For this trip, my Mom had one and only one request. Her request was for me to get her an authentic leather purse with a matching wallet. Upon my arrival, I knew there was only one place that would have what she wanted. That place is Italy.
The last time I traveled out of the country, I had the opportunity to go to Italy. It was truly a dream. After hearing what souvenir my Mom wanted, I knew that I would have to make my return to Italy. My best friend, Madeline, and I made the plans. After some thought and research, we decided that we were going to Bergamo and Milan. Let me say that we rented a room on Airbnb and our host was amazing! I honestly could not have asked for a better host. His family and him were so sweet and nice. Their house was beautiful! The best part was he said that his friend had made a local map of Bergamo. It featured all of the local’s favorites. He told us the highlights of the city and what was worth seeing. It was like we were staying at a resort. We stayed at Buonocore Guesthouse. If you are in the area, I would highly recommend staying there.
Also, there was a lot of walking. Let me say that you need a good pair of tennis shoes. My friend and I walked everywhere. The first day we went to Milan. When we were walking to the train station at the end of the day, we thought our feet were not going to make, because we wore sandals. On the second day, we ended up walking up a steep incline to get to a castle in Bergamo. I am sure there are a lot of people who are wondering why we wore sandals and the answer is I do not know. Let me tell you, I will definitely be wearing sneakers the next time.
Some advice: We went to Italy for a weekend, so we decided to pack all of our stuff in one backpack, which is great. Do not overlook the important items that you will need. Yes, sandals take up less space than sneakers, but your feet will not hurt as bad with sneakers on. “Expect the unexpected”
Nonetheless, we had the times of our lives. We saw some beautiful buildings and had some interesting experiences. We are better because of it. Also, I got the purse and matching wallet for my Mom in a small shop in Bergamo. I even got a leather backpack for myself, which is pictured in my Spanish souvenir haul post.
Some advice: Honestly, the best place to find great leather is in smaller towns. I found better options in Bergamo than I did in Milan.
Of course, I wanted to share a couple of photos from this lovely experience. Here they are:
Thanks for reading and checking out my photos! Have a wonderful day!