Armchair Traveler: Holiday Shopping at KIOSK

A tiny flock of sheep from Columbia, available at KIOSK

One of the fun things about traveling is shopping - and there are so many ways to shop!  You can shop for beautiful clothes, or antiques, or fabulous textiles...  Or (and this is my favorite, as a budget traveller) you can shop for little things - unfamiliar drugstore or candy items with intriguing packaging, little toys (a given with us), or other little bits and bobs that are easy to justify hauling back home.

My favorite souvenirs from Denmark include a handful of miniature (and cheap) comic books featuring Rasmus Klump, and a gorgeous (and rather hefty) 1950s book of nature photographs entitled Geheimnisvolles Leben Am Wasser - Mysterious Life on the Water. These sorts of unexpected finds from far-flung lands make great Christmas presents - they always feel special somehow.  But if you haven't managed an overseas shopping trip this year, have no fear - I have a solution!

Kiosk is a wonderful online shop (they also have a bricks-and-mortar shop in New York City, which also a delight). They describe themselves thusly:

"KIOSK is a travel story depicted through objects, a collection of interesting things from around the world, a study of material culture, a shop, several people's efforts to preserve unique and indigenous objects, an installation, maybe just something other than what we are used to."


The shop proprietors travel the world (Finland, Japan, India, Columbia, and more, including the U.S.A.) and sell what they discover. Chances are good that you'll find something you like too - something you won't find anywhere else.  Like these tiny terra cotta bricks from Columbia:

Or these funny cards from Portugal:

I love the look of this dartboard from Finland (it isn't for children, but I still love it):

Kraul in Germany makes wonderful toys (Walter Kraul was a teacher at the Rudolf Steiner School in Germany), but they're difficult to find in the U.S..  Kiosk offers this one:

Colorful chalk from Germany:

And from the good old US of A (specifically, Vermont), this beautiful wooden sled:

The product selection at Kiosk is always changing, and you just never know what will turn up. You can shop all of their children's items here.  

Stay: The Landmark Trust

Wolveton Gatehouse

The Landmark Trust is a wonderful organization in the UK that buys and restores unique and often spectacular historic buildings. Then, instead of turning them into “hands-off” museums or private facilities, they make them available for rent to the general public.  The Trust’s goal is "to promote enjoyment of historic buildings by enabling as many people as possible to experience living in them for a short time." 

Swiss Cottage

Saddell Castle

Each property is fascinating in its own way, and the Trust provides a thoroughly researched history for each one. I can't think of a more enjoyable way to teach children about the magic of architecture and history -  instead of touring a historic site with fences and signs all over the place, you can explore, play, dine, and just relax in one.  Imagine spending a whole weekend in a 13^th century castle!  Or perhaps a 18^th century gothic temple is more to your taste.  There is even a former train station available – perfect for train-obsessed little boys.

Castle Keep South

Gothic Temple

Alton Station

The Trust also operates five properties in Vermont (including Rudyard Kipling’s former home), two in France (including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s former weekend house), and four in Italy (including the former homes of Keats and Robert and Elizabeth Browning).

These are just a couple more from the UK - I'm getting addicted to browsing through these!

Martello Tower

Laughton Place

Find out more and enjoy perusing all of the amazing properties here.