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When we travel, we acquire souvenirs to remember our trip and most of those are purchased. Some of the best often cannot be bought but can be acquired free with a bit of diplomacy and finesse. I'm talking about a menu from a restaurant that made a particularly favorable impression on you.
Many restaurants offer mini menus for take-out or souvenir purposes but for the true collector nothing can take the place of an actual menu. If the printed page is bound in a leather cover, the owners will probably not part with the cover, but the menu within is a different matter. Often, with the right complements, not to mention a generous tip to your waiter, you can obtain one of these. Framed and displayed on a shelf in a dining room it can make an impressive addition to the decor.
Which brings me to the subject of souvenirs. Sno-Ball globes with the Eiffel Tower or the New York skyline are all well and good, but frequently people overlook the least expensive and most lasting memories of their trips.
My favorite is the simple postcard. Postcards usually have stunning views of the places you visit photographed by professionals on gorgeous days. They are sometimes taken from places you might not ordinarily have access to such as helicopters or the tops of buildings and are photographed with view cameras to offer stunning colors. Even if you have a 9 megapixel digital camera, but some postcards anyway because you can easily mount them in your photo album with your immediate memories jotted on the back. Look for shops that sell old picture postcards of a city or attraction because framed these look great hung in little groupings on your wall.
Another favorite is matchboxes or matchbooks. Even if you don't smoke, grab a couple if they are offered, remove the matches, flatten them out, and mount them in the photo album. They offer all sorts of information such as addresses and telephone numbers if you return to that city or recommend the place to a friend.
Most hotels have stationary in the room. A sheet of the letterhead and envelope mounted alongside a photo of your hotel in the photo album are a great addition.
I almost always buy a city map when I travel and often get one free from the local visitor's bureau. These are great when telling your friends about your trip and showing them where things are in case they plan to visit. I carry along a high lighter to mark special places that I want to remember or scenic routes that I might recommend.
Visitor's bureaus are great places because they have all sorts of great free stuff and advice on places to see and things to do that you might miss. Most speak not only the local language but English, Spanish, and French as well.
Almost everyone loves T-shirts because they are inexpensive and tell everyone where you've been, but look for little lapel pins with national flags. Many countries have Teddy bears dressed in some national costume and adding a little flag to the costume gives it a nice touch.
Don't forget the food. In Italy, buy pasta, jams, and jellies. Buy sweets as well in Austria and France. In Belgium, buy chocolate and lace. In Germany a beer stein or two, and if you go to Munich, even if you don't drink beer, go to the Hofbrauhaus and buy a stein or a coaster and a postcard. Go to a modern supermarket in every city you visit and see how the locals shop. Buy a can of Coca Cola in every language, you will be amazed.
Souvenirs need not be boring.
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