Souvenirs from Grandma & Grandpa

My parents stopped by this week on their way back home after their 3 week cruise. After a cool trip like the one they were on, they brought back souvenirs for us.



The brought Hannah this small umbrella and fan from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. They are the perfect size for American Girl dolls!



Now for a Geography & History lesson. The Canary Islands are located off of Africa. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. Canary Islands translates to "Island of the Dogs" in Latin. The so-called dogs that they were named for were actually monk seals, and not dogs at all. The Canary Islands are part of Spain.




James got some volcanic rocks from Mt. Etna in Sicily. He has always liked rocks and such.



This map shows were Sicily is in relations to Italy.

Here you can see where Mt. Etna is located in Sicily.

And here is a photo of the mountain itself. Mt. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Footage from one of it's more recent eruptions was used in the 2005 Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. James was pretty impressed with this bit of information.



James also received an "Evil Eye" from Turkey. This was something he requested. It's often referred to as the evil eye, but it's actually a charm to ward off evil looks.

Here's a map of Turkey. The charm was purchased in Kusadasi. I went to Turkey in 1993. I think Kusadasi is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Turkey is located in both the continent of Europe and Asia.


Mom & Dad gave the kids t-shirts from Turkey, too.



I got some spices and honey from Crete.


Chris got a small bottle of Raki, also from Crete. Raki is a non-sweet, anise flavored spirit.

Crete is the largest of the Greek Islands. Here you can see where Crete is located in comparison to Greece & Turkey.



Mom & Dad are headed back to Indiana. It was nice getting to spend some time with them. We'll see them next month on their turf.