Life

Souvenir and Gift Ideas from Munich

1.  Beer mugs or steins
2. Christmas decorations – home of the Christmas market and creator of the original Christmas tree, a lot beautiful decorations can be found here.
3. Bavarian Mustard
4. Your favourite Bavarian Beer
5. Vintage bottle opener
6. Beer Boot – Legend says that the beer boot was born when a Prussian General had a glass boot made to fulfill his dare of ‘drinking beer from his boot. The tradition sticks today.
7. Nymphenburg Porcelain
8. Traditional Dirndl
9. Gingerbread 

1. Hadeland Glassware 2. Dale of Norway Sweater 3. Linie Aquavit 4. Roros Tweed Wool Blanket5. Norway/Sweden Map Pillow 6. Melkesjokolade Chocolate 7. Cheese (Jarlsberg or brown cheese)
8. Porsgrund Porcelin vase 9. Ostehøvel (cheese slicer) 

When going on vacation bringing back souvenirs is what people to remember the trip or to give as gifts. Quickly buying something at the airport souvenir shop usually has less meaning than the souvenirs you pick up when you immerse yourself in the city and culture.

Above I included a list of a few things that Norway is known for and can add a little Norway to your home.

I forgot to included a Norwegian Troll in the list. When my dad went overseas for work when I was a child he brought my brother back one of those trolls.

1. Dot & Bo London’s Streets Art Print • Dot & Bo
2. Dot & Bo English Telephone Wall Cabinet • Dot & Bo
3. Halcyon Days Four London Calling Trays • Horchow
4. Scratch Travel Journal
5. Curioos Wall Art Shapes of London
6. Dr. Martens 1460 Originals Union Jack 8 Eye Lace Up Boot
7. Kurt Adler 5-Inch Doctor Who Red Dalek Robot Ornament
8. London Map pillow • organic cotton 16 inch cushion cover • mybeardedpigeon • Etsy
9. Heritage View of London
10. Wall Pops London Calling Small Wall Art Kit
11. CellPowerCasesTM London Tube Map iPhone 6 (4.7) V1 White Case
12. Burberry London Haymarket check umbrella

I have the tendency to buy things that are travel related. I love maps, old maps, new maps, things made of maps, map prints on things. You name it, I like it, so when I am looking to buy something travel related it is usually has a map of some kind on it. I also have a thing for throw pillows. They are usually scattered around the floor because you know? Kids. I’m sure it annoys Tom to have pictures of maps and pillows all over the walls, but hey, he loves KISS and instruments so our walls have KISS pictures and my floor has instruments scattered about. Mine seems less intrusive 😉 The collage above features London related items for the home, or to-wear that I like. My daughter has similar Doc Marten’s to those above but they have the Union Jack on the side instead of the toe. She is very fixated on things from the UK, like Sherlock, Doctor Who, Harry Potter. If it has a Union Jack on it or it is from the UK she likes it.

My bucket list, only covers a fraction of the things that I want to do, and I find myself mentally adding things to my list as I come across places or things of interest. I think, “man, wouldn’t it be amazing to see/experience that?” and into my bucket list roster it goes. At this point in life I need a lot of money and free time to carry out this list but I am feeling optimistic.

Visiting London would knock a few things off that list since there are many things in the city and surrounding area that I want to experience. Here are a few things on my What to See in London list.

1. Stonehenge is about a two-hour drive from London so it would be a realistic distance to take for a day trip. I have always wanted to experience Stonehenge especially see it as the sun comes up.
2. The London Eye. My four-year-old thinks this is the coolest thing ever and she makes me find YouTube videos of people riding on it.
3. The Tower of London. The Ravens, the crown jewels, the White Tower. Beginning with William the Conqueror and still standing today, it is full of history. From Anne Boleyn’s beheading to housing one of the most successful and beloved rulers of England, Elizabeth I. It has seen much more than history tells us, and if those walls could speak the stories it would tell.
4. Natural History Museum, British Museum, the and the Science Museum are world-renowned and something I would never want to miss. I can get lost in a museum for hours and hours and never get bored.
5. The Tower Bridge
6. A Jack the Ripper Tour. I don’t know how we would manage this with kids because I definitely wouldn’t bring them on this tour, but I really, really want to go on this as morbid as it may sound.
7. The London Dungeon need I say more?
8. Hyde Park
9. Big Ben
10. National Gallery, and the Tate Modern
11. Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul’s Cathedral
12. London Zoo opened in 1828 it is the world’s oldest scientific zoo.
13. Trafalgar Square
14. The Globe Theatre. Even though the original that Shakespeare worked at burned down in 1613 it was rebuilt modelling it after the same time period.
15. The London Bridge Experience & Tombs sounds like a ridiculously awesome experience. I don’t know how well I would manage it though. This might be more suited for Tom’s level of fear because I get scared in haunted houses and this is like that x 100.
16. Harrod’s the world’s most famous department store.
17. Madame Tussaud’s London. Who doesn’t want to go to a famous wax museum?
18. Covent Garden’s
19. A Thames River Cruise The River Thames is always mentioned whenever you read a historical novel that is based in London. Although it is much cleaner today than it was in the past.

There is so many more things that I missed but to include everything I would need to hire a travel agent who was excellent at booking and planning itineraries like this. You can also access 60+ tourist destinations for free by buying a London Pass. That tied with the Oyster travel card (for public transit) will save a lot of money, worrying, and waiting in lines. I am definitely not a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person no matter how much I wish that I could be. I need to plan to the last detail so I like to research cities and countries and make notes in case I get to travel there some day.

What are your favourite travel inspired items?

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