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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Bringing things home from Santiago — what to buy?

peregrina2000

Moderator
Staff member
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here in the US that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get the very same thing here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

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I overdose with cheese and normally take back 50-70 euro worth. Many Spanish cheeses are simply not available at all in Canada, and Galician cheese even less so. I have a few dinners and it's gone within six months.

Orujo from the mercado is purchased and then decanted into my camelpak, as I have a horror of luggage full of broken glass and orujo-soaked Tilley shorts. Of course, I faithfully declare it to Customs and when they exclaim that 2.25 litres is almost double the duty-free allowed amount (1.14 litres), I reply that I am declaring it. After some stupefaction, they wave me through without charging duty.

However, I have long relied on jet cufflinks as gifts and usually pick some up at one of the silver shops.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Refrigerator magnets and patches is about the most I'm willing to carry for family and friends. My wife has several little things I've brought home for her, so no need for more.

But, then there's always a bracelet or necklace for my granddaughter.
 
However, I have long relied on jet cufflinks as gifts and usually pick some up at one of the silver shops.
Azabache! I did not know what jet was till I was in Santiago. There’s a lot of junk in Santiago, but the good “silver shops“ have some beautiful stuff. I am not much of a jewelry person, but I have seen some beautiful things in Santiago.Jet and sterling silver make a lovely combination.
 
I overdose with cheese and normally take back 50-70 euro worth. Many Spanish cheeses are simply not available at all in Canada, and Galician cheese even less so. I have a few dinners and it's gone within six months.

Orujo from the mercado is purchased and then decanted into my camelpak, as I have a horror of luggage full of broken glass and orujo-soaked Tilley shorts. Of course, I faithfully declare it to Customs and when they exclaim that 2.25 litres is almost double the duty-free allowed amount (1.14 litres), I reply that I am declaring it. After some stupefaction, they wave me through without charging duty.

However, I have long relied on jet cufflinks as gifts and usually pick some up at one of the silver shops.
A person after my own heart…
On my last camino I brought home a pretty large ( 1kilo?) of queso de tetillas and a very nice azabache figua (?) pendant for my former student who was defending her dissertation as I was leaving Santiago. For my son, the finest almost tissue-like cashmere scarf from one of the shops in the more modern shopping district… para mi esposo, una botella de Oporto blanco Kopke de 20 años. We can buy Kopke port in Canada, but not the really special stuff, and I saw it at the Lisbon airport on my way home. For my mother, a table linen with a cork rooster from Portugal… For me, my memories.
 
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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
I love your list!
We are extremely lucky that a speciality shop near us now carries those very tinned mussels, octopus, and so forth, white asparagus from Navarre and also the gorgeous hand smoked red peppers preserved in oil, and the Espelette pepper that is similar to paprika but a little setter and a little more zippy too.
On my next trip (assuming…) I want to buy little rueda cups, and since learning about the Islamic belief during the centuries prior to to the Crusade that they had the left hand of Muhammed to hold power over “Spain”, i feel less uncomfortable than I used to about the Crusader’s cross on the tarta and I just might order one from someone who can ship it to me from SdC, or get one on the next trip (assuming…).
Tonight I made a supper of Judion beans, Serrano, tawny port, and anise root… I think bringing home beans makes perfect sense!
 
When I used to drink wine I fell in love with a red Irouléguy wine in SJPdP - it was perfection ☺️

I couldn’t persuade the wine merchant to ship it home, sadly… 😕

So a case of that, and a few small rounds of Arzúa-Ulloa cheese would do me 🙂

I’d have to settle for the vicarious pleasure of watching my loved ones enjoying the wine, though ….

I’d also like to replace the lovely little azabache tao cross pendant my daughter bought for me in SdC. The silver post in the top of it broke a few years ago; it was very fine/thin, so it’s not really surprising …

@peregrina2000

How the heck do you carry that duffel???
or should that read: who the heck carries it???
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I love your list!
We are extremely lucky that a speciality shop near us now carries those very tinned mussels, octopus, and so forth, white asparagus from Navarre and also the gorgeous hand smoked red peppers preserved in oil, and the Espelette pepper that is similar to paprika but a little setter and a little more zippy too.
On my next trip (assuming…) I want to buy little rueda cups, and since learning about the Islamic belief during the centuries prior to to the Crusade that they had the left hand of Muhammed to hold power over “Spain”, i feel less uncomfortable than I used to about the Crusader’s cross on the tarta and I just might order one from someone who can ship it to me from SdC, or get one on the next trip (assuming…).
Tonight I made a supper of Judion beans, Serrano, tawny port, and anise root… I think bringing home beans makes perfect sense!

I’m sure I’ve seen a template for the Tarta cross on the forum somewhere …

While you wait to get a metal one, here’s a link to one online, that you can copy.

Oops 🙄


or here:

 
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That bus must weight a bit though!

Ah hahaha! That startled me out of my morning fog and made me cackle out loud.

We like to bring home vermouth from the restaurant O Fogar do Santiso, and some nice tea towels that say Galicia, Spain, or that have recipes for tortilla or empanada printed on them. We find those at the souvenir shops on Rua do Vilar.

Tea from tea shop Mistélanea is also much appreciated! They have wonderful loose-leaf teas, and going in to their store is an experience in itself. Mmmmm....smells so good. I highly recommend tea-lovers to check them out. Their store is on Xeneral Pardiñas, 28, very close to Alameda park. They have all kinds of black tea, red tea, Pu Erh, green tea, and rooibois and infusions (caffeine-free).

The owners and at least one member of their staff speak English. https://mistelanea.com/

Fun thread, Laurie!
 
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Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Spanish delis we have enough in my part of Belgium but when in Santiago de Compostela ( or any other bigger town where I finish that particular year ) more often than not I buy a pair of shoes/sandals. I love some specific Spanish brands!

A T shirt from Rosario Rey was also on my list although I see the shop did not survive the Covidcrisis.
 
Spanish delis we have enough in my part of Belgium but when in Santiago de Compostela ( or any other bigger town where I finish that particular year ) more often than not I buy a pair of shoes/sandals. I love some specific Spanish brands!

A T shirt from Rosario Rey was also on my list although I see the shop did not survive the Covidcrisis.

What brands of shoes do you like, Sabine?

And yeah...Rosario Rey was one of our favorite shops. :( They had such unique items. It's so sad none of their stores exist now. We'll see if they come back in some form or fashion.
 
What brands of shoes do you like, Sabine?

And yeah...Rosario Rey was one of our favorite shops. :( They had such unique items. It's so sad none of their stores exist now. We'll see if they come back in some form or fashion.


Camper and El Naturalista although the same price as in Belgium. So when in Spain I stick to Porronet and VAS . I always choose the simple ( non blingbling ) options from their collection.

Let us hope that Rosario Rey can find a way back.Took a look on google maps and saw lots of small places around Praza de San Miguel dos Agros closed. I remember a small independent shop across Rosario de Rey is closed too. Bought a gorgeous scarf there. The lady owner gave Galician designers and crafstpeople a chance to sell their products.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Nice topic.
Back in the day, you could bring back exotica unique to a visit to Santiago. Now, there is the internet.
From 2010 the gift that had the most use was that plastic relief map of the camino. For years it sat on the main table at the CSJ office in London and triggered wonder, imagination (and yarns) in all the newbies and old-timers who dropped by to discuss their camino plans. That's easy to find on the internet now.
https://www.3d-relief.com/Europe/Ra...elief-map-Camino-de-Santiago.html?language=en
The gifts I was most happy to find and give were from my first camino 2008. They were traditional shawls for my mum and sis from the Galician shop you pass on the way in, after Monte de Gozo, at the start of the parade of shops in a modern shopping centre (by the airport bus stop). That's online now https://www.bulideira.es
For myself, regularly a bottle of orujo (tostada), but you can get that easily from the airport - and online as well now.
Finally, a slightly kitsch sugar spoon with the scallop shell shape at the spoon end and a mini cathedral at the holding end, available from most Santiago knick-knack shops. It makes a great little present and the one here makes me smile whenever I open the cutlery drawer.
 
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.
I always take a few containers of the the La Dalia brand of dulce pimentón to share with friends. .
And (don't laugh) soap. Specifically Heno de Pravia bath soap.
I never thought to take olive oil, but it's not a bad idea.
Funny, now you can get these things online, but there is something more special about having brought them from the source.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The booty from my last preCovid Camino contained inter alia local cheeses from the fruit and veg market in Santiago, some under-the-counter bread from Cee (alas, eaten almost all at once), an olive wood plate from a craft market in Lugo, and books from various independent sellers that I would not easily find in high-street stores at home, and like VNwalking -- no laughing matter! -- some handmade soap.
How the heck do you carry that duffel???
or should that read: who the heck carries it???
This is where those of us who are non-drivers have the advantage of being experienced load-bearing mules! Yesterday I hauled home a backpack of books and groceries (total weight: 23kg; total distance: 15km; time: 2.75 hrs). I would, however, curb such acquisitiveness on the Camino itself.
 
I overdose with cheese and normally take back 50-70 euro worth. Many Spanish cheeses are simply not available at all in Canada, and Galician cheese even less so. I have a few dinners and it's gone within six months.
How on earth do you make it last 6 months? PostCamino self-restraint?
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
At last, something I'd happily leave behind: slimy white asparagus!
OMG I agree 1000%
Why do people do this to perfectly good asparagus? And why is the normal green asparagus not easy to find even in a season that it would normally be expected? I've never seen it in Spain, even when walking in early spring.
 
OMG I agree 1000%
Why do people do this to perfectly good asparagus? And why is the normal green asparagus not easy to find even in a season that it would normally be expected? I've never seen it in Spain, even when walking in early spring.

Ugh I cannot even look at the white asparagus. 😖 It always ends up on salads though.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I always take a few containers of the the La Dalia brand of dulce pimentón to share with friends. .
And (don't laugh) soap. Specifically Heno de Pravia bath soap.
...
VN,
I would never laugh since I bought 6 large black bars of Magno soap!
 
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A T shirt from Rosario Rey was also on my list although I see the shop did not survive the Covidcrisis.
Oh, is that the shop on the Rua da Troia or Fonte San Miguel, on the way to Hotel Costa Vella from the Praza Cervantes? They had some really nice things, I am sad to see it has closed.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Refrigerator magnets and patches is about the most I'm willing to carry for family and friends.
That's pretty much what I did. Before getting to SdC I would pick up some pins, patches, postcards, magnets, etc. whenever Peg was busy elsewhere. When she got her compostela I gave her a souvenir packet.
 
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
I bought smoked paprika and saffron at the wonderful market in Santiago - in anticipation of making my first ever paella when I got home. My whole family shared my Camino memory, and spices don't add much to the weight of a suitcase!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Tea from tea shop Mistélanea is also much appreciated! They have wonderful loose-leaf teas, and going in to their store is an experience in itself. Mmmmm....smells so good. I highly recommend tea-lovers to check them out. Their store is on Xeneral Pardiñas, 28, very close to Alameda park. They have all kinds of black tea, red tea, Pu Erh, green tea, and rooibois and infusions (caffeine-free).

The owners and at least one member of their staff speak English. https://mistelanea.com/
This looks like the kind of place I'd love to spend a couple of hours in, and take back a whole bunch of stuff! My idea of heaven. Thanks for sharing this, Faith! (and/or Nate).
 
Ugh I cannot even look at the white asparagus. 😖 It always ends up on salads though.

Yes indeed, overcooked, etiolated and unappetising. Slumped over the salad, it isn’t even decorative. Perhaps this ‘delicacy’, if I may be permitted an indelicacy on this family forum, avoids the distinctive odour of the gorgeous green variety when it’s voided.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I did not get in line for a compostela. For me the proof of my walk was my credential all full of those wonderful stamps. But--even though I am definitely NOT a jewelry person--I purchased a silver Ultrea
ring from one of the joyerias on the plaza. A compostela would get packed with my keepsakes that I rarely look at. But the ring is permanently on my finger and reminds me every day of my time in Spain and my accomplishment.

Camino Day 36 - Ring.jpg
 
Over the years, I've brought back various things as gifts (and occasionally for myself). Portuguese silver filigree earrings, a lovely delicate silver shell bracelet, hand-painted fans, one of those plastic relief maps of the Camino Frances, soap, books and vintage postcards from LIbreria Vetusta. A recent item I brought back for a friend who loves graphic novels, is 'Horreo No Espazo!' by Zan Hoffman, exploring the possibility that hórreos are extra terrestrial vehicles on a mission to earth :) A favourite shop to purchase olive oil, spices, chocolate and the tiny bottles of Orujo Crema Liqueur that family and friends love, is the wonderful traditional grocery store Cepeda on the Praza de Cervantes.

IMG_8553.jpeg cepeda.png
 
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I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
I bring back olive oil, garlic, pimentón and aged chorizo.

Also, every couple of years, a new Spanish-published English/Spanish dictionary. They cover more colloquial Spanish words and it starts with English/Spanish at the front, which I find easier to use.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Azabache! I did not know what jet was till I was in Santiago. There’s a lot of junk in Santiago, but the good “silver shops“ have some beautiful stuff. I am not much of a jewelry person, but I have seen some beautiful things in Santiago.Jet and sterling silver make a lovely combination.
I’d love to hear the name of one of these good silver shops.
 
There’s a lot of junk in Santiago, but the good “silver shops“ have some beautiful stuff. I am not much of a jewelry person, but I have seen some beautiful things in Santiago.Jet and sterling silver make a lovely combination.
Hi,

If you feel like bringing back something to your (supporting) community : a silver (or silver plated) shell that you will donate to your parish, to be used for baptisms. There is a nice model with a ring for the priest's thumb...
 
I brought home Magno Classic bars of soap. Made in Spain, black in color, light fragrance. Sort of weird bathing with black bars of soap. But it lathers up with nice white foam and has a light fragrance that would suite both men and women. Magno Classic also comes as a bath gel that is also very dark more brownish in color, and also very nice to use. The soap reminds me of the Camino everytime I take a shower....
I also brought home paprika, some really useful small olive oil tins with a long spout as well as some scallop shell sterling silver earrings and a St James cross pendant.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I have to admit, I also bring a 40 L nylon very worn & very light duffel bag that rests at the bottom of my backpack or when I need a rescue to send stuff ahead cause everything hurts at once situation. In Santiago at Casal Coton I buy lots of tartas De Santiago & those little brown almond thingies for family & friends. At Mercado de Abastos at a little corner stall bakery bring bread home. Lots of the cloth blue & yellow Camino bracelets for co-workers and Camino dreamers. On the way home, all of these share the space with the poles, and 🤞 that they arrive in one piece.
 
I have to admit, I also bring a 40 L nylon very worn & very light duffel bag that rests at the bottom of my backpack or when I need a rescue to send stuff ahead cause everything hurts at once situation. In Santiago at Casal Coton I buy lots of tartas De Santiago & those little brown almond thingies for family & friends. At Mercado de Abastos at a little corner stall bakery bring bread home. Lots of the cloth blue & yellow Camino bracelets for co-workers and Camino dreamers. On the way home, all of these share the space with the poles, and 🤞 that they arrive in one piece.
But what I really regret not bringing home was this little baby, Invierno November 2019.
 

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This looks like the kind of place I'd love to spend a couple of hours in, and take back a whole bunch of stuff! My idea of heaven. Thanks for sharing this, Faith! (and/or Nate).

Do go when you're next here, @Priscilla NC! They not only have quality teas, but the whole experience purchasing them is soothing :)
Faith :)
 
I bought smoked paprika and saffron
Thanks for reminding me about the saffron — I used to bring it home too, but stopped when the friend I bought it for moved away. I definitely remember buying it sometimes at the market, but also sometimes at this little store.

I’d love to hear the name of one of these good silver shops.

I think there are several, all in a row, in the Rúa de Acibechería. I remember buying something years ago in Joyería Regeira (based on google maps, that must be the place). It is right at the start of the arcaded paseo with other silver stores. Rúa da Acibechería, 9, 15704 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain

I am by no means an expert silver shopper but I was pretty confident that what I was getting was high quality.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Along with your olive oil, you might also want to select some Spanish olives. So many wonderful varieties of both green and black olives, in olive oil or brine, with spices or herbs, the choices are endless. At the end of my last visit to Sanitiago I purchased some chestnut flour from a new bulk/health food shop. It is likely available elsewhere and is produced in Galicia. In combination with other flours, it adds a richness and interesting flavour notes to baking (in breads, cakes, etc.). Highly recommended. Our traditional purchases always included some of the lovely liqueurs, pickled hot peppers from the Navarre (or you could choose roasted sweet peppers in oil) and bars of drinking chocolate for the winter. Our favourite drinking chocolate, produced in Galicia, is made by Pazo de Coruxo where they also produce a wide range of liqueurs (including a chocolate cherry combination to die for) and other treats.
 
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
I only take my memories home with me. They have been a comfort, especially during the Pandemic. I also never check baggage.
 
I always bring back some Cola Cao! On rainy cool days, I have one en hike to temper my coffee intake! A great reminder of lovely,welcoming cafeterias. Also stock up on Born in the Pyrenees ‘Grifone’ hiking gear. A Zara visit is a must for T shirt presents - the range is always different in material and design to U.K. availability. Lastly, a hike to Hipercor, past the train station, for a genuine Spanish induction into malls once more... (discount card from Service desk on presentation of foreign passport, to boot!)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
The purchase I most look forward to making when I finally arrive in SdC is some handmade Spanish lace. Whether bordering a little handkerchief or a piece of handmade all on its own, I pick one up every time I get to Santiago.
I've toyed with the idea of some beautiful silver jewelry, but I'm not a jewelry person!
Other than that, a shell, my compostela, my credential, maybe a t-shirt for my DH. I'm not crazy about spending money on people who, through no fault of their own, really won't understand how significant a souvenir from SdC is . . . to ME!!
 
I always bring back some Cola Cao! On rainy cool days, I have one en hike to temper my coffee intake! A great reminder of lovely,welcoming cafeterias. Also stock up on Born in the Pyrenees ‘Grifone’ hiking gear. A Zara visit is a must for T shirt presents - the range is always different in material and design to U.K. availability. Lastly, a hike to Hipercor, past the train station, for a genuine Spanish induction into malls once more... (discount card from Service desk on presentation of foreign passport, to boot!)
I have a 5 year old container of Cola Cao I got in Europe and can't bring myself to use. Oy!!
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Memories. Love. Friendships and a better person I hope. Oh always a gift for Jane.
 
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
We have bought a couple of CDs from the musician in front of the cathedral. A couple bottles of Norte gin and wonderful memories. We are fortunate to have La Tienda and Jose Andreas within 45 minutes North and South of us. The only thing we can not get is Basque sidra.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Oh, is that the shop on the Rua da Troia or Fonte San Miguel, on the way to Hotel Costa Vella from the Praza Cervantes? They had some really nice things, I am sad to see it has closed.
Now I am sad, because the penny dropped. I bought a really gorgeous scarf for a friend here, and a few years before she'd bought a jet pendant from them. So sorry to know they're closed.
 
Especially those that are consumable, because that is my favorite kind of gift to give.
There is also the very nice shop that I tend to think of as the "Purple Shop," since I always blank on the name. They sell quality edibles made in monasteries:
Delicatessen As Monxas
Rúa de Xelmírez, 17
20211017_070050.jpg
 
There is also the very nice shop that I tend to think of as the "Purple Shop," since I always blank on the name. They sell quality edibles made in monasteries:
Delicatessen As Monxas
Rúa de Xelmírez, 17
View attachment 111428
Yes, I know that place! Once when i was heading from Santiago to Madrid to visit friends, I bought a tarta de Santiago there that my friends said was absolutely top notch.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
.... and talking of edibles, Laurie .... I am always on the lookout for those delectable mini dried figs, lightly dusted in icing sugar.

Finding the ‘frutos secos’ section in supermercados is always an undertaking and me trying to pronounce ‘higos’ always ensures a laugh!

Spotting a Coravin I know I am days away from the land of Gadis! Oh to be in Galicia!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Oh, is that the shop on the Rua da Troia or Fonte San Miguel, on the way to Hotel Costa Vella from the Praza Cervantes? They had some really nice things, I am sad to see it has closed.
Yes! I have purchased hand made linen shawls and scarfs (scarves) there that are absolutely beautiful and intricate.
 
In SdC I bought a T-Shirt and a shell.
I bought 12 bottles of wine from a bodega in the Bierzo after I got home. That is my standard red-wine now besides a very nice red from Tuscany and a Rosé from the Provence.
In Porto I bought a fan for my wife.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Brought home a 12" clay statue of Santiago for my garden on my first walk. Wrapped it in clothes in backpack. Now on my desk since I moved to a condo.

Second walk in 2006, an 18K gold shell and chain with cabochon rubies. Wear it almost constantly. It also came in turquoise opals, S M L size of shell and stones. Jeweler was on a street somewhere behind the Cathedral.

Fridge magnet, pins, teatowels.
 
Terrific thread, Laurie! Thanks to you and all posting for the fantastic ideas.

I always buy ... not admitting to how many but imagine stockpile quantities 😉 ... monster bars of Valor chocolate from Carrefour. I love Valor chocolate!

Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
Me too, @JennyH94! Big Valor chocolate bars are my "go to" bars for a quick "pick me up" for an afternoon snack on the Camino. My favorites are chock full of hazelnuts, and I break off a chunk as needed, but I do not bring any home. Yum!😋
 
How could I forget to mention the fabulous FROIZ....

Talking of Valor, I often check out if a city has one of their cafés (Logroño has a memorable one). A chocolade à la taza, with a glass of water and a complimentary mini churros is a perfect restorative!

I stock up in Santiago, at Gadis/Froiz on a few sachets, large, of the delectable Valor powder.

In Melide, I visit the cobbler LAIA, opposite the church on the square for hand-made leather items. I have also bought lovely hand-made shoes and boots here (handy post office for shipping...).

The Bonito del Norte tuna in glass jars, I can source at the one and only Garcia delicatessen on Portobello Road in London’s Notting Hill.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Food - I brought home a few small cans of Spanish olives stuffed with anchovies, and later was lucky enough to find them here in Canada at a small Italian delicatessen that features a lot of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese specialties. I did not bring any wine, but again searched the local stores and found several bottles of Rioja wine from the Don Jacobo winery in Logrono. Love it! Brought back some Cola Cao hot chocolate mix to remind me of those cold mornings! Searched on-line recipes for Tarta de Santiago and made my own template, and also for Tarta de Patata and treated my family to both within a few days of returning home. I bought a couple of chocolate bars at the museum in Astorga which I was able to carry along without melting due to the cold weather in March and April.

Souvenirs - For my daughter and her 2 teenaged daughters, I bought some silver jewelry in Leon, because jewelry is small and easy to carry. I see them wearing their pieces frequently and it reminds me of the shop where I found it. Early on in the Camino, I bought a small decorated change purse for coins and still use it. Yes, I found a few fridge magnets that were quite attractive (sorry for the pun! :rolleyes: ). And on the wall in our kitchen is a ceramic tile with the scallop shell motif and a yellow arrow. How those waymarkers were appreciated!

Most of the items fit easily in my backpack and survived the trip home as checked luggage. I use the word 'most' because I kept the ceramic wall tile with me in a small carry-on bag for the trip home, along with my certificates.
 
Me too, @JennyH94! Big Valor chocolate bars are my "go to" bars for a quick "pick me up" for an afternoon snack on the Camino. My favorites are chock full of hazelnuts, and I break off a chunk as needed, but I do not bring any home. Yum!😋
The hazelnut one is my favourite too Chrissy! Yum - absolutely and completely!
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Back in 2016 I stayed in a pilgrim room at the wonderful San Martin Pinario. Tucked away on the ground floor is a an excellent shop - I was only alerted to it by the sound of recorded Plainsong drifting down the corridors. Among the many low priced gifts for sale I found packets of wrapped herbal sweets in several flavours and bought some for my daughter who was taking care of everything in my absence. Wish I had bought more, or that they were available online, as she considered them the best Camino present ever.
 
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
One of my many camino lessons learned is to travel lightly. The notorious 10% rule has been indoctrinated into me for all my travels - and so I generally carry only my backpack and consider my photographs, journal, and memories to be souvenir enough. Not to say I have never found room in my pack for some cheese or a tin of olive oil and a trinket or two. In 2011, I bought a handmade necklace from a little girl in front of one of the churches in Villafranca while her father stood nearby offering support for his young entrepreneur. I still use that necklace on my travels to dress up. In 2015, the hospitalero at the Austrian albergue in Arcos, asked if he could make me a gift. He twisted and shaped a long piece of wirre into a pilgrim, my name, and a snail - because I said I walked slowly. I also was gifted at pilgrim masses, the cross at St. Juan Ortega and the paper stars in Carrion. When I reached Santiago my pack was a little but not a lot heavier, and there was one souvenir I knew I had to buy - a kitchen magnet. Not any magnet... I had earned this one and was ready to proclaim who I was. The magnet said "Acqui vivre una peregrina." It has been on my refrigerator ever since.
 
I was gifted a pair of earrings in Roncesvalles on my first Camino by a stranger and wore them the entire way and never removed them. My only souvenirs I bring are just one piece of shell related jewelry each time to bring home.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Well Laurie, you have gotten me on a roll!

Peeked in my present drawer and I found:

Small zipped leatherette case featuring a lovely street in Zamora, purchased at Unikko Complementos

and

Medium sized clutch bag with shoulder strap, purchased at the gift shop in Oviedo Cathedral near the Treasury

image.jpgimage.jpg
 
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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Back in 2016 I stayed in a pilgrim room at the wonderful San Martin Pinario. Tucked away on the ground floor is a an excellent shop - I was only alerted to it by the sound of recorded Plainsong drifting down the corridors. Among the many low priced gifts for sale I found packets of wrapped herbal sweets in several flavours and bought some for my daughter who was taking care of everything in my absence. Wish I had bought more, or that they were available online, as she considered them the best Camino present ever.
You are so right! I generally stay here, top floor looking out to the countryside. Great staff. Always many familiar pilgrim faces.

The shop has some of the best postcards and good quality/designed T shirts and an array of tasteful ‘camino’ accessories. The music is a bonus and CD’s are for sale...

I too shall miss Rosario Rey: I am well stocked with her long sleeved T’s in less common colours and with designer low-key logos.
 
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Fantastic thread. I’ve been wondering what to get people who have supported me as I undertook this journey (I’m about a week out from finishing I hope) and I’ve found an idea for everyone that will be meaningful and express my gratitude AND be appreciated, I think. I asked my high school foreign language teacher (who inspired me to travel internationally) what I could bring her snd she wanted saffron from La Mancha to make paella so I’ll be on the hunt for that!
 
If it is permitted to slightly hijack this thread may I add that, for pilgrims returning to the UK via ferry, both Bilbao and Santander offer great opportunities for buying products from Navarre and Asturias as well as most of the other consumables mentioned in the above posts. I was delighted to find in the Bilbao El Cortes Ingles bottles of wine (Crianza and a splendid Reserva) produced by Bodegas Irache, the people who provide the free wine fountain a few kilometres outside Estella and brought some back for friends (and myself). Everyone was impressed by the quality. Here is their website https://www.irache.com/es but I don't think it is possible to order online.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hi,

In fact, the site displays an online shop ("tienda on-line") : Catálogo / [product] / Comprar (etc.)
@NavyBlue, thank you for highlighting this. Unfortunately it is only for sales in Spain. I am going to email the company to check if the wine could be delivered to the UK but since leaving the EU I expect such transactions to be fraught with customs complications.
 
I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie

I know we’ve had these threads over the years, but not one lately, and I think it’s always fun to hear about what other people have found to bring home from Santiago. I am not a big shopper, but I do really like to fill up a duffel bag with stuff I can’t get at home — some for me, some for family.

I described how I do it on a recent thread—- I take an empty duffel bag with me on the flight over and have it wrapped up and ready to mail from the first post office I come to in Spain. (There is one at T2 at the Madrid airport, and one near Chamartín train station but both are currently closed for covid). I mail the duffel up to Santiago (either to Ivar’s storage or to San Martín Pinario where I’ll be staying). So I have a full bag to fill with goodies!

I buy liters and liters of olive oil, either in cans or in plastic bottles. None has ever leaked or broken, knock on wood, and I’ve done this for more than 15 years. I usually buy some bubble wrap to help with the packing. and they are packed in a fabric duffel bag.

My second favorite purchase are some canned seafood. I know that sounds gross, but if you go to Las Conservas del Camino in the Santiago market, you will see many different tins of all kinds of delicacies. I always get about a dozen tins and give them away - sometimes I don’t even know what the contents really are, but the tins are beautiful and (almost always) very good. I once got some razor clams in a yucky sauce, but that has been the only fiasco to date.

Other things that are on my shopping list
— pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika — those in the know say it must be from the region of La Vera, so that’s what I always get, but I probably couldn’t tell the difference.

— cheeses (no problem bringing them into the US, it’s the meat that is the problem). Find a shop or stall in the market with a machine that can put the cheeses you buy into a vacuum pack. They last for a long time.

— beans. There’s a grocery store on the right side of the street down to the train station (Rúa do Hórreo) that sells Alubias de Lourenzá, which are a white bean from Galicia that my vegetarian daughter and her family really love. I’m sure they are available other places, but I usually go there just because it’s my habit. Lots of regional bean specialties, and those can also come into the US. NOT rice, though, that’s prohibited.

— Cross of Santiago template for those tartas de Santiago. Well, you only need one, but they are easy to find in a ferretería in Santiago and cost only a few euros. I have brought a couple home for some serious baker friends.

— Wine. I do occasionally bring home a bottle or two of wine for friends who have more sophisticated tastes than I do, but only if I can find some that is not readily available in the US. There is so much Spanish wine here that it seems silly to bring some home when I can pay a few dollars more and get it here. The Viñoteca do Mercado , also in the Santiago market, has a good selection of wines that are not exported.

My list has kind of been stuck in the same place for years, so i would love to hear some new ideas.

Buen camino, Laurie
For you Catholic friends: rosaries where the larger beads are metallic sea shells. Also have them blessed by a priest at the cathedral. I found mine at the street vendor in the tunnel right before you enter the cathedral plaza. For you none Catholics, its still a neat gift with a Camino significance. My elderly Catholic aunts really loved them and show them to their friends. I wish I had purchased an extra one for myself. Well there's always next time.
 
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I tend not to bring edibles because I don't know what is allowed through customs. Next time I'll have to check.

Of course, the fridge magnets, patches and various tchotchkes. Lots of tee shirts. Some books. Other items have included a tie from the Cathedral store in Santiago, with a pattern of crosses of Santiago on it, and sets of commemorative postage stamps of the Camino Portugues that I happened to notice in the Post Office when I was mailing things home.
 
Tea from tea shop Mistélanea is also much appreciated! They have wonderful loose-leaf teas, and going in to their store is an experience in itself. Mmmmm....smells so good. I highly recommend tea-lovers to check them out. Their store is on Xeneral Pardiñas, 28, very close to Alameda park. They have all kinds of black tea, red tea, Pu Erh, green tea, and rooibois and infusions (caffeine-free).

The owners and at least one member of their staff speak English. https://mistelanea.com/
@Carla M. thought you might like this recommendation after our tea thread!

And why is the normal green asparagus not easy to find even in a season that it would normally be expected? I've never seen it in Spain, even when walking in early spring.
I miss white asparagus! Growing up in Asia, that’s all I ever knew. And it’s typically made into a thickened soup, with shredded crab meat. Describing it just now somehow it sounds a bit weird, but trust me it’s so good!

So when I visited my brother who was living in a sleepy German village a few years back, I was so glad it was white asparagus season! The air in the village even smelled of asparagus.

I can only find green asparagus in the UK and they are tougher and usually grilled (or parboiled then grilled). Whereas white asparagus becomes soft when you cook it (steam/boil).

I guess different varieties/species of asparagus are grown in different countries and as humans we always want what we don’t have!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
I’m actually really interested in getting a customised Camino painting as advertised here on the forum. Alas, the artist is doing the Camino right now! Buen camino to her and hopefully she will have reopened her store by the time I finish mine 😉
 
Grilled asparagus? Never even heard of that. Why would you do that?
 
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Euh why not? Delicious!
Because it will dry up and get tough? Because asparagus is a lovely fresh taste, with just some melted butter and a pinch of salt.
I have green in my garden. It needs peeling, but it's certainly not tough.
 
Because it will dry up and get tough? Because asparagus is a lovely fresh taste, with just some melted butter and a pinch of salt.
I have green in my garden. It needs peeling, but it's certainly not tough.


Not when prepared in a good manner. Then they will not get tough. Yes I prefer my white asparagus simply with butter/egg/parsley but you can grill them too.

Here is a great recipe of grilled white asparagus with beersabayon and northseashrimps.


Will stop hijacking this thread.... ;)
 
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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

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Which stores in the freezer nicely - when Rami, my niece's Syrian husband (nephew-in-law?), heard I use saffron he bought some while on a trip to see his parents.
Have you any idea how much space 250gm of saffron takes up in a freezer? A lot!
Still usable after 6 years though!
 
Wishlist: One thing that I would love to have is a replica of La Torre del Reloj and it has to be a working clock that chimes like the original and that has a light that can be lit on a Holy Year. Anyone come across something like this anywhere? Tacky is ok, so much for my downsizing goal. PS: Docobo doesn’t carry it.🤣😂
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Every time I have walked I buy a little silver shell pendant from the same shop near the cathedral in Burgos.

I am also a fan of buying food and usually go to the little shops to seek out things I would never see at home.

My first time in Spain I bought a package of paella seasoning mix. When I read the package at home I was so surprised to see the warning about it possibly causing hyperactivity (and possibly other things) in children. The yellow food colouring was the reason for the warning. I had to google it and was shocked that in North America it is freely put in food. I knew I wasn't getting saffron but this sure made me rethink food.

My other souvenirs (no matter where I travel) are smooshed pennies, wine corks that I incorporate into trivets and corkboards, and postcards that I mail home to myself getting four souvenirs in one - postcard, stamp, postmark, and a memory.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
If you want something customised and personal, Zamo Tamay in Rua Nova is an interesting art shop. He will customise pilgrim prints for you to reflect your particular Camino and his work is (or at least was pre-pandemic) surprisingly inexpensive.

Could you elaborate a bit on what he does? What do you mean when you say that he will “customise pilgrim prints”? I did a little googling to see if I could find out more about his shop, and saw that I recognized the statue of the surprised pilgrim standing outside. But I don’t think I’ve ever been inside.

EDF531D1-3B55-4064-88B7-47F8AC1D45C0.png

And I just thought of another little thing that I bring home — re-usable bags from the grocery chains. I have gotten some from Eroski that have detailed and very colorful scenes of different Spanish cities (I am sad that after about two years, my Granada bag has reached the end of its useful life) and some from Carrefour that highlight different “sabores” from different parts of Spain. These bags are always for sale near the checkout line and cost around 50 céntimos, I think. The checkers in the grocery stores here in the US frequently ask me about them, just another Camino reminder for me!
 

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Does anyone know a good shop I SDC where they have local cheeses, hams and other delicacies to take home?
The Galicia Rail pass is available to anyone who completes the Camino and is awarded the completion certificate. It allows for 3 days of train travel and also discounts to other places you may...
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For those who are in Santiago 🙏🏻

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