A cute store the female of the species. Jewelry and…read moretrinkets. We came, she spent money.

When Gayle and I checked into our wonderful Gittana B&B (La CA' NOEVA), various fliers for local…read morebusinesses were tastefully offered in a binder. Il Pozzo was one of them, and we had an opportunity to stop in when we visited Varenna one day. Il Pozzo is located on the waterfront and offers jewelry, glass, art, and a variety of local petrified wood. There are not a lot of shops in Varenna, and I could see hwy this one would appeal to a wide variety of tourists who have the opportunity to visit this pretty little Lake Como hamlet. At the same time, I was looking for something a little more unique and that would speak to me in some special way. For example, I'm the guy whose prize souvenir from the Castelrotto (Dolomites) was a cow bell purchased from the local Coop. So onward I wandered, but not without making a few return visits here just to make sure.

From the owner: Sportgeschäft, Skivermietung, Souvenir Shop Wyss Sport…read moreKleine Scheidegg ist alles in einem und liegt zwischen Grindelwald und Wengen, auf 2061 m.ü.M. Direkt am Bahnhof Kleine Scheidegg, neben Hotels und Restaurants und mitten im Skigebiet Grindelwald - Wengen ist Wyss Sport genau der richtige Ort, um die Ferien zu starten!

Alone on my birthday in 2016, this young Australian was wandering around Bellagio taking in the…read moreevening sights. I passed by this store and this ring immediately caught my eye. I was worried it was too expensive so discouraged myself and kept walking. The shops finished and I ended up turning back and slowed down as I approached the shop again. I stopped and gawked at it for what felt like forever.. finally I took the plunge and in I went. The man at the counter was very accommodating and helpful, explaining when it was made and where (70's Napoli), and how to claim duty free at the airport for it- all in English and so polite! From memory it was 700 euros but.. I got it! I've never gone one day without wearing it- it's like my best friend! They had soooo many wonderfully unique pieces in there, I long for the day I can go back and find another amazing gem.

A small glass dish in the window display caught my eye as I was headed to the return ferry. I…read morequickly popped into this small, very busy shop. Every nook and cranny contains something. Good quality pens, original oil paintings, jewelry, glassware, on and on. You could spend a great deal of time in here looking at everything. The woman behind the counter asked if she could help me and I told her I was interested in the glass plate. She went directly to the display in the shop and brought a large selection to the counter for me to select from. (This conversation was conducted in Italian but she did understand English) They came in several colors and a couple of different styles. I made my selection, she wrapped it in bubble wrap, I paid and was out the door in plenty of time to get to the ferry! I spied a very cute pair of earrings by the register and wished I had time to check them out further. Probably good I was in a hurry. We will be back to Bellagio in the Spring and I am definitely including a stop at this shop on my agenda.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not only beautiful with high end shopping but it is much…read morelarger than I expected. I made way over to spinning the bull mosaic and there was a circle full of people just jumping in to spin the bull. It is best to visit the Galleria on a week day for the weekend is super crowded. I experienced both and I prefer the weekday 100%.

A centrally located, beautiful little luxury shopping gallery. The original Prada store is located…read morehere - there are actually two stores across from each other, one featuring women's items, and one for men. There is a YSL, Dior, LV, etc.

This shop has a lot of nice options and it also carries Swiss brand. The staff was super nice to…read moreassist us and answered our questions. Comparing to US value, it's a bit cheaper with free tax.

#227 Searching for something besides a souvenir or watch…read moreshop in Interlaken? Then look no further than the Patagonia store. Lots of the great Patagonia gear and really good selection-- they even sell wetsuits in this shop! In fact, I believe they're the only Patagonia store in Europe where you can purchase wetsuits. The prices aren't really discounted, but being Patagonia-- that's not entirely unexpected regardless of where you go. Great staff, very chill owner who's also an avid surfing himself, and a prime location right in the middle of downtown Interlaken. Patagonia's just taking off in Europe (and playing a bit of catch-up to TNF), but happy to support the company and its mission!

Okay tasting food, but not the most creative. I ordered the un-breaded schnitzel with mushroom…read moresauce, noodles, and vegetables. Before the meal, we were served 2 slices of bread per person with 2 sealed packs of butter. The amount of food that came with my meal was massive (likely to mask the relatively small portion of schnitzel). The sauce was not bad but lacked a richer flavor I hoped for. The accompanying two large florets each of broccoli and cauliflower as well as the wide noodles were served plain. It was not the most inspiring meal, but it was filling after a day of hiking in the Alps. The Eiger Lager was 5 CHF for 0.4L though! Overall, I would only recommend Restaurant Grund if it was raining and you did not want to walk a great distance for sustenance.

We had a wonderful dinner here on New Years Eve. So don't fret that you happen to be dining in a…read moretrain station. Once inside, you'll forget all about the crowded throngs of train passengers you left on the first floor. We were greeted with with a glass of champers in the vestibule and were led to a lovely group table with fondue set for 8. We had a cheese, a meat, and a dessert. Pure goodness - cheese is better than the meat. Meat comes out sliced like deli meat and still a little frozen, which is slightly off-putting. Desserts, wine and prices are fabulous. For realzies. The cow bell ringers came through and the whole party went nuts. Very memorable New Years.