A Double Magnum Night

You never can tell what will inspire you. This summer, an ad for ice cream made me think of an special time nearly twenty years ago, and resulted in my own book-rating system.

In 2011 Magnum Ice Cream finally made it over the big, bad Atlantic. I saw this commercial and was instantly transported to a summer I spent in Florence, Italy. It wasn't the commercial that did it, though. It was Magnum.

Door to my home

It was an amazing summer. So perfect, I don't need to travel back-in-time to tell my college self to enjoy it more. Even now, I could find my front door. The experience was as exquisite as Italy, itself.
In the evenings, after classes and dinner, we used to walk to the Arno. Our apartment was south of the river in a neighborhood filled with many wonderful stores. We visited the same tabaccheria to buy our ritual Magnum ice cream.


We'd take our luscious chocolate decadence to the Ponte Santa Trinita (Holy Trinity Bridge) and watch the sunset.

Exhibit A - painting done from ledge

The Ponte Vecchio is best known, but I have great affinity for Ponte Santa Trinita. I jumped down onto one of her wings and came within several feet of the edge (because I'm OH so brave). We painted down there while pedestrians waved to us.



One evening, we bought our Magnums, watched the sunset, and it was such a glorious sunset closing a wonderful day, that we each bought a second Magnum on our way home. After that, a really great anything was christened a "Double Magnum Night."

When I saw the commercial, I'd just finished reading "Water For Elephants." I adored the book and suddenly my thoughts were swirling like chocolate and caramel. What's worthy of the "Double Magnum Night" award? A great bottle of wine. A day so well spent that you are utterly sated and content. A really great book.

A Double Magnum Night - "Water for Elephants"
A Magnum - "Good In Bed"
A Ben and Jerry's Phish Food - "Audrey, Wait!"
Vanilla is for 'predictable but still enjoyable' - Nora Roberts, et al
A Cardboard IceCream Sandwich means STOP EATING (I mean) READING, NOW! - "Starring Sally J. Freeman as Herself."

I'm about to read "Atlas Shrugged" and am tempted to buy the double chocolate Magnum. Will it inspire a second double chocolate Magnum?



Listening to The Dandy Warhols "We Used To Be Friends" 
Yes, Veronica Mars was a "Double Magnum Night."