I always buy this when I'm in Italy

Vacation in Tuscany, France and Ostuni

This year is a bit atypical for me in terms of vacation, because instead of speeding towards Puglia we have split the vacation. On Sunday, I am leaving with my beloved to Tuscany for a little love trip (Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi, Volterra, I will share all my tips with you) and then we will cruise through France and Northern Spain with our girls. Then I have to roll up my sleeves at home for a bit, and of course tell you all my tips to then wrap it all up with two weeks in our beloved Ostuni. And my shopping list with everything I want to buy there looks like this.

Laundry detergent from Savon de Marseille: cheap and fragrant

Have you ever noticed that laundry detergent abroad is much cheaper than in the Netherlands? I once heard from someone who worked at Unilever that they don't dare to lower prices in the Netherlands structurally because we would then feel cheated. To accommodate us, laundry detergents are often put on sale and you can often find quite sharp deals at Kruidvat. A tip to keep an eye on that. But in Italy, you not only have affordable laundry detergent, but also a thousand flavors and types. You will definitely find me in the supermarket sniffing above the bottles of laundry detergent, but I will definitely go home with Spuma di Ciampagna in the scent Marsiglia.

Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi: perfume and body lotion

You can also buy this perfume in the Netherlands at Babbasu, but somehow I always want to get something extra of this scent in Italy. So a lovely body lotion, the powder box, or a hair mist. Visiting an Italian perfumery is always a big treat. Don't go to a chain, but to a unique, individual perfumery where you really encounter unique things. For me, that's Amore on Via Pola in Ostuni. They also sell Essentia Puglia, perfumes made in Puglia, of which Menthe Basilico and Fico Mediterraneo are my favorites.

Taralli or Tarallini: salty bites with the aperitivo

When you order an aperitivo in Puglia, you get a bowl of tarallini with it. They are salty, round bites made from flour, white wine (that's why I like them so much) and salt. There are all sorts of variants for sale, and I often succumb to the spicy version. Be careful though, because the danger of overeating lurks.

Bottle of Bellini: vacation in a glass

Intensely sweet and according to connoisseurs probably not how it should be, but if you can buy a pre-mixed bottle of Bellini (you know, the Venetian cocktail made of Prosecco and peach juice) in the supermarket, then my backbone is also on vacation for a moment. Tip: stop by the chips aisle and buy a bag of salty chips from the brand 1936. You won't find them tastier, really not.

Nuxe: the Italian beauty favorite

Yes, this is a French brand so you don't necessarily have to go to Italy for it, but they are also fans of this delicious product here. I buy the whole line, the shampoo, the body oil, the sun protection with those lovely names like Lait Solaire Fondant or Huile Solaire Or.

Hair gear: accessories for perfect hair

An average drugstore is not safe for me, especially the hair department. They have everything there, but especially those perfect pins with which I can firmly pin up my hair. It's also lovely to stock up on some eyebrow pencils because you really don't have to buy those from an expensive brand.

Chi: an Italian gossip magazine for on the go

And finally, I always dive into a bookstore, where you will see me leave the building with a Chi – a delightful Italian gossip magazine– under my arm.