THE DISCOVERER BLOG RECENTLY RECOMMENDED “Ten Souvenirs You Should Actually Buy in Europe.” Which, in turn, got me thinking of my own travel acquisitions, about which I score pretty well on the Discoverer list. Here are tidbits about its list and mine, some of which I confess are merely list-related.
Italy: Murano Glass. “The tradition of glassmaking on Murano,” Discoverer recounts, “began in the 13th century. If you find yourself in Venice, hop on a vaporetto bound for the island.”
Image by adadem/Shutterstock via Discoverer.
Years ago, Wife Dottie, rest her soul, was in Venice at the conclusion of an Orient Express adventure. She continued with a Murano visit that included purchase of this necklace.
Lithuania: Amber. Discoverer writes, “Nuggets of amber wash up on the shores of the Baltic States with the tide.” Amber, of course, is fossilized tree resin appreciated for its beauty since Neolithic times.
Image by Michele Ursi/Shutterstock via Discoverer.
When I visited the Baltic countries with Saab in 1990 (see “He’s Got a Lot of Balts”), the Russians got shirty with Lithuania about energy, and I was unable drive in my ancestral homeland.
Later, though, R&T’s Joan Peters visited a local Lithuanian celebration here in SoCal and gifted me with old-country souvenirs, among them this charming amber young lady and soaring bird.
Belgium: Lace. “Lace making has a 600-year history in Belgium,” Discoverer observes.
Image by AnnekeDeBlock/iStock via Discoverer.
Been there, but alas I concentrated on its frieten (Flemish) or frites (Belgian French). Elsewhere, they may be called pomme frites or even French Fries. Potverdorie! (Flemish for Zut alors!)
Iceland: Knitted Sweater. “Made with sheep’s wool,” Discoverer describes, “and usually featuring a distinctive geometric design of zig zags and diamonds around the yoke, a knitted sweater is one of the most practical purchases you’ll make in Iceland.”
Practical unless you live in sunny southern California. Instead I added to the family sheep collection.
Austria: Swarovski Crystal. Discoverer observes, “Tourists from all over the world flock to Wattens, a market town in the Austrian Tyrol, for one reason: it’s where you’ll find Swarovski Kristallwelten.”
Image by robertprzbysz/iStock via Discoverer.
Er…. I recall Austria instead for an Innsbruck Christmas celebration.
Germany: Birkenstock Sandals. “Love them or hate them,” Discoverer writes, “it’s hard to argue with the fact that many a traveler swears by this iconic footwear. Comfortable and robust, cobbler Johann Adam Birkenstock originally made these cork-soled fitness sandals in Langen-Bergheim, Germany in 1774.”
Actually, I bought my first sandals from Zora the Sandal Maker about 200 years later on St. Thomas.
Indeed, though, I did buy a European pair of scarpe mocassini in pelle di cervo (deer-skin loafers) in San Marino, the microstate near Imola, home to the San Marino Grand Prix, 1981–2006.
My mocassini di cervo.
England: China Teapot. “A good cup of tea,” Discoverer says, “is an essential part of any English vacation.” It mentions finding a perfect teapot in an antique store.
I opted instead for a more sturdy ceramic jar once containing J. Sainsbury’s Freshly Made Bloater Paste.
France: Lavender. “Provence in the South of France is famous for its lavender fields,” writes Discoverer.
Image by jonathan martindale/Shutterstock via Discoverer.
Big deal. I’ve got my Bloater Paste.
Denmark: Scandi Homewares. Discoverer says, “If you’re a fan of that pared down, elegantly rustic style that is Scandi chic, then you need to get yourself on a plane to Copenhagen.”
When I did, several times, I returned with other real finds: artistically cut card art and Pålægschokolade.
Above, yet to be gifted. Below, one card hangs in the Sherlock Holmes portion of a bookcase.
Pålægschokolade, literally “chocolate to put on bread,” is a Danish breakfast delight. Wikipedia notes, “It was originally introduced to the Danish market by Galle & Jessen in 1963.” Being hep, I was bringing it to SoCal within 20 years.
Image of flacky-thin pålægschokolade by Väsk Date: August 2005 via Wikipedia.
Switzerland: Chocolate. “Fortunately,” Discoverer says, “most border agencies will allow the import of chocolate so long as you declare them.”
Yep, from Switzerland, Denmark, or wherever. Thanks, Discoverer, for assembling this thoughtful-provoking list.
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025