Desertmoon39

I have been trying to reach via phone a kid's clothing store located by the Spanish Steps one Via Babuino called Pure Gold. I have been calling for seveal days but no one picks up.

Would anyone know if stores closed for the summer months and if so, when do they close and when do they open again?

Thanks for the help.

LoveItaly

Hi Desertmoon, about 50% of the Italians are on their vacations for part or all of August so probably this store is closed for the August vacation. Why don't you wait and call again around Tuesday August 22nd. If they don't answer than wait and call around Sept. 1st. Best regards.

Desertmoon39

Thanks a lot Loveitaly. I really appreciate the speedy reply.

I had no idea they close for so long.

missypie

What are the dried mushrooms like once you re-constitute them? I remembered this thread when I was in Italy and was considering bringing home some mushrooms. However, on two occasions in Italy I was served dishes that contained totally SLIMY icky mushrooms; I assumed that they had been previously dried. Was I mistaken?

LoveItaly

Hi Desertmoon, just another thought.

I assume you have been calling this Pure Gold store during the typical Rome store hours. Usually stores are closed Monday morning. Than they are usually open Tuesday through Saturday from about 9:00am to 1:00pm and then again from around 4:00pm to around 7:30pm.

I am not familar with Pure Gold. If it is a smaller family run store they no doubt are on vacation. If it is a chain could it be that you are not calling them Italian time when they would be open? Just a thought.

Dukey

Missypie:

Please DO NOT let anyone HERE know you actually had a less-than-fabulous dish in Italy...doing so would ruin so many apparently better-than-sex life-sustaining illusions!

MarciaMarciaMarcia

I remember reading (it was years ago) about a town on the Amalfi Coast known for it's beautiful pottery. Would that be Ravello? I have recently, however, heard that there are very few bargains to be found on the AC. Where is your favorite place to find reasonably priced but beautiful pottery?

W9London

missypie,

Re:mushrooms, FRESH varieties can be slimy. Quite noticeable if you've sauteed shiitake or enoki. (Mushrooms are fungi, after all...)
As for dried porcini, the best bit is in flavour and broth, rather than the taste or mouth-feel of the mushroom itself. So I use it for risotto, pasta sauce, soup, etc.

missypie

W9, maybe they were varieties that I've never had before. I'm a big mushroom lover, but after those two meals, I avoided ordering anything with mushrooms in Italy.

annw

I second the suggestion for wine stoppers. Venice (for example) had lots of them in really interesting and attrractive designs; they are highly portable and I if packed adequately come home in the luggage uinscathed. I got glass ones in Venice and ceramic ones in Tuscany/CT areas. They don't take up much room.

elizabeth75

Definitely ceramics--if you are near Deruta you will see an overwhelming variety of beautiful things. If you are near Radda (or there is a store in Florence as well) there is Rampini Ceramics which is also amazing. I have shipped things home (because I couldn't carry it all). It can be expensive so if you ship, buy enough to make the shipping worthwhile.

We also brought home some olive oil that the proprietor of the house we rented made. I got two bottles which was all I could carry but it is delicious.

If you are in Volterra, that area is known for alabaster and a bought a beautiful plate and my friend bought a gorgeous vase.

Pashmina scarves were all over the place at a good price. I bought some little watercolors of Tuscan scenes at a small shop in Montepulciano. My friend bought some linens in Montepulciano and our teenage girls bought some very nice and unique jewelry and some leather sandals.

SurferX

Regarding Venice wine stoppers, they are made to fit Italian bottles, which have a slight larger opening than US bottles so that when you use them here they just sort of sit atop the bottle. At least that has been my experience.

poysine

i bought most of the same things as everyone else.i ,too,love to go to supermarkets to buy things.i love my pottery,i b uy some all the time,and my shoes.but,if you are in tuscany,make sure you bring home some pecorino cheese.they will vacuum seal it for you.it is the best.i wish i had the name of a store so i could order some to be sent here.

alan64

I brought back a small bottle of Aceito Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (real balsamic). Although it's available here in the States, the real stuff's around $100 and up (2x the cost in Italy). Next time I go back I may go for the gold label Tradizionale which is aged for 25+ years.