Breakfast in Italy

I like to rent apartments when I am traveling in Europe. The reasons are many fold. When I traveled more extensively with my children, it was a must. We didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids in a room on their own when they we're little, so an apartment afforded the ability to be in one space but to have more personal space, and to be able to feed them as needed without having to find an appropriate eatery. A huge plus. We have all enjoyed our time in apartments, so much so that when I have traveled with my spouse in recent years we have considered whether an apartment made sense. If we are staying several days in a city, that is our first choice. One of the hidden pluses of apartment living in Europe is that there is not a breakfast included. We are incapable of skipping a European breakfast if it is offered. We love the pou pourri of options, from fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, Bread and cheese, and when salamis are a specialty of the country, we cannot resist them. While this all sounds like a plus, eating a big breakfast significantly impairs our ability to have lunch, which is a terrible shame in a country where the cuisine is one of the reasons to visit. But every once in a while one needs a small amount of sustenance in the wee mornings hours. Especially when lunch time is pushed back into the mid-afternoon. In Italy, where the food at lunch and dinner is routinely spectacular, there are also cafes on every block that serve enticing pastries and espressos. At a terrific price. My cafe latte and rice pudding tart were a mere two Euros, and so delicious.