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March 2000

Gift Rap

Procuring Teutonic knick-knacks can be done from homes across the globe

As the world becomes smaller it is almost impossible for expats to find gifts for the folks back home that they can’t find themselves. German chocolate, Nutella, Liebfraumilch wine and gummi bears can all be purchased around the globe. While items considered to be “very German” — cuckoo clocks, beer steins and garden gnomes — would please family and friends, fragility, weight and size make these souvenirs an undesirable addition to our luggage. The next time a former neighbor, upon hearing of your visit, asks you “just to pick up” one of these impractical travel partners, simply refer them to any number of Bavarian gift sites now available on the World Wide Web. At Dave and Deanna Romeika’s www.trollvalley.com, hungry cuckoo hunters can choose from a wide range of the Black Forest specialty. As the virtual shop has an actual headquarters in Maine, stateside kitsch-lovers can purchase the peeping timepieces at more reasonable shipping rates. A peek at www.bavariashop.com reveals a vast array of Bavarica, including traditional costumes, cookbooks and music. Groceries and cooking utensils highlight the diverse offerings at South Carolina-based www.germanmarketplace.com. Owned by Stuttgart-born Bavarian meat company owner Reinhold Schatz, the site boasts an ever-growing selection including wooden toys, incense burners and nutcrackers. A beer stein collector’s paradise awaits at www.bavaria.com. The site also offers Oktoberfest souveniers, from mugs to wristwatches. No more scouring the Kaufingerstrasse in search of the mug with the deer or the clock with the chimney sweep — procuring Teutonic knick-knacks can be done from homes across the globe.

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