What I Packed and How I Wore It: Our Anniversary Trip to Spain and Portugal

Each year, Barry and I pack our bags and take a trip to celebrate our anniversary. In recent years, we have traveled to some of our favorite European cities, including Paris, Amsterdam, London, Marrakesh, and Rome. This spring, we decided to explore some of the beautiful cities of Spain and Portugal. Our trip included a flurry of museum visits, sightseeing, window shopping, and enjoying some of the best seafood in the world. But before I could enjoy the wonder of these majestic countries, I had to pack my bags.

Travel creates a packing dilemma for many women. You want to look your best, but you can’t bring your whole closet with you (nor should you). To solve this conundrum, I rely on two things to maximize my style potential when traveling: color stories and packing cubes.

Before I pack a stitch of clothing, I choose a color story for the trip. A good color story identifies the season and the areas we will be traveling in, and contains plenty of neutrals and a few accent colors. These pieces should complement each other so you can mix and match them. (Again, choosing pieces that go well together minimizes the total number of items you bring.)

For this trip, I chose a color story appropriate for the Mediterranean climate in the region we would be visiting. For neutrals, I chose pieces in white, cream, gold, chocolate, navy, and black. My accent colors included red, teal, and pink.

Here’s a breakdown of everything I packed in my suitcase:  

Clothing:
5 t-shirts
1 white tank top
1 white eyelet top
1 cotton shrug
1 cotton cardigan
3 summer dresses suitable for daytime or evening
1 long skirt
1 black-and-white print skirt for daytime
1 navy skort for daytime
1 white pair of pants
1 blush pink pair of pants
1 dark denim pair of jeans (I wore these on the plane instead of packing them)
1 swimsuit
1 summer hat
1 black ballcap
1 coral cashmere scarf
1 white cashmere shawl
1 white linen scarf (I wore this on the plane)
1 black ponte knit jacket (I wore this on the plane)

Once I had gathered my clothing, I folded it and placed it all in a medium-sized packing cube. These cubes are available in many sizes and can be purchased on the internet at sites such as Amazon. These little wonders corral your garments and keep them compact. It all fit perfectly and left plenty of room for my other essentials like toiletries and shoes.

Speaking of shoes, I brought five pairs. I focused on lightweight, streamlined footwear that would be comfortable for walking—several of the cities we visited are on steep hills—and would match easily with my clothing. Here is my list of footwear:   

Footwear:
1 gold heeled sandal
1 gold flat sandal
1 navy ballet flat
1 flip flop (for wearing in the hotel room and to the pool)
1 pewter sneaker (I wore these on the plane)

I chose a silver and crystal color story and a gold and crystal color story for this trip. For accent pieces, I brought a pearl necklace and my tried-and-true turquoise bracelet that I often travel with. I wore each piece at least once on the trip.

I also brought a small group of bags for daytime and nighttime use, plus a small backpack that I used as a carry-on. I realized on the trip that I could have just packed my gold bag for evenings and left the black evening bag at home; the gold bag is a fabulous neutral and looked great with all my outfits.

Bags:
1 brown backpack
1 Tumi bag for daytime use
1 small gold leather bag for evening
1 small black leather bag for evening
1 small nylon black bag

The day we flew to Madrid, I wore dark denim jeans, a white t-shirt, and my pewter sneakers.

I topped the look with a black knit jacket and a white linen scarf. This outfit was my “travel uniform”—a functional and chic look that is comfortable for a long flight.

The black jacket was one of the bulkier items I planned to bring, so I wore it on the plane instead of packing it, and it kept me warm in the chilly evenings. The sneakers—another bulky item I didn’t want to pack—were a comfortable option that gave my travel uniform a polished overall look.

I wore these jeans, the black jacket, my sneakers, and my white linen scarf on each subsequent travel day. However, I did mix things up by wearing a different t-shirt each time. Getting your travel uniform right can be tricky, but once you’ve done it, you will feel cozy, fashionable, and ready for the several flights and rides to and from airports.

Our first stop was in Madrid, Spain’s bustling capital city, where we spent several days exploring. After our arrival, we settled into our hotel room, changed clothes, and then headed out for dinner. I wore my white eyelet top with pale pink pants, the gold flat sandals, and my pearl necklace. 

The next morning, Barry and I headed out into the city. The mornings in Madrid started off cool, but it always got much warmer by the afternoon. I wore my navy skort, a white t-shirt, and the navy cotton cardigan. I paired this outfit with navy ballet flats and, after it got hot outside, I draped the cardigan over my shoulders.

Our first stop was the Royal Palace, the official residence for the royal family. The grounds of the Palacio Real were lavish and stunning, and we enjoyed taking in the ornate architecture and mesmerizing art on the premises.

On our second evening in Madrid, we enjoyed another great dinner, dining on some of the most delicious paella I’ve ever eaten. For the festive occasion, I wore my postcard print dress and accessorized it with gold sandals, my turquoise bracelet, a coral cashmere scarf, and my gold bag.

The next day we rose bright and early and met up with our tour guide to check out the world-famous Museo Nacional del Prado, which is home to the works of Francisco de Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, and many other legendary artists. Dating back to the year 1819, the museum’s bicentennial coincided with our trip.

For this day of sightseeing, I wore my black-and-white cotton skirt with a black t-shirt, my black knit jacket, and the pewter sneakers. The sneakers proved great for walking through the many rooms of the Prado, as well as the additional walking we did around the city.

After we left the museum, our tour guide walked us through a local neighborhood to give us a better sense of the city. We had a great time checking out the shops, the cafés, and the street scene.

While doing a bit of window shopping, I discovered a local store that sold stylish waterproof handbags and backpacks. I ended up buying one that I loved in marigold, a cheerful color for summertime.

We ended our busy day by having dinner at a fabulous restaurant, Ten Con Ten. I wore a long skirt from my closet that I have owned for 10 years. This skirt is one of those gems that is great for evenings when you want to look dressy but feels comfortable in warm weather. The pattern adds interest, and the material is light and cool—perfect for a Mediterranean climate. I paired it with a white tank top, the white pearl necklace, a white cashmere shawl, my gold sandals, and the gold bag.

On our last day in Madrid, we went to the Reina Sofia Museum to get our fill of 20^th century art from masters like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. After that, Barry and I enjoyed a nice lunch and did a little more sightseeing around town. I knew this would be a heavy walking day, so I dressed accordingly in the navy skort and cardigan, blue t-shirt, and sneakers.

On our final night in Madrid, we attended a fabulous evening of Flamenco dancing at Corral de la Morería. Here I am standing in front of the stage before the show wearing my gold and chocolate dress, a chocolate shrug, and my gold necklace on a brown cord. I completed the look with a gold sandal and gold bag.

The next morning we kissed Madrid goodbye and headed over to Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city. The weather was warm, so after checking into our hotel, I changed out of my travel uniform and slipped on my navy skort, a red-and-white striped tee, and sneakers. I wore my black hat for a little added sun protection on that particularly bright day.

Then, Barry and I set off on the popular six bridges boat tour, which traverses the Douro River and offers stunning views of the famous Dom Luís I Bridge and the five other bridges that cross the river. From our vantage point on the water, we could relax and take in the city’s beauty.

That evening Barry and I traveled to Matosinhos, a lovely fishing village 17 miles from the center of Porto. We dined at Marisqueira Antiga, a well-known seafood restaurant known for serving the freshest fish caught that day. I wore my pink pants with a silver-and-white t-shirt and my gold flat sandals, which were great for strolling the city streets. I paired this outfit with the long silver necklace, crystal cuff, and my gold bag. I tied on my cardigan once again just in case the evening grew chilly.

The following morning, we met up with our wonderful tour guide for a full day of sightseeing in Porto. He drove us all around the city to our hearts’ content. On this day I wore a black t-shirt with my black-and-white skirt and topped it with my black jacket and linen scarf. I wore my sneakers and carried my new marigold backpack, which I am so glad I purchased.

The highlight of the day was our visit to W. & J. Graham’s, a local port maker, for a port tasting. The grounds of the winery were beautiful and the wine delicious.

Following the port tasting, we headed over to the stunning Casa da Música, designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, and enjoyed an excellent lunch on the museum’s top floor.

On our last night in Porto, we enjoyed a great meal at Flow, a very cool restaurant in the heart of the city. I wore my white dress with a crystal bracelet, gold sandals, and my gold bag. For an interesting pop of color, I wore my coral cashmere shawl.

The next day we traveled south to the city of Coimbra. I dressed in my navy skort with a white t-shirt and cardigan with navy ballet slippers and carried my black Tumi bag, which is great for travel days thanks to its minimalist, streamlined design.

Along the drive, we stopped to visit the Vista Alegre Porcelain Factory, which is known for its stunning glass and china creations.

We spent just one night in Coimbra, and that evening we dined at the restaurant on the premises of our historic hotel, Quinta das Lágrimas. I wore my gold-and-chocolate dress with the matching shrug and the gold necklace on a brown cord. I paired this with my gold sandals and my gold bag.

The next morning, we departed for Portugal’s vibrant capital city, Lisbon. I wore my navy skort paired with the red-and-white striped top, my sneakers, and a black hat. We stopped at several lovely towns along the scenic drive, including Sintra, Estoril, and Cascais.

After we arrived and settled into our hotel, we headed out for yet another incredible seafood restaurant! I wore my pink pants with my white eyelet top. I accessorized this look with my pearl necklace, gold flat sandal, and my gold bag.

The next day, Barry and I had a great time rambling all around Lisbon. There were so many beautiful areas to explore.

On this day, I wore my black-and-white skirt with a black t-shirt, my pewter sneakers, and my new hat, which I found at a market across the street from our hotel.

On our second night in Lisbon, I wore my postcard dress with the gold sandals and bag and crystal bracelet. As you can see from our empty plates, Barry and I both enjoyed our dinner immensely!

On our final night in Lisbon, we ate dinner at an interesting restaurant requiring us to walk up winding stone staircases, called Zambeze. On this evening, I carried my gold bag and wore my long skirt with the white tank top, pearl necklace, and gold sandal. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the city, and we enjoyed sipping cocktails while watching the sun set. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic trip.  

So, did I have a “successful pack” for my trip? Let’s find out!

We can judge whether we have packed wisely only once we are living from our suitcases. And by that point, we must adapt and learn lessons to remember for the next trip. I can usually tell if I’ve done a good job of packing a couple of days into my travels. The good news is, I would rate this Spain and Portugal trip a success. Here are a few insights:

I made one packing error. As it turns out, I chose the wrong hat. Next time, I would bring a smaller, more packable hat rather than the black one I packed this time. 

Oddly enough, I did not wear my white pants. This surprised me, because white jeans are such a good option for a Mediterranean tour. If you’re heading to this climate, don’t hesitate to bring white, cream, or other light-colored pants. You will likely have plenty of chances to wear them. In my case, my pale pink pants served the same purpose.

A skort is perfect for travel. If you feel comfortable showing your legs, a skort, skirt, or casual dress is the coolest choice for sightseeing in hot climates. Sometimes it is simply too hot for long pants, and these options are more polished than shorts. As you can tell, I got so much use out of my navy skort. It came in handy when we experienced a heatwave in Coimbra and Lisbon.

A fashion formula keeps things simple. On this trip I wore many of the same looks, particularly during the daytime—usually a t-shirt and either my skort or the black-and-white print skirt. I alternated between my navy cotton cardigan and my black knit jacket as layering pieces, and they looked good with every combination. I like to dress in a simple formula like this during travel because it gives me more time to relax and sightsee.

My shoe selections earned an A+. I made good footwear choices for this trip. I typically wore the navy ballet flat with my navy skort and paired the pewter sneaker with my black-and-white skirt. The gold flat sandals offered me variety any time I wanted to change things up for daytime or evening, and they worked well on the night I wore my pink pants and lace detail top. I wore my gold heeled sandal with most of my dinner options, which gave those outfits an extra layer of polish.

Swimsuits belong in your bag (even if you don’t end up using them). If you think you might swim, it’s prudent to bring a swimsuit—especially since they typically don’t take up much space. As it turns out, I would have been able to swim only in Coimbra, but we were busy sightseeing instead. Still, I don’t regret having it “just in case.”

I used nearly everything else I packed. Aside from my white jeans and swimsuit, my flip flops were the only other thing I did not wear, and that was because all the hotels we stayed in provided slippers. The only accessory I did not use was the small black bag for evenings.

I hope you have enjoyed another installment of my What I Packed and How I Wore It series. I love recapping our adventures, sharing what worked and what didn’t, and inspiring chic and fashion-forward looks for wherever your wanderlust leads you.