A relaxed start in Gallipoli
If you get off to a bad start in Italy, you’ve basically already lost the day.
If you start it properly, you’ll be standing at a bar at half past seven, drinking an espresso in two sips, and afterwards you’ll be a different person. An Italian morning isn’t just a routine. It’s a ritual.
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The bar as the beat-setter
In Italy, when you say ‘bar’, you’re not talking about alcohol – but the heart of the morning. This is where you bump into your neighbour, the paper boy, the bloke from the third floor. Nobody stays long. You stand, have a drink, have a quick chat, and leave. All this before eight o’clock, without any rush, without any noise. The bar sets the tone – and it’s surprisingly quiet. Outside, the city is waking up; inside, the machine is running; and somewhere between the first hiss of the espresso and the last bite of the cornetto, the course of the day is decided.
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The Cornetto
Softer than the French original, sweeter, lighter. Held in one hand, a coffee cup in the other. That was breakfast. No porridge, no avocado, no elaborate ritual. If you like, you can fill it with jam or cream. If you don’t, leave it empty. What matters isn’t the Cornetto itself – but the moment you eat it. Standing up, relaxed, with no plans for the next hour.
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The morning belongs to itself
In Germany, the day often begins on the way to work: a podcast in your ears, your mobile in your hand, a coffee to go. In Italy, it begins at the bar – and only there. When you drink your espresso, you drink your espresso. Not on the side. Not between two emails. The morning is given its own time.
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The Calma
That’s the part you can’t plan for. Calma is the state of mind that makes it all happen. No glances at your mobile, no to-do list in your head. The morning belongs to the morning. Whatever comes next, comes next. Fifteen minutes at the bar – and the day already feels different.
The sacred hour: the aperitivo
