Rough trade

Rough trade

Let's face it, almost five years after moving from London to La Spezia I still at times struggle to fit in. This small city surrounded by so much beauty may sometimes feel a bit provincial and rough for people coming from abroad. One thing that shocked me coming from Great Britain, aka the land of extreme politeness, was the general attitude in stores and bars, a mix of indifference, annoyance and in your face rudeness. But you should never judge a book by its cover...luckily in time I have learned to appreciate for example the outstanding quality, variety and passion of the workers of the Ciassa del mercato, La Spezia's colorful and vibrant Market square. Getting to know the city you may also uncover some gems, like the "botteghe storiche", shops that have been around for decades.

Lunardelli, for anything related to leather goods, from shoe polish to beautiful belts or to cover your All stars in studs. Stoppani and Peer: a mesmerizing drugstore selling sweets, coffee and spices whose windows are so beautifully made they could be Prada! Cartoleria Bertini, for special stationery and toys. Panattoni for exotic fruit or to buy the best syrup for your pancakes, whose sign "Banane", recalls a time where bananas were as exotic as you could get around here...
You will learn to appreciate the opportunity of a more relaxed lifestyle that La Spezia offers and to "batertene el belin", shrugging the roughness off with the right dose of carelesness, in true Ligurian style!

Martedì 10 aprile 2018 alle 16:22:03

Allison Michi