GELATERIA TRAMONTI: Italian ice cream makers conquer Cartagena de Indias

An ice cream a day, removes the doctor of the day," is the phrase used by Matteo Eldi, one of the owners of Gelateria Tramonti, to invite people to come in and eat ice cream. A small and cozy place, colorful and decorated with many flowers, it transports you to the province in Italy where they grew up, La Spezia, a city that sits among hills, flora and the sea.



Three years ago Matteo and his brother Davide decided to settle in Cartagena de Indias after 8 years of visiting on vacation. Since they arrived they have been loving the weather the people, and the charm of the narrow streets. And, of course, they did not leave the beauty of the Colombian woman, Matteo stands out with a flushed face.

They were compelled to move based on the economics of doing business in Italy. "Italy is a country that asks for many taxes, the state take at least 50% of the salary and VAT is 23%," said Matteo. After visiting 40 cities in the world these adventurous men decided to embark on a new chapter in the “corralito de piedras”. They opened the old blue doors, typical of the colonial design of the city, and restarted their careers. Matteo is a chef certified in Italy and his older brother, Davide, is a business administrator. The perfect combination to succeed in an ice cream business.



As I perused the shop I was overwhelmed with the number of flavors. I did not know what to photograph to best convey the delights of this ice cream shop. Pistachio, pure bitter chocolate, amarena (my favorite), watermelon, mango, straciatella, cookies, cassata siciliana, hazelnut, gold nero, mint after 8, and many other flavors are waiting to be tasted. I could easily visit every day until I have tried them all!



Do you know what I liked the most about Gelateria Tramonti? The good vibes of its owners and the craftsmanship in the manufacture of their ice cream. They take the fresh fruit of the day and 30 minutes later, they have new ice cream ready in the showcase. After 3 days, if there is any ice cream left, they throw it out. Matteo says, "ice cream is like a baby, you have to take care of it, protect it from weather changes, light, sun and keep it at a temperature ideal". . Well, sort of like taking care of a baby...



And before we said goodbye, Matteo wanted to send a message to people: “Don’t miss out on this temptation!” The best thing was his exotic, Italian accent, "... A gelato is not fattening, it's happiness, do not be afraid to come, as I said it at first, an ice cream a day removes the doctor of the day ".

Special thanks to the Eldi brothers, the saleswoman in the showcase who smiled with each of Matteo’s responses, and the colorful ice cream that came out spectacular in the photos. It was delicious!