The Story Behind My Capri Watch

From the moment we arrived, the Island of Capri awakened the poet in me. The rowboats moored in the marina, the winding streets and alleys, the dazzlingly white buildings, the flowers spilling out of pots and balconies ... it was all so breathtakingly beautiful.

We explored for hours. At one point I passed a jewelry shop showcasing a Capri Watch, sold exclusively on the island, with an oversize face and a white band. I stopped to look, but when I started to walk on my husband called me back and pulled me into the store. He knows that a watch is my jewelry of choice.

When the owner opened the case and slid the Capri Watch on my wrist, he declared it perfect. And because he liked us, and because it was a perfect day, and because he had a generous soul, he was going to offer us a sconto.

Now things were getting fun.

While a sconto literally means discount, it really conveys more. It's a song and dance routine of doing business the Italian way.

It was the old, toothless man at the market in Poppi who was so delighted that I, an American, spoke Italian that he not only gave me a sconto for the two hand towels I purchased, but then gave me a third one for free.

It was the ticket agent at the train station in Pompeii who gave us a sconto (which, in this case, meant a free ticket) for Timothy because he was un bambino piccolino.

It was the waiter who brought pasta for everyone when we only ordered it for the kids (he said that the chef thought the adults should have some, too). We were not charged for the extra pasta.

It was the gatekeeper at the Oplontis Villa who, because it was late in the day, let us all in free. (But Sh! don't tell anyone! he said with a wink.)

So, the owner of the jewelry store said sconto, and that word was music to my husband's ears. As they went back and forth (one speaking broken English, the other speaking broken Italian) I tried not to smile. I had a feeling this song and dance was going to end in a good way.

And it did. The owner declared his price, clutching his heart like it was paining him to offer such a sconto, but with a twinkle in his eye that said otherwise; my husband pulled out his wallet, frowning like he was displeased, but with a twinkle in his eye that said otherwise.

When we left the shop, the owner was smiling, my husband was smiling, and I was beaming.

I have found that whenever we return from one of our trips to Italy, it is the story behind a purchase which makes an item special. For as much as I like my Capri Watch, I like even more the memory of those 30 minutes in a jewelry store on the Island of Capri.

It really is all about the story.