Sorrento’s sweet life

 

As the rest of Italy hawks ‘la dolce vita,’ Sorrento’s sweet life tends to be a bit tart. That’s because this seaside town embraces all things lemon – from souvenirs to side dishes, the bright yellow citrus fruit is imbued in just about everything here.

But when the sun bears down on the piers and cobbled streets, tourists rush for one Sorrento treat that comes in all kinds of flavors, including lemon: gelato.

The heat is no joke in Sorrento, especially during the summer months. Being a coastal town, the summer is also one of the more enjoyable times to visit this gateway to the Amalfi Coast. There are festivals and fireworks down by the piers and fresh seafood in abundance. The island of Capri is a quick, refreshing boat ride away, offering both the cool, cavernous Blue Grotto experience and a chairlift to the island’s breezy summit.

The town itself sits up on a bluff above the sea, its streets and neighborhoods swinging towards the cliffs like a hammock on a lazy summer afternoon. One road climbs up along the waters edge to a series of cliffhanging hotels, while another winds and declines down to the Marina Grande. A pedestrian walkway hewn into the rock provides access to the public beaches and the larger seaport. Altogether, Sorrento is an ideal summer destination, complete with seafood and citrus, sunbathing and swimming.

And of course, like most every Italian tourist town, a gelateria is never far away in sun-soaked Sorrento. They are on the main street, amidst the surprisingly buzzy nighttime scene, and sprinkled in amongst the back roads and pedestrian areas. And that’s a good thing, because a quick cone is always an option as dessert, as a palate cleanser, in between meals, as a snack…you get the idea.

If you’ve ever had gelato, you know quality is a product of careful craftsmanship. There are gelato makers that reach for the next level of frozen treats and Sorrento is home to some standouts.   

My family stopped – many times – at Raki, a small shop tucked in next to a colorful fruit stand, which was overflowing with massive peaches. On the first visit, we relaxed at the bistro tables out front, my one year old daughter reaching over my shoulder for one of the aforementioned peaches. She got one and sunk her tiny teeth right in, stopping only when my father-in-law emerged from the shop and plopped a cup of peach gelato in front of her.

Raki’s flavors were creative and bold. We tried a ricotta walnut honey, with a luxurious but tamed sweetness, as well as a cinnamon that had a distinct flavor of the natural spice but also mixed in the taste of fiery cinnamon candy. My favorites here were the delicious vanilla fig, which combined a deep natural vanilla flavor with bits of actual figs; and the peach, mainly because it tasted almost exactly like the real fresh fruit sold to us by the adjacent grocer.

Whereas Raki was situated on a more pedestrian side street, Momi Gelateria sat in a parallel spot right on Corso Italia, one of Sorrento’s main drags. Funky and fun, with a welcoming owner, Momi provided creamy, top-tier versions of my favorite gelato flavors: pistachio and nocciola (hazelnut). The combination, enhanced only by the addition of a third scoop of chocolate, is a go-to in Italy. And here at Momi, with its artisanal take on gelato, they do them as well as anyone. Their takes on the flavors burst on the palate, melting into each other in a nutty, creamy, cool concoction.

Back in the jumble of Sorrento’s cobbled roads is Davide il Gelato, a larger ice cream shop with indoor seating and an expansive cooler case saturated with vibrant mounds of colorful creations. The kiwi flavor was interwoven with chunks of actual kiwi fruit and the tiny black kiwi seeds gave the impression of natural chocolate chips.

But as is fitting for lemon-centric Sorrento, the most memorable flavor at Davide il Gelato was its succulent limoncello. The perfect balance of tart and sweet, it was a frozen aperitif, embodying the essence of this seaside haven.

There are many more options for gelato in Sorrento and more likely than not, wherever you choose you’ll get a taste of the sweet life by the sea.  

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Towering over Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

There was a moment, about three quarters of the way up, as the steps became steeper and the railing a little flimsier, when I considered the ascent a bad idea. My two year old daughter clung to me like unripe grapes to the vine, and in turn I clutched her with one arm so that my other was free to hold the railings.

The steps we had already conquered swirled around the inside wall of a centuries-old stone tower. We had reached a landing, looked down the center abyss to the ground far below, and then up at the remaining climb up an old wooden ladder. It was stifling hot and the air inside the medieval fortification pressed heavy on the body. It didn’t help that I had hoisted an extra 30 pounds up the stairs.

As my daughter and I slowly, carefully slid up the almost vertical ladder – the final lunge up the tower – my hands ached from gripping the worn rungs and her little body. The excitement I had felt with the first step down below was now hard to conjure.

We reached the last ladder rung. Simultaneously my daughter’s little head and my big one poked up through the hatch and into the glaring Italian sunlight. We emerged from the ladder onto the crown of San Gimignano’s tallest tower, the Torre Grossa. I was exhausted, hot and my knees were trembling.

Was the climb worth it? My eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight and as the whole expanse of Tuscany came into focus, hills and vineyard and cypress trees sprawled in every direction, the answer was instantly and profoundly obvious: yes it is.  

Every direction was a postcard panorama. Leaning over one side of the Torre Grossa, I pointed out to my daughter the hills, green and gold in midsummer splendor, rolling and cresting like waves to the horizon. Over on the other side, vineyards pockmarked the slopes, not yet heavy with fruit but close to providing fodder for the region’s local chianti and vernaccia wine. Still in another direction, the rooftops of San Gimignano jutted up and down, every once in a while broken by a medieval tower, like stepping stones leading the way to the walled fortress on the edge of town. My daughter pointed out the piazzas buzzing with activity underneath us.

Since we stood atop the tallest tower in San Gimignano, we had the benefit of looking down on the town’s other towers. Only eleven stone towers still stand out of more than 70 that once dominated the town in its medieval heyday, each a physical manifestation of power, built by the wealthy to show off (and to sometimes drop hot oil on potential intruders).

Every Tuscan hilltown has a unique trait, whether it is a landmark or local cuisine or artisan craft. Because of this, visiting a Tuscan hilltown is an intimate affair, like getting to know a new member of the same family. They are all distinctly Tuscan but also memorable for their own distinct reason. 

The towers are San Gimignano’s calling card, giving visitors a sight unseen anywhere else in the world – Tuscany’s version of a downtown skyline.

Because of this novelty, and the porcupine-like city photos it generates, San Gimignano is frequently a stop on many tour bus routes, making it a crowded place during the high season. But that doesn’t mean it is not worth visiting. Even with crowds, this small Tuscan hilltown has plenty to explore, from its churches, to the great views at the aforementioned fortress, to the small workshop off the main drag that has a full miniature model of the entire town.

As with most every small village or big city in Italy, San Gimignano is most Italian (and therefore most enjoyable), when experienced unscripted. Getting lost among the steep cobbled walkways off the main thoroughfare and sticking around in the evening hours after the tour buses have gone, will allow your eyes to feast on a relaxed San Gimignano. The whole town exhales as the tour buses clatter away.

I was lucky to be staying at a villa within a ten minute drive of San Gimignano, so experiencing it in both ways was easy. The difference was literally night and day.    

We spent several evenings strolling the streets alongside locals and other lucky overnight tourists. Peaceful, small town calm settled over the cafés and piazzas, save for the handful of children running around the central stone well in Piazza de la Cisterna. But who could blame them, with Gelateria Dondoli, one of the world’s premier gelato shops mere steps away. Award-winning in every way, my entire family indulged in Sergio’s frozen master craft on numerous occasions, sampling traditional flavors and the more obscure, like berry rosemary and eggnog vin santo (sweet white wine).

Dinners were unrushed and unforgettable, as most are in Tuscan hamlets. We ate at a restaurant situated in a garden high atop the town, had some quick pizza at a café off Piazza Cisterna, and snagged some wild boar sausage at a small shop.

On our last night, we indulged at La Mangiatoia Ristorante. My fork cut right through a local venison medallion glazed with fig sauce and in-season mushrooms, the savory meat bursting with flavor. Simple pasta dishes, like wild boar ragu and homemade pesto, thoroughly pleased the entire family. In all, the meal was a highlight during a week of culinary excellence in Tuscany. And of course, even with dessert and after-dinner drinks at La Mangiatoia, we had to end the evening at Dondoli.      

To consume the food here takes little effort, even though to consume the views requires a bit of leg work. Nevertheless, San Gimignano fulfills in both regards.

Back on top of Torre Grossa, before we descended, my daughter spotted some bright purple flowers growing out of the tower’s rampart. I picked one and gave it to her. She clutched it tightly, and I clutched her, as we prepared to back down the ladder to the landing and down the staircase. 

“It’s so beautiful,” she said.

I smiled at her, and then we both soaked in one more glance of the striking Tuscan vista before ducking down through the ladder hatch. My response to her was instantly and profoundly obvious: “Yes, it is.”

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