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Published: July 12th 2015
Few of our family or friends thought that we were really serious about attempting to travel Europe for nearly two months with only knapsacks. Well, they weren't alone. I first really worked hard to convince Jeanette that it was workable. She then decided on a trial run of the idea during an unplanned trip to Florida the month before leaving for Europe and readily agreed after that! I have to give her full marks for being such a trooper. The experiment worked superbly - off the aircraft, through Immigration/Customs and out the door every time. No more waiting at carousels. As far as the train is concerned it was a piece of cake as well - quickly on board and such ease in storing the knapsacks on the overhead shelf while we watched some others sometimes struggle just to get aboard with several large suitcases. One American couple we met on a train voyage had four large ones and really had a hard time getting off, luggage falling over each other and ending up on the platform in a pile as they hurried to disembark with a line of people, including us, waiting impatiently behind them. There was another bonus - we had absolutely no need to take a taxi to and from our hotels or apartments. We just hopped on the shuttle, bus or tram and we were quickly on our way.
Some may be wondering how we made out as far as what we needed to wear etc. etc. was concerned. The truth be told, I reckon that I packed too many shirts, underwear and socks even though we each used two shirts and two underwear a day. With all the walking we did, we had to. One of the secrets was washing regularly. It took just under ten minutes to wash and every item dried quickly. In fact, we once used a washing machine in the Warsaw apartment and it turned out to be far too time consuming for the little we needed to wash at one time, so we continued to wash manually and save precious time. We have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that for us, it is the only way to travel, especially if multiple destinations and modes of transport are involved. One small surprise occurred in Warsaw while we were waiting to board Berlin Airlines to fly to Berlin. I was unexpectedly paged by airline staff who asked to see our passports. When I asked the reason I was told that they wanted to double check because they noticed that we did not have checked baggage. Interesting isn't it, the observations
that are made, but it turned out not to be a problem, appreciating as I do that we are living in such different times and airlines have to be cautious. Of course the process begins with having the most suitable clothing for the venture. All of my clothes and socks were polyester while most of Jeanette's were as well and our underwear was made with special material and though expensive, was most worth it. In Calgary we use the store, Atmosphere, for excellent quality knapsacks and clothing but Costco sometimes also carries good polyester shirts. I carried just one pair of very comfortable Clark brown leather shoes, suitable for any occasion and two dark polyester long trousers - one for everyday use and the other as a backup and for a more dressy look when appropriate, plus a pair of shorts. It was not necessary to use an iron to press out wrinkles because we did not have any of those to worry about.
In my knapsack, every item was strategically packed so I knew where to find any item without having to necessarily empty it. All clothing items were tightly rolled before packing. Jeanette needed extra shoes, as most ladies do, but they too found adequate space. All the electronic chargers, cords, GPS, extra phones etc. were put in a sealable plastic bag from which I extracted the air before fitting it beautifully into one pocket and sundry items, similarly packed, in another. There was no need of a laptop either as my Galaxy Tab A fitted nicely along with the clothes. Jeanette, an avid reader, had all the books she needed stored on her tablet. I can assure all of my readers that this was a most liberating exercise. I can appreciate that it certainly may not suit everyone's specific travel needs but for us, it could not have been more satisfying. Anyway, whenever I passed the scenes depicted in my photographs in an airport or train station somewhere, I really "laughed out loud", visibly satisfied with our decision to travel light. I do once again have to give credit to
Rick Steves for germinating the idea in my mind of travelling light in Europe. I hope that you find the photographs in this blog an amusing demonstration of this. Happy travels! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Folks, as much as I have had so much enjoyment preparing them, this will most likely be my final blog of this trip, unless I find the time to do one more after my return to Calgary. Of course during our three weeks in Belgium we will continue to do interesting things like visiting the Ardennes Forest, Antwerp, Damme and some other interesting places as well as the small country of Luxembourg next door. One very important day will be our visit to Waterloo, just south of Brussels, where Napoleon was finally defeated. We will also continue to enjoy the cuisine (including some more of the famous waffle) (Brussels has the largest proportion of people in the world who eat out) and the other lovely attributes of this country.
On this trip, I have learnt much, seen much more than the photographs I have shared could ever reveal, met new people, enjoyed varied cuisines, thoroughly enjoyed classical and folk music
and most of all, once again absorbed the very essence of this old and varied continent which in countless ways is intrinsically linked to the lands of my birth - the exceptionally special Caribbean islands of the West Indies. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of sharing my experiences here, with you.
I hope that most of my readers have found my writings to be, if not entertaining, at least somewhat informative.
Ciao.
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David Blackman
non-member comment
You obviously made the right decision to Travel "light" with the many destinations you visited! I congratulate both of you for sending such interesting blogs to your friends. I thoroughly enjoyed them - continue to enjoy the rest of your tours! Best wishes. David.