kennethpollock
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My satorical strategy completely misfired. I decided to do something different for this, my 30th European trip. I would eschew my usual grey and navy clothes with black shoes. I would fit in by taking all olive and tan with brown shoes, as I had seen those colors much in evidence on my last visit to Italy, some 17years ago.
I have never been so wrong. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe Milan and/or Naples are different, but everyone wearing a suit in Rome, Venice and Florence seemed to be wearing navy blue with a solid blue shirt. BORING!
My choice of shoes was not much better. Our hotel in Venice, the lovely Foscari Palace, had a cocktail party for the guests. One youngish couple, from Munich, glanced at my EG English tan leather/tan canvas specs, nudged each other and snickered. Those shoes proved to be my most comfortable. I had selected 4 pairs to take; each had been previously worn at least a dozen times by me and seemed comfortable enough, but had never been through the rigors of being worn all day, walking 10+ miles. The other pair that came through well were some tan Alden kiltie slipons. However, I was made miserable by my Carmina oxfords and my Grenson sidelaces. I found out the Carminas have a rather stiff sole that does not flex well (is it cheap leather?). As a result, my feet rubbed inside the shoe. The Grensons even seemed a bit narrow before I left, but I guess feet swell after considerable walking, so I was really hobbling by the end of the day.
I was surprised by a shop named "Black Watch" in Venice. It had a whole window of Brooks shirts (the store tags on each said "Brooks Brother" and gave the price-95 Euros for a no-iron button down [roughly three times the sale price here]). It also had a window of Polo blue label suits (1,995 Euros) as well as Kiton (3,450). It was disconcerting to see the respect paid to Polo everywhere. It was in all of the finest shops, at very high prices.
It made me wonder whether or not the Italians really knew quality.
The trip was fine, except for the crowds of tourists; my last 4 trips had been winter ones and I had forgotten about the summer lines. Shopping was absymal due to the weak dollar, the declining number of small unique stores and the proliferation of the same old international shops that one finds on Bond Street, r. St. Honore and 5th Avenue (Chanel, Hermes, Tiffany's, Versace, Brioni, etc.).
Via Condotti even has a Church's English Shoe store and a Burberry's. I wound up with four cheap no-brand ties.
The food was good, especially the middle and upper middle class places, but we were disappointed with grander places in Rome like the starred Mirabelle, at $433 for 2 people, and the restaurant at the Majestic Hotel. It is better to avoid grand French type places in Italy, although da Fiore in Venice (the only starred place in that city) was marvelous. Prices were through the roof; 28 Euros for an appetizer of [rather ordinary] asparagus at Centrale in Venice; 31 Euros (including the music charge) for a hot chocolate and a Capuccino at the famed Florian at Piazza San Marco.
I have never been so wrong. I stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe Milan and/or Naples are different, but everyone wearing a suit in Rome, Venice and Florence seemed to be wearing navy blue with a solid blue shirt. BORING!
My choice of shoes was not much better. Our hotel in Venice, the lovely Foscari Palace, had a cocktail party for the guests. One youngish couple, from Munich, glanced at my EG English tan leather/tan canvas specs, nudged each other and snickered. Those shoes proved to be my most comfortable. I had selected 4 pairs to take; each had been previously worn at least a dozen times by me and seemed comfortable enough, but had never been through the rigors of being worn all day, walking 10+ miles. The other pair that came through well were some tan Alden kiltie slipons. However, I was made miserable by my Carmina oxfords and my Grenson sidelaces. I found out the Carminas have a rather stiff sole that does not flex well (is it cheap leather?). As a result, my feet rubbed inside the shoe. The Grensons even seemed a bit narrow before I left, but I guess feet swell after considerable walking, so I was really hobbling by the end of the day.
I was surprised by a shop named "Black Watch" in Venice. It had a whole window of Brooks shirts (the store tags on each said "Brooks Brother" and gave the price-95 Euros for a no-iron button down [roughly three times the sale price here]). It also had a window of Polo blue label suits (1,995 Euros) as well as Kiton (3,450). It was disconcerting to see the respect paid to Polo everywhere. It was in all of the finest shops, at very high prices.
It made me wonder whether or not the Italians really knew quality.
The trip was fine, except for the crowds of tourists; my last 4 trips had been winter ones and I had forgotten about the summer lines. Shopping was absymal due to the weak dollar, the declining number of small unique stores and the proliferation of the same old international shops that one finds on Bond Street, r. St. Honore and 5th Avenue (Chanel, Hermes, Tiffany's, Versace, Brioni, etc.).
Via Condotti even has a Church's English Shoe store and a Burberry's. I wound up with four cheap no-brand ties.
The food was good, especially the middle and upper middle class places, but we were disappointed with grander places in Rome like the starred Mirabelle, at $433 for 2 people, and the restaurant at the Majestic Hotel. It is better to avoid grand French type places in Italy, although da Fiore in Venice (the only starred place in that city) was marvelous. Prices were through the roof; 28 Euros for an appetizer of [rather ordinary] asparagus at Centrale in Venice; 31 Euros (including the music charge) for a hot chocolate and a Capuccino at the famed Florian at Piazza San Marco.
