A Sad Goodbye to the First Pair of Shoes, and a gear update

My one and only care package arrived while I was away from Rome, and the timing worked out that I got to pick it up before heading back into the wilderness. The main thing to arrive was a new pair of shoes, slightly different from the ones I had used all this time (oops), but at this point I was just happy for any pair as long as it had fresh waterproofing. I took some goodbye photos and then ceremoniously threw them in the dumpster in front of Greg's house. Yes, I thought about keeping them, but I pictured them being thrown away two years from now and figured I might as well just get a jump on the Pat of the future. I am not so sure the Pat of 5 years ago would have done the same, and take this as another sign of getting older.

Since I realized that my stay in Rome would be the best and possibly only chance for me to store some unnecessary gear, I got rid of a few key items that have changed my life considerably. The biggest thing to go was the tent, as camping sites are now closed anyhow.

I also got rid of:
the Brothers K (wasn't going to brave a second reading on the same trip)
2 pairs of socks
camera case
sunglasses case
metal wine opener (exchanged for plastic!)
various maps and papers
bowl, cup, and spoon
My hat (worn a total of two times)
Mosquito repellent (note: sorely missed here in Campania)
Stove, Pan, Fuel Canister (ditched back in Paris, first things to go)
Treo and collapsible keyboard (the charger breaking was the last nail in the coffin)
Old Camelbak (as I predicted back in July, it did end up leaking, and was really gross at the end of three months anyways. Replaced with new one from care package)

So, the end result of this cathartic purge was that my backpack went on a major diet (Jenny Craig, gotta try it!!!!!). Last time I weighed it, I think I had it down to about 30 pounds, a full 15 pound loss from its heaviest days back in the North. You have no idea the difference it makes, especially around hour three.

And, just for fun, here is a clear difference between American products and Italian products, seen from the point of view of toothpaste.