Travelling and shopping
By Torunn
@Torunn (8609)
Norway
March 18, 2019 2:16pm CST
Some people travel to shop, some people don't shop to be able to travel and some people come back from a weekend away with a suit-case filled with bread.
If I go somewhere with good bread, I always buy some. I bought heaps of bread in Helsinki this weekend, which I know have to sort out and put in the freezer. Norwegian bread is too light and fluffy, so when I'm in Germany, Austria or Finnland I always buy bread. I also got really good bread from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. When I visit my friends in the UK I stock up on English breakfast tea and cheese. I some times buy clothes or books, but I've stopped buying souvenirs, except fridge magnets.
What do you buy when you travel? Do you have special things from other places/countries that you buy when you're there?
12 people like this
12 responses
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
19 Mar 19
I remember that from my one time going there. I brought some canned fish for a friend and liquere for another friend, that was OK. My Australian friend was stopped by sniffer dogs when she travelled back home from Germany, not because she had brought anything illegal but because she had used her canvas bag to buy fruit and vegetables from the market in Germany.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
18 Mar 19
When I was living in Scotland I had a coworker from Finland. She introduced us to Finnish bread. She told us that it was better than the local bread from Scotland, and I tend to agree with her. The bread was really good.
When I travel I mostly buy music and books. I used to collect pop/rock cds from around the world. Now I usually listen to music online instead of buying cds.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
19 Mar 19
@Torunn My coworker did that whenever she went back to Finland for a visit and she shared the bread with the rest of us. I don't really know much about the local food from Finland (aside from the bread) but maybe I will get the chance to try some of it if I visit Finland again.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
19 Mar 19
@Porcospino The food isn't as weird as in other countries (like Swedish surströmming, our lutefisk and the horrible rotten shark from Iceland) but it's often a bit bland. But the bread is lovely :-)
Just stay away from the liquorice with tar. Horrible stuff. And the squeaky cheese, I don't remember it's name, but it makes a squeaky sound when you eat it.
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (14879)
• Philippines
20 Mar 19
I love doing both if I have the budget
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (14879)
• Philippines
21 Mar 19
@Torunn Its good that you can think of things that go out in your favor.
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15730)
• Canada
23 Mar 19
The last time we were in England, the bottom of my suitcase was lined with books!! My husband was not happy with me ;)
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69390)
• Germany
18 Mar 19
I can understand what you've written about bread. English bread is not good. It's much too soft and fluffy. German bread is good. In fact, it's difficult to find bad bread in Germany. There are still many small bakers who make a variety of breads themselves and don't sell bread coming from mega-bakery chains.
I have no typical souvenir I collect so I can't answer the question what I buy when abroad.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
18 Mar 19
English bread is worse than Norwegian bread. Too sweat, too fluffy, no substance.
I love proper bakers! Not just for the bread, but also for all the other stuff. And you can choose how much bread you buy. When I lived in Vienna I visited bakeries quite often so I always had fresh bread.
@LowRiderX (22907)
• Serbia
18 Mar 19
I can not imagine a meal without bread. I think I'd be hungry after half an hour 
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
18 Mar 19
@LowRiderX If I had to cut all carbs but one, rice, pasta, potatos etc would have to go. But never bread.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
19 Mar 19
books, postcards and souvenirs
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
21 Mar 19
@Torunn I get a lot of review copies that saves me from buying so many
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Mar 19
I have never bought much of anything when traveling. Maybe a tee short.
1 person likes this
@Spontaneo (14703)
• United States
18 Mar 19
Every time I travel to the area of my hometown here in the United States, I buy delicious Italian bread that I can only find there.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
22 Mar 19
Oh yes, definitly chocolate. I love chocolate. It's quite expensieve here, we have a very high sugar- and luxury-goods-tax, so buying chocolate when abroad is a good way to "save" money
I know I would save more money if I stopped eating chocolate, but that would make life just a bit sad
1 person likes this
