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INTERVAL WORLD
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Issue 2, 2019
leaves. Believed to be handed down by gods and lunar goddesses by
the native Guaraní tribes, this led to centuries-old disputes between
religions that mate was either an aphrodisiac or a holy drink. Today, it
is enjoyed as both a ceremonious affair and morning pick-me-up. For
brewing and serving mate, look no further than
El Boyero
— about
a block south of Plaza San Martín — a family-run craftwork supplier
for over 30 years. Find a valuable takeaway in one of their hollow
matecito
gourds with antiqued accents and a
bombilla
(metal straw)
to sip mate with your mates.
If wine is your drink of choice, pouring some malbec from any
old container just won’t do. You’ll need to flow it from the mouth
of a
pingüino
, a penguin-shaped pitcher traditionally made of white
ceramic. History has it that their design heralded nearly a century
ago from the working class of Patagonia, a region abundant with
penguins. It’s also said that wine simply tastes so much better
coming from the mouth of Señor Pingüino. Pick one
up for a steal and christen him as your official wine
pourer at
Feria de San Telmo
, Buenos Aires’ most
popular street market bazaar, which is an experience in
itself — where the sights and sounds of vendors selling
everything from antique rotary telephones to copper pots
and ventriloquist dolls are set to the soundtrack of the
buskers of Plaza Dorrego.
U.K.: POWER DRESSING
The ideal takeaway from one’s travels is an item that’s
ideally fashionable
and
functional. In the British Isles, it
could be none other than tweed — a textured woolen
fabric used to weave hats, jackets, scarves, bags, and
more. Choose an authentic tweed woven from British or
Irish looms, or opt for Scotland Harris Tweed.
Hailing from the Aran Islands, the first Aran sweaters
were knitted by the wives and daughters of the local fish-
ermen and farmers. Each cableknit design represents a
story, such as the zigzag stitch, symbolizing the cliffs of
the islands. With locations on Inishmore (the largest of the
Aran Islands), Killarney, and Dublin, find all sorts of cro-
cheted goods at
Aran Sweater Market
— or make
your own sweater with a take-home knitting kit. Pick up
a traditional tweed-and-leather double-buckle women’s
bag or Kerry tweed flat cap from
Weavers of Ireland
,
another fine regional craftsman with stores in Killarney,
Kenmore, and Kinsole. Or invest in a finely made, tailored
tweed jacket that’s as timeless a garment as it is modern
at Scotland-based
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill
—
a ladies’ Harris Tweed shooting jacket, handwoven by
Hebridean craftspeople, or a men’s Harris Tweed Uist
jacket with patterned lining will put a Scottish twist on
your souveniring proceedings.
CRETE, GREECE: CLAYFUL ARTISTRY
From the ancient ruins of the Knossos and Zakros
palaces to architectural flourishes in Rethymno and
Heraklion, sculpture plays an integral role on the Greek
island of Crete. And a plethora of galleries and studios across the
isle offer a chance to take home handcrafted ceramics and pottery
that embody the Aegean spirit.
Immerse yourself in the wonderfully artful world of pottery at
ea Ceramic Studio
. Visit the gallery’s back garden in the summer
for individual pottery sessions to learn the art of firing, wheel throw-
ing, and hand building. Take home your own creation, or purchase
another, like an original ceramic bottle inspired by Minoan/Bronze
Age essential oil vessels — perfect for sharing olive oil, vinegar, or
liquor. Capture the vivid iconography of gods, goddesses, deities,
and mythic monsters at the
Greek Art Shop
, specializing in repli-
cating Greco-Roman effigies in ornate fashion. Go for a handmade
clay vase depicting the death of Talos at the hands of Medea, or
recreate a battle of the gods in the Parthenon with a 32-piece chess
set made of natural crushed Greek alabaster stone.
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Alantobey/Getty Images
TRADITIONAL ARAN SWEATERS