Choosing the right outfit is important when traveling.
Especially if you’re going to be walking all over town in those clothes for an extended period of time.
I mean a very looong time.

Comfort is key…

Keeping casual, and hopefully wrinkle free.
The idea is to wear clothes you can live in; possibly forever.
And these do the trick…

Jacket – Emanuel Ungaro Liberte, Shirt – Zara, Pants – Baia, Shoes – Kohl’s, Bag – Chinese Laundry/Marc Labat

I was in London for a day this past September.
Just one day, a few little hours to try and recapture the love and awe I have for this old town.
I’m one of those people who loves London, I love London for the same reason I love my grandmother’s little house in our small town in Koforidua; nostalgia and fondness.

It was a quick hop from our apartment in Paris to Gare du Nord, where we boarded the train and two hours later we emerged from the other side of the Chunnel.

I wish I could say I spent an amazing whirlwind day in London, seeing loved ones in the end made up for all the mishaps, but the day didn’t turned out quite as awesome and relaxing as I’d hoped.
In hindsight I should have avoided the Tube during rush hour, wore much comfortable shoes and not tried to do everything in a day.
I could have taken a leisurely walk to Regent’s Park, had breakfast in Camden Town, a picnic lunch in the park and let the day take a relaxing course.
Next time, I would plan better and perhaps spend the night… or two

There were good moments still… it wasn’t all stiflingly-crowded Tubes, tired sore feet, running around and forgetting to eat.
There were nice moments in Covent Garden and shopping on Oxford Street.
We walked the Strand, and came upon Somerset House while Fashion Week was ongoing, so we hung around for a while.

We spent the rest of the day at Tate Modern, taking in the beautiful, the inspiring, the inimitable, the weird and those that made absolutely no sense.
The calm ultimately settled in at museum; the stress of the day gave way to a leisurely calm.
I relaxed, sat still, I put my camera away (no photos allowed!), and basked in the tranquil ambience.

The icing on the cake… was getting to see and spend time with some really awesome people.
Saw my favourite babies… the babies are all grown up, they don’t stay babies forever do they?

Later that night, on the train back I reflected on the day and decided that it had been a good day.

For several years now there’s been talk that a public bike-share program will soon be available in Vancouver.
I thought 2010 would surely be the year… but alas non
I envy other cities with bike sharing programs; Vancouver will be so much cooler if we had one.

The largest, most popular and perhaps most successful of the bike-share schemes is Vélib’ in Paris.
It was so refreshing to see how much a part of the Parisian culture the bikes has become.
It’s an easy and convenient addition to public transportation.
And everyone looks cool and decidedly European riding the Vélib’.
And all sorts of people ride them, men, women, old, young, stylish people, business looking types, scary looking youth, etc.
Here are some cute shots of Jessica Alba riding around Paris on a Vélib’.

I also got a chance to see London’s newly implemented bike share program this September.
After my experience with London Underground during rush hour, I’d say the city needs this.
Sure, it probably wouldn’t solve transportation woes, but it’s a cleaner addition, and nicer alternative to the Tube.

And Vancouver needs this too; cool factor aside, we need a sustainable public transport option.
Especially if we’re serious about becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020

If I had kids they’d only wear Tartine et Chocolat, and maybe the occasional Petit Bateau but mostly Tartine et Chocolat.
This incredibly chic children’s store is filled with the most exquisite clothes, accessories and furniture.

I saw a sharply dressed cute kid over the weekend; wearing slacks and a blazer with the TC crest.
It reminded me of all the adorable pieces I’d seen at Paris and London stores.

I got asked the other day what I ate on my vacation and I had to think about it for a minute.
It feels like ages ago now, being a vegetarian and a picky eater, I try not to make too much fuss about the food I eat.
Luckily I had some really great food; even though I didn’t always have time to sit down to a proper meal.
I drank a lot of Lucozade for all those times I was running around.
I had foods I hadn’t eaten in ages, foods that reminded me of Ghana and other far off places; I drank real ginger beer like the kind I used to drink at Paa Amadu’s.
Here are a few of my favourite culinary experiences, not included are those scrumptious foods of friends and family because… well, I wouldn’t want you to show up at their door.

Base Brasserie & Cafe – Baker Street, London
I found Base thanks to the Google Places app on my phone, it’s very close to the tube station, I was hungry and the reviews didn’t suck.
I had lunch there, the atmosphere is charming and stylish and the food French/Mediterranean.
I had a really good pan-fried aubergine wrap with humus.
The service was amazing; our French waiter gave us valuable tips on what to do in Paris.

Caffé Nero – Various locations
I feel I have to give this chain its due, travelling with a heavy coffee drinker we made a lot of coffee stops and the drinks were always consistent here.
And that was a good thing.

La Frégate – 1, Rue du Bac, Paris
Very friendly and attentive service here, I had the salade végétarriene which was amazing!
I never thought a simple salad with Dijon mustard dressing could be that good.
They also have a great selection of good wines.
It’s in a central location close to Musée d’Orsay and the Louvre, and right by the Seine.
The décor is stunning, just like you’d imagine a brasserie in Paris.

Publicis Drugstore – Av des Champs-Elysées, Paris
This isn’t just a drugstore; it has two restaurants, cinemas, boutique, bookstore, wine cellar, room humidor, grocery store and a fancy drugstore.
We had drinks here at the bar; it was worth it just for the location.
It’s at the top (or is it end) of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, close to the Arc de Triomphe.
The patio is great for relaxing and people watching. Nice ambience too.

Pierre Hermé – Publicis Drugstore
Guy says macarons are an excuse for grown adults to eat happy colourful sweets often meant for children.
But I love macarons! I would live off macarons if I could except it’s really hard to find good macaron in our part of the world (not that I’m an expert or anything).
Fortunately, Paris is the land of pastries and Pierre Hermé the Picasso of macarons.
There’s a small Pierre Hermé shop in Publicis, and there are no queues as there are in his other shops, although the selections are probably limited here.
His macarons are simply inspiring, delicious and bewitching, the rose and quince macaron is possibly the most exquisite thing I’ve ever tasted.

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