The Ultimate Packing List for a Round-the-World Trip
When we were getting ready to take off on our Big Adventure, one of the things we agonized about the most was how on earth to pack for a yearlong trip. This task was especially daunting to me, as until that point, my bags had almost invariably gotten the “Heavy” tag added to them every […]
Must-Have Travel Accessory: Cocoon Silk Sleeping Bag Liner
If you’re thinking about, or are in the midst of, long-term travel, I’m going to give it to you straight: there will come a time when you will be forced to confront a yucky bed. You don’t even have to stay in flea-infested hostels to be subjected to this inevitability. Pierre and I are solid […]
What Are We Doing in Our Village?
You may be wondering what we’re doing in and around our little village of Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon, or you may be wondering what (in our right minds) we are doing in such a tiny little town for 1 month. Either question is appropriate. As Robin mentioned in her last post, we wanted to chill for a bit and […]
A Rant
Robin: I am so tired of seeing this: Why doesn’t the U.S. have chip cards?! Last time I checked, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express were all American companies. So why don’t they offer chip cards on a regular basis to American customers? Chip cards have been available in Europe for years, yet back home they […]
Essential Kilimanjaro Gear List
I’ve seen a few lists of essential Kili gear on the web, but I thought I’d add a couple of things that I found to be exceptionally useful. If you’d like to read about the trip up the mountain, read Part I and Part II. Once you’re on the mountain, there’s a good chance you’ll […]
Recommended Gear: Eagle Creek Compression Sacs
Nerd alert: I love these plastic compression bags (obviously, since I decided to devote an entire blog post to them). As someone who has always had trouble packing light, I credit these bags with finally enabling me to get my packing down to a science – something that is essential when one is traveling for […]
Essential Travel Item: Capital One Credit Card
You have several options when it comes to paying for stuff abroad: (1) Get travelers’ checks before you leave, and then trade them in for cash upon arrival in the foreign country or use them at one of the few places that will accept them. Pros: if you get mugged or lose the checks, the […]
Buying Swiss Tix
Since Switzerland is the best country in the world (at least according to its residents), they have the best ticket purchasing system for their trains. On this point, I think I have to agree. If you’re planning an extended visit, download the SBB Mobile app for your phone and book your train tickets that way. […]
Essential Accessory for Travel w/ Electronics
Several years ago, Robin’s father gave me a great gift for my birthday (or Christmas; I forget). It was a Tumi electric plug adapter, and I’ve carried the thing with me all over the world. It works in 150 countries, according to the Tumi website, and it’ll easily convert your North American plug into one […]
The Kili of Marin County
The iPhone weather app said “sunny with occasional light rain”. Total bullshit! Some meteorologist was sleeping on the job today, and we got hammered for relying on poor information. And all because of some damned hiking boots… Before we met almost 10 years ago, Robin and I independently managed to purchase the exact same Timberland […]