Is there anything special you like to bring back from your holidays, I wonder? A little something to help you remember each place you have seen? Gifts for family? Or one big we'll never-forget-with-this-on-the-wall grand souvenir? Me? I like lots of little pieces
You all know by now how much I love a holiday museum or four. The gift shops are an added bonus! Always for postcards or guidebooks, though I sometimes still pretend that I'm six and buy a pencil sharpener or eraser, a nice notebook maybe, but nothing too large. I like to see a country through its small things.
I'll jump into a newsagents or a corner shop to check out the magazines while the others roll their eyes. She can't read them, they say, she just likes to look at the pictures. I looked for Scandi scrap mags this year. I couldn't find any, though in Belgium I did find one about fashion blogging.
In Copenhagen I found a grey and white tshirt to add to my collection of stripes and I'm still a bit sorry that I walked away from the bargain denim dress. Too big, see, not for me, for my suitcase.
Whatever I buy I like to bring home in its original wrapping and then I like to keep it that way for a couple of weeks before I take it out of the bag and set it up where I can see it. Kind of prolongs that holiday feeling, like waiting for Christmas in August. You can probably guess who chose what here. The one who loves to cook also loves to collect new and interesting varieties of sweets; and in her endeavours she is spurred on by the man who has a dream of Polar Exploration. He brought back a tin mug from his trip aboard Roald Amundsen's Fram. From one ship to another and then home. With happy memories.
I will admit to allowing my inner 6 year old out in museum gift shops. I like to bring local food, especially sweets, as gift. For me I now only buy things that I will use - which recently has meant place mats and shopping bags mostly
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely haul of things there to remind you of your holidays! I always get a fridge magnet to remind me of where I've been :)
ReplyDeleteI like reminders that don't require dusting ;)
ReplyDeleteI love little things as well....though I'm tempted by paintings....and have been known to succumb.....I resisted in Barcelona....and later wished I hadn't....maybe this year.
ReplyDeleteA fun look into souvenirs. They really are the best part of a trip.
ReplyDeleteoh i love souvenir mugs!!! and tee shirt. and books. i ALWAYS buy books even though my suitcase is already way too heavy. and +1 to the magazines!
ReplyDeleteWe love to pick up souvenirs from our travels. We started collecting Christmas ornaments when we were dating and always bring back a few to represent the places we've been. If they don't have the date or place, I add that with a permanent marker or a gold pen (or whatever matches the ornament), and each year at Christmas we get to re-live our travels as we decorate the tree!
ReplyDeleteWith you on the little things though do tend to buy a lot of little things! And at times a lot of big things too if we are in the car. OH despairs as I say - do you think we can fit it in. Hence a photo of a windmill that I brought back that has just been unearthed is going to be photographed for the Scavenger Hunt. Love that you have recorded this :0)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy them x
Ha Ha, great topic! we always buy a fridge magnet and my girls love a t-shirt. When my husband goes abroad with work I love him to bring me back a pencil...strange but true :)
ReplyDeleteWe always buy a reminder of a holiday, from little bits to big bits (that require shipping). The boys like a t-shirt and caps! great finds you have there x
ReplyDeleteI usually buy a notebook or two; and I do love maps from our visits
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile about the museum gift shops - my DD always wanted a pencil or an eraser. Your photos are lovely ...
ReplyDeleteOh, one of the most fun parts of going on my children's school field trips was watching and listening to them make the grand decisions about how they could spend their little bit of cash in the gift shop. The conversations between them would always make me smile.
ReplyDeleteI like that tin mug. I love museum gift shops too. I normally look for the postcards of some of the exhibits or art work.
ReplyDeleteWe are a bit like Abi and often gravitate towards postcards, but fridge magnets are popular and if a region is represented by an animal of some sort, the miniature version is what TSYO prefers.
ReplyDeleteWhen TE travels overseas for work, which is frequently, he strives to bring back something indicative of the local culture for the kids .... we have some exotic indigenous carvings from Papua New Guinea teamed with floral Fijian shirts and dresses and another carved windmill from the Netherlands ... on it goes - he likes wooden things!
I am not one for holiday souvenirs. I just like lots (and I do mean lots) of photographs to spark the happy memories.
ReplyDeleteWe often purchase Christmas tree ornaments (though we have more than we can really fit on a tree anymore!). I also love to purchase jewelry (it's small!), and Paul likes to buy bowls. Henry likes t-shirts and other apparel. Clara is eclectic in her choices.
ReplyDeleteRinda
Photos are my biggest souvenir these days, but I love a postcard of the scenes I can't get good pictures of. Wa always stock up on favourite foods too
ReplyDeleteMy kids were always great souvenir buyers. R always had to have a stuffed toy, and J just had to have SOMETHING. Pencils, erasers, model boats - he wasn't fussy.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a few bits and pieces of ceramic from various places, vases or candlesticks but don't seem to have brought anything back recently.
Except for the huge Toblerone that is a compulsory airport purchase ;-)
I like postcards of places/people I couldn't photograph or not as well. We always try the local food specialities and often pick something else up - useful stuff preferably so we can see it and occasionally remember.
ReplyDeleteWe aren't big on souvenirs unless we have traveled to an island or beach. We collect sand from every one we go to and have them in small bottles in our bedroom. I do usually buy some extra postcards.
ReplyDeleteGreat collection of souvenirs you collected on your travels :)
ReplyDeleteI always get postcards particularly of things/ views I couldn't photograph myself.
Also a book in the native language to use the pages on my Lo's!
Love the tin mug. I'm a fan of small things to bring home from trips too.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun post, Sian. You sound a bit like me as I usually end up with a variety of things to bring home with me. What a lovely look at your souvenirs!
ReplyDeleteooooh, what's that labelled Ifa ? Where can I get my hands on a bar ? I love museum shop, actually not just museum shop. I also love the shops that they have at the end of the rides at Alton Towers etc. My family cannot understand it.
ReplyDeleteI take so many photos these days I don't really collect things. I also haven't really been anywhere new in 12 years, except a visit to the beach a few years back.
ReplyDeleteI do so love your titles on your posts. I always like to bring something form a holiday,as well s photos I like to have an item.I've got cactis from lanzarote - two at the moment and some volcanic rock that the boys picked up when we went years ago.Its always a natural thing for me to bring a part of it back!
ReplyDeleteI love all the souvenirs you collected while on your travels Sian! I'm a big gift shop fan, and I always tend to pick up a postcard or two. We also have magnets at home from practically everywhere we've visited, while my Mum loves to bring home tea towels as souvenirs :D
ReplyDeleteLove all your souvenirs. We always bring back tea towels!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I travel, I hunt for two things: an original work of art from that area and a Christmas ornament. It gives me something to focus on. Otherwise, I would want to buy everything in sight!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm more of the grand souvenir persuasion...even though it doesn't match our current décor, I'm still using a crock I bought when we went through Glacier National Park (in Montana, USA) more than 20 years ago--and every time I look at it, I'm reminded of one of the best vacations we ever had.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm more of the grand souvenir persuasion...even though it doesn't match our current décor, I'm still using a crock I bought when we went through Glacier National Park (in Montana, USA) more than 20 years ago--and every time I look at it, I'm reminded of one of the best vacations we ever had.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post! As I am currently unpacking from the trip we just returned from last night, this makes me want to do a similar post about the odd things we brought back from every place!
ReplyDeleteI loved looking at what you found to bring home. We used to always try and get a Christmas tree decoration from wherever we were but that got harder and harder and the tree got fuller and fuller so now it's usually a journal,calendar or book about the place especially if it's an art gallery, except I had to have a set of dolls from St. Petersburg which was fun trying to fit in my carryon. :)
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