Weirdest Trip Memento I’ve Ever Saved
Travel December 20th, 2008My husband Dave and I had the fortune of traveling to Paris in the summer of 2004, a trip I won on a $5 raffle ticket. Rifling through some boxes today, I came across an envelope stuffed with receipts, ticket stubs and other miscellanea we collected.
In this picture you’ll find the strangest thing I’ve ever saved from a vacation trip. Can you find it?
When you travel, do you save all the little papers and stubs you collect along the way? I think the fact we saved such seemingly insignificant items shows how memorable the trip was to us.
Going to Paris absolutely ruined us for every other trip we’ve taken since. Nothing else compares. If you have the chance to go, GO! It will change your life.
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Paris with the man you love….a trip doesn’t get any better than that. Little bits of paper to remind you of most everything you did…they don’t take up much space, they don’t need to be dusted..perfect
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Is it the toilette stub?
December 20th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I’m going to go for the ticket you apparently got for going to a public toilet.
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:30 am
what’s with all the toilette receipts?..and your the first person I have known that has one something big on a five dollar raffle ticket..:) the only thing I have ever won on a raffle ticket is a blender..
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I’ve been to Paris (amazing) and I’ve been to Parisian toilettes — or should I say, Parisian holes in the ground. That is NOT a memory I’d care to treasure along with ticket stubs and restaurant menus. Prob’ly my weirdest memento is a rock.
JD at I Do Things’s last blog post..I Eat Braunschweiger so you don’t have to
December 20th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I used to save all such things from trips, some of it brings back memories in ways that nothing else can.
Do you mean the toilet receipe?
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Is it the wi-fi access card ?
December 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am
You have to pay to pee in paris? Way disappointing!
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December 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am
I am (don’t hate me) not a traveler or a saver. You wouldn’t know it to look at my house, which is wall to wall junk, but it’s mostly “functional” junk, which, by the way, costs more than the nonfunctional kind but is, really, just as useful.
In the past six years, I have been to (a) the Noordvick and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Nice France and Rome Italy, all for work. In all cases, though the places were charming and people friendly, I couldn’t wait to get back home to my family. I think I’m missing the travel gene.
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December 20th, 2008 at 9:13 am
I only got to spend a day in Paris when I was there, but it was so spectacular that I hope to go back one day. So glad you had a phenomenal trip there!
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December 20th, 2008 at 9:32 am
When I went to Cancun, I saved pretty much everything. I think I even saved the wrapper from the pretzels on the plane. And all this was saved in a little baggy with our hotel name on it. I even have the complimentary slippers we got under my bed.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:42 am
The toilette receipt? I haven’t been to Paris so far, but there are other cities, Prague, Salonic, Wien where you also have to pay to go to the toilet, but you get no receipt
There’s either a lady at the door who cashes or you have to put a 1 euro coin in a thing stuck to the door and then press the handle to open it.
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December 20th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I think keeping the WiFI access card is a bit odd – but I missed that something was for a toilet.
BTW is ‘Verriere’ like a front-derriere? No need to reply to this rather rude query.
I had a whole Sunday morning in Paris once (on the way back from Grenoble) I walked *miles* it was wonderful.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:56 am
I agree, Paris is great! Here are some photos from my visit to Paris.
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December 20th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Um is it the wifi access pass thing? And wow you saved a lot of weird stuff.
December 20th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I think if I went to the Louvre, I would have kept the stub too just to prove I went. I will have to get out my little box of goodies and report to you later on my own stupid things.
Lol at Ken on the Verriere thing.
If I can still find it, I have a little container of Mt. St Helen’s Ash. I never went there, but my great aunt did.
TheSnackHound’s last blog post..Cleaning My Mouth Out; Or Ode to Off-White Food
December 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Did you remember to deduct your urination expense from your taxes that year? I think it’s too late to file an amended return, though.
December 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I don’t know…I don’t think a toilet receipt is all that odd of a memento. After all, we haven’t had to pay to use the bathroom anywhere in this country since the 60’s. I remember the days of pay toilets in airports, bus and train stations. Now the WiFi brochure is a different story.
When we came back from our cruises we had the daily newsletters from the ship, the daily menu bulletins, receipts for excursions, chocolates that were left on our pillow, etc. So, yeah, we collect a lot of miscellaneous stuff on our vacations as well. Not to mention all the photographs.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Is it the WiFi? How fun. I’m glad you got to go.
I do the same thing. Save stubs from tickets. Proves you were there kind of thing.
Have a great weekend.
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December 20th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I went to Old Orchard beach as a kid, was totally enchanted with my magic jumping beans.
December 20th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Well I was going to say the toilet ticket as well or the Wifi but looks like those are taken already. Hmmm. Never been to Europe. Maybe the reason for all the perfume is because of the pay for pee situation?
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December 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Lauren… I kid you not…speaking of perfume. I had a friend who was American, but lived in france for many years because her father was transferred there. She said many times people wear the same outfit and just spray the clothes in the closet with perfume so they wouldn’t smell until they drycleaned or washed them.
TheSnackHound’s last blog post..Cleaning My Mouth Out; Or Ode to Off-White Food
December 20th, 2008 at 11:25 am
This is exactly how I travel. In fact – on my last trip to Europe I actually brought ziploc baggies to store all of my paper souveniers.
I may also have a huge tup of ticket stubs/movie stubs/misc. shit as well. Just maybe
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I also saved every ticket stub and free brochure from my first trip to Ireland; they went in an album with all the pictures I took and the album was turned in with my paper, which was a combination of history, politics, interviews, and stories about the school where I interned. I think all that stuff is as interesting to look at as the photos.
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
It’s the carpet, right?
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
carol at A Second Cup — Trip of a lifetime. I always worry that when we go back (and we’d better!) it won’t be the same as the first time. Spectacular in every way.
ann of the junkdrawerblogfamily — You are correct! Dave couldn’t believe I saved them (and there are more than are pictured here). There’s something so bizarre about getting a ticket for paying to pee. But it came from Paris, so it deserved to be saved!
Karen — Yep, and I’m laughing at the cost of it. I guess that’d be about 80 cents? To pee!
robert bourne — And there were more that you couldn’t see in the picture. Saved every one of them! Sorry about the blender, but that’s all I ever won too — before this. I should write about that experience. It was quite funny what happened when I found out I won.
JD at I Do Things — I think I remember a couple stalls that had holes in them. I suppose I would have used them if that was all that was available. Mother Nature calls? You use a hole in the floor. Where did the rock come from?
Oyvind — You are quite right. They remind us of all the little side things we did. Yes, we have a thousand pictures, but sometimes a little receipt from a sandwich shop will trigger a memory that wasn’t photographed. Yes, the toilet receipt!
Sophie — After I posted this, it occurred some might think I meant the wi-fi card. Yes, that’s a bit weird, too. Some of my friends thought I was an idiot for bringing a laptop and emailing my family back home with daily photos, but that was part of the fun too. BTW, it cost 20 euro per day to use wi-fi in our hotel. Worth every penny.
Muse — Yep, but not everywhere. Mostly at the museums I think.
Stephanie Barr — I think maybe it’s not that you’re missing the travel gene, but that you traveled so much for work. Completely different vibe if you’re not on your own time. We would love to see Italy some day.
chat blanc — Do it! We were there for 5 days and made use of every second of it. I’m getting misty as I type this. My husband planned our trip exceptionally well and we were able to see and do so much in a short amount of time. If we can swing it, it’ll be more than seven days next time.
Regan — So funny about the pretzel bag. I did the same kind of thing. I kept the wrapper of a Napoleon dessert. Crazy! If you’ve saved all that stuff, it means you love travel. I hope you can see the world!
Miss Tique — Yep, the toilet receipt. I have heard amazing things about Prague and that I must go at least once in my lifetime. Also heard the dollar goes a lot further, which would take the sting out of traveling abroad right now.
Ken Armstrong — Oh, please. Rude? That? No way! The Verriere was a cafe, but I much prefer your interpretation. Sounds better than front butt! Regarding walking, we seldom took taxies places. We wanted to see every square inch of the city, so we didn’t use the metro. I remember one day we asked some Parisians where the Statue of Liberty was and they said “Oh, that’s four bridges down that way. You can’t walk that.” We did, it nearly killed us, but we enjoyed every step of the way.
John at Curious Cat Investing Blog — Thanks for posting your pictures link. I can never get enough!
brooke — My thought was the pee receipt, but the wi-fi is kinda strange, too. I didn’t even have a blog back then and I needed internet access. Couldn’t live without it.
TheSnackHound — Oh, man. The Louvre. Honestly? We could have done without it. The Musee D’orsay was a far better museum experience for us. Smaller and more intimate. Also, Dave’s an impressionist painting junkie. If you don’t have time, skip the Louvre. Too big. Wow, cool memento! I was just watching a docu on the Mt. St. Helen’s eruption. Amazing stuff.
Seamus’s Mom — Har! I suppose had it been a business trip, I could have thrown it in the expense pile. Hey, peeing adds up.
Lee — I can remember just a few spots years ago where you had to insert a coin to use the restroom. What if you have no money? Scary position to be in. I love that you saved all that unusual stuff. It’s all part of the experience and triggers almost-forgotten memories that you didn’t save with a photo. I loved looking through my pile of stuff again. Seriously, I’m so dreaming of Paris today!
Comedy Plus — I was thinking the toilette receipt, but yeah, the wi-fi’s a little odd, too. We often save receipts for small trips, but tend to lose them. My Paris envelope is so full, I can’t possibly lose it. I also wrote a journal while there, which I pull out and read from time to time. I wrote every single day, even when I was exhausted. I’m glad I did because I would have forgotten some of the little stuff had I not written it down.
Alan — Oh, I remember jumping beans! Forget where I got them as a kid, but what a fascinating little “toy.” Tres cool!
Lauren — Ah, perfume. I’m still regretting not buying any perfume there. I picked a couple bottles up on the first day and thought “No, I can’t do this, it’s too expensive.” But then by the last day, I thought “If I don’t come back, I’ll regret not splurging.” I took a deep breath and bought a 125 euro wallet and I’m glad I did. Every time I take it out, I think of Paris.
TheSnackHound — Ewwww! That never helps, I don’t care what anybody says.
Carmen — All those little items are triggers for you now, I bet. It’s neat to sit down and leaf through them all. When a friend of mine went there, she asked if there was anything I wanted her to bring back. I gave her a baggie and asked her to fill it with pebbles on the outskirts of the Arc de Triumphe, where Dave and I sat every morning before our daily journey. Rocks from Paris. Weird, I know, but I’m happy to have them.
Shieldmaiden1196 — That’s a great idea and I wish I had the patience to do all that. My sister did make me a beautiful scrapbook of our pictures as a surprise. Had I known she was doing that, I’d have given her some of my miscellanea to sprinkle about. I’m doing that next time!
LOBO — Ha! It’s actually my smooth-top stove. Figured people were sick of seeing my green countertops in pictures!
December 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I think I need a magnifying glass. If I could see the detail, I could guess…maybe the wifi thingy?
I do the same thing. I just cleaned the dusty shoeboxes from under my bed and found Disnymaos and stubs from 4 years ago. Since I haven’t scrapbooked in about 7 years, I tossed a bunch of stuff that *seemed significant at the time.
I went to Paris as a poor college student. It would be nice to go back.
krisitn/kwr221’s last blog post..Randomness, sorry- no debauchery
December 20th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Apparently, shock at paying to take a wee (not a wii) is not as common as you would have guessed! When I lived in Moscow, I took an overnight train with a friend to a city about 300 miles east. There, I not only received a receipt (saved) for using the toilet (yes, a nicely-tiled ditch of running water), the matron actually put on a notation of how many squares of paper I paid for (yes, you had to pay for paper… before entering the stall!) Yikes!
-MM
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December 20th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Hey, I got a chance to use some of the French I learned in high school 20+ years ago! I would be in real trouble in a country where I had to pay to pee–I’m always in the bathroom. Oh, and if you’re in a pay restroom and you have no money? Crawl under the door. I’m not proud, but I’ve had to do it before.
I save small things from my trips, too, particularly bags from interesting stores.
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December 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
We drive to Poland (from England) and always skip need the loo in France. I wondered what the disabled loo facilities would be like, wheel marks perhaps? I never found out because the one disabled loo we did see was welded shut!
You pay in Poland too, but they have the most excellent disabled loos I’ve seen
)
December 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Sadly, I only ever did an overnight train trip to Paris for the day (12 hours), and an overnight trip back home. It is so expensive that I could never have a full holiday there. Say “Awww poor beetle”
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..Mo singing ‘A Merry Little Christmas’
December 20th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
when I was young, we had to pay to use the toilet here in Michigan. Only women. Until the potty parity laws were enacted. I would be broke now if I still had to pay.
December 20th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Sharks teeth from the shores of Camp Canoy!
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December 20th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Wow how lucky are you to win tickets to Paris. I never win anything good.
Growing up our next door neighbor won an above ground pool from a local grocery contest. The guy was the tool of the neighborhood and winning that pool only contributed to the problem.
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I do the same thing, lol. The wifi thing is kinda funny tho.
DrowseyMonkey’s last blog post..Mother Nature Freak-Out
December 20th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Come to South Africa and I’ll do what I can to arrange for you to get eaten by a lion.
That’ll be memorable (for me), for about 5 minutes. It gets old fast seeing it happen every other day.
Richard Catto’s last blog post..Hasta Siempre by Nathalie Cardone
December 20th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I have been spending way to much time on Google Street View because a blog buddy just moved back stateside after 3 years living in Paris.
She didn’t reveal where she lived in Paris until she moved back here.
So now I can wander around her neighborhood and visit the places she wrote about.
FWIW: a huge amount of the country is now covered by Street View. It’s awesome!
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December 20th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
How much does it actually cost to go in France? What if you don’t have cash on hand…do they take major credit cards?
The Alopecian Muse’s last blog post..The Grapefruit
December 20th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Kathy, you and Dave will always have Paris! I would have said the WiFi card, it’s not like you could use it here, and not knowing the origin of how you came to take the trip, keeping the Toilet receipts to get reimbursed makes sense to me
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December 20th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I would say that all of it would be weird for me to bring back from a trip. I am paperless. Radically so. I promise to lose any piece of paper you give me. From 1995 on, I have no paper files of any kind.
Stumbled and a review. Fun Exercise! Having NO French, I was afraid that toilette would end up meaning what you do to get ready in the morning instead of what I thought it meant.
I liked the guy who guessed the carpet. That’s my kinda thinking!
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December 21st, 2008 at 2:46 am
OK, I’m gonna confess…I keep all those kinds of things because I am paranoid and lazy. If I keep all the paper junk then I don’t have to worry while I’m on vacation, and when I get home I can just rummage through the paperwork. Told ya I was a lazy heifer!
Carol’s last blog post..Happy Holidays Everyone!
December 21st, 2008 at 6:55 am
krisitn/kwr221 — What I had in mind was the toilette receipt, but the wi-fi was chosen by many readers, too. Did you at least have fun looking at your stubs before you chucked them? It’s funny how I can spend an hour on the floor looking at pictures or whatever. I tend to get sucked in by the memories. Paris is calling you!
Midwest Mom — Oh my Lord, really? Paying for TP before you use it? I’d surely go broke.
absepa — But what if I can’t fit under the stall? Stuff of nightmares! I save bags, too. My husband is still feeling guilty for throwing out my pretty bags (not from Paris, just around town). I think he got me back for selling his super-fantastic Christmas lights that you can’t get anywhere now at a yard sale.
Jane — Good grief. It’s hard enough for able-bodies people to use the loo, especially ones in the floor. Traveling in a wheelchair must be a test of will and creativity. Can’t do much about a door welded shut, though.
Babs beetle — Dave says if we ever make it back to Europe, we’re visiting you and we’re dragging you to Paris. Ya gotta be prepared, though. We are merciless when it comes to walking. No rest for the weary. Are you game?
janscholl — Potty parity laws? Are you joking? Oh, wow, apparently not. Potty parity laws. I think I read something similar about the pricing for haircuts and dry cleaning. Women often pay more than men.
Mama O — Now that sounds like it comes with a story!
Lola — Lucky is right. Couldn’t believe it when I found out. Ugh. You must have hates summers living next to that guy. No fair!
DrowsyMonkey — Dave’s actually the bigger saver of things. He’s more organized than I am. There were times when I was going to toss something, but he reminded me to keep it.
Richard Catto — Agreed. Fun for you, but not for me. Can I send my stunt double instead?
goinglikesixty — Every time we see a street layout, my husband shows me where we walked. Just last night we saw a movie shot that showed the Eiffel Tower in relation to Napoleon’s tomb. It’s very far and I’m amazed we walked that. We estimate we walked almost 20 miles on Day 3. My legs felt detached from me on Day 4.
The Alopecian Muse — In 2004, it cost us about $3,000 for the 5 days, airfare and a 3-star hotel (a thousand of that was spending money). Yes, they take major credit cards, but I can’t remember where I used them. We spent cash a lot of the time.
Chris Casey — You’re right. Of all the trips we’ve taken, memories of Paris are the most vivid. Four years later, and we still talk about moments we shared, just like they happened yesterday. I’m not kidding when I say it will change your life.
marvelgoose — I’m not a pack rat either, mostly because I know I’m not good at organizing the things I plan to save, so they just never get saved. (There’s logic in there somewhere). Thanks for the stumble and review! Really appreciate it.
Carol — I’m lazy, too (see above). The one thing we worried most about was keeping receipts for ATM withdrawals so that we could check/confirm the conversion from euro back to US$ upon arriving home. I also recorded every withdrawal and charge card expense in my journal. BTW, there are many ATMs available (every 4 blocks or so), so you never have to worry about having cash if that’s a concern.
December 21st, 2008 at 7:10 am
We got here too late to guess, but we would have been wrong…We often use a whole in the ground to pee!
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December 21st, 2008 at 7:16 am
Paris is indeed a great place to visit. Like you, I tend to save practically everything picked up on my travels. A few years ago I realized that I had started a new hobby without intending to – collecting hotel room keys! Fortunately, I’m not addicted to this yet. I’ll know that I am when I start visiting a place and changing hotels every day just to get a key!
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December 21st, 2008 at 8:03 am
This looks like my little bag of mementos from the same trip. My husband and I love Paris. Versaille, Louve, Orsay, the food … They beat me to the bathroom ticket.
December 21st, 2008 at 8:30 am
when i went to italy, i saved the toilet receipt from the monastery in assissi. I took a holy crap. ba-dum-bum.
December 21st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Paris ha always been on my list of places to go. One place I do find absolutely awesome is Dominical, Costa Rica. A place to get away from everything. So refreshing when I went.
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December 21st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Oh my word! We will have to get fit then. Unless I can bring my zimmer frame, and Mo her electric car ha ha ha!
It would be fantastic though :O)
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..Mo singing ‘A Merry Little Christmas’
December 21st, 2008 at 10:54 am
Would love to go to Paris soon, but what do you mean by “life-changing” how so?
hated to have to pay for the lieu in London, trying to find a toilet in London and Rome was a nightmare as well, that really is the worse part of overseas vacations ..:)
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December 21st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I don’t know if I found it, but is that a Toilette voucher? One can never keep too many of those things around. You never know.
I went to Paris way back in the beginning of the sixties. I didn’t have enough money to do anything really useful, but I walked all over the city. One thing I remember is the bathroom in our hotel room. It was huge! Probably as big as my current bedroom. It had a black and white mini-tiled floor, and the industrial sized toilette sat way over against the wall. Not good if you were agoraphobic.
It’s a big city and, needless to say, I got lost about a thousand times. I did buy a tiny one quarter ounce bottle of Joy perfume. Good smellin’ stuff, and it cost me an arm and a leg. Of course, right after I gave it to her she broke up with me. After that, we went over to Cannes for the Film Festival. Nows there’s a nice little place. At least it was then. Movie stars were everywhere. I met Connie Francis when she was young. Didn’t think to get an autograph. I was too cool for that.
Merry Christmas, and remember…
Happy trails.
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December 21st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
hi Kathy,
I would save all this stuff too, and especially the toilet receipt, for the memories (and laughs) when you look through them later.
It would bug me to pay for the toilet, but I’m wondering did it at least look and smell clean, just like at home? Were the seats heated, and was there someone there to wipe for you?
~ Steve, aka the I-want-something-for-my-money trade show guru
PS. I’ve been to Paris too, and agree it’s amazing.
December 21st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
the way you feel about paris is the way i feel about budapest. if you ever have the chance to go to hungary, you should go. there is so much history there! my trip was even better because that’s where my stepmother is from so i stayed with her and her family for two weeks so i really got to see the culture. i’ll never forget it!!!
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December 21st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Gandalf and Grayson — That’s OK, you were built to do that and it doesn’t look as odd as when a human does it. It’s all good.
Robin — I bet you do, and I think you’ve been everywhere, judging from your blog. Wait. Can you steal your room keys? Hmmm, new thing for us to collect!
Data Entry Lady — Ah, yes, the food. We never ate so well. Even Italian food is delicious. We had the best lasagna once. It’s all about how they do cheese and butter. Not afraid of either. Oh, man. Mouth watering now.
holly — Funny! And did you really?
MikeC — A friend of mine went to Costa Rica and talked about it for months after he got back. Never heard him talk about another place the way he did about that trip.
Babs beetle — Yes, you must get fit, as we must do. We were in pretty good shape then, but still thought we should have trained more, like walking 5 miles per day minimum for months in advance. But don’t worry, we did need a taxi at the end of one of the days. Thought we would die. If you get tired, you can hop on our backs. Paris must be seen on foot!
Terri healthymoms — Bathrooms abroad can be tricky. But that’s one of the things you let go right away. It’s not like home and it’s part of the “charm.” The trip was life-changing in that we never looked at food, art, culture, and history the same way. I wept when I stood in front of Notre Dame and I’m getting chills now just thinking about it. The city is gorgeous. It puts you in a place where you see beauty in everything. That’s about the best way I can explain it. Anyone else who’s been there, please add your thoughts.
Swubird — Yes, the voucher. 80 cents to pee! You must be pulling my leg about the size of the bathroom. I got a cramp just walking into ours. You got in and got out! Sorry about the breakup, and sorrier you spent that dough on a girl who didn’t know what she had. Wow! You went to Cannes! Now why doesn’t that surprise me to read you’d find yourself among movie stars? Sometimes reading your blog I think you are a movie star writing anonymously.
I-want-something-for-my-money trade show guru Steve — I remember nothing remarkable about them, clean or dirty. Pretty much like any public restroom in the states. Only difference was paying for the privilege.
Kelly — I’ve known no one who went to Hungary. I’m envious of anyone who can stay in the home of someone who lives abroad. You get all the good tips and can really take your time visiting. Good for you!
December 21st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I spent Valentine’s Day this year in Paris with my wife, just a few days after I returned from Iraq. Damn right it was a great trip.
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December 21st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I found Paris to be icky and rude the first time, but then a month or so later when I returned, it was a lot better. I think it depends on the circumstances under which you go. And whether or not you are a rude American. The people on the street, the every day people, are much nicer than the bitches at the “Information Booth” at the train station. In my humble opinion.
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December 21st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
The funny thing about my collecting hotel keys is that for the past 28 years I’ve been the Assistant General Manager of a 4-star hotel so not only do I get cheap rates as a Hotel Association member but I get to keep their keys! Of course, I don’t have a key for the hotel I manage!
Robin’s last blog post..Misunderstanding Instructions
December 21st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Ha ha ha! That made us cackle! Hop on your backs ha ha ha! The mind boggles ;O) Stop getting me all excited! You just MUST win the lottery now!
Babs – beetle’s last blog post..Mo singing ‘A Merry Little Christmas’
December 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Loved this post…brought back memories! Paris is a wonderful city to visit! Did you have a chance to go into the countryside at all? Champagne country? It’s so beautiful, and the people are a hoot….
I can’t wait to go back again myself!
KiKi’s last blog post..It’s a Stay Puft World.
December 21st, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Kathy, I spent more than 3 years in Europe in the Army. I took a few tours when I could. Please tell me you saw the Louvre with your hubby. I also hope you visited Versailles. Having said that, my favorite places were Venice, the Vatican in Rome, and Luxembourg.
Chris (Casey)’s last blog post..Lehigh Valley International Air(Hell)Port
December 21st, 2008 at 10:52 pm
I’m just surprised that you paid to have Botox treatments in Paris. And MUCH Botox besides! No wonder your skin looks so young in person.
Jeff’s last blog post..The Original Bloggers
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:33 am
I’ve never been to Paris but it’s definitely one of my dream destinations.
Like you, I save every bit of paper and even the free pamphlets/brochures about the city. it takes so much weight though so I just cut out what I need. I put them alongside my photos.
Em Dy’s last blog post..Where to Eat Out?
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:24 am
Another stub saver! And I’m glad for proof that people really do win trips from raffles…just not me I guess. I have family in Belgium and Holland. On my last trip to Paris with them about 5 years ago, one of my most amusing memories is a French waitress bumping my arm with a steaming hot plate of food and then yelling at me for having my arm in the way. Kind of an interesting reverse psychology thing with the untipped food service staff there. Here it’d be an instant lawsuit!
Vivienne’s last blog post..Unwrapped Girls are Nothing But Trouble
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
Father Muskrat — Ah, Valentine’s Day in Paris! Does it get any better? You can’t have a bad trip to Paris even if you try.
Margaret (Nanny Goats) — Absolutely. I did find that passersby on the street rarely looked us in the eye and never smiled back if you smiled at them. However, our hotel receptionist was friendly and accommodating, even after I almost burned the hotel down by inserting the wrong adapter for my laptop in the lobby. POP. FLASH. SMOKE.
Robin — I know you get great benefits being a hotel manager, but I also remember that story you told about the drunk guy who threw you in the pool. It’s not all perks, eh?
Babs beetle — We’re trying to win! And saving our pennies. Either way, we’re going back. So be ready.
KiKi — Unfortunately not. The farthest we traveled outside the city was to Versailles. We would love to visit Nice. We’ve heard it’s Nice!
Chris Casey — Yes, we did both. Although I have to say it took us an hour to find our way out of the Louvre. We probably spent longer there than was necessary. Again, the Musee D’orsay was a far better experience. Larger is not always better.
Jeff — LMAO.
Em Day — The next time we go, I’m going to give my pictures and other sundry things to my sister so she can make me another scrapbook. She’s so talented and creative. It’d be nice to have all our things in one place.
Vivienne — Believe me, I never thought my name would come up. But I think only 200 or so people bought tickets. The odds were very good. Wow, cranky waitress, eh? We had better experiences with serving staff. One woman asked us in french if we wanted free coffee with dessert and we didn’t understand her, but she found another customer to translate, which was nice. She really, really wanted us to have coffee!
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:33 am
Ha! I’ll do you one better…. when I was there in 1976, they didn’t have pay toilets, but they had THE WORST toilet paper we had ever seen! It was brown and really rough; not far from cardboard. We collected a bunch and literally wrote home on the toilet paper. And I still have a sheet of it today.
Maureen’s last blog post..Eyesore
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
I have so much crap that I save from my various trips. The first time I went to England I collected scraps of UNUSED toilet tissue. They range in texture from very soft to waxy. But the best TP scrap was the one that had the Royal Family crest embossed on it. I can’t find those anywhere, I must have gotten desperate at some time.
Carla’s last blog post..I’m waiting!
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
Kathy, I think the fact that you saved the WiFi thing is funny too – I went to Egypt as a teen and saved the channel guide and lineup from the hotel. I also saved any bit of paper I found written in Arabic, because that fascinated me. I have no clue what they say, but I still have them.
I’ve actually never paid to pee. That’s so funny!
Nicole’s last blog post..Monday Madness Recipe Roundup for December 22nd
December 22nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
Quesque-ce… Wifi Access?
Jenn Thorson’s last blog post..Tapping into Gently Worn Spandex
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
heh. I save all my travelling stuff too. I recently traded in my car, and in the process of emptying it out, found a random set of ticket stubs from a “road luge” attraction in New Zealand (highly recommended, by the way). How they ended up in the bottom of my center console/armrest instead of the photo album is anyone’s guess.
Kelly’s last blog post..Ask and Ye Shall Receive
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Would be great for some scrapbooking!
stinkypaw’s last blog post..What a weekend.
December 22nd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
“When you travel, do you save all the little papers and stubs you collect along the way? ”
Yes. I save everything.
I can only imagine how fabulous Paris was…but I cant for the life of me figure out what is the strangest thing you saved in the photo!
meleah rebeccah’s last blog post..Stream Of Consciousness
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Awwww It’s like Mr. Bean’s vacation – I love that movie. Did you steal a russian kid on the way to Cannes?
I probably would not pay to pee anywhere. There are ways to pee in public and not get caught about it. If you make a cardboard chick dick or buy them you can pee just about anywhere standing up!
Michelle Gartner’s last blog post..Who’s Afraid of Santa? Is It You?
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Awww, how lovely. You saved the receipt so you’d always remember that special European potty experience. Now, that’s funny! I gave you some link love on my latest post. If interested, you can check it out here… “6 Helpful Entrecard Dropping Tips“. Merry Christmas, Kathy!
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Oops! I forgot to tell you in my last comment… I gave you some link love on my latest post. If interested, you can check it out here… “6 Helpful Entrecard Dropping Tips“.
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I usally collect brochures and pamphlets from our vacations, only so I can scan them to use for title sequences and transition images for when I edit down the video of the stuff I shot while on said vacation.
Bruce’s last blog post..A Shameless Plug
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Maureen — Awesome! Not that the sheets were rock hard, but that you wrote home on them. Exactly something I would do. Welcome to the crazy club.
Carla — Oooo! Another toilet paper saver! I love that you saved them. I guess you don’t remember if the Royal Family TP is any better than commoner TP, huh?
Nicole — Those are all things I need to keep in mind for the next trip. Incidentally, Egypt is where my husband wants to go before he dies. Don’t know if I could handle that trip. I’m not good in the heat.
Jenn Thorson — Non, c’était la réception de toilette. Près, bien que!
Kelly — Road luge? Sounds cool AND dangerous! Glad you found the stubs. Must have been neat seeing them in such a strange place.
stinkypaw — Love your online handle! I have a cat named Stinky. Yes, I shall scrapbook them next time. Worth saving and, more importantly, organizing.
meleah rebeccah — It was my receipt for payment to use the restroom at Versailles. Weird, huh?
Michelle Gartner — Oh, I think that movie was on the other day. I remember seeing him walk out of a building window and down to the street without even watching where he was walking. Love that guy. I’ve heard about those urination aids for women. Seems like a useful device, but freaky!
Laura Junkfoodaholic — Merry Christmas, Laura! Everything in Europe is worth relishing all over again! Thank you for the link love. You wrote an excellent article.
Bruce — Oh, man. If I had the talent, I’d do that too. Can I hire you out next time?
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:15 pm
The weirdest thing I ever saved was the cigarette filters my boyfriend ripped off his cigarettes when he came to visit. We were so far apart, it was all I could think of. I still haven’t thrown those away. LOL
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Did you save the receipt for your toilet use? We went to Versailles, but I remember having to pay for the potty. But, then, I don’t remember having to use the facilities in that particular spot! I do remember almost being run over by crowds of tourists trying to follow one person holding up a closed umbrella like an olympic torch. Those bus tour people are nuts! Yes, we’ve saved all our little papers. And good thing, cause it came in handy when my cousin went to Italy and I still had the visitor’s guide of Rome! One of my projects for 2009 is to FINALLY scrapbook all those little, um, scraps!
Jen@HappilyEverAfterLand’s last blog post..Operation Stocking Stuffer
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
nipsy — Wow, I think that beats my weird thing by a mile! Obviously, any strange object attached to a memory can be a keepsake.
Jen at HappilyEverAfterLand — Yes, yes I did! I’m laughing at your funny memories. That’s exactly the kind of thing I journalled about. A friend said to me after reading it “Boy, you wrote about the oddest things…” When you’re done with your scrapbook, can you do mine? I’m eternally lazy!
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I can’t wait until I’m able to go to Paris….I’ve been close however, that is a future trip and yes I also collect slips, receipts everything….
Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
December 24th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Toilets are amazing… every country has their own system – from buttons on the top, to chains from the ceiling, from Romania sinks, to asian “offered” western and eastern options what’s traditional??? a hole in the ground or a porcelain. brilliant post… in chico we poo to the theme song of Lavern & Shirley! we’re gonna do it!… on ur mark get set & go now..
December 24th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Once upon a million years ago, I too got to go to Paris and was forever changed by it, and kept all of the little pieces of paper we collected. For a while, I’d occasionally reach into a pocket of a coat and find the little green metro ticket I still had and I’d get a little jolt of Paris electricity again.
Elle’s last blog post..In Which I Whine About Holiday Stress and Traffic (but there’s a happy ending)
December 25th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Really on a $5.00 raffle ticket?
Getting a ticket to go potty… priceless!
Will’s last blog post..A Happy, Merry, Christmas Everyone!
December 25th, 2008 at 7:48 am
So is it necessarily considered a bad habit? Whether it is or isn’t, I’m guilty. I save everything. Tho my g/f does too… Heck, we even save movie stubs sometimes; LoL.
Anyway, this might come as off topic Kathy, but I wanted to say Merry Christmas! (And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, well, Happy Holidays!) Seriously though, have a great day today!
Ricardo Bueno’s last blog post..Happy Holidays!
December 25th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Dorothy Stahlnecker — Don’t let the chance slip away if you have it. Traveling abroad is often the kind of thing you think you’ll do some day, yet the day never comes. I’m glad I won that raffle, because I fear we would have never made the trip otherwise.
Annie & J from CA — I didn’t hear from J about his trip out west, but I’m praying he was fine on the plane and has an uneventful trip home. When in Rome, poo as Romans do, isn’t that the saying? I would have real issues with using a hole in the floor, but singing a song would get me through. “Schlemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated!”
Elle — I love how you put that. It’s how I feel whenever I pull out my 125 euro wallet that I bought on the last day. It’s a daily reminder of our trip!
Will — Yep. The funny thing was that I didn’t have money for the ticket on the first day the guy was selling them, so I asked if he’d be around the next day. He was and I bought two $5 tickets. Had I bought them the day before, I wouldn’t have won!
Ricardo Bueno — Nope, not a bad habit (unless you can never find them again!) Merry Christmas to you and yours! Have a wonderful day.
December 25th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
My wife and I spent one of our anniversaries in Paris. Gorgeously romantic city.
Mulled Vine’s last blog post..My gift to you, Jesus
December 26th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
the wifi access?
i loved paris but…i loved rome even more!! i was there in 94 on my honeymoon with the ex husband…who obviously wasn’t the ex at the time…
what an amazing thing, though…to win a trip like that!! and i thought that my son winning the wii from a wendy’s cup was cool!!
melissa’s last blog post..A Sentiment Rethought…
December 27th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Mulled Vine — I’m so glad you got to go. It is indeed romantic. If you don’t find it so, you’re doing something wrong, I always say!
melissa — Sorta. I had the toilette receipt in mind when i wrote it. We would love to go to Rome at some point. Basically, anywhere in Europe is fine with us. Hey, winning a Wii ain’t bad, either. See my latest post and you’ll know why!
January 1st, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Ha – I think I have you beat – when in London, years ago, I visited a public castle/house that belonged to the Queeen and the toilet paper was imprinted with the Queen’s seal – I swear to G. Now, the funny thing was that you wiped your bum, w/the …
Kate Rawlins’s last blog post..Resolution – improve your mental health!
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Kate Rawlins — I love that! So regal! So cultured! So reserved! So soft and absorbent?
January 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Drats! Why didn’t *I* save some toilet paper from the loo at Windsor Castle or the Tower of London! Saved everything else on that two-week trip! Including a ferry ticket to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Always makes me think of the line from the Beatles song…”she’s got a ticket to riiiiide…”.
JamaGenie’s last blog post..Hallelujah!
January 12th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
JamaGenie — I totally would have done that myself. I might be traveling to England in the next year or so. First stop? The loo! You’re lucky you had a two-week trip. A week is never enough. Hey, save your potty stubs next time. At the very least, they make interesting conversation pieces.
February 18th, 2009 at 5:11 am
I think you should save those insignificant stuffs to remember all these memorable days.
February 27th, 2009 at 6:12 am
Brilliant!! Is so nice to keep travel mementos, always do it. They bring back such lovely memories when you come back across them years later
February 28th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Sheldon — What’s ironic is that they seemed insignificant at the time, but they’ve gained significance since then.
Tam at Gangkok — That they do!
April 8th, 2009 at 10:46 am
This comment is a little late but I only discovered your blog today…
I’m on exchange in Ireland (from Australia) and even on trips closer to home I’ve collected ticket stubs and whatnot.
Yes a toilet receipt is a little odd, but I probably would’ve done the same if they gave receipts here.
Being on campus has allowed me to collect other strange things too, such as condoms and comic books from sexual health week…
I’m going to Paris in a couple of months and I hope that my collection of tickets etc is just as ample as yours by the time I finally get home
April 10th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Procrastinateher — My husband is a big ticket collector too. Even for places nearby. I love rifling through drawers finding little bits and pieces of places we’ve been, not knowing he saved things from the visit. I’m jealous that you’re going to Paris soon. Save everything!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am
I def think that it’s an awesome idea to save stubs such as these,esp for a trip to somewhere like paris! i always do the same thing down to the room keys. lol i have SO many papers and stubs from our last trip to Costa Rica, but hey we’ll be able to remember everything we did forever!
October 26th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Hello again.
I’ve been to Paris and explored a very small area of Europe very quickly (bus tours…). I have a small pile of tickets, receipts, leaflets etc to compliment the postcards, souvenirs and tonnes of photos I brought home with me.
It was raining most of the brief time we were there but Paris was still amazing. Sometime in the future I’m going to go back there and take my time exploring and being eurotrash.
In a few weeks, when I have time, I’ll get my blog up and running again and link you to some photos. I’m still collecting things now that I’m home. I went overseas with a huge backpack as well as a medium and small suitcase, and only came back with the backpack, so sadly I had to cull some of the less important items in my collection
October 29th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Laser John — You don’t have to bring it all home to have memories of a lifetime, that’s for sure. A friend of mine went to Costa Rica and said it was one of the best vacations he’s ever had.
Procrastinator — It rained when we were there, too, but you know what? It didn’t matter one bit. Never does when you’re in a city like Paris. Uh-oh, someone lost your luggage?
October 30th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Oh whoops, my luggage didn’t get lost, I just ended up having to get rid of, and post, some things because of certain trips having strict luggage restrictions. I hope the poor people of Ireland appreciated my donations though.
October 31st, 2009 at 9:47 am
Procrastinateher — Oh, that’s better. The last time I flew, I was blown away by the new luggage restrictions. I think it cost me 30 bucks just to take one checked bag.