FLASHBACK: Gelato for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The cliche American things to do in Italy are to eat gelato, "hold up" the Leaning Tower of Pisa, eat gelato, visit the Vatican City, eat gelato, and shovel pasta—fistfuls at a time—into your mouth...then top it off with gelato. And since I'm American, I did as the Americans would do, minus Pisa—couldn't make the trip.

This gelateria in Florence is just one of the many shops I went to while in Europe. I swear, I ate at least three servings in one day while wandering around Rome. My favorite flavors are coconut and stracciatella, which is basically chocolate and vanilla mixed together. The best I had was next door to a pizza shop called, if I'm not mistaken, Caffè Accademia, right outside the Spanish Steps train stop. That's right, there are train stops near historical monuments in Rome. Your mind would be blown if you exited the Colosseum train stop.

My friend Anna was the most adventurous. She tried a different flavor every time we stopped in every Italian city (Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan) we traveled to—from mango to Nutella. I always tried hers, but stuck with my beloved coconut. When we returned to Madrid, we "settled" for the gourmet gelato at Giangrossi, two blocks from our apartment. Like in the shops of Chelsea Market, you can watch them make your gelato in their kitchens.

Nowadays, I settle for the Village's Grom whenever I need a fix. $6 for a little vanilla delight. I wouldn't say it's the best, but I will say that I'll be trying a few more places around Bleecker Street this summer.