Tea at Trianon: Checking Bags vs Carry On

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Checking Bags vs Carry On

On our last trip to London, we decided to travel without luggage, and so had carry-on only. It was very convenient when making an international flight and jumping in and out of taxi cabs, etc. However, we had little room in bags for gifts or souvenirs. From Medium:

There was a recent article on Defector where two of their writers debated the merits of each option. I read the article and commented on Twitter that I had mixed feelings about this decision. I have a flight to Nashville coming in June. I will have to make this decision. Here are the pros and cons of each. I am flying Southwest, so I can check one bag free. The decision changes when there is a fee.

Checking Bags

Pros:
You don’t have to limit your packing to make it fit in a carry-on eligible bag.
You don’t have to worry about making sure all of your shampoos and such are in a separate clear bag and the right size.
The security line is much easier when I am only carrying my phone and the book I plan to read.
Boarding is easier when you don’t have to look for overhead space for your bag.
You avoid being the annoying person who holds up the boarding process looking for space.
If you have a layover you have less stuff to worry about lugging from gate to gate.
Cons:
You have to deal with possible lines to check your luggage.
You have to deal with baggage claim at the end of the trip.
There is the possibility of lost luggage.
You might leave your ride waiting while you wait for your luggage.
(Read more.)