Travel Confessions

This is part of a series on Travel Confessions.  My nomination was from Renee at cravesadventure and you should go to her blog and read her travel confessions too!

There are a few rules in the Travel Confessions series:

  • Post a photo (or photos) and description(s) of your confession(s) in a new post.
  • Tweet your post with hashtag #TravelConfession and follow/tweet @Traveling9to5
  • Tag 3 other travelers you’d love to see

My list is all about souvenirs.  Some are useful, some are decorative, and some never make it home at all (chocolate).

Confession 1:  I still bring home refrigerator magnets when I travel.  I already have a big collection, but they’re cute, inexpensive and easy to pack.  And when they’re on my refrigerator I get to reminisce about where I got them.  Here are some of my favorites.

magnetmagnetmagnet

Confession 2:  Shoes, handbags, jewelry and scarves are my idea of great souvenirs.  When someone admires one of these items I like to say, “I got this in Italy.”  Then I try to stop talking because otherwise I’ll describe the day, time and place where I purchased it.  But I always remember…

Confession 2 1/2:  This relates to Confession 2.  After my first trip to Florence I found myself with three handbags, two pairs of shoes and many scarves.  I barely had room for these in my suitcase and I finally had to leave the shoeboxes behind.

shoes

Confession 3:  Chocolate is a delicious souvenir, and sadly one that never lasts long because I eat it immediately.  Here’s an example:  I bought chocolate at the Rome airport that I ate before I boarded the plane.  However I still have the empty box.

chocolate

Now I will nominate three bloggers to share their travel confessions:

the travelbunny

East of Málaga

DUTCH goes ITALIAN

I’m looking forward to hearing your stories!

Necessary Shopping in Florence

A visit to Florence should include shopping, from window shopping on the Ponte Vecchio to actual buying at places like the San Lorenzo market.  A good place to begin is with the Ponte Vecchio itself, which is impressive from either side of the Arno.

FlorenceFlorence

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A Scarf as Gift Wrap

When I was in Tokyo, I purchased several scarves I thought would go with outfits I already had.  When I bought them, the salesperson also tucked some folded papers with instructions in the bag with my scarves.  I didn’t really notice these papers until after I got home and sorted through my shopping bags.  When I saw the instructions, I realized that they were step-by-step illustrations on how to use these scarves.  Apparently they are not meant to be worn, but could be used (among other things) as gift wrap! 

the scarf

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