HAWT guy alert: Dustin Brown

Just a quick one today, but have you seen Dustin Brown. Hubbahubba. With Nadal and Federer gone, I was thinking of Wimbeldon 2013 as done and dusted by Djokovic. I am not a Murray girl, didn't support him last year, not doing it this year either. Ok Sergiy Stakhovsky did volley the s**t out of Federer but his wife caught the cameramen's eyes more, Miranda Kerr look alike with the best hair ever. But Dustin Brown, oh mama, where do I start. The crazy shots, the chest pumps, the dread locks. Serious sports crush developing here. And Drake's Starting From the Bottom as his song choice, on the BBC coverage of Wimbledon people. 

Brown plays Frenchman Adrian Mannarino today at 3.30 pm local time. Let's hope the rain gods let up so we can see more of this Jamaican man.   

Summer Essentials: The Perfect Shirt

Everyone has a summer favourite clothes wise. For me this is a voile shirt, preferably in white or blue, worn casually tucked into denim shorts or jeans. Jewelled sandals, pedicured feet, mascara, and you are done. In other words, my version of Ralph Lauren. Sadly though I haven't found my perfect boyfriend shirt since I left India. Either the shirts were too form fitting, too bright (neons not my thing), or in linen. I picked up one from GAP which was good, but it wasn't what I wanted. To cut the long story short, I missed Sarojini Nagar. 

Cut to a few weeks back, I am on a tram in Amsterdam, making my way to the Van Gogh Museum. I pass a lot of stores including Brandy Melville (which is a bloggers paradise right now, every skinny girl out there has a piece of this) and then suddenly I see the most perfect light blue shirt hanging on the display of a swanky store. I immediately get my act together, jump up, press the "open door" button and pop out onto the street. The store turned out to be this one and let me tell you, this ain't cheap. The store gives you a very Scandinavian minimalistic vibe which I find a bit clinical, but oh the shirt. Its a tiny feat of creation: voile, slightly sheer and the perfect shade of blue. In my imaginary life, I would wear this for a girly brunch with Garance Doré, where we will talk about French chic and living in New York. There was one teeny problem, the shirt comes with a huge and I mean HUGE price tag. 

Not to be deterred, I waited for the sale. Turns out this piece of clothing is part of their permanent collection and doesn't go on sale. Bloody hell. By now its been two weeks and my philosophy is if you can't get something out of your head for two weeks, you might as well give in to it. I walked all the way to the store justifying the expense and then wait for it, the shirt is sold out. Let me tell you, I try every week to plough my way through the Economist and all I get is how bad the European economy is. Well somethings tells me that either the ladies of Europe aren't agreeing or the Economist is lying. Or it might well be that I have good taste. Anyways, first step in the right direction was to check out if there were any other outlets and did they have the item in stock. I was sans internet, so I asked the SA for assistance. She wasn't too happy as there was a sale going on. But I can be very patient when it suits me, so she had no choice but to help me. Turns out, there was an outlet nearby, and they did have one piece in stock which they would hold for me. The SA gave me directions which were simple enough but for one things, I can't read maps and she meant left when she said right. 

I always knew I was bad with directions, but after 20 minutes of walking around Leidsplein, it was confirmed, I was a dud without googlemaps. So I did the best thing possible, I went into the nearest store and asked for directions. To make it worse, I forgot the name of the street. But the SA seems to understand but she gave me a most cryptic answer with a smile: "its one behind". Now "one behind" could mean so many things. It could be the shop behind this store (turned out to be a coffee house), or could be the lane behind the store (no, its another canal), or it could be walk to the end of the road, cross the canal bridge, turn left and you'll see the store (It was). So "aal is well" and this bad boy is now sitting pretty in my closet. In fact I am going for a B-B-Q shindig in the evening and mean to rock this with my shorts. That's my summer fashion story, do you have one? 

Quick weekend Getaways: Pitstop @ Köln

Last week we went for a quick visit to Köln in Germany. We hired a car at Schipol airport in Amsterdam and drove down, checked into a hotel and started our adventures. First up, the Cathedral, a mamoth gothic building which will have you thinking of Ann Radcliffe and company. Or Harry Potter at least. The building suffered multiple aerial bombings during the Second World War but survived to tell the tale of this bloody period.

Next up, we hit the streets. I went a bit bonkers when I saw a Kiko store. I had seen GetGawjus rave about the Kiko blushes so I picked one, mine is in Quirky Pink. Two eyeshadows followed in no. 123 and 456. We then went in search for the oldest cologne shop in Köln, No.4711.



Köln is actually famous for being the city where, you guessed it, cologne was first bottled and sold in the early eighteen century. Years later the eau de Cologne was christened as No.4711 and is still sold from a store bearing the same name. The interiors are a tourist delight: a hot pink and blue confection with cologne flowing out of a brass tap. Sheer decadence.

As the whole of Germany remains closed on Sundays, we had to cram our street shopping in a few hours which was good for my wallet. Shopping done, we headed out for a night of eating and drinking and landed up at this place.

This restaurant specializes in Haxe (Pork knuckles, don't get put off by the name, this is seriously awesome stuff) and German beer. As Pork fanatics, we went the whole hog. I had to open my pant buttons afterwards. Phew.

Some Rhine gazing followed the heavy dinner and then we sat down for some Weissbeer at a riverside café.

As nightfell, I started feeling cold and called the beer fest to an end. And the three travellers trudged back to the hotel. 

Quick weekend Getaways: Cambridge

Last month we had made a quick trip to Cambridge and I freaking loved it. Cambridge reminded me of my own university days. In the warm sunshine, the whole place looked idyllic; enjoy a picnic of sandwiches, wash it down with cold beer by the river Cam and then get back into the honey stoned ancient dorms to hit the books. Of course the reality is anything but that. Students have to pay an arm and a leg to get into these hallowed institutions after passing a gruelling screening process.

Anyways, I am not a student, I am a tourist. So let's talk about more touristy things. First if you are going with a male who relies on plastic to buy his milk, do yourself a favour, get some cash. It will save you a 20 minutes walk to the ATM. If the weather is good, leg it to the riverside and enjoy some punting. You can hire the boat and do the navigation yourself or get a professional to do that. Its £10 per head, and your captain will be giving you a running commentary about the colleges, its notorious history and completely wacky stuff which can only be done when you are a student, like the night climbers. Legend has it that once members of the banned night climbers scrambled up onto one of the spires of Kings College and left a santa's hat on top (some accounts say its  traffic signal, but you get the drift). Stiff upper lips staff enlist construction firm to build a scaffold to remove it. Workers build the scaffold tower half way and go home, aiming to complete their work in the next shift. But next morning the offending item has been removed by a climber and placed on the other tower. Of course new age surveillance cameras have put an end to roof top rendezvous, but it makes for a charming story.

weeping willows

The bridge of sighs

At the corner of King's College

Kings' College

Even the weather conspired and I daydreamed away. In Hollywood terms, I would be Winona Ryder (Reality Bites era) and would meet a scruffy Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise era) and we would live happily ever after in a rambling two storied red brick cottage covered with Ivy. I would of course be a very popular teacher, cue Barbara Streisand's The Mirror Has Two Faces. Not asking for much, am I?

Cut to real life, post river expedition, we cut through the park and reached FOPP which I absolutely love. Its a store which sells a mix of movie, music, books and mementoes. Stocked up on Woody Allen DVDs at discount price and then got down to the business of food. My personal experience of using Trip Advisor reviews for restaurants has been dodgy. So I stuck to Byron Hamburgers. It has a couple of branches dotted around England, so yeah it is successful at what it does which is awesome burgers and nothing else. Slim picking for vegetarians, but if meats your thang, then this is it. All hamburgers are cooked medium unless requested with pickles on the side. I went for the Monterey Jack cheese hamburger, home made skin on chips and washed it down with a Byron pale ale. Had to unbutton my jeans after that but so worth it.

Burgers @ Byron

We put up for the night at Premier Inn which is on the outskirts of the city centre. I personally like Premier Inn, comfortable bed, space for your luggage, full length mirror, decent sized bathroom, electric kettle to make tea/coffee in the room (trust me, have lived in hotels where you had to go down to the dining room for your morning tea/coffee). Next morning we legged it to Patisserie Valerie for a sugar hit: chocolate eclair, scones and fruit tart, followed by croque madame and Darjeeling tea. One word: fabulous. 

Fruit Tart

Chocolate eclair

Croque Madame

Systematic demolition in progress

Suitably stuffed we spent the day ambling around Market Street.  If you want you can enter the college grounds and explore certain parts for a fee. I wanted to see the Trinity College grounds but it was closed to visitors that day.

Trinity College

Students, tourists and cycles all crammed into small lanes

There was a convocation taking place in another college so the streets were full of parents with kids wearing the convocation cloaks which of course got me thinking of Harry Potter. Tried to get tickets for the Warner Brothers Studios at Watford but no success, will have to plan a trip there sometime. So yeah, thats about it. If anyone is visiting England, do make a trip to Cambridge. It will remind you of your own student days in the best possible way.

The Great Gatsby @ Harrods

For the last two months every freaking magazine I picked up had something about The Great Gatsby. The movie, not the book. The book I love, the movie I haven't seen till date. I have my reservations about Baz Luhrman but I want to see the Prada dresses, there you go. Shallow much. Anyways, so when I was in London I had gone to Harrods. Harrods is my thing. I love going there, the absolutely OTT ostentatious presentation, the perfectly made up faces, the window displays. I think I once picked up a £8 wine bottle and waffed away most of the evening checking out gentlemen's pipes until one of those tuxedo type employee told me very politely to clear out as they were going to have a wine event. Which was whatever for me, coz I wasn't moving out till they chilled my cheap vino. 

Anyways, last month they decked out their drinks section in the Gatsby style but it was so crowded that I couldn't get any decent pics. Actually it never fails to amaze me how crowded Harrods is, its like a tourist spot, know what I mean. But anyway, I love it, crowded or not. Back to The Great Gatsby, cue photos of the window displays. 

Black Gatsby flags around the establishment

Wanted a feather wrap after see in this one

Love the geometric/art deco backdrop of TGG

My favourite display of all,  recreation of 1920s Americana/jazz age

Flapper girls, this window was so gorgeous in real life, shame my camera didn't pick it up

Coming back to the movie, has anyone seen it? As far as the book is concerned, I had read it when I was 14 years old. I am sure a lot of the references flew over the top of my head. If I reread it now, my inferences are sure to be different. But one of the recent Fitzgerald books that I did read was a collection of short stories and it included what I consider one of his best stories, Bernice Bobs Her Hair.  

I read it and thought ok this is what they mean when they say Fitzi is the voice of an era. And when I was reading it, this song kept on playing in my mind. Makes no sense I know, but the song-book co-relation works in funny ways, don't you think? 

Macaroons & Laduree

I was born with a sweet tooth. And over the years my palate has reached epic proportions of flavour discernment as far as the taste of sweet is concerned. You have the delicate spun sugar flavour of macaroons, an ingenue, with lingering traces of innocence. You have the deeper more comforting taste of pecan pie, more syrupy laced with bourbon. And then you have the sweet for the grown ups, rich dark chocolate mousse tinged with chilli powder, a treat to be enjoyed in the dark. These are the tastes that I have savoured and committed to memory. But if I am honest, a tiny part of me will agree that part of enjoying a dessert is visceral. A sweet or a dessert is by nature an enticement, something illicit to be enjoyed with each bite. And in these times when eating anything with white sugar is a sin, desserts have taken on a more forbidden fruit kind of analogy. I mean just look at these macaroons, they just scream "look at me".

I couldn't resist so much of "pink", I just had to go in and taste them. And I did so twice, both times from the same brand but each experience was different. Laduree is of course the byword for macaroons, so popular that its a bit pretentious. Sells itself on its Frenchness and Sophia Copolla's Marie Antoinette certainly helped. I first went into the Harrods branch. Bad choice. The decor is very dark, not what I associate with the pastel macaroons. And all around me were rich arabic women, all burqa'd up relaxing after marathon shopping expedition at Harrods. Still the weather was cold and I was hungry so I ordered myself the afternoon tea which consist of sandwiches, macaroons and pastries. Did I enjoy it? Of course I did. I never let anything come between me and my food, not even screechy 

20 somethings wearing Isabel Marant wedge sneakers. I took the obligatory pictures, stuffed my face, paid my bill and left. The macaroons were great no doubts on that, but the whole tea drinking experience was just a bit off. I didn't have any charm. 

  

And then I visited their Covent Garden branch and i was sold. Right from the pretty menus to the seating areas, everything was perfect. I could imagine sitting here and giggling with friends, spending a first date, or just enjoying a cuppa on my own, with no books, iphone or friends for company. 

The green-blue one is actually called Marie Antoinette

You can also get champagne to go with your treats if you prefer. I stuck to good old Darjeeling. There is a very nice terrace to sit on if the weather is warm. And of course you can bring some millefeuille back home to share with your dog in your backyard. 

Queen Mary room @Liberty London

I had been eyeing the Omoravicza night cream for more than a year now but its steep price always acted as a deterrent. However last month I finally made the commitment and bought the cream. I am saving it for the winter days though so can't report on its performance. But what I can do is give you the low down on the treat of buying the brand from Liberty. Unlike Harrods, which I do love, Liberty has a more pared down version of luxury which lacks the OTT glitz of Harrods.And I find the service in Liberty more personal. Case in point Bouchana, the SA for Omoravicza at Liberty. After cutting the ice with a long chat about Illamasqa pigments, hair cuts and bad London weather, she gave me an excellent deal: a one hour facial in the Queen Mary's room and the booking fee redeemable against purchase. There was a last minute cancellation and if I wanted it, the spot was mine. After five minutes of dithering I took the deal and hands down had the best massage of my life.

The complimentary facial does not include extraction which was okay for me because my skin was pretty clear at that time. What I was looking for was a bit of relaxation after a long day of strolling around V&A. And Dominica, my facialist has the bloody best hands in the business. After I got wrapped up in towels and lay down on the heated bed with a hot water cushion for my acing shoulders, she cleansed, toned and massaged my face with what I can only describe as pianotage, tapping of fingers around the face along with lymphatic drainage movements. An hour later I was literally glowing, sort of a combination of a good nap and an intense orgasm if it makes sense. If you are ever thinking of investing in a luxury brand, try booking a session at the Queen Mary's room first. Seriously its worth it.

Tapas @ Covent Garden

For me, a brunch is something to be shared. If I am eating alone I always end up ordering more than I can eat. And because I don't want to walk around carrying food all day, I end up stuffing myself and feel completely bloated. Thats why I love a tapas bar. And the Pix Bar wins it for me in terms of choice and price. I have only been to their Covent Garden branch which is quite cozy and on Neal Street which I love.

How it works is that you grab a plate, choose your nibbles with their sticks and head to the den. You will be given a glass jar to collect all your sticks. At the end of your meal the tab is counted against the sticks, small ones cost £1.95, the longer ones are priced at £2.95. Cocktails and drinks are to be ordered separately. I went for a watermelon martini and happily hogged away for the better part of an hour. Felt like a proper feast without the bloated feeling.

Tapas choices

Chocolate Mousse

Churros with Chocolate

I chose this

Plates get empty fast

Bacon & quails egg, stuffed pepper, summer fruits chantilly

Goats cheese and fig in the middle

Watermelon martini