Travel Tip: Liberating Yourself From Excess Baggage by Packing Light

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When I think of being a slave to excess baggage, I think of Ebenezer's late business partner Jacob Marley in the Christmas Carol. Jacob Marley wore lots of chains that weighed him down. Each and every individual heavy link that made up his chains represented a sin he had done. I see a lot of Jacob Marley's at airports, train stations and on streets.  I see them trudging with the baggage chain they forged garment by garment, accessory by accessory. Daily living has enough emotional, financial and work baggage. Aren't vacations supposed to be an escape from daily life?  Here's some tips to liberate you from the tyranny of excess baggage.

• Make a packing list. Start planning your packing days or even weeks before your trip. This gives you time to perfect your list.  

• Don't pack for the worst-case scenario. Pack for the best-case scenario and simply buy yourself out of any jams.  (Rick Steves)

• Whether you're traveling for three weeks or three months, pack exactly the same.

• Limit  to 20 pounds unless your renting a car or a vacation rental for an extended stay.

•   Pack lightweight, versatile, washable clothing such as Ex-Officio Travel Wear

• Choose lightweight black clothing.  It can easily be dressed up or down anfd is great at hiding the dirt. 

•  However, for the summer or hot climates the clothing is usually light weight. Choose bright colors or   white. You don't want to look like your going to a funeral!

• Use only travel size bottled toiletries. If you are settling into a vacation rental, you can buy bigger bottles at your destination.

• Bring only 2 pairs of shoes (make sure they are comfortable). Pack one pair and wear the other.

• Wear or carry a versatile coat and don't pack any additional ones.

•  Bring jewelry and scarves to mix-up your wardrobe (if you must.)

•   Roll, don't fold. Tightly rolled clothes take up less space than folded ones. You'll also avoid deep wrinkles from fold creases.

• To keep your clothes tightly packed and well organized, zip them up in packing cubes or a Clothes Compressor.

• Use packing cubes or Mesh Pouches for smaller stuff like underwear and socks.

2 Great Belgian Dishes That Feature Belgian Endive

Being born in Belgium and raised by a Belgian family (obviously) I'm very partial to Belgian food and still eat it regularly now. I wouldn't say the stuff is good, but my wife Joanne, who is as big a Yankee doodle dandy as there is has been converted to Belgian cooking.  She cooks Belgian dishes regularly. In fact she more or less abandoned the cooking she learned from her mother (whose staple was great American farm dishes) and mimicked my mother's cooking. 

Chicon Au Gratin

Image Courtesy of Jiel A. Beaumadier and Wiki Commons

Chicon Au Gratin is one of our favorite winter dishes. You can really impress your gourmet dinner guests with it because very few have had it. Usually they've experienced Belgian endive in a salad, but only a few have had cooked. Chicon Au Gratin is made with Belgian endives, each piece is wrapped in a slice of ham, topped with béchamel sauce and blanketed in melted cheese.  This is a great main dish especially in the winter time. In Belgium it is often served with mashed potatoes. We usually serve it with a baguette, but french fries are also a popular and easy option. Here's how you make it with this great Chicon Au Gratin recipe. We use a similar recipe because we are suckers for Gruyere cheese.You can serve it with your favorite white wine or go really Belgian and serve it with Stella Artois beer.

Braise Endive

If you want to experience the flavor of cooked Belgian endive without all the fuss you can braise it and enjoy it with your steak frites as a side dish. First steam the endive until it is moderately soft. Then braise it in butter and there you are. You have the option of cutting off its bottom stem to make the endive milder and less bitter (although for me the more bitter the better!)  Braised endive is a popular side dish in Belgium and France. Do you have any favorite Belgian endive recipes you'd like to share? I'm always looking for a new one to enjoy.

The Belgian Cookbook

Order this authentic historical cookbook and bring history to your dining room table. This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality.  We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. To order the Belgian Cookbook Click Here!

Zeeuwse Mussels: The Rolls Royce of Mussels

I'm a big fan of mussels, but when it comes to mussels I can't get no satisfaction in American restaurants. First of all, most of the time the mussels aren't fresh or else they are just mediocre. But worst of all, the portions are small. Either you get about a dozen as an appetizer or else you get small and unsatisfying portion as a main course. 

One Happy Daughter

 So if you're a mussel lover, you haven't lived until you've had  Zeeuwse mussels. They are from the Dutch coastal region Zeeland and are of the very best quality. Zeeuwse mussels are just a whole different ballgame than any mussels you've ever had. But be careful, once you've had Zeeuwse mussels, you'll never by happy with any other mussels again. It's like the difference between a round steak and a filet mignon.

You can get Zeeuwse mussels in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The best place to order mussels are in mussel houses. Two things to look for:

• The outside menu must specifically state they feature Zeeuwse mussels

•  That the menu offers all you can eat mussel orders. 

 
There are good mussel restaurants that offer all you can eat Zeeuwse mussels and all you can eat french fries for between 20 euros and 30 euros.We were in Zeeland with my cousin Roger from Belgium and we had incredible all you can eat Zeeuwse mussels and fries for 20 Euros. However, Zeeuwse mussels aren't available all year round.  In the old days mussels were in season in each month that had an 'R' in it. Now the season runs from July until April for the 'Zeeuwse' mussels. So don't expect mussels in May or June.

Joanne's Disappointing Meal

A word of caution, mussel restaurants offer other dishes besides mussel for members of your group that aren't into mussels. From our experience these other alternatives are either pedestrian or flat our disappointing. My wife Joanne has had that happen twice. After tasting our mussels, she vowed from now on she'd order mussels too (in fact, she's been converted into a mussels lover!)

Let us know if you've gone to any exceptional mussel houses and where they were.

Save on Air Line Luggage Fees: 6 Tips on Picking Lightweight Luggage

Image Courtesy of Stanley Howe - Wiki Commons

In international travel, your flight is one of your biggest expenses. Not only is the dollar at one of its lowest levels ever but air line ticket prices keep rising because of higher fuel costs and security administration costs. So the last thing  you need is the gotcha of overweight luggage fees. One of the best ways to reduce your luggage weight is to buy lightweight luggage.  I know it sounds pretty obvious but many people don't realize how much the weights of various luggage brands can vary. 

Lightweight Luggage is specially designed to be lighter than standard luggage. Not only does lightweight luggage reduce baggage fees but lightweight luggage is often discounted, so you save even more. Lightweight luggage also reduces the strain and fatigue of carrying your luggage around while traveling. So here's what to look for in lightweight luggage:

• Lightweight luggage made of aluminum or canvas may save you up to 7 pounds per bag but they are very expensive leaving it up to you whether they are worth the price.

•  Beware of leather luggage: only certain kinds such as split-leather can be called lightweight.

• Sleek and compact styles that can be stowed easily in an overhead cabin or under a car seat.

• Lightweight suitcases that meet carry on size and weight requirements. This eliminates checked baggage fees and needing to wait for your luggage to be unloaded.

• The best lightweight luggage to reduce strain and fatigue are suitcases, garment bags, rolling duffel bags and laptop bags made with nylon or vinyl; these are lightweight but durable enough to protect your belongings.

• Some of the lightest luggage brands on the market (that do not sacrifice quality) include Antler Luggage, Eagle Creek Luggage  and International Traveller Luggage.

What's your favorite luggage and why do you like it?