Gelato Jamboree

Gelato is Italian ice cream, with very heavy emphasis on the cream.  Italians love gelato.  Tourists love gelato.  As Aunt Martha would say, gelato is a good thing.

We recently ventured around Florence sampling gelato.  We dubbed it the Gelato Jamboree. 

We randomly selected three shops for sampling their gelato.   

Vivoli:  The first stop was at a place called Vivoli, not from our apartment.  There, we tasted two gelato flavors -- coffee and chestnut.   It was fantastic.  Without realizing it, we had stumbled across one of the most famous and highly regarded shops in Florence.  Susan remembers her brother Sid recommending it from a much earlier visit to Florence.  

Bar 16:  Later in the afternoon, we stopped by Bar 16.  A friendly chap behind the counter scooped up some pistachio and stracciatella (chocolate chip).   It was very good.  Perhaps not Vivoli good, but still very good.

By the way, it turns out that Susan loves, loves, loves pistachios--the nuts, in gelato, in food, etc.  She is a nut for pistachios.  Who knew? 

Rivareno:  Our last stop that day was at nearby Rivareno, a shop that specializes in gelato.  We went hog wild and tasted coffee, chestnut and two kinds of cherry.  Rivareno knows gelato.  Two sticky thumbs up.  

There are many more gelato shops in Florence to visit.  And we have received many recommendations from friends and family.  As Year 2 progresses, we will visit many more.  Of course, progress will be slow during winter.  Who wants to eat ice cream when it is freezing outside?  We do!

Vivoli, with two random dudes bombing the photo.

Bar 16, that nice chap behind the counter and some random hottie enjoying her gelato.

The expression of pure joy

A brand new satisfied customer of Rivareno