We are off again. This time for a Silversea Cruise into the Canadian High Arctic!
I inherited what we call the packing gene from my dad. He was a master, which means he utilized the space available, whether it was a suitcase or the hatch of the car, very efficiently. In the '80's we took a trip to Florida, 5 people, all our stuff and 2 sets of golf clubs - in a Chevy Chitation! I can fit lots of stuff in my bag, my problem is deciding what stuff. How do I know today, when it's 85 degrees and sunny, what fleece I will want to wear next week in the frozen north.
Two additional factors add to my packing dilemma. One, we're going to the Arctic, and two it's a cruise.
Information from the cruise line said we should be "smart casual" and plan for two dressy dinners. So already, there's two outfits that I will only wear once. We need fleece and clothes for hiking and kayaking during the day, but smart casual sweaters for the evenings. A suit for Andy for the dressy dinners, but they said a tie was optional. As we were weighing our bags we thought, "oh, gee, good thing Andy doesn't need to pack a tie". I'll post some pictures of our snazzy dinner outfits.
The cruise line also recommended knee high warm rubber boots for getting on and off the zodiacs that will take us ashore. I rolled up one of my dresses and stuffed it in the leg of a boot! Hats, bug nets, waterproof pants, gloves, binoculars....how exciting and bulky. After a couple attempts, and opting for a slightly larger bag, it all fit. (We are limited by the charter flight provided by the cruise line to a 50 lb checked bag, a 12 lb carryon and a personal item). Silverseas gives us a parka, so we don't have to worry about packing a bulky coat.
We drove to Montreal today and spent the evening wondering around the downtown. The old town area and waterfront was busy with lots of restaurants and shops.
Tomorrow we head north.
Komentarze