an ode to summer's last day...

i like that today is not only summer's last day but that is it also Sunday, a day of rest at casa piacere. though i dearly love autumn in all it's glory, i have to admit there is some foot dragging on my part to leave summer behind...the lazy tempo of summer days, the long hours of daylight, the abundance at our farmers' market, first morning coffee on the deck in shorts & a tee, and, of course...days that are so hot that the only way to cope is to churn out a batch of gelato to cool your body's core temperature!ahhhhh...gelato! my best summer friend!! (next to you, D.!!) this past summer there was not a week that went by that we did not eat gelato, be it on the road or from our own machine at home. top homemade flavors this summer were grapefruit with chocolate chip, lemon, and lavender.

top flavors not made at home were found in roma! on our roman language holiday in july, we made a point of eating gelato every single day, sometimes twice a day, & on 2 occasions 3 & 4 times in one day...there must be help for this condition, but i don't want it!the nice thing about being planted in one location for an extended period of time (as opposed to our previous stays in roma of 2-3 nights) was that it allowed for stumbling upon little gems that are not always listed in the travel guides i use or the websites i peruse. many of our gelato haunts on this trip were old favorites like gelateria della palma & some were new finds like old bridge, gelateria valentino & gelateria del teatro.the one that was our very favorite, hands down...the one that made us positively swoon summer was san crispino (via della panetteria 42, near the fontana di trevi). now, i know that to some of you who know roma like the back of your own hands (you lucky, lucky people ;) this place is not a mystery, but for us it was new. but once discovered, it became a stop on the journey every single day. we actually planned our activities around the times they would be open!

flavors (be aware they change seasonally & we are talking mid-summer here)...hands down, for those with the more adult palate it was pompelmo rosa. for Little Man...it was limone, sempre limone!!! & for me, because one flavor will never be enough in my coppa, the pompelmo rosa was always with a side of a flavor whose name i cannot recall but i can describe...a cool & smooth cream gelato (sort of like vanilla) with chunks of airy meringue & silky valrhona dark chocolate bits swirled throughout.every bite of san crispino's gelato was like a holiday in my mouth!!! this little, off-the-main-drag-but-oh-so-close-to-it-all gelateria has a soft, modern interior but it is not a place for lingering. there are no tables inside or out, but for the time spent in the queue (yes, there will be one!!) you get the luxury of cooling down in the air conditioning (not always found in your roman wanderings). if you plan a stop here, be prepared...they are closed tuesdays. when you find yourself in roma (you will...all roads lead to rome, right?!?) get to san crispino!

for those of you (& you know who you are) who cannot get enough of this smooth n' creamy stuff (in any season), you might consider clicking on over to sara at ms. adventures in italy for her tour del gelato.

ahhhh...the wonderful memories of summer~~ cool gelato on a hot summer afternoon...che fantastico!