amsterdam, netherlands - part 2

our second day in amsterdam started off with blue skies and bright sunshine, a very welcome change to the grey drizzle that formed the backdrop for our first day.

we set off for town early and arrived at our first destination: the heineken experience. now, we're not really all that into drinking, but we know other people who have gone before and enjoyed it. besides, it's an iconic, globally recognised brand and, as marketers, we thought it would be interesting to see how well the 'experience' was executed.

the guidebook was a little off in terms of the opening times, so instead of waiting around, we took a quick stroll down to the rijksmuseum. we've hit our limit as far as museums and art galleries go, so unless there is something very compelling or world-renowned, it's quite unlikely that we're going to actually go in any more. which is all well and good because the rijksmuseum was undergoing renovations and only a small wing comprising less than 1/3 of the building was open to the public. the fact that they weren't charging 1/3 of the entrance fee was also a little unpalatable.

by the time we got back to the heineken experience, they were ready to open. located on the site of the original heineken brewery, the heineken experience essentially takes you through the entire history of the company, as well as the process of creating heineken - from the sourcing of the ingredients all the way to the marketing and distribution around the world. given the depth of information on offer, it was little surprise that we spent four hours there. or, at least that's how we'll justify it. highlights include the spaceship-like pods where you can watch heineken tv ads dating back to the early 20th century, the ceiling made out of heineken bottles, and the stables with clydesdales and the delivery wagons that are still used for special occasions. included in the admission fee are three beers - one in a 'tasting session' where a heineken rep talks you through the flavours, and two more in the bar at the end of the tour controlled by toggles on a rubber 'live strong'-style bracelet. we also got the opportunity to pull our own pints (more like half-pints), which was fun.

from there, we walked back to the rijksmuseum for a couple more pictures. we strolled through the park that sits between the rijks and the van gogh museum, which we also walked by (again, we didn't actually go in).

there was a museum that we were interested in seeing, but alas, the nederlands scheepvaartmuseum (maritime museum) was closed for the winter. so we contented ourselves by casually strolling back towards the city centre. we toyed around briefly with the idea of renting some bicycles for the authentic dutch experience, but the clouds started to look threatening again, so we decided to pass.

instead we visited albert heijn, the local supermarket, to pick up some souvenirs for colleagues and friends. isaac had recommended we pick up some stroopwafels, essentially caramel sandwiched between two thin, almost cookie-like waffles. we were glad we listened to him as they were a big hit with all who were lucky enough to nab one before they disappeared.

for our final meal in the netherlands, we wanted to find some authentic local fare and were rewarded with a very pleasant surprise as it was quite hearty (well suited for the rather bleak weather) and tasty. our meal consisted of a toastje (the dutch version of a croque monsieur or a welsh rarebit), hutspot(boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots and onions served with sausage), and erwtensoep (dutch pea and ham soup).

the little pub that drew our patronage also held another surprise - cats! the pub apparently had a resident mother cat and two absolutely adorable, and very playful kittens. one startled us mid-meal as it took a daring jump and proceeded to climb up our legs in an attempt to get at our food. cute at first, it got a little tiresome having to shield our food. but their persistence eventually wore us down and teresa started slipping our newfound friends some ham and sausage. tired from their little adventure (and quite possibly the hearty food), the little guys finally settled down for a nap.

perhaps we didn't see the amsterdam that most people come for. perhaps we didn't see the amsterdam that people conjure in their heads when they imagine it. we probably didn't even see the amsterdam that most tourists come to see, as we opted to skip most of the museums and the vondelpark. but we saw a version that was perhaps off the beaten path. and in this particular case, off the beaten path was probably a lot more wholesome. it was definitely friendly (which our butchery of the dutch language did not deter), quaint and beautiful.

amsterdam, netherlands - part 1

amsterdam's the kind of place that surprises you once you get over its reputation as a liberal city full of druggies and prostitutes and actually see the city. it isn't just all about drugs and sex. at least not the sections we went to.

we took a train in from den haag and checked into our hotel, dropping off our stuff before heading to the city centre. our hotel, the novotel europa, was in the outskirts of the city, far away (a 20 minute tram-ride to be exact) from the sights and sounds of the centre. but the fact that breakfast (and a fabulous buffet one at that!) was included and there was a tram stop just a short 5 min walk away made up for the distance. the hotel and room were very modern in design and well appointed.

we had arranged to meet isaac in front of the anne frank huis, intending to go in for the tour. unfortunately, our detour to the hotel took us longer than anticipated and we were late for our rendezvous. as a result, the queue was ridiculously long, stretching around the house and down a block. we figured it would have been about a 45 min wait to get in. on top of that isaac was nowhere to be seen. in fact, he had gone in without us seeing as we hadn't arrived yet. we finally found him when he came out. we considered going in, but didn't particularly want to wait in line. isaac also told us that, while it was interesting, a lot had been changed to facilitate the museum aspect and we were probably better off just reading the diary to get the experience.

we walked around, soaking in the picturesque canals and bridges and ended up in a magnificent looking building that ended up being a mall called the magna plaza. after a quick look around a department store oddly named 'sissy boy', we set off in search of some lunch. being in the shopping district close to the city centre, it was difficult to find non-touristy places. we ended up in, of all places, a kebab shop. it's only ironic for us, since we live next door to a kebab shop in london.

after lunch we set off for, you guessed it, more walking. we wandered around the narrow alleys, and winding pedestrian walkways, passing by the occasional coffeeshop and catching a whiff of, well, you know, until we ended up at amsterdam's famous floating flower market. it's definitely something cas' mom, or any gardener for that matter, would quite enjoy as the selection was massive. besides, the fact that the stores are floating on the canal is quite novel. of course, getting any seeds or plants back home would pose at least a little challenge. we weren't bothered enough to figure out whether it was more cost effective to buy seeds there and send them back or just buy seeds at home. seeing how we don't have a garden, the point was moo. (as in, it's a cow's opinion. it doesn't matter. although we didn't say that out loud. the way the dutch love their cows, they might have deported us on the spot. yes, we know the correct term is moot.)

we gradually made our way back closer to the city centre (mainly marked by amsterdam centraal train station), coming full circle in our little mini-tour. as it was nearing dusk, we started sizing up dinner options. caspian was a little hungrier, so we stopped by a tiny shop off one of the alleys for a snack of a broodje haring (herring sandwich). the shop was a tiny place consisting of a counter, a fridge and maybe four tables at most that was likely only frequented by locals. the gentleman behind the counter was very cordial and appreciated our modest attempts at speaking dutch.

for dinner, we decided to be completely adventurous and have indonesian food! the guidebook had mentioned that there was a sizable migration of indonesians to the netherlands in the 1940s, so we figured we'd give it a try. we found this great little indonesian restaurant off a side street, much less dodgy than some of the other alleys we passed through. the food was yummy, and satisfied the hunger in our bellies!

however, that being said, after dinner, we still managed to have the desire to seek out a place that sold chips. it's rather hard not to want some when every other person you walk past on the street is holding a cone of chips! the place we ended up getting the chips from was "voted #1 holland's fries", rightfully (or perhaps not) named manneken pis. as you may recall, the manneken pis is a statue that we visited in brussels, belgium...hmmm...makes you wonder what the connection is...

after that, we walked with isaac to the train station so he could head back to den haag. as all the shops had pretty much closed by this point and it was too dark to take any decent photos of the city, we decided to pack it in for the night. after all, a second day in amsterdam awaited us the next day...

to be continued...

den haag, netherlands - part 2

sorry. this was a long time coming. will get caught up. promise.

our second day in den haag started with us visiting one of the local markets. (actually, it started with a little adventure of us trying to ride a bike 'dutch style' - one person riding with a second person balanced on the pannier rack above the back wheel. we gave up shortly after and took a tram instead.)

as you may have already determined from reading some of our other posts, we've discovered that we absolutely love markets. and so far, the market in den haag is definitely one of the best ones we've ever been to. it's kept healthily away from anywhere tourists would venture to, a true local hangout. this was a small taste of what life in den haag is really like.

the first thing you notice about the market is how many stalls there are. the market stretches across a few blocks and spans two stops on the tram. the market generally has a food section (both prepared and produce) and everything else, encompassing clothing, household goods and general knick-knacks. that we spent most of our time in the food section goes without saying.

we really enjoyed the opportunity to try some local specialties. for breakfast we had haring, a dutch snack that is basically salted raw herring, doused with onions and pickles. we also had a broodje speciaal (special sandwich), which is fried fish on a bun served with more onions and a spicy mayonnaise. i guess since everyone's got onion breath, it sort of evens out.

we saw a few cheese stalls, which was only natural, seeing how much the dutch love their cows. cheese, particularly of the gouda and edam varieties, is one of their more well-known national exports. we also saw the largest fish stall we had ever seen, with just about every manner of sea creature available to be bought (and eaten).

still a little hungry, we then tried a stick of surimi. in the window, it looks like deep-fried shrimp, which looked quite appealing and appetising. however, our first bite revealed that it was not, in fact, shrimp that we had bought, but essentially the same stuff used to make chinese fish balls made into the shape of a shrimp. still tasty, but a little disappointing given what we were expecting.

finally, we had a snack enjoyed worldwide, with a dutch twist: patates met pindasaus, a cone of french fries with peanut sauce. the sauce was very similar to one that accompanies a popular chinese snack - the combo of peanut butter and hoisin sauce that comes with fried dough fritters wrapped in rice noodle.

from there, we walked (cheapest method) back into the city centre, stopping by the buildings of parliament and the escher museum (although we didn't actually go in). we took a break at a cafe and sampled some poffertjes, mini pancakes, and an apple gebak and a pint of grolsch. the cafe was conveniently located next to a shoe shop called 'cinderella' so naturally, we spent a fair bit of time there. until dinner time, actually.

for dinner we took a tram out to the seaside to a cute little seafood restaurant. we started with kroketten, the dutch version of croquettes made with shrimp-meat. for mains we had baked mussels au gratin and grilled trout in a rich shrimp brandy sauce. after dinner we strolled next door to the pub for a pint and fresh mint tea.

we would have strolled along the pier, but it was chilly and windy so staying inside was definitely the better option. we topped it off with some dessert and headed home, again, thoroughly exhausted. not very exciting, we know, but we figured some rest would do us some good before we traveled to amsterdam the next day.

to be continued...

den haag, netherlands - part 1

it had been a while since our last trip and so, after a busy october, we decided to take another weekend break. of course, we had to choose a place to go and, as our list is still quite long, it wasn't a straightforward choice.

well, as it so happens, a good family friend from toronto is doing an internship at the international criminal court in the netherlands. since he's only there for six months, it would be good to take the opportunity to visit.

now, there are a number of routes to den haag (pronounced 'den-ach', as if you're trying to do a

poor imitation of a scottish accent) from london. you can take the eurostar from london to brussels (the same route we took just a couple of months ago) and then transfer to the thalys, another train that takes you to den haag. the eurostar takes about an hour and a half, and the thalys is another hour, which definitely makes this the scenic route.

another option is to take a train up to the eastern coast of england, to a small town called harwich. a ferry will take you across the channel to a port in between den haag and rotterdam. while we were advised this is the cheapest option, it also seemed a little complicated with a lot of transfers. so we decided to forgo it this time around.

the third, most obvious and popular route is to go to fly from london to amsterdam and take a short train ride to den haag. the flight is less than an hour and the train is 30 minutes, which means

traveling time of an hour and a half total (not including all the airport hassle), making this the quickest route. as a bonus, it takes us through amsterdam, so we might as well spend a couple of extra days there too (more on that later). it was also a big thing for us, as this was our first experience with easyjet, one of europe's prominent discount airlines.

so off we went and, just shortly after takeoff, the cockpit informed us that we were preparing for landing. this could be the shortest flight we've ever been on. we were greeted at the airport by a fair bit of rain. unfortunately, schipol (amsterdam's airport) didn't have the telescopic (and, more importantly, covered) walkways that usually connect to the airplane door, so we had to walk down a slippery and rickety set of metal stairs to the tarmac before rushing inside the terminal.

the beauty of a) taking weekend trips, and b) flying easyjet means that you generally don't have that much luggage. this makes it a breeze to embark and disembark. so after clearing customs and adding yet another stamp to our passports, we were out in the main hall of the airport.

unlike toronto, amsterdam's train network runs right to the airport, making connections super easy. the hard part was figuring out how to get tickets for the train. luckily, the little dutch that we had learned came through for us and quite shortly, we were on a train headed for den haag. actually, the timetable said the train would be leaving from platform 4 and the train was actually on platform 3. we were a little confused, as the sign on the train did say 'den haag', so we asked someone who was nice enough to confirm our suspicions for us.

the train ride was quite nice, rain notwithstanding. the route takes you by lots of very flat countryside with large expanses of field and farmland separated by canals. a few sections were dotted with cows (which the dutch love) and sheep.

we arrived at the den haag centraal station and had some time to kill before we had arranged to meet with our friend at the courthouse so we decided to go for a quick walk around the station to see what we could find. we came across a grocery store called albert heijn, and since we love to compare retail experiences in grocery stores, poked around inside to see what it was like. we picked up a bottle of water for 40 cents and carried on until we found a little restaurant for some breakfast. (one of the tradeoffs of flying easyjet is the early flight with no in-flight meal)

we had read about dutch specialties and decided to get an early start on trying them out. we ordered some pannenkoeken (pancakes) and an appletaart met slagroom (apple pie with whipped cream). to drink, we had chocolademelk (hot chocolate) and something called a wiener melange, which is like a cafe au lait.

after breakfast, we took a bus to visit the international criminal court. we actually went in to observe part of one of the trials going on, which was kind of interesting. but trials can only get so interesting, so after we'd had enough, we set off for our friend's flat.

the flat was on the top floor and was very spacious and nice, if a little cold. the stairs start off fairly normal, but by the time you get to the top, where the staircase winds around itself, it's quite steep and you are quite tempted to start using your hands, as if rock climbing. we imagine it can be quite treacherous in the dark, since the steps near the top are very narrow, only about a couple inches deep, and about half a foot tall.

the rest of our day consisted of walking around the city centre to see a couple of landmarks (e.g., the queen's house) and strolling through the shopping district. it soon got dark and we soon got hungry again, so our friend took us to a rustic cafe/pub for some traditional dutch fare (including some roast venison with root vegetables and frites in a skillet), which we thoroughly enjoyed.

satisfied and a little exhausted from a full day of traveling and walking, we retired back to the flat to unwind and prepare for the day ahead.

to be continued...

life in london: 2

2. accents

to the average north american, the british accent is very attractive. people are probably wondering whether we'll come back with an accent ourselves. the short answer is no.

what we didn't realise until we got here is that there isn't just one british accent. in fact, there are quite a few. actually, there's a distinct accent for just about every major city in the uk. because of that, the only way we'd be able to pick one up is to surround ourselves with only one accent, say, by moving to the countryside. (the other reason is that a surprising number of people in london don't even have english as their mother tongue).

here's a short list of different accents that you may come across:
london (cockney)
manc (manchester)
yorkie (yorkshire)
geordie (newcastle)
scouse (liverpool)
brummie (birmingham)
brizzle (bristol)
essex
and the public school accent (the 'proper' british accent that most people probably imagine when they think of a british accent)

toss the irish (north and south), welsh and scottish, aussies, kiwis and south africans in the mix too because there are plenty of them about to.

by the time we leave, we probably still won't be able to recognize all the various accents, let alone pick one up.

life in london

there may be a few of you who are wondering what life is like in london. beyond what we've already written about (like grocery shopping), we'll try to capture the tidbits we've picked up in the 7-ish months we've been here.

1. standard vacation in canada = 10 days. standard vacation in london = 23 days. london 1, canada 0.

we're still here

sorry for the radio silence for the past little bit. rest assured, we're still alive. it's just been a little 'manic', as they say here, lately. but we've got a few updates coming your way shortly. so stay tuned!

brussels, belgium

the end of august brought about another bank holiday, meaning our first long weekend after starting work and an excellent opportunity to do some more traveling. unfortunately, we didn't plan quite early enough and prices were a little bit higher, most likely due to the higher anticipated demand from the holiday.

in the end, we settled on another eurostar vacation. after all, we figured we might as well take advantage of our wonderful location, a scant 10 min stroll from st. pancras international train station. we also figured we'd continue to get the most out of our french education and decided to head to brussels. after we booked our trip, we found out that our aussie friend, dan, was also going to be there at the same time.

make no mistake about it, this was going to be a culinary-themed holiday. our objectives were simple: 1) chocolate, 2) waffles, 3) fries, 4) mussels, and 5) beer. everything else was optional. belgium has plenty more to offer, and there is lots to do in brussels. but we would be more than satisfied if we covered off our modest list.

our hotel was located in the european quarter, really close to the EU headquarters by schumann metro station. while it was away from the city centre, that also meant it was quieter in the evenings. in actuality, it was beginning to seem like nothing is really that far in europe, as we could walk to our hotel from the city centre in about 15-20 minutes.

the brussels known to tourists is quite small, and revolves around the square known as the grand place (meant to be read/said with french pronunciation). the square itself has a lot of heritage, with guildhouses and the town hall dating back to the 15th century. by comparison, canada (yes, the country) was born yesterday. we read that karl marx wrote the communist manifesto in one of the guildhouses lining the square. the square is dominated by the town hall (hotel de ville). we know very little of architecture (although being in europe, you can't help but learn), but the gothic building was very beautiful and intricately built.

the rest of the city centre is basically in a one mile radius spiraling out from the grand place. other notable sights we visited included the famous, if slightly irreverent, manneken-pis, which is a statue of a peeing boy. yes, really. galeries royale de st-hubert, a very pretty and posh covered shopping arcade. we also stopped by the comic strip museum; belgium has a fascination with comic strips and both tintin and the smurfs (yes, those smurfs) were created by belgian artists. we walked into the museum of chocolate (where else would you find one?), but felt that 4 euros was a little too much to pay to learn about chocolate without actually getting to eat any.

but the real stars of this trip were ennumerated earlier. it is hard to find a block without at least one chocolate shop. godiva, leonidas, and neuhaus are all internationally renowned chocolatiers. you can get strawberries dipped in a chocolate fountain at leonidas and chocolixirs - extremely rich milkshakes - from godiva. that's not to mention the stacks of truffles and pralines. but the clear winner had to be wittamer, located by the grand sablon, whose pralines were absolutely divine. flavour so rich and texture so smooth had to come at a price, but it was worth every penny.

equally ubiquitous were the waffle shops. there are actually two different types of belgian waffles. the type normally found in north america are of the brussels variety. they are light and fluffy, but don't taste like much on their own. that's why they're usually accompanied by toppings such as strawberries and chocolate. the other type is the liege-style waffles. these waffles are more dense and sweeter, usually with a caramelised crust. they also look like they have the corners trimmed off, although we never really learned why. after trying both (many times), we find that we prefer the liege-style waffles. the fact that you can get them on the street from a trolley just makes them that much cooler. our friend also tried one from a van off the street - similar to an ice cream van, except they sell waffles too.

as a bonus, we also found another trolley that sells...wait for it...escargots of all things. it was located on a street corner by manneken-pis. needless to say, we had to sample such a bizarre phenomenon. they were different form escargots we have had previously, the type that's basically baked in garlic butter. these were stewed in a peppery broth, but equally tasty.

the third regular sight in brussels is the chip shops. a wonderful snack that would be very dangerous for our waistlines were we to live here. the chips (i.e., french fries) are really good here, probably better than in paris and definitely better than those found in london. for a little extra, they'll add a dollop of mayonnaise or some other sauce (the concoction of mayonnaise and ketchup is quite good) for you to dip. very convenient, and not overly expensive, a cone of chips is a great way to avoid hunger while walking around. they also make a great complement to the bowl of mussels, which can be found at almost every restaurant.

there was one section of very touristy restaurants. the menus are for the most part less expensive (around €10-16) than the more local restaurants. the trade-off is that the food is pretty standard fare (steaks that aren't really that good, chicken) and the service is what you would expect for tourists. on these menus, you won't find any belgian specialties. walking down the strip, you are regularly harassed by restaurant staff trying to get you to dine at their establishment (much like walking down brick lane in london). but if all you need is some mussels and fries, then they're a good option.

finally, a quick note about the beer. during our three days there, we managed to sample eight different beers. keep in mind that we're not really the drinking type. here are the beers we tried: bockor, hoegaarden, maes, leffe, stella artois, jupiler, kriek, chimay. some we have previously encountered in canada, but others were distinctly local. as a note, stella isn't really a big beer in belgium - most of the locals drink jupiler more than anything else. chimay is a beer made by trappiste monks and has 9% alcohol. and kriek (at least the variety we tried) is a fruit beer and we weren't sure whether it wanted to be a wine or a beer more. teresa notes that it tasted like cough medicine.

all in all, we quite enjoyed belgium. it was a delicious holiday and we would very much like to visit again. we're getting hungry just writing this recap. but, of course, there are other places we still need to see...

sushi in london

it had been over four months since we had last tasted japanese food, teresa's favourite. in toronto, there are japanese restaurants everywhere, albeit mostly owned and run by either chinese or korean families. but the quality is usually decent and the prices reasonable.

in london, you can get sushi easily enough, as it's quite popular here. but unlike toronto, the quality is suspect and the prices most definitely unreasonable. the big, quick-service takeaway chains (notably wasabi and itsu) do sell pre-packed sushi. and by sushi, we really mean maki and nigiri. one thing we'll give the brits is that, due to the popularity of sushi, most know the difference between nigiri/maki/sashimi and will often reference the more specific term instead of the generic catch-all of 'sushi'. i'm not sure the same capability exists in the average canadian.

you can also find pre-made sushi sets at ubiquitous pret, which is more known for its fresh sandwiches. even the big grocery stores sell sushi sets, designed to capitalise on the office lunch rush.

you can also find sushi at some pan-asian eateries, like hare&tortoise. we suppose the benefit of this is if you go with company that doesn't particularly like the idea of raw fish, they can happily munch on some black bean beef chow mein instead.

then there are the numerous japanese restaurants. but do not be fooled: japanese does not necessarily equal sushi. japanese food in london is much more sophisticated and can be broken down into different cuisine sub-types. some are ramen specialists. others are really izakayas (japanese pubs). there's even a restaurant near leicester square that specialises in okonomiyaki (japanese pancakes). so if it's sushi you're after, make sure the place actually sells sushi.

needless to say, it seemed a daunting task to sort through all of this and find a place that does sushi, does it well and won't charge you a small fiefdom to eat it. for teresa's birthday, we finally decided to test the waters. after some research, we discovered a place that was reputedly run and approved by japanese people, and reasonably priced. it was a little far, being out in ealing common (that's zone 3!), but we decided it was worth the trip to find out if this was the real deal.

sushi hiro definitely lived up to the hype. we're not the most sophisticated of diners and would likely be happy with mediocre quality, but to our simple palates, the fish here was excellent! when you walk through the doors, you are greeted by the wait staff all chiming 'irasshaimase' in unison, which is a good sign. the waitresses are clearly japanese and at one point, caspian thought it might be more fun to try to communicate in broken japanese than in broken english. we ordered a chirashi-don and a nigiri/sashimi platter. and the selection was very impressive, even including toro (fatty tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), and hotategai (scallop). we topped off our meal with extra orders of toro, hamachi and uni. all were fresh and very tasty.

while it wasn't the cheapest place to get sushi, the value was superb. the chirashi-don cost £12. in toronto terms, that's quite pricey. but keep in mind that, in toronto, chirashi rarely (if ever) comes with toro and hamachi). you're more likely to get maguro and that relatively tasteless tai stuff. sushi hiro definitely satisfied the long outstanding craving for sushi, and did so in style. of course, in so doing, it whet our appetites for more.

our next foray took place the night immediately following. we had tasted quality and now we were simply gunning for quantity. enter hi sushi, which is all-you-can-eat (AYCE) japanese. there are a few located around town, but the closest one is on frith street in soho, near the shaftesbury theatre. £14.80 gets you the AYCE deal, which is a little deceptive. first of all, there's a one-hour time limit. so it really should be all-you-can-eat-in-one-hour. second, the AYCE menu is divided into two sections, hot and cold. of the hot menu items, you can only order up to 8, and only once per sitting. it's only the cold items that are AYCE. and by cold items, we really mean salmon in a few variations (sashimi, nigiri, maki, spicy salmon maki, salmon and avocado maki). which was fine by us, because we quite like salmon.

we now know where to go to satiate our sushi cravings when they do come up. there are probably better places out there, in terms of quality. of course, we're also quite sure that those establishments are much much more expensive. for our money, sushi hiro and hi sushi will do just fine.

wicked

for teresa's birthday, we decided to do another one of those london things - the west end show. the west end is essentially london's version of broadway, and it's where all the musicals are running. there are a bazillion to choose from, from small to major production, old and new. the funny thing is, the west end really isn't all that west. it's more like in the middle. and not all the theatres are in the same area; there are a few scattered further out.

based on the recommendation of a couple friends, we decided to go see 'wicked,' the untold story of the witches of oz. historically, we've never really been musical (as in show) type people. teresa's seen the lion king in toronto. caspian saw stomp ages ago (does that even count as a musical?). and the extent of all our recent activity involving musicals has occurred largely/solely on cruise ships in the caribbean.

trade secret: there are many ways to get tickets to wicked. you can buy them online from a number of ticket resellers. you can go to a physical ticket booth that specialises in selling tickets to shows(there are many around london, most of them in leicester square). while these routes will allow you to get tickets for cheap (as low as £17), you get what you pay for. we were going to go this route until we discovered the best option. every day, the box office at the theatre itself will release about 24 tickets for the front row for only £20 apiece. and by front row, we mean front row: you-a little space to walk in front of you-orchestra pit-stage. the tickets are released at 10am every day.

alas, by the time we started queuing, there were already a number of people in line. apparently 5 min before 10am isn't early enough, but we're sure quarter to 10 would suffice to get you tickets. by the time we got there, there was only 1 day ticket left (what are we going to do with one ticket?). so we had to get other tickets since we were pretty much set on going that day. but the benefit of being at the box office is that they can tell you exactly what the seats are like, and even get you some deals. we scored tickets that were valued at £60 for only £30 - half off ain't bad.

the show itself was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the experience immensely. our seats were great, located second row in from the balcony. the box office lady told us that we'd be close enough 'to see the actors' faces' (we guess this is important to theatre-goers?) and, sure enough, see their faces we could. the songs were energetic and fun. the vocals were excellent (at no point were we scared that the big bold notes would not be hit - not so when watching x-factor). the story was clever. and the ending was satisfying (we wouldn't want to spoil it for those of you who have yet to see it).

if you have the time when you stop in london, we highly recommend catching a show, any show really. if you're a big fan of musicals, and are highly critical, then maybe you won't be quite as awed by wicked as we were. but sometimes ignorance actually can be bliss.

paris – epilogue

Something that struck us while we were in Paris was the poor. It’s something that we hadn’t noticed as much in London, although since returning we have been more aware.

In Paris, it seemed people weren’t afraid to ask you for money. In particular, there seemed to be more gypsies (technically, the Romani people), who are quite pushy in their attempts. We also saw people rummaging through public rubbish bins looking for food to eat. All while we're indulging in French cuisine.

It was an important reminder for us. In a lot of ways, our little adventure can be self-indulgent. Yes, we want to challenge our faith and grow in our knowledge of God. But there is also the aspect of traveling and seeing different places. Perhaps it was God’s clever way of putting our trip in perspective and reminding us of how much He has blessed us in terms of worldly wealth. But worldly wealth, namely holding onto it for ourselves, has very little bearing on eternity.

A heart for the poor is something that we felt when we were still in Toronto. In retrospect, it is something that we had lost since arriving in London. After a humble reminder in Paris, it’s something we’re keen to regain.

paris – part iv

Monday marked our last day in Paris. While we had enjoyed our time, all the walking and standing (waiting for the Tour de France) had also thoroughly tired us out. We’re reminded of why we avoided a European honeymoon and are quite pleased that we did. We had already covered a lot of ground (literally), and had at least stopped by almost everything on our ‘Paris for tourists’ list. In retrospect, it really isn’t that much – Paris is a wonderful city and there is so much more to it than just the Eiffel tower. It’s a city that would be really fun to live in. Don’t worry, though – we’ll be sticking with London. The French would never give us visas anyway.

But back to Monday. We decided to keep the schedule light and not get too ambitious. Our first stop was up in the Pigalle area. Pigalle is a fascinating area in that it is quite seedy. Sex shops and clubs brazenly flaunt their wares with their bright, flashy neon signs – even at 10:30 in the morning. But just to the north lies the charming neighbourhood of Montmartre, with its somewhat windy, cobbled streets. You may be wondering why we ventured to Pigalle, then, if it is so unsavoury. We went because our inner romantics wanted to visit the fabled Moulin Rouge.

As is our custom when ‘visiting’ landmarks, we didn’t exactly go in to watch a show. With the entry fare at a cool €100 per person for dinner and a show, we decided we weren’t that interested in what was beyond the doors. A cabaret is not something we’re quite sure we’d enjoy either. The entrance had displays that told of the origin and history of the club. We found out that the likes of Sinatra and Piaf had graced its stage, and royalty from several countries its audience. Yes, there is actually a windmill over the entrance.

From there we (slowly) strolled through the streets of Montmartre to reach the funiculaire that would take us to the top of the hill. We considered, albeit briefly, taking the stairs, but decided to experience riding up in (lazy) style. Our t+ tickets for the metro worked for the funiculaire too, making it quite convenient. At the top of the hill of Montmartre, the highest point in the city of Paris, sits the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. Sacré-Coeur is a cathedral built in the late 19th century. Its construction was funded by donations from French Catholics in penitence for the Franco-Prussian war. We thought that was quite interesting. In the Bible, people built altars out of praise and temples out of a desire to worship God. Here was a church that was built out of contrition. Would we do that today? Would we feel so moved by our past actions to build a church? Would we even acknowledge wrongdoing in today’s laissez-faire, post-modern society where anything goes?

The view from Montmartre was spectacular. You can see the endless sprawl of Paris and be reminded of the incredible density of the city. We took our time walking down from the hill, savouring the view (and the sunny weather). The rest of our day was spent wandering about different patisseries in search of more goodies before we left. If you go to Paris for nothing more than eating pastries, it’s still well more than worth it in our estimation.

The beauty of Paris is how convenient it was to get there from London. We’ll hopefully be able to return one day. But until then, there are many more places to visit.

À bientôt!

paris - part III

our third day in paris took us to the fabled champs-elysées. we hopped on a metro and were off to our destination. coming out of the metro station, we were greeted by the arc de triomphe, which sits at one end of the long, wide avenue (place de la concorde is at the other end).

on this day, there were no cars (not even fancy ones) allowed on the road. the road was thoroughly barricaded off on both the sides and the end. you see, this day we were to witness the finale of the tour de france.

we were there sufficiently early to be right at the barricades (the equivalent of front row seats), but it was still 10:30 in the morning and the riders weren't scheduled to arrive until 4:30 or so. as keen as we were, we weren't too keen on waiting 6 hours. instead, we took the opportunity to stroll down the street and explore the shops that lined it.

the champs-elysées is paris' most famous avenue, known for its shopping. it wasn't quite as we expected it, but it was still very nice. on this day, we had to contend with the many stands that were set up to sell tour de france merchandise, which maybe took a little away from the mystique. because of the barricades, we ended up strolling down one side and back before proceeding down the other side.

we went inside the peugeot store, which featured some concept cars for tourists to gawk at. we were more interested in the other branded stuff. at the william ashley sale in toronto, we had noticed some kitchenware designed by peugeot but never realised they had enough to fill a store! they even had pens, notebooks, ties and cufflinks. we also wandered into a massive sephora, the french beauty retailer. did you know that sephora is owned by LV? we didn't either!

we into more stores on the other (south) side of the street. for one, the LV flagship store is on this commercial stretch, although we weren't bold enough to go in. the toyota store featured a car mounted on the wall. the renault store had a massive tv that was showing the hungarian grand prix. a mass of middle aged men crammed into the store to watch all the action and cheered for...whatever there is to cheer about when watching f1 (it's a mystery to us). they also had an f1 simulation, but the queue was long enough to deter us from waiting.

our favourite store had to be ladurée, another of the top french patisseries. another friend had advised us that ladurée had the best macarons in paris. we bought the mini macarons this time and they were so colourful and cute! we also loved the packaging, which was very classic, but elegant. so the verdict? pierre hermé or ladurée? well, we're sure a case could be made for either and it probably comes down to personal preference. our vote is for ladurée. pierre hermé was good, but the ganache-quality filling was so rich it made our heads hurt a little. the filling at ladurée was quality as well, but the fruit filling in particular was quite tasty.

now on to the main event: the tour de france. after lunch, we assumed our position along the barricades. by this point, people had filled up every free spot right against the barricades so we picked a spot that gave us essentially 'second-row' seats. and then we waited. and waited. and waited some more. lucky for us, the weather was very nice and we even got a bit of a tan (to top up the tans we picked up in greece and wimbledon).

at about 3pm, there was some sign of life, and everyone bolted up in eager anticipation. it ended up being the sponsors' parade. while a fringe activity at best in north america, cycling is massively popular in europe. of course, that means it's also big money for corporate sponsors who want a piece of the media exposure. the parade gave each sponsor a share of the spotlight. some were quite demure, with only a convoy of a few branded cars honking their horns (lame). others were a bit more inventive, like vittel, the official water sponsor of the tour, who had people spraying crowds with water hoses. (they lucked out with the weather too; we doubt it would have had the same effect if it was raining)

the parade finished and, finally, after all that waiting, the real action was about to begin. we were tipped off by the helicopters flying overhead, filming the riders as they approached us. excitement rippled through the crowd that had been waiting for hours.

if you're ever going to watch the tour de france, either plan to watch multiple stages on your journey or watch in paris. only watch a single, non-paris stage if you're going to be content with waiting hours for a (super) quick glance at the riders. it may be a little better on a mountain stage where they'll slow down for the climb, but otherwise, they blow by you and are gone. we'd always known they ride fast, but we were still stunned by how fast they actually were, a literal blur of multi-colour clad riders.

the benefit of watching in paris is that the course actually takes the peloton on eight laps of the champs-elysées, meaning you get to see the riders sixteen times (one on each side). it's also kind of an interesting study on european sporting culture. i'm not sure you'd find that many sports fans in north america that would be willing to wait a whole day for but a moment's viewing. still, it was worth it, to be able to witness one of the world's great sporting events live. it was too bad lance didn't win yet another title, but he put finished in a respectable place (3rd overall).

once the race was over, the crowd disbanded, leaving the street in droves. we were thoroughly tired from standing most of the day and just wanted to find a place to sit and eat. unfortunately, a lot of shops and restaurants seemed to be closed on sundays. we finally settled on a restaurant for dinner, where we checked off a couple of more items on our list of classic French foods: escargots and crème brûlée. delightful!

after dinner, we were full and tired so we just headed back to the hotel for some rest.

paris, france - part deux

cue music (the french accordian stuff).

the next day we set our sights high. real high. as you can no doubt guess, our next destination was the fabled and iconic tour eiffel. so we hopped onto the métro and off we went.

tangent: we wanted to comment on the paris métro. more than an extensive network that takes you just about anywhere you'd want to go, the métro system oozes character. the trains themselves vary from rickety cars reminescent of the older ttc models (you know, the yellowy orange ones) to newer slicker versions with electronically lit route maps. it all depends on which line you're traveling on. without any hyperbole, most of the tunnels that made up our main line, the M4, were covered in graffiti. it made for an interesting ride because now you had more than just transit ads to look at. the stations themselves were very nice for the most part (except for saint sulpice for some reason). some were trimmed with riveted metal, while saint germain had a distinct art gallery feel (complete with display cases). upon reflection, we suppose toronto subway stations can be quite interesting too. it's just that we never really appreciated them much until we learned to appreciate the transit systems of other cities.

we arrived at bir-hakeim station and, along with the rest of the people on the métro, we got off to be greeted by not the eiffel tower. we had to walk about 10 minutes, cleared some really tall trees and buildings to even see it. kinda anti-climatic. when we saw it the night before, teresa had commented on how small the eiffel tower seemed. it was decidedly bigger up close and personal.

on the way there, we were passed by a trio of soldiers, stern-looking young men wielding automatic rifles. our sentiments were a blend of reassurance that someone was on the lookout and mild alarm over what (or who) they might be on the lookout for. it was pretty awesome (or at least cas thought so).

when we finally reached the base, we were disappointed by the insanely long queue. but we suppose it was to be expected. it is the tour eiffel after all. on a saturday. luckily for us, we learned of two ways to bypass the lines, thanks to our handy guidebook (thank you again, london public library system).

the first way is to dine at the jules verne restaurant on the second level. we don't really recommend this unless you have lots of excess money burning holes in your pockets (if you do, give us a call. j/k). that's what it'll take at the posh eatery, if the €85 menu is any indication - and that's just for lunch! the dinner menu will set you back a cool €200. of course, you could also order à la carte, with dishes like lobster (€95 alone) and frogs legs on offer.

on the opposite end of the financial spectrum, the cheaper way to circumvent the line is to simply take the stairs. it'll still cost €4.50 and you can only get to the second level (it costs €10.50 - and at least an hour wait - for tickets to the top tier), but it sure beats waiting. our feet were hurting a little from all the walking we had done the previous day, but the prospect of ascending paris' landmark spurred us on. and you never know when the next opportunity might come again. besides, we had already climbed up the cn tower by stairs, so might as well keep the theme going.

when you climb the cn tower, you're encased by the concrete prison of the stairwell shaft. the tour eiffel, by contrast, is completely open, with only the heavy metal lattice and some thin metal mesh separating you from a pretty nasty fall. the air is much fresher, but you're also exposed to the wind. and there are these little holes in the metal steps. if you're even remotely scared of heights, the €200 menu might not seem so bad halfway between the first and second levels. but tough it out because the view from the top is amazing! because the tower is almost at the centre of the city, there's lots to see at each of the 360 degrees.

after we'd soaked in enough of the bird's eye view of paris, we had to get down. the pain in our feet had only increased from all the stair climbing so we tried to find an alternative means of returning to the ground. salvation came in the form of a scammed ride on a descending elevator and soon we were back on terra firma.

we slowly strolled through the parc du champs de mars, stopped to take some pictures, and found a little café for some dejeuner and rest. after lunch, we took a walk down la rive gauche, passed the hotel des invalides and crossed the pont alexandre III (which has massive statues of stone angels wielding golden swords). we walked between the grand palais and the petit palais to reach the fabled champs-elysées and the place de la concorde, with its 3,300 year old egyptian obelisk.

along the way, we stopped at a bakery. the bakeries alone are reason enough to love paris. they're everywhere and oh so good. it's amazing french people aren't either comatose from eating everything in sight, bankrupt from buying everything on display, or both. baguettes are so fresh that they're still warm when they're handed over the counter and they make the most sumptuous crackling sound when you tear a piece off. they were so good, we ended up eating 3 during our four-day trip. the pastry is peerless (in our journeys so far, at any rate), so whether you're munching on a pain au chocolat or a butter or almond croissant, the texture and flavour is to die for!

this topic will inevitably bring us to macarons. not to be confused with macaroons as we know them in north america, macarons are delectable little treats that resemble fancy oreos. of course, the biscuits are of almond meringue, the filling is a rich ganache, and they come in myriad flavours and colours. among the travel tips we were given was to visit a store called pierre hermé that reputedly had the best macarons in paris. the queue out the door to the end of the street was a good sign that this reputation was going to be backed up. and it was indeed. the macarons were very rich - both in cost and in flavour. as a note, never try to eat more than a couple in one sitting.

from there we meandered over to the musee d'orsay, but it was too late to be worth paying the entrance fee. we crossed back over to the right bank in search of a suitable venue for dinner. our quest took us through the royal palace gardens, with its whimsical square trees, and les halles, the site where the paris central market used to be held. not too far from there, we finally ended up at our destination: au pied du cochon.

those of you who have heard our foie gras poutine story will recognise the name as being the same as the restaurant in montreal where we ate during our weekend getaway a scant four (or five) years ago. although there is no affiliation that we know of, it's somewhat of an institution in paris as well, the restaurant being open 24/7. its claim of having never closed its doors in 60 years is quite impressive when you consider that the restaurant has been open longer than both our cumulative lifetimes.

we started off with a platter of raw oysters (we had oysters in montreal too) and a bowl of onion soup. for mains, teresa had a duck confit and caspian decided to give steak tartare another go (this time it came prepared). we've never really looked for it in earnest in toronto, but it can't be anywhere near as common as it is in paris. we're sure not that many places in london serve it either and those that do will charge a handsome sum for the privilege. the meal was capped off by a moelleux au chocolat, which is just a fancy french name for a molten lava chocolate cake. as a nice little surprise, they also gave us some pig-shaped meringues. again, we discovered we had a tendency to eat much earlier than the locals and found ourselves leaving as the restaurant started to fill up (always a good sign).

our evening walk this time took us to the home of the paris opera, an impressive looking building that we're sure is every bit as grandiose as the opera itself. thoroughly satisfied after enjoying a delicious meal and watching the sun cast its setting rays over the gold-gilt statuettes, we hopped back on the métro and headed back to our hotel for some more well-deserved rest. it was going to be another big day tomorrow...

to be continued...

paris, france - part deux (preview)

paris, france - part I

paris is the most obvious place we would visit after moving to london and, despite the built up anticipation, it did not disappoint one bit.

yes, there are lots of tourists (we discovered that we don't like tourists much even when we're tourists ourselves). yes, the french smoke a lot. and yes, parisians can be...well, parisians. but the city still has a magical quality.

this trip also marked the first time we have both traveled (across borders) by train, which was very exciting. and there's no better train for a first trip than the eurostar, the quintessential TGV.

before we left toronto we explained that part of our decision to move to london was the travel opportunities. the example we gave people was that a weekend in paris sure sounds much more exciting than a weekend in montreal. not to knock montreal or anything (we still like the place), but when you're compared to paris, you don't really stand much of a chance. on top of that, our train ride to paris was actually less expensive than a train from toronto to montreal, and two hours shorter. score.

we arrived early in the morning, discovered that our french was at least adequate in getting t+ tickets for the métro, and set off for our hotel. travel tip: if you visit paris, you may be tempted to just buy a paris visite pass. but if you're only visiting for a few days and know exactly how many trips you need, it may be more cost effective to purchase a carnet of t+ tickets (a discounted pack of 10). they work on buses, the métro and even on the funiculaire at montmartre. keep in mind that paris is quite a dense and quite walkable city (and there are bikes that are free for 1/2 an hour).

after quickly checking in, we got right down to business - the business of eating that is (why else would you visit france?). we reconned the area around our hotel (by porte d'orléans métro) and settled on a cute little brasserie. we selected a breakfast menu and got a lot of food (a menu in france is essentially a set course meal; a 'menu' as we typically understand it is a 'carte', hence the term 'à la carte'), including two drinks each. teresa had a galette, which was ham and egg wrapped in a crêpe-ish thing. she washed it down with a pineapple juice and hot chocolate. caspian had a plat de charcuterie with ham, cheese, an egg and a basket of fresh baguette. it was accompanied by a cup of coffee and another cup of cidre - europeans really do start drinking early!

energized, we set off for our first round of sightseeing and doing all the typical touristy things. our first stop was notre dame. for the record, it is much more impressive in real life than in any cartoon disney can muster. it can also be kind of creepy, what with hundreds of stone faces watching you and the gargoyles lurking above. but still, it is majestic and definitely worth checking out, especially considering it took 300 years to build. like most of the places we 'saw', we didn't go in on account of the long queues, but maybe next time. on a side note, in the square outside the west face, there is a peculiar statue of charlemagne that bears a lot of resemblence to davy jones from disney's pirates franchise.

from there we walked along the north bank of l'île de la cité over to île saint-louis across a bridge that is reputed to be one of the most romantic spots in paris (one of the most romantic cities in the world). that's a lot of romance! we strolled down the main street of the island in search of berthillon. we received a tip that this was some of the best ice cream in paris. unfortunately, the main restaurant was closed, but there were plenty of windows that were more than happy to help us sate our craving. it's no scoop, but the ice cream was excellent and full of rich flavour.

we then journeyed onto la rive droite and sought out the place des vosges for a bit of respite from the tourist hordes. paris is dotted with quaint and picturesque squares and parks that offer quiet and peace in the middle of a busy, bustling city. place des vosges is beautiful and peaceful, with a fountain at each corner and plenty of benches for a rest after all the walking we had done getting around.

our next mission was securing some dinner, but on the way we passed by the bastille, a monument commemorating the french revolution. the thing with paris is you rarely (if ever) lack a good selection in terms of places to eat or drink. the marais is no exception and we were a little overwhemed with the choice! it was hard for us to decide because we didn't really know how good a place would be and were trying to be mindful of the cost. normally, we would try to find a place filled with lots of locals, but we discovered that we eat much earlier than continental europeans, who were still busy with happy hour.

dinner was caspian's first adventure with steak tartare. for those who don't know what it is (the waiter asked us just to make sure we knew what we were ordering), steak tartare is raw steak that has been minced. to add to the effect, it is served with a raw egg. this particular place allowed the diner to season the dish to taste, although other eateries may bring it to the table already prepared.

after dinner, we were both full and decided it would be a good idea to go for a stroll to walk it off. we made our way back to la rive droite and spent the evening strolling along the riverbank arm in arm. there's surprisingly a lot of entertainment along the embankment, from exercise machines to lawn bowling, and even a man-made beach.

we eventually ended up by the louvre and decided to stop by for a look. although, again, we didn't go in, the pyramids look really cool and there are a couple of infinity pools in the square, which was impressive. french renaissance architecture quite lovely to look at and the square where the louvre is located, being a former palace was overflowing with its influence.

by this time, we were thoroughly tired. we knew that we had a lot more sightseeing to do yet and headed back to our hotel to get some much-needed rest and recharge for the day to come.

to be continued...

the gears of war

Cycling in London is quite an adventure. While helmets seem to be optional, a certain level of aggression is mandatory for survival. In Toronto, the cars dominate the road and bikers ride with a lot of caution. Or, in most cases, in mortal fear. In London, the distribution of power is a little more balanced and, while cyclists don’t necessarily have any official right of way, they do have more respect on the road.

There are two exceptions to the general statements made above about cyclists riding in fear in Toronto. Probably more, but we like to keep things simple and only have so much space. First, there are bike couriers, who are a different breed altogether and don’t understand what fear is. The second group consists of people who have grown up in a non-North American society where cycling is a more widespread means of transportation. They’re used to it and aren’t bothered by crazy Toronto drivers.

But back to London. One reason why cyclists have more road-clout is because there are so many of us. Perhaps it’s the inner tree-huggers manifesting themselves, or the cycle to work schemes where the government and some companies subsidise the purchase of a bicycle. Or the increasing ubiquity of cycle lanes and cycle-specific routes. Whatever the reason, cyclists come out in force, and they seem to be everywhere. It’s sometimes unnerving to be sitting on a bus and see a head float past you outside the window, but you get used to it.

Although we have yet to find ourselves in the middle of a peloton, we certainly don’t lack for company while riding. There’s a lot of diversity on the roads too. We’ve seen young and old, male and female, of all nationalities. Because it’s so widespread, cycling is big business. From courier bags and panniers to leg/knee/arm warmers, you can get just about any accessory to accompany you while cycling. Beyond the bike itself, there’s still an endless array of gear you can get and a good number of people willing to sell it all to you. We’re just going to comment on a few.

Obviously there’s the bike itself. We’ve noticed that fixed gear bikes (fixies) and folding bikes are immensely popular here. Quite surprising when you consider that a Brompton, one of the most popular brands of folding bikes, goes for about £600. But people ride all sorts of bikes here, from mountains to hybrids to racers. And it doesn’t matter whether your bike is new or old – we’ve seen some vintage ‘town bikes’ that look like they’re from the 60’s and 70’s still giving faithful service. Caspian is quite happy with the bicycle he picked up here. He found it on gumtree, which is London’s answer to craig’s list, and while it wasn’t super cheap, it was considerably less than going to a bike store and purchasing off the rack. It’s not as sleek and impressive as the bike we left back home, but the vintage Peugeot racer has loads of character (including yellow and green camouflage pattern handlebar tape that’s so bright, it ain’t hidin’ nothin’) and oozes street cred.

While helmets are optional for some, Teresa made sure it wasn't for Caspian. You can’t put a price on safety, after all. He got his online for half price during a sale and he’s quite enamoured with it. He was originally going to bring the one he has at home over, but we didn’t have room. At one point, he had considered wearing it on the plane, but then we weren’t sure whether we’d even need it, depending on how the job search went. But the one he got here is much nicer – top of the line, in fact (Specialized S-Works 2D). It’s so light sometimes he forgets he’s even wearing a helmet. And besides, it doesn’t make him look like a multi-coloured mushroom.

While many don't feel it necessary to get a helmet, it’s absolutely necessary to get a lock. Bicycles get stolen left, right and centre. We have often walked by bikes that have been stripped of most of its parts, from wheels and seats to even components, pedals and cranks. There are apparently tricks to decrease the likelihood of having your bike stolen. Top on the list is to outfit it with streamers and a basket. They reason like this: a bike thief has street cred to worry about and riding a bike with streamers and a basket (with flowers) means that all goes out the window. Having a good lock definitely helps, though. The general rule people go by is to spend at least 10% of the value of the bike on a locking system. Considering Cas’ bike wasn’t that expensive to begin with, that wasn’t going to be hard. There are a gazillion locks from which to choose, and each manufacturer has its own rating system as to how secure the locks are, which can make it quite confusing. To help simplify things, an independent company has undertaken the task of testing and rating locks on a common scale. So you’ll often see graphics on locks that certify it as ‘Sold Secure Gold/Silver/Bronze’. For the most part, the locks are similar in materials and design. The real difference lies in the locking mechanism itself and how sophisticated it is. After much research and agonizing over the decision, Cas settled on a Kryptolok D-lock and cable combo, also bought online. The D-lock is the main element and the cable is an extension that protects the front wheel. It’s got a Sold Secure Silver rating and we got it for 25% off with free delivery, which seems like a reasonable buy. It’s funny to observe the lengths to which people will go to secure their bicycles. We’ve seen people use heavy duty locks normally used for motorcycles and even one guy who wrapped his entire bike in electrical tape so it wouldn’t catch the eye of any thieves.

Lights are the next important and these are also pretty non-negotiable. London is further north in latitude than Toronto. While this is excellent in the summer, with the sun rising at 4:30am and not setting until almost 10:00pm, in the winter, this means a lot more darkness. In addition to lights, cyclists often adorn themselves with jackets and vests of a very pronounced fluorescent colour. London is often known for its sartorial savoir-faire, but this was probably assessed after people had changed out of their cycling gear.

Some cyclists wear facemasks (to filter out the smog). Caspian thinks they make you look like Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat. The facemask gets mixed reviews; sometimes it makes you look hardcore while other times, it makes you look like a wuss. After going a couple of days without it and sucking fumes from the backsides of buses, Caspian decided it doesn’t matter how it makes you look, it certainly beats having blackened lungs. And in the winter, albeit the milder London edition, it may help your face stay warmer.

Then there are mudguards or fenders. In Canada, this isn’t really high on anyone’s priority list because most people normally ride when the weather’s agreeable. Those who don’t probably find inclement weather part of the attraction. In London, a city famous for being rainy, mudguards become a bit more relevant. Some offices are good enough to have shower facilities where people can clean off and change. But some people still opt to ride to work in their suits (and Teresa’s still trying to figure out how girls manage to ride in skirts; Caspian hasn’t figured it out, but he hasn’t been bothered enough to think about it at all either). While it won’t make a difference when it’s actually raining, mudguards can keep you clean(er) and drier when it’s not raining but has recently (meaning the ground is still wet).

Finally, to hammer home the point that cycling is quite pervasive, we thought we’d touch on a more ridiculous side. There are companies that sell clothes – and we’re talking high-end fashion type clothes, here – that have been specifically designed for cycling. Think crisp three-piece suits tailored to stretch as you cycle and formal dress shoes that allow for cleats to be attached. And then there are the helmets for which you can buy covers that look like hats. So if you’re extremely wealthy and, for some odd reason, happen to be cycling through town (maybe your driver has the day off and you couldn’t book a backup in time), you can cruise about looking dapper in a nice suit with a matching fedora. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll leave the fluorescent vest at home.