Deal Dad can attest that one of my great vices is Magazines, especially those about stuff I could never afford such as high fashion and crazy-expensive travel. Fortunately, magazine subscriptions are dirt cheap and don’t take up that much space, unless you subscribe to over 20, like I do (I told you it was a vice).
The joy of the magazine takes on a whole new level in Europe. At a single newsstand, they manage to combine two of my favorite words: “magazine” and “gift” to create a package of retail nirvana. On various travels (attached for free to magazines) I’ve collected an umbrella from “Happy” magazine that still makes me smile, full sized makeup and perfumes, novels, jewelry, and all sorts of various treasures, not to mention the joy of reading the magazine itself. A foreign magazine is a bazaar of new ads, products, and personalities. I was caught up on “Posh and Becks” years before they hit the states thanks to “Hello” and it’s penchant for giving away chick-lit novels with purchase.
Even Newspapers get into the act on Sundays. I discovered one of the catchiest tunes in history, Lisdoonvarna, from a copy of the Irish Times and its free CD. Warning…click at your own risk. It is an earworm of the first degree! Just typing the name has the tune stuck in my head, and I’m typing this in a crowded restaurant with Spanish hip-hop and waves crashing in the background, so it’s not like I don’t have enough to listen to!
Here in the Canaries (which are part of Spain) and in Madrid, I haven’t been disappointed with the “regalo” given with purchase. There is, however, a new twist. The gifts are only attached to the Spanish language magazines! What’s a girl with VERY limited Spanish reading skills to do? Consider it a learning opportunity!
And here’s a tip: if you’re trying to learn to read a new language, I’ve discovered that magazines are a great training tool. The one I’m reading now “AR: Ana Rosa” is clearly an Oprah clone and I’m understand most of the content without catching myself translating in my head. “Can this relationship be saved?” pretty much reads the same in any language. And I’m using the floral zip tote that came with it right now!
So far this trip, I’ve scored a beach bag, a tote, two pairs of shoes (huaraches and sandals), some perfume and makeup samples, and a pair of needed sunglasses. Granted the sunglasses were attached to a car magazine that I gave back to the (grateful) clerk, but they were only 1.90 Euro and the tourist stores wanted at least six!
What have you found at the newsstand? Please share!