Designer Flea Market in Italy

My Mother is a sculptor and spends her summers in Pietra Santa, Italy. I decided to go visit her one summer, for a week, even thought I have no ability in that particular area. I knew that I would only get to visit with my Mom during breakfast, dinner and on weekends, but having some free air mileage and an invitation to share her accommodations, I decided to check it out.

The hotel she stays at is on the beach in Marina de Pietra Santa. I discovered a bike rental shop on the street behind the hotel and saw this as an opportunity to explore the area, while working off those fantastic pasta dinners at the same time.

The first day, prior to my ride, I asked the desk clerk if there were any outdoor markets within riding distance. What she supplied me with was a list of all the markets in three towns going in each direction. As luck would have it, there is a market open for every day in the week!
Being in fairly good shape, I was able to bike ride North as far as Carrara and South as far as Viareggio. It was a beautiful ride up and down the coast and I found that all of the markets were very close to the beach. What I hadn't expected, although I probably should have guessed - the merchandise was all locally made! In that case, I found myself sorting through tables of purses made by Valentino and Versace. Clothing, leather goods, shoes…Gucci, Prada…what a find! Naturally, there were items made by manufacturers that I had no previous knowledge of, but I was thrilled to see the quantity and quality of designer items available. Naturally, the prices were lower than they are in the shops over there or in America.

Probably the most famous market and my personal favorite was in Forte dei Marmi. The vendor's booths stretched for blocks and the variety of items kept it interesting. There was an outstanding selection of clothing, ceramics, linens, shoes and beautifully crafted house hold items. The only down side was fitting all those plastic bags in my bike basket!