Trip Specific Purchases

There have not been many. I already had a moneybelt and luggage. I've bought a couple of extra books although I plan to take only one with me, the most recently published. I also bought a new Streetwise Rome map - I love the laminated Streetwise maps - the one I have for Manhattan was terrific.

However, Saturday, Mar took me over to REI and I picked up one of the Pacsafe bags. I don't plan to carry money in it (see moneybelt) but I do want something to carry my wee Nikon and spare batteries, that aforementioned map, my little notebook full of addresses and notes and museum opening hours and so forth and the mobile phone I'm getting to use in Italy. I haven't been able to get any sort of clear answer from the T-Mobile folks about "roaming" charges in Europe and the more I think about it the more I like the idea getting a phone from Mobal that doesn't require prepaid minutes or reloading, but just charges a set amount per minute/text and debits one's account.

I'm normally a little notorious for large bags with enough junk in them to set off on a trek through the Andes, so I got the little Metrosafe 100 - it is all of 9" by 6" by a max of 3 inches deep and the map will just barely slide in. But it should curtail my impulse to carry 34 pounds of impedimentia with me. And a girl does need - even if she's old and lacking in vanity - something to carry lipstick and some tissues in - and it converts from a shoulder bag to one that can be worn at the waist, although I don't like that look and I think I'll just stick to the cross body strap.

I have bought clothing, but almost all of it is things I would likely have purchased anyway to fill out my work clothes. I did buy a plain skirt in wool and one dressy top so that if I go out to a nice restaurant in the evening I can dress up a bit. However, after reading and talking to some folks, I've kind of concluded that what I mostly want is lunch every day and then something small in the evening, what's particularly been recommended in stopping in at an enoteca for a glass or two of wine. Most of these enoteca have a variety of wines by the glass and offer a short menu of small plates and salume and cheeses for very reasonable amounts and that strikes me as a really nice immersion activity in the evenings.

It's almost time to make a countdown list of final tasks ...