Not exactly on topic, but related, so hope this post is OK. Please skip if you are not interested in my little reminiscence.
Back in 2004, the Seat family took a trip to Europe. We spent Christmas in the beautiful town of Salzburg in Austria. On Christmas Day, we planned a long hike around the Festung area to enjoy the spectacular scenery and crisp sunny cold weather, as well as tire out Seat Son (then aged 13) and Seat Daughter (aged 17). However, I was a bit stressed about food options, knowing that most of the town was closed for quite strict Christmas observance. We did not have refrigeration in our room so I wasn't able to lay in much by way of advance provisions.
However, we were staying in a great local pension style hotel, that provided a massive all you can eat European style breakfast which included eggs in every mode of cooking, three types of ham, salami, other cold cuts of meat, yoghurt, fruit, muesli, and copious breads of various styles and densities with plenty of butter and delicious jams and honey. So, as you now all know my slight klepto tendencies, I solved the lunch issue with a large handbag and some serviettes concealing that I had made a round of cheese and ham/salami bread rolls for the whole family. Plus I added a couple of hard boiled eggs and some fruit to serve as our Christmas lunch. I did this so stealthily, that the children did not notice.
As our day progressed, along came the inevitable teenage cry of "I'm hungry mum! When's lunch?" They were totally mortified when I produced the picnic I had so carefully and lovingly constructed from our breakfast, to which I added a couple of boxes of the famous Mozartkugel chocolates, a large packet of chips and a small bottle of wine I had purchased a couple of days before (and yes we even let the children have a sip - you know what they say about "being in Rome" - they were quite thrilled at that). As to the food however, Seat Daughter actually refused to eat it for at least an hour, until her hunger trumped her principles. Seat Son grumbled, but being a 13 year old boy, his principles were more easily overcome! We actually had a very beautiful lunch, high in the hills overlooking the town, basking in the sun and just enjoying the peace and quiet in nature. Really memorable.
For years after, they joked/complained about the "most pov Christmas lunch ever, prepared by our mother THE THIEF", and suggested that I was a terrible, terrible mother - but you know, needs must, right?
However, fast forward 10 years or so until they were impoverished uni students/early career workers, with not too much money, doing their own travels - guess how they sourced most of their lunches??
Fast forward another 5 years or so until the recent past, when they have again resumed travelling with the parents - and now it is them who suggest that we should "make Christmas lunch" whenever there is a generous buffet on tap. My turn to be mortified.
I love this memory, because I learned the trick from my own very practical mother whilst making our first overseas trip to UK and Europe in 1975! I realise that other people probably do the same, but it feels to me like I have passed on a family travel tradition.
. Actually, I use these things most days at home too.
I did have more from places we have visited in Australia but I learned the hard way that some of them should not be thrown in the sink to soak when they need a clean 
