Shopping at The Mall, Firenze

How could summer be complete without a teeny bit of Summer Sale, right? When the Hub was off to play golf at Lésigny I drove myself to the Outlet Village La Vallée Village. When the rest of the family went to the beach at Viareggio near Florence, I spent my day at...THE MALL. Yes, the famous designer outlet 35Km from Florence.

Before that, let me touch quickly on our hotel in Lésigny. The Best Western Abbaye du Golf Hotel was situated in the golf course itself and is part of an ancient abbey. For those living in Paris, this would be quite a good option for playing golf especially in August when they actually discount the green fees. For those visiting Disneyland Paris, a few hours of golf could also be factored in as the golf club is less than 30 minutes from the Theme Park itself. Can kill many birds with the same stone.

View from our hotel room

Golf Hotel at Lésigny, France

Fendi, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Burberry, La Perla, Armani, McQueen, Ferragamo...It was like arriving at Ali Baba's cave, I didn't know where to start. But of course being fat and poor made things easier which probably explained why the Hub didn't bother to warn me not to overspend or set me a budget.

I've actually never gone near any Fendi or Gucci boutique before truth be told (or at least I walked in and out very quickly in the ones in Singapore last month). So when I finally did, I honestly do not understand what the fuss is all about. Why would anyone want to pay hundreds of Euros for canvas or stiff leather with the Gucci logo all over? Though the super high Gucci heels were quite fabulous - except that I'll never have any occasion to wear them. I finally settled for a raffia and leather purse from YSL and I still feel so happy whenever I think of the soft feel of its leather. My other purchases include a black linen skirt, cream leather key purse and a pair of golden leather sandals from Ferragamo.

I took a bus from The Mall to Florence after my shopping. The trip lasted an hour and cost 3 Euros (best if you could buy the ticket beforehand, they run out fast on the bus itself). I actually prefer this option to driving as the road is very windy, narrow and steep. Also, taking the bus allows one to enjoy the lovely Tuscan landscape.

I was last in Florence 2 summers ago. But one doesn't forget 3 weeks spent in the Tuscan city. My feet led me to all the boutiques that I've visited on my last trip, all the way to my favourite gelato shop Coronas, across the Arno river to the street where the Hub would drive past to pick me up and bring us all to dinner near the Piazza Michaelangelo. The restaurant's name is Chalet Fontana and it offers good quality al fresco dining in a lovely garden terrace.

Voici one good way to spend a hot summer day in August.

The Mall

Via Europe, 8

Leccio, Regello.

Italy.