may, 31st - far-flung finds.......

day 111:

one of my favourite things about travelling has always been about finding gorgeous, indigenous treasures to bring home....there's nothing that makes me fizz more with joy than using a bowl, spoon, quilt, glass, napkin.....that brings back the memory of a certain time and far-flung place....A. has always been extremely patient about my NEED to seek out a specific shop that sells something special.....usually with a strong artisanal element...give me something original, local, hand-crafted and i'm there wondering how to stretch that luggage allowance.....but even some of our simpler everyday things have been purchased in foreign supermarkets (always a good place to visit!) and give us happy little memories.

some of our more memorable purchases......

- a vintage white, fragile, silk-quilt...handmade in vietnam...that i begrudgingly use because in my mind, it's irreplaceable but there's no point in hiding it in a cupboard.


- a VERY LARGE ironwork mirror frame from marrakesh that we compulsively bought on our first evening and then spent the rest of the trip trying to squeeze into taxis and planes


- a LARGE and HEAVY mortar and pestle from chaing mai...probably the worst long-distance purchase ever...at least it stretched my arms a bit when trying to make it look as light as a feather in the carry-on


- a beautiful leather-bound album from india...that remains empty as the pics really need to justify themselves in such a lovely setting


- stone placemats from Hong Kong....which i'm still hoping to turn into a table in the future

one day....i'm hoping that Limi will love and use some of these finds...and especially enjoy the history that surrounds them.

so....in Greece....although i had a severe longing for a flat, ancient, 18 carat gold Greek signet ring (see pic above)....the Archaeological Museum wouldn't sell me one. but we did buy some gorgeous, rustic, handmade bowls and a jug from a family of potters on the island of Kithira! hopefully these pieces from her very first family holiday, will last long enough for Limi to toss together her own Greek salad and serve to a big table of friends!