Souvenir idea, for if you have a bit of room in your suitcase. Duralex glasses.
Duralex Picardie café and canteen glasses.
Some of you may know about Duralex drinking glasses. They are an icon of French cafés and canteens, and once you know them you will see them everywhere in France. A few of you may also know the company, based in Loiret, which manufactures them, came very close to closing last year. The French public was aghast! Luckily a deal was brokered whereby the local municipality bought the factory buildings and a workers cooperative took over the ownership of the business. So you can still buy Duralex tumblers and café glasses. Hurrah!
If you want to take home a souvenir of something that is truly French, take home a box of six Duralex glasses. They will cost about 10 euros. You can find them easily in supermarkets, kitchen supply shops and homeware stores, or vintage second hand ones at flea markets, brocantes, depot ventes or vide greniers. Talk to us if you would like to go to a second hand market or shop and we can work together to include this in your tour.