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Post by afds on Jul 3, 2008 2:19:15 GMT -5
This thread is getting better and better, I thought nothing could beat the sweating like a pig part (which still cracks me up every time I think of it) but TP  ! Scottex ( I think it's Scottex) does a *very* nice 2 ply TP which is called Scottonelle in Italy. I'm sure it's available in Paris. I can't bear to think of luggage space being wasted on TP! And Dove soap too, again we get it here, so Paris will have it. I do agree that bringing stuff with you so that you don't have to rush out and buy it as soon as you arrive makes sense, but perhaps you could take just 1 roll of TP  for immediate need. Joan, the weight loss was for a bad reason but all is well now, and to have dropped 3 sizes (4 in the UK) is fabulous. However I will never be a "petite size 2" ;D. BTW that weird "is this post appropriate yes/no" button on TA is now apearing on my screen as well. I don't own 14 bras either, I'm beginning to feel deprived  Denise, I saw a lovely photo of you in a very colourful dress, I can't remember the thread now but I thought that was part of your Paris trip luggage? |
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Post by joan1 on Jul 3, 2008 3:15:35 GMT -5
Gitte, it is not healthy to hold your feelings back like that, you must tell us how you really feel ,, ;D.
Suzanne, I will still be your friend even though you need to seek the help of over packers anonymous ;D
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Post by denise on Jul 3, 2008 4:29:17 GMT -5
:)How much luggage allowance do you North Americans and Canadians get?  We are limited to 20kg. I can't BELIEVE you take loo paper. It's so bulky and anyway you CAN buy soft toilet paper in any supermarket and Dove soap. As Gitte says we ARE quite civilised here in Europe. ;DLOL Sunshine....welcome to the forum...I like your style! I am now seriously thinking of throwing everything out and just taking a spare pair of jeans and city shorts, eight tops and my brown dress. sandals, trainers, and maybe limit it to 10 sets of underwear, which I do own. (I can sleep naked!) Sorry Paris life is too short to be washing smalls. Sometime I take paper knickers or buy cheap multipacks of knickers from Marks and Spencer or Primark for about £3 and just throw them away. Never heard of skorts before. when do you wear those? afds...I think the photo you referred to was the dress I wore to the races at Longchamps in October. We will go again this October and of course I will have to have a new outfit. The search will start when I return from Paris in July!!!!  Denise Love from England  |
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Post by Anne on Jul 3, 2008 4:55:31 GMT -5
Ladies, you will be delighted to hear that not only can you easily find 2-ply TP in France, but now they even sell 3-ply TP  !!! How cool is that ;D ? And yes, you can find Dove soap in supermarkets too . And what are "puffs" ? |
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 3, 2008 7:57:58 GMT -5
I do really well in the clothes department - I'm with Annette in that everything usually goes with everything else (in my case, everything is BLACK).
No, my downfall is my cosmetics/toiletries. No TP (your European TP is just FINE ;D)...but I NEED my shampoo and conditioner and face creams and lotions and potions and don't get me started on my make-up and hair straightener and dryer in the winter!
So even though my husband has those honking size 15 shoes AND he usually packs more clothes than I do, I always end up with more/heavier luggage!
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Post by suzanne on Jul 3, 2008 9:36:01 GMT -5
Ok I'll leave the TP at home. I think I inherited this madness from my mother who never leaves home without a 6 pack of Diet Coke. Believe me she brought it with her to Paris.
Puffs are facial tissues. I never looked for Dove in Paris since I had it with me. LOL.
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Post by joan1 on Jul 3, 2008 9:44:40 GMT -5
Puffs are nice kleenex ( I think) Sistereurope, I know what you mean. I actually do not wear alot of makeup, was quite pleased with the tiny makeup bag I will bring,, but then, the "liquids" emerged..All the things I must pack in suitcase( yes I am checking my bag). Shampoo ( special stuff) Conditioner( ditto) Face Wash Hair Contour Milk( to keep my naturally curly hair from frizzing) Foot Cream( I get such dry feet they crack, so I take immaculate care of them. Body cream Hand cream( yes I NEED the different ones, no one jar of something will not work for everything!) Sunscreen for Face Sunscreen for body Toothpaste It looks rather horrid when you write it all down, or in my case pile it up by the suitcase |
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Post by willow on Jul 3, 2008 9:51:23 GMT -5
Ok, I usually only bring the little mini packs of tissues, never TP!
Last time I had a little box filled with mini packets of woolite, downy, shout wipes, and a wrinkle remover spray. That was my laundry box.
I also had my first aid kit: bandaids, moleskin, allergy pills, sudafed, advil, eyedrops, tylenol pm for the flight.
Than there is snack box the mini packets of crystal light, a few granola bars, lots of chewing gum, and a some of those 100 calories snack packs.
It just seems to get worse everytime I think about it...but at least it's organized and compartmentalized!!
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Post by GitteK on Jul 3, 2008 10:13:20 GMT -5
babywillow........ why oh why would anyone as smart as you find it necessary to bring granola bars  and "100 calorie snack packs" to the World Capital of Delicacies ?? tsk tsk tsk And as to the sweating-saying, it's: Only racehorses sweat. Gentlemen transpire and ladies feel warm..... |
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Post by willow on Jul 3, 2008 10:21:07 GMT -5
Gitte, I unfortunately bring them everywhere! It's a quick and easy snack when on the go whether it be walking around, on the train, standing in line or elsewhere.
Though I will admitt I didn't eat as much of that as I thought I would. I ended up eating more nutella-banana crepes or ham and cheese crepes than anything from my snackbox!
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Post by GitteK on Jul 3, 2008 10:30:37 GMT -5
Good girl !! Nutella-banana crêpes are very nutritious: they have eggs in it for proteine, chocolate for all the antioxidants and bananas for ........ whatever ! And you can look your worried momma straight into the eye and tell her that it contains no alcohol !
ps.
have you broken the news to the old folks yet ??
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Post by sunshine817 on Jul 3, 2008 10:41:20 GMT -5
We carry granola bars and trail mix for the flight or for long car trips (we drive to the Dordogne most years) -- and kids frequently like to have something familiar to munch on, even when they are as much Nutella junkies as mine is!
TP -- for US posters, Charmin sells a teeny little roll in a plastic case made to tuck into a daypack -- we keep them around, because the one issue we see is the shortage of loo paper in turques and public loos! Target and Walmart have them for 99 cents...and they were a lifesaver when I forgot to buy paper for our gite one year!
One of the few truly sensible things I heard Rick Steves say years ago was about what to pack -- that when visiting Europe -- a developed area -- you can buy nearly anything...and if 60 million people don't need it, perhaps you need to re-evaluate why you DO.
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Post by sunshine817 on Jul 3, 2008 10:45:53 GMT -5
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Post by ray on Jul 3, 2008 10:50:48 GMT -5
OK Ladies, I was reading this thread with great amusement. Right up to the point our Dear Gitte decreed America's top contribution to civilization is Heinz Ketchup? Willow has the right idea. Buy the space saver bags and take twice as much. |
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Post by GitteK on Jul 3, 2008 12:53:23 GMT -5
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Post by Penny on Jul 3, 2008 13:19:18 GMT -5
I've had two trips when I had to take a huge suitcase and wardrobe.
Business trip for 21 days. Of course I would not have taken as much as I did if my boss had told me the company paid for dry-cleaning and laundry.
2 days in Charleston then a 7 day cruise, then two more days in Charleston. Coming back my suitcase was one pound less than allowance. and I was carrying my liquor on board.
;DI do have enough bras for a month but I definitely would not take all.
I do the mix and match, black and blue pants, interchangeable tops. This last trip I coordinated with my patchwork coat.
I also take a hanger with four clips if I do need to wash undies.
but paring down to what you actually take is a bigger chore than deciding which sights to see and where to eat.
After a trip where I got caught in a torrential downpour and had to pack wet jeans I will never take them again on a overseas trip.
This was also the trip where I had to totally repack the night before. Temperature and humidity had gone up 20F degrees and the humidity was unbelievable. out went the turtlenecks and in went light tops.
Gitte- I always have a granola bar with me. I snacked on one waiting in customs line at Heathrow.
Somebody send me that 3-ply!!
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Post by GitteK on Jul 3, 2008 13:57:15 GMT -5
Question:
is "granola" anything like that other substance: "quinoa" ?
And what is wrong with chocolate bars ?
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Post by Anne on Jul 3, 2008 14:12:33 GMT -5
Gitte, granola = muesli, nothing to do with quinoa .
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 3, 2008 15:04:04 GMT -5
Willow, Penny and Sunshine - on our last trip we discovered that the European version of Special K bars (90 cals., if you care) are quite tasty and a good way to fill a void (in our case, while driving from point to point). I particularly liked the "Fruits Rouges" variety, which was not super sweet (as US versions of such things often are) and actually did taste like it had fruit in it (imagine that!). You might want to give it a look (we found them in all large grocery stores), rather than packing boxes of similar items from the US.
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Post by annettecinca on Jul 3, 2008 15:24:13 GMT -5
LOL Gitte, Elvis is the best you could come up with (no offense to Elvis). What about TV's, telephones, air conditioning, light bulbs and safety pins?!! And um...maybe cars?! |
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! Scottex ( I think it's Scottex) does a *very* nice 2 ply TP which is called Scottonelle in Italy. I'm sure it's available in Paris. I can't bear to think of luggage space being wasted on TP! And Dove soap too, again we get it here, so Paris will have it. I do agree that bringing stuff with you so that you don't have to rush out and buy it as soon as you arrive makes sense, but perhaps you could take just 1 roll of TP 
for immediate need.
!!! How cool is that ;D ?
and "100 calorie snack packs" 
......... must be something....... 
............ 
hahahha