European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Members of the bus tour took at one of the world s most famous statues Michelangelo s Quot David Quot in Florence.extravaganza�?�. A. With a dash of Carnevale thrown in by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau As his tour bus returned from Carnevale in Venice John Ryan considered the kind of question Many tourists Ponder How much would processing 10 Rolls of color film set him Back Ryan a Navy Petty officer second class was one of 43 travellers to take a four Day mid february trip offered by the Naples Italy naval support activity information tickets and travel office. Billed As a Northern Italy shopping and Carnevale package the trip s itinerary also included stops in Florence and Verona. The Naples itt Calls this particular trip a shopping extravaganza tour escort Betty Reese explained because mid february is when designer stores in Italy hold sales offering discounts of 50 percent to 70 percent. Reese led those interested to such historic attractions As Michelangelo s David in Florence the Verona Balcony on which Juliet according to tradition stood As Romeo wooed her and Venice s famous Bridge of sighs and pia2za san Marco. She also showed them places not on every tourist map such As Florence s san Lorenzo Market where leather jackets sell for As Little As 80,000 lire to 125,000 lire $53 to $83reasonably priced tapestries and Beautiful scarves also can be found. As Reese described Florence s Ponte Vecchio to her tour group she explained that the 15th-Century Bridge s shops were once Home to fishmongers and butchers. But members of the family who ruled Florence during the City s Renaissance glory Days the Medicis had to Cross the Ponte Vecchio to reach their Home the Pitti Palace. The odor exuding from the Bridge s shops offended the rulers so they moved the fish and meat merchants out and replaced them with Goldsmiths the Type of business that has remained there Ever since Reese said. Better jewelry bargains Are available elsewhere in Florence because Ponte Vecchio merchants Cater to Well to do tourists she added. Reese also took the group s hard Core shoppers to a ceramics shop in Florence a not to shop but to have a basis of comparison for their visit to Ceramic factory outlet stores in nearby Nove where the group stopped for a morning of shopping in route to Venice. In Nove travellers stuffed their bus cargo continued on Page 8 March 11, 1993 stripes Magazine 7