It is set to rain all day and all night…..again. I search the map for anyplace within three hours that might be deluge free. I find nothing. My next search is for indoor places. Neither of us want to walk all day in heavy rainfall. My shoes are still wet from yesterday.

So we set off on a drive to the Vicolungo Fashion Outlet situated outside Novara Italy, between Milan and Turin. High fashion in a dry environment sounds good to me. My husband is a good sport, although not quite as excited as I am.

On the way we pass flooded rice fields and vineyards. We spot unidentified creatures and birds in the stubble of the recent harvest. The birds line up by the dozens behind tractors plowing mud. Perhaps the farmer is also churning up worms? Or maybe the birds are also looking for a distraction from the unrelenting water.

The rainwater collects on the narrow roadway in pools, especially in the roundabouts…..and there are a lot of roundabouts. We zig zag in and out of old towns, some abandoned. Eventually we make our way to the massive shopping complex. We shake our heads in frustration when we have to pass through a tiny opening, barely large enough for a turning car, to get into a massive parking lot.

The mall is outdoors with covered walkways. Many of the fashion brands are represented, including familiar American Names. I am interested in anything I have not seen before. I am not wasting time on stores found in every American high end mall. Lucky for me, most shops are Italian brands that I have never seen before….and may never see again.

There are men’s stores with suits tailored tight to the body paired with tasteful shirts and colorful ties. Italian fashion is breathtaking in its own way. It is a place where men can exhibit refined style and understated elegance through a knitted scarf, an upturned sleeve, a tailored pant leg or a beautiful leather shoe. And Italian men love fashion. I love that Italian men love fashion.

Women’s fashion was more diverse. Entire stores of plain cashmere sweaters in every color of the rainbow dotted the mall. The next shop held only coats. The next had high fashion evening gowns and silk suits. A few stores had mid-season collection sales. Many items, like a baby blue silk suit with ostrich feathers down the back of each sleeve, were entirely and fantastically impractical. But eventually, I found my store ….full of fine things that a midwestern girl could wear with a little spring in her step.

I settled on accessories:a wool hat, suede gloves, earrings, and a little makeup. Reluctantly, I put down the blue suede boots, only because they would not fit in my suitcase.

My driver (aka husband) finds that he can also get in on the fun. A candy outlet provides pounds of licorice. In a casual men’s store, a cable knit sweater joins his collection. He will also have to carefully pack his suitcase if he doesn’t watch it.

It is still raining when we decide to try “Billy’s Tacos”. While it seems a strange choice, we have been eating pasta daily for weeks. Honestly, after trying “Italian tacos” we determine that we should stick with pasta. The food at this chain restaurant is not good…like a can of nacho cheese dip with some chicken pieces in a dry, cold, tortilla. I pay extra for taco sauce because I am craving spices. I receive spaghetti sauce in a plastic cup. I dip my tortillas anyway. Oh well, we had to try. Epic fail. Lesson learned.

Some days are just rainy. Sometimes the food is not good. Some days you find handmade Italian leather at prices you adore. Travel is like that. If you take each day as it comes, it is always an adventure.