Pro Tip: Packing

The executive summary for 95% of us: You overpacked. No, not just a little, we're talking "Why did I bother to bring all this?" overpacked.

Efficient packing for a trip thousands of miles from home is as much art as science. If you think you can manage, follow the advice of the experts and pack a small rucksack for a two week adventure across three countries. I've been traveling for over 40 of my 50 years and can't imagine subjecting others to the degree of funk that would represent. I also don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time doing laundry in the hotel sink every evening. By the same token, you don't need 3 spare sets of everything for that same two week outing. Ultimately you have to find your own balance, but do yourself a favor and tip the balance the other way on occasion to test yourself. You'll survive and so will everyone else, you'll just be a bit wiser the next time. I achieved my most efficient packing to-date on my recent trip to London. The schedule was shredded and my luggage arrived a couple of days after I did, so I came home with clean clothes, but not by much.

Here's my approach. I don't claim that it's perfect, but it's much closer to perfect than no plan at all (which will only result in an over-stuffed, and likely overweight, suitcase.)

• Undergarments and shirt to wear home. It seems odd to address this first, but having fresh clothes to put on the morning of departure can do wonders for your disposition at the end of a trip. Set them aside and don't touch them unless you encounter a complete disaster. If you know you'll have access to laundry facilities you can be more flexible, but even then I tend to stick by this rule "just in case."
• Socks: I have a strange formula, but it can be reduced to this: Six pair for the first week, five for the second week, four for the third week. Socks can be a pain to wash and dry in a hotel but easy to recycle if you have access to a washer/dryer. The type of sock/stocking you wear can have a significant impact on your needs. I tend to wear more cotton/polyester blends, so washing isn't a viable option in many cases. If you have malodorous feet you may need a more pairs, if your feet emit lavender and sandalwood aromas you can get away with fewer pairs. Time of year (temperature) is also a contributing factor. If you're traveling more than three weeks without access to laundry you're probably backpacking, and none of this makes any sense.
• Trousers: This is where the time of year becomes a significant factor. During cooler months I assume I'll be able to get three days of wear without concern. In warmer months two days may be a stretch, depending upon the particulars. These are the times you can do a lot with a small bottle of Febreeze and a fan. Staying with neutral color selections is a tremendous help. If it's a "one time only" pair then it probably needs to stay home.
• Shirts: More dependencies on weather. In cooler months I always plan to layer shirts and sweaters. I select neutral sweaters that can be combined with whichever shirts I've packed to give multiple different looks. If it's warm I lean towards synthetic/technical fabrics that tend to be more odor resistant and quick drying, in case I need to do a sink wash. Even when the temperatures are moderate places like subways and trains can be stifling in some places.
• Shoes: Unless I have a compelling reason to go light I always take two pair for any trip longer than a week. After a few days of walking in one pair my feet do better with a change of pace.
• Outerwear: If it's cold enough to be a concern I pack a light beanie and gloves, then wear or carry a coat and scarf. It's a bit more to keep track of en route, but you save room in your suitcase.
• Toiletries: In these days of luggage fees and ever changing weight limits I suggest either travel-sized items (purchased or pack-at-home) or, in some cases, purchasing upon arrival. A little research can be of tremendous benefit here. In any event, take only what you're likely to need and leave the warehouse-store-sized product at home.

If you have something new to wear every day then you have too much, that I can assure you. Take your time and don't get in a hurry to maximize your odds of packing effectively. Do all you can to avoid putting ANYTHING in your suitcase because your reason is either:

1. "I might need it, so I'll take it just in case."
2. "I can't decide, so I'll just take it anyway."

The odds are exceptionally high that you WILL NOT need it, and you're perfectly capable of making the decision now.

No Place Like Home

16 April, 2017

A glorious visit was capped off by a memorable morning, weather-wise. Sunday dawned bright and clear, which isn't unheard of for London but certainly goes against the stereotype of persistent fog and rain. It was a Sunday, and even London has a slow, lazy feel one day of the week.

We bid the staff at The Harrington farewell once again as our driver from Eddie Manning loaded the abundant luggage in the van for the trek to Heathrow. Thanks to plentiful reward miles, we were headed to the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing for drop off, which makes departure absolutely painless. (This service is available to Delta passengers as well as Virgin Atlantic, depending upon class of service and loyalty status.)

We ended up with an additional bag, thanks to a combination of reducing the inventory of our son's dorm and a bit of additional shopping. It was a pleasant surprise when the agent simply tagged all our bags, handed over our boarding cards, and sent us on our way to the dedicated security checkpoint. A reasonably painless trip through security and a quick stop at the U.K. Customs desk for validation of our VAT refund forms was followed by a scavenger hunt to locate the "correct" duty-free desk (which turned out to be a wild-goose chase, thanks to misinformation provided by the representative at Liberty the day prior.) After walking all over the duty-free area (thanks to incorrect signage) and standing in line unnecessarily I deposited the forms in the mail box just across from the Customs desk, where I started ~20 minutes prior. UGH!

With all the housekeeping details complete, we headed off to the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Lounge for a bite to eat while we waited for our flight to be called. As we expected based on our experience last September, the lounge staff was attentive and efficient. We had about an hour before boarding, so that gave us the opportunity to get things in order while enjoying a pot of tea. When the flight was called we made the short walk to the gate and were settled in to our seats in a matter of minutes.

The flight was smooth and hassle-free, arriving in Atlanta on time where the customs lines were long. Our huge stack of luggage and lack of anything to declare caught the attention of an officer, but he was more than satisfied that we were beginning to move our son home from London. The Atlanta security checkpoint was the usual mess, with no accommodation for those holding TSA Pre-Check status.

After a reasonable layover we were on our final flight home and welcomed a night's rest in our own bed!

2017 New Years Eve Fireworks in London

Tickets for the 2017 New Years Eve Fireworks in London are now on sale!

The only way to enter one of the riverside viewing areas is to have tickets. Check out the details at www.london.gov.uk/nye - tickets are £10 each and individuals may purchase a maximum of four. If you're planning to visit London for New Year's it is well worth the effort required. Make sure you select to pick up your tickets at the Trafalgar Square booth if you don't have a UK address for mail delivery, as there is no guarantee that you'll receive them via mail in the USA prior to your departure.

Last Day in London

15 April, 2017

Tying up loose ends was the order of the day. First we headed over to Liberty, in search of a couple more skeins of yarn to match some acquired earlier in the trip. A manager was summoned to sort out a glitch with the register and he tempted us with some absolutely fantastic chocolate truffles shaped like eggs. His sneaky salesmanship led us downstairs to the candy department, where we ended up being plied with even more samples. We finally escaped with a small bag full of delectable delights and proceeded on our quest for additional items on our checklist.

Just out the back door and down the passage is one of my new favorite pubs, The Clachan. With a line-up of ten cask ales to choose from you can have an epic pub crawl and only walk as far as from your seat to the bar. The atmosphere is open and lively with a fair mix of locals and tourists. Warnings are posted to beware of thieves and pickpockets (they love tipsy tourists who don't keep track of their belongings) so keep your wits about you, just in case. If you have someone in your crowd who is keen to do some shopping at Liberty this is an excellent place to drop anchor and have a pint or three in a pleasant atmosphere while you wait.

A specific type of souvenir was on the list, which led us to the tourist tchotchke mecca of Piccadilly Circus. If you look at a map it appears to be a trek from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus, but in reality it's a leisurely stroll of about ten minutes or so. There will probably be crowds, regardless of the day. As previously mentioned, keep your wits about you and maintain control of your belongings. Since I'm not terribly souvenir-centric and the shops were crowded I did a bit more "research" and located a nearby pub that I was previously unfamiliar with. (Pro Tip: If you need a restroom, pop in to a pub and grab a pint, problem solved! Alternatively, if you need a pint, just use the restroom as an excuse to go in the pub.) The St. James Tavern was a bit crowded with a large percentage of tourists, which isn't surprising given the proximity to Piccadilly Circus. If your pub-fu is anywhere above novice level the staff will breathe a sigh of relief over not having to repeat the same tutorial for the eleventy-hundreth time today. They have several cask ales available at any given time as well as an assortment of lagers and ciders, so you should be able to find something to suit your taste.



Laden with packages (and wondering how I was going to re-pack to accommodate the new purchases) we made our way back to the hotel to drop off everything and freshen up before dinner. When something works why mess with it? As has become a London tradition for us at this point, we made dinner reservations at Côte for our final night. If you're a regular reader you have probably seen previous reviews and comments from prior trips and understand why we keep coming back. If you're a new reader, thanks for joining us, here's a summary!

Côte is, simply, one of those things that is just "right" in the world. Amazingly well done French cuisine served by uniformly convivial staff, offered with an approachable wine list at budget-friendly prices. This is still London, so "inexpensive" is an adjective reserved for rare situations. Côte isn't inexpensive (That's a £4 meal deal at Tesco) but it is quite affordable and represents exceptional value. Many locations attract a large pre-theater crowd, so I suggest dining later or making reservations (which are generally easy to obtain if you don't wait until the last minute.)