Longchamp Le Pliage Cuir

 Longchamp Le Pliage Cuir Small Handbag available here (US) and here (UK)

I'll be honest and admit that the only Longchamp bag that appeals to me is the Le Pliage. Who hasn't bought one? It weighs next to nothing but strong enough to hold a ridiculous amount of stuff. It folds down to the size of a clutch. I always store the travel sized tote in the pocket of my suitcase just in case I've bought too much on a trip. The shopper sized shoulder bag is the right size for an overnight trip or just lugging grocery home.

What I've always wanted was a Le Pliage bag that has an additional strap for the times when I need to be hands-free. I'm glad the company has finally decided to include that vital accessory in the leather version. The price point is very attractive. £285 for the small tote with strap. It's actually a very decent size and far from small measuring 25cm (9.8") height x 42cm (16.5")  width and 14cm (5.5") depth. I haven't been tempted to buy a bag for the longest time but in this case, resistance is futile.

**Photo credit: Selfridges

London: Food & Fashion

Prada Flame Heels, available here

Hello Kitty Laduree Macarons

I took my mother who's visiting from New Zealand on her long awaited trip to London to shop to her heart's content. We started off on King's Rd in Chelsea and slowly made our way to Knightsbridge for the obligatory visit to Harrod's, zipping through the expensive Bond Streets (Old and New) where we were pounced on by an overzealous security guard for daring to take a photo of Longchamp's window display and finally arriving at Oxford St.

At Louis Vuitton, available here. One of the rare LVs I've seen without logos. LOVE the scrumptious leather and simple design.

Shopping is a wonderful exercise for the eyes and body. We left London completely over-stimulated by the endless array of gorgeous clothes and bags which we oohed and aahed over. So, what's this week's jackpot worth again?

Oriental Canteen

We wouldn't have survived the trip without many pit stops to fill our hungry tummies. I've noticed that the occasions that I've been completely bowled over by the quality of the food, it was almost always at super duper cheap restaurants or bistros. Perhaps I should say that the cheaper the food, the better it tastes. Or maybe I'm just a cheap date.

I stumbled upon Oriental Canteen many years ago while trying to locate a store on my GPS. Where else can you get an authentic Malaysian meal with a drink for less than £6? The Wat Dan Hor (flat rice noodles with egg sauce) was the best I've ever had. The sauce is tasty with the right amount of the smoky flavor that one can only achieve from an incredibly hot wok. And the price? £5.50! A can of coke will set you back 0.60 pence. Unbelievable. It's set in the heart of one of the most expensive piece of real estate in London - South Kensington.

Oriental Canteen
2A Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London SW7 2HF
Tel: 020 7581 8831
Tube: South Kensington


I was given a voucher by Fortnum & Mason to their Parlour restaurant. Thankfully, I'd booked a few days earlier as the queue was pretty long when we arrived. The food was pretty average and certainly not good value for money. The Black Forest cake was too dry. However, the service that I'd received was exceptional.

 "The Parlour" at Fortnum & Mason 
181 Piccadilly 
Mayfair, London
Tube: Green Park 

The Perfect T-shirt for under £10

Uniqlo Cotton Modal Crew Neck Short Sleeve Shirt $9.90

I'm always on a lookout for the perfect white t-shirt. It's the most versatile piece in my wardrobe but it's not something I'm willing to fork out too much money for. Don't get me wrong, I love my Alexander Wang t-shirt but at £75 a piece, it's enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. I just about had a meltdown when I managed to get a couple of chilli spots on it recently. After wearing it less than a dozen times, I can see a tiny little hole developing. I expected more from a £75 t-shirt even if I didn't exactly pay retail for it.

Imagine my delight when I spied the perfect tee from Uniqlo which ticks all the boxes for under £10. It's made of 60% cotton and 40% modal which gave it a nice soft texture that draped well but not ridiculously sheer like many designer tees that I've seen. I like short sleeved tees but only ones that are long enough and fall just above my elbows to hide my bat wings. The crew neckline has to be a little lower than the traditional men's tee so that it's more flattering when worn. I prefer slouchy t-shirts but not overly so that they appear shapeless.

I have been waiting with bated breath for the day Uniqlo would introduce something similar to my Alexander Wang. The quality is far superior than the designer ones that I've tried on and it's more affordable. I'm beyond ecstatic! I've stocked up because God knows when I'll be able to get my hands on one again. Be quick though, they sell out very quickly. It costs $9.90 in the US (click here) or £9.90 in the UK (click here).

Istanbul

What a treat it was to finally get a chance to meet a blogger friend of mine, Heather and her husband, William in Istanbul. Here's Heather and Lil L practicing mouth acrobatics. The 3 of them got on like a house on fire. Lil L came back to the UK announcing that from now onwards, she will have to eat more peppery rocket leaves because Uncle William advised her ALL princesses eat them. We were taken to local haunts where few tourists ever ventured. It was wonderful to see another perspective of Istanbul outside of the touristy Sultanahmet area.

I was here last year with my brother and his family. It was an eye opening experience where everything looked so exotic including the people who are the result of interbreeding between cultures (European and Eastern) for hundreds and hundreds of years. Gorgeous! What fascinated me was the women if I may be frank. On one hand, you still have women in burkhas and hidden from sight and on the other, the new generation of independent women.

Fish sandwich boats aka kitchen

Spice market

We checked out the Spice Market. All the locals shop outside the market while the tourists congregated inside and paid exorbitant prices for the same thing. It's funny how the price increased exponentially just 10 steps away.

I consider Istanbul to be the European version of Shanghai. It's chaotic, disorganized, aggressive, and industrious. There's the endless sea of new high rise buildings interspersed with the old Byzantine architecture. I used to think Italian taxi drivers are the devil's spawn until I got into a taxi in Istanbul. I was car sick everyday and ended up popping vertigo pills to combat nausea. These tiny little cobblestone lanes were originally meant for a single horse and carriage to go through but these days, cars from opposite directions try to squeeze past narrowly missing the pedestrians (oh yes, more often that not, there isn't always a dedicated sidewalk).

I don't know how one can ever go hungry here. Hawkers peddle their wares (aka food) in every corner.

Old Sandal

I've always loved pottering around the Galata area where there are many unique and contemporary shops. Surprisingly, most tourists cross the Galata bridge, pop into the tower and disappear back into Sultanahmet. What a shame. We stumbled upon Old Sandal, a store selling exquisite handmade shoes for ridiculously low prices (think £65 for a pair of flats). While we were there, a stunning and beautifully dressed Turkish lady walked in and bought a few pairs of shoes. She told me that there were far better value for money and just as well made as her Repettos. I agree.

The Turkish diet is meat based, something I'm not very used to. Their fish is insanely fresh and good. Thanks to Heather, we were VERY well fed.

A HUGE thank U to Heather and William for their generosity and warm hospitality! You've made the trip extra special. Thank U to all of you for reading!

Cinque Terre: Monterosso

This is my final take on Cinque Terre. Due to the horrific mudslide and flash flood last October, Vernazza was the worst hit of the 5 and they're still recovering from the catastrophe. If the state of Monterosso was any indication then Vernazza would be in worse condition. I decided to give Vernazza a miss this time. What a shame because it was such a charming village. Seeing the locals in Monterosso working away like busy bees, I'm sure both places will be back to their former state in a couple of years' time.




Of the 5 villages, Monterosso has the sandy beach and it's not exactly perched on a hilltop. Hence, the warmer weather and plenty of sun. Lil L is a water rat. She was practically hyperventilating at the sight of the sea. We had to go through the ceremony of touching the sea water and feeling the sand between her fingers. After weeks of badgering me endlessly about taking her to a beach, this managed to earn me a nice respite. I was starting to go a little crazy with the constant "where's the beach?".





Monterosso is also the most touristy compared to the rest which was also one of the main reasons why I decided on an apartment in Manarola. Nonetheless, I found the place rather charming. The locals were still shucking mud from damaged buildings, repainting the walls and reorganizing the shops. There's still so much to be done.

The easier coastal walk that connected all 5 villages is currently closed due to the damage caused by the mudslide. The only walkable trail is the Via dell'Amore that goes between Manarola and Riomaggiore. We unknowingly tried to walk from Manarola to Corniglia, the next town only to find out that the path was unsafe.



I was relieved that I had the good sense to read the travel guides before choosing a suitable accommodation. I wouldn't have been thrilled to find out that in order to get from Corniglia train station to the town centre meant that I would've to trek up 366 steps. Okay, so there's a bus every half an hour but heck, I like being minutes walk to the station. I may be a little critical here but after seeing Manarola, Riomaggiore and Monterosso, I was spoiled by the spectacular beauty of these villages. I felt Corniglia was a bit of a let down. None of my shots of Corniglia turned out well either. Bummer.

Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore

I'm one of those individuals who eschew luxury accommodation when I'm traveling.  As long as it's centrally located, clean, comfortable and the service comes with a smile, I'm a happy camper. I had a measly budget of €130 per day which included accommodation, food and transportation for the 3 of us. Believe it or not, we were within our budget during our travel in Italy. In fact, most days we spent far less. We stayed in spacious apartments or rooms in convent. We ate well. Perhaps too well. Italy is an expensive country to travel but it is still possible to do it on a reasonable budget.

Perhaps we were getting a little jaded with eating out - it can get tiresome eating out 3 meals a day and hunting for a good restaurant so we decided to self cater. What a feast we had. Fresh mozzarella! Prosciutto wrapped around sweet melons. The local fontina and gorgonzola cheeses were to die for. We dug into the local trofie pasta coated with cheese sauce. Crispy cherry plum tomatoes bursting with flavor simply drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt to bring out the sweetness. Judging from my flatter tummy, the hours of walking was a blessing in disguise. Ah yes, the strenuous climbs up and down the steps in the Cinque Terre coupled with my colorful language when I'm not keeling over. Note to self: must exercise more.

We took a slow train from Rome which was a 4 hour journey getting into La Spezia Centrale before we switched to the local train. FYI, it's important to buy the tickets, particularly if you're traveling long distance (i.e. Rome to Firenze etc) at least 2 days before in order to get a hefty discount (it's called "mini"). You can either purchase the tickets online via trenitalia or from one of the many ticket machines at the train station. We traveled really light lugging only slightly larger than cabin sized trolley suitcases. You'll have to get down at La Spezia Centrale and purchase tickets to the Cinque Terre villages.

Riomaggiore is the first of the 5 villages if you're coming from La Spezia. It's easily one of the prettiest towns in Cinque Terre, large enough to explore for several days without getting bored. We wandered down to the marina along with massive tour groups from Hong Kong and Taiwan. They come by the busloads and zipped through each town within an hour or so. I shudder just thinking about being herded like sheep from place to place with the tour guide holding an umbrella well above his head instead of a staff. We climbed up the steps and gawked at the incredible vista in front of us. If you look hard enough, you'll be able to see the other 4 villages stretched across the mountain range.

The weather wasn't all that promising so we decided to buy a week's pass and took the train instead. Most tourists came prepared with proper hiking boots and waterproof parka to walk the entire trail between the villages. The man behind the information desk took one look at Lil L and shook his head. So train it was. I've dreamed about coming to the Cinque Terre for a decade and it was definitely the highlight of our trip.