Maggie and Drew, our fearless and hardworking leaders, just took a magical and much needed vacation to London and Paris. They did do a little bit of work on an exciting up and coming partnership (but you'll have to wait to hear more about that). We did a little Q&A on their beautiful trip and we're excited to share it with you!
What three items can you not travel without?
Maggie:
1. A chan luu cashmere scarf - works as a blanket on the plane, a wrap on the shoulders, or cozy around the neck. I bring one on every trip!
2. Comfy shoes - a typical travel day includes 10-15km of walking, so I always like to make sure my feet feel good.
3. Good hand cream. I am a crazy hand washer when travelling and love to have a nice hand cream with me.
Drew:
1. A comfortable pair of shoes that are appropriate for the largest number of possible situations (fancy dinners, exercising, walking, rain, etc)
2. A jacket with a high collar that I can zip up all the way to my nose.
3. Smart phone. It takes away some of the romance of travelling but at the same time makes it so much easier.
What are your travel rituals?
Maggie: Going to a local food market. Usually there are all sorts of delicious things to try!
Drew: I like to pack in advance and have everything extremely organized.
I also like to buy a new pair of shoes for a trip. This doesn’t always happen though.
We like to find local markets wherever we are going and explore them.
Also, if there is a Filson store or a Monocle location, I really like to visit them. I don’t know why, its not often that I will buy anything from them. Maybe its because they are usually in interesting neighbourhoods.
Top three spots in London
Maggie:
1. Skygarden
2. Nopi by Ottolenghi… I want to live here. We ate beside the kitchen at a communal table, it felt intimate.
3. Marleybone neighbourhood wander… the cute shops with christmas decor and the hustle and bustle was magical.
3.5. Liberty of London is like a dream in a dream… beautiful things, beautiful flowers, beautiful heritage building.
Drew:
1.Borough Market
2. Nopi
3. Regent St
Top three spots in Paris:
Maggie:
1. Buvette restaurant - delish and so romantic
2. the Eiffel tower at night - crisp air, dark sky and beautiful lights
3. L’Orangerie - what a special treat to wander through a beautifully collection of artwork capped off with two rooms specially designed for large scale paintings of Monet's waterlilies
Drew:
1. L'Orangerie museum
2. Rue Saint Honore
3. Buvette
3.5. Perruche (honourable mention bc of view)
What is a moment from your trip that stands out in your mind?
Maggie: We were walking through a courtyard in Paris, there was a woman singing opera in a nearby arcade. Her voice was incredible and it was filling the air with the most beautiful sounds. Drew leaned over and kissed me. It was perfect.
Drew: Walking through borough market. I had never been before and we went on a cold rainy day and I was very hungry. All the food I had was extra delicious because of that.
What is it about travel that makes it so special to you?
Maggie: Travel has a way of shaking you out of yourself and awakening all of your senses. It puts things into perspective, gives you a higher level view of the world. For me, it often creates space and awareness to understand what’s important.
Drew: I think it gives us inspiration for work, allows us to grow stronger and closer as a couple and gives us more diverse perspectives that we can apply to our lives.
Hope you enjoyed our first travel diary!
xx
