What Do you Bring Home?

RHYS BOWEN: As you will know from my post earlier in the week, I was recently in England and France. I had left the last three days of the trip for shopping in London. Instead the only thing I brought back from this vacation was Covid!

The annoying thing was that I was the careful one. I wore my mask on buses and trains and in museums. I stayed away from crowded situations. I found a table in a far corner of a restaurant. However when I was in Paris everyone was coughing and sneezing. I tested myself. Negative. I went to the pharmacy. “Everyone in Paris has a cold right now,” the pharmacist told me as she found me cough syrups and decongestants (all herbal. They don’t believe in drugs).

Actually not everyone in Paris had a cold. Some of them had Covid and I caught it. After testing negative in Paris we traveled back to London. When we were planning to visit family members with young children I tested again. This time the red line showed up. So I spent the next few days shut in a hotel room. None of the glorious shopping sprees that I had planned. I always like buying clothes in Europe as they are so different from the ones you can buy in the States. Especially sweaters. I had wanted a couple of light sweaters. And a blazer or jacket. Alas no.

The other things I wanted to buy were foods from home that I crave: pickles (Branson and Piccalilli). Marmite. English chocolates: Crunchie Bars. Smarties. Chocolate buttons. I know you can buy Cadburys in the US but they were bought by Hersheys and the US versions do not taste the same. I did manage to grab a few chocs as we rushed through the airport after an hour in the security line but they didn’t have many of my favorites.

So I arrived home with a fairly empty suitcase—lighter actually, because I had brought books to give to various relatives, friends and the people hoping to make Constable Evans into a TV series. No souvenirs of any kind.  Not that I have found good souvenirs on recent trips. Most items are made in China anyway, and I already own too many things. 

In the past I used to collect boxes: tiny, special little boxes to display in a glass-topped table. In each I’d put a scrap of paper to remind me where I bought it. I have china, wood, leather, bone, mother-of-pearl from all over the world. Sometimes I take them out and admire them. But I haven’t added to the collection for a long while. No more room in the table.. Also less of a desire to accumulate more stuff.

My father and aunt used to bring back dolls in national costume when they went abroad and I have an impressive collection. But again they sit in a cabinet and I hardly ever notice them.

So food seems like a good thing to bring back, doesn’t it? It is used and enjoyed.  Also I usually find an interesting piece of jewelry, or clothing. Again something that can be worn and used. I did buy one scarf before we went to Paris.

Actually I did bring back something meaningful: when I travel I always take my sketchbook with me and here are two sketches from this trip, from Cornwall and from France.

So what about you? What do you like to bring back from trips? Any collectors out there?

PS: The Covid was very mild, not even the worst cold. Some coughing and stuffy nose. And John tested positive when we got home but had no symptoms at all. We are both now fully recovered. Yay for vaccines.