Souvenirs

Aren't these paua shell earrings awesome! Oh, sorry - you don't know what Paua shell is? It's kind of like abalone. Be sure to check out the gift shop for other unique goodies you might want to take home with you. No, Newt, we don't get a cut of the money spent there! Who are you today?

This is probably the most realistic postcard I've ever seen. This is exactly what you'd see if you were standing in front of it. I know, most postcards do resemble the actual places, but Newt grabbed a postcard from Spain, and the definition was no where close to this. This Mosque is at a roundabout just outside of the Diplomatic Area. In case you're wondering, the Diplomatic Area is where all the embassies are located.

Everyone's heard of vegemite, right? Now you can have your own personal jar! You'll find a jar on most tables.

Personally, I'd get it as a novelty item, but it tastes nasty! Kind of a brown yeasty flavor - yuck.

Newt insisted on buying a pair of Andalucian castanets. Traditional castanets are made from wood, and have a hollowed out bed the size of a walnut. Joined with a piece of decorative string or rawhide, they are used by flamenco dancers and add to the frenzied pace of the dance. Black fibre castanets, as well as those made of glass, are now popular with professional flamenco dancers.

The Kittery Trading Post has something for everyone! A family business since 1938, it began as a modest one-room trading post/gas station. During the early days, the Trading Post's reputation as "honest horse traders" brought people from far and wide - swapping fur pelts for gas, beef for ammunition, and supplies for a car.

When you enter the Kittery Trading Post, you'll be impressed with their vast display of sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear for the whole family. There's a great gift section, too, with unique nautical and hand carved items for home and hearth. I couldn't resist a moose-topped bell buoy chime - it will make a great addition to my oak tree burrow. Made in Round Pond, Maine, it replicates the ringing sound of a channel buoy as it swings in the wind. Not only do they make buoy chimes from Portland Harbor, but a variety of other famous harbors too.

What started out to be a side trip, turned out to be a day long hike up to the upper level of the store into the heart of camping, rock climbing, winter and water sports country. I daresay, they carry everything one could possibly need! A five mile stroll across a rustic walkway takes you into the largest shooting sports department in New England - truly a gun collector's paradise! Newt was so tickled he forgot himself, dashing to and fro on the split log railings. I pretended I didn't know him.


I ran into an old friend while shopping. Michelle and I reminisced about the days when we would flit about, testing our wings while her father worked in the gun department. We spent many happy hours tossing faerie dust to and fro in the old store.
Sadly, in 1977, her father lost his life while protecting an employee. A plaque was placed at the front door in his memory.