Iowa_Redhead

Willit, I bet your hand luggage smelled fantastic! I love the smell of coffee though I hate the taste of it.

I like the idea of wine stoppers. My SIL and quite a few relatives love wine so a handful of those would be useful. I'll definitely add bubble wrap to the list to take as I know we'll buy fragile stuff. I'm debating the mailing tube. How hard is it to buy one there? If I buy a nice print/painting I would hope the shop would provide a tube for it, and if I buy anything in a museum gift shop or similar I can either lay it flat in my suitcase or buy a tube in that city. Hmm... using charades to mime an art tube to find one could get interesting.

salina5

Small replicas of Befana, the Christmas witch, for friends' kitchens are not expensive (just pretend they're "Kitchen" witches) and the array of pasta is unbelievable (I saw some in the shape of the male sexual organ, even). In Florence at the outdoor markets there are gorgeous things in all directions - cashmere, leather, silk - you'll be spoiled for choice! I'll be going in April to Naples just to go to Christmas Alley (across the street from the Duomo) to get tiny Christmas-themed presents, there in abundance year round and absolutely marvelous. Enjoy!!

Jean

Those wine stoppers are likely not made on Murano. The prices are too low. Ask to see the Vetro Artistico Murano ("Made in Murano") logo.

Iowa_Redhead, we bought a poster at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum gift store, and they had mailing tubes for sale. It didn't fit in a suitcase, so my husband had to carry it separately. (Luckily, this was at the end of our trip.) If you can't find a tube elsewhere, you can get one at the PGM (which you should be visiting anyway IMO).

Lynnaustin

The stoppers we bought were Murano glass. They had the tag and we bought from a reputable store. They are well priced because they are small. The top is just a small round ball, so it's not a lot of glass.
I don't remember the name of the shop, I will look for it. They had beautiful chandeliers (thousands of dollars) and other items. The stoppers were up by the cashier desk.

Lynnaustin

I should add that by inexpensive that they were in the $30 range. I know that can add up but it's still a good deal.
You can see those stoppers and jewelery on www.venetianartglass.com. That will give you an idea of what some of the items look like.
In Venice we noticed a lot of glass little animals and cartoon characters, all appeared to be made in China. However, if you are purchasing for a child they really wouldn't care. My favorite was Snoppy in a gondola. There are vendor carts in St. Mark's Square with cute teddy bears and such for children.
There are also beautiful Christmas ornaments of Murano glass.

wanderful

Iowa Redhead:

If you happen to be in Venice, go to the nearby island of Burano for the lace. Just make sure the lace is authentic. I found this article recently about a shop in Burano I visited. I brought home a framed laced fan.

An excerpt from the article from Travelife:

The main square in Burano is lined with people selling lace products – some made in China! To make sure you purchase the real thing, take one of the side streets off the main square and head for local shops that distinguish themselves from the foreign products by their price tags.

Quality lace does not come cheap in Burano, especially at a local landmark called L'Estrosa-Burano. The lovely little shop at 423 S. Mauro is run by a mother-daughter team who are only too willing to share their knowledge of the trade with you.

Vanna de Irossi's sand-colored shop is filled with historical pieces and some creative new designs that satisfy the taste of people like actors Elizabeth Taylor and Nicolas Cage, both regular clients whom Vanna ships goods to every so often.

Vanna is the latest in a long line of Quintavalle family members who have been making and designing lace products in Burano since 1625. Small, weathered pieces of lace hang in the shop and many other family creations adorn the walls of Italy’s major museums.

A lace hankie made in 1790, and which at one time belonged to Italy's Queen Margarita, is Vanna’s most prized possession. Other pieces date back to 1750.

Vanna, who runs the shop with her charming daughter Marta, tells a stranger that while it takes thousands of knots to create a single lace product, there are only 12 basic stitches used by lace makers. However, if a piece, no matter how big or small, requires 12 stitches, then 12 different lace makers work on it. Pieces like table runners take up to 15 days to make. The work is so precise that the lace makers work only four hours a day.

Vanna uses over 5,000 designs passed down through generations to make her museum-quality pieces, which consist of a 600-thread count. Just like any artist, Vanna signs her delicate creations and they quickly become family heirlooms.

Iowa_Redhead

Thanks for all of the info!

Lace sounds nice but I have no idea what I would buy. I'll just have to see what I find I guess!

Christmas ornaments... gah, that reminds me that I still have my Christmas tree up and decorated. I haven't had a chance to take the poor thing down yet and put it away. If I find anymore ornaments I'm going to need a bigger tree next year.

Jean

Many, many years ago, I bought lace bookmarks and gave them to all my lady friends.

kaster

We went to Italy last year and tried to bring back gifts that would fit in our luggage. In Murano we bought beautiful murano glass wine stoppers and they were a huge hit with our friends. We bought a lace table runner in Burano, leather goods in Florence, and of course we brought back wine.
I peeled the wine label off a bottle we brought home with us, matted it and framed it and it is my favorite memento of the trip!

Pendolino

I am really surprised that no one mentioned picking up a few bars of torrone at the airport with your excess Euros. As you probably know, torrone (and its variations) is made all over the northern Mediterranean and is sometimes called nougat in this country. It is a heavenly confection of egg whites, vanilla, honey, and some sort of nuts--either pistaccios, almonds, walnuts, and/or hazelnuts. It is sold either in individual portions or in long bars and is often served after dinner. Each area has its slight variations. Rest assured, however, that it is all good. Children particularly like it as it is not overly sweet. I have fond memories of my Italian relatives sending a couple of bars over to us around the holidays. These are real taste memories.

pdeb69

Jewelry, murano glass, leather goods..