Wine

Spanish wine is one of my secret vices, perhaps because the quality is usually very good and the prices are unbelievably reasonable at my local wine shop. Buying it in Spain and then shipping it back would springboard that price into the region of outrageous. I understand if you HAVE to bring back a bottle of a very special wine from a particular vineyard and vintage, but purchasing generic wine doesn't really make sense if you are going to pay the bucks to bring it home.

If you find something you want to have at home, then you need to pack it (c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y), and put it in your checked bag. Bottles of wine are heavy and the cost to ship it home would shock you. Just pack it really carefully because your bag is going to be tossed, dropped and abused, and if you don't get it packed right, everything else in your bag will be soaked (and mixed with broken glass) upon your arrival at home.

In these days of global trade it rarely makes sense for a traveler to bring home or ship perishables, least among them wine. It’s not only breakable it is really susceptible to poor handling-shaking, and especially, heat. Spanish wine is widely available in the US and, as another poster has mentioned, at very reasonable prices. Yes, you’ll find Priorat or Rioja or esoteric blends from select winery’s north of $50 but those are the exception. Enjoy the wine you drink in Spain, photograph the labels, make tasting notes, then consult with a local knowledgeable wine merchant who can help you discover Spanish wines in the US.

Things change too rapidly these days, but a couple of years ago there were still several antiquarian bookshops in/around Plaza Santo Domingo that sold vintage maps as well as books. But worth checking on Google that is still the case, perhaps. I guess some museums will sell them, though they may be reproductions. Otherwise you'll find them in street markets, though again they may not be originals.

I like maps, but these days I generally take advantage of the WWW to buy them (thank you, Sir Tim, for inventing that!). Anything but a small map might be hard to transport home without damage, couldn't it?

Just an FYI. I'm a wine geek and can find most anything online in the US. I highly recommend www.wine-searcher.com it shows you were virtually every producer and vintage can be found in the US. Winesearcher is free or you can get the paid version and see more retailers then the free version.

BTW, the best wine coming out of Spain, in my humble opinion, are made in Rioja and I love Lopex Heredia. That have great USA distribution too. I'm not in the wine business just an enthusiast. But your mileage may vary. http://www.lopezdeheredia.com/indexgb.html

Cheers
Craig