Although shopping is one of my least favorite activities, I do have some thoughts about what to buy when you are in Italy:
Wine
No, don’t bother. It loses something when transported over the ocean and never tastes the same as when you are sitting in a charming piazza across from a Renaissance church with the bells tolling at dusk. Drink the wine while in Italy!
Leather
Yes, this is a product that is high quality at low prices, especially at the daily leather market in Florence. Gloves are beautifully stitched and will easily slip into your suitcase as a gift. Ditto leather belts, but also consider handbags, brief cases, jackets and shoes. The styles are elegant and the soft quality of Italian leather is superior.
Eyeglasses
The styles are just so much more interesting than anything we find at home! Feeling stylish? Serious? Funky? There are many unique looks to take home. They can easily match your prescription directly from a pair of your old glasses.
Olive Oil
But only if you buy it in a tin fresh out of the spout at an olive oil pressing in October! (Come to our Autumn Arts Festival and we can take you.)
Table Linens
Again, high quality, distinctly creative designs and fabrics which you can easily slip into your suitcase.
And finally, a haircut
Yes, that’s right, especially for men! It must be in their blood, but Italians really know how to finish off a haircut so you look especially neat and clean. Italian barbers will actually shave your sideburns and neck with steaming hot cream using a straight razor for a noticeably elegant look. Beard trimming is now an art in many barber shops as well. Repeat often while you are in Italy so you maintain that impressive look when you return home!