Category Archives: Travel Planning

Counting Down

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I used to blog more about my trip planning. Maybe I’m just too lazy to write as much! Who knows?

But trip plans have been going on for quite some time. Flights were booked quite a while back. Trains were booked as well. Even one bus. Hotels are reserved. And now I’ve managed to do a number of restaurants. One area we are visiting has few options and I didn’t want to end up doing what one blogger had to do — going to a local store and buying food to eat in his room. And then, because we’ll be on a walk, restaurants for that week had to be reserved since the area gets crowded and people get turned away from eating establishments. Even simple, pub-like places take reservations, wouldn’t you know?

So the numbers:

Flights: four
Trains: fifteen, including one overnight train
Bus: one
Rental car: eight days
Lodging I reserved: fourteen
Lodging for the walk, reserved by the company I chose: seven
Restaurants reserved: twelve

Yep, lots of planning. Tons of research. And oh such fun! (No, I’m not being sarcastic.)

Flights, trains, and the bus are paid for, as is some of the lodging. The walk has also been fully paid for. I like getting some things paid up front so that we don’t have a crazy high bill when we get home. But who am I kidding? It’ll still be crazy high!

I’ve done my “trial packing” and it might stay as it is, but I have to wait and see what Dan does. If he moves from the Osprey backpack to roller luggage I will end up doing the same. Men’s clothes are more cumbersome, and so is all of his camera gear. While we prefer to do carryon, sometimes it’s simply not possible. I’m fine with whatever happens — our flights allow for checked luggage so there’s no fee added.

Prior to our departure, which is Monday, I have two performances of La Traviata to play (the end of my tenure with OSJ!), and four students to teach. Plus I have to straighten up the house and, the morning we leave, wash all the linens for our house guest. Better busy than bored, I always say!

Nearly Time To Travel!

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We’ve had a trip planned for quite a while. Flights have been purchased. (And how we hope nothing gets canceled, but we have to be ready, of course.) Trains are scheduled, along with one bus.

About these trains! What an adventure that is!

Some trains were purchased early. Possibly too early — the prices could have dropped more, who knows? Some were purchased late because they only became available later. Some that I thought would be a straight shot ended up with a transfer. Two then turned out to include a few hours in towns where we can spend a bit of time in before moving on. One was split in two not because I opted to do it but because that particular train company said “it’s cheaper if you split this in two but you can stay in the same seats and same train.” Okay then. On one day we have three trains to take, each leg being with a different train company. (The UK has a LOT of train companies!)

Oooh … guess I just gave you a clue about where we are headed, eh?

But we aren’t headed there quite yet: I have four more opera performances (La Traviata, to be precise), and a few more lessons to teach. When we do board our first plane I plan on a celebratory glass of bubbly: retirement will have been achieved!

Meanwhile, I’m not only packing in my head (which I do for months), but I’m starting to set things out to get a feel for what I must bring, what I should bring, and what I want to bring. The must column will certainly go in the pack. The should list probably will. The wants? Well, that all depends upon weight!

Speaking of weight … yes, I weigh things. A lot. I was thinking of bringing certain pants, but then I weighed those and compared to some new ones I’m feeling are working well and nixed that first pair. I weigh shoes in order to decide which pair I’ll pack (only two pair of shoes for this trip). I weigh purses to choose just one. I weigh underwear and socks. I weigh … well … everything. Because every ounce counts!

But in any case, things are getting set out (currently on top of my printers), so I can get a handle on the all of it. It looks like a lot, but things will get put inside packing cubes and it’s amazing how it all fits. Most everything is merino wool, and that fabric can easily be rolled and squished and still come out looking pretty darn nice.

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What a mess, eh? But no worries, it’ll all get sorted!

I’m attempting to use the Sudoku Method for packing this time. Heard of it? After putting it together three of these items (one of each — top, bottom, layer) will be worn on the plane which cuts down, obviously on what gets packed.

When I make the final choices I’ll try to take a photo to show people what I’ve opted to choose. Maybe. Sort of. Unless I cheat.

I would love to say we can manage with carryon only, but we are on one smaller plane going to and from one country, God willing: those are the flights most likely to get canceled because of this abomination of a war someone in our country jumped into on a whim. Sigh. Those little planes are also much more picky about weight and we might not be able to keep our bags as light as they require. 10kg … can we do it? Dunno! That’s 22 pounds, and honestly I really don’t want to carry more than that on my back in any case. The carryon bag/suitcase/pack has to measure 21,5″ x 15.5″ x 9.5″ and for that I’m okay. But then the personal item can only be 15.5″ x 11.5″ x 8″. Mine is 16″ x 12″ x 5″. So the big question is just how picky are they and am I willing to take a chance? I’ll have to ponder that. Or buy a new personal size bag. I’ve been reading up and it appears I’ll probably be fine but …??

So what else has been done or needs to be done?

Well, today we got Covid shots and then drove to get our International Driving Permits. We have a house sitter who can stay here, as well as neighbors who always keep an eye on our place. Mail has been stopped for a month (and then I have to stop it again since we are gone for other a month). Our house sitter can collect a stack of what I’m sure will mostly be junk mail when that first stop comes to an end. Well, junk mail and all the money people are going to send me because they want to sponsor the trip. Right?

RIGHT!!! (I can hear you all agreeing with me. So thanks!)

Being a Control Freak

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I admit it. I’m a control freak. I like to plan things. I like my spreadsheets. I like my calendar. I love spending hours comparing hotels, flights, restaurants … you name it, I’ll compare and ponder and eventually choose JUST the right thing (I hope!). I fill things in and expect them to go as planned.

But I DO know better. Honestly!

It’s like music in some ways. You can practice and practice. You can play something so much that it’s in your fingers and even when your brain goes berserk somehow the fingers just do what they need to do.

Except when they don’t.

I always marvel at the silly errors we can make — things that just, out of the blue, decide to punish us and humble us and, yes, embarrass us. Go figure.

And so it goes with travel. We plan carefully. We know just what we are going to do. We, of course, allow for the freedom to do some things not on the schedule, but we know when we’ll go, where we’ll stay, and we usually have particular events scheduled and paid for.

But sometimes what one plans changes. As has recently happened. We were to meet our favorite traveler companions and now they can’t make a trip so we alter things, and readjust. (And miss them horribly.)

But even now … well … with the airlines doing the stuff they must do even while the government shutdown has ended (who knows when it will all be back to “normal”, whatever that is) I am attempt to prepare myself mentally for more changes.

I have decided all of this is good for me: I need to be more flexible. I need to be reminded that things are out of my control.

But only a little. I don’t need TOO much reminding!

Pretty please/?!

More Planning!

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A while back I mentioned that we had three upcoming trips. Since that post we did one of those trips, but just to keep my planning obsession going we have one more trip to add, albeit a short one.

In January Dan and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Yep. FIFTY! For a number of years we’ve talked about doing something with our three adult children and their spouses. We had gone back and forth on what to do — a trip to Venice perhaps? That was the dream. Somewhere else in Europe? Japan? We just weren’t sure.

Instead, for a variety of reasons, we opted for something closer by and my travel research began. No matter what I always find the research phase such fun! So far we have the dates, the location, the lodging, as well as our celebratory dinner restaurant. I do believe we are in for a lovely time!

In other news, concerning more distant travels, there are new things to think about.

We now have to allow extra time when we visit a spot in the 29 country Schengen area for the first time, since they started the photo and fingerprinting stuff (see EES). That will be done upon landing, somewhere in the airport — I’m assuming in passport control. In addition, when we go to the UK for the first time since it was instigated, we will have to be sure we’ve already got our ETA stuff set up and ready to go as well. It’s not a big deal, but one does have to remember to do that UK bit since it gets done in advance and we’d not even be allowed on a plane if we haven’t done it from what I read. The EES is done when one arrives for the first time so that’s not a big deal aside from the time issue. Eventually the Schengen countries will also have the ETIAS set in place, and we will get to that when we know it’s up and running.

I have no complaints about all those tasks — no matter what it’s less frustrating than what I’ve been told people have to do to enter the United States these days. But one certainly does have to remember these things need doing!

Unrelated to all of this, I was viewing some desert photos since I posted desert gold at my photography site. As I wrote on my substack post, I yearn to get back to the desert. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing this view again:

We are so blessed. We can travel to far away places, but we also have so many places right here in our amazing state to visit. It’s good to remember that!

No, We Aren’t Done Traveling!

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I assure any readers (are there any readers?!) that I have been busy with some plans. In addition I’ve been doing my daily walks (Sunday being my day of rest so I rarely walk then), and most of my walks are with my sister, which is a real joy. I’m blessed to have her so nearby. Never did I think I wanted to walk with someone else, but she and I seem to be a pretty good team!

I’m also trying to get my oboe playing “chops” back in gear. I took a hard fall a week ago, but I finally attempted to play yesterday and I’m able to do that with no issues, aside from sounding awful because I’m out of shape. (Side note: NEVER pull out your phone to read and continue walking. Uneven sidewalks can be a very dangerous thing!) But I must get my playing back in gear since I really do have to work this coming season. (Is it horrible of me to say I was sort of hoping I could not play so I could claim disability? Yeah, that’s probably not a good thing to say. So never mind that.)

But here’s a bit of travel news:

We have a wedding to attend in September. Initially we thought we’d also incorporate a visit to the east coast for fall colors but, alas, we decided money wasn’t there for such a trip. We are blessed to be able to take the trips we do, and I work hard at not being envious of those with the finances to do more — we can do SO much more than many of the people I know. NO complaining from me allowed! But the fall colors trip was tabled. So it’s a weekend wedding in Vermont and a short visit to Boston — a place we’ve not been yet and figured we’d see since we have to pay for flights back east anyway.

We also have a Chicago trip planned because my “Germany brother and sister-in-law” Greg and Jan (to distinguish between them and my “Brooklyn brother and sister-in-law” Timothy and Margaret) are going to be there and when Greg suggested a meet up there was no way I was going to say no!

And, finally, we are going to do another walk! This time it will be a Cotswold walk, and Greg and Jan are joining us. That trip will involve more planning, and I’ve yet to figure it all out, but since it is not until the spring of 2026 I have a lot of time to get that one figured out. Some things are already on the calendar (and partially paid for with no refunds allowed … eek!). We opted to go with a company for the walk, just as we did for the Great Glen Way in Scotland and the Douro walk in Portugal. I think, though, that I should maybe get my act together and schedule the next walk on my own, should there be one. I’m sure I could manage now that I see how all that works, and I know it would save money. At least I think it would.

All that being said, I also know plans can change. I make these plans realizing that they may not happen: life can be altered in a blink of an eye. God willing, we will travel more. I know, though, that nothing is guaranteed. I truly believe what I’ve often said and repeat to myself a lot, “God is good, but life is hard. These two things I know.”

Okay. Enough of me. Over ’n out.

Have a photo for managing to survive reading my ramble:

Segovia from the Alcazar, 5.21.25

Still Here

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Yes, I’m here. Yes, I’ve not blogged for a while. No, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been planning trips.

You read that correctly … trips. Three, in fact. We have our walking holiday, a wedding trip, and a visit in a city here in the United States with my brother Greg and sister-in-law Jan, who will be coming in from Germany for a trip here. So tons of planning is going on, and lots of possibility for confusion.

Thanks to my spreadsheets, though, everything is clearly on the page. So it might not be clear in my brain, but I can check those spreadsheets easily. Much has been taken care of with two of the three trips.

Flights and trains? Well, sort of tricky sometimes. Spain and Belgium trains still aren’t available. I wrote to Renfe and they said they still didn’t know when my trains would be available because they are waiting for the permits. Belgium made it clear it’s not worth trying until a month before. Flights in the states are ones I wait a bit on: too early and you pay a lot. Too late and you pay a lot. So timing … it’s tricky, but I check in occasionally to see how things are going.

Oh, and one more trip that may or may not include me is on the calendar as well. I’m still waiting to see what my work schedule will be, but Dan has a reunion to attend!

Fun times here on the Emerson-Mitchell planet!

Here, have a photo from a time in Florence (or shall I say Firenze?) quite some time ago.

Watermelon Bike, 8.28.16

New “Innovative” Ideas To Watch For

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I’m in the process of searching for hotels, which means the spreadsheet is open and ready to go. First I frequently do a search on “best places to stay in” the city, village, town. I’ll come up with a number of sites with that search. I tend to prefer those that are done by an individual. Nearly always, for a first time visit, it’s suggested that we stay in either “city center” or the “historic city center”. If there is a walled portion of the city that is where I tend to want to be.

As I’ve written before, I compare the hotel site, Booking.com, Expedia, and sometimes even the United site (although paying with miles has proved to be unwise) for the cost. I check Trip Advisor, and I see how the hotel (or B&B or whatever) is ranked on Google. It’s a long process, but it helps me process everything. I also map out all the hotels on Google Maps, so Dan and I can see where we’d be staying. In most cases I can see the street view, and “wander” the area a bit to get an idea of the neighborhood. And yes, I check Rick Steves’ book as well if I have that country’s book on my iPad.

But recently I’ve realized there are a couple of other things to watch out for.

First, Expedia often has the best price, even over the hotel site. But you really have to read the fine print. If there is a “resort fee” or a “facility fee” or anything like that, Expedia may not include that and you pay at the hotel. (Booking may have the same issue, but there price has always been higher anyway so I just use them for their hotel ranking and I read their reviews.) I also found that, when booking through Expedia, I’m not always given a great room: the hotel loses the Expedia fee and I suspect they flag any of us who book that way, but I can’t be sure.

But the most recent issues? First, there’s the “will one of us have to climb over the other to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night?” Some newer hotels have very small rooms (and lovely lower prices), but there is no way in the world I will choose them if both ends of the bed are up against a wall. Forget it.

The most surprising thing of all, however, are the new “innovative” (??) bathrooms. They are frosted glass. Some are in the middle of the room. I have no interest in being watched while in the bathroom, even through frosted glass (and some even appear to be clear glass!). Some have no door at all. Again, no interest in that. And in the middle of the night I’m sure Dan would love me turning on that bathroom light! (Yes, I bring a nightlight, so maybe I’d not need to, but still ….) I recently wrote to one hotel because someone mentioned the lack of privacy in their bathroom. The hotel wrote to say I could rest assured that all the rooms had bathroom doors … except the most expensive that is. It, instead, was an “open concept” room. No door. No privacy. No thank you.

CitizenM hotel has both, by the way: bed against the walls and a very innovative bathroom.

Planning a trip really keeps me on my toes! (And my eyes are starting to go bonkers.)

A Change of Plans

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I’ve been plotting out a trip we’ll be taking later and I had things pretty well set in my mind.

Until I checked trains. And planes. And even buses. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent trying to get from one particular city to nearly any other place without spending gobs of hours dealing with transportation and spending gobs of money to make it even more annoying. It was headache inducing for sure.

The problem was we had a certain direction of travel in mind. And we even had one specific city we thought we could make work. We thought it was a done deal that THAT was where we were going. So I continued to try and see how I could put the puzzle together in a reasonable way. I use Rome2Rio a lot, and it was suggesting things I simply didn’t want to do. R2R is handy, but sometimes it doesn’t solve my problem. Especially because no note pops up saying, “You are really silly to think you can get from A to Z so easily. Why don’t you try going to B instead?!”

I also use the Rick Steves travel forum and even (ugh, I really do have to leave FB at some point) the Facebook page. (Side note: his Facebook page is getting rather ugly these days, what with name calling between those who are infatuated with a certain president and others who aren’t.)

Today, though, I looked again at that one particular (and problematic) city. I decided to check out the Direct Flights site I sometimes visit. I had been there before, but this time I carefully wrote down EVERY city to which we could fly directly and, lo and behold, a lightbulb went on.

It was about giving up the city — and even the country — we both thought we were going to reach. It was about altering, in fact, the remainder of the trip until our already schedule flight back. And suddenly it all made sense. It all just FIT!

I love when this happens. I love that we work around trains (and in this case one plane) and can alter what we are doing to make the trip less about time spent getting from here to there and more time being THERE.

I’m just a little bit excited now. Can you tell?

Trains, Trains, and more Trains

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My head is about to burst.

Well, not literally, of course. But I do have a headache after all the computer work.

I’m attempting to figure out train routes for a possible trip. The connections between Portugal, Spain, and France sure aren’t easy. Silly people … you all need to work together, I think!

But who am I to talk? The United States has the worst train system of all big countries. It’s really embarrassing.

So What’s Next, You Ask?

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Yes, I am already thinking about what we’ll do next. It’s what I do, after all! We are hoping for a walking holiday again, so the spreadsheet has been started. Here’s the top of the first page:

As you can see, we have a long list of country possibilities. We had hoped for the Dolomites, but that might have to wait a year, since it’s best to do that later in the year than we were planning. At the moment I’m sort of focussing on Portugal.

(For some reason it looks like you can’t click on the image of the spreadsheet to see it on its own, in an enlarged format, so here is what I list:
COMPANY – COUNTRY/AREA & LINK TO PAGE – COST PER PERSON – #DAYS, NIGHTS, WALKING – # OF MILES – ACTIVITY LEVEL – LODGING LEVEL – NIGHT LOCATIONS – ITINERARY & NOTES.

This is ridiculously difficult to read, I know, but here is one walk sample. Maybe if you squint or get a magnifying glass you can read it …?


When I look for a company to work with I browse a lot of them, and then check on their reviews and ratings. I found one in the UK that had walks in Portugal, and their reviews looked fine, but in reading the description they state that they use a local company for the Portugal walks. Of course I’d prefer to use a local company myself, so I did a bit of research and I believe I’ve found the company they work with and going directly with that company saves money. No surprise … the same goes for booking a hotel directly most of the time. (When it doesn’t I write to the hotel and they will usually match the price of a service like Expedia.)

But then we also have a wedding to attend on the other side of our own country. It’s in the fall, so it seems only right to look into what else we might do at that end of the US while we are there, right? So of course I have a spreadsheet for that as well.

Can you tell I really love spreadsheets?!