"fake crocodile, real risk"

Tip of the day: Know the rules - wherever you travel

At the CGD airport in Paris, on my way OUT of Europe, the above poster with a photo of a shabbily sewn crocodile seemed worth documenting. (through glass - ooohh, reflection).

Watching counterfeit designer purse sellers move around, display their wares, and disappear was quite interesting.

On one small pedestrian walkway in Rome, we found a bench, ate our gelato, and rested our feet for a bit. Up came 8-10 men with large full bags over their shoulders. They spaced themselves out, and spread out white sheets on both sides of the walkway. Then they removed purses from the bags, and began setting them on the ground on the sheets in a neat array.

We sat and watched the scene. People stopped, looked, but we saw no purchases. The starting price for the D&G, Louis Vuitton, and Prada knockoffs was around 40 Euro. Price after bartering - not sure. Here's what I knew - we weren't buying.