Grandpa's request from Italy
 

I am going to Italy this year and my Grandpa wants me to bring back some land or rock or pebbles from the "old country". We are planning to visit where his family lived and could easily pick up a rock or two, or some red dirt that he remembers. But can I bring it back to the USA? Hiding it in my luggage could arouse suspicions. Any ideas? Thanks.

I don't really see what suspicions it would arouse. I have often brought back rocks or sand from trips and never thought twice about it. Just do it and if questioned just tell they why you brought it. The worst that would happen is they take it. I think its a sweet thing to do for your Grandpa.

Why not? I do that. Maybe I'm weird, but I like to bring back a "piece" of country. Usually it's from beach areas. Have stones that I picked up in Monterosso and Positano. Unless you're planning on dragging back a major boulder, I don't see this as a problem. Would make sure to place in your checked baggage.

I was thinking about the papers you fill out on the plane about bringing in things from foreign countries; food, etc. I thought they ask about soil, am I wrong? I can try it in checked luggage but don't want to be fined, searched or whatever the penalities are.<BR>Thanks for your ideas.

I bring a rock back from every place I visit. Of course, I try to bring back small rocks and I wash them of all dirt. If I remember correctly, there is nothing about rocks on the forbidden list. I would just pack them in your checked baggage. They might be considered a weapon in your carry-on. Who knows.<BR><BR>I keep my collection on the windowsill over my kitchen sink so I can daydream about all the places I've been while I do one of my least favorite things - wash dishes.

Kelly, do you mark them or do you just remember where they are from? I think this is a great idea, how about sand?<BR>A whole new travel souvenir plan and the price is right!

I am a grubby rock hound and seashell collector (not a connoisseur just a magpie), and I travel back to the U.S. up to five times a year and have yet to have anything searched. Since this is understandably important to your grandfather, the least you could do is bring a rock or pebble, or put some dirt in a glass jar. Buon fortuna.<BR>

I always bring stones home from my travels. One year I was stopped at customs. Something in a rock from the Pont de Gard set off something but after they looked through my luggage they laughed and said something I didn't understand completely but it was the rock that caused them to search.

Well, good, now that I know you trusted people do it, I will too. I'll bring back a baggie with soil and pebbles and a nice rock. Thanks.

I don't mark them, but I try to bring back rocks that are distinctive in one way or another -- like a pinkish one from Bermuda, one that looks like (or could be) part of the concrete from some ruins in Normandy, etc. Maybe I'll get confused over the years and forget which is which, but I don't want to label them. <BR><BR>A neighbor of mine in her 90s has rocks from all over the world in her garden. I doubt she remembers where they're all from, but she loved to show them off, and they bring back such good memories I am sure!

How about some chips from Pompeii? Or from the Roman ruins. No one will mind I am sure. Joking.

I know you are kidding, but that is something I was paranoid about. I would never ever intentionally take a piece of a building or ruin -- it just so happened that I picked up a little "rock" on the Pont du Hoc beach and when I brought it home my grandfather (who was on those beaches D-Day +1) he told me it was a piece of concrete. lol. Maybe I took home part of the parking lot.

the last couple posts reminded me of something that happened when I was just in Tunisia in Dec... I was visiting the ruins in Carthage, it was my first day in Tunisia. Some older man was attempting to guide me around the ruins even though I had told him I didn't want a guide. While walking around he stopped and picked up a little square piece of tile, gave it to me and said it was legal for me to take it. Fast forward a bit, guide guy is gone and I just got in a bit of trouble for accidently taking a photo of the presidental palace. After talking my way out of that mess, I decided to toss the little piece of tile as I was paranoid someone would end up asking me about it and I would get in trouble for that too!!!

I read a book once about a woman who was thrown in a Turkish jail because she unknowingly bought a piece of pottery from a tender in an arch. site in Turkey. She thought it was a piece of pottery and it was, but ancient pottery. It took her months to be released.

I don't have any personal experience to offer here but I'm amazed at the number of people, just today, who have replied that they bring home rocks and dirt from vacations! This forum surely is the place to have *any* question answered and in a timely fashion no less. Who'd have known so many people were carting back home a literal piece of the old country?

Now when people sarcastically ask when they lift my luggage "what have you got in here, rocks?" I can say "why, yes, I do, a little piece of my ancestor's land".<BR>Thanks for the great ideas, like regular, who would have thought?<BR>Now I am sorry I didn't bring back rocks or dirt from places I know I will not get back to.

This is what I love about this BB - you can find out who shares your quirks! I honestly thought I was wierd because I brought back a rock or two from every place I visited and every new trail I hiked - now I find that I'm in excellent company. Being a tad O.C., I put a teensy-weensy paper sticker with a number on it on the bottom of each rock, and I have a little notebook where I have the rocks indexed, with the place, trail(if applicable), and the date.<BR>ja

Ja, you are so organized about that. I keep some of the smaller ones, I try to find egg shaped ones) in a wooden container and some of the bigger ones in my little garden. Since I can't afford to live in France, I bring a bit of it here.

I have a lovely collection of "rocks" which are really tumbled tiles and glass, from the shores of the Ionian Sea. In a spot where may grandfather may have walked as a youth. They are displayed in a basket and have prompted some great discussions, especially at the imaginings of how ancient they might be, or their origins.<BR><BR>The only "trouble" I received was being stopped by the local polizia, with paddle in hand and a sly smile each on he and his partner's face, as my rather attractive female cousin and myself(I'm also a rather attractive female, pardon me) made our way up from the beach. He asked what we had in our stuffed pockets, and when I pulled out rocks and tried to find the word for souvenir(which, as it turns out, is just 'souvenir', though he played dumb), he gave us a hard time, all the while flirting like mad. Then the mommies, uncle, brother, also made their way up from the beach, and the polizia turned red(yes, Italian men CAN get embarrassed), and hastily left us with our treasures. <BR><BR>A fond memory.

Great story, Jan! One you'll remember forever.<BR>ja

I brought back pebbles from Ione for a friend who could not go. Ione had for him Christian religious significance. I brought back shells from the beach on the Adriatic near where relatives had lived. I washed these all off very carefully.

Oh my god, I just had a flash back to my junior high school days. One girl won the science fair with a project which was a huge map of the US onto which she had glued or somehow fastened down soil from every state, supposedly after sending off letters and having it returned. Several years later she admitted that it all came from her back yard because she never sent out the letters, or no one ever responded. She dyed some with food color to look different. <BR><BR>I have no idea what this has to do with this post, just had to share this flashback.

I collect sand from all the beaches I've been to in the world. I eventually called our agricultural department to make sure it was okay. They told me that I could bring sand into the country (Canada) but no soil.<BR>My only incident with my sand occurred on a beach and not at customs. After putting some sand in a plastic baggy I decided to take a walk on the beach (Mombasa, Kenya. A local approached me and whispered "was I selling that cocaine." I freaked. Needless to say I don't walk around the beach with my plastic baggy of sand anymore. I collect it and quickly put it away.

I'm sure that customs officials see tourists with stones all the time. My wife and I have a rock dish with pebbles from Nice, Walden Pond, the Acropolis, etc. I was talking to a friend who went to Europe for the first last year about this sort of thing. He said that he collected rocks on the trip, then admitted sheepishly that he'd come back with ca. 20 lb. of stones.

How about the fear of transporting hoof and mouth disease from the soil? I would think customs now days would put a stop to bringing in rocks and soil and sand. Don't you?

On a table I have some stones from the Yangzte River in a silver dish. Not too long ago added some chunks of salt from the Dead Sea. Recently decided one chunk looked a little dirty and decided to wash it. Sigh... melted away... just like my little grey cells seem to be doing.

Grandma, that is funny. <BR><BR>We brought back a 5 foot long piece of driftwood from Hawaii years ago, we had it put through luggage with a tag on it unwrapped. It made it through and we have it on the mantel now.

My gosh, I didn't realize so many other people collected rocks on vacation too.<BR>I have for years. <BR><BR>I have started painting the name on them of where they are from. I use acrylic paint and a small brush. Then I spray them with varnish. That way they always look wet. <BR><BR>My best rock is from Odegarden in Norway. It's the farmhouse my grandfather was born in. I will treasure it always.<BR><BR>Before coming back from vacation I wash the rocks off with water and wrap them up in paper in my suitcase. I've never had anybody stop me.<BR>Robbyn

My brother wants a grape vine piece to start growing his own, is it lawful to bring that back to US?

Goodness I too am very suprised at how many people collect rocks as souviners. As a geologist I have rocks from all over the world, and As other have said rocks (and beach sand) are fine, but NO SOIL. Soil contains the living organisms that can spread various problems (Hoof and Mouth etc,). Also it is very important not to transport ANY LIVING THING. Sorry no grapevines or flowers or fruit (and sometimes leather or wooden items) that may contain bugs that can cause out breaks like the Med fly. This is important for all travelers to remember. You can check out what is allowed or prohibited at the Duty and Customs agency of each country you are visiting (available on the web). I did this recently prior to my Australian visit. I was suprised at all the things that were prohibited for very good reasons. Be informed before you travel.

'ey, Marie, good t'ing your grandpa not from da Big Island. You take rocks from Kilauea an' Pele gon' get you.

I brought back a bag of small volcanic rock from the trek up Vesuvius. I saw a lady carrying a huge piece back to the tour bus we were on.

I too am howling at this thread. My penchant is for beach pebbles. Last fall I picked up a couple from Juno beach and tossed them in my day pack. Flying back I made sure my nail clippers and toothpicks (just kidding) were in checked luggage but I clued out about the rocks. We even had to go through a second xray and search upon arrival home for possible hoof and mouth since I admitted to having been in rural France. Not a problem anywhere.<BR>When some zealous idiot tries to highjack a plane by threatening to bash the pilot over the head with a beach pebble, we will all be in trouble.

I would love to bring back sand from my travels, you really mean it is ok to bring back a jar on the plane. It wouldn't carry germs or whatever in it?

My favourite is a chunk of the Great Pyramid at Giza, sits on my bedroom dressing table now.