Favorite Souvenir from your Med Cruise

[Gregor4500]

We buy a print from/of each city. Easy to transport, then frame them when we get home.

[sailaway5]

We buy a print from/of each city. Easy to transport, then frame them when we get home.

 

Ditto to Prints & Post Cards. I have a wall dedicated to our travels.... Love looking at the prints (& oils & watercolors sometimes)... They are easy to pack. I have minatures (2x3 to 9x12). They are great memories.

 

Also have a special Post card album... Love to pick up jewelry from the area - especially charms for my charm bracelet. Scarfs are also a nice momento and make wonderful gifts. I have them from Norway, Russia, Italy, Portugal, Equador, Hong Kong, Bangkok & Viet Nam. Fun to wear!!

[fendere]

We also do Christmas ornaments from each place, colorful charms for my charm bracelet, and magnets for the frig.

Favorite souvenirs:

Venice- masks picked out by each of our four family members, glass jewelry, wine stopper

Holland- Handmade Delft pottery from Delft

Positano, large water colored print of Positano framed over our fireplace

Dubrovnik, Croatia- sea glass collected from the beach that I still plan on decorating the outside of a frame with.

Hands down favorite Med souvenir- the sterling silver and

Mother of Pearl ring DH found at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea when at the beach in Dubrovnik. The water is crystal clear due to the beach being pebbles and not sand. I actually have it on today:). It fit perfectly even though I have a very small ring size!:)

[Kassandra]

Our first cruise in 2006 was to celebrate our 10th anniversary. When we were in Santorini, I was looking at the beautiful jewelry and decided I wanted an 'anniversary ring'. :) Many places tried to lure us in, but one ring caught my eye at a shop where they didn't bother me. We looked at the price, and decided to keep looking, but alas, it had stolen my heart!

 

Back we went, and they took it out of the display window, but it was too small for me. :(

The jeweler made a phone call, and said he could have it sized and ready before our ship sailed. And they did! I adore the ring, and get many complements on it. It is very unusual.

 

Fast forward 4 years later: we were back on Santorini, yet the shop had moved/changed. We found a shop with similar style jewelry, and went inside. The shopkeepers were not overly aggressive, but very friendly. I showed them the ring, and the young man asked if he could show it to the master jeweler (older Greek man at the back of the shop!) He took out his jeweler's eyepiece (whatever that is called!) and looked closely at the ring and then told me there are only 2 people on Santorini who could do that fine of work. He described how the piece was made, how difficult it is to train people to make the rings in that style, etc. It was wonderful! And no, they weren't trying to butter me up to buy more pieces, they were just delightful and very pleased that I loved my ring and happy I shared it with them.

 

Best souvenier I have ever bought. :)

[lanceholt]

The ring sounds beautiful....what kind of stones were in it and where is the shop that you were in last time? We will be in Santorini in May.

[Bholling]

Two of my favorite Med Cruise purchases were both made in Santorini, on the 4th of July. :)

 

First was a pair of very unique, hand-made gladiator sandals. There was a shop on one of the side streets in town that must have had 50 different styles, all made from dark brown leather with matte bronze nail head accents. I get compliments from virtually every person I see when I am wearing them. They did not cost all that much - maybe 30 or 40 euros, but NO ONE has anything like them around here. I am glad to see that the gladiator style seems to be holding on...maybe I can get another year or two out of them!

 

The second thing I got was actually two things...beautiful hand-made woven wool pillow covers with scenes depicting the amazing blue sky and water, and the angular white buildings that represent Santorini. I put them over two old throw pillows when I got home, and they really dressed up my beige couch. I look at them every day and dream of that awesome place! They cost about 12 euros each and they were so easy to transport - I wish I had purchased dozens for gifts!!!

 

Happy shopping and smooth sailing, everyone!

[Kassandra]

The ring sounds beautiful....what kind of stones were in it and where is the shop that you were in last time? We will be in Santorini in May.

 

Hi lanceholt; there are no stones in it. It is a granulated gold ring inspired by the Byzantine styles; this website has some similar (although with stones! but the shape is similar to what I have)

http://dovrisgold.com/

 

This website also has similar rings:

http://www.athenas-treasures.com/categories/Rings/Band-Rings/

 

Alas, I cannot recall the name of the store; there are so many, and they seem to move around a lot! I will see if I can find the box I orginially got the ring in and see if there is a website!!:)

You can kind of see my ring in this picture (if I can get the picture to work!!) Which I obviously cannot do!

 

Enjoy Santorini!!

[lanceholt]

Thank you, they are really gorgeous!

[jaegan2]

Speaking of Christmas ornaments. When I first started working more than 30+ years ago there was an older retired attorney who rented an office. He mainly kept to himself - would come in - get his coffee - reads his papers - walk at lunch, etc. Long story short Mr. S went to Israel on vacation and bought me back a wooden camel ornament. It goes on my tree every year and although I know it did not cost much - it meant a lot to me that he thought to shop for something for me and of course it was special, coming from Bethlehem.

[TLCOhio]

Yes, lots of great memories from items, mostly that my wife buys, from several trips in the Med. Below are some visuals and ideas from what we did and enjoyed. Personally, I stick most to the pictures. BUT, having some "physical" items is great to keep the memories alive and fresh.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 72,800 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

At Ravello as we did a private tour along the super scenic Amalfi Coast, we visited several nice ceramics shops with locally-made pieces of many sizes. Here is the owner making a welcoming toast to come in and shop. Second is a picture for some of the items offered here. Taking these ceramics back is great way to keep these trip memories alive and well, year after year.:

 

 

 

 

 

Within San Gimignano in scenic Tuscany, here is a view of one of their many charming pottery shops with their great beauty and craft skills. These shops open on to the main walking street.:

 

 

 

Inside Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar that attracts three million people, here is one of the merchants/artists making us a custom item for our daughter-in-law from pink stones. Check their website: http://www.grandbazaaristanbul.org. It is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewelry, hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and antique shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather, gold jewellery and the like. The bazaar has been an important trading centre since 1461 and its labyrinthine vaults feature two bedestens (domed buildings), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake. Here is a custom item for our daughter-in-law being made there.:

 

 

 

Here are some examples of three inexpensive gift items bought at the Istanbul airport before flying out from Turkey. These designs nicely capture their culture and can work well around your home and/or to give to friends and family. These 6.4" diameter pot holders cost about $4 each, as I recall.:

 

 

 

Nearby to our hotel in the Plaka is this cute shop with a wide variety of statutes and other reproductions reflecting the great Greek artistic traditions. My wife is pictured with the shop ownders. They were very helpful and had a wide selection of options. We bought a couple of nice items that are in our home daily as a reminder of our wonderful visit to Greece.:

 

[Buranogal]

Thanks for posting photos Terry. Always enjoy your posts. Bit nervous seeing Mt Etna erupting tho. Hope it settles down b4 July. liz

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for posting photos Terry. Always enjoy your posts. Bit nervous seeing Mt Etna erupting tho. Hope it settles down b4 July. liz

 

Appreciate, Liz, your kind comments on my photos. Good luck on your upcoming Italy, etc., sailings in the Med. We are just now finalizing for January, 2014 for our first adventure and visit to Australia and New Zealand. Will have lots of questions on these boards for visiting "down under"!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 72,912 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[ksps cruise fan]

Thanks for posting photos Terry. Always enjoy your posts. Bit nervous seeing Mt Etna erupting tho. Hope it settles down b4 July. liz

 

 

We know that the volcano in Iceland interferred with air travel, but I don't recall any issues with cruise ship operation. Admittedly, cruisers planning an excursion up the volcano could have their plans impacted. Otherwise, I view Mt. Etna's eruption as a bonus for visitors.

 

In another thread, I mentioned the thrill of seeing the rivers of lava flowing down the slopes each night. The only downside to the eruption was the fact that, each morning, our patio furniture (hotel in Taormina) was covered with fine black grit. Still, even that was an interesting real-life experience.

 

Assuming the lava is flowing down the slope facing Catania and Giardini Naxos, cruisers should be able to see the red glow at night and, possibly find balcony furniture similarly "dusted" each morning. I don't know about the distances between Etna and Messina.

[F19810]

Many years ago I was in Crete and got a dolphin ring that I still wear almost every day. I also got a glass dolphin in Murano. Can you tell that I like dolphins!

 

The first time that I was in Rome, my friend asked me to bring back something religious. Not being Christian, I didn't know what to bring back until I went to a store near the Vatican that sold rosary beads made with rose petals. They were easy to carry,inexpensive and made my carry on bag smell like roses! When I got back home, she loved them and several people asked me to get them some when I went back to Rome a couple of years later. After I got back from that trip, I had to get my mother to bring some more home when she went back to Rome a few months later. I guess they were popular!

Judy

[Buranogal]

Hi terry from down under Sounds fabulous. We have only done North Island NZ loved it South Island more glaciers. Are you visiting Tasmania?. We do have a lot of cruise ships calling into Burnie and Hobart these days. We do not hqave a lot of history here I mean we are a young country compared to Europe but you will be fascinated. cheers Liz

[Buranogal]

Sorry cant see reply button Mentioned to mere male you looking at 2014 already and he replied yes where will we go. What would be your favourite cruising area? Hawaii was wonderful. What are your thoughts on Alaska? regards down under

 

 

Appreciate, Liz, your kind comments on my photos. Good luck on your upcoming Italy, etc., sailings in the Med. We are just now finalizing for January, 2014 for our first adventure and visit to Australia and New Zealand. Will have lots of questions on these boards for visiting "down under"!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 72,912 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Hi terry from down under Sounds fabulous. We have only done North Island NZ loved it South Island more glaciers. Are you visiting Tasmania?. We do have a lot of cruise ships calling into Burnie and Hobart these days. We do not hqave a lot of history here I mean we are a young country compared to Europe but you will be fascinated. cheers Liz

 

YES, Liz, our Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014 Solstice cruise will visit Tasmania!! Looking forward to that stop in Hobart. Understand that the history "down under" is younger than here in the USA, but the wildlife and scenic views will make up for that difference. I like your promise of "you will be fascinated".

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 72,977 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474