The Perfect Italian Treat

During the first week of being in Rome, my roommates and I of course were anxious to try as much food and sweets as we could get our hands on! We walked around our neighborhood and found this cute little alley, just a two-minute walk from the Vatican.  We stumbled across a place with beautiful Ivy weaving in and out of this orange building and decided to go in and check it out. We were greeted by a cute little Italian man, with an overly enthusiastic ‘ciao’ and immediately felt welcomed and at home here in Italy.

The beautiful building of Francesco's amazing gelato shop!

Hedera, is the name of Francesco’s gelato shop and I truly enjoy his place for a number of reasons. Francesco makes his gelato with the freshest ingredients and has the friendliest staff. It’s not like most gelato places. When we walk into his shop he treats us like family and it’s one of the best feelings. We stop by at least a couple times a week to get gelato or just to say "hi." But when we do stop to get the delicious Italian treat my usual pick is Stracitella and Crema. Stracitella is a gelato with chocolate pieces in it and Crema is a vanilla. The combination is absolutely delicious. And the best part? Francesco tops it off with his homemade whipped cream! It’s so incredibly creamy and hits the spot every time. We had to of course go around and try as many sweets and treats as possible, but all roads lead back to Francesco! Other places we tried either, weren’t authentic like his, didn’t have that charm, or weren’t personable! It wasn’t even a question that Hedera is our favorite gelato place. No place can match up to his, and the fact that his parlor is only a five minute walk from our apartment makes it even better.

Enjoying a delicious Italian treat before class!

So yes, I think we’re going to keep going to other places just to branch out and try new things. In fact I really want to go to as many places as I can especially considering I’ll be traveling at lot more on the weekends, so my time in Rome is truly valuable. Whether it’s taking a walk between classes to find that perfect delicious sweet or taking a study break at night to continue the search, sometimes it’s nice just to be able to get out and explore. We learn more about our home city while tasting some delectable treats. Even though we still try other places, I can picture my roommates and I our last night here spending time at Francesco’s, talking and enjoying his company and of course his gelato. It’s nice to have a place to go when we are in need of advice, and sweets to hit the spot. I am so thankful to have a place to go like his, it’s making my stay that much sweeter

Ciao for now!

Lauren Healy is the Fall 2014 CEA MOJO in Rome, Italy. She is currently a senior at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

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