Friday 23 March 2012

Bad start to the (ice cream) season

You may recall that I was a little bit giddy at the prospect of ice-cream season in Berlin. The season kicked off yesterday, so of course Vicky and I were down there that evening. 

It didn't go as well as planned.

Although my German can only generously be called 'inconsistent', I'm pretty sure that I asked for two bowls ('zweimal becher'): one with pistachio ice-cream and one with coffee ice-cream. The lovable old geezer behind the counter promptly dished up one bowl with one scoop of pistachio and one scoop of coffee. He then asked if we wanted anything else and I asked for the same again ('das gleich'), thinking Vicky and I could swap them halfway. He promptly turned around and rang up a charge for one bowl on the cash register.

Hmpf. 'Pampered' between 1 and 7 indeed! I wasn't even offered a balloon, like so many joy-filled, selfish children swarming all about the place. 

Thankfully, I got the bowls and flavours right. If we'd been served up a glutenous cone with scoops of banana, well, I don't know what would have happened. I'd probably still be in the shame spiral. 

It was delicious, at least, if inefficient to share. They also have intriguing flavours on offer like dukkah ice-cream, so there's no doubt we'll be back. It'll just be at a time when there is no lengthy queue behind me and I have a dictionary in one hand and courage in the other.

Until then, it's back to nearby crepestation where we always get our matcha lattes just the way we like 'em. Why, there, they don't even mind if you say 'yes' when they ask if you'd like any sugar and you spin on your heels and walk out without taking any sugar. I love those guys. They deserve an extra-large 'patience with idiot foreigners' tip. 

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