Saturday, June 13, 2009

Postcard from the parlour


Sunny afternoons in Britain aren't complete until you've heard the chimes of the ice cream van. The discordant rendition of 'Greensleeves' is a more welcome soundtrack to summer than drumbeats leaking from the open windows of passing cars.

My problem is that a Mr Whippy-style dollop into a cone made of crunchy air cannot satisfy the Pavlovian craving the music triggers. Not even if you stick a Flake in it.

I'm certain there's a gap in the market for quality ice cream parlours in the suburbs. I'd love to be able to wander down the road and choose from a range of delicious flavours as I did in the tiny ice cream parlour in Spain, pictured above.
I selected creamy coffee (and a pink spoon), my companion chose decadently rich chocolate (and a blue spoon) – gender stereotypes are alive and well! The gelato texture was heavy and smooth, the flavours intense. My only disappointment was that they weren't playing 'Greensleeves'.

8 comments:

Timberati said...

Tillamook is the best. You'll need to visit us here in the US (WEST coast) to get it.

Timberati said...

I'm sure I can find Greensleeves ... somewhere.

Katharine D'Souza said...

Tillamook does look good, Norm.

http://www.tillamookcheese.com/OurProducts/IceCream/

A very US flavor to the flavours though! In the UK it would be things like Clotted Cream and Old Fashioned Toffee. Have to say that Bubble Gum flavor isn't tempting me.

Still, it's breakfast time here in the UK right now. I wonder if porridge ice cream would work... Perhaps not.
K

Lexi said...

You're lucky. In Hoxton the latest ice cream van plays Popeye the Sailor Man.

Last year we had Lara's theme from Doctor Zhivago.

TARguy said...

Hey

Thanks for that!

Gelatos most definitely on me next time...

Actually - and just to be clear - when I say 'on me', I mean I'll pay as opposed to making a mess of myself.

Coffee and vanilla all round then, and not a mention of pistachio...

G x

TARguy said...

PS - have you noticed how many comments a posting on ice cream has generated? Got to be a lesson there... though not entirely sure what it is.

Katharine D'Souza said...

Hi Lexi - are they playing 'Popeye' because their latest flavour offering is spinach? It could work; in a Heston Bloominheck kind of a way...

Hi Guy - perhaps there's a correlation between writing and ice cream consumption. Let's wait and see what happens when I do a post about chocolate. But, hey, you're giving away our secrets! You know Norm and Lexi have overactive imaginations and will have dreamt up all kinds of scenarios to explain what might have happened with the pistachio ice cream. I'll try to distract them -

Right, I want all three of you to submit a short piece of fiction featuring an assignation in an ice cream parlour. Best one gets bought an ice cream by me. Um, Norm - I sense a problem should you win...

K

Timberati said...

I stopped by to comment here because Mary and I recently went on the Tillamook tour and had incredible ice cream in fresh waffle cones. You have to go.