Holiday souvenir…. what do you bring home?

I bring a pin badge to go on my sun hat - it's getting pretty full now - and we keep the guide book too.
A family member brings a stone back so his rockery represents his globe-trotting.

We always bring something back to hang on the Christmas tree.Nice to have lots of holiday memories in the middle of winter.

Soberano brandy, cigars, wine, manchego cheese, fresh tomato spread for bread, new mops and handles, pedal bin liners. Not to bring home but we always go to the dentist there as it is about half the price of here. We also buy any necessary medications for the dog as they are far cheaper.

I fell in love with a coffee jug in Norway some years ago so bought it and carefully wrapped it to transport home. Soon after we got back I found a very similar one in a local
COOP!

We always get something to eat for the AC and sweets or toys for the grandsons, so there’s never much space left for souvenirs. It’s usually a shell or sea glass (though the best ones have come from UK beaches), a Christmas decoration or just a fridge magnet. Occasionally a tee shirt or piece of jewellery.

Food and rink that we cannot buy in the UK - and no matter what people say, you cannot get everything from overseas in the UK.

We have a holiday home in France which we are off to visit tomorrow, after a gap of 14 months. I will bring back a range of tinned and preserved foods - now we are out of the EU there are restrictions on fresh food - . This will include tinned chestnuts, veg curry, ratatouille. tomato paste in portion sized tins, I will see if I can sneak in wild smoked salmon. All more expensive or unavailable in the UK.

Shinamae

Fridge magnets ?

Snap! But as my fridge is integrated into the units, I stick them onto a magnetic noticeboard on a wall in the kitchen.

When my children were young and just wanted plastic tat from gift shops, we bought postcards and put them in albums.

Girl after my own heart Amberone we too collect Christmas tree decorations from all over the world, and it brings back memories each time we unwrap them.

Sometimes smaller paintings by local artists, or hand made jewellery if the money hasn't run out!

From France garlic mayo (much better than anywhere else) cheese, pate, chocolate, wine.

From Germany beautiful crystal glasses with amber coloured stems

From Holland coffee and chocolate strands and Edam cheese

From many British towns tea towels

From Canada fridge magnets

From Prague a wooden marble toy for the grandchildren which we still have and glass animals and an amber necklace for me

From Singapore jade earrings necklace and bracelet and silk embroidered glasses cases and embroidered pashminas both of which were super cheap

I forgot I have loads of shells and pebbles displayed in my bathroom from my favourite French beach

We too always bring home a Christmas dec for the tree - usually beautiful and traditional but a very cheesy one from New York, which always goes front centre! Also wooden angel chimes from Christmas markets. We’re running out of surfaces.

I never bring anything back from holidays as a rule but we went for breakfast in a small diner in California that was full of locals who seemed to think it was odd to see 2 English tourists.
I admired a 1950s style sugar shaker on the table and at the end of the meal the lovely owner gave it to me!

Xorigeur gin and ‘Eau de Menorca’ eau de toilette .
Both remind me of lovely holidays in Menorca - but perfume lasts a lot longer than the gin!

Keyrings!

Fridge magnets, Christmas decorations, cookery books, art books, postcards, wine and patisserie (if in France with our car)…

Boringly nothing only memories

Usually a Christmas tree ornament for my tree of memories. My friend started the tradition many years ago after a trip to America bringing me one back. Then my son would bring one back from his travels since then I always look for one. Each Christmas I'm when decorating tree I'm transported back to many lovely places.

Millions of tourists to our beaches every year, if each one takes a pebble it wouldn’t help coastal erosion problems.
Sign on our beach asks people to leave only footprints and take only memories.

On our last trip to Italy, I stocked up with different shapes and colours of pasta for the GC. , who all love pasta.

To my horror I had bought men’s genitalia pasta and didn’t realise. My Dd and DIL messaged to say ‘Nanna, what have you given our children ‘ ?. We did all laugh about it though. The little ones were oblivious.

We don’t go abroad these days, but in this country it’s usually the local delicacy; kippers and smoked salmon from Robsons smokehouse in Northumberland, cheese from the Wensleydale creamery, Cornish Yarg, and wonderful cheeses from Pant Mawr and Caerfai Farm cheese makers in Pembrokeshire. Glass from Jo Downes in Cornwall; sometimes hand made pottery, and always bits of sea glass if I can find some. Our days of dragging home local tatt ended when the children grew up, but now my grandson always brings me something back from wherever he has been. I have a string of tiny yellow beads he found in a flea market on a school trip to Paris, and which for some reason is always wound around my wrist when we or they are travelling. Yesterday it was a stained glass window hanger from Salisbury Cathedral. Treasures anew!?

Seems there are a lot of Christmas decs. My mum, much to my horror, will always try to bring a cutting from an unusual shrub that takes her fancy. Wraps it in wet tissue and then a plastic bag. She’s never been stopped and has a unique collection of plants in her conservatory. ?

We only travel with hand luggage, so we bring back very little - usually just a fridge magnet, or occasionally some spices.

Many years ago we brought a lump of volcanic rock back from Mount Etna, no problem putting it through airport scanner in those days. It now sits in our rockery among other curious things we've brought from various places.

I have a lovely selection of tea towels. I have never had a fridge with a magnetic front or anything magnetic anywhere in the house, except radiators.

Tea towels are really interesting. Souvenir tea towels are just not a thing in Germany, but everywhere else you can find lovely ones, some with recipes on.

Italian ones are as large as tablecloths, Spanish and Portuguese ones are square.

Probably shouldn’t admit it but my husband is of the same mindset as your mum Mattsmum2 ?
He’s quite knowledgeable about plants and if something takes his fancy, out comes the penknife and after a quick look around him, takes a small cutting.

I of course then have to put it, suitably wrapped, in my bag!