Today the knapsack weighed in at 30 pounds. Too heavy... I immediately started removing clothes and devices. I am theme packing - colour themes: blue, white, black...with a little green thrown in on the side... For three months I'm travelling with two pair of capris, two blouses, one aforementioned bowling shirt, two t-like shirts, sleeping shorts, swimming shorts and also a swimming top (only required at certain beaches), one bra (required all the time), one pair of socks, five real underwear and 5 throw away paper underwear. Yes, paper underwear! I bought them on eBay. They are pink and I think I can get two of myself into each pair! If I pull them high enough I might not even need to wear a shirt! As I just now took the picture of the “Convenient hygienic Snugly comfort Ldeal for travel” package, for posting on this site, I noticed 2006 11 10. I wonder if this is an expiry date? Maybe I don’t actually have to take the pants off once they are worn, maybe they just disintegrate as a gust of wind catches them while I stand high on a cliff overlooking the Ligurian sea! Fortunately the paper underwear is feather-weight and not adding to the weight of the knapsack. It is the other paper in the knapsack that is adding the weight, printouts for accommodation, car rental contracts etc. As the trip progresses the bag will lighten as the paper disappears (underwear included).
I stopped to see Georgie, my favourite hairdresser today. She said “How long are you gone?” Three months. I came home with a three-month haircut! It was looking a little bit like Bart Simpson at first, but today it is kind of fru fru and will be just fine in the Italian heat.
The itinerary is all firmed up and we are all good to go! Karen and I leave on Friday the 13th. Keith arrives on the 27th. I have one more week at home!