When I was in junior high school, having never been, New York City was a far-off land where rich people lived, models and actors walked the streets wearing designer clothes, and you could hear a slew of different languages being mashed about in the length of a block. I was soon to realize that I wasn’t too far off in my guesstimation.
Once I had seen New York City for myself, Italy quickly supplanted the Big Apple in my mind as the “edge of all-known cartography” and I have been obsessed ever since.
My best advice for those visiting Italy (and those on a budget) is to add “Lavoro A Mano” (Hand Made) to your list of phrases to memorize.
Here are a few shots of some hand made purchasables that I came across during my recent trip to Positano.
Giovanni (the older, seated gentleman) and his son own this small leather goods storefront in Positano and can make you a pair of sandals in 5 minutes, while you wait, that will serve you much better than your Tevas that just scream tourist.
In Italy, coral, as you have read in Anthony DeMarco’s May ‘07 JCK feature Torre del Greco and the Fruit of the Sea, is a very popular medium in which to work. You should also keep an eye out for a nice cameo, though they should be relatively easy to come by.
The infamous wall of jewelry in Positano is where local artists sell their jewelry, literally, off the back wall of a private residence that faces a church. What better way to spend an afternoon than to listen to a choir rehearsal while shopping for jewelry under the shade of bougainvillea?
My friend Lori actually purchased a seashell bracelet from this local artist. Above you can see her finishing up the clasp.
If you have any stories of a great purchase you may have had while travelling, I invite you to share it in our comment box, or drop me an e-mail and I may feature your story with its own blog post.
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