When planning a trip I always
give thought to the souvenirs I’d like to bring back. I want items unique
to the region I’m visiting but they should also be easy to pack. And every time
I look at these treasures they bring back happy memories of my travels. Here are three special souvenirs
I brought home from Italy last summer.
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| Ceramic Bird, Capri |
I chose this ceramic bird in Capri because
of the bright colours. My interest in collecting birds as souvenirs
began with a piece of pottery from Guadalajara, Mexico in the 1970s. Now I look
for my feathered friends wherever I travel.
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| Venetian Carnevale Mask |
Centuries ago masks hid the
identities of revellers during Carnevale celebrations in Venice. Today these masks are still hand-made in shops like Ca’ Macana, suppliers of masks for the movie Eyes Wide Shut
with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. I chose the cat mask in Venetian red with
musical embellishments that pay homage to local composer Vivaldi.
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| Masks at Ca' Macana, Venice |
My third souvenir is also from Venice: a vase made of Murano glass.
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| Murano Glass Vase |
Craftsmen have been making glass on the island of Murano
for centuries. The purple hue is created by the addition of manganese to the
molten glass. It’s the same colour as local street lamps.
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| Glass-making Demonstration, Venice |
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| Venetian Street Lamps |
I have champagne flutes and wine glasses (sets of 12) that I shipped home from Murano in 1969. An oil painting from the Barbizon in France the same year. Only on this last trip was I much less interested in bringing back a lot of souvenirs, since I am more into the cleaning out stage of my life.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting to that stage myself. I was tempted by the wine glasses but settled on the single vase.
DeleteI love the fancy bird from Capri - so cute.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte @My Green Nook
Yes, he's very cheery, isn't he?
DeleteWe travel light and for long periods of time, so we tend to get small souvenirs or things which we can ship home. I love that mask you picked out.
ReplyDeleteJewellery and scarves work well, depending on where you're travelling.
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