Tat

Please, do not torture me and tell me "whatareyoutalkingabout"?
Yes, I do not know what that means ...

wsoxrebel

I would never torture a Fodorite. Fois gras is a gourmet treat which you should try in France. It doesn't sound good, but it really is incredible. It is the prized fattened liver of a duck or a goose.

Christina

I think the best source of info is to go to the customs web site, they state what isn't allowed as far as foods go.

I love Annick Goutal perfume, last time I bought some Gardenia for myself and my sister. It's not cheaper there, though, as I didn't find out until after returning.

I don't like shopping very much, either. I hate to shop for some things, like clothes, but just find shopping unpleasant and boring, mostly. Anything I thought was unique, wasn't (like I really wanted a waiter's corkscrew like they use in the cafes so bought one in the housewares at BHV and later saw ones very similar at my grocery store). I bought some nice French can-openers and pepper mills, also, but you can buy the pepper mills in the US easily.

I think people should buy things that they discover or want themselves or pick out for their friends, rather than asking others for a list of what they should buy.

adrienne

Tat - you haven't finished doing your homework for France!! Also try magret de canard on the nights you're not indulging in fois gras!

What to bring home...Ricard pastis and Fragonard soap.

SalB

In Provence I always get tableclothes, place mats and napkins. Perfume and lovely French soaps are great for personal use and for gifts. There's always chocolate!!

You can get all this stuff in the US, but it's fun to get it there because there's a story with it.

We've also picked up books and paintings but those are pretty personal unless you know the taste of the recipient.

Tat

O, Thanks to all ...
should I buy another piece of luggage ?

uuhhhh

guess i need to retake econ 101. i'd always thought that high price related to high demand.....

my two cents is that purchase decisions are influenced by frequency of visits. many here visit france frequently, so they purchase consumables to keep memories alive between visits. for others, it may be once in a lifetime, so something with more permanence might be more appropriate.

SuzieC

LOL... I am no shopper either; at least not in alpha-female packs of shoppers. Alone I am content to poke around! I purchased perfumes my Creed "Espicier"(?) at Samaritan. And, a tube of the NEWEST Yves St. Laurent lipstick "personal". LORDY! the complimentary goodies that were also wrapped up in those bags!

I brought back 4 tins of fois gras...
shared 2 of them Christmas Eve with my dearest friends. Glorious!

Underhill

What you can't bring back: any meat products, including salami; quite a few cheeses. We bring back Banyuls vinegar, which is hard to find at home; tapenade; Mariage Frères tea; santons from Provence; a few bottles of wine not easy to find at home; olive oil in cans from Alziari in Nice; and assorted little tins of sauces for meat and chicken. And you just might want to pick up a beautiful French scarf.

k_marie

The Norman town of Villedieu-les-Poeles is renowned for its copper manufacturing. It might be fascinating to shop for cookware and decorative items there. (No, I haven't been there. It's on my very long list!)

See the note on this page--
http://www.editionsmontparnasse.fr/france/
english/way_of_life/normandy/normandy.html#copper

Gardyloo

(To Uhhh..)
What I meant (I think?) is that the lack of knowledge about Banyuls in N. America means it's a specialty import item, hence carries unit pricing more reflective of its scarcity than its wholesale cost. Importers and wholesalers have to go through a lot of hoops to import alcoholic beverages into the US or Canada, which costs a lot of money. When these fixed costs are divided by only a few cases of booze a year, plus shipping, plus distribution, plus markup, plus dealer profit. etc., the cost to the end user has little to do with the street price of the commodity in France, which is, BTW, not terribly high for Banyuls.

I noticed the same phenomenon last weekend when I went to buy a Haggis at the local import shoppe. The inherent cost of sheep's guts is not very high, but the end product (ha ha) is. Not about to turn up in the Offal Aisle at Costco, I'll warrant.

allisonm

I have an agenda to get to the Palais Royale passages where someone mentioned is a shop selling small music boxes. Does anyone know the price range for these? I would like to be prepared in advance if they are beyond my meager budget, rather than getting there and being disappointed. I thought they would be nice for my nieces, but if they are too dear, I am sure I will be able to find other lovely items.

allisonm

Oh, and Tat, we are taking an extra empty bag!

cigalechanta

underhill. we were at Alziari's in September. The empty tin sits above the cupboards.
tat, buy the large Longchamp bag that folds flat and small for taking back your treasures.

SalB

Scarves . . . I forgot scarves. I always buy a few scarves when I'm in France. They have such beautiful scarves . . . winter scarves, summer scarves, wool scarves, silk scarves, hoaky tourist scarves . . . any scarves. I usually find them in little scarf and necktie shops and try to get them on sale. You can get some terrific bargains.

SalB

"Not about to turn up in the Offal Aisle at Costco, I'll warrant"

Gosh, I thought all aisles in Costco were offal? LOL

jody

GArdyloo...try using some of your Banyuls wine as a braising liquid with lamb shanks rubbed with quartre epices....I'm forced to use port most times...'cause I can't resist drinking the banyuls !

LaurenSKahn

Personally, I'd be too busy sightseeing to shop much. That really is not my thing. I tend to buy things if something just strikes me, but I have learned that much is available back in the US as well.

If I were in Brittany, however, I would buy a bottle or two of pear cider ("poiret" in French). The bottles probably would not make it home. I have never been able to find really good poiret in the US. The best poiret is often found at the roadside stands.

cigalechanta

Lauren, the pear cider(poire) in Brittany is called "perry"
Poiret was a famous designer.

illusion321

I brought back some oranges, and sausage, coffee, and cheese. I did not have a problem with customs. I almost forgot i did bring back some sun-dried tomatoes, and i actually bought them with my last euros at the airport in rome.