Day 19 - The Four-Flavor Special

As of this writing, I am currently halfway to Detroit. I suppose I will miss Rome, but at the same time I am excited to get back to Minneapolis. I imagine that studying abroad is a life changing experience sounds pretty trite, but I can see how it can be true. To me, Rome was an opportunity to explore not only a new place or a rich history, but also my personal values, strengths, and weaknesses against a backdrop that takes me out of my comfort zone. I am headed back to Minneapolis with the feeling that I have grown as a person and learned some valuable life lessons. The fact that I can put everything that I learned in terms of gelato just makes it that much sweeter.

Embrace new flavors...

One of those was spiced chocolate. I will let you guess which.

Rome was a huge shock to me for many reasons. I was with new people, in a new place. You can see it with the first flavor of gelato I ever got in Rome: coffee. Seriously, how safe can you get? As I branched out, I found some really great flavors. For example, Frigidarium is the signature flavor of one of the most popular gelateries in Rome. It is a custardy ice cream with fudge swirls and a cookie. It is also a really deep shade of yellow that took me aback at first. If I had to pick a single flavor that I loved, Frigidarium would be it.

Many parts of Rome were lessons in open-mindedness. I could not wait to get out of the Vatican Museums. I left the group early and everything, just on my own, with the intention of getting the heck out of there. I ended up going through the Gallery of Maps and finding my favorite pieces of art on the whole trip. If I had just single-mindedly charged through the Vatican to get out, I would have missed what I consider the most beautiful experience of the whole trip.

When in Rome, enjoy ROME. Don't just get flavors that are standard at home, eat things you could order at home, shop places that you have access to at home, and do things that you could at home. This can apply to any trip, really.

...Even though you won't like every one

Tiramisu gelato was a pretty bad experience as gelato runs go. It was not good in terms of just being gelato, and it was not good in terms of being tiramisu-flavored. I got over it. I got back on the gelato horse the next day, and felt like I learned something. Tiramisu might not be the best choice of gelato because it is so complicated, and I can't really expect it to taste exactly like tiramisu, setting myself up to be mildly disappointed every time. I would be better off ordering coffee, chocolate, and cream if I wanted something that tasted like tiramisu.

My first restaurant experience, I ordered scallopina and house wine. Scallopina was not seafood, it turned out, but veal, and house wine is code for "way too much wine for two people to drink." Veal is pretty disgusting when prepared as scallopina, and house wine is not good wine. That's okay. Not everything is going to be great.

There is a good chance this pigeon will not like the gelato it orders.

The classics are a great fallback, but you shouldn't be dependent on them

Hannah, one of my roommates, swore by the strawberry gelato at the gelaterie near our apartment. One day, I tried it, and I knew that it was probably one of the best gelato flavors I would ever experience in Rome. Sometimes, all you need is a classic done really well.

Occasionally, I would not feel like going out to eat. When travelling, you might too. And that is fine. I had dry pasta and frozen meatballs for those times when I was too tired to do anything but nap until 9 and then woke up hungry. Classics and simplicity should be able to augment your trip when used correctly. As long as you are aware of whether you are using it as an excuse to not have to challenge yourself, you should be fine.

The strawberry WAS amazing though

Have standards


I can get a really big amount of good gelato for 2 euro at more than one place. What I am saying is, when traveling, don't settle for the first place you see.

Each of those cones was just 2 euro

The more touristy the area, the worse the gelato

Never buy gelato by the Pantheon, the Colosseum, or, God forbid, the Trevi Fountain. Just don't. Generally, you will pay far more for far less quality and quantity than you would elsewhere. This rule goes for restaurants, and souvineer places, and I am sure wine and olive oil and artisanal places as well.

The actual lesson here: get out of the touristy areas as well as visiting whatever monuments are on your bucket list.

Pictured: not very good gelato from outside of a tourist-heavy train station

Gelato is a great thing to do with friends...

Have you ever really wanted company in Italy? Ask a group of people, any group, if they want gelato. You are guaranteed to get at least one, "Hell yes!" and potentially more "Well, if you guys are going..." The amount of people you go with will improve dramatically if you are buying.

These people all had gelato purchased for them. They are all very happy

There's a good chance you have more in common with your travel companions than you think. Pretty much everyone wants to get souvenirs for people back home, so there is a good chance you can get some people together to go to all of the kitchsy places you want. "Does anyone want to...?" is probably the phrase you want to use most while abroad, after "Where is the bathroom?" and "Can I borrow some sunscreen?"

...But doesn't require company to be great

I found what I am convinced is the greatest gelato place in Rome while I was making my own way home after a group outing. The selection was great, the price was fair, and I got an unprecedented three flavors on a small cone. I found my favorite leather goods store while I was lost, I saw the city at my pace, and I felt at peace. I am not saying that hanging out with people sucks, but do not feel like you need to have company everywhere you go.

The exception to this is late at night. Do not go wandering around on your own late at night, no matter where you are.


Sometimes you visit the same great gelato place again and again...

Just a few blocks away from our apartment was a gelato place called "Il Pelicano." I probably went there five times a week. It was good gelato, the staff was friendly, and the price was right. Sometimes it is okay to repeat good experiences. Sure, it is safer, but honestly, if it's that good, it's probably worth it.

Definitely worth it

...And sometimes you visit your favorite place once...

Wonderful, the gelato place I mentioned that gave three flavors, was a place I only went to once. I was okay with that. I could have eaten there every day, but it just did not line up. Instead of wishing I had gone there more, I found myself happy I got to go there once.

...And sometimes that is why it is your favorite.

What if the three flavors I had picked out where the only good flavors at Wonderful? What if I am remembering it wrong? Honestly, I can live with the possibility that my memory is tinted by rose-colored glasses. If I only visit Rome once, I can say that my experience was awesome. If I go back, I will know the secrets, but maybe it will not be as exciting. After all, there's nothing like the first time.

However, I can't wait to go to more new places armed with my experience in Rome. What Rome means to me is broadened perspectives and new angles, a heightened sense of confidence and an appreciation for the people I experienced it with.

Take lots of pictures

Everyone wants to see what it looks like when you enjoy gelato. If they can't come with, I am pretty sure the best souvenir is lots and lots of pictures.

See? Best gift ever

The Final Gelato
I'm sure at this point you are all burning with curiosity with regards to the flavor of the last gelato I ever ate in Rome. I call it the "Four-Flavor Special" because for my last gelato, I went all-out. Honey swirls, Frigidarium, fudge, and hazelnut all found their way into my cone. It was a good day.

Thank You

I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me from when I applied to go on this trip in December to when I started freaking out about it in May, to while I was actually on the trip, to the people who keep telling me to go to bed afterwards. The positive feedback on this blog that I have gotten is both amazing and humbling.

If you are interested in my day-to-day adventures at all, please check out my personal blog. This will be the last post I do for my Italy blog, but I am sure I will have more adventures elsewhere soon.

Sincerely,
Morgan