text: Nancy and I love our little 3-day getaways to various cottages, condos, and Air B & Bs. We have stayed at numerous places, and I have found one thing in a common. None of them have sharp knives or decent frying pans. So, I bring my own and it makes the stay much more enjoyable.
  The sharp knife problem is not because the knives aren’t of good quality. It’s that they get a lot of wear and tear, and nobody ever sharpens them. I have been packing a knife sharpener on each trip and also bring one of my knives, usually a fillet knife which is quite versatile. A few slides across the knife’s edge with an inexpensive sharpener and it’s ready to slice a tough honeydew melon or carve a roast.
  And frying pans? Usually, they are those stainless pans which are like Velcro to a fried egg. Everything sticks, they are a bitch to clean, and often the pans are quite small. I bring a large non-stick, heavy-duty pan and I’m ready for battle.
  You can improve your next getaway with a sharp knife and a decent frying pan.