A Really Big Shoe

One of the major packing considerations for this trip has been shoes. I don't want to pack too many but I don't want to find myself wishing I had packed a particular pair. I am considering the following:

My Steve Madden Moccasins are my first consideration for comfort while flying. Although they are useless in rain, snow sleet or any other adverse conditions, these are total comfort. I plan to wear these on my long flights across the Atlantic. They slip on and off easily and feel like house slippers. So these are a GO!

The smooshy black flats by Rocket Dog. I figure I need one pair of quasi-dressy shoes for any event that might require the black slacks. These are so comfortable yet practical. So we have the dress-up department covered.

Of utmost importance is the rain shoe. Considering that it rains two thirds of the month of March, these are a must for those days that we will be sloshing around in the rain. They are warm, they are comfortable and they are waterproof. Yep, these are a definite GO!

Of course, you have to have tennis shoes, especially a pair that matches all your turquoise!

For serious walking, nothing beats Merrell's. So the brown Merrells with the furry lining provide warmth and comfort for those long touring days when the weather is cool. Not to mention they provide some waterproofing for stomping through wetlands.

Back to the hotel room for total comfort, these marvelous Daniel Green's are just what the doctor ordered to rest my weary tourista feet. Not to mention they slip on easily in case of fire!

So now I am trying to sort through my shoes and make decisions about that. I want to take four pair with me, but which ones can I do without? Decisions, decisions....continue.

What To Pack Part 1

Now that there are less than thirty days before we head to Europe, the packing shall ensue. Listening to those in the know, the weather should be in the 40's and 50's F and wet, wet, wet. I read somewhere that the region has rain approximately 20 of the 31 days of March. I am fortunate to have friends who have made this trip and they have been kind enough to share their packing experience with me. So the grasshopper needs to listen and choose wisely.

The biggest decision has been the suitcase. Not the carry-on, the checked bag. When one is packing for a 22 day trip where the weather can range from warm to freezing, one must consider this very carefully. Layering will definitely be the way to go, so we have to pack the layers. After a great deal of consideration, my dear friend, Connie, loaned me her big military style bag, which isn't heavy, a major consideration with those weight limits.

 

This marvelous bag also has tons of pockets as well as the major necessities...a variety of handles...

 

and balanced, sturdy wheels.

 

The next item for consideration is the carry-on. It must be lightweight and easy to handle...

 

with spinner wheels for easy manipulation.

 

The next consideration is the bag or purse. Since I am a photography nut, this will be my combination of camera bag/purse. I had this custom made for me and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

It has tons of INSIDE pockets for anything I might want to carry, as well as lenses, batteries, chargers, SD cards and the like.

 

Of course, the universal converter set is a necessity if you have things that need charged...

 

The makeup bag really isn't all that important to me because, well, I rarely wear the stuff, so a nice bag for my jewelry and toiletries that can fit easily in the carry-on is what I wanted.

 

No job is finished until the paperwork is done, so I have a decent selection of paper items that I plan to bring along with me.

 

Our initial destination is London, England and we will be spending four days unaccompanied (SCARY) and doing the off the beaten track type of things. So this is a necessity...

 

I am a huge fan of Rick Steves and I think he has the inside track on just about everything for European travel. By dropping his name at our first hotel, we got a nice 10% discount. So another item that will be very useful is this great book...

 

And when we get to Dublin, there is a day for exploring and we will utilize this...

 

 

One of the most important things that we will be using and distributing, the itinerary...

 

Two of the major things that are needed are the passport and the method of carrying and protecting it.

 

 

No passport, no travel, no nothing...keep in plastic around neck when traveling.

 

 

VERY small cross body bag for priority items, including passport.

 

 

Although I'm not taking much in the jewelry department, I have to have my priority jewelry for Crufts.

 

 

For the HOUND day, it will by my Sarah Snavely pendant on one of my wonderful beaded necklaces from Renee Kirchen at Midnight Sun Beading...

 

 

And for TOY day, it will be my lovely IG pendant, again on a wonderful beaded necklace from Midnight Sun Beading...

 

 

Other jewelry items To Be Determined.

Part 2 of my packing blog will be the clothing, still a work in progress!

 

The countdown is ON!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Insanity and Beyond

Now that the holidays are over and the New Year is upon us, I've been struck by the fact that I have a mere 60 days before I head off on the vacation of a lifetime. Hopefully, it won't be like the "European Vacation" classic film, in which Chevy Chase encounters many and various foibles.

I have spent quite some time putting together the itinerary (I'm anal like that) and I have tweeked it and re-vamped it several times, trying to make the most of our time in Europe. Trying to see the best in four countries in a mere 22 days is going to take a helluva lot of ambition and very little sleep. But I think I'm up for it.

Our itinerary looks something like this:

We still have no idea what we are doing or where we are staying on Friday, March 22, because our tour ends that morning but we don't fly out of London until 3 pm on Saturday, so I suppose we are looking for a final adventure on Friday. I probably should get on that pretty soon, don't you think?

We have chosen to rent a car on Monday, March 4th to take a drive to Avebury, then on down to Tintagel and back to London. Many people think it's insane to drive all the way down and back in one day. For me, that's nothing. I am an old 'road warrior from way back. I have been hauling horse trailers and show dogs all over the United States since I was 16 years of age, so a 250 mile round trip run in one day is child's play for me. I have driven to Kansas City, MO from my home, which is a total of 785 miles in a mere 12 hours several times, so this little hope down to Tintagel should be a walk in the park. EXCEPT for the fact that I have to drive on the wrong side of the road and be able to handle their 'roundabouts' which go in a direction that is foreign to me. We have chosen to rent a compact car and I'm hoping it doesn't look like this...

I am one of those "Arthurian" freaks and it was suggested by a friend that I try to get down to Tintagel, the ruins of a castle closely connected to the legend of King Arthur. When I looked it up on the map, I found that it was in the region of Cornwall, which also housed the British Witch's Museum, which had been on my short list of things to do,but had been scratched off because of its location. And I also wanted to get to Avebury to see the stone circle there, but I just couldn't coordinate getting there. Another British friend sent me a link to their version of Mapquest and I worked out this trip. London to Avebury, down the Atlantic coast to Cornwall and back to London.

I was warned not to try to drive in London itself, so we will be taking the tube to Heathrow airport and picking up our car there. I like the idea of being able to stop at any little shops along the way and just taking our time. If it doesn't work out exactly as planned, it's not a major disaster. We'll just consider it a day of fun and adventure. And one thing is for sure, it will be memorable!!

Whether I'm Prepared For The Weather

I have been told that the one thing that I can be sure of is that if you don't like the weather in London, wait a few hours and it will change. And it is guaranteed that there will be RAIN, and lots of it. Weather can vary from anything cold enough for snow to lowish 50's F*. Possibly windy, possibly not. Probably more rain, possibly lots of it for about half the days of my visit. And possibly none at all. It might actually be spectacularly sunny, might be cloudy.

Most certainly any of the above may occur, so I am trying to be sure that I include adequate rain gear in my suitcase. And I don't want to bog down my suitcase with a bulky raincoat or rain boots. I took some time to look at what the natives utilize at times like these.

An umbrella is a must, so I have to dig out my little portable umbrella that I bought at an AWC specialty a many years ago. I don't even remember which national it was or why I actually bought an umbrella, but it is a very nice compact one that fits nicely into a purse and might actually be a conversation starter of sorts. So I have to go in search of my AWC umbrella soon

The next priority is outerwear. I really love to wear capes and hate the thought of a bulky coat. Traditional raincoats are too damned hot and they stink to high heaven when they are damp. I can't stand how they make me feel. I don't really have a waterproof cape, although I suppose you could consider my wool cape as waterproof. So off to the dry cleaner it needs to go so I can take it along.

It still remains to be seen whether or not I will take a hat and scarf. I despise wearing them as well. The temperature range during my visit is anywhere from 38* F to 52* F. So not freezing cold, not hot. On average there are 21 days with some sort of precipitation during the month. So rain shoes are a priority. This is very difficult for me as I am a dedicated Birkenstock wearer, but they aren't exactly ideal for watery walks. Of course, I will have my Isotoner Easy Touch gloves so that I can access my tablet any time I feel the need.

And I really hate the thought of taking heavy boots along. They just aren't comfortable enough for a long overnight flight and take up a helluva lot of room in a suitcase.Hence the footwear dilemma. I have rubber gardening type shoes, Crocs and some other rainproof shoes. None of which would be comfortable for walking around all day and sightseeing. So, what to do? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Me, I'd rather just kick it in my Birks!

So I am thinking I should pack the umbrella, wear the cloak on the plane (easily removed and placed on lap as a blanket, wear my Birks on the plane and pack some rubber shoes. No matter what I do I will probably  

regret not bringing something. 

I'd love to hear what any of you natives or regular London travelers pack routinely. I'm trying to make weight, you know! One carry on, one purse (camera bag), and one 55lb checked bag!

Math, Science, History...It's All Part Of The Mystery

One of the big things I am looking forward to is visiting all the great museums that are located throughout the countries of the trip. Some will be well known, some not as recognizable, but each will offer a unique opportunity for me to see some of the great artworks of all time.

In London -

Being a nurse most of my career, of course I am interested in visiting The Anesthesia Museum! Not exactly on every tourist's 'to do' list, but very enticing to me!

Of course, the Natural History Museum is a great draw. I cannot wait to see what it has to offer.

HUGE Sherlock Holmes fan here, so of course the museum that glorifies the great sleuth is on my agenda!

The British Museum is reknowned for it's many collections, but I am really anxious to visit the Egyptian presentation as I have a deep interest in ancient Egypt.

In Paris - 

Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Louvre.

And, of course, the Eiffel Tower! Since we are doing a quick one day train trip to Paris, these are the big highlights. And a few shoppes, I'm sure.

In Dublin - 

Have to find the Dublin Writers Museum because I think we all have the muse, the desire to write 'the great novel'. I am really looking forward to perusing this one!

The National Museum of Ireland is definitely on the agenda as my maternal heritage is very Irish and I am looking forward to learning more!

In Edinburgh - 

The National Scot Museum houses some of the great treasures of the Scottish realm.

The Edinburgh Museum Of Scotland is a more modern museum which contains great works of art.

In York -

The ruins outside the Yorkshire Museum tell a great tale of history of England.

And finally, the York Castle Museum contains the history of many of the major castles in Great Britain. I have such a fascination with castles, this is at the top of my "do" list.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Not sure how close we will be getting to Cornwall, but if it is humanly possible, I DEFINITELY want to visit The Museum of Witchcraft. It is one of my major 'bucket list' destinations.

These are just a few of the major spots I plan to visit, and who knows what we may come across. I will share all my 'finds' with the blog followers as we move along on the trip of my lifetime!

Let's Talk About Crufts, Baby!

From the first time I heard about Crufts, I have wanted to attend. Over the years I have gained many friends abroad and they have all often invited me to come on over and go to the big show. It has been on my BIG 'bucket list' for many years and I wanted to combine the trip to Ireland, England and Scotland with Crufts. Everyone was giving me a really hard time about taking my big vacation in March, 'too cold', 'too wet', 'too gray',  etc. etc. etc. But knowing I would probably only get one shot to make this kind of trip, I was committed to go during Crufts, even if I could only get one day to view the spectacle.

Lately, I have heard all the criticism surrounding Crufts, and how the British are going after small breeders and trying to be more "PETA-like" in their approach to purebred dogs. Yes, I have read it all, seen it all and am aware of what the general public believes is going on in the world of dogs. It is happening in the US, too! But that hasn't stopped me from attending Westminster, Eukanuba or any of the other major shows in this country. So I am not going to let any of this stop me from reaching my 'bucket list' goal. I am going to Crufts for the dogs and the shopping, not for any political or social statement...

 

Crufts is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts four days. It is held every March in the city of Birmingham, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

 

Crufts was named after its founder, Charles Cruft, who worked as general manager for a dog biscuit manufacturer, travelling to dog shows both in the United Kingdom and internationally, which allowed him to establish contacts and understand the need for higher standards for dog shows. In 1886, Cruft's first dog show, billed as the "First Great Terrier Show", had 57 classes and 600 entries. The first show named "Crufts"—"Cruft's Greatest Dog Show.

 

It was at the Centenary celebrations in 1991 that Crufts was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest dog show with 22,973 dogs being exhibited in conformation classes that year. Including agility and other events, it is estimated that an average 28,000 dogs take part in Crufts each year, with an estimated 160,000 human visitors attending the show.

Crufts is not an open competition; dogs must have qualified throughout the previous year by successfully competing (gaining a top-3 place in their class) at a Kennel Club licensed Championship show where Challenge Certificates are awarded. Dogs can become qualified for life upon attaining their Kennel Club Stud Book Number.

There is also a section known as Discover Dogs, where visitors can see almost every breed recognised by the Kennel Club on view, and discuss each breed with knowledgeable owners.
Crufts also holds special shows and demonstrations, where specially trained dogs may perform in front of an audience.

 

In 2010 The Kennel Club released Crufts Vintage iPhone app, with more than 100 vintage photographs from the Kennel Club archives and in August 2011 the Crufts Best Match app, which is a Trump Card style game, available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

So, with no remorse and no agenda, I plan to attend Crufts, visit with friends, see over 10,000 gorgeous dogs and SHOP TIL I DROP!