On-Line at the Inn: Clicking for Quaint Stuff

Last weekend, the hubby and I headed for an overnight at a little bed-and-breakfast in a scenic part of the country known for its host of cultural activities, where my favorite cultural activity turned out to be the following: lolling around on the feather bed while reading the papers, sipping coffee from a cup actually not made of styrofoam, and munching fresh-baked scones slathered with homemade apricot marmalade.

We did venture out a bit of course, and I even succeeded in dragging my travel companion with me to poke around in a big antique market. But after 10 minutes, he started making those pained looks – you know, the ones that say “I am allergic to all these little frou frou old things that someone’s grandma threw out,” so, alas, I left empty-handed.

Back at the inn, however, it occurred to me that I could remedy my lack of souvenirs and bring a bit of atmosphere back home at the same time. What better way, I thought, than duplicating some of the charming accessories in our room, like the botanical-theme decoupaged wastebasket, the yummy body lotion, and even the long-handled wood carved shoehorn that the hubby admired? So thanks to the combined miracle of the Internet and the little labels sewn into or stuck onto the bottom of just about everything, I proceeded to order a slew of stuff on-line without ever having to leave our room.

Some people pick up kitschy keepsakes to remind them of their excursions through the countryside. Others of us choose to soak up the ambiance by shopping via wireless service on a laptop while lounging on a pillow-laden bed with gazillion thread count sheets. (I did draw the line with the sheets; the mathaphobe in me has never gotten the hang of the whole thread count concept). But hey, my packages arrived just as the “I’m so-o-o-o relaxed” glow had worn off. My only regret? Not being able to find a web site that sold those scones.

Comments

Sounds just like my husband. We visited a whole town devoted to antiquing and he gave me a 20-minute shopping window. I felt like I was a contestant on that old TV show "Supermarket Sweep!" I like how you solved the problem by shopping for your souvenirs on line in bed...

There is a Tea Room near my house called Robinson's Tea Room that has the same type of homemade scones. They are to die for, and they come with raspberry jam and clotted cream. I don't know if they have a website but you can give them a call at 631-751-1232. :)