The “Adventures of Guillaume” continue! He is in the Big Apple and obligated excited to share his experience:

“To start, I’ve been spotting pieces of bitten apple all over the place, but I don’t want to name any names. Ok, enough with the insinuations, I mean the Apple Stores. They are everywhere and really fun to visit. I was surprised to find out that they stay open until midnight! That’s pretty practical for someone who works evenings, like myself. I’ve been to the one on the corner of 14th Street and 9th Avenue and it’s huge! Who wouldn’t go wild with all there is to see and the great euro to dollar exchange rate! Check it out here.

Another constant temptation: food. A visit to Starbucks could be a hard blow for dieters (well it is summer and beach time, after all). Here is photographical proof of the temptations that have me hooked after only a month (I know, I know, I’m a weakling):

I have to admit that supermarkets live up to the’super’ part of their name. But even though it’s reassuring to see I can find fruit and vegetable displays almost as beautiful as in France, there are some startling differences: take the simple fact that a mere slice of brie can cost around $7! Or the fact that it is almost impossible to find bread worthy of its name. The most puzzling by far is the astonishing piles of cookies, cakes and endless ice cream cases. Americans consuming unhealthy food perhaps isn’t that much of a cliché after all.

During one of my rare outings, I was happy to visit one of my favorite spots (at the moment at least): Pier 14. For all of you who have never been to New York, it’s a sort of mini-port where you can find taxi boats and other ‘cruisers’ that take tourists on a tour of the island. It’s a tranquil place (aside from the crowds, but after all, we are talking about New York), relaxing and you get a full-on view of the magnificent Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. And all you need to do is turn around to glimpse (a small part of) the Financial District. Take a look:

And finally, I can’t end without mentioning dear Thierry. I’m sure you all wanted to see him in action! Here is a small candid shot of the man worth 3 billion who makes conference calls faster than you can say  Jack Robinson.

That’s all for now. See you next time on ‘Big Apple Adventures!’”

Photo credits: Ricardolux

As a health freak and ex-vegetarian, I’m always interested in fresh foods and drinks. And so I’ve just come across something that is supposed to make you go bananas, literally.

Starbucks has come up with a new banana-based concoction called Vivanno. There are two versions of this Starbucks creation to choose from: Orange Mango Banana or Banana Chocolate, and all this wholesome goodness for less than 300 calories. Plus you can choose the kind of milk or even add coffee to the Chocolate version. Sounds yummy, but why are there only two? Whatever happened to the more the merrier….or does that just apply to people? In addition, as part of their attention grabbing proposal they’ve decided to include Naked Juice in the mix (available in Orange Mango Banana). As a fan of fresh, the combination definitely appeals to me. But, hasn’t Jamba Juice already come up with this? They’ve been offering fresh and fruity smoothies for years. So, even though competition has come a-knocking, I’m still not convinced.

So, why did Starbucks decide to join in on the juicy fun? It could very well be an attempt to bounce back after the decision to close down 600 Starbucks outlets. Personally, I am not a big Starbucks fan and am sick of seeing them everywhere. While living in Seville I witnessed two sprout up on opposite sides of the Cathedral in less than a year. Thank goodness Italy won’t let them in. It’s a shame to see them take over when there are so many nice, authentic coffee shops around. Nonetheless, since consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious the big names are responding. People want fresh and people want natural. In fact, Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts have already introduced smoothies based on this concept.

But, unlike at Jamba Juice, the potential competition is lacking in a key area: variety. I like having a lot of selection. Plus, I’m not a big coffee fan, not to mention anti-Starbucks. So if Starbucks wants me to go bananas over them, they’ll have to offer me a lot more than just chocolate.

Photo credits: Starbucks