Ugly but Loveable Souvenirs

This morning I decided to put together the Trevi fountain cardboard model that I cut out of a souvenir postcard from the shop at Villa Borghese for 2 euro. It was a fiddly little job and it doesn’t look very good and I’m not sure how long I will keep it and now, I’m surprised that I even bought it.

I threw away piece number 6, it was just too small.

I’m not an arty crafty sort of person and definitely not a knick-knack sort of a girl. I generally buy very little when I’m travelling. I want to stay luggage light and it’s the experiences I’m after. I also never want to spend much more than the cost of the travel.

So I came home with mostly practical buys, toiletries I needed to top up, and very small easy to slip in my bag items, regional playing cards, a Sicilian trinacria that my husband hates so I hide and a Christmas magi for my tree; a couple of bracelets, a singlet due to a cold snap the day I was in Orvieto, and my biggest expense a beautiful warm Italian made wool poncho…(I try to reassure myself that it was ok to spend the money,… it was getting cold in November and I was sick of my polar fleece…I really didn’t need it, it was a bit of an extravagance, …but I love it).

I did look at the bags and shoes. I was open to finding something wonderful but didn’t go there the last trip. Maybe this one?

I light up when my husband wears the cheesecutter cap and scarf I bought him in Rome and my sons wear their gifts, …a watch and other bits, socks, tshirts etc.

I think my greatest treasures for me is the scrapbook of all my tickets and receipts and maps. It tells a rich story. It was worth it’s weight! I carried scissors and a gluestick throughout my journey.

My scrapbook.