"must buy" in ports

[Blamar]

Hi

We only started doing this on our last trip, and we really didn't do it in earnest but I think its a great idea. Collect Key rings from the place you visit. The key fobs each have a characteristic image or reminder of where you got it, and when christmas comes you can hang it on your christmas tree.

 

I like that :-)

 

B

[charvella]

Blamar,

What a great idea. I buy a Christmas ornament everywhere I go. A keychain is unique. Thanks.

[Watersports]

In Lisboa 5 years ago, I bought a extreamly nice gold neck chain. Everytime I put it on, I remember shopping for it while in Portugal.

 

A buddy of mine grew up in Cape Verde, and he said that Portugal gold is of better quality than that of Spanish gold.

[Petoonya]

Last year we bought some beautiful ceramic dishes and ceramic urn in Positano and Ravello. (I am still kicking myself for not buying some tile I saw there too- going back next May to get it)

 

Venetian glass is legendary. Had a hard time deciding what to buy. But one evening we were swept away by the magic of those evening concerts in St. Marks Square and plunked our card down on a big beautiful vase. It's soft swirling blues and greens, and if we paid too much it just doesn't matter. It sits in our living room now and makes us long for those whimsical romantic evenings in Venice.

[bec2629]

Nancy I am in the market for ceramics, too. How did you get them home? Did you ship or just pack very well?

Thanks,

Becky

[Tania]

I've just returned from a 12 cruise to the Med and thank those who took the trouble to post some great ideas. While I had been tot all these ports before at least once, I still managed to find some interesting things. A few ideas of my own...

 

Never underestimate the power of scent. I purchased pot-pourri and scent at Santa Maria Novella at their flagship store in Florence. The store is a museum in itself and worth a visit...16 Via della Scala. ( A bottle Eden perfume still reminds me of Sint Maarten everytime I use it.) The stor e was apparently featured in the Hannibal movie.

 

In Provence, I purchased some lavender pot-pourri. 3 euros.

 

In Venice, I purchased some Murano glass candies. I always liked having a bowl of candies but these don't need to be replenished...LOL...It appeared to me that the street vendors were selling seconds (many air bubbles) at 0,80 euros each. The shops had better quality pieces, some priced as high as 5 euros each. I regret not purchasing a box of glass cherries: they would look good in a decorative martini glass.

 

Best value for knock-off hand bags was in Kusadasi. Slightly less than 50% of asking price seemed standard. There seemed to be two levels of quality in the leather. In Rome though, I purchased a small Prada patent leather bag for 10 euros (he wanted 40) as we were walking back to the bus at the end of the day. I guess he didn't want to carry it home. In Venice, the quality of the bags I saw was poor even if they were leather.

 

In Sorrento, I purchased dishtowels for my friends 3/5 euros. They had the recipe of how to make limoncello. The soaps in the shape of lemons, oranges are reasonable too. No-one mentionned the limoncello tastings at the various stores. This is a great way to start your day....LOL...

 

In Athens, they want big bucks for official Olympic souvenirs. I paid way too much for a beach towel with the famous rings. As someone already mentionned, the olive oil soaps are a great buy for 1 euro. I also found some lemon and olive oil soaps in a bigger size for 2 euros.

 

Looking forward tot he next trip already!

[zebra]

Gee Tania, great, great post!!! What fab ideas. I love the glass cherries idea. Are these readily obtainable at a good price??? Did you bring Limoncello back?

[Tania]

Thanks zebra,

 

 

The glass cherries vary in quality and are widely available from vendors and in stores. Some were 1,50 euro each but made in China. A box of 10 Murano cherries was about 25-30 euros.

 

My daughter purchased 2 small bottles of limoncello in interesting shapes, one in Sorrento and one in Amalfi, about 2,20 euros each. They were her first ever liquor purchases...LOL...

 

I didn't buy any because as someone else on this thread said, it is easily available at home and I couldn't tell the difference.

[Petoonya]

To Becky~

The shipping costs for the ceramic items were very reasonable...and they were packed extremely well and delivered about two weeks after we arrived home. Next time we are going to pack much lighter and bring a big empty suitcase tho.

 

Loved your shopping ideas Tania- those cherries are irresistable!

[dixiechick]

I like to bring back picturesque drink coasters and CD's with the music from the country we are visiting. I know have CD's from Spain, Australia and Tahiti. I also collect Christmas Tree ornaments. All of the above are usually inexpensive and bring back great memories at parties.

[stressball]

Someone please help! I recently read a post that someone bought leather belts for 2.5 euros each. However, I can't remember WHERE they were bought or what thread I read it in. I am trying to make a list of what to buy in ports, so if you can remember that post, I'd really appreciate it. Any other suggestions would be great also!

 

By the way, we'll be on Brilliance Aug 18 (Villefranche, Naples, Livorno, Venice, Rome, Dubvornik, Corfu)

 

Thanks!

[Cruise Junky]

Someone please help! I recently read a post that someone bought leather belts for 2.5 euros each. However, I can't remember WHERE they were bought or what thread I read it in. I am trying to make a list of what to buy in ports, so if you can remember that post, I'd really appreciate it. Any other suggestions would be great also!

 

By the way, we'll be on Brilliance Aug 18 (Villefranche, Naples, Livorno, Venice, Rome, Dubvornik, Corfu)

 

Thanks!

 

It was in the Corfu thread :)

 

After lunch, wander the fortress on the hill behind Pizza Pete's ...and/or wander the old city...the narrow streets are lined with great shops and the bargains are pretty good...I bought mens' leather belts for about 2.5 euros each...but there's all kinds of things to buy and the streets themselves are strikingly beautiful...

[stressball]

Thank you so much Cruise Junky...I've been reading too many threads, they're melting together!:)

[Watersports]

:confused:

 

I am going to start our cruise in Barcelona and then to Alicante and Malaga, then onto Lisbon.

 

Does anyone know where to get great spanish olives in any of these ports to take back to the USA?

[chellie]

we have bought and brought home, in addition to asparagus, tuna, saffron, vinegar, and olive oil, the canned, stuufed olives many times in the il corte ingles supermarket. last year i saw about a gallon container of olives with someone's luggage on the ship. i imagine that they simply carreid it onto the plane on the return trip home, and called it a purse.

[elin]

My "silly" purchase is fridge magnets.:) I buy them in every city I go to. The fridge is covered, but it still makes me smile to see all the different places (especially when it is a cold, dreary winter day in Toronto to see a magnet from someplace sunny always makes you smile!).

I also try to buy Christmas tree ornaments from different countries, again a nice reminder every year when you put up the tree of where you have been.

Limocello in Sorrento (as the lemons grow to be the size of grapefruits).

Shoes in Florence (and Rome, and Paris, and Barcelona, and Monaco...okay pretty much every city where I see cool shoes that I know I will never see at home).:D (Can you tell I have a thing for shoes).

Lavendar sachets from Provence (good gift for parents also).

Rugs in Turkey (you have to buy them because if you don't you will kick yourself when you get home).

Olive Oil and the cooking spice sets in Florence/Tuscany....the spice mixes also make great gifts.

Murano glass from Venice.

The Old Town city buildings from Prague (these are mini ceramic replicas).

Portugal has the most beautiful pottery that is sooo cheap you have to buy tons of it (because if you don't you will throw up when you see how expensive it is here in stores).:rolleyes:

In London, usually something from Fortum and Mason or Harrods.

In the Normandy region, Calvados (it's like an apple brandy, and only made there).

What I would love to buy and take back, but can't....containers of lemon gelato from Italy. Cheese cheese cheese (and pick Italy or France for that one). Truffles from Alba, the gorgeous Italian cold meats and proscuitto. Olives from either Greece or Tuscany.

I usually buy wine from the different countries to try (Croatia, Corsica, Czech, Portugal, Turkish, besides the standby French, Italian).

This is making me sad that my next holiday is so far away!:(

Elin

[zebra]

Gosh elin you sound like me!!!

We bought wine in every country and brought it all back home. We had 8 bottles - I declared it all on arrival in the States and the Customs official said "OK go through". Whew!!!

We also bought Olive oil and Olive Oil with chillies in it in Italy and Greece. Amalfi Coast more Olive Oil and lots of different spices. I asked why their Olive oil tastes so different to ours and they said that all their oil for export to the States has to have 3 different preservatives added (thanks to FDA) which breaks down the integrity of the flavor.

Bottles of Feta and Olives in Olive oil from Greece - also Olive oil and honey soap.

Jewelry gifts for the family in Athens - greek jewelry is fantastic and very reasonably priced.

Gold chain and an oil painting from Mykonos.

Hand crafted glass platter from Santorini - gorgeous! This by the way was the highlight of the trip for me - Santorini is absolutely breathtaking!

Lavender sachets from Provence - beautiful soaps from Eze - Painting from St. Paul de Vence, lots of fabulous galleries there, also gorgeous table linens.

More lavender from Dubrovnik.......

Leather handbags and belts from Florence - should have bought a leather jacket..oh well we're going again next September, maybe then. Florence leather markets have wonderful goods.

Venetian glass cherries - $2 each - from Venice. 30 of these make a super diplay in a bowl on the coffee table! I didn't have space for any masks because of all the wine and olive oil... oh well, priorities.

We started our vacation with 3 days in Barcelona and didn't but anything other than wine and a Christmas ornament, simply because we wanted to leave space in our luggage for further along the journey.

Us too wished we could have brought back the Proscuitto - the Spanish ham was "to die for" - you have to visit the fresh market on Las Ramblas!

We also buy post cards from every city we visit and have a wall dedicated to post cards depicting all our travels - just to sit and gaze at the cards transports me right back there!!! :D

[elin]

I love the idea of Murano glass cherries! I am now kicking myself that I didn't buy any of the "candies" but I love the idea of cherries even more.

Okay, everyone that reads this post that goes to Venice, please pick me up a cherry and send it to me! With the number of hits this post has had, I figure I can get a bowlful by Christmas:D !

I wish I had read this post prior to going to the Med in August!

e

[elin]

Buy them the postcards in Monaco that are replicas of the old race posters. I think they started the posters in 1929 (date could be wrong). I picked up about 8 for a friend of mine, so he can frame them for his house. If anyone is a race fan they will love them! They also sell the larger sized versions.

e

[Tania]

I'm glad someone revived this post!

 

I'm returning to purchase the cherries next summer! I intend to put them in a large martini glass! And I'll buy more candies of course!

 

elin...like I said in an earlier post, make sure that the cherries you buy are actually made in Murano...some are made in China...you mentioned you bought wine in Turkey...did you try any of their marvelous champagne?

[elin]

Hi Tania,

 

I tried the white, the red and the champagne. I do have to say that I just love Turkey! It is such a fabulous country! Anyone going to Kusadasi? Do NOT miss going to Ephesus. It is absolutely phenomenal!

 

e

 

ps Tania, pick me up some cherries in Venice, would you?!:D

[zebra]

Elin, Other than rugs what else is a must buy in Turkey? We'll be going to Kusadasi/Ephesus and Istanbul. I have to have my shopping "fix" in each port!!!

[Tania]

Sure, elin, I'll just zip up the 401 from Windsor!

[cruisetoscrap]

I think we are going in Sept.

 

How do you get the bottles of oil and wine home???? Will be on 2 flights and more. Do you carry it on???? I want lots of oil and goodies.

[zebra]

Yes, we carry it on. In one wheeled carry-on we had 6 bottles of wine - I take bubble wrap from home. In the other we had more wine and all the olive oil, with a little space for my breakable toiletries. Also my husband carried a huge fancy bottle of olive oil - which has a brass tap on the front of it, this was in a carry bag. We purchased this at a roadside vendor on the Amalfi Coast. We always bring "breakable" stuff home from vacations (usually local handmade dishes etc) and we rearrange our carryons by putting most of the contents in our checked baggage for the flights home. We also did 2 flights home - no problem!