Use of 'des' versus 'de" in 3 sentences below

Question

1) Les enfants reviennent des États-Unis et de France ('des 'because US is plural and 'de' as France is singular I assume)

2) Les enfants reviennent de vacances. (Here is 'de' used because it follows reveinnent or because vacances is singular in French?)

3) Elle se souvient des vacances en Espagne. (What is the justification for the use of 'des' in sentence 3? Why is it not 'de' as in 2) above?)

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Andrea,
1. See link here - venir de / du / des + country - the same applies with 'revenir de + country'
2. Venir / Revenir de + place (to be from / be back from + place)
ils reviennent de vacances = they return from holiday (unspecific - generic)
ils reviennent de l'hôpital / du (de + le) marché = they are back from the hospital / the market (specific)
3. Elle se souvient des (de + les) vacances en Espagne = she remembers (of) their holidays in Spain (specific - the ones spent in Spain -> les)
Elle se souvient de vacances d'été passée en famille = she remembers (of ) summer holidays spent with her family (generic - not specific / writing style seen in novels/poems/songs)
Elle se souvient de jours meilleurs = she remembers (of ) better days  (generic - not specific / writing style seen in novels/poems/songs)
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !