We love the occasional visit to fashion and art market Portobello West, but sometimes a Sunday morning is best spent in bed or drinking Ceasars over brunch.

Which is why we were thrilled to hear that some of the market's best designer wares will be sold in Portobello Petite, a pop-up store open during the month of August. With fashion, childrenswear, and chocolates by Elroy Apparel, Jenn Ellis, Street Cat Designs, littleMoSo and Beta5, the selection is anything but small.

Market shopping… without sacrificing our Sunday mornings. We could get used to this. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

August 4-27 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Portobello Petite At the Rize Pop Up Shop, Kingsway and E. 10th Ave., Vancouver, www.portobellowest.com

For you, not any pork will do. On Sloping Hills tenderloin you prefer to spend your coin.

But you don’t need to dine out to have it. New grocer Greens brings those Qualicum Beach Berkshires, among other choice meats, to your home kitchen. Started by two UBC grads, the market focuses on organic and natural foods and products, and making as much of that good stuff affordable and locally sourced.

While shopping we had a lengthy chat with their meat and seafood manager and learned that in-store workshops on beginner’s butchery are in the works (so you can also save bills by buying a whole bird instead of just a couple breasts).

Greens Organic and Natural Market, 1978 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-568-3079, www.greensmarket.ca

If you’d rather sniff out a good Christmas treat than make one, follow your nose to the Baker’s Market.

Walk away with fine chocolates by My Chocolate Tree and Wendy Boys, cute cupcakes by Le Petit Cupcakery, gingerbread cookies from the Cookie Vonster or mini bundt cakes in a multitude of flavours (like lime coconut) by Miss Mandy.

Vendors take special orders too, so we suggest letting the ladies of Yummy Baked Goods make you a holiday fruitcake worth serving.

With the baking out of the way, all that’s left is the shopping.

Baker’s Market, November 20 and 27, December 4 and 11;  11 a.m.–3 p.m. Creekside Community Recreation Centre in the Olympic Village,1 Athletes Way, Vancouver, www.bakersmarket.com

The big one this weekend is undoubtedly the Junos, but there’s another, much smaller cultural gathering that’s got the goods too.

Before you watch husky-voiced Bryan Adams take the stage, head to the BLIM Community Market. At the first of what will be a regular end-of-month event, there’ll be local clothing and accessories, live music by sweet synth-poppers Fine Mist, food, and vintage finds of all kinds.

You’ll find us at the It’s Your Life table mulling over which whimsical necklace to buy.

BLIM Community Market, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., March 29, Cambrian Hall, 215 E. 17th Ave., Vancouver, www.blim.ca

Our intrepid reporter stepped out of her typical travel routine and into Africa with a trek to The Land of a Thousand Hills.

sleep
Touch down and connect with a tour operator who’ll take you to the Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, situated on one of the best inland beaches on the continent. Park yourself on the patio overlooking the pool, lake and lush hillside every morning for a complimentary champagne breakfast, then head down to the shore for a head and shoulder massage ($120). Before flying out, consider booking a couple nights at its sister hotel in the Kigali for potential run-ins with philanthropic stars (Scar Jo was spotted). From $122. Lake Kivu Serena Hotel, +250 541101, Gisenyi, Rwanda, www.serenahotels.com

eat
With beautiful views of the bustling capital city and a kitchen trained by New York chefs, Heaven really is a place on earth. While the delicious beef fillet with cassava chimichurri main is reason enough to eat there, the restaurant, run by a American couple, extends its good beyond good food by sourcing ingredients locally and giving the attentive staff—many of whom were orphaned by the 1994 genocide—a healthy wage. Heaven, No. 5, Rue du Mont Juru, Kiyovu (three streets from Mille Collines Hotel), Rwanda, www.heavenrwanda.com

drink
Rwanda boasts and roasts some of the best beans in the world, so park yourself at the nearest Bourbon Coffee for the afternoon. The café, which attracts all the caffeine-crazed expats, partners directly with local farmers, and will open up its first outpost on our continent this year. Bourbon Coffee, MTN Centre, Nyarutarama, Rwanda.

shop
For those who love to barter Canal Street-style, check out the lively Nyabugogo Market (at the bottom of Rue du Lac Hago) and its vast array of vendors. If fixed pricing is more your thing, head to the Union Trade Center (in Centreville) to satisfy your global shopper. UTC hosts a bevy of shops that carry unique Rwandan crafts—like beaded necklaces hand-rolled from recycled paper—that you’ll want to bring home.

do
Well-known for its gorillas, an expedition into the misty hills will have you witnessing the last remaining creatures that Dian Fossey first introduced. If you’re not ape about primates, but still want something wild, talk to a local tour company who’ll take you by boat to Napolean’s Bat Island on Lake Kivu. While we love the Dark Knight, we didn’t want to get too close, so our guide went on ahead and awoke the nocturnal creatures for us. He was able to rouse a thousand and it blew our socks off. www.thousandhills.rw

For years, millions have journeyed to Cork (Ireland’s “second city”) to kiss the legendary Blarney Stone. The story goes that it endows the kisser with the gift of eloquence. We went: You be the judge.

Do
Wander around the vibrant University College Cork channeling one-time student Cillian Murphy and visit the award-winning, architecturally stunning Lewis Glucksman Gallery.

A day trip to the picturesque town of Kinsale, just 30-minutes away, is a must. Ireland's (self-proclaimed) “gourmet capital” offers yachting, whale-watching and lovely scenic walks.

Eat
Graze your way through the local and international fare at The English Market on Princes Street. We loved the wine, the cheese, the fish... well everything really.

Table is a stylish restaurant inside the chicest store in town. Find it on the second floor of Brown Thomas on Patrick Street (another jewel in the Weston family's crown). We recommend the smoked mackerel paté or organic Irish beef burger.

Sleep
Book in to Cork's oldest hotel The Imperial in the heart of the city where classic rooms start at €99. The four-star hotel also houses Escape, Ireland's first Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa. Our pedicure there (€49) was sheer bliss.

Part of the fun of shopping at markets is braving the weather, dodging the crowds and getting your 'hands off, I saw it first' glare just right.

Still, the news that London’s famous Portobello Market has just gone on-line nearly brought a tear to our eyes.

Browse at pretaportobello.com and find the key pieces for achieving the '40s glamour look—as seen on Keira and Sienna in the forthcoming The Edge of Love—before everyone else this fall.

Or for a more authentic market experience, the Let's Trade section allows die-hard hagglers to exercise their bartering skills (three strikes and you’re out). Especially handy seeing as the international delivery rate is an extra 20 pounds.

www.pretaportobello.com

The hipsters have spoken. Berlin is officially the new European "it city" for all things cool. Herewith our insider picks:

stay

Grand Hyatt Berlin, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 2, www.berlin.grand.hyatt.com
Contemporary in design and conveniently located in Berlin's popular Potsdamer Platz area, it’s the perfect home base for the fashion-forward traveller. The rooms are giant by European standards and deliver sumptuous terry cloth robes, luxurious linens, complimentary Internet and flat-screen TVs programmed with killer ambient beats. 

shop

Hackescher Markt
Filled with contemporary ateliers, vintage shops, record stores and quaint cafés, Hackescher Markt is hands down the best shopping in Berlin for avant-garde designer finds. Scoop Drykorn and J. Lindeberg blazers and three-quarter coats for him at half the price you'd pay back home.

do

Spree River
Hop on one of the tourist boats (opt for an English speaking guide or you'll be lost!) and take a ride down the Spree. You'll get your architectural fix as you sail down the river, beer in hand, watching modern and old world gems float on by. Do stroll down the walkway post-sail for a romantic, tree-lined jaunt.

eat

Hotel de Rome, Behrenstraße 37, www.hotelderome.com
Dine on hearty Italian-inspired dishes like thick cut veal chops and creamy mushroom risotto at this newly opened and very opulent luxury hotel, once a Berlin bank. We loved the rooftop patio (with a glass of champagne of course!), which offers breathtaking views of the city day or night.

drink

Greenwich Bar, Gipsstrasse 5, 0177-280-8806
The bar of the moment in Berlin is frequented by upwardly mobile hipsters and music types in their best denim and sneakers. The room oozes modern chic complete with fashionable barmen, a sleek backlit bar and sophisticated decor.

Score more Berlin hot spots in Time Out Berlin.