Naples’ best place to find bargains is the street market

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<[i>Shawnie Green inspects some of the wares at the Possilipo market, one of many outdoor markets in Naples.


Naples’ best place to find bargains is the street market
By Lisa M. Novak, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, February 6, 2008

With the dollar continuing a slow downward spiral against the euro, many living overseas look to stretch that U.S. paycheck any way they can. Bargains abound in Naples — if you know where to look.

Forget the pricey shopping malls in Campania or the upscale boutiques that dot Via delle Mille. The one place where everything is always on sale is at the outdoor markets, and Naples has plenty of them. Granted, the quality of some of the goods might be dubious, but at these prices, it really doesn’t matter.

The markets in Naples aren’t as big as other European markets, such as Spitalfields in London’s East End, or the mammoth Saint-Ouen flea market in Paris. But the character is the same — as well as some of the merchandise. And the one thing the smaller markets have over the larger ones is that you don’t need shop-till-you-drop endurance to cover any particular venue.

The Posillipo market in Naples is in one of the nicer locations of the city, situated on the coast, with panoramic views of Capri. The market starts at the bottom of Via Virgillo, a tree-lined street ending at Parco di Posillipo. This market doesn’t sell much in the way of food. Clothing, shoes, handbags and housewares take up most of the stalls.

Venders hawk their wares and prices just like carnival barkers — loudly and colorfully. Some of the stalls feature demonstrations similar to those shown on late-night infomercials.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52249