Florence seems to be teeming with counterfeiters. When the shops close around 7p in the evening, they come out in droves and set shop on either side of streets. They bring their fake purses and wallets in gunny bags, slung over their shoulders. Most of them are dark skinned, tall and lanky and I wonder what their ethnicity is.
An interesting thing happens when the local police arrives. As soon as they spy a policeman, the counterfeiters pick up their goods, wrap it up in their gunny bags and slink away. Once the policeman go away, they are back setting up shop. This game of cat and mouse continues through the evening. As far as I can tell, no arrests are made.
Further north from our hotel is a thriving flea market, with shops on either side, full of fake ties, scarves and leather jackets. Ironically, the street is next to an ancient church. Piety and crass materialism co-exist in an tight embrace within the space of a few feet.
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