Frommers just published a guide to the best duty free shopping at airports. I am not a duty free shopper since I am generally not looking for booze or expensive jewelry or handbags, however, I’ve been known to browse at the airport, duty free or not. And if I have a layover, I will most definitely pop into the shops in my terminal. In general, airport shopping is nothing more than a diversion while you’re waiting to board, but on occasion I’ve stumbled onto some nice finds.

In Hawaii my daughter and I both found super cute navy blue hoodies with “Hawaii” spelled out in madras plaid. This was a treat after not being able to find anything on the island we wanted.

In Rome I found a nice selection of photographic coffee table books and bought one there. This is an item I buy on just about every trip and we had not seen many of them throughout Italy, so it was a good find.

The St. Lucia airport had a very nice shop that sold locally made items, but I don’t think I actually bought much, mostly because I’d been to the stores selling those items already. If I hadn’t, this would have been quite a find for me.

Airport shopping can be good for magnets, which I also buy on every trip. If you can’t find one on your travels, you can pretty much rest assured that you can find something at the airport. Airports can also be good for locally packaged food souvenir type items. In Florida, you can buy little gumballs in the shape or oranges or gum or candy that is called “alligator poop.” If you’re desperate to bring home candy from the area you visited, you can likely find some at the airport. In Hawaii, you can buy whole pineapples at the airport to bring home if you desperately need one straight from Hawaii.

Other than those items though, I don’t find airport shopping to be a good deal or very interesting. At best, it is a diversion for me and a reason to walk around. Have you ever bought anything great at an airport?

 

Frommers just published a guide to the best duty free shopping at airports. I am not a duty free shopper since I am generally not looking for booze or expensive jewelry or handbags, however, I’ve been known to browse at the airport, duty free or not. And if I have a layover, I will most … Read more →

While there are magnificent and amazing things about Japan, I find that after our recent trip there, the things I keep thinking about are the small, little things that somehow add up to a huge cultural difference.

1. Plastic food. People in Japan are obsessed with plastic food. Many, many restaurants display plastic models of their dishes in the front window. Here in the States, you know never to eat anywhere that does this or even has a menu with photos, but it’s not true in Japan. There are also plastic food stores. Because you never know when you might need some.

2. Payment rituals. When you buy something in a store you are supposed to place your credit card, using two hands, onto a small tray by the register. The clerk then picks it up and bows and you’re supposed to bow back. It’s then placed back in the tray (with two hands) for you to pick up. If you pay with cash, the same ritual ensues.

3. Shopping requires assistance. Many stores have one item of each type on display. If you would like to buy it, a sales clerk must get you another one. It’s not a problem though since there are sales people everywhere, swarming in to offer assistance. You do have to be sure to examine the item that you are given so that you can make sure it is not defective or different from the item you indicated you wanted.

4. Washcloths everywhere.  Every time you dine in Japan, you are first presented with a white, warm, wet washcloth. In many instances you do not have a napkin and keep this for the entire meal. Even when you ride the bullet train you are given a packaged wet wipe even if you do not purchase food.

5. Fear of shoes. Don’t even think about coming into a restaurant, temple, shrine, or inn with your shoes on. And when you take your shoes off to enter, you must do so very carefully. Your shoes must never, ever touch the wooden floor (or god forbid, tatami mat) that signals the beginning of the premises and your shoeless feet must never, ever touch the tile, stone, or flooring you entered on. All of this leads to a very complex balancing act where you must remove a shoe and get that foot onto the wooden floor or mat  and then remove the other shoe and then get that foot up too, without losing your balance and touching the actual contaminated floor. If you make a mistake or forget and attempt to enter with your shoes on, the usually reticent Japanese will shout at you. We even had some hotel employees remove their shoes before coming into our room to deliver laundry or ice.

6. Bathroom insanity. High tech Japanese toilets with music, sound effects, heated seats, water sprays and automatic flushes can be found everywhere, even in

train stations. Most of these toilets automatically begin making noise as soon as you sit on them, to disguise any sounds you might make. When you go to a restaurant or ryokan (traditional inn), there are toilet slippers you are expected to use in the bathrooms (since you have removed your shoes upon entry to the premises).  These are plastic leatherette slippers – the kind your great grandma used to wear. And yet public bathrooms have no soap, no towels, and no hand dryers.  Japanese women carry small washcloth sized towels (usually in crazy patterns) in their purses to dry their hands, but no one is using soap or hand sanitizer. Ever. Yet they are super concerned about your feet. There are many, many shops that just sell these small, brightly colored bathroom towels.

7. Get used to standing. Because we are fat, lazy, loud Americans, we are used to being able to plant our butts on a bench or chair often. In Japan there are almost no benches. We visited many parks and gardens where there was not a bench in sight. We had lunch one day at a busy department store food hall. They have no tables or benches. We were lucky to discover a few chairs in a corner so we could sit and eat. There are notes on the umbrella stands (see #8) warning people not to sit on them – because they are the ONLY possible place you might consider sitting.

8. Umbrella fear. When it rains in Japan, everyone carries a full-size umbrella. When the rain stops, they walk with it like a fun cane. No one – not a single person –

carries a fold up umbrella. Stores, restaurants, temples, and shrines have umbrella stands (some sporting signs warning people not to sit on them, because, as we saw, they collapse when a foolish tourist thinks they are a place to sit). They do not want your scary umbrella inside their restaurant or shop, even if it is folded up.

9. Overt politeness. While we certainly encountered a few people who were not friendly or were stone-faced and impenetrable, for the most part, the people we encountered were friendly and unfailingly courteous. I have never been anywhere before where everyone was so very formal and so very careful with their manners. It made me feel like a boorish American. We had a driver pick us up on time and nearly scrape the floor bowing as he apologized over and over for keeping us waiting. People who work in restaurants and shops are friendly and helpful and thank you profusely over and over while bowing many times. Even the gentlemen (and they were gentlemen) who worked in the ticket booths in the subways were professional, courteous, helpful and polite (I couldn’t help but compare them to subway workers in NYC – but there is no comparison). The train conductors who came through the cars to take your tickets would get to the end of the car, turn, and bow to the car before exiting.

10. Wrapping is an art. When you buy something in a shop in the States, it’s usually chucked into a plastic bag and handed to you. When you buy something in Japan, plan to stand there for hours and wait while it is packaged. Price tags are removed. Items are wrapped in tissue paper, foam paper, bubble wrap and usually boxed and then wrapped in wrapping paper. I even had one item wrapped in tissue, foam, bubble wrap, then boxed the then wrapped in bubble wrap again. Your item is then placed in a bag and the bag is sealed shut with a sticker or colorful tape. If it is raining, the bag is then covered with a special rain cover. Some stores provide seating so you can sit and wait while you purchase is packaged, because it is a lengthy and complex process.

11. Buttoned up, until they’re not. When you walk through a train station during rush hour, everyone around you is wearing black, blue, and white. There is no other color on anybody in sight. The women are very buttoned up in high necked blouses and prim suits and dresses. You could hear a pin drop in the station even as the entire place is crawling with people. It’s like being in the middle of worker ants. Each is steadfastedly and silently intent on its own journey. No one speaks. No one laughs. No one makes any noise. The only sound is the rhythmic movement of feet. It’s eerie. But on the weekend these same people don crazy costumes and bright gaudy, weird clothes to go out and about. It’s almost like they have to rebel on the weekends against the very serious and straight-laced working culture .

 

While there are magnificent and amazing things about Japan, I find that after our recent trip there, the things I keep thinking about are the small, little things that somehow add up to a huge cultural difference. 1. Plastic food. People in Japan are obsessed with plastic food. Many, many restaurants display plastic models of … Read more →

I’ve been to six Caribbean islands (not counting the Keys) and St. Lucia is coming in at number two on my best shopping list. There isn’t a lot of shopping on the island, but what there is, is excellent. If you can tear yourself away from the baby soft sand on the beaches, the glorious peaks, and the excellent dining, shopping should be high on your list.

Although St. Lucia is not huge (28 miles long, about 238 square miles total), it is time-consuming to get around because

the roads are mountainous, narrow, and completely unlabeled. Because of this we concentrated on three shopping areas: Castries, Rodney Bay, and Choiseul. Plan to break this up into at least two days. Choiseul is far south and is a day unto itself. If you are staying in the south, you will want to come north only once since it is a long way.

Castries

Everything you read will tell you to go to the Castries Market. I’m telling you don’t bother. This is just like any other

Caribbean market. It’s all junk made overseas. If you’re looking for cheap, mass-produced “souvenirs,” make it a stop. I’m not interested in any of that, so we took a peek and then ditched it. The shopping you should be interested in is up in the hills. And it’s really hard to find. Google Maps essentially threw up its hands and said “Good luck!” to us. It did get us close enough to spot a sign for one of the shops we were looking for and once there we were able to get directions to the other places we wanted to find. It was worth a trip for the shopping and also for the amazing view up there.

Caribelle Batik

This was the only store we found on our own and it was worth it. St. Lucia is known for batik and this is the place to go to buy it. You can watch a demonstration, enjoy the view from their terrace,

and do a lot of shopping. There’s even a free washroom (hard to find on the island!).  If you visit when a tour bus is there, there are also refreshments and music. We were the only shoppers the day we visited. The shop has a large selection of batik clothing for men, women, and children. I’m giving them a special shout out since they carried some plus sizes which are always hard to find in the Caribbean. Batik purses, glasses cases, bags, scarves, wraps, and more are also available. I toyed with buying a large wrap and using it as a tablecloth, but couldn’t find quite the right one. There is a fascinating collection of botanical jewelry made from threads and thin yarn. Very unique. It wasn’t quite right for me, but is worth a look. You’ll find other souvenirs such soaps made on the island, mugs, towels, magnets, flags, bookmarks, bottled sauces, and some art prints. We spent a lot of time browsing and I left with a dress, soap, glasses case, tea towel (which I use as quirky napkins) and bookmarks. Get directions to the other shops listed below while you are here. They are simple to find with directions.

Bagshaws

Bagshaws is another batik house and was not a favorite for me. They seem to be catering to tour buses. They have one large, entire room for demonstrations and not a

lot to purchase. Most of the purchases don’t even look like batik and are floral prints. I did buy a Bagshaws tea towel at the airport of all places and did not see that particular design at the shop. We visited at the end of the tourist season so they may have more earlier in the year. It is also likely to be livelier if you come when a tour group is there. They also have a lovely view. Another free washroom here as well.

The Pink Plantation House

I fell in love with the Pink Plantation House which is a stunning old plantation home set on the side of a hill with glorious views. It’s a restaurant with an interior room that sells locally made pottery. I bought only a bookmark here since the pottery ended up not quite being my thing, but it was beautiful and well-made and I highly recommend it. Plan to stop for lunch. The menu looked good and it’s an amazing setting for a relaxed lunch.

Eudovic’s Art Studio

I didn’t make any purchases at this shop either, which contains local, handmade, local wooden masks. They are beautifully done and worth a peek if masks interest you.

Rodney Bay

Rodney Bay is the area that was the easiest navigate since everything is on one flat road in a highly trafficked tourist area, right at Reduit

Beach. There is even a parking ramp, which was free when we were visiting. Be sure to check out the beach (you pull in right past the police station and park next to the sand). The beach has a view of Pigeon Island and the bay is filled with sailboats. Chairs can be rented and it’s a great place to spend an afternoon.

Sea Island Cotton

This shop is in the Baywalk Shopping Mall (but has an entrance on the street as well), next to the grocery store (which is of Whole Foods quality, a stark comparison to most stores on the island: they’re catering to the yachts). This shop is either owned by the same people as Caribelle Batik or Caribelle is a big vendor. There is a reasonable selection of Caribelle Batik items in this shop (great if you don’t want to wind up the hill in Castries). They have a large selection of other clothing as well and my daughter and I both bought several beautiful and very unique to the Caribbean pieces here. The likelihood of me being able to wear these tropical sundresses in Buffalo is slim, but I had to own them (I’ll just have to come back to the Caribbean to wear them!). They also carry mugs, toys, frames, magnets, purses, bags,

towels, and jewelry. They have the same botanical jewelry Caribelle Batik carries but also have a selection of mass-produced pieces that are not local. Some of those were unique and I did buy a beaded bracelet cuff. Pop into the grocery store next door (enter through the mall or parking garage) to buy bottled sauces (I brought home banana ketchup and passion fruit sauce), dried sea moss, dried cinnamon in big bunches, or cacoa sticks for making cacao tea.

Island Mix

Walk down to where the road curves to the left for the beach (or drive and park your car along the beach side) to visit the

tiny artisan shop right near the corner. Everything in the shop was locally made. I bought only a magnet, but eyeballed scarves, jewelry, plates, artwork, ornaments, and more. Everything in this shop is well-made and lovely.

Choiseul

If you are staying in the Sugar Bay area or are driving down to see the volcano, Choiseul is just a bit further south. Google Maps again thumbed its nose at us, but we were able to stumble on the first shop and then get directions to the second. Both are

on the main road in the area, coming south from Sourfriere. This was the best shopping in my opinion.

Choiseul Arts and Crafts

This shop does not look fantastic from the outside, but it really was delightful inside.

Everything is handmade on the island by a variety of artisans. The ladies running the shop had a very heavy accent and were a bit hard to understand, but were helpful. They took only cash (everyone on the island will take US dollars without an

issue) and had a free washroom (score!). The shop carries a big collection of baskets and of course I had to have one. They also have pottery (I bought a vase), magnets, dolls, animal figurines, cacao

tea sticks (basically a log of pressed cocoa that you grate over hot water to make a drink), and some artwork. I bought half a coconut painted with the Pitons.

Choiseul Art Gallery

This was my biggest find of the trip. Harriet and her husband came to St.

Lucia from England. They bought a small farm and opened an art gallery. Their dogs and goats are running around. Harriet is an artist. She makes beautiful paintings. She’s also written a book. Her husband is handy and crafts amazing things out of island fruits, paper, metal, and just about anything he can get his

hands on. This shop is not to be missed. The only thing that kept me from buying half of it was that their credit card machine was down and we had to pay with the limited cash we had on us. They were lovely people to talk to and I could have bought just about everything they were selling. I came home with a print, a

calabash basket, a tray, and a bowl made of paper. This is a not to be missed shop.

 

 

I’ve been to six Caribbean islands (not counting the Keys) and St. Lucia is coming in at number two on my best shopping list. There isn’t a lot of shopping on the island, but what there is, is excellent. If you can tear yourself away from the baby soft sand on the beaches, the glorious … Read more →

There are quite a few things I look to buy when traveling, but an item that I often recommend to anyone looking to start a souvenir collection is the bookmark. I have over 80 bookmarks I’ve collected in my travels, and I hope to add more with future trips. So what makes the bookmark the perfect souvenir?

Portability

Bookmarks are small and nearly weightless. You don’t have to worry about how you’ll get them home, if they will break, or if you have room in your suitcase. Even if you’re traveling with carry on luggage you can bring them home. You don’t even have to really pack them, just stick them in an outside pocket or inside a book.

 

Cost

Bookmarks are cheap! It is only in rare instances that I have spent more than $5 for a bookmark, even the artisan-made unique bookmarks I search out. You can easily bring home a souvenir from everywhere you go without making a dent in your budget, yet they make a big impact (more about this later). This is also a great benefit because you can simply buy them as you see them – no deciding if you might find a better one later in the trip. Buy all the ones you see and then decide when you get home which ones belong in your collection.

 

Availability

While bookmarks aren’t in every cheap souvenir store the way shot glasses, thimbles, and t-shirts are, they are still relatively easy to find. They’re often positioned near the register in shops. Shops at museums and historical sites frequently carry bookmarks. Stores carrying artisan crafts often sell them. You can also find them at galleries and craft co-ops where there are sometimes bookmarks that are mini prints of the art carried in the store.

 

Servicability

Unlike a lot of souvenirs, you can actually use bookmarks in your daily life. They are great for marking your page in the novel you’re reading, but they can also be stuck in your cookbooks to mark your favorite recipes or in your Bible or book of poetry to hold a favorite section. It’s a lovely surprise to open a book and be reminded of a place you visited.

 

Uniqueness

I’ve never met anyone else who collects bookmarks as a souvenir, so you will be part of a small class.  Your bookmark collection will be eye-catching and surprise people who see it.

 

Artistic Quality

Although bookmarks are definitely made to be used, they also are easy to display. I create groupings of bookmarks in large frames and hang them on the walls of my office. Many of them are really small works of art. I have bookmarks that are quilted, pressed flowers, metal, gemstones, carved wood, leatherworked, lace, graphic prints, photographs, woven fabric, and even glass. Because they are so tiny, you can display many in a small space.

Start by picking up a couple of bookmarks on your next trip. Stick them into books or wait until you have about 10 to frame them. They make the perfect souvenir.

There are quite a few things I look to buy when traveling, but an item that I often recommend to anyone looking to start a souvenir collection is the bookmark. I have over 80 bookmarks I’ve collected in my travels, and I hope to add more with future trips. So what makes the bookmark the … Read more →

Ireland is a veritable treasure trove for shoppers. My dirty little secret is we had to buy an additional suitcase to get it all home! If you are looking for beautiful, handmade or locally made goods that will sing to you of Ireland, you have much to choose from.

I’m going to share with you where to shop in Ireland and what to buy in a series of posts. Today we start with Dublin. Dublin is a lovely city with shopping zones that are all walkable and close to each other. Let’s clear up some misconceptions first: Temple Bar is not for shopping. Yes, there are a bunch of t-shirt shops, but it’s not a zone for dedicated shoppers. Powerscourt Shopping Centre: Another one to skip. This is just chain shops – a dull mall. Cow’s Lane Designer Mart sounded amazing, but in reality it was a tiny store with nothing worth buying, but you might find something since it is all handmade. I skipped Grafton Street since there were no shops with locally made artisan goods there. 

There are four places to spend your time in Dublin for excellent shopping. [Note: Some of my photos include items from other places and I’m not describing those finds today – if you’re intrigued, be sure to come back and read the posts that are coming up on where else I shopped in Ireland and I’ll tell you where those pieces came from!]

Avoca

Avoca is known for their knits, primarily throws, but this three story shop was fascinating for many reasons. I spent a lot of time comparing mohair to cashmere to wool in the throws and then dithering over which pattern I wanted. I ended up with the softest of soft mohair blue plaids. My daughter went nuts in this store, saying it was like Urban Outfitters on steroids. She bought a pink throw. They sell made in Ireland soaps, lotions, candles, and cosmetics, socks, scarves and gloves  housewares, jewelry, clothing, baked goods, bags, baskets and kitchenware. If that’s not enough, there is a full-service restaurant on the top floor and a bakery in the basement. You could spend a couple of hours here.

House of Ireland

By the time I exhausted my credit card in this shop on Nassau Street (just down the road from Trinity College), my teenage son could perfectly mimic the salespeople saying “Welcome to the House of Ireland” in a perfect accent (I told him his Irish genes had popped to the surface). This shop has three showrooms to explore. One is all knits and I bought the most amazing Aran knit throw here. Another room is all crystal and china. I snagged some Belleek and some fine Christmas tree ornaments here. You can also buy Waterford and other Irish crystal in this shop. The prices were comparable to other shops throughout the country.

My favorite part about this store has nothing to do with what I bought. The salesclerk took a liking to my husband and referred to him as Pat (NOT his name, it was a form of endearment) throughout our entire visit. “I’ll ring that up for you Pat.” “Now Pat, here’s how you get your tax refund.” It simply had us rolling with laughter and to this day I call him that occasionally. This same sales lady warned us to hold tight to our wallets out on the street since pickpockets are common, but felt a need to let us know “We’re not all of us thieves, you know.” She was adorable. Aside from the local color, this is a lovely shop with high quality finds.

Kilkenny Shop

The Kilkenny Shop is next door to the House of Ireland on Nassau Street. I considered skipping this since The Kilkenny Shop began in Kilkenny. It seemed to make sense to wait and shop where it began, but I’m glad I didn’t. The

Dublin branch is the largest and is truly a sight to see. This is the House of Ireland but all artisan-made. You can buy Waterford  here, but the best shopping is elsewhere in the store. There is a huge selection of stunning Irish pottery, including Nicholas Mosse, Belleek, and Kiltrea. I brought home a beautiful pottery bowl that is very Celtic in design and some egg cups (to display Easter eggs in). There are knits (throws, blankets, scarves, and gloves), cosmetics (candles, lotions, soaps, lip balms). A small clothing section at the rear of the store goes mostly unnoticed. A nice selection of Irish linen is enticing – I bought a small embroidered doily.  Jewelry, purses and other personal items are for sale. They have a beautiful collection of Jerpoint Glass, but I held off because I was planning to go to the Jerpoint Studio itself in Kilkenny (tune in to my upcoming post about Kilkenny!). I loved this shop as did my 21 year old daughter who bought copious amounts of beauty products and socks. I had one quibble with them. They had a beautiful display of china teacups in an

Irish rose pattern. I have a teacup collection and wanted one. They were only sold as a set of four, so I missed out on that.

Trinity College Gift Shop

The Library Shop at Trinity College is your reward after braving the crowds to gaze at the Book of Kells. This shop is tiny (and just as crowded as the Book of Kells viewing area), but it’s worth the struggle. They have an interesting collection of jewelry that I saw nowhere else. There is costume jewelry on racks and countertops and I bought a beautiful pottery Celtic necklace. Inside the cases are more expensive pieces and I bought a silver necklace with round pendant that has Celtic symbols on it. There are plenty of books if that suits your fancy. As for me, I was honed in on the bookmarks. There is a nice little collection of knits (socks, scarves and gloves) in the back of the shop and my daughter and I both helped ourselves to some of these. If you collect magnets, you can buy one here for the Trinity Library, but they unimaginative (just rectangular photo magnets). They sell family crest items in this shop if you’re in the market for that.

George’s Street Arcade

I said there are 4 places to shop and I’ll stick by that, but let me just add an aside about George’s Street Arcade. This is almost like a flea market with some hippies selling crazy art and a bunch of cheap junk made in Asia for sale in bins. There are two reasons to venture into this weird little alleyway. Lolly & Cooks sells amazing gluten-free cupcakes with tons of flavors. We bought an assortment and ate them ALL that night in our hotel. Delicious. Not to be missed if you are a gluten-free diner. The Gift of Warmth is another shop worth stopping into. They sell big fuzzy wool slippers. I bought a sheep for my collection here. There was nothing else in the arcade I would recommend at all, so go here only if you happen to be passing by.

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Ireland is a veritable treasure trove for shoppers. My dirty little secret is we had to buy an additional suitcase to get it all home! If you are looking for beautiful, handmade or locally made goods that will sing to you of Ireland, you have much to choose from. I’m going to share with you … Read more →

One of things you realize about America when you travel abroad is that it really is the New World. What we think of as old is practically yesterday in Europe. It’s not until you walk in castles or colosseums built before Europeans set foot in or imagined America that you get a sense of how recent everything on our continent is.

After visiting England, Scotland, and Italy, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of this. Knights and gladiators were something I could visualize. And then we went to Newgrange in Ireland. I had never heard of Newgrange until I began researching our trip, but my History

Channel-watching son knew all about it. Located about half an hour north of Dublin, Newgrange is a passage tomb built more than 5000 years ago. Think about that. 5000 years.

3000 years before the birth of Christ (and we think the Liberty Bell is old). I can’t even imagine what life was like then and we have no historical events we can tie it to. It’s practically forever ago.

A passage tomb is a tomb characterized by a long passage with a burial chamber, all underground, usually made of stone.

Getting There

To get to Newgrange, you must go to the Brú na Bóinne Visitors’ Center and take a guided tour to the site. The visitors’ center also has tours to Knowth, a similar passage tomb. We had our own vehicle and drove up from Dublin. You can also arrange for a day tour that will take you to the visitor’s center from Dublin. Our GPS was not very helpful in finding this, so I highly recommend you take down the GPS coordinates that are on the official site.

The Visitor’s Center is located in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn’t think you were going anywhere well known as you zig and zag down some one lane country roads. Eventually you see a little sign and pull into the parking lot. This was one of the parking lots on our trip that made me nervous about the safety of our possessions (all of our luggage was in the van). There are signs warning not to leave anything valuable in the car due to frequent break-ins (why then is there no security or video surveillance?). Some parts of the lot are far away and ringed with vegetation, making some cars not very visible. To add to my worry, the lot is not directly next to the center; you must walk along a covered path to get there. My wonderful husband found a spot directly next to the path and backed the van up so that the back door was almost directly against a small hill (making it impossible to open), so that I was able to breathe and not worry incessantly about the car.

Despite warnings in my guide book that tours fill up quickly, with the entire day often sold

out by 10 am, when we arrived around 10 am on an August Friday, there were very few visitors and we were scheduled for the next tour which left in ten minutes.

To get to the tour bus, you must walk across a bridge over a perfect gurgling river and through some woods to a little bus stop where 4 shuttle buses take visitors to and from the sites. Everyone who worked here was friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Welcome to the Past

We hopped on the shuttle and it drove down more country roads, past farms (interestingly, there is a town called Drogheda here we passed signs for – if you’ve ever read The Thorn Birds, you know this was the name of the sheep farm in the book) and sheep until it pulled up in front of the Newgrange site. Visitors get off the bus and gather at a small building where the tour guide meets you. This was all very casual – no lines, no big groups of people. At the top of the hill is the

imposing tomb. This does not look like a prehistoric site. It looks like a newly constructed bunker.

Our guide led us to the opening of the tomb where she pointed out the rocks with the symbols made by the people who created the tomb. These are beautiful symbols, but no one knows for sure what they mean. The outside of the tomb has been repaired and the entrance has been made more accessible with some stairs. Our guide talked to us about the people who built this tomb and pointed out that the countryside in this area is littered with these types of tombs (in my photo below, you can see a small bump in the middle of a sheep pasture – that is another tomb), although Newgrange is the largest. Most have not been excavated because there are simply too many. The tombs seem to not only be

for burial but also for memorial and as a way of marking territory or areas, as well as for possible religious reasons.

Our group was divided in half for entry into the tomb because although the outdoor structure is gigantic, the inside of the tomb is actually very small. She explained that the passageway is very narrow and instructed us that we had to take all bags and purses off our shoulders and carry them near the ground, where the widest part of the tomb is (I imagine this is the case since they slid or rolled stones in along the floor). Both my son and I, who are none too fond of enclosed spaces, were slightly nervous about going in, but I’m not about to

let some irrational fear stop me from seeing something made 5000 years ago! We entered the tomb single file, ducking to get in. It starts out pretty comfortably but as you move through, there a couple of spaces where you wonder “Am I going to fit?” as you duck and turn sideways. I kept telling myself all the people in front of me had managed and I could too. Before you know it, you are into the open part of the tomb and you can breathe. It’s actually a very short passageway and I think most people would have no trouble physically fitting or mentally coping.

Entering a Mystical Space

The inside is magnificent (and no photos were allowed so you will have to let my words show you). The narrow hallway opens up into a round center section where our group of 15 were able to stand comfortably. The roof above our heads was rounded and made up of gradually layered stones, climbing around and around, up to the ceiling. It had a beehive feel to it and was a very high ceiling, possibly 20 feet high or more at the center. Our guide told us that this portion of the tomb has been untouched and unrestored. Construction that has lasted more than 5000 years is astounding to see. If only the roof on my house could last this long.

Off of the center section, there are three small little cubbies. Each one has what looks like a giant shallow stone bowl sitting on stones. This is where the remains were placed. There are carvings and symbols on the walls.

Seeing the Light

This tomb goes beyond burial. It also has astronomical significance. At sunrise on the winter solstice and only then, the sun shines directly through an opening above the door and completely illuminates the inside of the tomb (there is a lottery to win tickets to be present for this event). Or guide first turned off the artificial lights so we could experience what the tomb is naturally like on a normal day and it was astounding to be in such complete and utter darkness. If you think about it, we are almost never in total darkness. When we turn off the lights in our homes there are alarm clocks, DVRs, and appliances with displays shining, not to mention the street lights and light from our neighbors. Even if you go into the forest or desert at night, there is light from the moon and stars. The inside of this tomb has absolutely no light. The darkness is heavy, rich, and velvety. Then our guide turned on an artificial light that recreates the rise of the sun on the solstice. It was simply magical to see and feel the light moving through the tomb. It filled the space with vibrancy and life. It is very clear that this moment once a year had a deep significance to the people who built this tomb. I could imagine what it would have been like to be there for this highly awaited event and feel the power of the sun that had somehow been captured by humans.

In that tomb, I felt deeply connected to these ancestors who had a necessary connection to the sun and rhythm of nature. It is hard to imagine that people who themselves lived in dwellings that did not last could build something so huge and magnificent to honor their dead and to be connected to the universe. The amount of resources, energy, and time that were put into creating this tomb is truly difficult to grasp, given their technology and the harshness of their lives.

We came out of the tomb and walked around it while the second half of our group went inside. There is a beautiful 360 view of the green rolling countryside from the tomb’s hill and I could imagine a group of people looking out and thinking “all of this is ours and we have put this marker here so everyone will know.”

Back to Reality

The shuttle took us back to the visitor’s center where I again realized that perhaps my true calling in life is to be a merchandiser for gift shops. The selections were not great. First of all, you’ve got to have a great t-shirt and a really good magnet (please – no more of the rectangular magnets with just a boring photo of the location) at major historical sites. There were stunning and moving designs on the outside and inside of the tomb – I would have expected jewelry, art, and other items depicting these.  There were some local artists set up inside the center center selling their work, but none of it impressed or excited me – it had no connection to what we saw or to the countryside. So while I can’t whole-heartedly endorse the gift shop, I will tell you that the memories you will bring home from Newgrange are better than anything you could buy.

 

One of things you realize about America when you travel abroad is that it really is the New World. What we think of as old is practically yesterday in Europe. It’s not until you walk in castles or colosseums built before Europeans set foot in or imagined America that you get a sense of how … Read more →

We just returned from a two week trip to France and Ireland. If you’re familiar with this blog, you know that I love to shop while traveling. I’m all about finding unique, locally made items to bring home that will make the memories of the trip a concrete part of my home and my life.

There are some places where I just know I’m going to hit the mother lode. Hawaii was one of those places. Ireland was definitely another. I knew before I went that I would like find many treasures that would appeal to me and I was right. Finding the treasures is the fun part. Getting them home safely takes some thought and planning.

Ship Your Shopping

One of the first rules of travel shopping is to have the store ship your items when possible. This is especially true when buying breakables – they wrap it properly and it’s insured. You don’t have to worry about how it will fare in your luggage. In Ireland, shipping ended up being free at a few places and at others it was the same amount as our VAT (sales tax) refund. In fact, one clerk told us shipping to the US was cheaper than to the EU. If I’m not buying something fragile or not buying a lot at one store, we bring the items home ourselves.

Shipping Revelation

As my purchases began to pile up, we realized we just weren’t going to have enough space in our luggage. We stopped at a Mailboxes, Etc. in Ireland, intending to ship some items home. The cheapest rate was 380 Euros, which is about $500. Yikes. Definitely more than the value of what I’d bought. We came to the realization that it made far more sense to buy an additional suitcase (50 Euros=$66) and pay the $100 airline fee for an extra bag. In the future I will likely do this again. It made the most sense.

Tips from the Packing Master

There is a clear division of labor in this family. I do the shopping and my husband does the packing. The man is a genius. I brought home many breakable items. Not a single thing was damaged this trip because he is so careful. Here are his secrets:

– Bring bubble wrap with you. It’s light and adds no weight to your luggage on the way there. It is essential for bringing home delicate items. Layer sheets of it in your luggage.

– Never throw anything out. This was a lesson well-learned when somehow in Puerto Rico a necklace my son bought for his girlfriend disappeared. We think it got thrown out in the bag it came in since it was light. So the rule following that debacle was that my husband brings home every single bag. He uses them as additional wrapping materials or layers them along the bottom and top of the suitcase (when the suitcase is lying down since this is the way they are stacked by the airline) to provide additional cushioning.

– Make a bubble. My husband uses clothing to completely surround the items he is packing. Fragile items are wrapped in bubble wrap then cushioned in the center of this clothing bubble. Nothing fragile is near an outside edge of a suitcase.

– Use double zipper bags. After last year’s Italy trip when one of my daughter’s bottles of limoncello burst in the suitcase, the rule is that anything liquid must be double bagged in a zipper bag. This year she brought olive oil and jelly home from her study abroad session in Croatia. The olive oil leaked, but it was double bagged so we were fine. My husband also recommends tightening screw caps to make sure they are sealed and wrapping tape around the cap if possible.

– Use boxes. If the item you buy comes in a box, use it. It is tempting to think it is just taking up space in your luggage, but it provides stability and prevents crushing. He uses socks and underwear for extra padding inside the box if needed.

– Get cardboard for art. I always buy inexpensive prints or a small piece of original artwork that depicts the place we visited, but getting unframed art home is a challenge. My husband asks for cardboard at the store and layers the art between the layers of cardboard, which he then tapes together.

– Toss to make space. If your suitcase is too full or over the airline’s weight restrictions, throw out things like shampoo, contact lens solution, shaving cream, etc which you can easily replace when you get home. At the end of your trip, these bottles are likely nearly empty anyhow, so it’s not that much of a loss. I also leave my travel guide books behind in the hotel room since they are quite heavy. A shirt I brought on this trip snagged on a fence and tore – that got left in the hotel room as well since it was not repairable, so why bring it home?

– Bring a tote bag. I have a big fabric Vera Bradley style overnight bag that weighs almost nothing and completely flattens. We always bring this in a suitcase as an emergency carry on. Sometimes you may think you are fine with space and weight only to weigh your bag the night before your flight and discover you have a problem. This tote is perfect for this emergency. I stuff my purse or wallet in my regular carry on and bring this bag for my two pieces of on board luggage. We also often use this tote to manually carry items we are very concerned about. I’ve carried framed art work, pottery, and glass home in this bag. Pad it well with bubble wrap and clothes and place it in under your seat if possible. If it has to go above you, carefully wedge it between the wall and another carry on of your own, so no one else can shove something up there and damage your items.

We just returned from a two week trip to France and Ireland. If you’re familiar with this blog, you know that I love to shop while traveling. I’m all about finding unique, locally made items to bring home that will make the memories of the trip a concrete part of my home and my life. … Read more →

This week’s basket is from Waikoloa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I came across this in a tiny group of shops we happened upon in an unexpected area. I also bought a Hawaiian quilt in the same shop. I found the shopping on the Big Island to be fantastic. There were so many handmade, beautiful items for sale that all reflected the natural beauty of the island.

The basket is an open top basket with a handle. It is made from royal palm. I particularly like the stitching down the sides. There is a piece of fabric that is used as a flap and it has a shell sewn on it. The tag that came with it called it a purse, but I think of it as a basket.

This week’s basket is from Waikoloa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I came across this in a tiny group of shops we happened upon in an unexpected area. I also bought a Hawaiian quilt in the same shop. I found the shopping on the Big Island to be fantastic. There were so many handmade, … Read more →

This week’s basket is from Juneau, Alaska. Juneau was a port on our Alaskan cruise. It was a very foggy day there and the helicopter ride to the glacier where we were going to ride dog sleds was cancelled. This was pretty crushing, but we saved the day by instead booking a visit to a dogsled camp (not on the glacier) where we got to see (and pet!) the dogs and ride in one of their practice sleds (what looked and felt like a huge armor-plated golf cart). We had a wonderful time, particularly when we got to hold puppies. The day was saved, and I also had time for some shopping. I found this basket in a shop in a little side street. In the middle of the basket is carved whale bone inset with blue beads. There are glass beads attached with rawhide at four spots around the outside of the basket. Unfortunately the little tag that describes the material used to create the basket has gone missing, but it was crafted by Native Americans in the area. I really like the pattern used to create this basket.

This week’s basket is from Juneau, Alaska. Juneau was a port on our Alaskan cruise. It was a very foggy day there and the helicopter ride to the glacier where we were going to ride dog sleds was cancelled. This was pretty crushing, but we saved the day by instead booking a visit to a … Read more →

One of my travel collections is bookmarks. They are wonderful to collect because bookmarks are sold in almost any destination and they are small, light, and inexpensive, making them easy to transport home and easy on the wallet. Bookmarks have been around as long as there have been books. Medieval book readers used them and it’s likely even papyrus scrolls were marked with bookmarks. (Read a brief history of bookmarks here.)

My bookmark collection started with a little bookmark I was given when our local library moved to its new home, about 13 years ago. We went to the grand opening and the first visitors were given bookmarks. I really liked it and I realized that bookmarks represented so much about me – not only am I someone who writes book, but I am an avid reader of books. I also love locally made hand crafts and there are many artisans who create bookmarks. My collection was born.

My bookmarks are displayed in groups in large frames in my office. Some are behind glass. Others are simply attached to a backing and put in a frame (if they are too thick for glass to fit over them). My husband has become very adept at attaching bookmarks with invisible fishing line with a little stitch to hold them in place. When I bring my bookmarks home, they live on a shelf next to my desk until there are enough to fill a new frame. I’m always so excited when I have enough to create a new display!

I have bought bookmarks from so many places over the years. When I first started  I bought a few at local bookstores, but my collection has evolved to where I now only buy them while traveling. As always, it’s not only about the end purchase, but the thrill of the hunt. This gives me a reason to go in stores and tromp around places I might not feel compelled to go. And each bookmark carries some special travel memory for me now.

This wooden bookmark was bought in Alaska. I love the bear. While we did not see a polar bear on

our trip, we did see a black bear. Our cruise ship actually turned around in the middle of dinner one night to circle past a bear and her cub who were on the shore eating a whale carcass. That’s the reason I bought the bookmark. It reminds me of that evening and the beauty of the Alaska scenery (so wild yet so beautiful).

You might wonder, do I actually use these bookmarks? I don’t and have to admit I often find myself grabbing a post-it note or scrap of paper to mark my place, even though I have a few bookmarks that are not display items. I’m always misplacing them!

One of my travel collections is bookmarks. They are wonderful to collect because bookmarks are sold in almost any destination and they are small, light, and inexpensive, making them easy to transport home and easy on the wallet. Bookmarks have been around as long as there have been books. Medieval book readers used them and … Read more →