I forgot to tell you about my favorites over the years. Some have been very generic; a little golem from prague, the lizard from barcelona. I like to pick up interesting toy cars, postcards of my favorite paintings from museums (which I always think I'm going to send to someone) The aforementioned ram from barcelona. Some dish towels from Germany that have in 10 years have never shown signs of wear and I love them and use them all the time.

The 1st thing I bought on my 1st trip was a little silver elephant because Ganesha visited me in a dream and the next day I saw the elephant, although it's just an elephant.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone! I'm really enjoying reading these!

bilboburgler: I looked up the knives and they're really lovely! I'd definitely like one, but I'd probably have trouble getting one on a plane. However, I could always ship it home, I suppose :)

Thanks bilbo. I'll be interested to see them although we brought DH's kitchen knives with us.

I recently bought some very nice lace trimmed scarves from Italy.
Also saw and didn't buy some interesting old postcards and posters at a Paris antique flea market. Lots of unique gifts there - the posibilities are endless.

I am in Umbria now, normally because we travel so light I only bring back some sort of black and white postcard, I have a collection from our different trips that I keep together on a buletin board. Some are old postcards from second hand bookstores/ shops.

This trip I am buying pretty kitchen towels ( Perugia and Spello) something I can use, and is functional, and will remind me of the trip through the year. I also got a pretty napkin, which I will use to line bread baskets.


a couple of times my husband will purchase an expensive pen.

Ah. Perugia and Spello! I found lovely linens in Perugia and Herb mixes from the Herborista (sp) in Spello at a nice little gourmet-type shop.

Like others I always bring back dishtowels because I use them daily and they're such lovely reminders of places that are special to me. So lightweight and easy to pack. Enjoy your trip!

I think it needs to be something significant for you from places you visit. I have to say we are not big souvenir buyers. We travel on a fairly tight budget and for what some would see as a long time [usually about nine weeks]. If I bought something from every place we visited, we would need several more bags. I have a table runner [with embroidered storks] from the Alsace and a cicada pin from Provence among a few souvenirs that are special. I also bought two' regional' bags from Intermarche which I use on my trips at home to Aldi. Inexpensive, but still a reminder.

We stay in rentals and eat out on average once a week, so the wine we drink is usually "at home". So our significant souvenirs are the labels off the wine bottles which we frame when we return. Also any interesting corks which sit in a basket below the framed labels. [ wood, so we do declare as we return home to Australia]. Some labels are more special than others, but all remind us of our wonderful trips to France [and Italy].

So what you think will take you back to those places.

I am so annoyed with myself right now. I saw some wise men figurines at the gothic cathedral in Barcelona that would have been perfect for my parent's nativity set and I didn't buy them! Why!!!! I ended up giving them some nougat and a bookmark! SO I agree with the comments that you should buy things when you see them as you won't end up going back for them.
My favourite souvenir was a red plastic ride-on donkey with wheels that we bought in Sicily when my daughter was 18 months old. It got lost between Italy and Ireland and the airline had to track it down and deliver it to us in a farmhouse in County Kerry, but we got it safely back to Australia and my children rode on it for years.
I like the shop Pylones in France where you can buy cute things - I bought a friend an eiffel tower shaped cheese grater on our most recent trip!
We buy a pack of playing cards from each place we go for our collection.

We are currently in Italy and while I have been looking at kitchen towels, my husband has been looking at different stove top espresso makers.

He finally saw the Alessi 9090-3 in the window at a store called "Urbani Mobili" in Orvieto on Corso Cavor and that was the one that called out to him - we went back again this morning to buy it. Apparently. it has been entered into the MOMA design collection.

http://www.didriks.com/alessi-espres...ategory=395842

If you live in the US, will the plug work in the US?

I try to buy items functional: gloves, decorative scarves, jewelry, hats, etc. That way when I use them in my everyday life I am reminded of the great times I have had on my travels.

I wore a wool wrap today that I bought in an unexpectedly chilly Florence three years ago. Two days ago a wore a scarf that I picked up in London at an open-air market. I am looking forward to wearing my wool mittens that I picked up in Iceland this summer. All of these items are great for reliving memories and are great conversation starters.

As far as space is concerned. Sometimes I pack less clothes than I need for the duration of the trip so that I can purchase things along the way to take home. I pack my suitcase 3/4 full, so it will be 100% full on the return journey.

If I see some small things that don't take up much room I get those too ... magnets for the fridge, playing cards with pictures of the local, Christmas ornaments, etc.

<<If you live in the US, will the plug work in the US?>>

Most of them are stove top; I wonder if this one is?