Since I've spent a good deal of the past couple of months riding up and down the English motorways in search of new lodgings, I haven't had much of a chance to sample coffee in an actual coffeehouse. But I have added to my experiences with motorway services coffee. Before I start this week's review I'd like to include a relevant report from my Bay Area correspondent, Mistah Rick, on coffee on the Central California coast:

"The brewed coffee was weak everywhere. The very expensive Sea Otter Inn in Cambria had an innovation: new coffeemakers in the room with a built-in grinder and a gold mesh filter. Had I expected that possibility, I would have brought beans from home. The beans provided were a light roast and barely enough in quantity to make two little cups.

"The snack bar at Hearst Castle had a decent looking espresso machine, but I made the mistake of requesting a cappuccino and got a trace of coffee inundated with a styrofoam cup filled to the brim with scalding lowfat milk and not a hint of foam. (I wonder what they provide as a latte.) The next day, while driving up Highway 1, we went against our better judgment and stopped at a roadside motel/souvenir shop called 'Cappuccino Cove.' This time the styrofoam cup had a hint of foam, but again the coffee was drowned in mouth-singeing milk. A guide to decent coffee on the central coast would be an immense benefit, but I tend to think it just doesn't exist. Sadly, I doubt there's even a demand for it -- else Starbucks would have opened a store."

Meanwhile, back on the M1 in Gloucestershire, my partner and I recently stopped off at the Moto Services in Toddington. Having been on the road since 5:20 AM and desperate for a decent caffeine fix, we found ourselves at the Fresh Express counter. I ordered a "single cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso" -- a safe way to order a double short cappuccino -- and ended up with what appeared to be a single tall latte. Somehow the barista managed okay with Andrew's "double espresso with milk". Regardless of the details our drinks were surprisingly decent for motorway coffee: the Ritazza coffee beans, although very mild and smooth, came through just enough in my large glass of hot milk to assure me I was getting some caffeine. The true surprise in all of this was my croissant: it was actually quite good! As opposed to your typical English -- and American -- coffee shop croissant, usually a soggy greasy wad of bread dough, this was flaky with no greasiness and nicely crisp on the outside, just like a croissant you'd find in a Paris boulangerie. For this reason I would recommend the Toddington services if you're driving down the M1 and need a mid-morning or mid-afternoon refresher.

On the other hand I would advise you against even slowing down and considering pulling off at the Welcome Break Services at Leicester Forest East. Once again, having been up at the crack of dawn after having spent three exhausting and fruitless days in Sheffield, we were desperate for a caffeine restorative. So we pulled into the car park, climbed up the stairs, and forked out £3.88 for two of the most atrocious espressos I've ever experienced. Andrew's "double espresso with a little milk" had no milk at all and was lukewarm at best. My double cappuccino, on the other hand, was a boiling cauldron the temperature of the Earth's core. And both drinks were burnt, acrid, and disgusting, not even remotely similar to anything I've ever considered to be coffee. And what about that caffeine? On the rest of the drive home I certainly couldn't detect any post-coffee sensation other than a huge festering blister on the roof of my mouth.