Our introduction to Florence started with a bird-eye view overlooking the medieval city with River Arno in the middle. After which, it was an interesting drive-in to the city square as the coaches are not allowed to drive within the city square for the streets are very narrow, in fact about the same width as most tour coaches. However, having said that, our coach still drove into the city square to drop us right in front of Grand Hotel Cavour and interestingly, Grand Hotel Cavour will pay the fine imposed on our coach. Since coaches are not allowed in the city square, one can imagine the astonished look some of the Florentines or tourists were giving us when our tour director came down to move away some of the obstructions and barricades.
Anyway, Michelangelo and Galileo are the names commonly mentioned by our Italian guides for the former contributed to the magnificent paintings done in the Sistine Chapel and the famous statue, David while the latter was an amazingly mathematician, physicist and astrologist. A trip to Florence will allow one to hear more of their stories as these two great men are buried in Santa Croce, a church located in the city square of Florence. And one of the things highlighted is that the year which Galileo was born is actually the same year when Michelangelo died so when one genius leaves, another genius is created.
Ok, setting aside the blah blah on our tour, gelato is a must-try when one comes to Florence but surprisingly our local guide told us to avoid gelato that are beautifully presented, the higher the gelato is, the more chemical and preservatives are present in them, making them not as nice. Hence, we were told to drop by Vivoli which is in a quiet corner of Florence, between Piazza Della Signoria where David is and Santa Croce. Anyway, ask the shopkeepers and they will be able to lead you there and when you see many eating ice-cream outside a humble looking shop, you are on the right one.
As what the local guide has described, the gelato are "ugly" and flat. To order, one pays at the cashier, pick up your receipt and order from the counter.
Apart from ice-cream, cakes and pastries are available which we didn't try.
2.50 EUR (SGD$4.40) for a cup with 2 flavours. In general, the gelato is light and the sweetness is within acceptable range. Vivoli focus alot on the flavour and hence each of the flavour is distinctive. The gelato melts fast and are generally "thin" for the milk or cream content is low.
Vivoli Jl Gelato
Via Isola Delle Stinche, 7r
50122 firenze/italy
Tel: 005 292334
Website
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