Memories

The Nivea shower gel post a couple of weeks ago got me thinking about a few of my other favorite things, things I've brought back with me from other trips, things that caught my eye in a foreign city, "souvenirs", if you want to call them that.  I admit, I don't get into buying souvenirs, just to have a "souvenir".  Other than a post card or two, I rarely buy traditional "souvenirs", and I am not a collector of anything.  I have my fair share of photo books, and artwork from local artisans, but the best souvenirs are the souvenirs I use regularly, like the Nivea shower gel and these wool slippers.  For the last 3 1/2 years, I have worn these Geisswein slippers, purchased from a small shop in Vienna, every day.  Every day I am taken back to that time and place, the unseasonal heat wave, the soccer-crazed fans in town from the European Championships, and the little shop of sweaters, scarves and slippers tucked into a side street.  Yes, you could find this same brand in the states, just google it and you will see you can easily find it.  But it's not just about the slippers, it's about the memories.

Because several other of my Pearls, or favorite things, are also travel souvenirs, I'm thinking about doing a short series of them.  I hope it won't bore you, and the exact items may not be that easy to find, but the idea is to encourage you to think differently about your own souvenirs the next time you travel.