Travel Diary: Venice
Some destinations are of the "take only pictures, leave only footprints, kill only time" variety. And then there's artisan-rich Italy. The key to shopping on vacation? If you love it, don’t hesitate. Chances are you won’t travel down the same street again. Here's what I purchased on a recent trip to Venice:
1. Murano Glass: We visited the famed, if fatiguing, island (no place needs this many gift shops), but I found the perfect deconstructed modern bowl back in Venice proper at a family-run studio/gallery.
2. A Chunky Headband: Not my typical accessory but I've been rewatching Gossip Girl (nostalgia is a powerful drug), and this store had a wall of handmade headpieces in every color and fabric.
3. House Slippers: I got chic, velvet, handmade Mary Janes from Piedaterre, which pair perfectly with jeans or studio sweats.
4. A Tiny Oil Painting: My favorite purchase by far—a beautiful little painting I snapped up on our first day wandering along the grand canal. There are countless artists camped here, but I barely looked at their work until I stumbled upon Luigi Longega. We spoke (in limited English and Italian) about realism vs. abstraction, being self taught artists and the joys of painting. Buying artwork directly from an artist to commemorate a trip is so meaningful—and will hopefully outlive the shoes and the headband.