Travels With Carol

When I traveled I always tried to buy something for myself as a remembrance of that particular country. I never had much money as what money I did have was spent mostly on gifts for my family. I bought some really nice things for them. So, pictured below are gifts to myself.....they may not be worth a lot but to me they are very special.

 My beautiful painting that I bought in the Montmartre district of Paris. The little Eiffel tower is from a souvenir shop at the tower......very cheap but my favorite.

 A little Waterford crystal vase from Waterford, Ireland

 Souvenir pottery jug from Greece.

 A jar from Turkey....an interesting story about the purchase of this from tented vendors in Ephesus....just like a Turkish Bazaar.

 My lovely little teapot from England

My most prized gift to myself.....an inlaid wood music box from Sorrento, Italy. 

It plays "Return to Sorrento" sob, sob....

It was amazing some of the thing that my fellow travelers bought....big bucks! One couple bought a very expensive inlaid wood desk in Sorrento, some bought rugs in Turkey, a lady bought a beautiful tea set at a shop on Islo Bello and had it shipped to her home in NYC. Other purchases were lace linens from Sicily. I bought a bowl and dish from Sicily as well which I forgot to photograph and also a cameo necklace made from real shell that I purchased in Naples.  I loved shopping and we all headed to the nearest shops when we arrived in any towns.

Winter

Love my apple photo....sitting in an old tarnished candy dish.
This is what photographers do in the winter...table top shoots or go through and edit pictures left from last year.
Hope to get out with my photographer friends next week, maybe to the Detroit Historic Museum. I've lived in Michigan 48 years and have never been.

Michigan

The 2nd worst state to live in in winter,,,,,and it is proving it today. Dark and rainy then later, sleet and freezing rain and then maybe snow....everything except sun! It is depressing! There is only one thing for it....a nap!

Sausage Tree

 This is an exotic and weird tree! It grows in Africa and is not edible for us folks but Hippos, Baboons and Giraffes like it.

Exotics

 There were so many exotic and really cool looking plants at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. I was so busy taking photos that I neglected to get the names of all these beauties.

 This one is a Monkey Puzzle Tree....very popular in England in the Victorian Era....people planted them in their front yard....yikes!