ITALY MAGAZINE ROUND-UP - 27

Here is my pick of last week's Italy Magazine articles:

Christmas is almost upon us but you may also be thinking about where to spend New Year's Eve.  If you are going to be in Italy, there is a fantastic free show to be enjoyed in Bologna!

This was the week in which both the Vatican City and the town of Gubbio [Umbria]  prepared, in their different ways, for Christmas.  Which of the two trees would you rather see?  Meanwhile, in Tuscany, there is one exhibition I would love to visit, for what woman could resist a red stiletto?  None of these ladies, I am sure. Finally, with regard to the news stories, I had to laugh at this.  "Viva l'amore", say I, but I don't think I would be feeling so tolerant if I had been among the passengers!

For my Patti Chiari column I wrote, in more detail, about Modica's Chocobarocco festival.

Happy reading.

MATCHING....

Well, I know we aren't quite, but we will be, by the time my colour has had its first shampoo tomorrow.

I never did buy the flimsy-handled bag I fancied a few weeks ago, but could not resist this sequinned number yesterday. The trouble is, I got it home and realised that I did not have a single pair of shoes that would "do" with it. So today ....

We are doing rather well for panettone, as Gina and family turned up earlier bearing this strawberry-flavoured one. [I do like this year's pretty tins.] All are gratefully received and I think we'll be having griddled slices with quince preserve for breakfast for quite some time! Italians, when they enter the flat, amuse me as always, asking the usual question at this season: "Are all your cards from this year?!"

SOMETHING I WANT HERE...

Yes, it's the black pair with the red heel detail on the right and the pretty matching bag. [Sorry about the quality of the photo: I was standing to the side of the window, on which the sun was shining, in order to avoid getting my own reflection in it. I probably looked rather furtive!] There is a lot of red and black around this season - very Paloma Picasso - and I am glad to see the return of black patent leather. Sigh! - I don't think even I could walk for long in heels of this height.

Metallic accessories are still in and, for the first time, I have seen gold daytime bags displayed in autumn. There are also still studs all over many bags. Personally I don't go for these as you only need one to fall off and you have an unuseable accessory. I also find that they don't go with the sort of jewellery I wear.

Plaids and checks are everywhere, especially on shoes and I am delighted to see fewer kitten heels [bloody nuisance things].

Some time ago I mentioned that it is virtually impossible to find an ordinary, serviceable shopping bag here. I think this is because everybody drives and so they don't need such an item. But in many shop windows at the moment you see bags labelled "Shopping" - and whilst they are, admittedly, large, they are expensive, elegant and would not last a moment if you were to attempt to stuff your food purchases from the market in them!

DID IT AGAIN!

I've been rather serious here for the past couple of days. Time for a little girlish frivolity: all the shoe shops have sales, for they are desperately trying to get rid of their summer stock before everyone leaves for the sea in two or three weeks' time. When most of their customers return at the end of August [some do not do so until November] although it will still be hot, their fashion thinking will turn to winter. I found these all-leather pretties going at half-price this morning.

SHRINKING FEET

All my adult life my shoe size has been a British 5, which is continental size 38. Whenever I came to Italy before settling here I would buy one or two pairs to take back - for who could come to Italy and not buy shoes? - and every time the 38 would fit perfectly. But lately I seem to need the 37 more often than not. What is going on?

The shoes pictured are the nearest I get to "sensible" footwear. [Are you there, Sally in Norfolk?] I've been looking ever since I arrived here for a casual navy pair to wear with navy trousers and the colour has been very difficult to find. So when I spotted these yesterday I decided to grab them [37 again].

It's all very well having shrinking feet: I want the rest of me to follow suit!

FOOT CANDY

Some shoe displays for you on Easter Saturday. Now, guess which pair I want the most, girls! Thanks for the tip about turning off the flash, Ruthie.

FASHION NOTE - 12

The new shoe collections are in the shops and I want some! There is still a lot of bright red about in accessories but the definitive look for spring seems to be shoes in gold and silver - predominantly silver. The toes are still rounded and the shoes are flat or kitten-heeled. [I hate these heels as they get stuck in pavement cracks.] The matching, sequinned bags are absolutely to die for, ladies and the ones I've seen have not been all that expensive. They are, however, small and this is a favourite party trick of mine - I buy a small bag to be fashionable, then have a fight with it and rearrange things to get them back in every time I open it! [Will I ever learn?!] I'd like to take photos of some of the shop window displays for you but I don't know how to do it without getting my own daft reflection in the images!