It's that age old adage that gets me every time..."time sure flies when you're having fun". And so it has; three months of it to be precise. Twas my last night in Rome tonight. So what do I do? Exactly what I promised myself I wouldn't do...enter the doors of Zara. An hour later I emerged, four items in hand. Two of which, are from their new fall collection. Wasn't that wise of me? Especially given the fact that I am heading back to the other side of the world in a few weeks, where we shall be approaching summer (cry me a river she says as she skips another winter & enters her ninth month of a delightful spring/summer combination). FYI it was the exact moment that I stepped out of Zara at 10pm tonight into the ever-present humidity, that I prayed for an intervention on my shopping habits.
However my adventures at Zara aside and my final gelati consumed to within an inch of the very last shave of ice, I decided to explore the streets surrounding Via Del Corso. What I found was designer store after designer store each vying for the attention of the thousands of meandering tourists that fall onto the streets each day. The displays on Via Condotti are a Roman attraction within themselves and it would almost be plausible to issue tickets to the tourists lining up and peering over one another to get a glimpse of each window. You do however get the odd wealthy soul who actually enters the store and emerges toting large designer bags in hand as they are escorted into their waiting limo *sigh*. But for you regular folk like me may I suggest that the next time you visit the holy city do pay these shop windows a visit, if not for anything else but to see clothing that money almost can't buy.
P.s. Three hours later I wandered back home, with a sizeable dent on my camera card, another lemon gelati and memories of a last night in Rome, very well played.
