How much does food figure into your travel memories?

I can remember places vividly by the food and drink I’ve had. And with my recent miniature series, those delicious memories have inspired my art-making too! Like these two coffee memories and new paintings.

Rome, December 2018: 

The morning plan was to take in the Capitoline Museum, two buildings exhibiting Rome’s art and archeological treasures – at least a 2-hour visit if you do it fast. My husband suggests a museum trip like this requires physical preparation, specifically in the form of caffeine.

Luckily Caffè Roscioli is only few blocks away so we stop in for a quick coffee. We place our coffee order and go over to the counter-bar to await our drinks. The bar is a thing of beauty – a flat clear display case housing every known Italian pastry! The cappuccino cups arrive (things of beauty too). We play a short game of “Identify The Pastry”, short because Carb Resistance is futile! A flaky cornetto or two are promptly ordered and dunked piece by piece into the creamy coffee.

I believe we prepared for our museum visit in the true Roman way!

Coffee In Rome – 2.5″x2.5″ ink and watercolour

Formia, 1.5 hours south of Rome, May 2015:

Very early morning. Small Italian town. Train station.

With lots of time to spare, my friend suggests we have a coffee before our 5-hour train ride to Calabria. With no other nearby café choices and with expectations low, we go into the only restaurant in the station and order cappuccino.

This is what the barista brings to our table! Sunshine! Starburst! Sunflower!

Coffee In Formia – 2.5″ x 2.5″ ink and watercolour

Our jaws drop! And it tastes as good as it looks! Underestimated you, Formia! It won’t happen again.

One or all of the “Italian Coffee” series are now available to acquire here.