that still brings back the memories. What is it...small, big, expensive, inexpensive or maybe cost nothing?

I always buy a new scent when I travel, especially on long haul visits. I spray myself religiously and then when I get home, I have the perfect memory in every squirt. Of course this is a double edged sword. Once the fragrance has had a chance to "imprint", I'm loathe to use it much after my visit as I want to preserve the memory. For Paris, the fragance Green Tea by Bulgari will always define my first (and profoundly memorable) visit there. I went in March, it was quite cool and overcast. I bought the fragrance at a beauty shop in the 6th. I did most of the city in 3 days. A squirt now will instantly evoke memories of seeing the simple grave of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre buried together or the poignant grave of Serge Gainsbourg, still covered in flowers and tributes several years after his death. It evokes memories of seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Or the tunnel that Princess Diana never came out of. And seeing the winged Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre for the first time, a simple but very powerful first taster of a fabulous museum. Or seeing the Chanel boutique in the rue Cambon, the famous staircase, on what is a fairly lacklustre street. And my first streetside crepe, in Carrefour de L'Odeon. I can remember every tiny detail of that visit and what I ate. I have been in love ever since.

AllyPally, Green Tea by Bulgari is the product that you find in the bathrooms of the Four Seasons in Milan; of course I take the bodylotions etc with me, and the scent always reminds me of Milan.

Most things that I've bought in Paris remind me of Paris. The trick is picking something that will last. I bought a pair of costume jewelry earrings in a small boutique near the Picasso museum more than 10 years ago and still wear them. Every time I put them on I think of Paris, that trip, the Picasso museum (and get lots of compliments). They were relatively inexpensive.

On another trip, I bought a pair of slacks & a pair of shoes to match (not something I normally do) which always reminded me of that time. Unfortunately the slacks no longer fit L'( & the shoes are long worn out.

When I go to Paris I splurge on a pair of socks with an alligator on them, although they don't last as long as they used to.

They also give away Green Tea in the Interconti in Singapore. The only problem now is that the BF and I are fighting over them. He gets the shampoo, I get the shower gel!! And this is so embarrassing... I swiped EVERYTHING before we went for breakfast. When we got back to the room, they had already serviced it (before we checked out - weird). Anyway, guess what i did? That's right, I swiped again! I am so sad.

Earrings from a small jeweler on rue Jacob, a painting that we bought for our anniversary, celebrated in Paris one November. My Longchamp handbags that still look brand new.
I think my next anniversary will be spent making more purchases in Paris

A signed, limited edition lithograph by Nicolas Vial titled "Rhinouyork" which we bought in Nov. 2001. It was printed by Mourlot in conjunction with the publication of "Un Rhino c'est Rosse".

We had a wonderful experience meeting the manager of Mourlot, meeting and watching the artist, Andre Brasilier, supervise the printing of his latest work. Mr. Brasilier had a number of his works destroyed in the World Trade Center. His reaction to the disaster was compassion and admiration of the American people.

AllyPally, your lovely description of a memorable visit to Paris brought tears to my eyes. Only a true romantic can fully appreciate travel.

Now, let me tell you about some vivid smells in Asia that I'd just as well never experience again. There was this ..... .

Hey, I had tears writing it!

And as for the Asian smells, I've SO BEEN THERE. And did you see those cockroaches??

The vase with the gorgeous glaze in deep blue and earth tones that I bought at the Marche de la Creation on the blvd. Edgar Quinet reminds me of the wonderful conversation I had with the potter. She lives near the place d'Italie, and if anyone learned French in the sixties by the same method I did, they will remember M. Thibaut who lived at 10 place d'Italie, a Paris. This was the entree for a long discussion about Paris, learning language, and the relations among people. On a beautiful spring morning filled with the excitement of discovering new sights and sharing memories with my daughter on her college break.

It didn't break in my carry-on. And it looks great on my kitchen shelf.

The small desktop globe that I bought as a souvenir for my son. It didn't even occur to me until later that the place names would all be written in French It sits on our mantle and at least weekly we pick out some place we've been or read about. Probably the best souvenir we've bought him, and only 13 euros.

Nikki: I am probably displaying my ignorance, but what's new? What blvd? Who is Edgar Quintet? Who is the potter of the vase? Who is M. Thibaut? And the conversation you had, was it in French or English?

Two that I can think of that were so, well, Parisian. The last time i was there my then-boyfriend (now DH) and I spent a day apart near the end of our vacation - he wanted to see the Musee D'Orsay and I wanted to shop the Galeries Lafayette. I emerged from the Opera Metro on a rainy, overcast day, one of those days with a chill in the air and every euro-car and taxi has its lights on at 10 in the morning. Trying not to fumble too badly with my map and get my bearings, I noticed a perfectly dressed Parisian woman next to me - petite, bobbed hair, pashmina scarf (of course), stunning black wool coat - and asked in my politest French if she could tell me which way to the Galeries. She nodded the way and responded, "Down zis road and on ze right". Perhaps it was my shoes??
Found the store and picked up the softest pashmina scarf I'd ever felt in shocking pink (Oprah-fueled trendiness be damned, my wardrobe was looking far too Goth). Bought it immediately. First time I wore it at work casually knotted the way I'd seen on that woman a guy walked by me saying, "What, is your neck cold?" Sigh.
Second purchase was in the same store on the same day. Snuck down to the Basement Level to the lingerie, and another perfectly petite saleslady asked if she could assist, eyeing me up and down. Gesturing to my selection, she immediately said I'd need a Large, then turned away (mind you, I'm a US size 8, but that's another thread, right?). Determined, with my head still full of floaty pashmina-ness, I selected a few items I knew I'd never find their equal in the States, and tapped her on the shoulder and politely asked in French where to find La Perla. It was as if I'd said the magic words. A look of bliss overtook the woman, and she gestured, murmuring "Oooohh, very beautiful, very beautiful". Didn't pick up the $160 bra I adored, but gave warning to my husband that next time...and the other fun stuff? Still haven't seen it's equal

My palette-shaped pin from the d'Orsay (added to my collection), a hand dyed silk scarf from the Sunday art market in Montparnasse, the watercolors from Maurice Tam at the same market, the pillow shams from the rue de Bac, and the hundreds of photos I took.

Lucky03, oops, I am sorry to be so inarticulate. What's new? Not sure, but maybe the vase, although now it's about six months since I bought it. The boulevard Edgar Quinet is in Montparnasse; I'm not sure who Edqar Quinet is or was though. There is an art and craft fair there on Sundays and a food market several other days a week. The potter's name is Dominique Darmon.

Monsieur Thibaut was the main character in the language learning system (Chilton Didier, I think) which was used in my school to teach French. For four or five years we all watched film strips starring the Thibaut family. When I made my first trip to Paris while I was in college thirty years ago, I made a pilgrimage to see his address, 10 Place d'Italie. And thanks to the film strips I saw many years ago, the conversation with the potter was in French.

In 1967, when I was 17, my parents took my 14 year old brother and me to Europe. It was the trip of a lifetime for all of us.

I bought a dress in paris, unlike anything I had seen at home in NY. I wore that thing for 10 years, and always referred to it as my Paris dress. I can't fit into it any more, but I'll never part with it.

Edward Quinet was a19th century French poet and historian. I assume the boulevard is named after him. Sorry--I love trivia!