In preparation for this trip I remember piling all my under things on my bed. The sock pile, however, was apparently a memory from another pack job, so I’ve worn this one wonderful pair of Thorlo walking socks for four days. Now a Parisian sock source needs to be found.
My husband counseled, “Find a mountain store; they’ll have walking socks! The Alps are in France after all!” In four days of walking, I haven’t noticed any mountain stores. Bakeries, pastry shops, olive oil shops, hair salons, butcher shops, dressmaking shops, and bookstores, yes, but no mountain stores.
Some other item might be dry after washing it the night before and hanging it up to dry for a day. Scarves, panties, maybe even a light T-shirt might be ready after a day in the sink and hanging on a hook over the tub, but not socks. Socks–good, thick walking socks–are going to take several days to dry. Luckily my friend brought socks. I’ll wear one of her pairs today and probably tomorrow.
I washed my one pair of excellent Thorlo walking socks, one of three pairs bought especially for this particular trip, and hung them on a rack over my Parisian tub. The other socks I bought will wait in my dresser, poised to be brought over by my husband in four weeks.
You can be experienced, you can go through checklists, you can feel packed, calm, and assured that all is ready. But towels, socks, and other necessaries might be just beyond your prepared grasp, and you may need to shop for such mundanities while the Louvre gift shop has to wait.
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