Santiago de Compostela is not only the capital of Galicia, but it is one of the most popular…read moretourist and pilgrimage destinations in Galicia and in Spain. Because tourism and visitors are so important to the city, lots of entrepreneurial types will set up shops with all sorts of souvenirs, knick-knacks, tarta Santiago, and tetilla cheese. While I was in Spain, however, I read an article in La Voz de Galicia, discussing quite a conundrum: despite the fact that tourists were still visiting Santiago in record numbers during a recession, that Spanish shop owners were not benefiting as much as one might assume. The reasons why? Many of the "Spanish" souvenirs are made in China, depriving Spaniards of jobs and the souvenirs are generally cheap and low-margin (refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, etc.). With this in mind, I was determined to purchase gifts from Santiago that were made in Spain. Also, I absolutely detest kitschy souvenirs , further compounding the shopping problem. Thankfully, shopping at Dolman made the task much easier. The souvenirs are a bit more upscale than your 3 euro keychain, but the handcrafted jewelry and religious items (the shop IS down the street from the cathedral, after all) gave me peace of mind. The shopkeeper was very helpful when I asked her questions about other colors particular glass beads came in, etc. She also was very happy to gift-wrap individual items and in an eco-friendly move, gave me a reusable bag, commemorating the 2010 Xacobeo. (I still use the bag for carrying my library books.) The good news: everyone really liked their gifts! Mission accomplished.