Do you have a favorite souvenir from your travels?

I have a hand carved statue of the Virgin of Guadelupe that I bought in Puerto Vallarta. Most definitely 1-of-a-kind!

The lady selling did not speak English, and I don't speak much Spanish & a (decidedly drunk) passerby local man helped us conclude our business arrangements. The statue is very rustic and the Virgin looks like she got into a little of whatever our local friend had been drinking (she's kind of lopsided).

A 2006 World Cup of Soccer hat I bought in Germany. I was there with my daughter. It has these cute little cartoon charachters on it.

I hate baseball caps but I wear this one everywhere. I look like a dork.

Hi Katie, mine were not bought by me but are gifts from Italian friends when I have been in Italy or given to me by family members.

A very beautiful small oil painting of the Castle of Congeliano that a friend gave me that had been painted decades before by a friend that attended the same university that he attended. And three etchings of "old" Congeliano which I had framed.

I never really thought about it as I have so many items in my residence from Italy but they are all gifts. Next time I am able to go to Italy I need to do some shopping for me!

The resort island that we stayed on in Fiji recently gives each guest a collection of 15 coasters. Each one has a "Send It By Bottle" story on the back about someone sending a message in a bottle, blah, blah, blah. They are very cute and are a great reminder of the lovely folks who run the island and of the restful stay we had there. Here's one that I like:

Send It By Bottle # 11
"Nurse Christine Shephard had a lucky escape when the Daly River flooded the town of Catherine in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Trapped in her home for 5 days she put a note in a wine bottle and floated it towards a neighboring property. Emergency services officers in a boat fished it out and took it to the Katherine police.

The note said that Ms. Shephard was OK, but running out of cigarettes. Her hospital workmates declined to send her fresh supplies, saying it was a good time for her to quit!"

My wife and I purchased oil paintings while in Capri,Paris and Nantucket.

Wall clock from Israel with Hebrew letters instead of numbers.

"Weather house" from Switzerland where a woman comes out in sunny weather, a man when it rains.

The rest of the souvenirs is eaten The kids asked me to switch to edibles. Good idea, I think!

Well...a weekend stay in the Toronto Royal York back in 1991 resulted in a pretty neat souvenir...my daughter!

Bohemia Crystal candlesticks I bought on my first visit to Prague. I take them out every Christmas or special dining ocassion and it always bring joy to my heart !

Another souvenier-related tradition?....I buy a Christmas ornament in every country I get to visit. It makes for a double special tree decorating afternoon.

I collect dragons. One of my favorites is a hand-painted dragon on hand-made paper from Bhutan that reminds me of a fascinating visit. I also have a jade dragon bought in Shanghai on my first trip to China - the one that got me hooked on Asia and on travel - that sits in the middle of my mantlepiece. A photograph of that dragon is in the top left corner of every page on my web site.

Anita63-
I have one of those souvenirs too!!!
Mine is from a Thanksgiving Cruise
in 1986.

Awesome, Poochie...should I be embarrassed to admit that the year after I had ANOTHER souvenir from a trip to Los Angeles...my son? LOL Must be something in the water (or wine, lots of wine)

I enjoy picking up items that I'll use in my everyday life.

A favored souvenir of mine is a leather keychain that I purchased several years ago in Florence.

The bocce ball set we bought in St. Remy in 1989, and because we were too cheap to have it sent home, we lugged it all over France for 3 weeks.

The hand-painted ceramic house numbers we bought in Orvieto two years ago.

The hand-sewn wall-hanging we bought in Fiji in 1998.

(There. Now you can't ban me, Katie. )

Anita63-
I think that's sweet, nice stories for the children.
I have to say my DH has never taken another cruise. Ha-Ha

My memories...(didn't want to get banned, or worse yet, sent to Frommer's).

I like to buy a scented body lotion to use on the trip. When I get home, I put it away for awhile. Then when I bring it out and wear it again, it so reminds me of Paris, or Hawaii or wherever. Scent and memory have a very strong relationship.

suze, that is so true. I'm cheaper than you, though: I just bring home hotel soaps!

A Georgian stuffing spoon I got in Harrogate that originally belonged to Lord Manners. It's a beauty.

Art and photos for the house but I love to bring framed photos of wherever we've been for my office wall. Everyone I work with comes to my office when I get back from a trip, to see the new photo.

I also have a beautiful ceramic clock we bought in Rome in a little store near the Pantheon. It has the words 'Loves Conquers All' in Latin on it.

A bust of Mistral, the Nobel Poet to celebrate his birthday, given to me by my Provençal friends.

My favorites are tablecloths because they get used daily. Others are paintings which I have scattered around the house, and then a Venetian mask that is on one wall.

I bought three canvas prints of famous Impressionist paintings at the Hermitage in Moscow. Had them mounted (no frame). They look GREAT in my office at work and are a daily reminder of the trip.

Also bought two Buddha busts in Cambodia - one stone, one wood. They're sitting on either end of my fireplace mantel and look terrific.

On a walking trip across the North York Moors two years ago we had a rest day in Richmond, a lovely town. I often look at the beautiful pen-and-ink sketch of the town that now hangs in our lounge room - it brings back memories of a very enjoyable 11 days with a very friendly group of walkers.

Well, I have two gorgeous pairs of gloves that I bought in Florence - they give me a thrill every time I wear them.

My quirkiest souvenir - tea towels from Paris, I bought some in 2006 when we were first in Paris and then again this time. I must be very easily pleased - my girlfriends think I'm mad, but those teatowels give me a thrill each time I use one or see them hanging in the kitchen! As a bonus, they are inexpensive and REALLY good quality pure cotton!

I bought gloves from Sermonetta in Rome for all my girlfriends and my sisters. Idiot that I am, I didn't buy even one pair for myself!

Well goddesstogo, I think that's a good enough reason for a return trip

Kate_H in Paris this year, I broke one of the golden rules of travelling. I saw a second hand copy of the Girl with a Pearl Earring at Shakespeare & Co for 5 euros. At the time I thought, "oh I'll come back and get that". Well, of course it was gone when I returned. I'm still cross.

On my recent travels in China, I didn't spend a single yuan on souvenirs. I'm a photographer and I figured the images I brought back would be souvenir enough.

When I returned home my mom asked me what I had bought in China and I said I hadn't bought anything. And frankly I was a bit regretful. She then told me that she has a jade bracelet that she doesn't wear much and she thought I might enjoy having it.

So now I have a beautiful jade bangle from China, by way of Long Island, New York, to remind me of my trip. Thanks, Mom

Lol Montseratt

When I was 17 and my late brother was 14, my parents took us to Europe--quite an adventure in 1967, when people in our social set didn't travel to Europe as often as people do now. I bought a dress in Paris, and for many years, my "Paris dress" was my heart's delight.

suze,

re: lotion souvenir,that's a good idea! i can relate with the scent-memory connection.

the scent of neutrogena's "rain" product reminds me of waikoloa bec. that was what the hotel provided.

im not much into souvernirs but a very functional and pretty one for me was the athens olympic album where i put the pics from the trip. i did the same with my sydney olympic trip pics.

also, a historic souvenir from athens was an olympic pin saying "welcome home" to the olympics.

It would be a long list, I buy myself something from every trip and every country I have visited. They range from oil paintings by local artists to handmade jewelry also by locals.

We bought a hand woven rug (about 3' X 5') at a local weekly livestock market from a man in Azrou, a mountain town in Morocco. Woven by his wife, used for good awhile, still a bit of donkey smell to it. (it's aired out now)

Hangs on our dining room wall. One of the better uses we've found for $20.

I collect silver bangles and wear up to about 25 at a time. My bangles have come from all over the world from my travels and friends and family's travels. I've got bangle bracelets from all seven continents and over 100 destinations.

My favorite is one that my husband bought me in Sante Fe for my year anniversary of not smoking. Another was one I bought in NYC late September 2001.

My favorite souvenirs are all the photos I take on each of our family trips. Nothing beats seeing those photos whenever we want to remember our trips.

goddess- I bring back gloves from Sermonetta after each trip also. I love the "girdle-sale" crowded atmosphere of the little shop in Rome near the Spanish Steps. But all is not lost-you can get them online (I know, it's not the same...but)

Mine favorites (gifts also):
A tiny painting given to me many years ago by it's maker to remember our time together-a boy in Florence in 1968.

A metal "V" given to me by a worker cleaning the hanging lights in the Portico of the Vatican-it had broken off and he was replacing it, and I was practicing my Italian.

A little pocket book of flowery "Neapolitan insults" given me by a friend there.

2 tiny Puppets hand-made by a well-known Puppetmaster in Palermo- I had met his family when they performed at the MET museum in NY and sought them to visit for the afternoon and evening with them at their house in Italy. One is Orlando and the other is Angelica- He and his son did a little scene with them and he did both the voices (which he also does in their puppet theater). They are tiny marionettes and hang just near my bed so they can speak to me in dreams...

But my real favorite souvenirs are the ones yet to come!

Aboriginal paintings from Australia.

Ceramic ellies & giraffes from South Africa.

Gorgeous silk weavings from northern Thailand and Cambodia.

A watercolor painting from a flea market in Paris.

Wood-block prints from Ireland and Alaska.

Strings of colorful paper lanterns from Bangkok.

Carved wooden bowl and hand-knitted gloves and hat from New Zealand.

Ceramic dishes, a cotton rug, and a traditional Native American "wedding vase" from Santa Fe (where we got engaged).

Colorful woven baskets from St. Lucia.

Oil painting of an angel from Chartres.

Hand-painted ceramics from Positano, Ravello, and Montalcino.

Colorful cotton scarf from Botswana.

Embroidered silk pillow cover from Santorini, and worry beads from Athens.

Tiny wooden animals painted in crazy brilliant colors from Tlaquepaque, Mexico (animales fantasticos).

Mosaic picture frame from Venice.

Hand-painted tiles and plates from Isla Mujeres and Merida, Mexico.

Raku pottery from Grass Valley, California.

Gold fleur de lis earrings from Salzburg.

A dining room set, two desks, bookshelves, and assorted other furniture from Durango, Colorado (!)

A leather purse from Florence, Italy.

Nothing from Bruges -- I ate all the chocolates before I got home!

Coffee mug from Costa Rica.

Collages from Tanzania.

Christmas ornaments from everywhere -- they are my favorite souvenirs. My favorite ones are tiny hand-made boots and mittens from Quebec City.
Decorating the Christmas tree every year is a walk down memory lane, remembering of all of our travels.

went to canada once
found the perfect gift for one of my kids
a not-too-tacky geuuuuine red indian talisman thingy complete with reindeer antlers ( fake i was assured) and dangling feathers
decided to declare once in homeland airport just in case the rabbity bit, the hide might be a carrier of some dreaded disease that would wipe out the local fauna population
was accosted by one customs officer who then took it away but i could see he and THREE others huddling over it
waited waited waited
one strolled over
with a penknife
started scraping the fake antler
i was assuring him it came from no illegal endangered species but he continued to chip away at the stuff
'see it looks real, every bit of the antler is a different shape and colour..this cant be fake...its not moulded...'blah blah blah
i was really sad...they were going to confiscate it ...i just knew it
i took it from him momentarily. looking for the signs of genuine rare antler he was pointing out to me
flipped it over and there amongst all the feathery bits was a small but prominent sticker
'made in china'
he looked at me
mumbled- 'geez they make 'em well over there'
and i went home with my trophy
.....
probably does harbour some nasty having come from china

two years later
someone slammed the door and the thing fell off the wall and broke into a few pieces
i still have them
and it's still my favourite souvenir
gotta love those custom officers

Oh I do, yes! I mean there are items of beauty that I treasure but my favourite souvenir is probably a small leather amulet I bought in Lomé getting on for twenty years ago. It was alleged to have magic herbs inside and once had a small cowrie shell on the outside.

The cowrie shell and the original leather neck cord are long gone but I take it with me every time I travel attached to the keys for my pack.

A lucky charm.

I have several favorites, but the most favorite one is a platter which was given to me by the owner of a restaurant in Massa Lubrense.

We have spent several vacations in Massa Lubrense and often dined at the Francischiello Restaurant at the Hotel Bella Vista. Our first few visits to that restaurant were with our mothers and son. On the next vacation visits there we had mothers, son and my sister. On the next vacation visits to the restaurant, my husband and I went ourselves.

At this point we must have dined in the restaurant 8 or 9 times or more - each time seated at our favorite table with views, and each time speaking to the owners and sons at great length.

I actually think the owner recognized us at this time since she remembered us having our mothers with us on prior visits and asked for them.

The last time we went, we had our son and FDIL with us and she definitely remembered us! She came up to me and hugged me and asked about our mothers again. She was sad to hear that they could no travel long distances anymore.

As usual, we were treated wonderfully by her and her sons and the meal was fabulous. After dinner and as we were departing the restaurant, she came out and made me promise we would return soon and she hugged all four of us! Then she told me to wait and she sent her son into the back and and he came out with this lovely hand painted oval platter of the view of Capri from the restaurant windows! She handed it to me and I was so surprised by this gift! She could see that I was touched by this gesture and so she hugged and kissed me. She wrapped it in a cloth napkin and gave it to me and said to always remember her, the restaurant, Massa Lubrense and the times we visited with our mothers. I cried then and I cry now. It was such a beautiful thing for her to do.

By the way, she said all this in Italian and I understood it and I replied in Italian, too! For those of you who might not know, I spoke Italian as a child (my mom was born in Italy and all grandparents, too)-that's what we spoke at home. Over the years, I forgot how to speak it but it always comes back to me when I am there.

So, that is my most treasured travel possession with a treasured story, too.

Nutella - that is a great story. You have convinced me to spend at least 10 yuan on a souvenir in China next month.

Some of my favorite souvenirs are dish towels such as one I have that's a map of Italy with all the various Italian cheeses geographically marked on it. I have a similar one with Italian wines. Every time I look at it, I remember many great trips to Italy. I also buy food items I can bring back, e.g., French pate, French mustard, aioli, etc, which,m unfortunately, don't last forever but sure are transporting. Since I wear t-shirts and jeans a lot, I always buy a t-shirt. Other favorites are my umbrellas featuring the London Underground system and the Paris Metro system.

I have loved charm bracelets since I was a very young girl. My mom had one (now one of mine), and I loved the way it would jingle. Wherever I travel to, I buy a charm & have it added to one of my bracelet. They are small, and I never worry about not having room in my bag to bring them home.

We try to get an ornament for our Christmas tree. Almost all the ornaments on our tree have some sort of "story" behind them - a gift, from travel, made by one of us or a friend, etc.

Oh, I forgot one -- one of my favourites!

We were in Tokyo and I was buying a few Christmas gifts there to take home. One of my friends is a wonderful quilter and I wanted to bring her a small selection of fabrics from Japan. I was directed to an excellent fabric shop where the owner and I knelt on the floor for about an hour (my poor knees!) picking out swatches. When I was done, with my purchases beautifully wrapped as they do in Japan, and had paid, she presented me with a gift of a tiny stuffed fabric owl no more than half an inch long, with little bead eyes, which I assume she makes from scraps of material. It's very sweet and it hangs from my desklamp where I see it every day. It reminds me not just of our trip to Japan but of a lovely encounter with that woman, despite the fact that neither of us spoke the other's language.

The older I get, the less I like having "one more thing to dust." So now I take tons of photos, then after I get home select a couple that I love, blow up as needed, print them in black and white, and have them framed. This is the best souvenir for me.

My best travel memories are etched in my scrapbook during my travel to Holland, Poland, West and East Germany. In my scrapbook, were copies of visas from each of these countries, airline tickets, also bus, train and tram tickets, exchange invoices, restaurant bills, hotel bills, photographs of places and monuments visited, and friends too, shopping bills, all these provide me with the nostalgia of my travel.

Last month we were staying in a condo on the North Shore of Oahu and I was looking for a souvenir for my daughter who could not come on the trip. I saw some "surfer" black Tahitian Pearls on a leather cord and thought that a pendant would be a good gift.

I asked the owner of our condo about the jewelry store. She said it was a chain and recommended another store to me. "The Black Pearl Source" in Haleiwa is owned by an artist, and I could be sure I was buying genuine, undyed pearls. I went there and the pearls were so gorgeous and in such unique settings that I bought a Tahitian pearl pendant and earrings for myself.

This was an unexpected and somewhat expensive purchase, but I love the pearls. They bring back our wonderful Oahu experience whenever I wear them. (By the way, I did buy a smaller pendant for my daughter as well.)

I have made many purchases and never regretted any of them and I have been traveling for 35 years. When I get home, I type a label from my P-Touch with the date and country and then adhere it to the back of the souvenir (of course when possible)

Ceramic plate from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul to hang in my kitchen. Shawls also.

Hand carved large plate that hangs in my great room from Assisi.

Hand painted note cards from Hawaii.

Soaps from Santa Maria Novella Pharmacia, Florence.

Ceramic plate from Santorini.



Large oval hand painted plate from Florence which also hangs in my kitchen.

A glass bowl with dolphins carved by an artist in Maui.

Cyrstal necklace from Murano.

Sterling silver ring from Athens.
(Silver is relatively inexpensive in Greece)

Glass vase from Venice.

Inexpensive and small Eiffel Towers from Paris which I gave to many others who also love them.

Key chains with the Eiffel Tower (3 for 1Euro) I purchased these from persons selling them under the Eiffel Tower. Everyone loves them. Also a crystal Eiffet Tower.

Leather credit card holders and coin purses from Florence. Painted leather bracelets from the market in Florence which my nieces and nephews love and they were very inexpensive.

Purse mirrors with the word "Paris" on the top.



Metal can of tea from Harrod's, London with a picture of Big Ben on it.

Ceramic teapot decorated with 3D hearts, Nantucket.

White ceramic bowl with 5 doves, Nantucket.

I can go on and on. Hope you enjoyed my list.

I bought a whimsical brass wall hanging of a flying woman/free spirit in New Hampshire several years ago. For some reason I named her Zelda, I think I loved her because I just had my cast off my broken leg and was finally mobile again. Last year I found her a companion (same artist) in the Outer Banks. My DD thinks I am nuts but I LOVE my Zeldas.

There are a few but the most major are:

Hand crafted souvenirs - specifically tote bags. These are among my most beloved gift souvenirs. Among favorites are ones that were given to my spouse and I by an Iranian. The quality is very good and not too expensive. Another gift was a celebration hand drawn display mat from Sri Lanka and a hand made drawing of my husband and I in Sri Lankan form.

My favorite findings-
A hand made envelope/letter holder along an antiques street in London. If was the first time I visited and foolish me, I'm still trying to find the same street till this day. It was mentioned in a Fodors travel guide many, many years ago around the mid 90's. Why oh why didn't I write the street name down? I remember the day like it was yesterday. A warmer rainy day in the city having fun running under one doorway to the next.

Memo pads with my name in a foreign language, my favorite note pad is from Normandy with my name and what and brown cows and grass in the pasture. Also postcards and such with my name in a foreign language that lists personality characteristics.

A little adult rated but a pregnancy protection device with Paris written on it as a gift for a newly single friend to lift her spirits, and it provided a good chuckle during not so good times.



...................................

Now to the religious, a beautifully beaded rosary that a gave to my grandma that was blessed by the Pope John Paul from the Vatican.


The number one souvenir: And a gift from a Priest to my husband and I, a personally signed wedding blessing from Pope John Paul and an archbishop with the Vatican Stamp.

I do my research ahead of my trip on what the area is "known for". I always buy something that can be used for a Christmas ornament, then buy one for everyone in our family. It shares the memories of our travels.

I like to buy kitchen tools that remind me of the cuisine or culture. I have chopsticks from Japan, pasta server from Italy, lime reamer from Brazil, cheese knife from France, cake server from Germany, etc.. Easy to find and bring home. Not too expensive. I keep them in my kitchen drawer with the more ordinary spoons and spatulas and they remind me every day of my great trips.

I actually do the charm bracelet thing too. Our son was also a souvenir from a weekend in Rockaway beach in CA. I guess one favorite is a Mexican sink we bought in Isla Mujeres and lugged it around Mexico for the next 8 days. It is now in our sons bathroom.
The best...pictures. When we have to evacuate for hurricanes; I grab all of our pictures.

We just got back from our first trip to Ireland where our wonderfull guide helped us buy a bodhran (Irish drum)- and gave us a lesson- on a cliff overlooking a gorgeous beach.

When we proudly e-mailed our son about it, he let us know he would love to have one for Christmas.
So...

We bought another one, stuffed it with the sweaters we had purchased, and carried them both on the plane
(the souvenir that keeps on giving- we're both learning to play

But mainly, a great souvenir is anything that has a story attached to it. It's all about the memoeries.

Hi Katie, I know, it's dumb but...smashed pennies. Hey, there cheap and unique to the area they come from.

Also, for some other dumb reason...turtle figurines. You can find them everywhere...although they are all probably made in the same factory in Thailand, I don't care.

If any one ever asks me "are you a turtle" I always respond YBYSAIAT!

thereyet

For many, many years I have been collecting sugar packets found in restaurants, bars, airlines and lounges during my travels. I have huge collection and some are really unique and of course, always free!
My latest ones are from my recent trip to Switzerland where the Euro 2008 Soccer matches were going on while we were there.
Our hotel's restaurant had sugar packets with really nice shots of soccer fans. There were 8 different pictures, so I got a whole set for my soccer crazy kids as well as one for myself.
I have other ones too--one set from Hawaii features all the various flowers of the island.
Just curious, does anyone else collect these?

I am like the poster who collects Christmas ornaments from each place I visit. They are small enough to pack easily, and I don't have to find a place to display them until each
December when they bring back delightful memories.
My favorites are one of Bohemian glass from Prague; an Eiffel Tower keychain (I removed the ring for the keys!) from Paris; a Queen Elizabeth I embroidered ornament I bought at the Tower of London, and a Faberge-style enamel egg ornament I bought on my second honeymoon in Newport, RI. But I have dozens more that could be on this list...

Aside from the ornaments, my favorite souvenirs are:
--4 tapestries I bought in Madrid back in 1975 and had framed, as well as a plain black fringed shawl that I still wear
--a Shakespeare themed teapot I bought in Harrod's
--a small framed sprig of Edelweiss from Salzburg
--a full set of colored Bohemian glass goblets I purchased in Prague-- which are the costliest souvenirs I've ever bought, and which, ironically, I ended up giving to my daughter when she got married because my new husband has such an extensive set of Waterford crystal
--an original oil painting that resembles Monet's version of the cathedral in Rouen that we bought from the artist about 25 or 26 years ago in St. Augustine. It took me another 20 years to finally get to Rouen to see the cathedral for myself!
--a very inexpensive large photograph of the bridges of Prague that I had framed (very expensively) and that reminds me of that great city every time I awake (it's in our bedroom).

PS: Although it's good to make judicious buys, or you end up with all kinds of touristy kitsch--don't pass up things that you really like. I still regret not buying a program from Queen Elizabeth's coronation in Edinburgh because I didn't want to spend five pounds, and my first husband went to his grave regretting a small table of inlaid wood that I hurried him past in Sorrento.

PPS: I also think it makes sense to begin a collection of something you really like, so that you have a cohesive remembrance of your travels near and far.
In addition to my ornaments, much of the artwork on my walls comes from my travels--the tapestries from Madrid and photograph from Prague that I mentioned above, as well as a etching of the cathedral in Havana, another Spanish work done in black ink, and ink drawings of the Spanish Steps and St. Peter's in Rome. I also buy a mug on each trip--again, they are easy to pack, and you can find really unusual and beautiful mugs if you take the time to look.
Other ideas for people would be CDs of local artists or music styles, stationery, perfume, food items or serving pieces. Think about how you will use or display items to add character to your home.
As for souvenir gifts--unless I know a person collects something (a friend of mine has me buy her daughter a small doll in each country), I opt for edible gifts like Scottish shortbread, British tea, chocolates,etc. I figure the recipient does not have to figure out where to put my gift--they can just eat it!

I love these stories...it would be neat to have a photo gallery of photos of these items.

This is the story that I mentioned in my OP. It's lighthearted, fun, and just right for your lunch break. It links up to a few great souvenir threads if you're keen.

What Kind of Souvenir Shopper Are You?
http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3084.html

These stories are reminding me of all the things that I purchased not really as souvenirs but have ended up as items with vivid memories attached.... abram's post about her "Paris dress" reminds me of my "San Francisco jacket". Except this jacket is not an item unique to San Francisco...I splurged on it at a well-known clothing store. Doesn't matter that I could have bought it in New York. It looks like nothing else I have in my closet; I mostly bought it because one of my new friends insisted "it's very you" despite having only meant me a few days prior. I dislike shopping but that was a fun afternoon--maybe the wine we had over lunch added to the fanfare.

So I bought it... and literally every time I slip on that jacket I think about SF...

Actually I have two and they were made by children, one in Morocco and one in Jordan. The puppet/doll from Morocco is a small fabric piece that I bought in the Sahara Desert. The maker, a small Bedouin girl, the cost approx .25 cents.

The second puppet/doll I bought from a Jordain child at Petra, it also is made of fabric and was about a dollar. Both are grouped with other worldly treasures on a living room wall.

I too have an expensive Paris dress, heavily embroidered long Thai sashes (worn as shawls with evening gowns), Kenneth Cole appliqued Mary jane's from both New York and San Francisco, scarves from Florence, tropical print clothes from Hawaii... I love to browse; it relaxes me. i stopped buying kitsch (except for Eiffel Towers and fridge magnets.ACtually i have an international theme for my Christmas tree so i do get the ornaments. Favorite items include my glass candies from Venice in a huge golden dish, Venetian masks, watercolors (about 5 x 7) from any place where I can find them, SW jewelry and pottery, my Claddagh ring from Galway where they originate. I actually dragged back a Thai dancer's headdress - but don't have that anymore! My favorite purse is my Paris tapestry bag I bought in Paris last year. It was around 30 euro but I'm glad I bought it. I love Italian pottery but too large to cart home so I end up buying it at TJ Maxx!

My favorite souvenirs were all free. Whenever I see an interesting poster on a shop window advertising an exhibition I will ask if I can have it (if it is past the exhibition date, soon will be or if I will be in town when it is). Those posters fit nicely in a tube and are easily transportable. I have framed posters from the 70's advertising local art shows and events that are on my walls.

A beautiful carnelian red agate stone set in a silver ring I bought in 1970 at an Indian stand in Colorado. It reminded me of the red rocks in the park we visited, and although I was a poor student, I decided the $20 was worth it. Around 10 years later, it went missing and I thought I had lost it forever. In 1986 we were packing up our belongings to move to a bigger house, and in disassembling the bed, I found it perched on a bedslat. I still have the ring...

Oh, also I bring back a small rock or shell from outdoor places I visit. I have a little rock from The Great Wall area, a Tahiti shell, sea glass from Amalfi Coast, etc. I have them in a square glass vase and I remember them all.

Sea, I have that Rock/shell collecting habit also, and have so many that my friends tease me because at one point, while I was moving from one place to another, I actually paid rent on a storage locker for my rocks and shells!

A treasured one I have is the one I picked up from Abiqiu, NM, next to Georgia O'Keefe's house there.

that is great, bella, I do the same thing with places that have personal meaning to me, such as O'Keefe's house! I would have taken a little stone from there too.

I was very upset some years ago when my collection at that time was lost, it is still a mystery where they went. Of course they just looked like rocks to someone else.

Fun thread!
I pick up a tree ornament from each destination as many have mentioned.

My current favorite souvenir is the oil painting brought home from Italy last year and which now hangs over our mantle. (I love bringing home artwork!)

Other souvenirs accumulated over the years:
A whale sculpture from Hawaii
A tiny watercolor from Florence
A mahogany carving from South Africa (presented to my uncle while on a business trip there and later given to me)
Seashell collection gathered by our children in South Padre when they were young and displayed in a bowl
A tiny blown-glass bauble from Venice
A miniature, hand-made aboriginal "pot", a gift from my sis when she returned from New Zealand
A watercolor from Minnesota lake country
A basket woven as we watched, roadside, on Kauai
A pair of bookends from Mexico
Several watercolors collected traveling the US mainland and Hawaii
Assorted jewelry pieces

Each item evokes wonderful memories!

I collect restaurant cards and have them all framed and mounted when I get home. Many are works of art and since they are displayed in my kitchen I am reminded of the many awesome meals and trips everyday.

I love to buy trinkets that can be hung on the Christmas tree - not Christmas ornaments per se. I like to find things that weren't actually designed to be an ornament!

When I put the tree up every year, it's like a trip down memory lane. And then everything gets put away for 11 months, not adding clutter to the house, and waiting for rediscover the next year.

Some of my favorites are a rat from Hamlein, Germany (home of the Pied Piper), hand-painted Hungarian eggs, and miniature bottles of Tabasco from Lousiana. None of these were marketed as Christmas ornaments, but they all work just fine and make my tree totally unique!

I can’t resist collecting snowglobes from each destination – I really enjoy shopping for them and selecting the perfect one. But I most value the artwork that we’ve purchased from our trips and I feel that these pieces will stay in the family and someday be displayed in my sons’ home when they’re grown up.

My husband and I used to purchase paintings and drawings – such as a watercolor from Zihuatanejo, Mexico, a huge oil painting in a beautiful hand-carved wood frame from Bali, and a bright painting from Jamaica – but our walls filled up quickly so we switched to pieces of artwork that can be displayed on shelves, such as hand-crafted Cloisonne vases from China, a carved totem pole from Vancouver, a carved soapstone fisherman and a bear fetish made from Tugua Nut (which is an alternative to Ivory) from Alaska, carvings of birds from Panama, carved toucan puzzle box from Costa Rica, an emerald and diamond necklace from Colombia (well, that and some wonderful silver jewelry from Mexico are usually displayed around my neck, not our house), a Norman Rockwell self-portrait figurine of him at an easel drawing himself and another of a group of young baseball players in a circle both from Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

One son collects masks (out of clay, ceramic, wood, etc) and the other collects musical instruments (mostly drums from exotic locations), and both of them like getting T-shirts from exotic or strange destinations so they have something to talk about with their friends when they wear them.

Well, this has been fun to think about!

nohogal,
can I ask how you get your snowglobes through security? I've often wanted to bring one home for my niece but don't think I'd be allowed to bring in on in my carry-on luggage or by hand.

Even if I had checked in luggage, I'd be worried that it would break.

What do you do?

My favorite souvenir is a blue and white antique porcelain umbrella stand which is the largest item I have ever brought back in the luggage. I found it in a small town called Lanwerst in Wales. This trip involved lots of driving so I wasn't concerned about packing light for any trains so I had my 26 inch bag and the umbrella stand (think of it as a very large vase 22 inches tall and weighing 18 lbs) fit in fine. I packed it with clothes, shoes, etc. and wrapped a sheepskin around it. It was a very heavy piece of luggage but made it through security just fine. I have never regretted this purchase--a real bargain at 20 BP's.

Great topic, we purchase a print or picture of something relative to the area we are visiting or of a place we enjoyed. For the Cinque Terre we purchased post cards of the 5 towns and had that framed in a five opening matted frame. Yes, the frame was about twenty times what the post cards cost, but everyone notices it when they come in to our TV room. We have a German church chalk print (we passed it every day when we walked the town), a great print of the "Disney" castle model, a set of prints from Venice, you get the idea. We revisit every time we look at them and when people comment on the pieces we can recount where we were and when we purchased. Additionally they are quite easy to carry home. We are ready to begin to fill the walls of our living room. Shirley, Waukesha

LovetoRoam
There was an antique postcard stall in the market in Dijon where I purchased postcards of the five main places we visited in France. Some were sepia and others lightly tinted. I was lucky enough to find a five-space matted frame in a discount store -- quite a lovely frame -- and framed them myself. It looks just gorgeous.

I'm going to remember about antique postcards and try to find them wherever I go.

In Poland we bought a Red Army wooden ammo box that contained a chrystal replica of an AK-47 filled with Vodka, a chrystal hand gernade filled with scotch and six shot glasses in the shape of shot-gun shells.

I used to purchase refrigerator magnets with local sights, but on one rushed tour I was not able to purchase anything. When I got home I took my own photos and sent them to Cafe Press and had my own made. Now I don't bother buying them I just make my own. I have too much junk around the house to buy art or pottery so this is just a little something to remind me of where I have been.

In Bangkok, I saw numerous plaster models of the battle between the Prince of Siam & the Prince of Burma both on elephants jousting. However in the Sheraton Hotel gift shop, I saw the same but carved in teak wood. Additionally it was mounted on a beautifully carved base & had a full collection of weaponry (spears & lances)that were carried in a holder on the back of the elephants.

My wife asked how are you going to get that home? The proprietor took poloroid pictures. disassembled it, & wrapped each piece individually. When we returned home, I assembled it according to the pictures & today it sits proudly on our dining room table

Christmas ornaments. I love Christmas and travel, so collecting the ornaments allow me a little bit travel/vacation moments at the end of each year.
I, also, love books and try to add to our library a local book on the region, people or regional food. I believe our travels tell a story about who we are and I love to fill our home with memories of the good times and good people we have met.

Of course, as an avid photographer you can only imagine the photos I bring home. Nothing gives me more pleasure or makes a hard day just a little easier to handle than a photo of my family enjoying an adventure, location and a smile. In the end, it is the emotion.

Oh, and those neat hotel soaps? I bring them home and use them when I need a little mental vacation!! You would be amazed how it works!

I collect small carved boxes and have more than 100 of them now. They're made of porcelain, wood, stone, metal, shell and many other materials. Each is intricately decorated in some way representative of its origin and I put a sticker on the bottom of each box noting the country, date purchased and other information. Not only are they easy to pack and carry home, each has a special story behind it that reminds me of how much I enjoyed the trip! Plus my family and friends always know what to bring me from their travels...

goddesstogo,

I actually pack the snowglobes in the middle of my suitcase. Depending upon how it's wrapped when I buy it, I often wrap it again in a small "borrowed" hotel towel or a couple of washclothes and place it inside a large ziplock bags, just in case it breaks (so far I've been lucky). I always travel with various size zipper-type bags, which I use for everything when I travel -- from makeup, shampoo, food, wet clothes, things my boys would collect when they were little (like rocks and shells), etc.

Well that's a long answer for a short question.

SeaUrchin,

Don't you know that you shouldn't collect shells from a beach?

Thanks, noho -- I might give it a try next time.

We have blue and white plates hanging in our kitchen, and one of my favorites is the blue and white plate with a Maltese cross in the center that we found in Gozo. Since that trip in 2001, my dad has brought me a blue and white plate with dragons on it from Hong Kong, and I've added a plate commemorating the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

I, too, committed the cardinal sin of not buying something when I first saw it! There ought to be a blue and white plate with a rooster design from Portugal hanging up there as well.

It was a little puny shell and this was years ago.....

SeaUrchin,
I think you should go put it back, don't you?

Now, that is the best idea of all.

I've started buying watercolor paintings when I'm in Europe. They are small, easy to pack, inexpensive, and always bring back great memories.

Johanna

On a recent trip to Omaha Beach, Normandie, France, I couldn't resist scooping up a container of beach sand into an empty water bottle. I'm surprised I made it through customs. This is a prized possession I now proudly display in a suitable clear container.

My all-time favorite are two wood figurines from Oberammergau (sp?) for our 20th anniversary. I found them as we were passing a store window and they caught my eye because they resembled my children! The little girl clutching her favorite toy doll, and the boy holding tight to his teddy bear. When I saw them, they brought tears to my eyes. They were a little expensive, but my husband would not let me pass them up. I am so thankful. I've continued to collect them - mainly through ebay, but the figurine has to have a meaning or a resemblance. I won't just buy any one. The figures are made by Anri.

My children collect tiny buddas. My 9-year-old has red ones, gold ones and even a glow-in-the-dark budda I found for him in NYC. I have taught my children to choose souvenirs that have meaning. For instance, when we went to Walt Disney World, instead of coming home with a Mickey Mouse T-Shirt, we waited until we had dinner at EPCOT and learned how to juggle with sticks from "China." It took my determined 7-year-old 3 days to master the skill. The saleswoman was the most patient woman in Orlando - demostrating the juggling over and over. Too bad our new puppy chewed one of them. They are still here, as a reminder of our wonderful night in "China."
--Jennifer Michaels

When we went to Venice, we stayed in Mestre. One day, I wandered the area behind our hotel and happened upon a local perfume story. Perhaps I could have bought the perfume more cheaply at home, but it brings back memories of Venice whenever I wear it.

Like some buy ornaments when traveling, I buy cloisonne pins. I've framed a map and put the pins in the appropriate locations. I enjoy retracing our trips and having a visual reminder of the places that I've loved. (I think I've loved them all.)

One more story.

Last October, we celebrated our 30th anniversary on a cruise to Greece. The neatest part of the trip was that 11 of us went and 8 were celebrating 30th anniversaries. When we docked in Split, Croatia, several of us browsed the market.

On our first time through, I saw a bracelet that I really liked. Since it was 65 kuna and I only had 27 left, we kept going. On our second time through, I asked my friends how much they had left thinking I could buy their extra change and perhaps have enough for the bracelet. One only had about 7 kuna and some smaller coins and the other had less than that. I hardly thought that we could bargain the bracelet down that far, but it was worth a try. This really was all of our money, not a ruse, so it would be easy to walk away if she said no. I held out my hand and showed the woman how much I had. Offering 27 for a 65-kuna item was a long shot and she wouldn’t take it. Then my friends each held out all of their money. The woman counted the coins in each of our hands, smiled at me and shook her head yes! The bracelet is pretty and if you think of it as costing 65 kuna!!, it doesn’t sound cheap and shoddy at all. (A kuna was about 20 cents.)

I was working with Russian teachers at Smolensk National about 8 hours from Russia. We stayed in a former KGB barracks (pretty creepy)on the shore of Lake Baklanovskoyes. We spoke no English; our Russian teacher friends spoke no English. We worked through interpretors.

All of the teachers had amazing artistic talents. One of them went at sunrise and did a painting of lake in watercolors for me. Another who was staying at home and walking in every day made a whistle shaped like a deer in her pottery kiln. One carved an apple from birch.

I have traveled many places and collected many souvenirs, but if I forget something or pass something by, I know I can return. This particular trip can never be taken again due to many circumstances, so I treasure the memories that they bring on sight.

Although I enjoy shopping and have bought many favorite items over the years, the thing which has brought back the most memories from my last trip is neither expensive nor unusual. It's a one pound coin that I kept forgetting to take out from my purse. Whenever I stumble across it while buying something here, it makes me smile.

I get few souveniers, only those that really catch my fancy. My favorite is a statue of a person playing a guitar that I got in Santiago about 10 years ago. It is ~ 6 inches high, and made out of metal parts - nuts, bolts, springs, washers, etc. It cost the great sum of $8. I liked it because it showed cleverness and ability, although it may be more common than I know.

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/347209/photo1.html

Travelling within the states I look for the most unusual refrigerator magnet I can find. Yes, refrigerator magnet. My favorites are a jazz musician magnet from Chicago and a piece of wood with "Cody" burned into it next to a painted American flag from Wyoming. It's my favorite because I got soaked $5 for it and my friend thought I was crazy to pay $5 for a stick with a magnet glued to it.
Overseas, I collect paintings, drawings, some depiction of the places visited. My favorite was bought in a small shop in Venice that made paper. Photos are great, but these momentos are out there for me to see every day...

I read the article, and I don't really fit into any of those categories. I buy whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. Sometimes it's something unique to the area, sometimes it's something kitschy, sometimes expensive, sometimes cheap, and so on.

Some of my favorites:

Cast iron flying pig - OK, it isn't MY souvenir, but I bought it for a friend and she loves it as much as I love telling the story of how I got it.

CN Tower desk clock - when someone sees the photo of my feet on the glass floor of the tower at work, I grab my clock and point out where I was standing.

Music CDs - these are my forever souvenirs. Listening to them, I always relive my trips. I listen to them on my next trip and therefore double the memories.

My photographs - not only to they remind me of what I saw, but I have memories about getting the photos (like my Toronto skyline shot when I had to outrun werewolves, vampires, and psycho killers). I print them, frame them and hang them on my walls so they are just as visual as my frog box, photo frames, handpainted watch, artisan jewelry, clothing, etc.

My very favorite is my Canon Rebel XT. I bought it while on vacation when my prosumer camera broke midtrip. I ended up paying more than I would have at home, but it has been my most used and enjoyed souvenir yet. I remember the sinking feeling when my prosumer broke (just as I was about to take a photo of a deer), the drive back to town in a summer storm, the search for a repair place, the realization that it wouldn't be repaired before I went home, the decision to buy a new camera with less than an hour to get to the store, decide on and buy a camera before the store closed. The feeling as I spent the next day taking really lousy photos figuring out the camera.

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted a cuckoo clock. Four years ago we took our first trip to Germany and specifically planned to go to the Black Forest to pick out the clock. After much deliberation, we bought the clock of my dreams, (along with 5 others for gifts)and had them shipped home.

It took almost 6 weeks , but they finally arrived. I was so excited. Every hour the cuckoo came out, the deers jumped up and down, the water wheel would turn and the little dancers swirled around to the tune of Edelweiss. On the half hour, there was a little more music and few little hops from the deer. Every time I heard the cuckoo I would run into the room just to watch the little show. This last three days.....until the cleaning people knocked it off the wall, and smashed it to pieces!

The company did pay for a new one, which took another 2 months to get. It is the same exact one ordered from the same shop in Tribourg.

I know a cuckoo clock drives some people, well...cuckoo, but every night, my DH pulls the weights to wind it so I can stop to watch the show for another day.

My favorite souvenirs are two huge Condor feathers I brought home from Patagonia. We met a young man at the Estancia Rio Verde who was a Seahawks/NFL fan. We told him we'd send him some Seahawks stuff. (We sent him gloves, a cap and a shirt when we got home.) He was so excited at the prospect that he wanted to give us something from Patagonia and asked if we would like Condor feathers that he had gathered from the hilltops. We thought trading Seahawks and Condors was a fitting exchange. We have kept in touch with him thru email which has been fun.

Small oil painting from Paris and an Eiffel Tower on something or by itself on each visit to Paris; decorative pillow case from Rottenberg, same from Austria with 4 Austrian mugs; small earrings from Toledo; watercolors from various countries, which were very inexpensive but cost a lot to frame (oh well); tea cozy from England; dishes from Italy and Quimper and Alasace in France. I try to buy something useful that I don't have to dust (with the exception of the Eiffel Towers) that I enjoy using or looking at. Brings back great memories.

Olives from Perini at the mercato in Florence.

Can't believe how good they are! We bought a large tub and carefully carried them home (this was before the restrictions on liquids in carry-on baggage).

Unfortunately consumable souvenirs don't last forever. However they may lead to a new adventure.

Initially we gladly shared them with friends. Way too soon we realized the supply was becoming limited. Then we cut down on the sharing (only three/person). Then we stopped sharing completely because we hadn't found a replacement. But we did find lots of quality olive sources in our search and eventually found a suitable substitute at a delightful tiny Italian specialty market not too far from home. Not sure we would have found this place without our "olive quest". Not only does it give us a tasty memory of a june in Florence but it has introduced us to a fine collection of other Italian grocery items in an atmosphere similar to Perini but ithout the airfare.

When I studied abroad I started to collect patches from places I would travel, since I often had little money to purchase anything else. I get one country patch and then a city patch each time I am there, same thing for states/cities in the US. I sew them all on a backpack that I take with me on every trip, so it is kinda like a wearable passport.

I now have over 45 patches and it is my most prized possession. Better yet, everytime I wear it in an airport, I always get stopped by someone who is either from one of the places or asks questions about it, so it is an excellent way to meet interesting people when traveling.

May be silly to others but my favorite souvenir is a Louis Vuitton purse I bought in Paris. I wanted one since 1986 and bought one in April 07 on my first and only visit to Paris. It's something I've wanted for a long time and since I got it in Paris it holds special memories.

Hopefully I will be able to visit Paris again. Four days was not nearly enough...

It is fun to know what others buy on trips.

The souvenirs that make me the happiest are the many post cards I have collected. I have tons of photos but the post cards in an album are special. Cheap and easy to carry around while traveling.

Small desk calendars with photos of places I've been to enjoy for a year. My favorite was of St Peters in Rome.

My hand carved Christmas decoration from Russia, Belleck from NIreland, slate coasters from Wales, Paris mini Eiffel Tower with 2000 on it, necklace from Murano, the hand-crafted pottery wine glasses and nut bowl made by a lady in the rural area of France close to Vezelay. etc etc.

These things take us back in memory to our travels. I have found if you see something you really want, buy it because after you get home, you will keep thinking about that one thing you passed on.

Refrigerator magnets takes me back.

While we still indulge sometimes with something unique, e.g. a wooden love spoon from Wales or a beautiful mask from Venice - small magnets says it best for us.

Immeditately, I am reminded and taken back to places and experiences that I would need a cargo plane of souvienrs to cover it all.
Life is all about experiences, material things can be nice but memories are better.

It all started about 20 years ago when I picked up a Leeds castle magnet in England;
then a "Mind the Gap" - that one now reminds me of the tube and I'm back in London....
An AARP magnet shaped like Mass. takes me back to Boston and Paul Reviere, Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, NE clam chowder....
...the Mira Flores' one puts me in the Panamal Canal...what an experience;
the 'Skyline of Portland' and I think of my stepson and family;
a Pair of Dice - well you know I can't talk about that one....

They (magnets) are cheap, easy to carry and are always visible - we must have over 200 magnets adorning two refrigerators and a lifetime of memories/experience...hopefully, to be continued

AND the BEST thing they are right in front of us each and ever day!

u tell me where we been:

a beautiful flower subtitled KEW?
the faces of Comedy & Drama?
a Teddy Bear holding a Green Bag?
666?
a Blue Morphin (sp) butterfly?
a gravestone that starts, "Here lies Lester More, 4 shots from a 44...?
a tall looking bldg like the Space Neddle but it's not the SN?
Just a Big "D" on the front?
a small boy doing a no. 1?
a large beer stein with the letter 'H' on the front?

...so many more

I also enjoy bringing back local spices...brings me back to my vacation whenever I cook!

Oh, yeah, spices; I always to that, too, to try to duplicate what we have eaten!

One of the most precious items I own is a souvenir from my honeymoon that my husband bought for me. It is a black pearl that we bought while we were bike riding in Bora Bora and he had it mounted into a pendant.

I also have a crazy souvenir habit of buying a pencil from every place we visit and keep them in one basket in my kitchen. My favorite is a pencil from Santorini with a donkey on top! It reminds me of what a great experience riding the donkey up the cliff was even though I was against it. A highlight of our trip!

I forgot about my purchases from trips to Mexico Katie. I have a nice selection of pewter serving dishes. One for example is a "fish" and is great to use when serving shrimp or fish of course. Another one is rectangle and I use it for meats, and if necessary you can put it in the oven on low heat to keep food hot if dinner is going to be later than planned.

I also have a nice collection of sterling silver jewelry from Mexico.

I do not think anyone has mentioned this idea, but in each country, or city I visit, I sent myself a postcard from there so that I have a postmarked postcard for my collection of stamps from around the world.

A painting i bought in Paris.
And some doll's i bought in Northern Italy also so handmade porclean dolls i bought in Bruge.

a stoolmask from papua newguinea and lots of great ceramics from mexico and australia - all handmade!
i also brought some sergio bustamante bronce and ceramics with me from mexico. all on display thoughout the house

div

oops - forgot the stoty of the stoolmask delivers:
when we got it we were supposed to fetch and clear customs at the airport. due to its shape and size it looked like a coffin.
when we collected it the people around were just watching us as we couldn't fit the whole thing into our vehicle. so we had to unwrapp it in order to get it into the car.....
as it looked like a coffin people obviously wanted to observe our "forensic" undertaking...

div

I have three favorite things I have bought on trips. First was an unexpected very large purchase but everyday I am happy I did it. We were in Ravello, Italy and I had a 12 piece hand painted place setting of Italian dishes made and shipped to me. I decided when I bought them that they would not be put in the diningroom cabinet and brought out for holidays. I put them in the kitchen cabinet and use them daily. Each and every time I eat I remember the food, sites and friends from our trip to Italy. I plan on getting 6 more settings and when I am gone they will be split and given to my two sons who are of Italian Heritage. Hopefully my souvenir will keep on giving!!

The second was a hand made dog clock I bought from a clock store in Florence. My grandson, 22 months, has a bedroom at our home and it is in a dog theme. Every time when he wakes up from a nap or wakes up in the morning when staying at my home he looks up at the dog clock with the moving tail and says "tick tock". He loves that clock as much as I did picking it out.

And lastly, I bought an inexpensive sun hat in the Grand Caymans that rolls up and packs perfect for trips to warm climates. Everytime I wear it someone ask where I got it. It is fun to say the Carribean and remember that trip.

That's it until my next best souvenir.

Dh & I brought a Venetian flag (the red & gold with lion on it) last year and it is hanging right by our front door in the garden.

Everytime I come in or out, I am reminded of our romantic trip of Venice.

A 3' by 6" wood hand-carved mask of a scarey face from Jamaica. It hangs on my dining room wall, which is turquoise, and looks like it has blue eyes.

I brought my husband some shortbread cookies from HI the other day. They would soon be my favorite souvenir if he hadn't hidden them.

Last year when I was in HI I bought a necklace and earrings that I love. This trip I found the same woman's work and bought another pendant.

My scarves from Rome...everytime I wear one it brings me back.

My favorite things are always something bought from local artists at craft fairs or galleries.

Eg., a pot from an old old lady at the top of Acoma pueblo (it wasn't the nicest pot there, but I wanted to buy from her).

A jade fishhook pendant from a carving school in Rotorua (NZ).

Tiny ceramic mice from a craft coop in rural NZ.

The smaller, the better, too.

Usually, when I take a trip to Canada, I head to a Zellers and buy an Ibex cotton flannel blanket. I use it at the hotels during the trip, then take it home to use as a throw, car blanket, etc. They don't sell them here in the states and they are lightweight, cozy, and easy maintenance.

I did this for three trips and have one twin, one full, and one queen sized blanket. This trip, I stopped at the beginning of the trip and bought a new queen size. It made getting up at dawn to take sunrise photos pleasant.

The day before I left for home, I realized I had empty space in my checked bag. I just couldn't quite come to terms with not having the bag completely full, so...

I bought two additional blankets (one full and one twin). Now I have SIX blankets. I'm trying to find a way to get SearsCanada to ship more to me (they have green ones).

I PURCHASE SMALL WOODEN CARVED ITEMS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.I THEN GET A DIFFERENT WOOD FROM EVERY COUNTRY ALMOST . I ALSO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS OF ART FROM ALL THE COUNTRIES...I OWN A LOG HOUSE SO THEY LOOK QUIET AT HOME IN MY HOME AND THEY REMIND ME OF THE MANY BLESSED COUNTRIES I HAVE BEEN PRIVAGED TO EXPERIENCE AND DISCOVER..ITS A WONDERFUL WORLD

I try to pick up something small in each place we visit. I use them as Christmas tree ornaments. When Christmas time rolls around, and we set up the tree. It is so great to sit and remember the special things of each little place that we have been. Plus it also makes our tree a definiate one of a kind.

I love that so many of you treasure small inexpensive treasures .... great thread.

I have a couple things I love. One is a table cover.....it's about 18" around and white linen with hand embroidered daffodils in the middle. It was for sale in a second hand ...something like a garage sale in the market in Pori Finland. The old lady quoted my 30mk and I didn't quarrel. I liked that she thought she had really pulled one over on me and that she seemed to really need the money. I love that piece!

Another is a dolphin shapped pepper grinder that sits by my range and I use it everyday......it was not at all expensive but everytime I pick it up I'm transfered back to Sweden.

I have others but all are about the same thing......tablecloths from Venice and earings from France just easy everyday things that I love.

A lion hair ball was my prize souvenir since 2003. This past summer I added some grizzly hair and zebra tail strands to my favorite souvenirs. If you find rather than buy the souvenir, I am assuming it can still count according to Fodor's souvenir etiquette rules.

Whenever I've written about my lion hair ball in past threads, it has generated strange emails from people wanting to sell me more hairballs, to people asking how much I'd sell it for, to some real oddballs. Even odder than those who'd treasure a lion hairball.

Happy souvenir hunting to you all.