How Sweet IT Is

In case anyone was in doubt, last week's heat wave was a clear reminder of just what season is upon us. Since we already gave you the lowdown on how to find a pool near you, this week IT will explore another favorite means of summer temperature reduction: ice cream. Or, to be precise, our favorite frozen subgenre, gelato.

Beyond the heat, the inspiration for this entry was our recent discovery of Ciclismo Classico's Giro del Gelato biking tour of Italy, which includes all-you-can-eat binges, gelato-making lessons, and best gelato competitions on its two-week itinerary from Venice to Gaeta via Florence and other cool-treat hotbeds. We got to thinking that there are more ways to experience this Italian delight than struggling to choose between 218 different flavors or navigating display cases where velvety vanilla neighbors bright blue Viagra, and found a few to share with you.

Ciclismo Classico may have the only gelato bike tour on offer, but they're not the first to think that cold creamy goodness would be a good guiding principle for trip planning. A couple of intrepid ice cream adventurers have taken gelato tours of their own, and posted their findings online so others can follow in their footsteps. If you're not feeling athletic or DIY, Select Italy's half-day Florence for Children tour combines the requisite cono with visits to a number of nifty-at-any-age animal statues, including the famed Florentine boar.

If after being guided to the best scoops your sweet tooth starts demanding regular fixes, IT has tracked down a couple of stateside workshops where regular folks can learn to make it at home. Sadly we just missed one in Sonoma, but there's still plenty of time to take in this class in Portland in a couple of weeks.

We could go on, but our mouths are watering. If anyone asks, IT's spending the rest of the day at Dolcezza…