Can I borrow that cute mosaic table while you are gone?

Bon voyage! and break a leg. But not on the cobblestones.

Have a wonderful time!

Surely there will be video of your performance(s)?

eta: Very cute wardrobe, don’t forget your phone charger.

Pack a folding umbrella or buy one there. Its so beautiful there but it does rain.

I am in the same boat right now — leaving Fri for Italy/Switzerland — except my clothes are in messy piles on the guest room bed.

Wishing you (and Sueb) a wonderful trip! I am packing for a long weekend in NYC to viist my daughter and I still go through all the packing/editing rituals. One thing that has made my process so much easier is using one of those folding rolling racks to hang stuff on - huge improvement over my previous method of scattering everything all over the bedroom. In my next life, I will have a room sized closet :)

@Kswl what is the style name for those Adidas? And, do theyhave a removal insole? The J. Crew shoes that I have that are similar are going to need replacing by the end of the summer!

@rubyclaire tell me more about the folding rolling rack, please.

@bbstx

Mine came from Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $50-60. Similar to this:

Folding Rolling Rack

Are you considering a waterproof pair of footwear? I've done that on both trips I've done in the last twelve months (Portugal and Italy), and think it is one of my important decisions. I've even come to rely on them when I'm home and wear them to walk the dog after a rainstorm and when I'm using the hose for anything. Vessi makes one that looks just like a regular sneaker, though they didn't work for me because I have very narrow feet.

what is the style name for those Adidas?

The Adidas are the 'sambas'. I have them too and love them. Sorry, I don't know if the insole is removable. I never tried to remove it.

Long underwear! Wool socks (esp lightweight ones that you can wear with dress shoes). Gloves! Hat! Scarves!

We've been watching "Monarch of the Glen" on TV and enjoying it. G-rated family comedy in spectacular Highlands scenery!

Remember to pack some rain gears.

We aren’t leaving until June 4th, but I am assembling this stuff now rather than putting it away for the summer and having to get it all back out. I haven’t begun to think about the non-clothing aspects but I always have a tech bag and have in this lineup already a rain coat and hat. I would not take long underwear unless we were going un the dead of winter. OTOH, if there is a freak cold snap I may dig out my wintersilks!

My mother, an avid golfer to her mid-80s, played a round of golf at St. Andrews one June. She wore silk long underwear, wool slacks, a turtleneck, and a sweater. Maybe a vest too. She said she has never been so cold in her entire life. The wind off the North Sea is brutal, apparently.

Your mother sounds very chic, bb!

Happy packing and travels to you and Sueb too!

I know those North Sea winds ☹️ However, like everywhere else the average temps have climbed in that part of the world. Historical averages say 45 to 50 lows and 65 tp 70 highs during the first two weeks of June. So basically our late spring weather of a month and earlier ago. When we are ten days away from departure I’ll get the actual forecast that might change my packing. I think / hope I’ll be all right with a knit turtleneck sweater, the vest and a raincoat to cut the wind.

We're going next year--late August/September to catch the bag pipe festival. Haven't even thought of temps. Too busy planning what we want to see. Packing for cooler weather is just soo bulky. ugg. DH has an aversion to checking bags....

Have a wonderful trip!

@kswl- Love seeing what you are bringing on your trip. You have a good mix. I would include a heavier thigh length jacket too, but being a CA native I may get cold more easily. A bit behind you with a trip to Netherlands/UK, including a few days in Scotland. I am interested in hearing about your trip and any additional wardrobe recommendations you have when you return.

@Bestyears - Thank you for mentioning water proof shoes, I have been going back and forth on this. Your comment has helped me decide to move forward buying a pair waterproof sneakers or boots.

Have a great trip, kswl. And Sueb too! I’ve been ’practice packing’ for my trip to Italy which is coming up soon. DD and I are going together. We’ve been critiquing each other’s capsule wardrobes so I think we’re in good shape.

We have a wedding in Sicily first so have to pack for that in addition to the remainder of the trip we will spend in Florence in Rome. So will do carry-on plus a small checked bag between us that will be mostly empty for bringing back stuff. Plus I always take a small folding Tumi bag I can check if needed.

The color combo you've chosen is very nice. But for me, I would tire of the same palette for the whole vacation and add a colored top or two so I could wear, say, some blue with the black pants or a red top with the chinos...that kind of thing, just to mix it up.

It is so hard to pack "efficiently" for a wide range of temps (over the course of 11 days). For our trip, the temps will mostly be from about 55 to 70, but we have one day when we are taking a day trip to Chamonix and Mt Blanc, so we need a winter coat for that day. I think I am packing 3 coats/jackets (one winter, 2 spring) plus a couple of blazer type jackets. Then shoes...ahhh, I am trying to not bring too many but right now I have two pairs of sneakers, two pairs of flats, and I think I will have to also throw in my trusty blundstone boots.

My pants are all either black or denim, but my tops are colorful! I also have about 4 scarves in my suitcase to add some pattern and color.

I use a rolling rack also ... in fact, mine is very similar to the one Rubyclaire shared above. I have started to assemble the list of "maybes" for my trip later this month. I am eagerly watching the weather, as this time of year a 10 deg shift up or down will change the whole plan. In the last 4 days I have used both the heat AND the a/c!

Love your choices, kswl! They are all so you!

Hope you and Sueb both have great trips!

I love using scarves to travel as they are so versatile and an easy way to switch up a look without taking up much room in the suitcase. I will often use the scarf to draw the colors together for the other pieces in the wardrobe. But like kswl, I usually pick 3 main colors that all work together for the core of the wardrobe with a scarf or two and then add accents from there. Larger scarves can also be a great solution for hot-weather cathedral visits where you need to cover your shoulders inside. And if it's too hot, you can tie them on your purse so they are out of the way completely. Great for too much a/c too.

Since I’ve started the rolling rack assembly for my weekend trip, I’ll share how it’s going. Editing is in order…

Funky - I feel like the rack has been so helpful with the whole packing situation, don't you?

Annie - thanks for the scarf reminder. The weather is looking cool and a bit rainy this weekend for me.

@bbstx I have my adidas ”Sambas” on right now. They DO have a removable insole. I find them to be very comfy on my size 10 feet !

The rolling rack has been great to assemble outfits for travel on.

@kswl I like what you have put together for your Scotland trip . I too limit my color choices in clothing which makes it easy for me to plan outfits (mix & match )

I would love a collapsible rack for packing! Our upstairs spare room closets are full of art supplies and baby stuff, no place for a rack however useful ☹️

I would LOVE to have your closet(s) 😊

Thanks, Irish2. Good to know so I can use my orthotics.

Best, you are so cute!

LOL Bunny -I’ve come to terms with my poor aging face and body. It gets me where I’m going every day and these days that’s enough!

Best, what a great photo and I concur with Bunny’s assessment 100%! The scarf is lovely too 😎

This just came across my IG feed. If you have time while in Edinburgh, it might be something to check out. Make a leather and tartan purse. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5WRUGhCAd5/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

OMG Bbstx, I would LOVE to do that. I hesitate to admit that I already have two Harris tweed and leather bags made by a local craftsperson BUT they are both brown shoulder bag styles. I could totally use a black leather and tweed bag with a cute top handle.

We’ve gotten the final itinerary and have only two blocks of free time in the days we will actually be in country. DH is having major anxiety about the pace of the trip :(

I ended up buying this small crossbody bag after getting the dimensions, it was one of your top three faves when I posted a collage of all possibilities.

This is going to be a stripe fest of a trip in case you had not already seen the evidence. I like a wider strap on cross body bags (and they look more updated) so I ordered these

on the Amazing site to try with this bag. Currently looking for woven straps that use satin brass hardware… if you’ve come across any please let me know!

Love both those straps! And this has been a stripey spring for me too -- though I will be returning the striped spanx boatneck top. It "fits" but it is snug in the upper arms and the stripes accentuate that. :( I do love it so will continue to watch for a 1x or 2x. The 2x is a little big but I can carry it off.

I have a rack started for my NYC trip but it is a bit crazy-- as I am still selecting clothes for anywhere between 50 deg and high 80s. Hopefully I can start narrowing it down when the 10 day forecast is released later this week.

Kswl, remind your DH that he can always take a couple of hours to rest. If he becomes tired, he can stay at the hotel and plan to meet up with the group at lunch or leave the group at lunch and do his own thing until dinner. I’m using meal times as ”marks” because a tour group will generally know what time they are going to be at the restaurant so it will be easy for him to Uber/taxi from the hotel to the restaurant to meet up.

I traveled with a husband who was not always up for the pace the tour group set. Nor could he walk from where the tour bus let us off to the destination. When we were with Tauck, the tour director would find a cab and send him ahead and the rest of us would walk.

Do you have a good set of hiking sticks for him to use? So much cooler than a cane, but just as helpful. If you are interested, I’ll find the ones DBIL bought last year (he’s a fit 60 y/o but thought the sticks would be good to have with some of the hikes). They are from AMZ and fold. DH’s were from REI and telescoped down but didn’t fold. Folding is better.

Bless his heart. I’m sorry that he is feeling apprehensive.

Thank you Bbstx, I too am sorry he’s nervous, but unfortunately he should be. We are moving hotels almost daily. We’re checking out each day at 8 am and going on to a church either to give a recital or sing at a service, or rehearse or a attend a choral music workshop. The bus takes us and our luggage to these destinations and we check in to the new hotel sometimes before and sometimes after our business. I warned him that it was not going to be a sightseeing kind of trip but he really wanted to go with me. He may have to hire a car and just drive himself to the next hotel and try to arrange an early check in. I will not be able to run interference for him bc I will be busy! He is considering not going, which is unfortunate as I did not purchase trip insurance since we made the decision to go so late in the process. He needs to do what feels most comfortable for him and I’ve told him that anything he decides is completely ok.

Quick (and I do mean quick) google search says you can buy trip insurance any time up until departure. I did not dig deeper. I’m sure there are conditions that would not be covered. I have used this insurance agency to purchase trip insurance several times. I’ve been very happy with their service. https://www.aardy.com I generally call and talk to an agent. When I took the grands on a cruise right after DGD 1 was hospitalized, the agent told me what I had to do to make sure the insurance was valid if she had a relapse.

I do know that Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) generally has to be bought within a short time after the first money for the trip is paid - something like 2 weeks, but it may vary from company to company.

I never bought trip insurance until my mother turned 90. Then I felt like I probably ought to in case I needed to cancel a trip. Now I buy it on most all of my trips unless the price is negligible.

@Kswl DH has to use sticks now. I suggest quick release collapsible ones. The first set he got was difficult to maneuver once we reached our destination. Unfortunately, he’s unable to travel now. At first I tried to encourage him with how we could make it easier on him and then realized it is entirely his decision to make.

I found this strap that I can order with antique brass hardware instead of bright:

Super!

I’m packing for a long weekend and it is driving me nuts. I told my friend that I will need to change clothes every 2 hours to justify all I’m bringing. Trying to edit now.

Lollol, Bbstx, I almost feel that way about the amount of clothing I have in my closet!

Our final itinerary also mentions that on two occasions we WILL be wearing concert attire instead of robes, so we have to take the robes PLUS two all black outfits (must always have a backup) so there’s my carryon full with that stuff plus toiletries.

I added another substantial knit top to the lineup

It looks cute with the skirt and all the pants except the patterned ones and they may be cut anyway in favor of other pants from the “black slacks aisle” of my closet. I thought about what a few have said about adding a color and other than white I am just not feeling it. I could take a burberry scarf that sports some red, but other than that I think I will stick to this very narrow palette. Thank goodness I can wear black; it doesn’t wash me out the way it does some people.