One aspect of getting old that I never thought to worry about during my younger days is the way you run out of things you need. By now Danny and I have accumulated so many kitchen gadgets, so much furniture, so many knick-knacks and shoes and garden tools, that the kind of acquisitive browsing we used to enjoy has come to feel sadly pointless. We keep being reminded that shopping is for people who are still filling out their households and their lives; ours are so full that all that's left is to empty them out.
One aspect of buying a second house, however, is the excitement of once again having a reason to go shopping. That's especially true of buying a place on another continent, since shipping the hoard of duplicate household goods we've already amassed would cost more than buying new--or so we have convinced ourselves.
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| Doesn't Danny look happy in this glam Italian kitchen? |
So while we wait for our real estate situation to clarify--Massimo, call us!--we have been haunting Ikea (pronounced ee-KAY-ah here) and a variety of other household emporia. We can't buy anything yet (there's that jinx again), but we figure it's safe to just look.
For some reason I can't fathom, Pam and Romano seem just as interested in this project as we are, possibly more so, and have been chauffeuring us all over the greater Parma area to look at sinks, tables, and other necessities. Here they are with Danny in Ikea, discussing kitchen layouts. Romano, who always wanted to be an architect, has already begun drawing up plans for several possibilities.
I always like going to Ikea, where I can indulge my fantasies of a completely organized, utterly tidy, Marie-Kondo-worthy life. Happily, there's a branch right outside of Fidenza. But I was also thrilled to discover that the area boasts a lot of used furniture stores, ranging from nicely arranged showrooms full of high-end bedroom sets to my favorite, the Mercatino dell'Usato, which roughly translates as "Little Shop of Horrors." It is crammed with everything you can think of that people no longer want. Here are a few snapshots from today's outing.
The Mercatino has giant credenzas, dolls, used wedding dresses... 
We thought this table-and-chairs set had possibilities.
Danny was intrigued by the selection of tools. (Actually, this was at a different used-furniture store. It was quite an afternoon.)
They sell art, too. I covet that painting of the pig-faced lady, but they want 50 euros for it.
Maybe I'll go back for it. We'll have a lot of walls to fill.
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