Europe Souvenir Magnets
Dear & I went to Central Europe for our Honeymoon. Europe has always been my Dream Land & true enough, it was our most romantic & memorable trip together. We simply loved Europe!
(Wedding Bear Couple - Australia)
The below Italian Fridge Magnet is the very first Fridge Magnet I bought in Europe, after we visited the ruins of the Roman town (which was destroyed by volanic eruptions of 24 August AD 79) in Pompei, Napoli (or Naples), Italy.
(Hand Painted Temple of Apollo - Pompei, Italy)
The next day, we visited the beautiful Island of Capri in the Bay of Naples, Italy. It was at the Anacapri, a steep climb uphill of Capri town at an elevation of 299m where I bought the below Fridge Magnets which depict the typical buildings of enchanting Capri.
I remember we took a minibus to the top of Anacapri & throughout the ride uphill, we were really enchanted by the many gorgeous & colorful whitewashed houses along the steep slope. They were so beautiful & guess what, there were many many bright apple, orange & lemon trees among the houses too it felt like we were riding through a magic land!
(Hand Painted Whitewashed House with Apple Tree
- Capri, Bay of Naples, Italy)
That was why I bought the above Capri Fridge Magnet cos it was exactly a mini replica of the bright colorful whitewashed houses with the apple tree beside the house - the exact colorful gorgeous picturesque of Capri we saw during our trip there.
See the black rocks on the below Capri Fridge Magnet - they're rocks from volcanic eruptions still lying now in Capri, on top of which there're the churches & castles by the beautiful seas of Capri.
(Hand Painted Typical Capri Church
with Black Volcanic Rocks by the Sea
- Capri, Bay of Naples, Italy)
We travelled to Rome & visited the Trevi Fountain, the most Famous & arguably the most Beautiful fountain in all of Rome. And it was at this mobile cart shop just beside the Trevi Fountain that I found the below 2 Romanian Fridge Magnets.
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Trevi Fountain
- Rome, Italy)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Colosseum
(where we later also visited)
- Rome, Italy)
We also visited the world Famous Marble Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy & bought the Pisa Fridge Magnet in one of the many shops along the long shopping street just next to the Pisa Tower.
(Leaning Tower of Pisa - Italy)
I was very happy to have found this below Italian Map Fridge Magnet which shows the major Italian places of Interests, such as the Pisa, Colosseum, Venice Rialto Bridge etc.
(Hand Painted Italy Map - Italy)
We visited Venice, & was really amazed by the uniqueness, beauty & romance of the whole City of Water, the only City in the World built on Water.
(Handmade Hand Painted Venetian Carnival
Porcelain Doll Face - Venice, Italy)
(Hand Painted Rialto Bridge - Venice, Italy)
(Handmade Hand Painted Venetian Porcelain Mask
- Venice, Italy)
We also travelled to Innsbruck in Austria to visit the Old Town Hall & its "Little Golden Roof" where Emperor Maximillian I & his Queen used to sit & watch the josting tournaments & plays on the square below.
And it was near the Town Hall, across the street from the Swarovski Crystal World (where we visited), at a Souvenir Shop where I bought the following Innsbruck Fridge Magnet.
(The "Little Golden Roof" of
the Old Town Hall, Innsbruck
- Innsbruck, Austria)
I remember I always dream of visiting the Swiss Alps & I was so delighted & excited when we visited Mount Titlis in Switzerland. And it was in one of the Souvenir Shops in Lucerne, Switzerland, where I bought the following Swiss Fridge Magnet.
(Metallic Swiss Cow with Bell- Switzerland)
We travelled next to Germany, visiting the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, at the Balvarian Alps of Germany. And I was so excited & thrilled to have found the replica Fridge Magnet inside the Castle's Souvenir Shop!
It was very costly (in Euro dollar) "but I must have it since I've always loved Fairy Tale stories since I was very very young, & especially now when I'm actually visiting one of the Famous Fairy Tales Castle with my Dear Dear!" I told myself when I got the Fridge Magnet!
(Hand Painted Neuschwanstein Castle
- the Sleeping Beauty Castle - Germany)
I remember I didn't have the chance to find any other interesting & nice Fridge Magnets when we were in Germany as it was very rush for us since we had to travel from one place to another very quickly.
Thus, I was really pleased to be able to get the below pretty German Fridge Magnet from the same Souvenir Shop in Innsbruck, Austria (where I got that Innsbruck Fridge Magnet which I mentioned earlier).
(Hand Painted Germany Map & Flowers - Germany)
We also travelled to Brussels, the Capital of Belgium, & visited the Brussels' Manneken Piss (which means a Little Man Piss), a small Bronze Statue of a Little Boy Peeing.
(The Metallic Manneken Piss
- Bronze Statue of Boy Peeing - Brussels, Belgium)
We next went to beautiful Holland & I was really thrilled to see the many Windmills there! You could say I really fell in love with Holland straight away!
Well, the Dutch have built windmills for many centuries. And to some extent, the windmills built the country itself, since without them much of the land drainage could not have occured. During that time, the windmills were developed for corn milling, land drainage, saw milling, and in fact all manner of industrial purposes.
Despite this widespread use, Dutch windmills are in many ways quite primitive - using canvas sails & turned to wind by hand.
(Hand Painted Porcelain Dutch Windmill
- Amsterdam, Holland)
And I just love the Dutch clogs cos I find them so colorful & so cute! And my dear dear even bought me a life-size pair of the Dutch clogs (my shoe size) for a special honeymoon gift cos according to the Dutch people, the Dutch groom must give a pair of Dutch clogs to the Bride as a wedding gift.
And well, though Dear & I are not Dutch, he still bought me the Dutch clogs cos we were newlyweds & happened to be in Holland then, & simply cos I just adore the Dutch clogs!
(Handcrafted Hand Painted
Wooden Blue Dutch Clogs
- Amsterdam, Holland)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted
Wooden White Dutch Clogs
- Amsterdam, Holland)
(Different Angle of the same Blue Dutch Clogs)
And I've got the below wooden Dutch Windmill Fridge Magnet too, but I didn't buy it in Holland, but in Surfers Paradise, Australia.
(Hand Painted Wooden Dutch Windmill
- Surfers Paradise,Australia)
We next went to Paris, visiting the world famous Eiffel Tower. And I fell in love with the below French Fridge Magnet when I first saw it in a Souvenir Shop cos I found it really unique, special & adorable! And the hugging & kissing couple on it is just like Dear & myself, romancing in Paris!!
And I especially liked the French words "La Vie En Rose" which I later found out they mean "Life through Rose-colored Glasses" or "Life in Pink" - a Signature song by French Singer & Song Composer Edith Piaf (1915 -1963).
(Hand Painted La Vie En Rose in Paris - Paris)
Wow, what a coincidence, cos I happen to like Roses very much & Pink happens to be my favourite color too! Well, I used to think Pink as very girllish & not my taste.
But don know why, I've been in love with Pink color ever since I met & fell in love with my Dear Dear, guess Pink has always been associated with love & romance ha, that's why! Guess it's just fated that I've got this Beautiful full of meanings French Fridge Magnet ha - I just love it!
(Big Ben with London Bus
- Souvenir Shop in London)
Dear & I later flew to London from Paris, visiting the Houses of Parliament & famous Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, Big Ben.
In fact, the Clock Tower is The Tower of Big Ben, & Big Ben is actually the main bell housed with the Clock Tower.
Big Ben weighs over 13 tons, & the clock mechanism weighs about 5 tons. The figures on the clock face are about 2 feet long, the minute spaces are 1 feet square, & the copper minute hands are 14 feet Long.
(Handmade Hand Painted Tower of London - London)
We also visited the Tower of London, where I bought the above Tower of London (also known as Her Majesty's Royal Palace & Fortress the Tower of London) Fridge Magnet from the nearby Souvenir Shop. It was very expensive but I found it really beautiful cos it's handcrafted & hand painted & it's of very good quality.
The Tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace & a prison (for high status & royal prisoners). It has also served as a place of execution & torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, a mint, a public records office & an observatory. And since 1303, it's become the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
(Baked Beefeater or Yeoman Warder "Bear"
in Ceremonial Uniform - Street of London)
The next day while we were walking in London, we were very lucky to come aross a Mobile Vehicle Shop at the side of the street where I found the rest of my London Fridge Magnets (such as the above).
The British Lady boss told me the Fridge Magnets were all Baked, thus they'll never break even when dropped, & their colors will never come off! I've personally never heard & known about Baked Magnets but I bought them anyway cos they're so beautiful & so cheap, only selling at 1 Eruo each!! They were indeed good buys cos I later found out that what the British Lady told me was all so true!
Anyway, the above Fridge Magnet is the London Tower Guard called the Beefeater or Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace & Fortress the Tower of London. The Beefeaters used to guard the Tower & its prison, now they work mostly as guides to visitors to the London Tower.
The above Beefeater is wearing the Ceremonial Uniform & it consists of a knee-length scarlet tunic, scarlet knee-breeches and stockings, and a round brimmed hat called a Tudor bonnet. Queen Elizabeth I introduced the distinctive white neck ruff worn by the Beefeaters. This uniform is generally only worn on state occasions.
If you look at the above Beefeater Fridge Magnet closely, you would see the initails ER on the uniforms. Well, they stand for Elizabetha Regina (Regina is latin for queen). The initials refer to Elizabeth the Second, who is the present Queen.
(Baked Royal King & Queen "Bears"
- Street of London)
The above Royal King & Queen Fridge Magnets were also bought at the same shop by the London street. So were the below 2 London Guards of the Queen at the Buckingham Palace. Actually, these guards are called Foot Guards & they wear full-dress uniforms of red tunics & bearskins.
(Baked Buckinghamd Palace Foot Guard "Bear"
in Full-dress Uniforms of Red Tunics & Bearskin
- Street of London)
(Baked Buckinghamd Palace Foot Guard "Bear"
in Uniforms of Red Tunics & Bearskins
(well, this Guard decided to be half-dressed!)
- Street of London)
Well, you must be wondering why the Baked Fridge Magnets are all Bears? Well, actually some of them came in human beings too but since I love Bears alot, I thought I might as well just bought the Bears of them instead!!
Anyway, I never found any other pretty Fridge Magnets in London afterwards & I was so happy when my good friend's sister gave me the Buckingham Palace Fridge Magnet (shown below) a few years later.
Well, Dear & I did visit the Buckingham Palace & it was a very beautiful grand palace. I remember we were standing outside the Palace under the heavy rain (it was pouring cats & dogs the whole day we arrived in London) taking photographs & trying to catch a glimpse of the Queen from outside the Palace Gates!! Ha ha but of course we were in no luck but just managed to see the Foot Guards pacing up & down infront of the Palace!
(Handmade Hand Painted Buckingham Palace - London)
Actually, Dear & I also visited the Cuckoo Clock Workshop in Black Forest while we were in Germany. I remember I was very excited that day as I've always been fascinated with Cuckoo Clocks my whole life since young! But I didn't find any nice Fridge Magnets (not to mention any Cuckoo Clock ones either) from Black Forest at all!
Fortunately for me, some years later on my Birthday, my good friend gave me 2 Cuckoo Clock Fridge Magnets as my birthday present & could you imagine I was so touched I almost cried in happiness!! And guess what she actually bought these 2 Fridge Magnets not from Germany or Switzerland (she has never been to Europe) but from a MPH Bookstore in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!
(Handcrafted Hand Painted
German Cuckoo Clock with Ticking Hand
- MPH Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted
Swiss Cuckoo Clock with Ticking Hand
- MPH Bookstore, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia)
Since I knew from my good friend that Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia does sell the German & Swiss Cuckoo Clock Fridge Magnets, every time I visit KL, I make it a point to try look for them. But I've never found any in KL so far, but instead I found them in Johor Bahru! I was so happy now every time I visit Johor Bahru, I make it a point to try go see if there're new stocks!
Below are the Cuckoo Clock Fridge Magnets I got from Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
(Handcrafted Hand Painted German Cuckoo Clock
with Ticking Hand with Girl on Swing
- Parkson Grand, Holiday Inn Plaza,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Cuckoo Clock
with Ticking Hand with Girl on Swing
- Parkson Grand, Holiday Inn Plaza,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia)
(Handcarfted Hand Painted German Cuckoo Clock
with Swinging Brass Pendulum,
Ticking Hand with Frankfurt am Main Scenery
& Boy Clinging on to Rope
- Frankfurt, Germany)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted German Bird-life
with Oak Leaves Cuckoo Clock
with Ticking Hand
with Oak Leaf - Germany)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted German Cuckoo Clock
with Swinging Boy hanging on to Rope
- See the Small Blue Round Button
at the Top of the Clock
- press it & it gives off sounds of
"Cuckoo Cuckoo, Cuckoo Cuckoo, Cuckoo Cuckoo"
- Germany)
My father-in-law also bought me the below Fridge Magnets from his other European business trips.
(Bilbao, Lauburu - Barcelona, Spain)
(Hand Painted Germany's Most Beautiful "Corner"
where the above Mosel River joins the Rhein River
at the German Corner
- Koblenz sits at the Confluence of 2 of
Germany's Major Rivers - theMosel & the Rhein
- Koblenz,Germany)
("Deutsches Eck" means German Corner in German
- this Spot is where
the Mosel River meets the Rhein River
- Koblenz, Germany)
My young nephew also bought me 2 European Fridge Magnets when he went on a School Choir to Europe some years ago.
Handcrafted Hand Painted
Statue of Leopold Mozart
- the World Famous European Composer,
Music Teacher & Violinist
- Salzburg, Austria
(Mozart's Hometown))
(Handcrafted Hand Painted
Stephansdom or St Stephens Cathedral
in Vienna (or Wien in German)
which is the Capital of Austria
- Vienna, Austria)
I've got more Fridge Magnets besides the Cuckoo Clock ones which I bought in Parkson Grand in Holiday Inn Plaza in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Enjoy!
(German Weather Chalet
with Hygrometer & Thermometer
- Parkson Grand, Holiday Inn Plaza,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia)
(German Weather Chalet
with Hygrometer & Thermometer
- Parkson Grand, Holiday Inn Plaza,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia)
(German Weather Chalet
with Hygrometer & Thermometer
- Parkson Grand, Holiday Inn Plaza,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia)
Below are my Russian Fridge Magnets. And nope, I've not been to Russia yet (will try to go one day cos it's one of my Dream destinations). I actually got them in Sydney when I was there with Dear a few years ago.
I've always loved the Russian Nesting Dolls or the Matryoshka (or Babushka) Dolls & I was so happy when I discovered there's a Russian Shop selling the Dolls (all geniune ones handmade in Russia) inside Harbourside Shopping Centre at the Sydney Darling Harbour.
But cos it was almost Christmas then there were only the Russian Christmas Matryoshka Santa Claus Fridge Magnets (as shown below) on sales in the shop. In Russia, Santa Claus is known as Father Frost, a very significant figure during Christmas!
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Hand Lacquered
Wooden Russian Christmas Matrysohka Santa Claus
- Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Habour, Sydney)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Hand Lacquered
Wooden Russian Christmas Matryoshka Santa Claus
- Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Habour, Sydney)
Dear knew I love the Russian Nesting Dolls so much that when he went back to Sydney on his business trips, he went back to that Russian Shop again & got me 2 more of the Russian Doll Fridge Magnets. YES! This time, they are the real "Doll" ones!! I was so touched!!! I just love them & him too, my Dear Dear, of course!!
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Hand Lacquered
Wooden Russian Matryoshka Doll
- Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Harbour, Sydney)
(Handcrafted Hand Painted Hand Lacquered
Wooden Russian Matryoshka Doll
- Harbourside Shopping Centre,
Darling Harbour, Sydney)
Anyway, I've also got 2 Greek Fridge Magnets when Dear & I visited Korea. Yes, in Korea, & not in Greece. Well, Greece is another of my Dream destinations so I was happy to have found the Greek Fridge Magnets inside Everland, Korea.
(Acropolis (in Athen) Tourist Attractions
on a Scroll - Everland Korea)
(Athens on a Scroll - Everland, Korea)
