Vicenza Information

• Shoes. Go west of SS11 for 14.3 miles from Camp Ederle. There is a big shoe store on the left with a big green top and a rabbit for its logo. The store is called PITTARELLO's. It has a good size parking lot in front of the store. We spent $278 dollars on shoes! I bought a pair of Italian leather shoes for $45 that normally sold for $71. Outside of Italy I'm sure it would sell for over $100. We bought childrens shoes for $6 to $10 dollars. They have some purses b ut DO NOT BUY THE PURSES there! Buy them at CB leather...
• CB Leather. Go NORTH of Vicenza about 15 minutes to a town called PROVOLARO. Just before leaving town, you'll come to a stop light and see a TAN colored carpet sign on the right (PRINCE CARPETS). TURN LEFT at this light. (If you miss it, leave the town, turn around and come back to the stop light.) CB Leather is about 200' on the left once you turn from the stop light. Park in front and ring the buzzer. Tell them you came for the purses. They'll open the gate. G o to the door on the right side of the front of the building. The purses are in the room immediately to your left when you walk in the door. This is a purse factory and you are buying as cheap as it gets for genuine Italian leather purses! I bought a leather attache for $71 that would EASILY sell for $150 OR MORE. The purses ranged from $20 to $75 dollars, with the average around $40-$60 each. Bring lots of money!!
• Nove. Bring money here too! Continuing north from Provolaro you'll come to a town called SCHIAVON about 10 more miles up the road. You'll see an antique store (ANTIGUA) on the right side of the road. Just past the store, turn RIGHT on the road. It's about 3 or 4 miles long (guessing). When it comes to a T intersection, TURN LEFT towards NOVE. The third store on the left you'll see is call ANCONA in a yellow building. Park in the lot to the right of the store and go into the back to find ceramic heaven. My wife found the Bloomingdale shelf (she didn't like anything on it). Pieces from these stores are sent to Neiman-Marcus, etc. We spent $100 on beautiful ceramics that I don't know how much it would cost in a store...if you could even find it!
• Eating. We ate at a great little restaurant just outside of Camp Ederle's gate. From the base, TURN LEFT. When the road Y's 1 block later, go RIGHT. The restaurant is on the right and only 150' from where you turn. The name of the resaurant is something like IN FOUTO. The pizza was very thin but great. They take dollars or lire and speak excellent english!
• Venice. We drove to Venice from Ederle. It was about 40 km away. I would probably take the train from Vicenza next time. Parking was 33,000 lire, plus two tolls of 5500 lire and gas! Once in Venice (Venezia), DO NOT TAKE A WATER TAXI! Take the water BUS! The taxi operators are sharks charging whatever they can. The water bus is a cattle car, but a lot cheaper. We paid 20,000 lire for 3 adults and 4 children on the water bus. We bought a ticket for the GONDOLA ride at camp Ederle at the ITR office. It was $88 for all seven of us for an hour ride. Our neighbors paid $50 for two of them, so ITR is DEFINITELY the place to get your tickets!!
  Bring popcorn kernals to feed the pigeons. We bought little bags for the kids (1500 lire each...about $1). If you put some kernals in your palm and hold your arm out, several pigeons will land on your arm and eat out of your hand! The children thought that was the best part of Venice!

Created 5/1/96; Updated 5/1/96 by Tom Nunamaker