If you look up the definition of Italy in the dictionary, at least one of the entries must be ‘gelato.’ Gelato is ubiquitous.  Even bars sell gelato.

On our orientation tour of the neighborhood, our landlady pointed out two gelato places within walking distance of our house. One a local deli. One an artisanal company that specializes in only gelato. We have made it a nightly ritual to close out the day with a gelato cone from one of these places.

If you have not had gelato, it’s in the ice cream category – more creamy, with a more intense flavor, but with less butterfat. The flavors are wide ranging, including the common – strawberry and chocolate, to the more unusual – lemon, hazelnut, and coconut.

Gelato is so rich, the servings are small – often the size of a plum. And that’s just fine. A scoop or two of good gelato leaves you feeling decadent and pampered. Walking to get it makes it even more okay.

We debate which gelato is the best. Mary favors the lemon of Pappa Grappa – the artisanal gelato store. I am most fond of a coffee and chocolate combination at the local deli. We agree the gelato in Florence fell far short. Though we only tried one of hundreds of gelato stores.

The only bad gelato is one we can’t get. The artisanal place is only open Thursday – Tuesday. The deli is open every day, but we have walked there twice to find the gelato counter empty. Like tonight.

What is a day without gelato? Incomplete.

Ciao!