Would You Rather go on a Gelato Tour or a Wine Tour in Italy?

Would You Rather Wednesday! 

Gelato

I have a sweet tooth. Actually we both have a sweet tooth. Some places we have travelled are not known for their desserts....Asia. So when Richard and I visit somewhere where the sweets are good, we are in heaven. Italy had a variety of yummy desserts, but nothing beats their Gelato. We had Gelato each of every 21 days we were in Italy. Does that make us Gelato connoisseurs? Not likely, but we are the experts on our blog :)

First of all beware. There is Gelato everywhere! Not every stand or store that sells it, sells the authentic stuff (handmade and natural flavours). Gelato is made with milk, not cream and don't be fooled by the bright neon colours or slices of fruit on top. These disguises may mean it is not natural or homemade Gelato. I tried mango in Venice, strawberry in Sorrento, and so many more kinds. They were all wonderful. But one place had us coming back not just for seconds, but thirds. And anyone who has ever been to Europe knows that a lot of walking is involved to get most places, unless your hotel is right beside it.

*Side note: this may be a good idea. Richard and I should look into finding accommodations right beside this place so we can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We were sightseeing with another couple and felt like we needed a snack before getting ready for dinner. We stopped at a place called: Gelateria Frigidarium. Like always, there were so many choices and decisions to be made. They have a self named signature flavour. It is a combination of homemade cookies, caramel, and chocolate. Let me tell you....it was delicious! It was love at first bite. The following time we came back I trued black cherry, which was also incredible. The third time I caved and got a repeat of the signature flavour. It was our last day there, and I had to get another when I finished it. Trust me, it's that life changing. If you are not stuck on tradition, there is even an option to get the whole thing dipped in chocolate and topped with whip cream. Really!? It's insane.

Amazing Gelato in Rome
Photo: @conciergecouple

Wine

Yes, we love to drink as we have reported numerous times. So when we visited Florence we had to do a wine tour if not for our love of booze but because its the expected thing to do in Florence. We took a nice drive out into the countryside to an old castle. The landscape was stunning. The castle was perched up high on an emerald, grassy hill and the vineyard running in lines of stunning green and purple. One of the first things we did, was take a picture perched on a rock looking out over the small town below.

The tour was educational, relaxed and enjoyable. As a bonus we also got to learn about the family that lived in the castle many years ago as well as olive oil tasting and producing. We got a chance to walk through the wine cellars and of course sample the wine. It was a delicious chianti and as we sipped we learned (perfect for 2 teachers) about when and how its best to consume it. When you visit you just have to buy a bottle, if not to drink than at least as a souvenir.

Tuscany Wine Tasting
Photo: @conciergecouple

Our choice?

It has to be the Gelato. You can special order some wines from around the world to your doorstep. Even if its not the exact vineyard you visited in Florence, you can still spend the money to find a good quality Chianti to enjoy in your own home. But you cannot do that with homemade Gelato. Trust me, we would spend a good $30 to get a cone shipped to our house if we could.

Which would you choose? 

Gelato or Chianti?

Unique Ways to Cherish Those Travel Memories

If you are reading this we already know you love to travel. Everyone claims they like to travel but there is only a small group of us who actually do it without getting caught up in our 9 to 5’s . Richard and I travelled a little here and a little there through University. Our vacations then, to various U.S cities, were the stepping stones to our travel now. Our friends, just as they do now, always asked us about our experiences and for suggestions for their next trip. One night as we were hanging out with friends and praising a Chicago restaurant, someone asked “what’s the name of the restaurant?” It had only been 6 months and neither of us could remember.

I wanted to think of a way to record, document, cherish, and reminisce about our travels. Since I am more of a traditional gal, I decided I would write it all down. That day the Annesley travel journal was born. I bought a vintage, leather bound journal and hauled it with me on our next trip. We headed all the way to Europe that summer for 3 ½ weeks. It was going to be a big job… I wrote down the date we arrived in a location, the hotels, the methods of transportation we took, the markets we visited, the restaurants we enjoyed and so much more! I did not just list them, I wrote each day as a real journal entry with feelings and anecdotes.

Photo: @conciergecouple

Was it a lot of work? Yes. Were there a few evenings when I was exhausted and did not feel like doing my “homework’? Definitely. On those night Richard encouraged me to get it down. But much of the time I would use our travel days (flying from one destination to the next) to catch up. I am now onto my third journal. People buy them for me as gifts and I have written about places all over the world. The journal is so important to me. It compliments all the pictures we have taken and all the other travel paraphernalia (airline tickets, attraction tickets, wristbands, etc.) we collect.

Our children and family will be able to read about out adventures. Maybe follow in some of our footsteps. When Richard and I are too old to climb mountains or surf, we will always have our memories of travelling the world with us, written in great detail.

These journals help us remember details for this blog, and offer specific suggestions of sites to see and places to eat when others ask us. Using it to refer to as concierge couple, is just an added bonus for us.

Below are some other ways we cherish our travel memories:

Cork board: We keep many of our airline tickets, attraction tickets, business cards of places we have visited, wristbands, and old passports pinned on a corkboard.

Photo: @conciergecouple

Travel tags: Rich came across Traveller Collective about a year ago. It's a Canadian company that creates metal rings for each country you've travelled to. Not only do they look great while you travel, but you can feel good about yourself. As 10% of sales goes to Education projects in the world. Currently, the funding is going towards building a school in Dum, Ethiopia. 

Photo: @conciergecouple

TripAdvisor: We review pretty much every restaurant, hotel, attraction, etc. we go to. We do it to help others out, because we often look to TripAdvisor for tips when we are booking trips. TripAdvisor has a cool feature, which allows you to track how many countries, continents, and cities you have visited. You know just for bragging rights or to check off that bucket list.

Gallery wall: We print pictures of scenes we love and frame them. We have to be selective with so many memories we love. The pictures hang in our bedroom. They are mostly printed in black and white or sepia so they are more understated and complement the décor rather than look like a large scale scrapbook.

Photobooks: We often get deals on photobooks sent to our email. We use whatever company we have a coupon for at the time. We take the time to select our favourite shots and only add minimal text, usually just the name of the destination. We have these books on our coffee table. They turn into great conversation pieces when we have friends over. 

Photo: @conciergecouple

What unique ways do you savour your travel memories?