Verona

Yesterday I went to an ice cream shop that claims to sell Italian gelato. As always, I was sorely disappointed. I don't know why it is, but I have never been able to find ice cream in the US that is as creamy and smooth as the ice cream in Italy!
At any rate, this experience did bring back memories of the afternoon I recently spent in Verona. There is a little gelateria near the bridge which crosses the Adige River to the Roman amphitheatre. This place had the most delicious ice cream I tasted all summer! It was really great because the owner liked to experiment with different flavors and it was evident that he put a lot of time and effort into his gelato. The most interesting flavor he had was saffron. After sampling it, Giovanni decided to order one scoop of saffron, and one scoop of mascarpone. Well... the look that the owner gave him, in addition to his firm but soft-spoken "I think the saffron goes better with cinnamon or chocolate" quickly made him change his order. We couldn't help but laugh about this the for rest of the afternoon. But still - the ice cream was delicious and I don't doubt his gelato-expertise!
More about Verona though... I had no idea that it is such a beautiful city. We only spent a few hours there (on our way back to Milan from Vicenza) but we really had a great time. The city offers free bicycles for rent and this was really wonderful for a short day-trip into the city. All we had to do was leave an ID at the tourist office in the train station. So, we rode the bikes into the center and had plenty of time to explore! We visited the famous Arena, Juliet's balcony, several stunning piazzas and cathedrals, and watched someone attempt to kayak down the Adige River. It was a beautiful day and I will definitely go back to Verona when I have the chance.