x,,,,,at the end of the alphabet

Well there is no X in the Italian alphabet so I shall speak about the xtra stories that did not fit into any other category:

      Everyone knows and most of us love Italian gellato, ice cream.  
While following Kelly Medford in Rome, to tell me her favorite gellato she shared with me an organic gelato store in the medico area of Rome.  

What a wonderful surprise when I walked into this charming small store.   It was early in the day so there was no line out the door.
The assortment of flavors and colors was capturing.

Engaging the server in conversation she was reluctant to be photographed or to let me write about our conversation.  But the hand made chocolates and other deserts were enough to tell the story.   There are 2 or 3 locations.  The flavors were very original and the next customer spent 15 minutes just selected which she would have!    

Piazza lessons in Como:
I had seen a sign for a pizza school in Naples years ago and although I searched I never found more information  So it was a surprise when I visited the pizza/focaccia store in Como with the young women I met at the tourist office. 
  

They selected the lunch location and what a surprise to find it was the same place I had 'discovered' the day before.
While photographing the exterior, so that I could blog about my 'discovery'  the owner came outside and told me (in Italian) that he also offered a pizza school at another location in Como.   He is from Naples where pizza was born but without a wood fire oven, the taste is different.  

Leather bags in Lecce
While strolling in the city center one evening I passed a small shop with leather bags displayed outside.   When I stopped to look the owner invited me into the store to view a large assortment of very stylish bags in interesting colors.   Yes there are great fashion stores around the main square in Lecce but like Rome or Milan, the prices are not always affordable for this traveler.

I always plan a stop in Florence to buy my leather gifts and a purse every year.   But what a surprise to find hand made bags, the owner was downstairs making more, at affordable prices..... I shall be back even if I did buy 2!