What's your favorite souvenir?

I attended a lovely dinner party over the weekend with some folks who I haven't seen since I'd been back from my trip to China. As you've no doubt experienced after vacay, several questions were asked about where I'd gone, what I did, what I saw, and where I posted my photos (here, in case you were wondering). My favorite question, however, was, "What did you buy?"

The answer is that I didn't buy much this time--the trip was expensive enough, and I didn't want to lug too many things around with me for two weeks. But I did score a few choice items closer to the end, though: an small antique teapot; a great shoulder bag; books from the Shanghai Museum; tea from the Yunnan province that's so very real that I have to wash the leaves twice before brewing it (hard core!).

When I travel, I usually like to buy two things: art and local foods that are hard for me to find back home. Above are some of my finds. Note that many of the containers (the olive oil, the wine, the box of tea) are empty--I just can't seem to throw them away (and I am really good at throwing things away, so this is a rare thing indeed). Here's the rundown:

• Honey and herbs from a trip to Paris


• The bag from China


• The bad-ass tea from China


• Olive oil from Greece (read about this stuff here--it's AMAZING)


• Shells and stones from various beaches (Anguilla, North Carolina, Nice, Málaga, Cabo)


• Pinot Noir from New Zealand


• "Two Years in the Forbidden City" by Princess Der Ling (I'm obsessed with China's "Dragon Lady")


• A tea strainer from Shanghai that I've turned into a tea-light holder


• Tea from Ladurée in Paris

Er, so, really, just lots of tea.

What about you? What souvenir do you always buy when you're on vacation?