Today I ventured up to Edmonds to the Europe Through the Back Door Travel Store. (The fact that EBTD seem to be steadily rebranding themselves to be Rick Steves' Whatever is kind of too bad, but it's going to save me a lot of certain people's snickering whenever I talk about them.) I bought my German Railpass there last month and scored a coupon for 20% off merchandise, so after some deliberation and comparison-shopping I came away with: * Germany & Austria 2005 guidebook * Prague & Czech Republic 2005 guidebook * Clean Kit: 2 microfiber washcloths and 2 oz. of Travel Wash in a handy carrying case * Continental Europe plug adapter * The infamous moneybelt * Yet another free planning map I spent some time last year being a hard-core Rick junkie. I even ... read more

Yes, only 20 short days until I embark on a major tour of northern Europe: Germany, Czechia, Austria, and perhaps a bit of France and Denmark. Excruciating technical details of the sights I might see can be found at Deutsche Reiseplan. Yes, I'm trying to list the information in its native language... it's good practice. The less-obsessive reader might prefer to wait and get details in English right here as the travel unfolds. Handy items I've acquired or borrowed in preparation for the trip: * Plane ticket * German rail pass * iPod mini (green) * Sony earbuds * Timbuk2 iPod case * Canon PowerShot A95 digital camera * 1G flash memory card * super convertible rollaway backpack with detachable daypack (thanks Elise!) * anti-embolism socks (you never know) * REI micro-fleece jacket (green) * Czech ... read more