G & J away from home

Wednesday, 4 May 2016

Every time I pack for these overseas trips I get a little better at travelling light.  At least, I hope I do because this time I'm downsizing my luggage to one carry-on sized bag (which I will check) and a slim day pack.

In part this has been my ideal ever since I discovered the 'One Bag' website and became a believer.  Not an achiever, mind you, though each recent trip away (2012 / 2013 / 2015) the bag size has got smaller and so if it's the trend that counts then I'm doing well.  However, the main reason for the drastic halving of the luggage volume for this trip is that we'll be travelling with two others (one car boot, four bags to fit in it) and that we'll be using public transport more than we have since our first trip to Europe in 1987.  Back then I might have been prepared to lug large and heavy bags up stairs, down ramps, and over obstacles, but I'm smarter than that now!

Back to Pertisau.  Pertisau, in the Austrian Tirol, is a bit of a problem for me since my usual winter wardrobe is all thick-and-chunky polar fleece - not something that is going to fit into my bag of choice.  (Or not if I want to get anything else in there, too.)

I've adjusted the app on the iPhone to show me the weather at some of the locations we'll be visiting.

Temperatures in places we're visiting

• Hokowhitu (or West End when I'm babysitting the nieces) is here in Palmerston North.  We're having a very mild autumn.
• Hong Kong is our first stop and looking a bit warm but that's okay as I can let Gary wander around with Beth and Marianne while I stay inside in the cool.
• London is looking a bit chilly and had better get a move on if it's going to be comfortable by the time we get there in early June.
• Vale is on Guernsey and looks like it will be a little warmer than London.
• Pertisau.  Oh dear.
• Laguna Niguel is looking good.  Just hold it about there until we arrive mid-July. 

In making preparations for Pertisau I have researched, agonised over, and finally bought a raincoat (orange), waterproof shoes (other footwear is two pairs of sandals), trousers that aren't cropped at or above the ankle,  a lightweight merino cardigan, and a merino under-shirt.  Layers are not usually my thing but here I am making plans to squash them into my bag Just In Case.

To be fair, this is not entirely Pertisau's fault.  Gary and I are also going to stay three days at a lighthouse in the north of Scotland and by all reports the weather there can be quite interesting at any time of year.

Lighthouse location

Regardless of how 'interesting' that weather is I intend to go out and about in it so the Pertisau cold weather prep. probably won't go to waste.

Did I mention we're visiting Switzerland?  Still getting down to 0 degrees overnight in Interlaken where we will be based and we're arriving there by train - at midnight.  I have a possum-and-merino hat in the 'standby' packing pile - ready to be shoved in if there's any possible space in which it can fit.

Fingers crossed that June has great plans for Europe and I'll get home without unpacking any of this stuff.

26 days to go.

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