Packing for Europe - Keep it Simple (but still cute)

I finally bit the bullet and started sorting out what I want to pack for Europe. We are only doing carry-on luggage, at least until the last leg from Paris back to San Francisco. Can a gal actually spend 17 days traveling through Europe with just a carry-on and not be incredibly out of fashion?

I think so, but then every gal is different.

I started by pulling out the pieces that I though were must brings. One pair of jeans, three pairs of shorts, one skirt and two dresses. What I noticed was that I had a good base of colors to build on: red, black, cream, white and denim.

From there I pulled out some of my tops that I really love, but that are travel friendly. I did this with the expectation that I would be ruling out some of the tops as I started to make different outfit combinations.

Here's the key. Any shirt that only went with one bottom was automatically ruled out and vice versa. I don't want to have 5 separate outfits, I want to have choices with all of them based on the given day. Garanamals-style. You know, lots of combinations with just a few pieces because everything goes together.

I also needed to consider that at some of the sites we will be visiting, modest dress is mandatory. For instance, at the Vatican, you can't have your knees or your shoulders bare. For this purpose I added a light-weight, white cardigan. The weather is another variable. In Rome and Florence, it is likely to be in the mid 80's while in Paris, the highs are likely to be only 65 (which means that the mornings and evenings will be in the 50s). It's complex.

This a photo of what it looked like just before the final cut. Like I said, lots of black, white etc. but you'll notice just a bit of color with the red and purple (the teal shirt didn't make the cut).

I was really surprised how well this came together with only a couple of missing pieces. I'll be bringing a pair of walking sandals and a pair of suede shrug boots for sure. I do need a pair of nice black flats that I can wear with the cream dress shown here. That is what I will be wearing the night of our 22nd wedding anniversary dinner as we cruise up and down the Seine in Paris.

Wow, did I really just say that? Pinch me.

 I may toss in one more pair of shoes. Something that isn't quite a sneaker but is a comfy walking shoe.

The best part about it? I weighed the suitcase with all of my clothes and shoes and it weighed only 13 pounds! Seriously. I know I still need to add toiletries and accessories, but still. I'll take that to the bank. I can easily hoist 20 pounds on my back and trudge through a train station.

At least I think I can. Stay tuned for updates post-"hauling the luggage through the train station." Ah well, it's all part of the journey.

For now, I'm off to the mall to see if I can find the illusive black flat that is both cute dress worthy AND walking around friendly. It doesn't sound like it would be too hard, does it?

Getting Lost in the Research

Our trip is just three and a half months away.

WOW.

It still feels so far away, but the reality is that it is just around the corner. Time to start digging in to some of the details of the planning. Our flights, hotel and apartments have been booked for months. We've spent the last many months reading, watching travel shows and documentaries on the History Channel and National Geographic, talking to friends and doing everything else we can do to educate ourselves enough to make good decisions on how to spend our time. Now let's get down to the nitty gritty.

A re-cap of some of the "education" we've been doing.

Movies we've watched:

• Roman Holiday - 1953 Starring Ms. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. A classic. I bought this one.
• Under the Tuscan Sun - 2003 Starring Diane Lane - Beautiful scenery, filmed around Cortona. Total chick flick, but gives you a nice feel for the beauty in the region.
• Midnight in Paris - 2011 Academy Award winning film by Woody Allen starring Owen Wilson. This movie is like crack to me. Bought this one, too. As I will be searching out Hemingway's Paris, this was a no-brainer for me. Well done, even if you aren't a big Woody Allen fan.
• PBS' The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance -  Not terribly exciting, but very informative.
• The History Channel's Engineering an Empire - Details about the engineering feats of ancient Rome. Very interesting if you like this sort of thing. I do.
• The Da Vinci Code - Of course. 2006 starring Tom Hanks and Katherine Zeta Jones. An exciting story, some history, and some Parisian scenery. You can actually take a Da Vinci Code walking tour of Paris.
• Angels and Demons - 2009 starring Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor. This one takes place in Rome. Loved it.
• The Borgia - and The Borgias - These are both series that started about a year apart. Both are fun to watch and give you a good idea of some of the stories (which I'm sure are theatrically embellished) around the Borgia family and how it ruled, or tried to, in Rome and all over Italy circa 1492. Warning, these are not child friendly AT ALL (sex and violence).

Books we've read (or books I've read):

Some of these books I've read over the years and not just in our research for this particular trip but I thought it might be helpful to include them here.

• The Birth of Venus - by Sarah Dunant: Very loosely based on the happenings in Florence around the same time as the Borgias were ruling in Rome. A bit of chick lit but well written and when I finished it I felt like I learned something and was entertained in the proces = Win.
• The Paris Wife - by Paula Mclain: I'm a sucker for Hemingway's Paris. This is the tail of Hemingway's time in Paris as told from the point of view of his first wife, Hadley Richardson. LOVED IT.
• Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. - by Jeremy Mercer: Again, crack for me. The memoir of a Canadian journalist who lived with other writers in the bookstore in the late 1990s.
• A Movable Feast - by Ernest Hemingway himself: Posthumously published, Ernest tells of his time in Paris in the 1920s when he hung out with Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvadore Dahli, Pablo Picaso and other creative lightweights. This is beyond crack.
• The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo - by Irving Stone: OK, so I haven't read this, but I aspire to. I'm told it's a must if you are going to spend time in Florence, but it's a long one. 784 pages. Didn't they make a movie? Why yes, they did.

There is so much left to do, and so little time. I'll update these lists as we add to them.

The Ultimate Packing List

The ultimate packing list

This is a very thorough packing list I found at Reids Guides. I am just not sure I can fit it all in my suitcase :-)

"The five cardinal rules of traveling clothes: 1) Nothing white; 2) Nothing that wrinkles; 3) Clothes you can layer; 4) lots of pockets; and 5) Very few. Clothes take up the most space in your luggage, so don’t pack many. Just get used to doing a bit of laundry each night or two in your room.

Urban Europeans dress pretty snappily—not necessarily in the latest Armani suit, but well nonetheless. While you should travel in whatever wardrobe makes you feel comfortable, you’ll probably be happier fitting in, so save the Bermuda shorts and sleeveless T-shirt for that trip to Hawaii"

2 pairs of pants (men/women)—Take quick-dry travel slacks (with secret pockets), not heavy, never-dry jeans; I always make one a pair convertible pants ( men/women) so I don't need to bring extra shorts. 1 pair of shorts with pockets or convertible pants (men/women)—European adults don’t often wear shorts (& most churches won't let you in with bare knees), but they’re good for hiking and, for men, as swimsuits (women: buy a swimsuit there if you find you need one—a great souvenir!). 1 long skirt or dress—The skimpiness at which your respectability will be questioned varies with the country, so hedge your bets with something long. 4 pairs of underwear (men/women)—They even make disposable underwear now for men and women. 4 bras or camisoles 4 pairs of socks (men/women) 3 T-Shirts (men/women)—Wear under long sleeves so the easily washed T-shirt will soak up all the sweat. Get quick-drying tops, not cotton.

2 long-sleeve shirts (men/women)—Button-down collared shirts are respectable for all occasions; travel ones have hidden pockets, sunblock, and easy washability. Sweater (men/women)—Warm and dressy. Or you can do a...: Jacket (men/women)—Only for fall to early spring. Wrap/shawl—For covering bare shoulders (or improvising a below-knee skirt over shorts) to visit churches (it's a rule). Long Underwear (men/women)—Only for visiting northern countries from late fall to spring. Good walking shoes (men/women)—No dress shoes, heels, flip-flops, or anything you can’t walk in all day for two weeks. (Travel sandals—men/women—are also OK.) Hat —The Tilley Hat is the ultimate travel topper. Belt—Those with a hidden zipper let you hide your passport photocopy and some emergency cash.

Keeping Clean

Minimize toiletries spillage disasters by storing everything in resealable plastic baggies. Maximize the tiny space inside a bathroom bag with sample sizes and by putting shampoo and detergent into small, screw-top plastic bottles—bonus, this makes them TSA safe.

Keep toiletries and cosmetics to a minimum. Perfume or cologne on the road become vain deadweights and spills waiting to happen (imagine everything in your bag drenched with Chanel no. 5). And for women, trust a touch of red lipstick to be formal enough for any occasion.

Toothbrush & small tube of toothpaste Small soap bars & small shampoo—Bring the soap sliver from your bathtub to start; filch more from hotels as you go. Razor & shaving cream—(Battery-op shavers are OK (electric razors just bring the hassle of electrical converters and adaptors). Medicines—Prescriptions should be written in generic, chemical form (not brand name). Extra glasses/contacts— Count on losing them, and bring a hard glasses case. Also, bring enough saline solution to last (parts of the world sell it only in glass bottles). First-aid kit—Take at least: a few Band-Aids, antiseptic ointment, moleskin for blisters, aspirin, Dramamine or motion-sickness wristbands (I swear by Relief Bands, worth the outrageous price) hand lotion and lip balm (traveling promotes chapping), sunscreen, Pepto-Bismol (indigestion and diarrhea), and decongestant. Comb/flat brush

Laundry kit—To wash clothes on the go in your bathroom sink, you need travel detergent (biodegradable), a braided clothesline (the twists act as clothespins), a sink stopper, and I suggest the truly remarkable stain eraser (perhaps I'm a slob, but I need them at least once per trip). All available at travel and camping stores, or from Magellan's. Towel—H2G2 fans don't need to be told this, but a shammy-style camping towel or even small terrycloth towel is a lifesaver when confronted with Europe’s nonabsorbent, waffle-pressed jobbers. Feminine hygiene products—You can buy tampons abroad, but take what you need with you, especially if you’re brand-loyal. Condoms—US brands are safer. Pocket-sized tissue packs—Invaluable for sudden spills, substitute napkins, bathroom emergencies, signaling surrender, and, if still clean enough, runny noses.

Documents & Sundries

Don’t forget to carry your most important documents—passport, plane tickets, railpass, traveler’s checks, driver’s license, and credit cards—in a moneybelt.
Carry your daily needs items in a small backpack or security purse (designed to foil pickpockets and purse snatchers).

Guidebooks and phrase books Journal and pens—You won’t remember it all half as well as you imagine. Camera— Bring extra batteries. Tote it in a purse or mild-mannered daypack, not a “steal-me” professional camera bag. I like the new waterproof pocket cameras. Film/Memory Cards—Very expensive in Europe. Airport X-rays will fog higher speed films, so stow the rolls in large, see-through plastic baggies for hand-inspection. Tripod—I like the GorillaPod, with flexible legs so you you can wrap it around tree branches and other impromptu supports. Tiny flashlight Travel alarm clock—Battery powered. Plug adaptors—For charging your digital camera, cell phone, etc. Chargers/cables—I carry all my plugs, cables, and adaptors in a small toiletry bag. Cell phone —Only bother bringing yours if a tri– or quad-band world phone with AT&T or T-Mobile (on the GSM standard used in most of the world). Otherwise, rent a cellphone. Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman/multitool—Most useful features: screwdriver/can opener, blade, corkscrew (for picnics), tweezers, scissors, nail file. Remember: pack it in your checked luggage. Small bottle of water—Buy them as you go, but always have one; outside of Europe and the North America, carry a bottle with a built-in purifier or get a sterilizer. Sunscreen Bug spray—Most countries have yet to discover window screens. Also handy: After Bite for the itch.

Address list—Friends appreciate postcards at the time more than a slide show afterward. Luggage locks—Get enough for every zipper; make sure they're the kind approved for TSA use. Sleep Sack—If you'll be camping or staying in hostels. Tiny folding umbrella Sunglasses Pocket Sewing Kit—Trust me. Duct Tape—Ditto. Novel or e-Reader—For long plane and train trips. If an e-Reader, load up before your leave or get one with WiFi (so you can download outside the U.S) or one of the new Kindles (which connect for free in 100 countries). Teensy binoculars—Maybe I'm getting old, but increasingly I find these useful for admiring distant frescoes, wildlife, landscapes, popes, etc. Neck pillow - For the plane. Inflatable kinds pack smaller than bean-filled. Some prefer the all-around-the neck style to the old horseshoe collar. An eye mask is useful, too. Noise-canceling headphones - The one seemingly silly travel gadget I actually use (it really does make flying less stressful, even if you don't sleep; also: easier to hear the movie). There are tons of models. I currently rock a JVC HANC250—1/3 the price of Bose; just as good. Driver’s license & International Driver’s Permit—Only if you plan to rent a car. Wallet—But keep important stuff in the moneybelt. Money—Credit cards, ATM bankcard, traveler’s checks, and cash (euros if you got 'em and some emergency dollars). Passport—You won't get very far without it. Airline tickets—Crucial.