Somewhere Slowly

Early this year I said yes to a few invitations and made a few plans, booking tickets sooner rather than later to make sure I actually went … and all with hand luggage only. For the first trip I took my hand luggage max size wheelie case, but it annoyed me whenever I wasn’t on perfectly flat and wheelie friendly ground. For the second I got an Osprey Farpoint 40, also max size, but overfilled it and honestly I might as well have taken my regular 30 litre Camino backpack, which carries better. Which I was planning to do for the recent week+ trip to Mallorca.

Then I caught a glimpse of Daysie, my Osprey Tempest 20 litre daypack with a lovely zip opening. Could I go away on holiday in the sun and mountains with only 20 litres of packing? Turns out I could! Have a look at the 20 and its male/unisex sibling Talon 33 here.

For the week+ I took a small washbag containing a shampoo bar, brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, small pot of skin cream, sun cream, mascara and eyeliner, sun protective lippy, crystal deodorant and Travalo travel perfume spray.

I took a small first aid kit with nail scissors and clippers, plasters, paper tape and gauze, painkillers, antihistamines, tummy tabs, germoline and compeed. 

I took underwear and socks in a small drybag which I used to wash them, two capri and one pair long trousers, lightweight water repellent jacket, denim jacket, merino cardigan, white embroidered shirt, three strappy tops and three lightweight tunics to go over them, and mixed and matched instead of taking one outfit per day. Footwear was chunky Teva Terra Fi sandals for walking and daytime, leather mary janes for the evening. And most importantly – my lovely colourful scarf which goes with all of the other clothes.

I also had a small crossbody bag with passport, tickets, money, and mobile, and that was it. In hindsight I could have managed with fewer clothes too, but all of them were so light and packed so small it was nice to have a certain amount of choice. Also since we didn’t stay in one place, I got to wear something different every day and night in each place!

I have three more one-week-or-less long trips coming up (I know, lucky me!) to Rome, Alicante and Oslo, so quite a varied bunch of places and packing you might think, but I am feeling pretty confident I can manage with Daysie and my crossbody bag there too.

For the Eternal City of Rome: good footwear for cobbled stone, museums and churches, practical travel trousers and layers of temperature regulating merino tops during the day, something semi fancy for going out in the evening … sounds like merino dress, pink cardi and my fabulous scarf!

For a relaxing beach hol in Alicante: walking sandals for gentle strolls, capris, tops and tunics again with long trousers for the evening and a jacket plus fab scarf. I am really getting value for money from that scarf (I should, it’s Desigual).

For a quick visit to Oslo in winter including book launch party: Layers of merino, scarf and winter coat, dress and whatnot for the party, footwear warm boots and party heels.

And who knows, I might take it for a spin on the Camino in March too – you know, sandals,  walking skirt, pink cardi, fabulous scarf …