Shen Dove

personal style, musings and inspiration

What to Pack in a Carry-on for Long-Haul Flight

Planning vacations brings me great joy…from picking a destination, to narrowing down must-see sights, to packing my bags. I love the whole process! I’m sure I’m not the only one who gets enjoyment from planning vacations. In fact, it’s been proven that planning vacations makes people happier than actually taking the vacation. I’m planning for a trip in March that I’ll talk about in a separate post, but as I check off things on my list that I’ll need for my trip, I thought it would be a good time to recap items I recommend packing in your carry-on for long-haul flights.

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Travelogue – Madrid

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So what do you do when your summer vacation is behind you and your next big vacation is months away?  You look through your travel pics! Here are a few of my iPhone photos from my early July trip to Spain.  My first stop was Madrid.  In an effort to pack light I didn’t bring my regular camera.  It would have been great to have, but I made the right decision not to lug it around.

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See/Do

Prado Museum

Royal Palace

Plaza Mayor

Retiro Park

Gran Via

Eat (caveat – I didn’t do any resto research prior to my trip, so this list definitely isn’t comprehensive)

Mercado San Miguel

San Gines (for Churros)

El Brillante Cafe (for calamari sandwiches)

El Sur (for decent service and sangria)

La Latina neighborhood (for tapas)

Tips for Getting Around

There’s so much more to see/do when you only visit a city for a couple of days, but here is what I learned on my trip to Madrid:

  1. Doing a walking tour is a great way to see the city and learn about its history.  A walking tour is also a good way to survey tourist attractions you want to loop back to and ask your tour guide/fellow tour participants about good restaurant recommendations.
  2. The metro is pretty easy to navigate in Madrid if you’re a regular subway rider.  Just get a metro map and city map and you’ll be good to go.
  3. Traveling to Madrid in early July is super-hot…but I actually enjoyed it!  It wasn’t as humid as it tends to be in DC while I was there.  If the heat isn’t a big deal to you, just remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen if you travel during the summer months.
  4. You won’t see everything, but two days is ample time to get a flavor of Madrid when there’s so much to see in a country like Spain. Hop on the Renfe or take a quick flight to go to your other destinations in Spain.

Things to do in Philly: Wine Classes at Pinot Boutique

Wine Classes | Pinot

Most of the time, despite sometimes getting mistaken for a high school or college student, I usually feel like an adult who knows useful things. But if there’s one subject that makes me feel like I’ve still got a lot to learn, it’s my lack of knowledge on anything to do with wines.  If you are in the Philly area and feel the same way, stop by Pinot Boutique in Old City and take one of their upcoming classes to learn more about wines.

Pinot Boutique is a two-time Best of Philly winner for best wine accessories that also sells wine.   Pinot Boutique carefully selects their wines from local wineries to support Philadelphia area businesses.  Here are some of Pinot’s upcoming classes: First Sip Friday: Varietals: Big, Bold Reds, Develop Your Wine IQ, Philly Food and Wine Pairings.  Check out Pinot Boutique’s website for more info on their upcoming events.