Sunday, January 29, 2012

"Das leckerste Eis auf der ganzen Welt" - Naples, Florida

I'll remember Naples as the place where we got delicious, organic, home made, preservatives-, colorants-, high-fructose syrup- and sugar-free ice cream, and equally delicious organic coffee. A proof that ice cream doesn't have to be loaded with additives and sugar to be delicious.

I found it curious that the organic ice cream place (Adelheidi's Organic Sweets) was run by Germans: a lovely, chatty couple. I didn’t know that the organic mania had already managed to spread to Europe. The owners let us taste as many flavors as we wanted before we had to pick the final five. It wasn't an easy task, as they had many interesting creations, including "mango cayenne," "strawberry basil," "cardamom," "black pepper," "carrots," and many others. I wish I could have tried them all.

The creamery has a perfect 100% score on Trip Advisor, and some people even think that it serves the best ice cream in the world ("das beste Eis auf der Welt"). I'm not sure if I agree with that statement (I haven’t tried all the ice cream in the world, not yet anyway), but I definitely agree that a visit to Adelheidi's Organic Sweets is a must if you are within a hundred miles of the place.

Adelheidi's Organic Sweets is located on the upscale 5th Ave South, which features a variety of galleries, antique shops, coffee places, restaurants, and other shops. The street reminded me a bit of Santa Barbara, CA, though it felt less pretentious.

5th Avenue South, Naples, Florida

Dabba Doo - an alligator-restaurateur 

Other than the creamery and 5th Avenue South, Naples might be worth visiting because of its beach. In 2005, its 10-mile-long sandy beach was voted "the best beach in America" by the Travel Channel. I agree that the beach in Naples is quite nice, but I don't think it deserves “the best beach” title. We saw nicer, more pristine beaches even during our subsequent travels in Florida.

Cormorant and pelicans enjoying a lunch break on the Vanderbilt Beach, Naples, Florida

A yawning pelican