Your favorite souvenirs - (just for fun!)
Hello Everyone, I was just wondering what your favorite souvenirs from your trips have been? Let's exclude: 'memories' and 'photos.' Certainly we all agree with those.
In the past, it's been jewelry for me: (a) a gold chain from Florence with a murano glass pendant from Venice (which I still wear at least once a week) and (b) a ring from Greece, which I wear every day. Each time I look at them, I smile to myself - they bring back many good memories.
I'm going to Italy this summer and wondering what I should bring back this time. Any suggestions?
Gretchen
Gretchen
Andover, MA USA 3/21/08
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Clothes are a good thing. I'm now in the habit of taking one less change of clothes and buying some clothes on vacation.
My wife has a sweater she bought in Verona. It's now one of her favorite sweaters. The material and fit are great and no one else has the same sweater. When she gets compliments, she says, "Thanks, I got it in Verona." Best of all it was on sale for cheaper than she would have bought a similar sweater in the States (even with the expensive Euro).
My mother in law is Catholic. We bought Venetian glass Rosary beads for her at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice. That was another light, inexpensive and unique gift from Europe.
My son buys the glass blocks that have a 3D picture laser cut inside them. He's been collecting them with his own money since he was 8. He now has his own "glass menagerie" of souvenirs from places he has visited all over the country and world displayed on his bookshelf.
We also have carnival masks from Venice we really like.
I collect fridge magnets [ mostly from museums],bookmarks and tea towels. All take up very little space. I also collect cat figurines which I have found everywhere.
I am Catholic so I tend to buy rosaries for family members and myself. I bought a sterling silver one at the Basillica in Mexico City, and a special one from Nortre Dame/Paris. I used to collect magnets and dolls in national costumes but they both got out of hand so now I only bring back edible things, and maybe something to wear.
Is silver cheaper in Italy? I might be tempted to buy yet another rosary or two in Italy!
From France : a folding knife made by a knife craftsman in a knife shop located in Thiers, France. The best knives in France have been made at Thiers for 500 years. My knife is the Laguiole Lotus knife, it has blonde horn handle scales. That knife has a simple elegant beauty. Laguiole folding knives have various different handle materials and colors. Many of the Laguiole folding knives look like the "Texas Toothpick" folding knife. It is the kind of knife that European people carry with them when hiking at mountains. The blades of some Laguiole knives are "12 C 27" Stainless Steel from Sweden.
Gretchen... I love scarves. In the markets of Paris as well as in Venice and Cortona , I have purchased lovely scarves for myself and others. Other things I have collected from France include antique hand colored postcards, teas, linens, and olive oils. In Italy I love gelato spoons, more scarves, Leather items, olive oils,soaps, anything made from figs.
Hi gretchen:
I brought back some beautiful mosaic earrings I got in Rome and a beautiful leather jacket from Florence. I wear it all the time in the winter.
I have also bought scarfs and I have a shawl that I keep in the office for when the building is cold.
I also found a carved olive wood jar with a lid that is unusual. I also have bought socks as well.
From Belgium: Moeder Babelutte chocolate!
Gretchen:
We were in France and Italy for a month in the summer of 2004. We had the kids with us - we made a point of picking up collectible pins just about everywhere we were. Small, cheap etc.
The funny thing is - we look at them and talk about them all the time! My 9 yr old son mounted them (about 5 dozen) on a little bulletin board. A wonderful way to recall our adventure.
Have fun.
My first trip was 35 years ago when I was 9 years old. My parents took us to London and Scotland. The trip was done on a shoestring budget, and there was not much available for souvenirs. The Paddington Bear books were quite popular in our family, and in London we recognized many places because of our reading the books. We also saw a stuffed Paddington in a shop window, but with no souvenir budget, and train rides too and from Scotland, getting it was out of the question. As we neared the end of the trip, my brothers (6 and 10) and I counted up the pocket money we had. We then made our case to our parents, if they could just put in XX (I have no idea how much it was now) could get Paddington as a family souvenir. What could a parent do--we went to the shop, and Paddington is to this day on a shelf in the bookcase of my parents family room.
This summer, I will take my own kids to London, and we are taking an hour to go to Paddington Station for a picture with Paddington.
My pashima scarves from London.
Fridge magnets from all the places I have visited.
Garnet necklace & earrings from Prague.
Also I pick up any kind of stickers, pamphlets, patches, etc. that catch my eye that I can use in my scrapbooks.
Items I love, but don't last long: spices from Marrakesh, chocolates and candies from countries that are different from the U.S.
Right now I'm wearing a bracelet and earrings that my brother bought me in Turkey.
Hello Gretchen. You asked what item to look for in ITALY. In Venice you will see white marble sculpture imitations. (heavy weight). They are made of compressed marble dust. They are beautiful, but I did not buy any. The artistic item in Venice that I desired to own, but I did not buy it, is made of metal (shiny silver color: chrome ?) and round red glass, approximately 3/4 inches diameter. I am sorry I can not do a better description of it than that. Perhaps an other person reading this will know what item I am talking about. There were two sizes, slightly different styles. The bigger one looks better. I saw those in a display window of a small retail store in Venice, somewhere between San Marco Sqaure and the Rialto Bridge. It might be on MERCERIE, or 2 APRILE. Walking toward the Rialto Bridge, the store is at the left side of a narrow street. I saw it there in March of 2004. It is such an appealing item, they should have continued making those. But I don't know.
From Norway we brought back pewter items like dessert fork set, bottle opener, cheese slicer and cake server. If I do buy something I try to get things that have some use, like my fine bone China from England. That was bought when we first got married in 1987 when we were allowed tons of weight, and were able to bring back a dinner set for 8.
Talk about the good old days, LOL
Forgot a good one. We leased a Renault for a trip. My oldest son kept the key chain as a souvenir.
We have bought something that we can put in our house on each trip. We have bought pottery, painted tiles, or a water color/oil painting back from trips.
When I get back from a trip (or while I am there) I like to buy a cookbook from the country or region that I went to. I like trying to recreate the foods that I had on the trip.
My wife collects spoons from the places we travel and displays them in a shadow box. It is now full so she will have to get a new box after our next trip.
My favorites from Italy included a small print of a watercolor (the scene is Tuscan cypress trees), purchased directly from the artist in a little shop in San Gimignano. When I commented on the beautiful and vivid colors, she told me that her art was inspired by the fantasy and reality of the place she lives. Every time I look at it I am transported to that conversation on a warm, sunny day in the old town.
Less lasting but still fun were the various Italian food stuffs (Baci candies, tomato paste in a tube, ricciarelli cookies). Many of these purchased at the last minute in the duty free shop to use up remaining Euros (probably not many of those left on my next trip!)
My favorites: a wooden carved warthog I bought from a man at a gas station in Kenya, a red wool cape from the San Lorenzo market in Florence, and a penny whistle from Ireland.
if you're looking for souvenirs to bring back for others, you'll find lots of pretty 'marble' print stationery in the markets in Florence (inexpensive and lightweight); in Florence markets you'll also find lots of small glass pendants (supposedly from Murano, but maybe from Asia, but who cares, they're pretty and inexpensive) and silk (imitiation silk??) ties for men. On a recent trip, i bought myself some pretty Murano glass pendants in Venice in a shop near the Rialto bridge and some Carnaval masks on the Rialto bridge.
In Florence leather;in the small towns of Tuscany and Umbria, dishes, wine and olive oil; in Sorrento limoncello; in the north silk scarves and cute little wine bottle toppers (found in Bellagio); Venice glass or a mask; anywhere bookmarks always come in handy. Usually it's stuff I can use and won't have to dust.
I am going on a 3 week trip around Europe this summer and was wondering about sending home souvenirs as I go, as I will have to carry my luggage from place to place. Does anyone have any input on this?
I have brought back these souvenirs from Italy - Murano glass jewelry (earrings and ring) and wine stopper from Venice, cameo pin and earrings from the Vatican museum, black leather purse from Florence, silk scarf from Rome.
I collect frig magnets and postcards from the countries I visit. Also, when in France, I buy perfume that I use on the trip and to remind me of my vacation when I return home. I have bought an Aran sweater and Claddagh ring in Ireland, lavender soaps and pillow in Provence, silk scarves from Ireland, Italy and France, even leather ballet flats from Paris. All items are either small or wearable during the trip - I pack light enough that I can add these.
I have shipped some items home from France - last summer I bought an International shipping box at the post office in Nice for about 35 Euro and filled it with books and others items that I didn't want to carry with me.
My first trip to Europe was a college graduation gift from my parents. I also received a gold charm bracelet to pick up momentos from my trip. However, the price of ONE gold charm was equal to most of the silver charms of the same type, so...I picked them all up in silver and bought a new bracelet when I came home! When I wear it, I am constantly reminded of my first solo trip to Scotland.
Other favorites - Art Museum posters/prints, tea towels, pashminas from Paris, theatre posters - so long as the theatre name is on it, and shot glasses - they're small and relatively cheap! I have quite the collection - and my friends do as well! I have 2 rings from Scotland from a jeweler in Orkney that we watched make the jewelry at her shop - I get constant compliments on them.
I have enjoyed collecting city flags as I travel. Municipal flags (far more prominent as civic emblems in Europe than in most of the U.S.) are packed with symbolism, history, color, and interest. They are usually inexpensive, light, and compact to pack away. Besides, they look great in my social studies classroom!
Love this topic!
A replica Viking WOMAN's knife (or so they said) from Denmark.
Jewelry always. ditto on clothing (still gathering compliments for a dress I bought in Prague a few years back).
For fun, i love to bring home toiletries (everyone seems to love them, especially kids) and I have found hand crafted shampoos that I especially loved in France. Also a really nice brush. My young daughter loved having her french toothpaste to use for months!
I brought condiments for some people too, especially mustard lovers.
This may sound silly, but we collect stones from beaches in Europe. One year, we stayed at Menton, in the south of France, a beach of river stones and we purchaed a pretty piece of pottery to display our memory on a table. We did the same for Sicily.
I'm a jewelry and book souvenir person. I have 2 favorite pieces: a teal glass handmade necklace from Windsor and a green amber pendant from Prague. Both get me compliments each time and it is nice to be able to tell folks where I got them. Inevitably, conversation turns to travel, which is one of my favorite topics. I also love to look through my books on a regular basis. I've recently "revisited" Prague through the books I bought there.
From Florence: earrings that are tiny mosaics, Pinoccios (sp?) the right size for Christmas tree ornaments, various books and postcards from the museums.
From Rome: a nifty book on the Colosseum, the usual postcards.
From Bologna: a little stuffed lion on a keychain. Lion is wearing a t-shirt, and on the shirt is my first name, in Italian!
From Amsterdam: several wooden tulips (life size), a keychain with wooden shoes, a book on Amsterdam, a box of small chocolates.
What I Wish I Could Bring Back From Italy: GELATO!!! :)
My Manakin Pis corkscrew and the a Beer Glass shaped like a boot from Brussels. Funny cute and practical.
I also love th murano pendant I bought in Italy, and scarves and X-mas ornaments from all over.
I try to buy a silver charm in each place. Also, I've got a collection of tea towels. Glass, of course, in Venice, leather in Florence, scarves anywhere. I try to get a small watercolor print in each city.I've framed them and have them on my living room wall. They make a great display and remind me of the places I've visited. Last fall I brought back flower bulbs from the Netherlands and I'm now enjoying the flowers. My very favorite, though, is a plague doctor's mask from Venice. I loved it, bought it and then had to lug it all around Italy for 2 weeks. It made it home intact and is now proudly displayed in my home.
I have books on dog breeds in German, French and Italian. Now I need to go to Spain and get one there.
Other favorites: Local pottery (from Strasbourg and from Oberammergau), rocks (found one with a fossil in Brescia), wine (save the bottles after drinking), olive oil grown and bottled at the Agriturismo I stayed in, porcelain container from pate purchased in Strasbourg, Swiss card (darn useful and not as bulky as a Swiss Army knife), backpack from Switzerland, stickers for my car....
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