Perfect Souvenirs

 Or -

Souvenirs Parfait, as they would say in France.

A souvenir (French for 'remembrance' or 'memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a memento of a visit. The object itself may have intrinsic value, or be a symbol of experience. Without the owner's input, the symbolic meaning is lost and cannot be articulated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvenir

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Souvenir (Object Lessons) Paperback – March 8, 2018

by Rolf Potts (Author)

4.4 out of

Part of: Object Lessons (103 books)

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

For as long as people have traveled to distant lands, they have brought home objects to certify the journey. More than mere merchandise, these travel souvenirs take on a personal and cultural meaning that goes beyond the object itself. Drawing on several millennia of examples-from the relic-driven quests of early Christians, to the mass-produced tchotchkes that line the shelves of a Disney gift shop-travel writer Rolf Potts delves into a complicated history that explores issues of authenticity, cultural obligation, market forces, human suffering, and self-presentation. Souvenirs are shown for what they really are: not just objects, but personalized forms of folk storytelling that enable people to make sense of the world and their place in it.'

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

Souvenir features illustrations by Cedar Van Tassel

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Isn't part of any trip the choosing of little tangible remembrances to bring home along with the memories?

For me - yes.

I have known people who say their trips are all about the experiences and the memories, and tend to roll their eyes at the word "souvenir."

But for me, a person who loves being surrounded by pretty things that have memories and meaning attached, souvenirs are part of the trip as well.  

Usually, my souvenirs include cheap little items from souvenir shops - a refrigerator magnet, a Christmas tree ornament - the usual typical sort of item that you expect to find in a souvenir shop.

But they also might include an original piece of art, or a nice piece of jewelry.

Being a bit of a magpie means I am definitely going to pick up something(s) that, for some reason, speak to me.

The things I brought home from my most recent trip included some good chocolate for Donald.

And an assortment of "stuff" for me.

I love shopping in French pharmacies for skin care products.

Some pastels from La Maison du Pastel, which has a fascinating history -

https://www.lamaisondupastel.com/home.php found their way to Meat Camp

As did some cards and prints from a delightful little papeterie in our hotel neighborhood.

And, my treasure of this trip.

An Hermès scarf - A l'Ombre des Boulevards (In the Shadow of the Boulevards).  A 2015 design by Virginie Jamin.

"The large boulevards... Baron Haussmann's Paris with its buildings, its doors, its inhabitants... it's up to you to find, in this richest setting, the winks made by the artist to the Paris of today."

I will remember this Paris trip with my pal Vickie whenever I wear this special, beautiful scarf.

Souvenirs Parfait

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