** A 'fix' for my addiction **

One day this week whilst out running yet another appreciable series of errands somehow related to this great house ad-venture (that was a dramatic pause there...) of ours, the sun briefly broke through the grey rain of the day. I had just exited the metro at the top of the Champs Élysées and joined the throngs waiting at the crosswalk...as I waited for the merry green man telling me to 'aller' I glanced over my shoulder and had another one of those 'aaahhh' Paris moments. Fortunately for those of you following along with us here, I also am making it a habit to carry along my new best friend, 'lil Can (also known as my new Canon). Here's what I saw: aaahhh... The little green man bid me to hurry the hell across the road before being run over by the impatient french waiting to hurry to the next red light....

So off I went to my errand....visiting the new location of my dealer....the supplier of my 'fix' for what has become a true addiction. What is this that has brought down our good girl?...oh it is not just me, T too has succumbed...and worse then that we have brought our parents down the dirty path...my Dad's dependence is satisfied daily when visiting, and Mom-J went so far as to find a local east coast dealer AND has even brought the heavenly Dad-J into the sordid picture....he bought her the equipment to get a hit.. as a ...ha ha...Christmas present!! Just say no to drugs kids!!....alas, I could hear the angels start to sing as I approached 119 Champs Élysées... the door parted and I stepped into heaven...

The canaan of café, mecca of mocha, life everlasting for latté, empyrean of espresso....

Nespresso's Star Boutique, 1500 m2, two floors, circular, capsule-like staircase, private tasting room, café, barista bar, every make and model of machines...and now Club Members can even design their own coloured machine....shishi galore my friends. As a card carrying addict..err...member, I entered the member line, rattled off my colours to refill and as any other luxury consumer, took my black designer shopping bag (only available at the CE store!) and slowly sashayed up the stairs, stopping to admire the gold behind glass...

The trinkets and baubles on shelves as high as the eye could see. The sheer audacity of architecture all in an ode to the capsule. Or as my Dad says--it's the Gillette razor--in other words, sheer marketing genius, it's not the machine, or in his speak--the razor blade holder--but the refills that make the company the millions...refills I happily slurp down several times a day (and no, to answer your burning question, I am not writing this entry in a caffeinated frenzy).

I know many of you Starbuckophiles out there feel I have strayed, but this is for when we are in the privacy of our own home...that hit you need when you come staggering out from the bedroom with bed-head....or trudge through the day and need that little tasty pick-me-up....plus, just look at the cost savings.... 33cents for a coffee of café quality....more money for suuuuushi addiction or La Matta!!

I leave you with an image of the exclusive Café Nespresso set up in the cult of coffee headquarters....all coffee beverages created there for your tastebud titillation are re-creatable on your very own Nespresso machine, though I doubt any of you visiting will ever receive presentation such as this:

Sorry, but I am just a mere coffee drinking mortal! Well, after several technical blog issues it is time for me to go pack, what is to be the theme of our existence in the coming weeks...though it is not only for the move but a forced (I mean that in a good way!) holiday visiting my Papa & family in the zen setting of St. Lucia. Unfortunately our travel Nespresso maker will not be making the journey in it's handy travel case as the voltage in St. Lucia does not support...so T and I will have to care for one another as we go through withdrawal, I hear it is an ugly process ;) .....do pina coladas ease the pain??.... :o)