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!!