Looking Back

So, we are now back at home, pictures have been posted, wine has been drunk, and my body is beginning to figure out this night vs. day thing once again...

It's weird, though. We had a lovely, albeit somewhat frigid time, met a bunch of fun people, saw priceless art... but now that I'm back home, I sort of feel like, Italy? Check. Which is new for me. Every other time I've traveled like this, I've hated to leave and wanted to turn around and come back as soon as it was over. Now, I feel like OK, been there, done that.

Maybe it was because the weather was not all that conducive to wandering the city streets and exploring lots of stuff. Maybe it was that the emergency car repairs constrained my budget, so I wasn't shopping for everyone I've ever met or seeking out five-star restaurants. Maybe it's the lack of any familial connections. Maybe it's because Larry died ten days before I left. Or, maybe I'm just comparing apples to oranges, and Italy just doesn't speak to me the way other places I've traveled have done. Whatever the case, I feel like I'm bracing myself for returning to work tomorrow, where I'm going to get the, "So, how was your trip?" at every turn.

In other news, however, I should mention that my friend Erin's record of 8 scoops of gelato in a single day still stands -- I think I only ever got as high as 5. I can unequivocably say, however, that visitors to Venice should stay away from the gelato offered in the shops on Piazza San Marco. It was the least creamy, had noticeable ice chunks in it, and is clearly there only to cater to a tourist market that doesn't know any better. Seek out Gelateria Nico, even if you have to take a vaporetto completely around the city to get there. It's worth it. If you find yourself on the island of Lido, there was also a great little place there, right on the main street, where the scoops were humongous and they gave you a little wafer cookie with it, too. Yum.

In Florence, we did sample the wares at Vivoli, although did not get over to the competition at Perche No. (I think this was due in large part to the weather being at its coldest in Florence, making walking about unappealing and gelato as a reward unmotivating.) I had read in one of my guidebooks that gelato in Florence is generally sweeter than in other places, and based on my Vivoli experience, I can see where one could make the argument, but it was still damned tasty. The texture was a bit softer, so it got all melty a little faster, but the staff were very helpful in explaining the myriad of flavors available, and overall, I feel I can recommend Vivoli as an enjoyable experience.

The absolute winner for me, though, was Giolitti in Rome. These people have been around for over 100 years, and the place has sort of an old-time elegance to it... it's like black-tie gelato. They didn't seem too keen on offering gelato in a cup rather than a cone (I didn't see the option offered anywhere), but their cones are chocolate-coated, and their gelato was the smoothest, richest, creamiest, and most luxurious of any that I had during the entire trip. If I ever do find myself in Italy again, I'm going to try and get there to sample some more flavors.

Not sure that's enough of a reason by itself to go back, though.