza della Rocca. It's pretty quiet during the day, but at 6 pm the music cranks and all the little free appetizers come out—along with the people. We've been known to make a dinner out of the free stuff they give you with a drink at the end of the day. Some spreads are incredible.

Here's the inside. But an equal if not larger amount of space is available for seating outdoors in front.

I sit indoors if I need to charge, but if I don't, and there's a table available in the shade, I'll sit outside.
Check out the lamp. I might do a series next year of lighting fixtures in bars. It's fertile territory!

The big piazza outside has a fountain. Viterbo is actually known for its many fountains—"The City of Fountains," in fact. There were once 99 fountains in Viterbo! For more on that subject:  http://www.elegantetruria.com/travel/the-fountains-of-viterbo/

And here's where I plug in! Phone AND laptop on this day!

Next, a small place on another important piazza—Piazza delle Plebiscito, Piazza of the People. This piazza is dominated by a huge clock tower and a palace, which now houses the government offices. For some reason, there are always a ton of students in this particular place. I don't know why because it's not very big. My photos of this one came out pretty bad, but here they are anyway.  It's called Caffe Centrale. The first photo is not mine—credits to someone named Torben Mauch. 

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And finally, the Glitter Cafe! Really lacking in character, in a little strip mall, but a great place to hang if the store or car rental shop that SAY they open back up at 3:30 don't really do so until about 4:05. Good wifi. Big tables. Always room. Pleasant staff.  

Note the lighting fixture. 

And finally, BURBACA!  This place is named for BURgers, BAkery, and CAfe. It's new. Just opened last year. And here's my deal with this place. It's REALLY great but is totally American, so I feel kind of like an idiot hanging out there! The menu is in English and is almost verbatim a Starbucks menu. The interior has blackboard menus with specials... easy chairs.. everything you'd expect in the States. So, I limit my time here because it's a bit too familiar, albeit GREAT.

Case in point: the cappuccino:

And this! this is an iced coffee!!!  Delicious but totally regretted it and wished I had an ice cream instead....

And this is a latte. <3

This was my "cafe" one day :) Lago di Bolsena in Capodimonte.

Those are my go-to cafes in Italy. I am grateful for all they've done for me over the years—free access to the internet, shelter from the heat, great cappucino, Coke Zero, orange juice—even the occasional prosecco—and, of course, top 40 hits.