deadly serious.

[joshua0]

The thing that you've got to understand about this country is how deadly serious they are about their ice cream.

For instance, yesterday evening, I went to Island Gelato Company (4.3* on Google Maps), a four minute walk from MELT (also 4.3*), where I went the night before. Despite it being 55 degrees out (Fahrenheit, for I have not at all assimilated in my two-and-a-half days here), and raining, there was a line; the small glass storefront was full. The presentation of the choices was gorgeous, enough that you'd assume that the place is a chain, with so many options; as it turns out, it is a chain, but of only two stores. For my NZ$9.50 (that's US$6 or so), I got two scoops, for I needed to try two different flavors, see. The gelato I got (half Darkest Chocolate & Sour Cherry, half Buttermilk & Dulce) was, if not truly exceptional, certainly very good. The night before, when I got the national flavor of ice cream, Hokey Pokey (that's vanilla with honeycomb toffee -- and no, I am not joking about New Zealand having a national flavor of ice cream), I found, also to be excellent.

But the most surprising thing, perhaps, is that these two were not a fluke: I have reason to believe that there are, perhaps, tens, if not hundreds, of ice cream shops in and around Auckland of such quality.

Perhaps I should skip lunch today. And dinner, too, for that matter.

Deadly serious, indeed.