Any interesting gift ideas for a hip mom travelling to Greece?

September 7, 2006 7:30 PM

Any interesting gift ideas for a hip mom travelling to Greece?

Hey!

I'm looking for a birthday present for my mother who is traveling to Greece in about 2 weeks, something that may be related or loosely-related to the trip. Avoiding trite objects such as guide books and such, anything that could be an interesting gift? I don't know anything about Greece or anything in it, but perhaps some of you lovely AskMeFites can help me out with some ideas that would help my mom have a great trip. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Again!

posted by boscord to Shopping (8 answers total)

A copy of the movie 'Shirly Valentine' (filmed in part where I used to work, with some friends as extras, but that's not why I like the movie. It's just a lovely little film).
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:34 PM on September 7, 2006

Sorry, 'Shirley Valentine'.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:35 PM on September 7, 2006

If you know her shoe size and want to spend a little (ok, a lot of) money, I would recommend attractive comfortable sandals. that you can wear to the beach, or walking around Athens. They'll be allllll she wears. At least I know that's all I wear.

These have served me well:

posted by wuzandfuzz at 7:50 PM on September 7, 2006

Crap, that link was http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/8913069/c/89.html
I'm bad at this, sorry.
posted by wuzandfuzz at 7:50 PM on September 7, 2006

Roumeli and Mani by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Both are about his travels in Greece, in which he settled and was part of the Cretan resistance in WWII. He's an amazing writer, and I can't recommend his books highly enough. Incredibly romantic (in the travel sense) and all true. And his writing is quite hip at the moment; four of his books have been republished by the New York Review of Books and he was the subject of a great New Yorker piece a few months ago.
posted by The Michael The at 8:26 PM on September 7, 2006

I know you said no guide books but everyone going to Greece should take The Island Hoppers Bible. It's awesome.
posted by fshgrl at 8:38 PM on September 7, 2006

Also, I've loved Henry Miller's The Colossus of Maroussi for decades. If your mom is of a literary bent, it might fire a love of Greece even before she goes.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:46 PM on September 7, 2006

Response by poster: I love you guys =)
posted by boscord at 7:43 AM on September 8, 2006