El Paso: Coffee, Design, and Geography

French press, Gufo di Milano, El Paso, Texas. August 2016.

August 2016


My airbnb host recommended Gufo di Milano as a place to get good coffee. One day, while apartment hunting, I dropped in.

I ordered a coffee via French press. I did this because:

1. It tastes good. 
2. It reminds me of Prospero's in Tbilisi, where I passed many, many hours, usually with a large French press, because it was the most economical way for me to imbibe a large volume of coffee. (A French press also figured in to my experience in Longmont.)
3. I am frugal, and coming from a large family, volume is important.  

My airbnb host was right. The coffee was good. 

Cafe di Milano, El Paso, Texas. August 2016.

I had to squint and use my imagination a little bit to move beyond the parking lot when I looked out the window. But I savored the comforting Southwest colors of coral and orange spiny oyster and sand, in contrast with a brilliant blue sky.

If you look at the photo above, you can see one example of how El Paso incorporates its many geographical levels - the valley, laps, and peaks of the Franklin Mountains.