Travel with Janice Archives

Report From England, March 2026

March 25, 2026

The jet leg always gets you on the second day...

England was a delightful spring-like wonderland compared to the cold that greeted us when we got back to Chicago!

There were flowers everywhere:

We weren't in London for all that long; we bracketed our rural driving adventures with time in London, but not nearly ENOUGH time. I think London is like Paris (or New York, or Chicago...) in that you can spend a lifetime getting to know the city, and you'll still fall short!

Everything I'm sharing today is kind of random stream of sleepiness, as opposed to stream of consciousness; I'm not completely awake, so my stream of consciousness might just drop off...zzz...

First up, I did very little shopping, and bought ... View the Post

The Simplest Packing I Can Devise! England March 2026

March 16, 2026

Cross your fingers that I'm in London while you're reading this! We're flying into London, hanging around for a couple of days, then driving around Suffolk for a few days, then returning to London for a last night, and coming home. It's going to be pretty whirlwind - four hotels in 8 days. So I'm not going to be seeing people over and over again, not that this really matters!

One of the towns we're visiting:

Changing subjects: what was your closest friend wearing the last time you saw them? Do you remember? What will you think if they're wearing the same thing the next time you see them?

See? Repeating outfits isn't going to make you a pariah. If you know people for whom this is a "thing," don't cater to their ... View the Post

I’ve Figured Out French Style! My Report from Paris…

December 29, 2025

Finally. I understand why women in Paris have distinctive personal style. It's a question of having an abundance of options.

Let me clarify. In the United States, if you go to any major shopping area, you know that you're going to see at LEAST 80% retailers with whom you are already familiar. The clothing in all these stores looks very much the same, until you get up into the really expensive brands. And if you're shopping for "fashion" jewelry - what we used to call costume jewelry? You see the same half-dozen brands over and over...

So when we shop, there's a certain element of "this will do fine" in our choices. We know that we aren't going to wait for a month and a half until we find that perfect brooch with a ... View the Post

Jet Lag + Insomnia = Mental Chaos! I’m Home from Paris…

December 22, 2025

Happy Winter Solstice, to all who celebrate! I know, I'm a day late, but winter will hang around to remind us...

Paris was wonderful. I did NONE of the "normal" tourist things, but as I think this is about my 50th (seriously!) trip to Paris, I felt comfortable eschewing the more expected activities in favor of just hanging out in my neighborhood and pretending that I live there. Delusions of a late middle-aged American woman, but I don't apologize for a second of skipping long lines in favor of walking slowing, smiling a lot, sitting in cafes and watching the beautiful world go by...

I'm just going to dump a bunch of things from my brain onto the keyboard for you; I will try to be coherent! I promise ... View the Post

Three Words, Personal Style, and Packing for Paris

December 10, 2025

If all goes as planned (which hasn't been the case recently!), by the time you read this I will be heading to the airport with Belovedest for a trip to Paris. Belovedest is only going for a long weekend; I will be there for a week (yes, he's tough, and we're flying in First Class, so he should get some sleep on the plane).

I'm trying really hard to pack a tiny amount of stuff. When you vacation in the middle of winter, most of the world ONLY sees your winter coat, and even then, they don't pay attention, and they don't care!

Maybe the hardest thing to remember when traveling (or at any other time!) is that you are ONLY the center of attention in your own mind. So long as you are clean, don't smell horrible, don't ... View the Post

In the Interest of Full Disclosure…

September 23, 2025

I'm still in Chicago...

Last Thursday evening, when we were heading to the airport to go to London, I fell while getting off of the Metra train. In my defense, the last step of the trains can be a half-meter from the step to the ground.

I rolled my right foot, and managed to severely sprain my ankle. I still can't put much weight on it, and I walk like a little old lady, complete with cane.

So we will try to reschedule. My vacations are jinxed! But if this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, I will consider myself amazingly lucky!

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Start With Purple Scarves? I’m Packing to go to London!

September 19, 2025

By the time most of you read this, I should (fingers crossed) be in London. Fingers crossed TWICE that Belovedest makes it with me, and that no family emergencies interfere!

I'm packing simple things. Not a lot of them. But I'm going to take THREE purple scarves with me. You understand of course that my scarves are not these exact ones, because mine are years old. But these give you the right idea:

My travel outfit is simple and classic - I of course won't be CARRYING that jar of hair coloring with me! But I felt like it was important to convey somehow that this outfit isn't quite as monochromatic as it seems, when you include the purple scarf that is a close match for my hair color. The jar looks very ... View the Post

Dublin: What I REALLY Packed, Emergency Shopping, and Chic Sightings

July 23, 2025

Will someone clarify for me WHERE July has gone?

When I was in Dublin, there were a couple of days when the temperatures were up around 80 degree Fahrenheit, which is quite warm by Dublin standards. I learned to my chagrin that it's also quite warm by MY standards!

First lesson - when a country's weather service issues weather warnings of any sort, heed them. They probably haven't had their budgets cut the pieces so their work is still thorough and accurate, and they certainly know something about local weather that you don't...

The resident of Dublin were smart - they flocked by the hundreds to parks:

Let's flash back to how I packed for Ireland; I changed things up after I posted my travel capsule ... View the Post

The Garment That Saved My Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Dublin, July 2025

July 21, 2025

I will take a closer look at my travel capsule wardrobe soon, but the most important thing that I learned was that when someone (outside the US Weather Service) issues a heat warning, they're NOT JOKING! Yes, the temperatures were only 80F, but it was sticky and stifling in a way that I've not experienced before - even in Chicago.

My hotel - the delightful Staunton's on the Green - is directly across the street from this park. Amazing, beautiful park, which was FULL of people during the brief heatwave we experienced. Literally hundreds of people - class groups in deep discussion, friends in deep pizza, lots of couples and small family groups just crashed out on the grass, even some people swing dancing!

One of ... View the Post

What to Pack for Uncertain Weather? I’m Going to Dublin…

July 16, 2025

Well ACTUALLY, I'm flying back today. If all went as planned and I was able to stay in Ireland for the full week for which I was scheduled. I assume nothing!

This is the front hallway of my hotel - Staunton's on the Green, on the south side of St. Stephen's Green in Dublin. Yes, it's just as lovely as it looks! It's three townhomes which have been joined together; it has the feeling of staying with your poshest, very kindest friends...

For my travel outfit, I'm taking advantage of the Triple Top Secret - a sleeveless top that will be cool under an unbuttoned chambray shirt for the afternoon in Dublin when it's supposed to be warm. And a sweatshirt that I'm going to fold down into my quilted bag, for ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Green Dresses, and an Amazing Discovery!

June 27, 2025

I wasn't sure at first - sometimes, a coincidence is JUST a coincidence. One shouldn't make too much of these things...

But then Belovedest noticed it too: LOTS of women are wearing green dresses! We were walking along the river last week, and saw FIVE women in green dresses... We didn't see five women in black, blue, red, yellow, AND white dresses.

Then today I went downstairs to our grocery store (in our building, the ultimate luxury!), and ran into one of my closest friends here in the building. Wear a green dress.

Okay, that's a sign! So let's look at some pretty dresses.

This first dress is pretty much exactly the color of peridots, so I gave this heroine some peridot jewelry. Realistically, her earrings ... View the Post

The Least I Can Pack – Maybe? – For Ireland

March 17, 2025

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I was to have been in Dublin this week, but family emergencies have kept us in Chicago. I figured that I could still share with you what I'd planned to pack, since I took so much time pondering it! So here's the post, as it was originally going to be published:

I'm taking as small a wardrobe as I think I can tolerate; there are a couple of very good laundries near our hotel - one north of us, one south! No matter where we're heading out for the day, we can drop off shirts and anything else that's beyond the pale of wearing again. I'm happy to pay someone to do my laundry a couple of times a year.

Here's what I'm flying in - not showing a short black quilted jacket...

Please note that these ... View the Post