> Determined to each take a rolling carry-on for 16 days in Italy,

I know you can do it Debbie! Just take an extra bag that can be folded flat so you will have something for any goodies you acquire.

So Kurt will roll one carry-on and shoulder his large camera bag, and I will roll the other and put the nice tote over my shoulder.

To maximize space, I put almost all the clothing in one bag. I interweave the garments (that we don't want wrinkled) with the excess extending over the edges. Then I fold up the knits in the center and layer those excess parts back in over the knits. I can get a whole trip's worth of clothing in our rolling carryon. The other bag gets the lumpy things like shoes, jackets, toiletries bag, etc. My tote has velcro and I can slip the strap on the side of it over the pull handles of the rolling case. It is very secure and it is easy to maneuver both together. On our trip to the Netherlands in cold weather, I had enough room to bring back a few trinkets, cheese, and chocolate without either using the extra bag or expanding either of the roll-ons.

But I think that the Folding/hanging toiletries bag is going to be a life-saver on this less-is-more trip. I keep ours always packed with the necessities. It is nice not to have to worry about all those little but very important things. I just grab the bag and go.

Make sure to remember all the good places you found in Rome and share them with me. We are going Dec. 25, spending 5 nights in Rome and then moving to Cava dei Tirreni for another 5 nights. I will be visiting Boscoreale to try to find out more about my ancestors.

Ciao, Janet Riverview, FL