Gelato advice
After visiting the Stibbert Museum, we had some belated birthday gelato for B. Both the museum and the gelato place were recommended in a blog post I found by a Florentine mum of three, and they made for an excellent day!
One of the things I learnt from her blog is to avoid gelato places where the gelato is piled high (lots of preservatives) and/or brightly coloured (lots of food colouring). For example, in the pic below — back row, third from right — is the banana flavour; it shouldn't be fluoro yellow like it sometimes is!
Apparently it's best to look for places with "artigianale" (artisanal) in their name and/or that make their gelato onsite (like this one did).
We've also learnt to check the Google reviews. In the touristy centre of Florence the next day, we found some 1-star gelaterias without prices displayed, where reviewers said they'd been charged €25 (AUD $40) for two scoops! For reference, the four single scoop waffle cones in the feature pic came to AUD $19.
On a related note, if you live in Brisbane and this post has given you a gelato craving, did you know there's an Italian family-owned gelato and sorbet factory in Geebung? You can buy 500mL tubs directly from them ($8/tub or $20 for three). Look up Delizia Gelato and Sorbet! 🍨