Grocery Store Goodness!

When in Europe, what are my two favorite words?  No, not "free gelato" (although that would be epic!); the answer is "grocery store!"  I've been known to email our hotels in advance to ask where the nearest grocery store is located.....and to make my mother walk up a steep hill in Lisbon, Portugal twice in the same day to go to one.  Why would I subject myself to Italian mother guilt?  Here are my reasons:

• Chocolate, Honey, Chocolate, Tea, Chocolate:  In my experience, the European grocery stores are the best place to buy chocolate, cookies, olive oil, tea, coffee, honey, jam, and other local specialties to bring back home; the selection is large, while the prices are low.  I found this to be especially true when buying the famous Mozartkugeln in Salzburg, Austria; the grocery store prices were much lower than the gift shop prices.

• Toiletries and Cosmetics: If you forgot to pack your toothbrush, or are a product junkie like me, the grocery stores have you covered.  When in Lisbon, my mom and I stocked up on the famous Portuguese soaps at Jumbo, i.e. the grocery store that will forever be known to me as, "Elana, I'm not walking back up that hill again today!" 

• Quick and Inexpensive Meals: Stretch your travel food budget by grabbing a sandwich at a grocery store; don't forget the inexpensive bottled water!  When in Madrid, Spain, my mom and I got an inexpensive yet delicious dinner consisting of a roasted chicken and two side dishes at the grocery store located in the El Corte Ingles department store; it was the Spanish equivalent of the original Wegmans $6 meals!  

• It's Fun!: Seriously, is there a better bonding experience for you and your travel partner than taking secret pictures of them analyzing which Dutch licorice to buy at the Albert Heijn grocery store in Amsterdam?  Mom, what do you think?  

Plus, I was psyched to find my name on a box of laundry detergent at a grocery store in Seville, Spain!  How cool is that?  See, the European grocery stores really are good, clean fun!