Should you find yourself at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh (see yesterday's post) don't miss, a few doors down, Greyfriars delightful Alladin's cave of an art materials shop -

Quirky, with friendly knowledgeable staff. A few doors up is G&T, good coffee and deli, across the road is Open Eye Gallery and Eye 2 with classic prints by Matisse, Hockney et al, just round the corner is the opulent Dome with fabulous flower displays....feasts for all the senses.

Almost packed!

Here's my list for sponge bag and make-up bag, and for my suitcase. As we're going by car this time the temptation is to take more of course.... I'll be checking out the Rohan shop in York, which is in one of the loveliest old streets. (Thanks for the tips Sarah, Chris and Lucent)

I have been enjoying the superb photography on this blog for a while. I hope you might enjoy it too.

Have a good weekend.

....the suitcase.

I know it's perfectly posssible to travel in sport or casual clothes, and at a push I could probably manage a long weekend away with just a back pack, but for me part of the fun of going away - especially if it is a city break, is wearing my very favourite things and dressing up just a little, so....

My suitcase is small, with wheels. It is hard and therefore a bit heavy and I'm looking for a lighter weight one. In it for a four day trip I had:
Pyjamas, thin cotton
Underwear
Favourite t shirts, long and short sleeved, self coloured, one for each day.
A pair of dressier shoes
Linen trousers pressed and carefully folded
Jacket likewise - hung up soon after I arrived at my destination
Chargers for camera and phone

I also took, and could have managed without: a hairdryer (borrow or have a hair style that doesn't need one), a towel (supplied most places), a small leather shoulder bag, an umbrella, socks, a cotton blouse and more scarves. None of these were heavy except for the hairdryer and on another trip I might need them....

Crinkle fabrics are tempting - but I go easy on them as I'm starting to look crinkly myself!

Another  tip to save weight - post gifts ahead, preferably so that they arrive while you are there.

So, not the last word on travelling light, but a basis for me to play variations on.

Here are some of my current favourite accessories..

Thank you so much for your comments and tips on travelling light. (Check out www.onyabags.co.uk - thank you Sarah.)

I do seem to have a lot to say on this topic, but my thinking is that if I really refine it and think it through thoroughly I won't have to tax my wee brain every time I travel! So, with that in mind the make-up bag and the sponge bag:

I went along to the Bobbi Brown stand in a department store when I found a voucher for their new range of long lasting make up (see post 18 April 2012). It was fun having my make up done - the first time I'd done that. It really does last all day so a few minutes in the morning and that's it....and my travel make up kit now consists of:
1 foundation/moisturiser/sunscreen all-in-one (I like Origins)
1 eye shadow in a neutral colour
1 brow powder and brush
1 eye liner pencil, sharpener and cotton bud to smudge
1 mascara
1 lipstick (another in backpack - I have one pinkish and one peachy)
tweezers

In the sponge bag are mini bottles of shampoo, make up remover, shower gel and body cream. I saved little empty bottles and decanted my favourites into them. Toothbrush and mini tube of toothpaste. (Boots do a range of travel sizes of lots of things - I'm looking for a mini deodorant without parabens). A facecloth, blister plasters just in case, medicines, cotton buds, nailfile, hairbrush. My favourite perfume is in a heavy glass bottle but I missed having it, so will ask nicely for a tiny bottle of it for Christmas....

Tomorrow the suitcase..

I'm planning on travelling lighter still and here are my notes on what to wear, culled from my recent four day trip (see yesterday's post).

For travel I wear simple clothes in mostly natural fibres. I like these to be nice quality. Good quality ones can be worn for several days and still look great. Cotton trousers, a long sleeved self coloured cotton t shirt, shiny flats which are comfortable. Patent can look dressy or casual (mine are a little worn looking but comfort matters more, and I can have a smarter pair in my case if I think I may be going somewhere dressy).  I spent a long time looking for the  perfect coat. The lightweight one I have is poly-something-or-other, a slightly crinkly showerproof fabric which keeps the wind out, with a hood (avoiding the need for an umbrella). It can roll up small and fit in my bag.

None of these items have any decoration or trim on them - no logos, flowers, stripes, spots, tabs, buckles, belts or even buttons in the case of the coat. All the colours go with one another and suit me (a whole other story but a fun one, for another blog post). On my recent trip I had light grey, bright pink, lime green and a neutral I love - the colour of the froth on a cappuchino.

According to the season and the weather the t shirt can be long or short sleeved, thick or thin. A thin vest top underneath can be a top if it gets really warm or an additional layer if it gets cold and can be rolled up tiny and put in your bag when not needed. The shoes can be sturdier or lighter, or boots can be substituted, a jacket or a sweater can be worn under the roomy coat, tights or socks can add warmth....but basically it is still the same four items.

The fun bit is accessories - scarves and jewellery for me. I like bold necklaces - 'statement' jewellery I suppose you might call it, in bright colours, and big scarves - linen from Hobbs especially. I got a beautiful lime green one for £9 in their sale last year. Four necklaces and four scarves - two linen and two light cotton ones - don't take up much room or weigh much and create in effect a different outfit for every day. Also at the end of the day if you feel a bit crumpled and worn just putting a fresh scarf around your neck or shoulders with a pair of gorgeous earrings and a squish of perfume....can make you feel and look a million dollars again. Well, I exaggerate, but you know what I mean....

Any travel light tips most welcome....

Not Greece, but the British Museum London - wonderful!

My word for 2012 is lighter. (What was your word again?)

When I travel with the car I take lots of stuff without thinking about it too much, but when I'm carrying my own luggage I like to plan carefully and travel fairly light. After a lovely four day trip to London I've decided I want to travel even more lightly. So I tried, when unpacking, putting everything I had taken and not used to one side and made lists of everything else.

These lists will form my new Travel Light list for those occasions when I have to carry my own bags.

I took a long hard look at everything asking Did I really need it? and Can I find a lighter or smaller version?

My lists are Wear, Bag, Suitcase, Spongebag, and Make Up bag.

Tomorrow - my notes on what I like to wear when travelling....

They say printing in bold is the equivalent of shouting, so I'm sorry I shouted yesterday! I still can't figure out how to make this link work....

Let's see if Alistair Sawday's site is playing today....the other special place we stayed at in Suffolk is a B&B called Church House - click to view. Run by Richard and Sally (architect and designer) it is delightful, full of interesting artworks, spotless, delicious home made bread for breakfasts, handy for the pretty town of Woodbridge - we loved them and it. Stay with them if you get the chance!
 
We're thinking of doing B&B and if we could do it as well as this I'd be very pleased....

We have used Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay guides in the past and have almost always found the places to be our idea of special. Some are too expensive for us, but this self catering studio was both special and inexpensive at £50 a night. Very quiet and rural, with interesting eco credentials, it is owned by artist Virginia Neild. See it here.  Sorry to see Sawday's website is not playing - the page is 'lost' - a merry quip about the fun of lostness is not going down well with me!! I shall try to find another way to show you this lovely place - tomorrow!

With flowers and fruit awaiting us, and an invitation to pick vegetables from the garden (we had beans, tomatoes, lettuce and carrots - delicious!) we felt very welcomed. Quiet villages, ancient churches and attractive pubs abound and a day in Cambridge was an easy drive (recommend using Park and Ride).

www.sawdays.co.uk

Apologies to Sawdays from me - it was my mistake with the web address!!
 
How do find good places to stay for holidays?

We were so lucky that the weather for our eight days in Suffolk was beautiful. I intended taking lots of photographs of the colours of Suffolk (see new banner photograph), the medieval churches, Sutton Hoo, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the reedbeds, estuary, boardwalks and shops at Snape Maltings, the butterflies and wild flowers so different from home, the beach at Aldbrough and Maggie Hambling's Scallop sculpture, the purple of Dunwich Heath....but I hardly used the camera, left the laptop at home, didn't listen to the news and got sleepier as the week went on and the weather got hotter. We're not used to it! (But there are pics and info if you click on the pale words - it's just that they're not mine....)


Tomorrow - lovely places to stay..