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maltatoday SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER 2017 39 Travel BEST SPOT FOR SHOPPING When in Marche… do like us "Marchigiani"! Ital- ians love their fashion but when it comes to buy the best quality leather goods - especially shoes! - there is no better shopping factory district in Italy than the one in Marche. You can spot small shoe and bag factories everywhere and each of them has got its own "punto vendita", which is basically a shop within the factory. And if you are a size 37 (UK 4) the magic will just happen: thousands of artisan crafted shoe samples are waiting for you at bargain prices! The true fashion-addicts must also visit Il Castagno Brand Village, an incred- ible outlet which stands out for its wide range of leading luxury brands like Prada, Miu Miu, Pollini, Tod's or Cruciani. Sergio Rossi's famous stilettos are also ready for you to buy from another outlet just around the corner as well as the genuine Italian handmade shoes, Fabi. BEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY One of the most excit- ing adventures you can experience in this area is the Speleo-Adventure inside the Frasassi Caves, Genga. Discovered in 1971, they are among the most famous show caves in Italy and they are char- acterised by a long cave system particularly well endowed with stalactites and stalagmites. There are two paths to choose from: the Blue and the Red. Much like skiing, the blue one is considered to be the easy path whilst the Red Tour has more difficult and narrower passages. The tour includes climbing, drifts and slides. Dur- ing the Red Tour for example, after just a few metres from the starting point, a 30m chasm called "Falconara wall" opens up: you will be secured with a climbing harness and ascend the long rope until you find yourself at "low drift" and you will find a 30-metre tunnel to be crossed on hands and knees! Are you ready to get dirty?ß BEST LOCAL THING In Le Marche region there is no shortage of local products: handcrafted leather goods (Le Marche is also called the "shoe district" of Italy and shoes drive the regional economy), olive oil, wines (Rosso Conero, not to be missed out!), salami (have you ever tried the un- heard "Ciauscolo"?), furniture (our Frau sofas are renowned all over the world!), ceramic and majolica with medieval renaissance decorations, straw hats (hats are a €260 million- a-year business in Italy. Sixty million of them — 70 percent of domestic output and half of Europe's — are made in Montappone and in six neighbouring towns. If you are at all inter- ested in headgear, this district should definitely be on your list), the ancient art of "Merletto a Tombolo" (a unique lace made from linen thread using wooden bobbins) and last but not least the accordions of Castelfidardo, the town where these musical instruments have been assembled for over two hundred years. Your first sighting of the large carpenter bee may set your spine atingle. Admittedly, a huge hairy black bee buzzing around your head can give you the heeby jeebies. But all is well! Yes, the species does carry a sting but the good news is that it's neither looking for potential victims nor is it aggressive or short-tempered. So relax, stop waving your arms and resume your walk without fear. Or better still, stop and observe what the bee is doing. It will either be gorging on flowers or looking for a nesting place. Unlike the gregarious honey-bee, the large carpenter bee (M. bomblu iswed) is solitary, and nests in hollow stalks such as reed stems. If you are lucky you may catch it boring a neat round hole in the stalk – hence the carpentry reference – to make herself a handy hobbit entrance. As the temperature drops, less and less insects will be out as many of them die and the rest hide away. Still, a nice sunny day in winter may entice a few of these big furries to venture out for a spot of pollen- hunting. Text Victor Falzon Photo Mike Downham 588. LARGE CARPENTER BEE Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 491: Find out more - Find out more about why bees need your help and what you can do about it – http://www.foemalta.org/beecause BEST PLACE TO STAY If an authentic and poetic way of show- ing love of one's own origins exists, we can learn it from the owner of I Cucali, a restored family house in the centre of Porto Recanati, a marvellous bed and breakfast facing the sea. A distracted eye may mistake I Cucali for one of the holiday houses on the seafront, with its Italian-style door always open and some chairs outside to sit and en- gage in chitchat with the neighbours. But an attentive eye would notice immediately the sophisticated taste used to decorate every single corner of the rooms, like the faded map or the unique vintage frames hanging on the beautifully pale-painted walls. More charming details and unexpected pieces will catch your attention in the bedrooms like the retro bedspreads, the handmade armchairs or the curtains swelled by the wind revealing glimpses of the Adriatic. And then, that sweet smile of the host, as sweet as the atmosphere surrounding her when, in the morning, she prepares you a fresh and organic breakfast. Buona per- manenza!