All We Wanted Was Gelato

"I think we go this way." "No, I think it's this way." "Well there's a little piazza up ahead, let’s go there and get oriented."

We were on a mission, find Giolitti.  This little gelato shop is said to be the best in Rome.  Sounds pretty popular, right?  Probably easy to get to?  Not so much.  The winding cobblestone streets, while charming and beautiful, can make walking to a landmark 500 meters away require the brainpower of taking a final exam.  So there we were, walking towards some random piazza to try and figure out where we were.  

“Ok, so this is…wait, what…is that the Pantheon?!”

We figured it out pretty quickly.

In my sociology class this week, our professor talked about Mental Mapping.  It is said that people don’t think of their city as it appears on a map.  They create their own image based on where the spend time and what they interact with.  Our Mental Maps of Rome at this point probably only cover our apartments, the route we take to get to school, and maybe where we spend our evenings since we haven’t even been here a month yet.  However, the map will expand as we continue to live in and experience the city.

This is how I want to experience Rome.  I’m not rushing to see every major sight right away because I want to spend time getting to know the areas they are in.  I want to know what cute little café is two blocks away from the Colosseum or where the best place to get coffee by the Spanish Steps is.  So, for those of you who have been waiting for the photo from the top of the Vatican or a walk around the Roman Forum, they are coming, I promise!

Anyway, it was almost closing time so we ducked into the Pantheon quickly.  We plan to come back soon for a full tour in the daylight.  We walked back onto the piazza and resumed our search.

I guess when you know where you are it’s a lot easier to get where you are going.  A few minutes later, we walked into the biggest gelateria I’ve ever seen.  There were rows upon rows of flavors with customers milling about speaking a variety of languages.  You pick your size, pay the cashier, walk up to the counter, and hand your ticket to one of the men in the white suits.  You get three different flavors and it’s topped off with homemade whipped cream!  I got Cioccoloto Fondente, Crema, and Frutti Di Bosco (quickly becoming one of my favorites).

 

We took our gelato back to the Pantheon and savored the incredible treat while sitting on the fountain steps and watching a very funny mime.  When tour groups walked by lead by flag-carrying guides, he would hold up a toilet brush and try to direct the group to the other side of the piazza.  One man approached him and pointed to a woman sitting at a table drinking wine.  He quickly whipped up a balloon heart and handed it to the woman.  He then offered to take a picture but when they gave him their camera he snapped a photo of himself, and then skipped around the square taking close-ups of very surprised tourists.  He even gave a little girl a balloon doggy in exchange for her stroller.

He had the entire piazza laughing and having a great time.  I couldn't help but think ‘If this guy was in New York, he would have probably been sued six times tonight alone.’

When he came around with a feather duster, dusting everyone off, I tossed a euro in his hat.