FINLAND
The finnish figure
par excellence is the reindeer. It is also very typical the figures of trolls
(peikko) with the Finnish flag.
There are stuffed
animals, key-rings or statues shaped as reindeers. There is also a long-time
tradition in the working of amber (as in all of the baltic countries) and they
have quite beautiful magnets with ambar.
For the
sweet-toothed, you can take him Fazer chocolate (it is one of the most
delicious chocolate I have ever tasted in my life).
If you want to
take something for a child, you should buy him something related to the Moomin.
If you are looking
for a “different” design, there are Marimekko shops everywhere, it is a bit
expensive but their designs are beautiful, it’s the Finnish Ágata Ruiz de la
Prada (Finnish style, much more simple and less showy).
And, an important
thing to take it is a bottle of Salmiakki, the drug of the Finnish. It is a
liquor of salted liquorice.
SWEDEN
The most common
figure, as in Finlandi, it is the reindeer. You can find it in a lot of
different forms, however, it is more traditional to take the figures of
colorful horses. They are called Dalecarlian horse. We can also find the
same troll figures with the Swedish flag.
Here we can find
different kinds of viking souvenirs, statues, jars, key-rings, helmets…
For children, you
can take them anything related with ‘Pippi Longstocking’, a tale written by a
Swedish female writer.
For readers, there
are amazing and beautiful metal bookmarks, some of them with viking-shaped
(when I go there I always buy one). And of the same “brand” there are spinning
candle holders with figures, so beautiful.
ESTONIA
The typical animal
here is also the reindeer, although this time it was hard to find stuff
reindeer (when I travel I take one stuffed animal with the countries flag for
my sister, from every country I visit).
Streets are full
with amber shops (the magnets are the same as in Finland, beautiful) and of
things made with clay, jars, horns, etc.
Another
traditional souvenir are the handmade socks (or just any cloth) made of wool,
the price is proportional to its warmth.
And you can’t
leave Estonia without taking the liquor ‘Vana Tallinn’, that it is soooo tasty.
UK
- London
We all know what are the traditional things to take
from London are ones related to the ‘red bus’ or the royal guard.
We also know that it is customary to buy the tea, ‘Earl grey’ or ‘English
breakfast’ and the tea pastries.
Some Harry Potter ‘freak’ will believe to be in paradise (as me when I find
a library, o a writer’s house , or the scenery of a book).
- Edinbugh
What is more traditional than something related to Nessie, the scottish
terrier or Bobby, the famous Greyfriars dog?
Regarding the tea, the same as in London, they love black tea as the ‘Earl
gray’ or ‘English breakfast’.
It is also customary to buy handkerchiefs, kilts or blankets with the
Scottish square patterns but, watch out! Each pattern means a different clan!
And we can’t forget about the Scottish Whisky, the most famous and probably
the best in the world!
DENMARK
Denmark, the land of vikings, each
souvenir par excellence has to be related with the vikings, necklaces, statues,
glasses…
It is also customary to buy lego stuff
because it is a Danish brand.
There are also famous ‘The Little Mermaid’
statues.
For children, the best to take is the
tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
FRANCE
Paris is a city where I recall there were
not original or beautiful souvenirs. I had to take a figure of Notre Dame that,
even though that it is not ‘ugly’ it differs a lot from the ones I had from
other countries.
You can find figures of the Eiffel Tower,
the Arc of Triomphe, of Notre Dame…
I do not recommend you to take macarons
because they are so fragile and they break easily.
POLAND
What is the most traditional thing to take
from Poland? VODKA.
Cheap vodka, made of thousands of flavor,
two or three aisles in each supermarket full of vodka, the paradise. (The most
recommended is the Zubrowka)
Here, as in Finland and Estonia, there are
the beautiful amber magnets.
They also have
some colorful designs with roosters that remind me of Portugal, I bought a
beautiful bookmark in that style, but there are notebooks, clothes, bags...
-SARU.
