Seeing as it's Summer holiday season, and as you read this I will be somewhere hot by a swimming pool, I thought I'd share with you the essential items I pack in my suitcase.
1. Teabags- Although I adore travelling and am an
intrepid and inquisitive tourist, you cannot beat proper British tea. The
impersonators sold in every other country never come close to a decent cup of
Twinings, so I always pack a box in my suitcase and carry a few in my handbag
for emergencies! Especially in America. American tea is the absolute worst.
2. Double the underwear- I’ll grant you this is a
weird quirk, but the thought of running out of clean knickers terrifies me. And
I always buy new for a holiday- just in case the baggage rips open and my
undies are displayed to the world.
3. Kindle- I’ve never been particularly fond of
watching films on planes. The screens are so small, there is so much engine
noise and the other passengers and crew distract me from the action by wandering
backwards and forwards down the gangway. Yet with a book, all that nonsense evaporates
as I lose myself in the story.
4. A decent pen- I can’t be doing with filling out
landing cards or other documents with those cheap and nasty biros they give
out. I like a fat gel pen. In blue.
5. The TripAdvisor app- Choosing the right
restaurant can be a perilous business at the best of times, abroad it can be
catastrophic. I always pick eateries offering the local cuisine, with at least
40 reviews on them. That way I assume that all the reviews are not just from
friends and family. No matter how good they are, any review that tells me tells
me a restaurant offers a great selection of British or American dishes they are avoided like
the plague. I want my food to be an adventure too. If I wanted to eat Shepherd’s
Pie, I’d stay at home.
Why not take one of Virginia's books with you to the beach?
