As fairly seasoned travelers I figured the list of what we do before we go out of the country may be useful to others. I welcome any comments from others who may want to add to the list.

Here’s local stuff we do for the homestead. By now our family and friends are probably sick of hearing about our plans so there is no need to let them know we’re leaving. They’re probably glad to see us go.

– Stop the mail.
– Stop the newspaper.
– Leave a key with a trusted neighbor.
– Notify police of the dates we’ll be gone.
– Notify the alarm company.
– Put household plants in the backyard where they will be watered by the sprinklers.
– Take out the trash. (If you’ve ever forgotten this you’ll understand why)
– Clean the house so it will be less inviting to bugs.
– Turning off the heater is a safe thing to do in Phoenix, so we do it. If you live where it freezes you know this is a bad idea.
– Eat, donate or give to our neighbors anything that will spoil in the refrigerator.

Here’s stuff we do before going out the door that could be important on our trip.

– Get credit cards activated for our destination.
– Get local currency.
– Store electronic copies of our passports in the cloud.
– Make a paper copy of our passports to take with us.
– Keep a printout of our itinerary in a folder that goes in carry-on.
– Make sure my emergency info is up-to-date.
– Check the cameras. (See “Those Darn Spots”)
– Download some of those cool apps that are pertinent for our trip to our iPhones. There is no need for a sim card because everyone is following us on our blog and you don’t need one to connect to the web.

This part is for men only but I know you ladies won’t skip over this. Admit it ladies, that’s just the way you are. Years ago I gave up my wallet. Instead I use one of those credit card holders and in it I have two credit cards, my license and emergency info. That’s it. I leave my debit card at home. You certainly don’t need any of those club membership cards. Then it goes in the front pants pocket. If I know I’m going to a pickpocket area (do your research ahead of time) I put a credit card in one sock and my license in the other. Okay ladies, you can start reading again. See, I caught you.

What we pack is a different subject and one that’s requiring a bit more planning than usual due to weather changes we will experience as we go north. Cheers, Wooly

Preparations for our extended trip to Spain and France have been fairly extensive. It all started when Raeski and I were at a wine club event where a Rhone River cruise was being promoted and the sponsors were two of Arizona’s winemakers. (There actually is drinkable wine produced in Arizona!) A seven day cruise is nice but hey, we’re going to France and there is much more to see.

Thoughts of what else to do cascaded through our minds and new ideas kept surfacing. Paris was a must see. Plus I have a friend who was planning to move to Italy. Thanksgiving in the Piedmont was enticing. Alas, the friend hasn’t moved yet. Going to Paris, to Arles for the cruise and back to Paris wasn’t the perfect plan.

Spain became our leading candidate. Would it be Madrid, Barcelona or both? A night in Cala Monjoi became unnecessary when El Bulli closed its doors. The draw of the Mediterranean was strong and Barcelona became the destination. As our trip kept getting longer the words, “A three hour tour” kept running through my head. Madrid will have to wait.

Reservations have been made and the trip is set. Planning what to see has been fun. Follow us and you will learn what we chose as we see them. Now we have to do the mundane stuff like canceling mail delivery. One of our challenges will be packing for the temperature variations. Barcelona will be wonderfully temperate. We expect Paris in late November to be chilly and hopefully not cold. So the warm stuff goes in the bottom of the suitcases.

Well, our trip starts this Friday and I still have to figure out what’s going to fit in my suitcase. Cheers, Wooly.

Have you ever had someone incessantly (nagging) on your case about an idea, concept or something they think you should do? You know, the old, “You should really blog about your adventures.” Well, that’s not really the case because it was me doing the nagging.

I somewhat liken blogging to writing letters to the editor. Nobody really cares all that much about what you think, their minds are already made up and you’re an idiot for having and different point of view! So now we embark on what I hope will be an interesting window into our world and hopefully I won’t make an idiot of myself too often.

So sit back, grab a glass of wine or whatever… and hitch a ride with us. Wooly