The bravest seat in the restaurant.

I adore open kitchens in restaurants for the very fact you can see where the chef and cooks are dipping their spoons and fingers. No hygiene infractions were observed at The Flying Pig in Vancouver.  

Keeping Austin Clean.

Whatever. Whenever.

This is what a good night's sleep looks like in Austin, Texas. Sadly, pillows never photograph well. I can assure you they are clean as clean can be. That's because they are brand new. Thank you Whatever. Whenever.

Aromatherapy in Regent's Park.

London's green spaces offer you a chance to breath in cleaner air than on the streets. Regent's Park is one of the loveliest parks to revitalize. There are hundreds of varieties of roses to enjoy in an uncrowded environment.

I suggest triple washing.

No not paranoid, just think about what could land on this offering of greens as all walks of life pass by.

Cornish Sea Bass & Urinals.

This is not a post about odd pub names, but rather about a really great restaurant in London with sparkling urinals. My spy tells me the men's urinal at Dock Kitchen is the cleanest he has seen anywhere. The Ladies' Room was also very clean. I can also tell you that the food is a standout with a menu that changes weekly.

It only looks like a postbox.

I love staring at ceilings.

Why? I enjoy examining drywall workmanship, looking for signs of water damage (which could be a precursor to mold), admiring light fixtures like this one in my room at Covent Garden Hotel and keeping an eye out for microscopic bugs. (None were found at CGH.) This also gives me an excuse to stay in bed longer.

I enjoy a well-protected baugette.

Well mannered chiens.

I stalked these two for hours and they did not Poop and Run. Bravo!!!

Why is no one riding these bikes?

Because they are reading my blog and are afraid of germs. Cellulite is also something to fear. Hand sanitizer will eliminate 99% of handlebar germs. Trust is at times appropriately placed in pharamceuticals.

Yours to keep.

The Eurostar has the best selection of magazines available onboard. And you get to keep them!!! No shared sneezy germs. At least no shared sneezy germs from the pages of magazines. I still recommend arming your nasal cavities with saline mist.

Who is going to Paris on the Eurostar?

No hands required.

A light switch activated by foot sends me over the moon at the Covent Garden Hotel. Marks for blending in with the carpet. Carpet? I must admit I dislike carpet in a hotel because it always feels less than clean. HOWEVER, at CGH it always feels so clean. And I never feel that way about carpet anywhere. Their secret must be stored in the cleaning cupboard.

A Number 2 please.

Being clean on the inside is as important as being clean on the outside. Dirty thoughts excluded. Yeoman's in Primrose Hill offers a selection of fresh-pressed juices (fruit and vegetable) that will leave you purer than Mother Teresa. Number 2 according to locals, "Tastes like lawnmower." Personally, I think it tastes like a delicious-garden-vegetables-with-the-dirt-washed-off. If you are seriously hardcore, ask for the 'special' off the menu. Serious bonus points for staff who wash the produce and their hands.

Dock Kitchen is deliciously clever.

Not only was the food (Iraqi White Bean Soup, Cornish Cod, Seville Orange Tart) at Dock Kitchen exceptional, so was their homage to coat hangers. Or at least what I believe to be coat hangers. Their hangers are visually pleasing and perfectly spaced so your coat does not have to mingle with a stranger's. Strangers are known to cough and sneeze all over their garments;)

My movie date.

The screening room at Covent Garden Hotel. Minus the people. Plus the Champagne.

The best place to watch a movie.

In my humblest of opinions, the Covent Garden Hotel's private screening room is the absolutely perfect for watching a movie. No people. No mobile phones. No circulating germs and ...

Within Reach V.

Within Reach IV.

Within Reach III.

Within Reach II.

Within Reach I.

I adore a hotel that notes my preferences aka peculiarities. Thank you Covent Garden Hotel for ensuring my tissue is always within reach.

Points for Buca.

Sweet and simple. I adored the fact cutlery was placed on the plate as opposed to on the table.

The perfect amenity.

I found this in my room at the Hotel Le Germain in Toronto. A perfect welcome for the Hygiene Hunter. If you are not fluent in French, Google Refermables.

The No-Hand Press.

The best way to avoid germs on elevator buttons is by not directly touching them. A room key can be really useful in this situation. Especially if you do not want to carry around a tissue box like me. Just remember to handle the right end.

Overprotective at the Mercer.

Just the way I like it;) You'll find complimentary protection among your bathroom amenities AND sneeze-proofed food delivered to your room. This is my mighty Kale Shake that helps boost immunity.

This is how I like my carpet.

Lint free. With a sold-out hotel this was a triumph for Mercer housekeeping staff.

A bath at the Mercer anyone?

No, this is not an invitation. Instead of waiting over an hour to strip naked for the Carsten Holler: Experience at the New Museum I chose to bath in my clothes in private.

A bath at the museum anyone?

The only thing missing from the Carsten Holler: Experience at the New Museum is the smell of corn dogs. Thank you Carsten Holler. You can literally slide through the museum starting on the fourth floor, have your retinas fried on the second by flickering lights and take off way more than your shoes on the third for an out-of-body experience in the sensory-deprivation pool entitled the Giant Psycho Tank. Even though the policy for the tank is one person at a time, a shower was mandatory, the water salt, I passed on this experience since sensory deprivation is said to lead to bizarre thoughts. And quite clearly, I do not need any more of those.

A perfect start to the New Year.

The Mercer's Resident Pillow Fluffer ensures no fruitcake, turkey basters or New Year's Resolutions have slipped through the cracks in the sofa.