A taste of Italy: Florence 6

Shall we forget the statues, canvasses, frescoes and piazzas for a minute in favour of something everyone will enjoy....ice cream!

Italians have always made the best ice cream: the Romans invented it (using snow) and according to legend the Florentines perfected the recipe.

Italian gelati is one-of-a-kind because the best ones will be:-

1. Made from eggs, which naturally thickens its consistency;
2. Free of any artificial ingredients, emulsifiers or colours;
3. Thick and dense, not whipped with air;
4. Served out of a special metal tray or tub, which ensures that it is semi-frozen (gooey).

In the shadow of the cathedral's bell tower we found Grom, an organic gelateria which promises 'il gelato come una volta' (a return to the ice cream you used to eat). It was a bit difficult to pick our flavours, because the ice cream is hidden under the lids of metal tubs. Judging by the labels, about a third of their offerings that day were variations of chocolate which is what Christian had, but I went for scoops of apple and pear gelati. Two scoops in a sugar cone cost only €2.

Our last full day in Florence was nearly over, so it was time to admire the view as the sun set. There are only two proper viewpoints, both next to other: either atop the cathedral's bell tower or from its dome, which is ever so slightly higher up. In both cases, you are putting your trust in engineering works which are about 600 years old. And neither one has a lift, in case you're wondering!

We decided on climbing the 278-foot belltower, in order to be able to look at the cathedral. We bought our tickets and began the climb, quickly realising that the stairs accommodated two-way traffic on the same steps. At first this was not a problem, but in places we were crammed against the wall as dozens of gasping Americans housewives, vertigo-stricken Japanese students and Italians in their puffed-up padded jackets squeezed down. Oh, and the occasional hyperventilating claustrophobe.

Every few flights there was an open terrace for 360-degree views and the chance to catch our breath, until we conquered all 414 steps to the very top. Our first sight was the First Aid station with a guard sitting in a booth, her feet propped up on top of a heater, no doubt with a private escalator hidden behind her.

I think we made the right choice going up the belltower. Look at the cupola of the dome - see how low and flimsy the railing is?

From this angle we could pick out lots of details on the cathedral...



...plus enjoy expansive views over the city. Here are a few churches...


...and this is the town hall, the Palazzo Vecchio.

Plus there were interesting shadows on the belltower's walls, cast by the patterns in the stonework.

From above you can see how most of the buildings have flats and gardens on top of them, set back so they can't be seen from the street.

All this climbing has made me hungry...!