After running errands first thing in the morning, I realized how badly I needed a cafe solo. Bar Milenio was on the path of all of the places that I needed to visit (the pharmacy, the fruit shop, the bakery), so I decided to pop in quickly to get my caffeine fix.
Your typical cafeteria or bar, it's not the most attractive of places, but they pull a good espresso and have more than two copies of the newspaper. It seems like the woman working at the bar knows all of the "regulars" - including the construction worker who orders a caña (a small beer) at 9am (that would just put me right back to sleep). 1.20 euro seems to be the market rate for a cafe solo in Santander (the University of Chicago economics student in me began to ponder if this was truly a stable equilibrium) and Bar Milenio charges the going rate. It was a fine stop for a coffee and to read the newspaper, where I learned about all of the wine festivals taking place in the city, for a few minutes. read more