I buy souvenirs, like most people, on every trip I go on, even if its something small.
Well, this summer it was hard to limit myself: I went to 15 cities in 30 days, and I wanted to get little gifts for myself and everyone back at home, but I definitely had to be selective. There was no way I could lug around a ton of souvenirs when my suitcases were already almost full.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: my favorite souvenirs from any place I travel to are postcards, and the more vintage they look, the better. I like to buy a ton of them, too, because:
They are thin and don’t take up a lot of room in your suitcase
They are very inexpensive
They make great gifts for friends and family once you write a little cute message on them
I love to look at them to be reminded of some of the great sights I saw while in a certain city.
I also have used postcards as part of scrapbooks and as wall art in my bedroom.
Here’s the souvenir haul, in order of first city visited to last:
From Edinburgh: two cute postcards and a tiny bottle of Irish Whiskey. From Dublin: an Oval Bar coaster that I took right from under my cider during dinner, a postcard with some great Dublin landmarks, and two Guinness coasters for my brother (the Guinness turtle has a special place in my heart). From Madrid: this tiny Bimba y Lola pouch that I just needed because it was so small and adorable. Bimba y Lola is a big brand in Madrid, and I never got around to buying anything from there when I was studying abroad there. Vintage looking postcards from Niceand sea glass and smooth rocks from the very rocky beach there. Vintage postcards from our day trip to Monaco.
Glass figurines (cherries, a duck, two hedgehogs, a fishy in a bowl, two candies, and a ring) from various shops in Venice and Murano, and a watercolor postcardto remember our gondola ride.
Three wallets, a card holder and two coin pouches from Florence. The leather markets there were insane, and I actually wanted to buy everything. The prices were a little TOO good. These items made for some great gifts. That wasn’t all from Florence: I also had to get this adorable leather purse. (Featuring the hedgehog keychain I bought at a cute stuffed animal store in Krakow.)And I got a new glasses case for myself because I needed one, and if I was going to get one at all it might as well be a super cute green leather one from Florence! Last items from Florence: a strawberry printed tank top from Brandy Melville, two stunning watercolor postcards of the city, and a postcard of Botticelli’s Primavera from the Uffizi Gallery. From Positano: A mini duffle from my favorite store, CB Positano, and two adorable limoncellos to give as gifts (one pistachio, one lemon creme). Not featured: two little CB Positano pouches I got for two of my friends and two ceramic squares withtheir initials. Watercolor postcards of some of the most beautiful scenery from Positano, and some book marks to give as gifts. A tiny coin pouch with a metal clasp and a mini spreadable pistachio cream (to feed my pistachio addiction for a little while longer once I got back to the states) from Sorrento. Ok get ready for the souvenir haul from Krakow: my ticket from climbing a lookout tower, two mugs, a tiny pitcher, a pottery owl, two amazing Polish drugstore products, a few different postcards (had to get the one with hedgehogs, obviously) and two rings with amber, one to give as a gift and the other to match Olga! Amber and amber jewelry is big in Poland. And the Polish pottery stores were mesmerizing. They had the most wildly beautiful pottery and absolutely affordable prices. I bought these polish pottery items as gifts, but I got something for myself in Warsaw. Last but not least: Warsaw. I knew that the blueberry mug was the perfect reminder of Warsaw for me that I wanted to have forever, even though I wasn’t even sure it would fit in my bag. And Olga recommended that I bring back some of these caramels to my family, so I did!
Looking back, I didn’t get postcards from some cities, like Glasgow, Milan, or Warsaw. I think I got more souvenirs from places I stayed in longer or had a very special interest in.
In general, other than postcards and physical souvenirs, photos are probably the most important piece of memory I like bringing back from the places I visit. To me, that’s a true reminder of the sights I saw, the food I ate, and what it was like walking around the city.
Don’t forget to bring back something, even if it’s small, from the cities you visit! It will be nice to look back on once you’re finally back home.
Lily's Travel Journal 
Leave a reply to Shannon Cancel reply