Deep thoughts as we prepare for a wine-sourcing trip to Italy
People who don't travel much -- especially travel abroad -- tend to pack too much. They obsess about every outfit, every sock, every shoe.
When you travel to Italy in winter, pretty much anywhere in the country, here's a tip: pack as little as you can and make sure it's layerable.
Why?
1. Most Italians dress very casually. Hard times mean more utilitarian clothes. Leave the fancy duds home.
2. It's cold. The houses are ill-heated and the churches and other haunts of turisti are frigid. Hotels are usually OK, B&Bs freezing.
3. It's damp. It seeps into your bones. Wear wool socks and rubber-souled shoes. Take two pairs of shoes, tops. (One pair to wear while the other dries out.)
The layering is key because it starts out cold in the morning and may be very pleasant by noontime, when you may find a sunny spot to eat in a piazza cafe. Strip off some of the layers before you head into the next gelid, dark church.
A couple of tips for keeping your suitcase smaller/lighter:
1. They have laundromats. Believe it or not, you CAN wash your clothes over there. Halfway through the trip, whether it's for business or pleasure, wash a load. This means half the clothes to pack and lug around. As to dry cleaning -- take clothes that sort of need it anyway. You'll get the most out of them by the time you get back home. Traveling is a dirty business.
2. Don't obsess over toiletries and minor medications like aspirin, allergy pills, etc. Astonishingly, you can buy what you need for the trip over there. Even if you forget your prescribed medication, it's often possible to get a prescription filled very simply at a farmacia.
3. Put a change of underwear, socks and a shirt in your carry-on. Just in case your bag's delayed. But despite the risk of wayward luggage, don't be a jerk -- check your damned suitcase.
I can pack clothes in five minutes -- easy. Remembering meds and toiletries is a little harder for some reason.
But by far the biggest preoccupation for the modern packer is the panoply of electronics, chargers and cords.
BlackBerry. Ever-constant companion
Italian cell phone. Did you charge it before you left? Like the day you left?
Laptop. And don't leave the power cords in the airport.
GPS. Charge and program before you leave home.
iPod. Especially helpful if you're seated within 20 rows of a screaming brat.
Kindle. Most useful on the trip home.
Camera. Take extra batteries.
Nose-hair trimmer. Ditto.
Getting them all charged and paired with their various cords -- plus enough adapters -- is by far the most stressful part of packing. It takes by far the longest time to do.
Still. Better these generally useful items than a dinner jacket and all its trinketry.
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