Liam Passmore, International Man of Mystery

My friend and occassional business associate Liam Passmore is, as we speak, boarding a flight to Berlin. From there, he will travel to Paris for what he calls, “French Open action.” Congratulations are in order: he has successfully escaped the oven-hot temperature that San Francisco managed to reach today (a rare demonstration in this city of mecury rising) and he has winged into reality a very enviable springtime tour of Europe. A travelling man’s got to look the part. Here’s a peek inside his toiletries bag.

What are your necessities? Obagi prescription-strength skin cream and Tazorac acne treament to keep me looking young; clippers because they keep me alert; and my shaving brush, which always says hello when I lather him up. Oh, and Xanax because one pill plus a glass of champers always seems to press the charming button within me.

And your unnecessities? I’m traveling with the notion that everything I bring with me is a necessity. The actual unnecessity for me right now is what Flannery O’Connor called “the habit of being.” Bye bye Routine, and hello cool French and German interactions.

Why Paris and Berlin? I’ve been to both places, but in February. Very cold. I’m looking for a little springtime feeling and the oddness that comes with an environment that’s waking up from a long sleep. Also, I hope to find myself in some cool (and possible Algerian-oriented) situations…

Greatest expectation for the trip? Food and sex are definitely up there—see aforementioned Algerian-oriented situations above. I had Algerian food the last time I was in Europe and now I am smitten.

Follow Liam on his European vacation on his blog, My Saturday Clothes.