Karen

We are going to Paris, France as well as Munich and Berlin, Germany later this month. I am looking for some things to purchase as reminders of our trip as well as gifts for family/friends at home. <BR> <BR>We are going to Giengen to the Steiff Factory, so I'll buy a/some bears !! <BR> <BR>I am wondering if there are any jewelry items to look for in either country (this is our First Anniversary/Honeymoon trip and would like to buy a piece of jewelry-- maybe a ring). Are there any local precious or semi-precious stones? Should I look in antique shops? <BR> <BR>I know Paris is known for its perfume market - but I don't wear many fragrances. <BR> <BR>(Note: I am a little reluctant to post this question -- because of some people's belief that most questions are Trolls -- so if you think that about this one then do us all a favor and move on to the next post. I only want some real thoughts on this, and I thank you in advance for your sincere reply.)

Patti Suttle

Karen-don't know if you collect these or not (I'm not a "collector of these" myself, even though I do own a few) but they make nice gifts-Hummel figurines <BR>(from Munich). I wish I had bought more now-we were there last summer. They were about 1/2 what they cost here. <BR>I bought a couple of the smaller ones for gifts. In Italy I bought several pretty but inexpensive bracelets. I am going to Paris soon too and was wondering if there would be some pretty but inexpensive bracelets. <BR>Patti

Elaine

Karen, check out the wooden smokers. Yes they are called "smokers". They are colorful wooden figures not difficult to find. There is a place inside each one to place an insence cone, each figure holds a pipe and the smoke will come out it's little round mouth. <BR>We have 4 of them including a cute grandpa laying down on a couch reading a newspaper (while smoking of course). I can't tell you how many we have given as gifts over time. Your in for a delightful treat if you go to a place with a good selection. Even airport shops carry them.

ellie

We spent a week in Berlin earlier this spring and brought back all sorts of German made kitchen implements for ourselves and special friends. WMF on the Ku'damn great source for all sorts of amazing kitchen and gardening tools. Henckels (the knife folks) have a very complete shop on the Grolmanstrasse right off Ku'damn. Wherever we travel in Europe, we try to seek out basic hardware and/or kitchen supply shops and bring back items we will use and enjoy almost every day back home. Have found great Alessi (italian tablewear, etc) items in both Berlin and Paris - things we'd never seen available back home. Have fun!

i do not think that you

but i think you want to make a list of shopping ideas and go in search of them, instead of opening your eyes and looking around to see what interests you and what might interest your friends. <BR> <BR>fewer preconceptions, more surprises, better travel. <BR>

elvira

Paris: <BR>Across from the Louvre is the Antiquaires de Louvre, a giant "mall" of antique dealers with very high-end stuff, including gorgeous jewelry; the Palais Royal also has many, many antique and jewelry stores; Place Vendome has very VERY high-end jewelers; the village of St-Paul is antique dealers. Clignancourt/St Ouen is the flea market for expensive antiques; Vanves (Sat and Sun MORNINGS) for real flea market stuff. <BR> <BR>Rue de Rivoli for Gault miniatures; the other end is BHV for funky hardware (brass mounts, wacky drawer pulls, the little blue house numbers). <BR> <BR>For food: Fauchon for mustard and goose oil; Nicola for a wide selection of wines; Goumyat for spices and condiments; Galeries Lafayette and Monoprix for boxed cookies, tins of pate, jellies, etc. <BR> <BR>Galeries Lafayette and Samaritaine for housewares: tea towels, cutlery, decorative bottle stoppers, placemats, napkins, demitasse spoons; tiebacks and rings for draperies; ashtrays, candleholders, picture frames. <BR> <BR>Any department store: unusual crafts items, greeting cards, stationery, stickers, address books, journals <BR> <BR>In the Marais: stationery stores for handmade paper and books <BR> <BR>Viaduc des Artistes: galleries and shops with unique wares <BR> <BR>There are many shops throughout the city that sell really good chocolates. <BR> <BR>The Museum shops at the Louvre (outside the museum) Carousel have reprints, repros, cards, jigsaw puzzles, stuff for kids. <BR> <BR>Many shops, and departments in the department stores, for yarns, scrims and needlework kits. <BR> <BR>Department stores for wonderful hair doodads. <BR> <BR>Outside the department stores (and also at Vanves), streetside kiosks that sell inexpensive souvenir t-shirts, silk blouses, etc. I bought a watch for about $10, and it still works. <BR> <BR>Monoprix for inexpensive cosmetics. <BR> <BR>

Karen

Great ideas! Keep them coming! <BR> <BR>Of course, I will keep my eyes peeled for "stuff", but I want to know that if I cross something that is common in the area that I don't HAVE to buy it right then! <BR> <BR>And the hair do-dad's are right up my alley!!! I have waist length hair and will be hitting the local apothocary/pharmacist to look for the local "hair toys" as I call them!! <BR> <BR>Also, any suggestions for preferred European toiletries? I love the Kneipp line. I'm curious about Fa and others. Are there any toiletries that you get (or stock up on) when in Europe? I'm becoming quite interested in more natural/herbal based products -- moving far away from chemical filled products. <BR> <BR>Thanks for all of the great ideas!! <BR>

Cam

Hi, Karen. Whenever I go to Europe, I buy chocolates, condiments like flavored olive oil and mustards, jams, etc., as well as articles of clothing. I always try to buy something beautiful that will remind me of my trip whenver I wear it. On my last two trips, to Paris and Barcelona, I've bought beautiful winter scarfs that I can wear almost year-round in this Boston climate. We also always buy a calendar to hang at home or in the office.

Heather

In Munich, there is a shop near the Viktualein Markt (on the street from the Rathaus area) that sells beautiful handmade wooden items (ornaments, etc.) in all price ranges. Also, in the Markt itself are stalls that sell incredible jams and other yummy stuff. The jars are relatively small and went over really well with the people that I gave them to. <BR> <BR>Kept the following list of Parisian chocolate shops from a very helpful poster (sorry, didn't write down the person's name): <BR> <BR>Here are a bunch of great chocolate shops by arrondisement: <BR>1st arrondisement: Fouquet, 22, rue Francois; Jean Paul Hevin, 231 rue St Honore; Charles Chocolatier, 15, rue Montorgueil; La Fontaine au Chocolate, 201, rue St Honore; Godiva, many - don't have addresses but one on rue Castiglione near Place Vendome, another on Blvd Madeleine <BR>6th arrondisement: Christian Constant, 37, rue d'Assas; Debauve et Gaillais, 36, rue des Sts Pierres; Le Maison du Chocolat, 19, rue de Severes <BR>7th arrondisement: Puyricard, 27, ave Rapp; Richard Design et Chocolate, 258 Blvd St-Germain; Michel Chaudun, 149, rue de l'Universite; Debauve and Gallais, 30 rue des Saints Peres <BR>8th arrondisement: Le Maison du Chocolat, 225 rue de St Honore <BR>9th arrondisement: Le Maison du Chocolat, 8 Blvd de la Madeleine <BR>16th arrondisement: Au Duc de Praslin, 116 Ave Victor Hugo

Art

Elaine, thanks for the great idea of the smokers. I'll look for some while in Germany this year. <BR>Cheers <BR>Art <BR>

Robbie

Dear Karen <BR> <BR> Just returned form Germany last Friday. Some popular gifts to bring back in addition to the above noted items are beer steins, nutcrackers, decorated pilsner glasses, beautiful hand stitched table linen's, small dolls from the local region's and if you get up into the Black Forest region. Cuckoo clocks. Shop around to get the best price. Happy shopping.

Linda

The smokers are nice. If you are going to Berlin, go to KaDeWe Department Store on Kurfurstendamstrasse. The Berlin Bear is touristy but fun. Chocolates are great for both small and large gifts and they pack easily. I found some nice crystal ornaments, crystal and wooden eggs, wine, etc.

Joan

When you are in Germany look for what are called Kinder Eggs. They are chocolate eggs that contain a plastic capsule in the center that holds a toy most times that require assembly. You'll be amazed at the number of peices and the size of the completed toy given the size of the egg is that of a chicken egg. My sister just mailed a case to our 91 yr. old mother to pass out to everyone in her assisted living home. Everyone of all ages gets a kick out of them. They are not expensive, around 70 cents each. <BR>Also Germany is noted for wonderful and unusual Christmas ornaments. <BR> <BR>In Paris I saw a wonderful poster that was advertising a current art showing at a gallery. I went to the gallery and they also sold the poster there. It is now framed and hanging in my kitchen and anytime I want to remember when I was there all I have to do is look at the date on the poster!

Bob

The smokers are great. We picked up a Christmas smoker on one trip and then started on the Chimney sweep, gardner, hunter, nightwatchman and on and on and on. They have also been good gifts, especially the St Nick for Christmas. <BR> <BR>Nutcrackers are also good from Germany as are Christmas ornaments. <BR> <BR>I can do an entire write-up on what to look for in a good Cuckoo clock. The cheap one are everywhere and insides are bad. The real good ones are great to bring home, but you need to have a good clock person explain the difference.

Jen

If you are a cook, go to the grocery store (supermarche) in Paris and pick up some Persillade - it's a mixture of dried spices that you cannot get in the US - garlic, pepper, lavender, onion, parsley..etc. St. Lucie is the best brand, and can be found for 9 FF per bottle in G20 supermarches throughout Paris. Makes great gifts for fellow cooks, and is really inexpensive. <BR> <BR>PS - I cleaned out the G20 in the Marais section a couple of weeks ago, so don't go there!

majorshopperin

France: Soaps, candles, oils from l'Occitane shops. Pricey, but oh-so-nice. Check out silk too. And don't forget Limoges porcelain.

andy

HI karen! <BR> <BR>I would like to recommend some stores where you could get the things mentioned above. They are sometimes cheaper in department stores than in special shops or on Christmas markets. <BR> <BR>I every major city in Germany you will find the following department stores with an excellent variety of souvenirs, of household things, shoes, clothes, technical things, food, etc. <BR>These stores are: <BR>- Kaufhof (cheap things and good quality) <BR>- Hertie (cheap things and good quality) <BR>- Galeria Kaufhof /Galeria Horten : exclusive version of Kaufhof (very well sorted and reasonable prices) <BR>- Karstadt: exclusive version of Karstadt (about the same, some stores have an "upper market concept" like KaDeWe in Berlin or Alsterhaus in Hamburg. <BR>- Galeries Lafayette in Berlin (very exclusive) <BR>- Cheap and good quality: Multistore/Kaufhalle/Woolworth <BR> <BR>For food I recommend the following hypermarkets: <BR>- real (Germanys biggest hypermarket chain), excellent variety of different specialities and basic German food) good prices <BR>- only in the South of Germany: Tengelmann, <BR>- Wal Mart (german version) <BR>- E Center <BR>- toom <BR>- Marktkauf <BR> <BR>You can get most of the food things ( KIndereggs, typical german food in these stores.) <BR>Andy <BR>