althom1122

I'll be in Vienna, Krakow, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, and Budapest in July and will be eager to fill my brand new Baggallini (see thread on tote bags!) with souvenirs and gifts. I'm assuming wood carvings would be one popular item from that region, but what other items should I be on the lookout for?
Thanks,
Karen

althom1122

Oh - and one more thing - is there anywhere in particular you'd recommend for shopping?

suehoff

In Prague three years ago we got the most incredible stacking doll set of all the USSR leaders starting w/ the last tsar until the fall of the USSR. We now have a Ukrainian housekeeper and she says that it is a rarity(I also think she wonders about us in gen'l). There are lots of great themed stacking dolls in Prague. I also got a very cool easter/faberge egg gold charm for my charm bracelet, that I haven't seen anywhere else.

FainaAgain

If you are in San Francisco, check out the (hated by most) Fishermens' Wharf area, Babushka stores, they have all kind of nesting dolls.

John

I am a die hard Red Sos fan. I was in Prague last month and lo and behold I found stacking dolls of the Red Sox!!! Just HAD to buy. The sales girl couldn't understand what was so funny as I was totally surprised and ROTFL.
The set sits proudly on my office bookcase!

suehoff

John-I can totally relate- really who'd have thought we'd ever own a Brezhnev doll? We stll laugh every time we look at our dictator set, plus new guests at our house are always a bit nonplussed. So do the sox have realistic beards and hair and look appropriately thuggish? (we are fans by proxy as our daughter lives in Boston)

althom1122

Stacking Red Sox dolls? I don't think so (pretty funny, though). Other ideas? Besides the stacking dolls, aren't there other items that are unique to that area?

sandy_b

Garnets and crystal from the Czech Rep, amber from Poland . . . if you're a cook, I found a great little gadget in Warsaw . . . it looks like a short rolling pin w/short metal spikes on it. It's used to roll out veal, beef, chicken when you need it to be flat and tenderized . . . pounding to flatten often mangles the meat, this little gadget worked great . . . and it is aluminum so it wasn't heavy.

There's lots of lace in Budapest sold on the streets by little grandmother types.

You won't have any trouble finding things to buy!

Good luck,
Sandy (in Denton)

John

SUEHOFF
First doll is Manny Ramirez. Doesn't look like him at all but in uniform with his name on the back. Second doll is Johnny Damon. Has a beard but not long hair.Third doll is Allen Embree. Fourth is David Ortiz and finally Jason Varitek. All the faces look the same except Ortiz is Black. All are in uniform with their number and name on the back.
Still laugh as I look at them.
Wonder if the players even know they exist as dolls in Prague? If they did they probabably would want a cut of the action!

suehoff

John- I actually LOL'd here at work reading about your "dolls". My daughter loves Johnny Damon and was so glad he didn't cut his hair when they "Queer Eye 4 the Straight Guy'd" him.

FainaAgain

SandyB, that rolling pin with short metal spikes - can it be for making Matzot holes?

sandy_b

Hi FainaAgain,

It might be . . . if I knew what Matzot was . . . I just know it works great for tenderizing/flattening meat without tearing it up.

I've used it for making chicken fried steak and for weinerschnitzel . . . handy little tool (and a conversation piece, to boot)!

I LOVE souvenirs I can actually use.
Sandy

Caroline1

Hi Karen,
In Krakow Poland you can find a lot of really beautiful hand-made items.
I guess if you are pressed for time go to Sukiennice (buidling in the middle of the Old Town Market Square).
Some things that I would recommend getting are: amber/silver jewelery and decorating pieces, pottery, lace, wood sculptures, boxes, plates, chess sets, crystal, higlander wool products...
I hope this gives you some ideas.
Have fun,
Caroline

Caroline1

How could forget about some good vodka...

FainaAgain

SandyB - Matzot is crispy flat bread eaten by the Jews on Passover. It has lines of holes in it made by a device matching your description.

althom1122

Ah - I love the amber/silver jewelry idea! Now you're talking! And yes, I had thought wood carvings would be a possibility. One that hadn't occurred to me was the idea of wool products - I got a couple of great sweaters in Ireland last year. Would something like that be common, and are there patterns/styles particular to that region?

sandy_b

Thanks FainaAgain . . . another use for my handy roller gadget!

To althom1122 . . . the Cloth Hall (Krakow) is full of amber jewelry . . . those set in silver are very inexpensive . . . earrings from $3 up, bracelets from $12, etc. Now, the amber set in gold was a different story.

For my Catholic D-I-L who wanted something from Krakow where Pope Jan Paul II served as archbishop for 14 years, I went to the big gift shop at St. Mary's and bought her an amber/silver rosary . . . $25. BTW, if you ever wondered where priests/nuns buy their clothes, this is where . . . this shop had EVERYTHING for the clergy.

Sandy (in Denton)

Caroline1

Hi Karen,
The handmade wool sweaters, hats, socks etc. are made by higlanders from Tatra and Pieniny mountains. You can get these garments in Sukiennice Cloth Hall in Krakow (better selection would be found in Zakopane but Sukiennice will do). Yes, the patterns on the sweaters and other wool garments are mostly tradditional. Most garments are made of sheep wool in more natural colors (white, black, grey).
Sandy_b is right. The deals on amber/silver jewelery are great. Actually, I thought the prices for all things were fantastic considering that everything I was looking at was handmade. Enjoy shopping.
Caroline

tonio

Krakow's market square has wonderful, inexpensive amber jewelry. Also beautiful carved wooden boxes. Prague is a great place to buy crystal figurines and jewelry.

Caroline1

Some other things that you could get from Poland are handpainted glass ornaments (i.e. for Christmas) or traditional paper cuts (you could have these paper cuts framed when you return home and then you could display them as unique pieces of art).
Just some more ideas to consider...