Vacanze in Italia

So here I am, outside my favourite ice cream shop in the world. Gelato, not ice cream, of course. An important and not-so-subtle difference.

What's the difference? A MacDonald's to a fillet steak. I sort of like chocolate ice cream, but from Vivoli's, I am in love with it. It is the essence of all that chocolate should be. Even from the Llanfaes Dairy, my favourite ice cream shop in the UK, I can take or leave the chocolate, and usually try something else. At Vivoli's, they have mined the essence of chocolate, its texture as well as its flavour. Shall I have the chocolate, the chocolate mousse, the chocolate mousse with coffee, the chocolate orange, and so on and so on. Anything else is hard pressed to get a look in.

Except, of course, they also do the most perfect raspberry ice cream - it's more like a sorbet in its texture, colour and the depth of its flavour, and filled with raspberry seeds. Perfect. I usually combine it with a chocolate, though for one crazy experiment I had it with Amaretto - which ended up being like the most wonderful trifle.

Yes, I flew to Florence for the gelato. Art is art, but ice cream - this is eternal.

And I did walk around to try and burn off a kilo or two of the good stuff. So this is from San Miniato al Monte, with the Duomo in the background. My good friend, and former church member here at St Catherine's Miles Maylor took the photos. He wasn't up for the ice cream, but enjoyed the city and the walking. And the one or two bits of art I let him see.

Which included the Anigoni here, my favourite painting in all Florence, which can be found in San Lorenzo. Its use of light and colour, with Joseph watching over the infant Jesus who is contemplating nails in his hands. Joseph wants to stop him, but can't - the earthly father's concern for his son is natural yet misplaced, for nails in these hands will bring ultimate joy through suffering. And over the scene, a blood-shot sky cannot hide the light that the cross will bring. It is a place of paradox and understanding, of God seeing our struggles and standing with us, though in the picture he is the small one and we the large, as so often we feel we are (and of course are not).

Then a day to San Gimignano. Yes, yes, touristville. But heaven on earth too. And a new hat, just for the trip. The main church there has stunning frescoes, which I will try and Google.

Just a short trip. But wonderful. Thank you Lord for such blessings as these.