SHOP

Throughout this entire trip I have spent most of my afternoons with the same people: the other Kelsey and both of our moms. Other people join us sometimes, yes, but the four of us are together through it all. More than anything else since we've been in Italy, we've shopped. There have been plenty of churches, don't get me wrong, but we don't seem to be able to just walk past all of those cute little stores. Each city has had something different to offer, so for those of you back home wondering where all the money is going, here's an overview.

Assisi was a great place. It was quaint, clean, and peaceful. There were no shortage of small shops there, offering Assisi's special embroidered cloths, Rose liquour and cheeses, and pottery. The stores were all small and there was a lot of variety, but this was better shopping for the moms than it was for the Kelseys.

Florence was bustling, much bigger and busier than we had anticipated. Its main offering in the shopping department was its outdoor market with street vendors stretching for blocks and blocks from just outside our hotel. The stuff here was very inexpensive, but I think everyone bought tons of stuff to make up for the low prices, so tons of money still got spent. The main purchases were scarves and leather items.

Then there's Rome, which is in a league of its own. They have it all here, from the vendors on the street to the Gucci and Fendi stores by the spanish steps. And we've shopped it all, although we didn't let ourselves go into the extremely expensive places. The thing that Kelsey and I are really excited for is our free day, when we can explore all of the great clothing stores near the Barberini Plaza.

Happy spending to all the other travelers, those at home just be excited for the gifts :) Tomorrow's the last day...


Kelsey