lots of hours on a plane.

[hoppingthepond]

Not an absurd number, but still a lot. I'm flying to Copenhagen and have an hour layover there before the flight to Milan. I then spend a night in Milan (but unfortunately arrive at 4:30pm, so there will be no time to see any of the city, really) before taking a train to Rome on Sunday. So, with lots of hours on planes and generally in transit, this is what will be in my carry-on.

--Emma, by Jane Austen

• This and Mansfield Park are the only Austen novels that I have not read, and that is a problem. I'm taking this one purely because it's longer, and I'm trying not to take too many books. They weigh rather a lot, even paperbacks, and take up a bit of space.

--The Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux

• Apparently one of the greatest pieces of travel writing and also somewhat appropriate -- I'll be spending a few hours on trains between our stops. Not appropriate in that he goes to Asia, and I'm going to Italy.

--A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes

• She wrote Under the Tuscan Sun, which would be slightly more appropriate to my trip, but I chose this one instead. I just love the concept of traveling for a year; that, combined with the beautiful cover and the fact that she visits a lot of places on my 'to-visit' list (Greece, Turkey, North Africa), made me choose this one.

--My journal

• I don't journal daily, but I've kept some form of written diary since I was in second grade. I did do a lot of journaling while I was in England, and I'm willing to bet that I will do the same in Italy. There is a lot to be said for observations recorded on the spot; your opinions and impressions are less diluted. I used to be committed to leather-bound journals, but I love this Paperblanks one and they have a giant selection.

--My iPod

• It's starting to get comparatively elderly (it will turn four on this trip), but it still works just fine. I expect to listen to a lot of Vivaldi -- my favourite classical composer who hailed from Venezia -- as well as my usual tastes (The Weepies, The Cranberries, Ingrid Michelson, AFI, Coldplay, Iron & Wine, Joshua Radin, etc.)

And that'll be it, aside from things like my wallet and passport. I tend to travel pretty light, because I'm happy with a book. My iPod is the only modern electronic device that I need on a trip like this; my laptop would be more hassle than anything, there isn't any point in taking my phone, and I definitely do not own a portable DVD player.