DO SOUVENIRS HAVE TO BE TACKY?
When you hear the word souvenir, what do you think of?
Fridge magnets from Italy showing David’s famous attributes? Or a plastic snow dome from New York that’s made in China? Chances are you may have a tacky souvenir on your fridge or on your desk!
The word souvenir is actually derived from the French language, meaning “to remember”. The trick is to get something that you will want to display in your home and that you will have for years to come. Don’t be tempted to run into the touristy shops to get your mass produced goodies. Street markets, stores off the main drag and flea markets can be a good place to start.
Here are some things that I brought back from my recent trip to Italy (that in my opinion aren’t tacky):
Trinket boxes – I love little boxes. They can be made out of wood or straw, painted or carved. I put keys, jewellery and coins in them. Florence has an old craft of placing goldleaf on wooden items such as trays, frames and boxes. The night we arrived in Florence, as we were eating gelato, we came across a workshop where a lady was making gold leaf wooden items by hand. She showed us how she was creating them and we bought a gorgeous box to take home.
Art work – This can be anything from original art work to attractive postcards to prints. My daughter bought a couple of small watercolor pictures of Pinnochio from a street artist in Florence. And a stamp of a letter “S” from an art stall in Rome. Once these are framed, they will hang in her bedroom and she will have these forever.
Masks – When you think of Venice, one of the words that comes up (after canal, sinking, water, tourists), is likely to be mask. Masks are associated with the annual Carnivale in Venice. Years ago, I bought a cat mask that was handmade by an old lady in Venice (which used to scare my daughter when she was a toddler). And on our last trip, my daughter bought a friendly mask of Pinocchio with a ribbon in Italian colours.
Ceramics – Not the easiest thing to get home (my tip is to take as carry on wrapped in jumpers). I was on the hunt for a special store in Venice that I had read about, called Rigattieri. A traghetto ride and a few checks on google maps, brought us to this magical shop filled with all things ceramic. Soup terrines in the shape of cabbages, animal ornaments and real looking vegetables filled the shelves. After much deliberation, we purchased a dog ornament and a plate with pears. From another store (that was closing down for the winter), we bought ceramic plaques, which I think are the Italian equivalent for “beware of dog” and “beware of cat”.
Hopefully this is a little bit of inspiration to help steer you away from tacky souvenirs. And it may remind you of what you already have from your travels that are hidden away.
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