Red, Gold, Green and Black

Collage made from fabric pieces

About the Author

Who am I?

A bibliophile.

I believe you can never read too many books, and it irks me (deliberate use of a literary-sounding verb) that there are always so many books and so little time.

I read, I write, I golf (admittedly not as much as I would like given all the books I have yet to read), I travel (whenever the stars in my family's life are aligned), and I am an unapologetic foodie.

'Eat Mangoes Naked' is one of my all time favourite book titles; it inspires the hedonist within and reminds me of the possibilities of unadulterated fun in everything, even the simplest pleasures. 'Wanderlust' is one of my favourite words, no explanation required.

So, what inspires me? (Text below has been centered deliberately to make it look... poetic)

the sound of children's uninhibited laughter

eating bursting ripe mangoes the messy way - with juice flooding my mouth and dribbling down my chin

the smell of fresh rain

my morning cup of coffee

Friday afternoons that hold the promise of long, lazy weekends

the morning smell of a child's neck

the colours of a Flamboyant tree in bloom

slow-cooked lamb stew with dumplings on a winter's eve

the feel of sand between my toes

random acts of kindness

a good glass of red wine 

laughter that hurts my tummy and brings tears to my eyes

the purple blossoms of the Jacaranda tree in spring

hugs

Ghana's harmattan rain

the display on the treadmill clocking 45 minutes the morning after the night before

blue cheese with figs

a smile from a stranger

sometimes grey and rainy days

champagne

the feel of my Love's hand on the small of my back

the snow-capped tips of the Maluti Mountains

sunny Sundays

Joburg's thunderstorms

a brand new Moleskine notebook 

Paris in early fall

lazy Saturday afternoons spent braaing with friends

the bitter-sweet mingling of flavours of a well-made Mojito on my tongue

family

morning dew on freshly cut grass

and definitely, most definitely, a flaky on the outside, doughy-soft on the inside warm croissant eaten while leafing through National Geographic Traveler and dreaming of faraway places.

I lived in Accra, Ghana for three years;  but home for now is Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France. I write about my reading and writing, my travels and golfing and my eating exploits on AFRICAN wanderlust . Images of my wandering eye can be found on Wanderlust in Paris.

Thank you for visiting.

Strung along by Lithuanian Ladies

Saturday night saw us take in a show by The Electric Ladies Orchestra at Labadi Beach Hotel. Sponsored by Vodafone .

An injection of Ghanaian culture - Ohum Festival

Conversations in Ghana: Carol Mitchell - Author of The Caribbean Adventure Series

Photo by: Jaxon Photography

From Software Development to writing children's books, Carol Mitchell, who hails from St. Kitts in the Caribbean is doing just that. She is the published author of two books under her trademarked Caribbean Adventure Series.

Yoga in Ghana

Looking for an alternative to my normal cardio and strength-training exercise schedule I was introduced to yoga as a way to gaining more flexibility and a better use of my muscles that would not be too traumatic on my body, or so I thought. Traumatic it was not really, but it was definitely a test of my flexibility, or lack of, and I was duly humbled after my first session.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Red Chilli Restaurant

Eating out in Accra is never a rushed affair for a number of reasons...perhaps one's desire to linger over a meal or sometimes service that is too slow. Red Chilli offers the best of both worlds, honestly good traditional cuisine and a buffet service that ensures you can indeed have a quick but fantastic meal in less that one hour. I met friends for lunch and an hour later, we'd eaten, caught up and left fully satisfied.

Conversations in Ghana: Deborah Ahenkorah - Co-founder & Executive Director of The Golden Baobab Prize

Photo: Courtesy of Deborah Ahenkorah

Changing the status quo in her own way is what Deborah Ahenkorah; Co-founder and Executive Director of the the Golden Baobab Prize is doing. This young, driven and extremely passionate Political Science graduate went from feeling like a "cultural imperialist" in her undergraduate years due to her lack of knowledge about African Literature to being the brains behind a Literature Prize that aims to inspire a love for African literature in African children. She co-founded the Golden Baobab Prize with Rama Shagaya , a Bryn Mawr alumnus while still in college. Deborah credits Bryn Mawr College often in our conversation for its support of The Golden Baobab Prize in the early days of its inception.
Born out of her desire to see more children reading - what began as a book drive aimed at giving back to Ghanaian children has evolved into a renowned Children's Literature Prize that is now in its third year running.

'Long Walk to Freedom' for a five year old?

Two nights ago my husband questioned the merits of my reading Nelson's Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' to our five year old son.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Thai Island Restaurant

Afrikiko Leisure Centre - adjacent to the French Embassy, just off Liberation Road is proving to be a gem of a place for good places to eat. Cafe Dez Amis is in the same compound and the latest addition is a restaurant with authentic Thai food ; Thai Island restaurant.

One big dust storm

This is my third year in Ghana and the very first time I have witnessed the harmattan we are experiencing at the present moment. The dusty haze, the "setting sun" my son enquires about each morning - even in the recesses of his four-year old mind this is a new experience. There is general consensus among those that have seen their fair share of the dusty trade winds that it has indeed been a couple of years since they have been this harsh.
The constant haze from dawn till dusk, the thin layer of dust that covers everything, bouts of respiratory illnesses, the dry air in the atmosphere and accompanying desert-like feel of the outdoors - I am having images of tumbleweed rolling by... on the positive side, the temperatures are cooler, a welcome respite from the thirty-five plus degree temperatures and oppressive humidity. On the eve I arrived back in Accra another flight coming in was diverted to Nigeria due to poor visibility, yes, for me this is the stuff of urban legend and definitely my first real harmattan experience. Indeed all very fitting with the bizarre weather phenomena being experienced by the rest of the world at the moment. So living through one big dust storm and singing along to my son's steady tune from  the back seat each morning, "Harmattan, harmattan go away..."

Gastronomy in SA: African Swiss Restaurant

This is a post that should have been my first of the New Year but alas...New Year’s Day and most restaurants were closed so we stayed close to home. The African Swiss Restaurant is in Hartbeespoort . It is rustic  - cast iron chairs, mosaic tables on the outside and solid wood tables on the inside; with a huge fireplace that gets lit in the winter seasons and a roof with visible rafters. It feels more like a farmhouse kitchen than a restaurant – but the food is not simple or country.

Gastronomy in SA: Bella on 66 Rivonia Rd

Breakfast with one of my friends almost turned into lunch. We ordered their cappuccinos, and slowly ate our way through orders of English muffins with scrambled eggs and salmon and crumpets with bacon, banana and syrup – more like dessert really. Calories galore with all the taste though. Bella on 66 Rivonia is just off Rivonia Road, a stone’s throw away from Sandton City.

Gastronomy in SA: So Yum

Yes, So Yum was ever so good. I could not have thought of a more apt name for a place that serves such delicious food. I met a friend for lunch and was delighted by the tasty duck samosas with a hoisin sauce that she had ordered for starters.

Places in SA: Maropeng - Cradle of Humankind

Maropeng is a Tswana word that means "return to your roots" and it is a museum dedicated to the archaeological finds of the origin of man. The area in and around Magaliesburg is called 'The Cradle of Humankind' as it has produced the largest and oldest number of the fossil finds of hominid man ever found.

Gastronomy in Lesotho: Renaissance Coffee & Cafe

I met a friend for a coffee or rather, Red Cappuccino - a very strong rooibos tea filtered and made in the same manner as cappuccino served with honey. It is packed with anti-oxidants and tastes great. It was milk shakes for the kids. It was late afternoon, the cafe was relatively empty but I was absolutely charmed by the decor. They have on the walls prints of the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X - with accompanying famous quotes.

Gastronomy in SA: Tsunami Seafood Emporium

The lunch was pre-arranged a month ago...a reunion with former colleagues. We chose Tsunami Seafood Emporium in Morningside; a restaurant that first opened in 2005 after the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.

Gastronomy in SA: Vida e Caffe - Hyde Park

Internet access at last! Between travel and trying to find a quiet spot with a free wi-fi service, the posts had to wait...
Vida e Caffe (Life and Coffee); just the name brings a smile to my face; is a franchise of coffee shops in South Africa that first opened about 5-6 years ago; with the first opening in Cape Town and several more following in the rest of the country - I remember it being one of my stops every day to the office...ahhh fond memories of caffeine-filled mornings.

Gastronomy in Ghana: Tribes Bar and Restaurant at Afia Beach Hotel

I am continuously surprised by a view of the ocean a mere five minute drive from Accra city centre. Being in the inner city one forgets that we are actually by the coast and that reprieve from the traffic, smog and tro-tros is just a short drive away. My son had yam sticks and kelewele with shito - no worry about carb content with him. I had the fruity mango chicken curry; also sampled off my other dining partner's plate the steamed paw paw and rice with beef at Tribes Restaurant.

Places in Ghana: Till's Beach Resort

It was a long weekend this past weekend and we had no plans to travel beyond the immediate borders. Farmer's day  is a public holiday in Ghana falling on the first Friday of December that was first introduced in the 80s as a way to honour the farmers of the country and their contribution to the economy - a sign of the times, when sub-saharan Africa was experiencing boom times in agriculture. For now though, with the agricultural sector not performing that well, due mainly to crippling droughts and food security under threat in Ghana and much of Africa, one wonders as to how much longer this holiday will hold much significance.
That aside, Accra was relatively quiet, a refreshing change. We decided to go to Till's for the day yesterday.