Rome Shopping Tips by Paisleypaul

Name of Shop: UPIM

UPIM is an Italian chain department store, not the most exciting over all, but the one just off the Trevi or Barberini is very easy to miss if you do not look out for it - see the large sign at high level in the shot

What To Buy: Not going to lecture anyone on sartorial elegance here......!

What To Pay: A lot or a little......

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Theme: Department Store
Phone: 06 6783336
Address: Via del Tritone 172-173
Website: http://www.upim.it/upim/box.html

Name of Shop: Profondo Rosso

This is the shop belonging to the famed Roman director Dario Argento (father of Asia Argento) named after the famous 1975 David Hemmings film ( you can link to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073582/ ). Known for horror films such as Inferno, Suspria and Dawn of the Dead (producer) the Italian thriller style giallo films are the ones that he truly makes like no other. If you are a fan there is much here, if not the stock extends to memorabilia and action figures from Star Wars, Alien, Nightmare aon Elm Street and a lot more besides.

What To Buy: Buy one of the excellent biographies of Argento or Mario Bava by Luigi Cozzi, Argento collaborator and director in his own right - - - as well as shop assistant !

What To Pay: Books less than Eu20 , action figures (I don't collect myself ) and memorabilia, to me, looked pricey

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Theme: Toys and Games
Address: 260 Via dei Gracchi
Directions: Parallel and North of the main shopping stret Via Cola di Rienzo, nearest Metropolitana stop is Lepanto

NB _ Website back up & running, slightly altered address
Website: www.profondorossostore.com

Name of Shop: Sunday market

All the clothes, fruit, drinks, refreshments, knock offs you expect ata a market. This one is extremely busy - can take way more than an hour just to cover the length. Two - hookey obviously - CDs at for Eu5.00, new shirts Eu5 and Eu10. I got six of the former for Eu27 by calling the guy's bluff and walking away but it was hard work !

What To Buy: Shirts and clothes, whatever takes your fancy. An iced beer ?


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Theme: Other
Address: VIa Portuense, Trastevere
Directions: Nearest underground is Piramide on Linea B ; it is 10 or 12 minutes walk over the Tiber at Ponte Sublicio (bridge)

Name of Shop: Market near San Giovanni

I beleive this market is on every day of the week. *** UPDATE The street name is Via Sannio *** from San Giovanni underground, it's a left turn at the exit and you will see it on your left. It just looked like a long street of stalls to one side - but three quarters of the way along there is a turn off to a covered area and a square of market stalls

Daily 0830 -1330 Monday - Saturday

What To Buy: I bought 2 bottle openers with kind of ethnic African with doctor heads for EU2 each. There are clothes and fake bags

What To Pay: Gucci and D&G fake bags- we were askled for Eu37 but the y took Eu10 and then offered another at Eu8. Elsewhere a Eu25 bracelet went for Eu7. They nearly all negotiate and be aware you could be looking at a fraction of what has been asked

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Theme: Gifts
Address: Update as promised ; Via Sannio next to COIN
Directions: Metroplitana, Linea B, to San Giovanni. Exit and take a right

Near the Church of San Giovanni

Name of Shop: Al Sogno

Al Sogno is at the top of Piazza Navona. There are gifts such as ornaments and framed art work and also children's toys, a welcome break from the chain store banality of Toys 'R' Us. Large jointed mannequins abound, but my favourite was the giant soft toy camel, 2 Metres tall and maybe 75 Kg. If you have to take this back with you on the plane somewhere, start preparing your story now !

What To Buy: Just contain yourself ! Could buy the shop ! (in the wish sense - not the wealth sense!)

What To Pay: Nothing seemed especially cheap here !

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Theme: Toys and Games
Phone: 06 686 4198
Address: Piazza Navona 53
Directions: North end of Piazza Navona - bottmo of Via Agonale
Website: www.alsogno.com

Name of Shop: La Rinascente

Men's and women's clothing, parfumerie, shoes, all on several floors.

(Conveniences are located on the top floor, which on one or two occasions was all we were really in for!)

Mon - Sat 0930 - 2200 ; Sunday 1030 - 2000

What To Buy: Prices from the reasonable to the outrageous, good quality clothes but sometimes just a little conservative.....?


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Theme: Department Store
Phone: 06 679 76 91
Address: Via del Corso 189
Directions: From Barberini, head down Via del Tritone to the intersection with Via del Corso
Website: http://www.rinascente.it/istituzionale/dove_siamo/roma.aspx?s=15
Other Contact: NUMERO DI FAX 06 679 68 86

Name of Shop: Forno

The only thing special here is it's locale, opposite the 'stormy sea' unruly excited horse of the Trevi fountain (in the direction for Piazza Navona).

What To Buy: In the afternoon, I sometimes buy a large 660ml Peroni beer from their fridge (about 2 Euros, there are botle openers at the till) and sit and drink it looking at the Trevi......

Just as good for soft drinks (chilled cans cola fanta sprite 1 Euro, 1 Litre bottles Eu1.90, chilled water), panini and snacks.

Be responsible with any litter !!

Also like to take home specilaity dried foods, just the packet soups and pastas (and bolognese mix) that I can't find back home - and dried goods don't impact on your luggage allowance !

What To Pay: Eu1 - Eu2 for take away chilled soft drinks or beer, panini from about Eu4

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Via delle Muratte 8, Centro Storico
Directions: 5 Metres from the Trevi

Name of Shop: Galleria Alberto Sordi

Whatever happened to Galleria Colonna ? Well at the end of 2003 it reopened as Galleria Alberto Sordi. It was renovated for many years ; 'famoso attore' Sordi - who I think had voiced Oliver Hardy in Italian - died about a year previously I believe, hence it was renamed after him. His 1973 movie Stardust began - and had its finale - at the Galleria

What To Buy: Everything form book and DVD shops, 2 open plan cafe bars, clothes - everyrthing you would expect. And regularly cleaned WCs !

Open picture and zoom LHS to see what's here.

What To Pay: from less than 1Euro to many 1,000s Euro !

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Theme: Department Store
Address: Via del Corso at Largo Chigi / opposite Rinascente
Directions: At end of Via del Tritone just before Via del Corso - between Piazza Colonna and the Fonatana di Trevi/