cherie

I'm into textiles so I bought a table scarf at the Gift Shop at the Louvre and a piece of hard to find hand made (not machine) lace at a tiny shop in Chartes. I like provencal linens if they are NOT patterns I can pick up Stateside at Pierre Deux, etc. We picked up a wonderful tie at the gift shop at Vaux; also some jewelry there for my daughter. The bookstalls along the Seine have prints that when brought back to the US and professionally framed at wonderful memories...I think I bought some in one of the towns along the Loire when we visited there as well. And then there's soaps...Rogers & Gallet (can buy in the US) makes "Extra Vielle", and the Chateau d'Chissay had them in our suite....buying them even in the US reminds me of the trip we took to the Loire.

Elena

We have several souvenirs of Paris that transport us there and keep us going until the next real visit. Among them, dinner plates commemorating the revolution (we were there in 1989 for the bicentennial. I love my tacky Eiffel Tower "snow globe" (it really has beads and such) which were purchased at CDG with a few leftover francs. We've bought some inexpensive student fountain pens (Stypen and Waterman), so everytime I write a real letter, I think ever so fondly of my favorite place in the world. Then, there are the oils from J. Leblanc and O. & Co. And when we sit down to sip some Mariage Freres tea, ah.... And, like others - those Eiffel Tower keychains have been a hit. Last year, we did our Christmas shopping in Paris and had a great time seeking out just the right thing that fit in our budget.

Aaryn

<BR>i've been to Paris 3x. My kitchen has French script wallpaper with a border of French shops and a French cafe in the corner. Also have 3' tall Eiffel Tower sculpture on my coffee table - decorate with white lights at X mas. <BR>Have bought: perfume, Toulouse Lautrec silk scarf, cheap scarf with Parisian scenes to use as a table topper, watercolor prints, tapestries, underwear, 3 sizes of Eiffel Woer, a silver cross from notre Dame, a snow globe, marron glaces, berets, a French headband with big bow, t shirts. i also ahve dishes -one set with cafes and Eiffel towers on them, another with Toulouse lautrec can can scenes. My house always reminds me of my travels. Bathroom is Cote d'Azur theme with old travel posters and funky sunglasses - and French lace curtains bought at Monoprix.

Joanna

Bought two beautiful ink and watercolour paintings from a young female artist in the street on the north side of Notre Dame - got my dad to frame them together for me as a birthday gift. Also a gorgeous navy pinstripe Agnes B suit from Galeries Lafayette. A red negligee (of course) from Printemps. Hairclips - one a Monet print, the other a Pigalle scene. A gold Eiffel Tower charm for my charm bracelet (which has been 'under construction' since 1992). All the above purchased in 1994 and still going strong. Also, a box of Marquis something chocolates purchased at CdeG - chocolates long gone, but the gorgeous blue box is handy and attractive storage for my trip bits & pieces.

SharonM

Just remembered another thing I love to pick up when I'm in Europe...Street posters! I have found some awesome local advertisement posters either plastered on building walls or taped to business fronts. There are usually tons of them, and local establishments are usually very happy to give them to you, especially if the "event" is over with! I have gotten some terrific (free) prints from Berlin Film Fest, to art exhibit posters to quirky advertisement posters... I have had several framed and they look great!

ktdidfl

Little black velvet slippers...my feet were killing me and I bought these slippers for the train ride back to London. I wear them here in the US and wish I had bought a half dozen more. Probably 7 Euros.