We all love souvenirs…whenever I go to a place I pick up something. My house is filled with stuffed animals from different zoos, seashells, coffee mugs and other small things I can use all the time and they remind me of the places I’ve been so far. Lately I’ve bought clothes during the sales period (time will tell how long the clothes will last though). What’s the tackiest I’ve got so far? Hmm…very hard to tell!
Obviously when visiting Greece there are plenty of souvenirs to pick up from the places you visit. And, evidently, some are tacky. Let’s take a look both of tacky souvenirs and at really nice things you can get.
Statues
This is something that gives me shivers down the spine! Of course you cannot bring real antiques from Greece but you can buy replicas of your favorite God or Goddess or maybe a nude or a Cycladic face.
Caps
Another item which is better left on the shelves! Seriously, you can buy caps at home and I doubt you would wear your Greek cap everywhere…that’s unless you are a serious athlete and train a lot and you might actually find something useful to do with it. But still, the money can be used for something totally different.
Matia
These small eye-looking things are believed to protect against evil eye and you can find them all over the souvenir shops in Greece.
Grain of rice with your name engraved in it
Yes, you can find them at a souvenir shop in Plaka, Athens. They can engrave your name (and your spouse’s of course) on a tiny grain of rice. Might be unique but it’s tacky and plus, sounds like something you should get from Asia, not Greece!
T-shirts
There are stores in which you can have your own Greek text or building personalized on a t-shirt. Cute? Yes! Tacky? Sort of. As long as you wear the t-shirt at home and not in Greece you can get away with this one. At least print some Greek lettering on it though.
Sponges
Karpatos is the best place to buy natural sponges. They can either have their natural color or are bleached but all make a great souvenir you can use when you get back home. Of course you can find sponges in souvenir shops all over Greece.
Greek Traditional Goods
Whether you buy olive oil, herbs, cheeses, canned sardines from Lesvos , ouzo, or soap made from olive oil, they are all useful and will remind you of Greece in a very nice way.
Pistachios
Pistachios grow on Aegina Island but you can pick them from many nut stores, especially in the markets in Athens. They can make also make great gifts for your friends back home.
Clothes
If you want to buy clothes try to get to Athens around the sales period (end of August, January-February). With some luck you can find cheap clothes even from well known designers. Of course you cannot know if the clothes will last a lot or not but at least you can wear them for a season.
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