Shopping at Island Strolling

Most people do not go on holiday to the Greek Islands to go shopping. On the contrary, Island Strolling means light bags not heavy ones. Still most people like to bring back a souvenir or some gifts from a lovely vacation.

So what shall you take home ? There are of course several things but most people are buying leather goods, ceramics, textiles, icons, gold and/or silverware plus the more common souvenirs like calendars, pictures and travelling guides.

With leather goods we are thinking of backpacks and purses in all shapes and sizes. The last few years have seen a trend where teenage girls are using small backpacks in stead of purses. These backpacks are everywhere at the islands. They are made in single or plural colours. Beside these trend backpacks you will also find the more traditional "Greek" backpacks that have always been found on the islands and that is very popular as school backpacks, at least in Norway. These are usually natural coloured but recently the selection has increased to include black and brownish. The same is true for the selection of purses. The selection in briefcases has also increased the last few years with many very beautiful models.

Where should you buy leather goods ? Well, leather goods are found in almost every store at every island so it is very easy to find. We are not professionals and know therefore very little about the quality of the products but we prefer to buy things in the specialised shops. Why ? Because these shop owners live from selling leather goods and it is then quite logical that they try to sell high quality goods. The service at these places are in general very good. We try to spend some time checking out the type of commodity before we buy to for instance look for flaws in the leather and how thick the leather is (we usually buy the item with the thickest leather). We also look for colour differences and check out the seams. So far it seems that we have done a decent job and I believe that some of the products we have bought will last longer than we do. My wife bikes to town almost every day in every type of weather but here leather backpacks still look new. Some of the natural coloured things have changed a little bit in colour but that is obvious.

Ceramics exist in an amazing number of shapes, colours and sizes. But as a rule of thumb: The quality is not very good. These are not products that can be used in dish washing machines, microwave ovens or to be stored in a freezer. To be a little bit more specific, these ceramics are typical: Oil lamps, cups, dishes, plates, jars, lamps etc. The pictures will tell a bit when it comes to the selection.

A few tips when that deals with packing ceramics are probably more appropriate. Pack the item as compact as possible. Put it on top of a towel. Fill the item with socks, T-shirts etc. and roll it in the towel. Put it in a (plastic) bag and wrap it so that the ceramics can’t move. Put a second towel around and put everything in a second bag. When packing for home put this package in the middle of you travelling bag, not towards any of the sides. This usually should be sufficient to bring back the thing in one piece. If you are bringing snorkelling gear put the swimming feet on both side of the package. Tie the travelling bag tightly. Remember that airport crew quite frequently throws the baggage.

A second way is to take the ceramics back as hand baggage while a third way will be to mail the item back to your home. The latter methods also demands a very good pre packing. A last recommendation: Buy most of your things the last few days, then you don’t need to carry it from island to island.

You will find plenty of specialised shops that sell many beautiful things. They will all tell you that it is handmade but we do not have the knowledge to tell whether this is true or not. The most important thing is for you to like it or not. We have found many very wonderful pieces, especially are we satisfied with our lace curtains. We have lace curtains from Greece in our bedroom, in the stairs and in the kitchen. You will also find cloths in many different sizes with lace in both white and colours.

Small fashion stores are common. Many of these will sell clothes that have been made by the owner. Here you can find the latest in fashion (tells my wife that works in a fashion store). These clothes are in general not inexpensive but they are hot (tells my wife that…………………………).

On almost every island you will find gold and silver smiths. The ear droplets in silver are very exciting (wife ref.). These stores are often in combination with the fashion stores. The goldsmiths also have plenty to offer where your wallet is the main limitation.

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If you have any tips, advice or memories from island strolling, or if there is a question you haven’t found the answer to, use the discussions group.
Thanks to Kjell Inge Gjesdal, Oslo, Norway for his translation into English!
© Jan Bergtun, 10. January 1999	Updated, 02.07.2007
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