Blogging Absence

I haven't been writing for a while now. I just moved to a new house and finally got a bit of time to relax. I still have lots to do but at least the move is over. It's been a hectic couple of weeks. And I'm so glad it's over.

Now let me have a cup of coffee and hopefully I can start writing again soon :)

Missed My Flights!

I just experienced an unexpected turn of an event. I missed my flight to a supposedly lovely holiday in Norway. And in my overall travel experience, this was the second time it happened. What a shame! I just can't believe it!

Last Friday, when driving to Stansted Airport, there was a long queue somewhere in M25 towards M11. At first, I thought I wasn't going to wait for very long but I think we were stuck there with very little movement for over an hour. Apparently, there was a tunnel refurbishment where only 2 lanes left allocated for an initial 4, hence the bottleneck happened. We reached the airport 5-10 mins before departure time and I was hoping for a miracle like a delay or something. We went through the customs and ran towards our boarding gate as quickly as we could, but it was already closed. I actually saw our plane moving away from us. Sigh. What can I say? We tried.

A few years ago, we were planning to go to Hainan, China. We reached the airport with plenty of time left to check in and things. The problem came when the check-in staff told us that we didn't have the valid visa to go into China. We argued that Hainan accepts visa on arrival to certain nationalities and ours was one of them. The staff checked for more information on her system but at the end, she still didn't let us go because she was sure that we would be sent back without the visa. Another sigh.

If I didn't miss my flight, I would have been in a boat by now enjoying and taking photos of a beautfiul fjord somewhere in Norway. Well, looking at the bright side of things, the weather forecast said that it would be raining on most days so I wouldn't have enjoyed it anyway. But still. Sigh, sigh, sigh. Now that you know my stories, I hope you can take away the good things out of this. Please be safe than sorry. Prepare plenty of time before you travel to check on things such as travel time, visa, etc. In the case of the visa story, if I knew that would be happening, I would have just applied for a normal visa or phoned the airplane company to confirm about it before hand. What's the point of us knowing about such a rule if the staff working at the airport doesn't. At the end of the day, we want to go to our holidays, not miss them.

Singapore - A Trip Down Memory Lane

It's been a while since my last blog, but no matter. I'm now back and starting with my travel experience in Singapore, which I visited a couple of months back.

Singapore is not a foreign place to me. I lived in this country for a few years before moving to London. The capital city, also called Singapore, is a modern and cosmopolitan city. It's one of the most convenient, efficient and enjoyable capital cities in the Southeast Asia. There are too many things to write about Singapore. So in this blog, I will write about things that fascinates me and I remember the most about Singapore.

One of the best things in Singapore, which every traveller will get to enjoy immediately, is the airport. Singapore Changi Airport is, by far, one of the best airports that I've been into. Upon arriving at the airport, I felt very comfortable. The big space, the high ceiling, the warm carpet colour, the air conditioning, the shops, the bars and restaurants, the restrooms, the free massage chairs, the speedy procedures of the immigration staffs, basically everything in that airport is created to make you feel good. And I did feel good. Very good, in fact. It's no wonder that the Singapore Changi Airport has won many awards and has been voted as one of the best airports in the world over and over again.

As I stepped out of the airport queueing for a taxi, I immediately felt the hot and humid weather hitting my face and a few seconds later, my body started to feel warm. What a drastic change from the very cool temperature of the airport! And then the first thing that came to my mind was 'Oh now I remember this weather! Welcome to Singapore!'

The weather in Singapore, like other countries in Southeast Asia, is warm and humid (and makes my hair go frizzy crazy) with temperature around 30 degree Celsius in the day time and a much cooler evening. I remember it rained quite a lot. It's really nice to jog in the evening, especially after raining.

When it's really warm outside, shopping malls are the best place to be. They provide cold air-conditioning (although sometimes too cold) to cool you down. Your body may need adjusting to the drastic change of temperatures between outdoors and indoors but I'm sure you'll get used to it. Just remember to always bring your umbrella in case it rains outside (the locals also use umbrellas to protect them from the sun) and bring a thin layer of sweater or a shawl in case it gets too cold inside (especially in cinemas).

Beside providing cooler temperature, the shopping malls in Singapore are THE place for bargains and shopping spree. It's a year-round shopping paradise. Having said that, the best time to visit is during June-July when the yearly Great Singapore Sale is on. During that time, practically everyone from every corner of Singapore as well as people from the neighbouring countries are flocking the shopping malls to get the best bargains of the year.

Public transports in Singapore are excellent. They are safe, convenient, reliable and more importantly, affordable. I'm talking about MRT, buses, free shuttles and taxis here. Some shopping malls provide free shuttles, from MRT stations to the malls or from one mall to another. I like the idea of providing free shuttles for shoppers. It's a win-win situation for both the shopping malls and the shoppers. The taxis were used to be very affordable but I found out the rates were increased a little and they do have a lot of confusing additional charges which you have to look at carefully. This link will provide you with more information.

One of the things that fascinates me about Singapore is Singlish - the un-official language that most Singaporeans speak. It's a mixture of English, other languages (Chinese, Malay and Tamil) and dialects used in Singapore (more information here). You usually come across this when ordering food at hawker centres or if you happen to listen to locals speaking to each other. So when you speak to a local and you thought you heard some english words but you still don't understand it, it's most probably Singlish.

Of all the things that I write here, the food is what I'm missing the most. Singaporeans have passion about what they eat and it's reflected in the great food. The local cuisine is diverse and comes from Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan. Some of the must-try are Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roti Prata and Chilli Crab. You can get them in most hawker centres and they are very affordable. In choosing the right food stall, the rule of thumb is: if you see a long queue at the food stall, then you should be safe to follow the crowd. The food should be good. And there is a booking etiquette that you should know in hawker centres. Finding seats is always an issue in hawker centres especially if it's a famous one. If you see an empty table but there is a packet of tissues or a book or an umbrella on the table adjacent to the seat, then most probably the seat is reserved to the person who owns the item, whoever that is. I find this very amusing.

For tourist attractions, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari are a must-see. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay are the happening place for restaurants, pubs and bars with view of the Singapore river. Another good place to chill out are on the streets of Holland village. I used to go to Wala Wala to enjoy the atmosphere and listen to live music there. If you are into cultural stuffs then you should go to the Chinatown, Little India, and Arab Street. There are a few parks around but I find it too hot to be outside in the day time to actually enjoy the parks. More information on what you can do in Singapore is here.

As I mentioned earlier, I lived in Singapore for a few years before. So this trip was not 100% for pleasure. I had to run my personal errands which can only be done there and at the same time, I tried to meet and catch up with some of my friends there. As a result, I didn't really have time to do any of the touristy stuffs that I wanted to do. I only managed to do bits and pieces here and there. Things like the list of food that I miss and must eat again or the shopping that I must do, I didn't have the time to do a lot of them. And worst of all, I didn't take many photos there!

And talking about taking photos, I find it weird that when I was living in Singapore, I didn't feel the need to take many photos of the area. And now that I'm not living there anymore (and especially when I realised that I don't have many photos of the city), I want as many photos as possible. The irony of taking things for granted, which is a lesson learned. I try to bring my camera everytime I go out now, even in the city that I'm living in.

Traveling back to Singapore was definitely a trip down memory lane. And although I was there only for a short time, it was still good. I still get the same feeling as when I was living there. Taxi drivers were still as friendly and talkative, I still felt safe even at night, the food was still as nice, the shopping was still as exciting and the weather was still as warm. As a friend said to me, if the weather in Singapore is 10 degrees lower, it would have been perfect. It's probably true but I still like it the way it is. The whole package is what makes Singapore unique. I'll make sure I'll put enough time to do everything I want to do the next time I travel there. Yes, there will be next time. I'm very sure of that.

The Merlion and the Esplanade

Durian-shaped Esplanade, centre for performing arts

The Merlion with view of big constructions of one of the first casinos in Singapore, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

The typical hawker centre in Singapore. This particular one has 2-5 food stalls and a few tables and chairs

Peranakan style building is still very much preserved

Colourful Peranakan sytle terrace houses in Koon Seng Road

Close up on windows of a shophouse in Joo Chiat Road

Typical Chinese temple in Singapore - this is near where I used to live

Lake District

I was spending my Easter breaks in the Lake District in the North West England. I passed by Windermere town once and took a cruise over Windermere lake last year when I was traveling up to Edinburgh. But the beauty of the winding road leading to Kirkstone Pass was the one brought me back to visit the Lake District.

The itinerary was a hard one to do. I didn't expect it at all. There are many lakes you can visit and so many things you can do. I decided to visit three of the many lakes in the three days we spent there: Windermere, Ullswater and Tarn Haws. I also put a few short walks as well as lake cruise in the itinerary.

One thing worth noting about bank holidays in the UK. When you're out and about, so is everybody else. So it's not really a surprise to see long queues and delays in the highway but it was still annoying. The supposedly four and a half hours trip became seven hours. It was very, very draggy.

When I mentioned to my friends that I was going to spend my breaks in the Lake District, the first thing they said was how unpredictable the weather is. I was a little worried. I kept checking on the weather forecast a few days before and was disappointed to see that it was going to be cloudy with rain and a bit of sun. It was raining on the way there but the sun suddenly appeared around sunset and back again with clear sky for the next three days we were there. We had been blessed with good weather. I totally agree that it was definitely unpredictable. And it was a very good surprise too!

It's hard to go to the Lake District and not noticing the farms. They are what make the beautiful lush green scenery of the area. And when you see the farms, you see the farm animals too. The sheep, cows, and horses are those very easily spotted. I was lucky to have seen some herdwicks too, which according to Wikipedia are rare domestic sheep native to Lake District. They are let free to roam around the big area of the farms. It looks like they are enjoying their life there too - which is a good thing.

There are more than 80 lakes in Lake District, which I'm not going to list them here (you can check Wikipedia for this). As I mentioned before, I only went to three of the many lakes that are visited a lot by visitors of Lake District: Windermere - the largest lake in Lake District, Ullswater - the second largest lake in Lake District that has spectacular landscapes, and Tarn Haws - the lake with beautiful surrounding scenery. At Windermere, I sat by the lake and enjoyed looking at the swans (I counted around 30 of them) and looked at busy visitors feeding them. At Ullswater, I took a steamer cruise and couldn't stop taking photos of beautiful landscapes. At Tarn Haws, I laid my picnic rug, sat there and immersed myself to the peaceful surroundings.

Walking is one of the main activities you can do in the Lake District. I think it's the best way to enjoy the lakes, the hills and of course, the beautiful sceneries. There are lots and lots of walking routes you can choose from easy to very difficult, short to long journey, all of which will definitely raise your awareness to how big this area is and how nature is still very much preserved here. 

Last but not least, the people whom I heard about during my stay in the Lake District: Beatrix Potter - author of children's best selling books who fell in love with the area and tried to preserve it as much as she could, Alfred Wainwright - a walk lover who walked the Lake District hills probably almost all his life and created many popular walking routes around the area, and William Wordsworth - a poet who made the area famous with his poetry and his guidebook (Guide to the District of the Lakes). They are the people who loved the lakes and whose love was welcomed and admired by the people of the Lake District.

Lake District is a place of a surprise for me. The astonishing scenery and the beauty of all the things I've encountered there definitely feed my 'hunger for nature' soul. It's a great place to open your eyes and see how nature will take your breath away. It's also a great place to lay your head, close your eyes, and hum your favorite songs. I came once and now I'm wanting more. I've never expected this at all.

The swans at Windermere Lake

Boating is one of the activity you can do in Windermere lake

Orrest Head - the best view point over Windermere Lake (click to enlarge)

Spectacular landscapes while cruising in Ullswater Lake

Spectacular landscapes while cruising in Ullswater Lake

Ullswater Lake view from walking in Hallin Fell, Howtown

Ullswater Lake view from walking in Hallin Fell, Howtown

Picturesque Tarn Hows

View from walking in Kirkstone Pass

Another view from Kirkstone Pass

The Farm

Enjoying the farm

The Farm

Spring Blooms in St James' Park and Green Park

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me to visit St. James' Park because the daffodils in the park were abundant, blooming everywhere and breathtakingly beautiful. She also told me to go quickly before all the daffodils went wilted. Well, I only managed to go there last weekend and yes, some of the daffodils were wilted but most were not. I also went to the nearby park Green Park and saw loads of fresh daffodils there. Wilted or not, I think they're still beautiful. Proofs are in the photos below. And thanks for the tips, J!

Fresh daffodils in Green Park

I always love these lines of trees in Green Park

Cherry blossoms in St. James' Park. Notice that everyone is seeking the sun, no one is under the shade.

St James' Park with bits of London Eye in the background

Getting up, close and personal with these lovely flowers in St. James' Park. I was literary under them.

The line of trees and the daffodils (both the wilted and the not) in St. James' Park

Chatting with friends amongst the flowers is the best way to enjoy the park

La Rita, Barcelona

Looking for a good value restaurant in Barcelona? If you ask me what I can recommend, the first thing that came to my mind is La Rita. I haven't been around Barcelona much to know a lot about many good restaurants in town but I do know this one is good. Very good, in fact.

Situated within the centre of the town, La Rita is famous with the locals. Around lunch time, there are always people queuing to get in to enjoy the food. The restaurant is exquisite. Crisp white linen cloth wrapped around the tables with matching comfortable chairs and big tablewares are what you see immediately when you walk into the restaurant. The staffs' neat black and white uniforms complement the overall elegant design of the restaurant.

If you look at the menu, you'll be in for a surprise because the food is reasonably priced. It's not as expensive as you would think. The menu of the day (menu del dia), which is offered every weekday lunch time, is the winner. For less than 10 Euros you get good quality 3 course meals including wine and breads. The food, which is Spanish/Catalan cuisine, is consistently good too. The comfy ambience makes you forget about the time. All this with the addition of great and friendly service from the staffs is what makes the restaurant very popular. Even on weekends, when menu of the day is not offered,the restaurant is still packed with people.

I'm very fond of this restaurant. The superbly exceptional food and the fantastic value draw me to it and I find myself going back there again and again. It's definitely not to be missed and I highly recommend it to everyone visiting Barcelona.

Contact Details:
Address: 279 Carrer d'Arago
Phone: +34934872376
Website: http://www.laritarestaurant.com/

Nearest Station: Passeig de Gracia

Opening Hours: Daily 13.00-15.45 and 20.30-23.30

I'm Walking London: Primrose Hill and Regent's Park

There is nothing more exciting than waking up in the morning to find the sun is up and shining through my bedroom windows. I know straight away that spring has come. For some reason, the days are always fresh, the sky is always blue and the birds are chirping more happily than before. The weather has been very good to London these past few weeks and it makes people get on with outdoor activities. I myself feel obliged to go outdoor every weekend. I know I don’t have to but I must! London is famous for its cloudy sky and when the cloud disappears and is replaced by the sun with blue sky in the background, everyone in London is flocking every outdoor places you can imagine available, be it the parks, the beaches or their own backyards. It always feels good to be outside and to enjoy the good weather.

Last weekend I went out to walk for a bit. I kind of need the exercise, you know, after months of hiding in my apartment away from the coldness of winter. I need to breathe in the spring air and to re-introduce my skin with the warmth of the sun. And so I did a walk that I followed from a book called ‘Walking London’ by Andrew Duncan. It started from Chalk Farm tube station toward Primrose Hill Park and Regent’s Park and ended in Regent’s Park tube station. It is spring time and we need the walk in the parks!

The walk from Chalk Farm tube station to Primrose Hill Park was about ten minutes and I passed by a local high street on Regent’s Park Road. It’s got a few cafes, restaurants and pubs. It wasn’t very crowded but quite a cozy street to stroll when you need to get a quick bite after your rest in the park. Once I entered the gate of park, I immediately saw a hill in front of me. It was where a lot of people hung around. I hesitantly walked up to the hill but when I reached the summit, I understood why many people hung around here. The view from the summit was fantastic. I could see the London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London Eye and some building blocks of the city. I could also see the whole park itself from up there. It’s a small park, grassy, and manicured very nicely with walking paths and line of lights. You can bring your picnic baskets or read your book or just sit or lie on the grass and enjoy the weather. The park has got a very inviting ambience which is very pleasant.

I continued my walk toward the south-east corner of the Primrose Hill Park and found the London Zoo. I walked a bit more and I saw one of the entry points of Regent’s Park. There were many sport pitches on this side of the park. I saw people playing football, tennis, cricket, and many other type of sports. Then I walked to the boating lake where I saw people were busy moving and rowing the boats about the lake. There was a children’s playground near the lake and many children were playing there happily like there is no tomorrow. The park was huge and tended with very proper care. Colourful flowers were blooming everywhere in the park. I enjoyed the walk from the lake to the open air theatre the most. It was, after all, a walk by the lake and I felt very much at peace. There was an area called bandstand nearby and it is really good for picnic and reading books on deckchairs (if they are available).

It was already dark before I could finish my walk in Regent’s Park. The walk was supposed to go on to the open air theatre, Queen Mary's Garden and end at Chester gate. There were so many spots in the park where we just stopped and played around. I don’t think it matters if we finish the walk or not. The important thing is we enjoyed the day and we all did. I’m looking forward to another great day outdoor.

Contact Details:

Address: Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NR

Website: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/regents_park/

Nearest Stations: Chalk Farm or Camden Town (to Primrose Hill Park), Baker Street or Regent's Park (to Regent's Park)

Opening Hours: from 5am until dusk all year round

The cozy Primrose Hill Park

Primrose Hill Park

Enjoying the summit of the Primrose Hill Park

Primrose Hill Park

Regent's Park

One side of Boating Lake at Regent's Park 

Sunset at boating Lake, Regent's Park

Regent's Park

Daffodils in Regent's Park

Flowers in Regent's Park

More flowers in Regent's Park

Close up on a daffodil

Regent's Park

Rowing at Boating Lake, Regent's Park

More Rowing at Boating Lake, Regent's Park

Granada

We reached Granada around sunset and therefore we had some time to sit back and relax at our accommodation before going for dinner. The weather was chillier than Seville which was surprising to me. I came here once before in the summer somewhere in August and the weather was too hot to handle (36C celsius) that I didn't notice its differences when I travelled to both Seville and Granada. I suppose being located not too far off from the coast and near the Sierra Nevada mountains, Granada enjoys both warmer and colder climates.

After getting ready, we went on to celebrate the surprise birthday party from the night before with a proper dinner. We went to a very nice little restaurant called Restaurante Sevilla. The food was fabulous and we really had a good time there.

The next morning, we walked the town a bit before visiting Alhambra. The town was quite hilly and the roads were narrow and covered with pebble stones. After an hour walking the pebble stones path, my feet started to ache. Every time I stepped I felt my feet were massaged by the stones. The town itself was quiet. There was a small local market selling food, fruits and vegetables, clothes and bric-a-brac where the locals traded among themselves. We visited the remains of the old city gate and at one point when we reached the top of the hill, we saw a view of the city  and a spectacular view of Alhambra. It was magnificent.

A visit to Granada is not complete without visiting Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex that whose buildings and the designs around it was incredibly beautiful. The one thing that was very outstanding of Alhambra (compared to other palaces I visited in Spain) was the carving. Every walls and ceilings of each buildings there were carved beautifully into very detail. It must be taking the artists very long time to finish them. And looking at the results, I think it's worth it. The carving is definitely the highlight of Alhambra. Of course, there were other places worth noted as well, such as the pool of the El Partal Palace, the Alhambra reflections and there was a courtyard near the exit of the palace that was very lovely. I still remember enjoying the serenity while sitting at the courtyard.

Even in our very tight schedules, we still had time to go street shopping. Our accommodation was located in Albayzin (also known as Arab quarter) where it is famous for its original houses since the 16th century. The streets were narrow and winding and full of small shops selling Arab's influence souvenirs, clothes, shoes, or trinkets that you can bring home. I was happy to have found two bubble pants for myself.

It was another chaotically short but still a very memorable visit to Granada. We visited Alhambra, which was the most touristy place in Granada and had a chance to walk the town in attempt to grasp the essence of the town. We even had a chance to enjoy free tapas in a few tapas bars around (Granada is one of the few cities in Spain that offers free tapas for every drink you order). It was all very good. This is the last story of the Spain Trip as this was the last city in our trip. After Granada, we headed back to Barcelona to do souvenirs shopping before catching our plane back home.

The town where we walked

Some of the many designs of Granada's floor

Alhambra

Carving on the walls and ceilings of Alhambra

Windows of Alhambra

Reflection pool in Alhambra

One of the fountains in Alhambra

The courtyard before exiting Alhambra