Holidays, what do you bring home from yours.

I've never had a fridge which you can out magnets on. The only places in our house where you can put them is a small strip along the front of the extractor fan above the cooker and the radiators.

dustyangel

When we used to go off for the day to Spain, we always made a point of bringing back either cans or jars of ready peeled peppers. Very hard to find them in Portugal.

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I get jars of peeled peppers in Lidl and use them often instead of fresh peppers. They keep for ages even when the jar has been opened. Not sure if you'll be able to get them in Portugal but they're certainly here in Germany with the gherkins.

When DS2 was alive, I used to try and bring him the most tasteless souvenir. My best effort was from Amsterdam and was a blowup tulip with a hole in the middle for a beer can. The next one was a trophy moose head from Canada in cardboard which he had in his stairwell. 🤣. I have it in my sitting room.

A pair of earrings and a fridge magnet

A tote bag from last year's holiday in New York. We holidayed at home this summer and bought jam and mead.

I nearly swooned yesterday when DH bought himself a navy jacket to look like the French men I have always fancied! Better late than never! 😂

Just back and I bought myself a lovely new necklace in the market. Best of all, we came home with wonderful memories and new friends.

I never know what I'll bring back as I tend to check out thrift/charity shops and 2nd hand markets (yard sales/boot sales). Last time in England I came home with dozens of the DVDs that you get free from, I believe the daily mail.

Usually a lot of photographs - so I can draw and paint from them later .

I’ve just brought 2 lovely beach towels back from Greece, for dd - thinner than our usual ones so will dry more quickly - and take up less room in the cupboard.

They’ll be for next summer now but when it’s hot enough she so often has a load of Gdcs’ friends in their mini swimming pool and they hardly ever seem to bring their own towels!

Nothing , just memories and photos . I can’t stand knickknacks and I like travelling light . In the US I used to bring back Levi’s and trainers but that was when the exchange rate was very favourable for the brits .

Since 2002 have bought a Xmas Tree ornament. Some named as reminder, some not but have listed them to identify origin. Firstly only one from each holiday, but cruising often means several countries, so now one from each country. Lovely memories evoked when decorating the tree.

Memories

In the years when we were able to go to Italy it was always food. Usually 5 kilos of rice (I can't get the one I like over here at all since Brexit) At least a kilo of coffee beans - something that wasn't Lavazza or Illy, and at least a kilo of Parmesan. Plus anything else that took my fancy

Fridge magnets or tea towels. I have to stop with the magnets soon as I'm running out of space

I tend to bring items of clothing or shoes. Something of use and definitely no tat!
In 1999 I bought a pair of leather ankle boots from the iconic Filene's Basement in Boston (Massachusetts). We were on our honeymoon.
I still wear them, and apart from regular re-soling and heeling the boots are still in good condition. The uppers have never parted company with the sole and the zips still work.
Next year for our 25th anniversary we are going back and I intend to take them with me and wear them. Sadly I believe Filene's Basement is no more...

A fridge magnet for me and a mug and ashtray for my adult son!

We go to Devon and Dorset every year. This year I brought back a tea towel, fudge & a lovely throw made from recycled cotton.

When smoking was allowed on planes, the air was changed every two minutes. They don't bother changing it now, so any germs circulate and circulate.

Brugge has a Christmas shop all year round too, stunningly beautiful. It is on a side road but worth finding. Also bought a handmade lace tablecloth...couldn't afford one now x

It was always decent sized mugs, which we bought on the first day. We used them during the holiday in place of the usually tiny cups provided in the hotel rooms and then took them home as presents for the family.

From Italy in 1951 I brought back costume doll for my two children and my three nieces. At customs the official said I didn’t look young enough to have five children.
Because we mainly had camping hols it was ash trays easier to carry. Later travelling alone always a tea towel among other things, a kilo of Parmesan from Italy, brandy and lavender essence from France, sausage from Germany, a cup and saucer from Denmark, cheese and marzipan and clogs from Holland, a plate, tea towel, and picture from Barbados, clothes from California, olive server, from Portugal, pot from Toledo, material to make a National dress, from Austria, upset tummy from Malta and a bad cold from Los Angelos. Many other things over the years but had to give up when I was 82 because of walking difficulties.

I love spanish supermarkets, especially Mercadona!
I bring back (as well as wine and sherry ; the latter is excellent quality, far better than the over-sweetened stuff produced for the British market, and far cheaper too)
- Vacuum packed jamón and sliced lomo ham (not cheap but excellent),
- whole small cheeses similar to Manchego
- beautiful Malaga raisins
- lots of jars of cooked butter beans (judión) which are far cheaper and better than we get here. Also cannellini type beans, (alubías) and chick peas (garbanzos). Even in Hipercor , the supermarket section of the department store El Corte Inglés they are only a euro or so for a large jar.
Tinned tuna and anchovies are far better quality than we get here, IMO. They are not cheap. Worth it, though.
We always have the car, though, so can bring lots back.

Nowadays I buy a Christmas tree decoration but I have bought in the past paella dishes and fondue forks ,fluted Pyrex moulds and locally carved wooden spoons for serving salads which are light and don’t take up space. In the far east we’ve been taken to orphanages where the children sell their paintings and I have quite a few of these framed in a guest room.

I love raiding French supermarkets for their stock cubes - much better than the ones you can buy over here . Knorr Jus de Rotis are the best in the world for making beef gravy. Equally the tins of stock powder, Knorr or Maggi - chicken, veal, fish, meat flavoured are wonderful. Cartons of Hollandaise sauce are a couple of euros and excellent too..... and other sauces in cartons are pretty gtood too (Knorr as well I think). I wish these things were available in supermarets in the UK. I often wonder what the people at the check out used to think of my copious quantities of stock cubes etc etc!! I went to France this summer - first time for about 5 years - and the people I was staying in, were very amused by me wanting to go to every supermarket around to get my favourite bits.