SCHMATTAS AND SCATOLINI SADNESS

Lots and lots of Schmattas (tiny-print shapeless housedresses for Italian Mamas) and stretchy lycra skinny jeans for shapely Italian Donnas at the "populare"non-tourist Mercado San'Ambrogio. But no marbled paper, book arts supplies or artists' tools at the ancient Scatolini shop, purveyor to the arts since 1883. The manager laughted that books were now made in China and, today, Florence is "only about eating, drinking and buying clothes."
He has internet at home, but no cell phone - and evidently only a very few customers.