Greetings from Italy! (part 2)

Oh yes, I'm still in Italy! Wally stayed for 12 days but I will be staying for another week from today. Our holiday/honey moon was wonderful. We had a blast both in Verona with my family as well as in Florence and Tuscany. I did my undergraduate in Florence, so I know the city pretty well. However, it changed a lot in the four years I haven't been there. It was lovely going back with my  husband, walking around the city without the rush I used to have during my studying/working years. We also took a couple of trips outside the city of course to get immersed in the Tuscan countryside, which, as always, is stunning!

Of course, we ate a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of typical dishes and also a lot of gelato. I have to admit that sometimes watching the dishes was giving me more pleasure than eating them....I guess this is part of the transition I'm experiencing myslef through this blog. I am, indeed, becoming more of a "real" foodie. In Florence, for example, you cannot turn your eyes without seeing a gelateria. They are everywhere and their windows are beautiful. I love the way gelato is displayed in a creative and decorative way.

I have to say that among my favourite were these handmade popsicles ("ghiaccioli" in Italian) that were made by this tiny gelateria in Florence, without sugar and without milk....really for everybody...really refreshening under the Florence sun...really good! I feel we (in particular bakers or aspiring bakers like me) often tend to make complicated desserts. If there is one thing this trip back home reminded me is that the best food is the simple food. Very few and healthy ingredients are what often make the best dishes and even the best desserts. That was for sure the case of this ghiaccioli. Wally is popsicles addicted and seeing him loving these popsices gave me the idea of making them myself instead of buying them. Another "to-do-soon" in my already loooong list.

I have one more week to spend in Italy. My access to internet is very sporadic and this implies two things:
(1) I miss Wally very very much (I'm used chat with him online a lot even when I'm home and he is out for work...with 9 hours of time difference it's very hard to meet him online)
(2) I miss my blog very very much too! When I'm home I'm used to spend a lot of time working on my posts, my pictures, my recipes, other food and photography blogs etc. As I said several times, I started this blog not sure of how long I would have lasted....instead I got more and more passionate about it. Now I feel I am neglecting my blog.....and I'm sad.

I am really happy about this long holiday but I am also looking forward to go back home to Oakland.