Month: September 2018

Packing shoes to take on a trip to Italy at the end of summer can be problematic.

First, I need a casual shoe which I can wear with shorts or jeans – with or without socks, as it could be hot or cold.

Next, a change of casual shoes in a different colour, as I’m taking blue shorts and blue plus greenish jeans, as well as some black ones for going out at night. I’ll need another pair, however, as both of those are suede and there is a reasonable chance we’ll get some rain during our month away and suede takes a while to dry and it can get those white water marks on it. Do I need to take a suede brush?

I’ll also need a smarter pair for going out at for a night which requires dressing-up.

Of course, I’ll also need my walking sneakers, for some serious exercise.

It will probably be hot when we first arrive and we may go to the beach, so I’ll take my thongs as well to wear with the shorts or bathers. They’re not a problem to pack as they don’t take-up much room and can fit in the pouch on the outside of my case. Here, they’ll also protect the contents a bit from impact in the luggage hold of the plane.

That’s a total of 6 pairs……. It should be enough.

Several weeks later and I’m in the shoe shop in Vicenza during summer sales. I don’t really need any more shoes but that pair of casual leather grey and white shoes looks good and they’re only 20 Euros! Only one pair left and they’re my size! It would be a crime to leave them in the shop.          Also, I don’t have any green or red shoes……

Packing to head home a week later and I think I have room to squeeze in 9 pairs of shoes. The walking shoes can stay here.

I must try and reduce the number I bring next time.

 

The mercury is already above 33C in the market van where I am trying on white pants. It’s 11 in the morning. I climbed up the shaky, portable steps and drew the narrow curtain so the people shopping outside couldn’t see me – or at least much of me. The van, when curtained off, can offer three “changerooms” and sometimes there is even the luxury of a small mirror. But most of the time you need to rely on the feel of the clothes without a mirror – too tight, too short, too big or just too clingy if it is a non-breathing fabric – and many are! Advances have been made with synthetic material but not in many of the market clothes. The pants I’m trying on today are linen and cotton and will be cool. All of the clothes are made in Italy – so the owner of the stall tells me – and they always look great – Bellissima! – or so the owner tells me. Today I am lucky! The mirror is nearly full length so I can see that these pants fit. It is so hot in the van that they cling to my legs as I try to pull them off in the tiny space without toppling out of the van.

Thursday is the day for the biggest market of the week in Vicenza. You can buy anything. It’s as though the vans collected everything from a huge mall and drove to town. The vans change with the seasons – in winter real fur coats and accessories are at the top end of the piazza. Today in that place is an outlet van with swimwear – almost too late for this year but people are raking over the contents from high end designers – La Perla, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors among them – to stock up for the next summer season. They grasp and pull, appraise and toss aside. They jostle and sidle to get closer to the best bargains. This summer might be over but thoughts are already on plans for the next summer holiday.

When it’s very hot like this, some of the vans don’t come to town. There is a space this week where the fresh flower market stall usually parks. The kitchenware van isn’t here either. But I am happy with my white pants and happy that I tried them on without too many people pulling back the curtain looking for a spare “changeroom”.