I was doing a little vacation planning today when I looked down and noticed the bracelet I was wearing... one of my favorites...nothing fancy and really cheap. It's this bracelet made of mah jong tiles that I picked up in a flea market on Hollywood Road in Hong Kong. It brings back great memories of many trips to Hong Kong, and one special trip with friends from Texas. My main regret is "Why didn't I buy more of them?"
Which got me to thinking...what are some of my favorite souvenirs from our travels? Are there things I wished I purchased that I did not or simply wished I'd purchased more of? The answer is yes...and in no particular order...
* Those buffet plates (service for 12) I saw in Sorrento...if I'd had a way to get them home, they'd be mine today.
* While we are talking plates, those dessert plates in Budapest - ditto the earlier remark about transporting them to Germany. Shipping them to D'Dorf cost 3 times as much as the plates themselves.
* More of those cute Murano-like little necklaces in Venice....
* The handpainted clock in Normandy...I still think about that one.
* Again, with the mah jong tile bracelets from Hong Kong.
Lest you be too worried, there are all those wonderful trinkets found at the countless visits to the Taipei Jewelry Market (pearls in every color), antique shopping in Macau (Round 1 and 2 - and this time we shipped it ALL!), and well, the Korean Mecca of shopping, Itaewon. In 2 words - leather goods.
Gone are the days of buying the kitschy souvenirs for me, although there is nothing wrong with those at all if that is someone else's cup of tea. I guess we've just sorta gravitated to the things that really embody a place....food and wine from France, linens from Belgium (notice I did not even mention chocolates for my Swiss friends), the artwork from Asia, etc.
The one true thing learned...I regret more the "not" buying more than I ever regret the buying. Bring an extra suitcase, or better yet, buy one while in your destination city if necessity requires it. The best thing about the treats you buy for yourself when travelling is the enjoyment you receive from their continual use...looking down at the bracelet on your wrist that evokes a smile of a past memory.
So I am curious, what has been YOUR favorite travel purchase? Calling all blog comments now....
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I love buying souvenirs but they are usually not the typical tourist stuff - what I tend to do is buy things that I use in everyday life - music, clothes (yes, there are Diesel stores in most civilized countries) and I will then link these "souvenirs" with fond memories of weekends and vacations abroad... There are the occasional exceptions - had to have some "African" wood sculptures, had to have some pottery from the Provence - but those are the exceptions or had to have wines and olive oils from Northern Italy...
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