Early-bird surf session in Caparica and espresso
6:45 a.m., the alarm goes off. It's dark outside and I'm lying in my bus. It's damn warm and cozy here under my blanket. Actually, under these conditions I would just keep on sleeping, but good waves are forecast for this morning. 3ft at 14 seconds and 6km/h lighter offshore. Behind the dune it's already bubbling quietly. The forecast doesn't give me a choice today.
To be on the safe side, I check the surf forecast again so that I don't leave my warm cave for nothing. It looks promising. The swell has increased again overnight and we are already at 4ft. That means I should be expecting clean waves from my waist to my head. I peel myself out of my blanket and open the side door. Cool, moist air comes in. I slip into my fleece and get out. The ground is cold. A light offshore wind confirms the forecast and promises clean surf. I am slightly excited. It is still pitch black. Here in the car park of Caparica, the stretch of beach outside Lisbon, there is nothing going on on this October morning. I share the huge car park with a few cars, a few campers and the last groups of partygoers staggering home from the beach clubs. It won't be light for another 30 minutes, so there is still plenty of time for a quick coffee.
First coffee, that's how much time you need
Mocha, Picopresso or filter coffee? Today I'm choosing the Picopresso from Wacaco. I need a quick pick-me-up for today's surfing session. For this I need hot water, 16 g of ground coffee and of course the Picopresso. When I travel I always have my Timemore Black Mirror Nano precision scale in my luggage. I use this to weigh the beans first. The Picopresso sieve holds 16 grams.
The early bird grinds the espresso
I use the Timemore C3 Pro hand grinder for grinding. I set it 2 clicks coarser from the finest grind. This allows me to create a first-class crema with most beans. Today for breakfast: the Fortissimo bean from the Müller coffee roastery in Bodenheim. 60% Arabica, 40% Robusta, dark roast, chocolaty aroma. After grinding my beans, I've already completed my first warm-up for today. It smells promisingly of freshly ground coffee in my bus. The Picopresso is quickly filled, emptied and screwed back together. Meanwhile, my water is also boiling. Fill the Pico, screw it on and after a few strong presses, a creamy espresso flows into my cup. The almost perfect crema puts a smile on my face. And it tastes good too.
Thanks to my little espresso session, I'm now a little warmed up and climb into my still wet and cold wetsuit. Now I quickly put a little wax on the board, sunscreen and zinc on my face and off I go. The first light is slowly rising over the city in the background. It's high time I threw myself into the water.
