This is a momentous year!
All 3 kids are attending some form of education/school!
Madison:
She started Primary one at Singapore Chinese Girls' School this year. My alma mater! I cannot believe I have a daughter who attends the same school as I did. First day of school was on the 2nd of January ( same day Chris and I arrived back from our trip! ). Madison did very well! There were no tears, just smiles all around. What a change from primary school 30 years ago.
Annika:
She moves up to Kindergarten 1 and for the first time she will be attending preschool by herself. For the past 2 years she has always had Madison to lead and comfort her. I under estimated the effect this would have on her. All my efforts and concerns were on Madison being able to cope with Primary school.
I think she was a little overwhelmed initially but bit by bit she seems to be coping. I think she now appreciates the fact that I have alone time with her every morning when I drop her off at school. I think this separation is good for her; to allow her to develop her personality and self esteem.
Liam:
My little toddler started at Cherie Hearts at Whampoa on the 5th of January. I've always had the kids do something once they turned 18 months or so; the older 2 attended Bibinogs at Serene Centre. Unfortunately logistics and sense prevail: I simply do not have the time to do a further commute so Liam is going to a local child care centre.
Day one was as expected: lots of tears, crying and culminated with my dear boy fast asleep on a mattress when it was time to go home ( at 1130am! ).
Since then he seems to have adjusted somewhat: a few tears but otherwise I bet he is wreaking havoc at school. Although I think 3 half days ( 0830- 1130am ) a week is plenty at his age, I might reconsider as he progresses. He is getting bored at home when his sisters are at school: he keeps wanting to go out!
So that's where its at !
Friday, January 16, 2015
Europe trip : part deux -Les Arcs ( part 2 ), London, Frankfurt
Day 5 and 6: Christmas Day, Boxing Day
You know you are getting old when you start skiing and think " hey, a few hours of this should be enough for the day! ". Back in the day we would start and ski till the lifts closed!
By lunch time we were ready to call it quits and had lunch on the mountain at a bistrot. The best meal by far on the slopes ever! I remember lunch time on ski resorts in Melbourne mostly of the 'fish and chip' or 'burger and chip' variety. This bistrot had a large selection of food and great service. Freshly made crepes if desired!
The ski slopes at Les Arcs would have been fantastic if it had snowed just before we arrived. The weather was slightly warm( above 0 degrees Celcius) so the slopes were slightly icy and there were large patches of rocky and muddy terrain.
The second day of skiing was slightly worse.. the slopes had hardened overnight and were significantly more slippery and icy.
We still managed to do a few runs to try and get to the edge of the resort to catch the biggest gondola that would take us to the next mountain. We got there eventually but there wasn't enough snow to ski on the other side. We did take the gondola over and got to see the magnificent views between the peaks.
By mid afternoon it was getting more icy and the slopes more bare, so we decided to call it quits and relax. We had to pack up as we were supposed to drive back to Geneva to catch a flight to London the next day.
That evening Chris and I were so tempted to be lazy and just eat at the hotel, but we decided to brave the cold and step out the 50 steps or so to the nearest restaurant. Was a good decision! The restaurant specialized in Savoyard food ( the region we were in ) so we basically picked dishes that had a thumbs up tick! We chose an escargot pastry dish and a casserole thing that had grain like pasta, mixture of their saucission and lots of local cheese. Like a French version of HK baked pasta. Dessert was 3 or 4 scoops of their home made ice cream and chocolate sauce. Paired with wine of course.
Day 7
It was an overnight change in scenery! Snow had started to fall and it was so pretty! Right about until the time we were checked out and started on our way down the mountain.
We checked out on a Saturday, not realizing that it was routine for people to check in and out on Saturdays for a week. We therefore joined an interminable queue of cars driving down the mountain.
Things only got worse as the morning went on. Snow was falling like crazy, it built up in a matter of minutes. The snow plows barely had a chance. Traffic slowed to a crawl and then came to a complete halt! It was unbelieveable! I got out of the car to stretch my legs and then realized that it was a snaking queue up ahead with no sign of movement after 30 minutes. We quickly decided to hightail it back to Bourg St Maurice ( nearest town ).
Things just got worse. The town was full of people and apparently there were no rooms available in the entire town. Chris quickly called the Radisson resort and reserved a room. It was just after 3 pm when we started our way back up the mountain, and was stuck driving almost an hour behind this wobbly Audi all the way up.
It was a miracle we got there because just after we checked in we found out they had closed the road going up the mountain!
We were the lucky ones. There were 15,000 people trapped overnight on the roads! It was an expensive event though: we missed our London flight, lost our first night at the hotel in London, and paid for an extra day at the Radisson ( Euro530 for 1 night! ) and the car.
Day 8
We HAD to get to London that day.
After a quick breakfast we checked out and started on our way down. It was still snowing lightly but the roads were clear. In contrast the the day before, we got to Geneva in slightly under 2 hours. I thought our troubles were over.
I had quickly searched and bought 2 one way tickets to London on Swissair ( CHF 650 for the 2 of us) and we had returned the car, checked in and relaxing at Starbucks.
An hour before the flight was supposed to take off we get an SMS saying the flight got cancelled! It was futile being furious. There were no other flights available that day! So Chris had to get our checked bags out and I went to find train tickets.
The train ride was over 7 hours long, with 2 changes of stations. We had to get from the Geneva airport to the main Geneva station, take the TGV to Paris Gare de Lyon, then take a LOCAL metro to Paris Nord station to catch the Eurostar to London. We finally arrived in London close to midnight.
It was such a relief to check into the Rosewood hotel ! Amazing how you could spend the entire day just travelling.
Day 9: London
Because of the delays, we basically had this one day in London. We had to use the 2 day London pass that I had foolishly purchased while in Les Arcs. So it was a mad rush to see the London bridge, HMS Belfast ship, Tower bridge and the Tower of Museum.
I wish we could have shopped but we also had tickets to see Cats at the Palladium. It was a good show but not my cup of tea.
That marked the end of our London tour!
Day 10: Getting to Frankfurt
Heathrow airport is a world of difference from the Geneva one!
We got there in good time, checked in and did our security checks seamlessly. That left us with plenty of time to browse the shops, but unfortunately the choice wasn't the best. Heathrow would do better to invest in more retail space considering the excellent airport service. Lesson learnt: Arrive and leave Europe via Heathrow or Paris' CDG airport.
We got onto the Luftansa flight without any problems, and soon arrived in Frankfurt. Got a rental car so that we could go directly to Werthiem Outlet Mall. Distances are really far in Germany! It took us over an hour to get there using the autobahn! By the time we arrived it was 8pm so that left us with an hour to go through the shops. The shopping was not bad; I managed to buy several outfits from Desigual and Polo Ralph Lauren. We were chased out slightly before 9pm so that limited our shopping ( fortunately ).
We stayed at the Marriott for the 2 nights. It is the company hotel for Singapore Airlines so we got to see lots of air crew while we were there.
Day 11 and 12:
New Year's eve-- Frankfurt is rather a ghost town during the holiday season! The trains were empty and many streets deserted. New Year's eve is a half day for the city and shops started closing at 2 pm. This included cafes and bars. We hadn't booked any restaurants for our dinner thinking there would be some fireworks or celebrations in the main street, but I don't think there was any! Being unable to find a decent open restaurant for dinner we finally settled on a little shop selling Chinese food. And I must say it did decent fare. It was a freezing cold night so we called it quits after dinner and went back to the hotel.
New Year's day: It's a public holiday in Frankfurt so everything was closed. We thought we would have a relaxed breakfast then head to the airport to shop.
It was a good thing we arrived in plenty of time. Frankfurt airport is nowhere near the standards of Heathrow. We wasted time getting our VATS ( tax) refund-- incompetent rude personnel run the desks ( the guy told a Caucasian traveller off for not speaking in German : when in Germany speak German!) Then getting through security! They were slowly combing through people despite having Xray and security body searching. There were people missing their flight boarding times, and the security refused to call ahead to the flight desks informing them of their delays. We were lucky to be early, but even then we just made it to the boarding gate just on time.
It was a full flight back to Singapore, and it was a relief to be finally home. The first part of the trip was fantastic, if only we could have spent the extra days in London and skip Frankfurt entirely. It was just that Chris needed to leave Europe via Frankfurt that we didn't have a choice. Still, I did have a great holiday, a much needed reset and rest for the year before we started primary school. I would love to go back to Paris and London for a visit in the near future!
You know you are getting old when you start skiing and think " hey, a few hours of this should be enough for the day! ". Back in the day we would start and ski till the lifts closed!
By lunch time we were ready to call it quits and had lunch on the mountain at a bistrot. The best meal by far on the slopes ever! I remember lunch time on ski resorts in Melbourne mostly of the 'fish and chip' or 'burger and chip' variety. This bistrot had a large selection of food and great service. Freshly made crepes if desired!
The ski slopes at Les Arcs would have been fantastic if it had snowed just before we arrived. The weather was slightly warm( above 0 degrees Celcius) so the slopes were slightly icy and there were large patches of rocky and muddy terrain.
The second day of skiing was slightly worse.. the slopes had hardened overnight and were significantly more slippery and icy.
We still managed to do a few runs to try and get to the edge of the resort to catch the biggest gondola that would take us to the next mountain. We got there eventually but there wasn't enough snow to ski on the other side. We did take the gondola over and got to see the magnificent views between the peaks.
By mid afternoon it was getting more icy and the slopes more bare, so we decided to call it quits and relax. We had to pack up as we were supposed to drive back to Geneva to catch a flight to London the next day.
That evening Chris and I were so tempted to be lazy and just eat at the hotel, but we decided to brave the cold and step out the 50 steps or so to the nearest restaurant. Was a good decision! The restaurant specialized in Savoyard food ( the region we were in ) so we basically picked dishes that had a thumbs up tick! We chose an escargot pastry dish and a casserole thing that had grain like pasta, mixture of their saucission and lots of local cheese. Like a French version of HK baked pasta. Dessert was 3 or 4 scoops of their home made ice cream and chocolate sauce. Paired with wine of course.
Day 7
It was an overnight change in scenery! Snow had started to fall and it was so pretty! Right about until the time we were checked out and started on our way down the mountain.
We checked out on a Saturday, not realizing that it was routine for people to check in and out on Saturdays for a week. We therefore joined an interminable queue of cars driving down the mountain.
Things only got worse as the morning went on. Snow was falling like crazy, it built up in a matter of minutes. The snow plows barely had a chance. Traffic slowed to a crawl and then came to a complete halt! It was unbelieveable! I got out of the car to stretch my legs and then realized that it was a snaking queue up ahead with no sign of movement after 30 minutes. We quickly decided to hightail it back to Bourg St Maurice ( nearest town ).
Things just got worse. The town was full of people and apparently there were no rooms available in the entire town. Chris quickly called the Radisson resort and reserved a room. It was just after 3 pm when we started our way back up the mountain, and was stuck driving almost an hour behind this wobbly Audi all the way up.
It was a miracle we got there because just after we checked in we found out they had closed the road going up the mountain!
We were the lucky ones. There were 15,000 people trapped overnight on the roads! It was an expensive event though: we missed our London flight, lost our first night at the hotel in London, and paid for an extra day at the Radisson ( Euro530 for 1 night! ) and the car.
Day 8
We HAD to get to London that day.
After a quick breakfast we checked out and started on our way down. It was still snowing lightly but the roads were clear. In contrast the the day before, we got to Geneva in slightly under 2 hours. I thought our troubles were over.
I had quickly searched and bought 2 one way tickets to London on Swissair ( CHF 650 for the 2 of us) and we had returned the car, checked in and relaxing at Starbucks.
An hour before the flight was supposed to take off we get an SMS saying the flight got cancelled! It was futile being furious. There were no other flights available that day! So Chris had to get our checked bags out and I went to find train tickets.
The train ride was over 7 hours long, with 2 changes of stations. We had to get from the Geneva airport to the main Geneva station, take the TGV to Paris Gare de Lyon, then take a LOCAL metro to Paris Nord station to catch the Eurostar to London. We finally arrived in London close to midnight.
It was such a relief to check into the Rosewood hotel ! Amazing how you could spend the entire day just travelling.
Day 9: London
Because of the delays, we basically had this one day in London. We had to use the 2 day London pass that I had foolishly purchased while in Les Arcs. So it was a mad rush to see the London bridge, HMS Belfast ship, Tower bridge and the Tower of Museum.
I wish we could have shopped but we also had tickets to see Cats at the Palladium. It was a good show but not my cup of tea.
That marked the end of our London tour!
Day 10: Getting to Frankfurt
Heathrow airport is a world of difference from the Geneva one!
We got there in good time, checked in and did our security checks seamlessly. That left us with plenty of time to browse the shops, but unfortunately the choice wasn't the best. Heathrow would do better to invest in more retail space considering the excellent airport service. Lesson learnt: Arrive and leave Europe via Heathrow or Paris' CDG airport.
We got onto the Luftansa flight without any problems, and soon arrived in Frankfurt. Got a rental car so that we could go directly to Werthiem Outlet Mall. Distances are really far in Germany! It took us over an hour to get there using the autobahn! By the time we arrived it was 8pm so that left us with an hour to go through the shops. The shopping was not bad; I managed to buy several outfits from Desigual and Polo Ralph Lauren. We were chased out slightly before 9pm so that limited our shopping ( fortunately ).
We stayed at the Marriott for the 2 nights. It is the company hotel for Singapore Airlines so we got to see lots of air crew while we were there.
Day 11 and 12:
New Year's eve-- Frankfurt is rather a ghost town during the holiday season! The trains were empty and many streets deserted. New Year's eve is a half day for the city and shops started closing at 2 pm. This included cafes and bars. We hadn't booked any restaurants for our dinner thinking there would be some fireworks or celebrations in the main street, but I don't think there was any! Being unable to find a decent open restaurant for dinner we finally settled on a little shop selling Chinese food. And I must say it did decent fare. It was a freezing cold night so we called it quits after dinner and went back to the hotel.
New Year's day: It's a public holiday in Frankfurt so everything was closed. We thought we would have a relaxed breakfast then head to the airport to shop.
It was a good thing we arrived in plenty of time. Frankfurt airport is nowhere near the standards of Heathrow. We wasted time getting our VATS ( tax) refund-- incompetent rude personnel run the desks ( the guy told a Caucasian traveller off for not speaking in German : when in Germany speak German!) Then getting through security! They were slowly combing through people despite having Xray and security body searching. There were people missing their flight boarding times, and the security refused to call ahead to the flight desks informing them of their delays. We were lucky to be early, but even then we just made it to the boarding gate just on time.
It was a full flight back to Singapore, and it was a relief to be finally home. The first part of the trip was fantastic, if only we could have spent the extra days in London and skip Frankfurt entirely. It was just that Chris needed to leave Europe via Frankfurt that we didn't have a choice. Still, I did have a great holiday, a much needed reset and rest for the year before we started primary school. I would love to go back to Paris and London for a visit in the near future!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Europe trip 2014: Part 1 Paris, Geneva, Les Arcs ( part 1)
We came up with the idea of a year-end trip to Europe to coincide with the end of Chris' 6 month long training in Germany.
Another couple was supposed to have come with us and take us to good grub but were unable to make it at the last minute.
I almost didn't make the trip: Madison fell sick, then Liam fell sick.. but the general consensus was that I should just GO ALREADY.
So I did.
I was really excited about the solo 14 hour flight! 14 hours of uninterrupted time to do nothing much! Time flew by quite quickly and before I knew it I arrived in Paris.
Day 1:
I arrived in Charles de Gaulle airport at 7am. Immigration clearance was smooth, so was the baggage claim. Chris met me and we caught the train back to town. He had checked into the apartment the day before. It was an old walk up apartment, with the creaky floorboards and quaint kitchen to boot. Very Parisian.
Got a cup of coffee and found out that Parisians like their coffee scalding hot and quite strong. I scalded my fingers as the coffee was spilling out everywhere. I think Parisians just don't walk around with their drinks. Bought some pastries and found them rather cold but crispy and buttery once reheated in the oven.
We wandered around and visited the science museum at the Palais de la Couverture. Fantastic except that everything was in French. There were many live talks and demonstrations on a Sunday!
Day 2:
Saw the Notre Dame cathedral. I didn't realize it's an actual church that is still being used! We didn't climb up the tower though, that would probably be nice too. Very ethereal being in the cathedral, candles and paintings and all.
We took the train to Sacre Coer, which is the highest point in Paris. Visited the cathedral there and checked out the crypt and its dome. Great views up at the dome, but seriously many steep and narrow stairs to climb. We got a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower from the dome.
For lunch, as per the Timeout Paris handbook, we went to Ma Cocotte, a Philip Starck restaurant. It's located at a rather unusual place near a bunch of flea and antique markets. Considering we didn't have a reservation, we were lucky to get a table for lunch. It was very busy but service was good. The staff were attentive and quick to get our orders. Food came relatively quickly too. It was interesting to see how much pride the French take in working in the restaurant service. They multitasked and are efficient. We got the fixed prix menu and got 2 courses with drinks for 2 for 56 euros! Reasonable in my opinion. There was quite alot of food for lunch! Absolutely no issue not being able to speak French.
After lunch we did more walking and wandering, but as it was winter it got dark and colder very quickly.
Day 3:
Decided to visit the Paris catacombs. The catacombs are a series of underground tunnels that were created in the early days as a result of mining for stone. The city became unstable as a result of these tunnels and parts collapsed. Subsequently parts of the tunnels were used as cemeteries as the city ones filled up. There are actual human bones lining parts of the tunnels that are open to public for viewing. As you can imagine there are 3 hour queues daily to see the human bones. We waited the 3 hours and it was probably worth it. The entire walk took about an hour to do and we wound up at a different location to where we started!
We had dinner at a local bistrot which had decent food and wine. After wandering around a little bit more it was time to call it a day.
Day 4:
Travel to Les Arcs-- we were booked into the Radisson Blu arc resort at 1950.
To get there: we had to fly to Geneva, hire a car, then drive the 200 km or so to Les Arcs.
When we arrived, the weather was unseasonably good! Blue skies, temperatures above freezing and no snow on the roads. We picked up a rental Volvo CX 60 which had snow tyres and set off.
It was so pleasant as we drove back from Geneva towards France again. We stopped at Lake Annecy to take in the sights and have lunch.
We passed through Bourg St Maurice, the final town before going up the mountain. From there it was a short pleasant drive up to the resort. The roads were good and we were up within 20 minutes.
In my experience, this resort is one of the best I've ever been to. We had a self contained room which had a kitchenette that was fully equipped. It had a Nespresso machine and a few capsules of coffee. The room rate included a welcome pack that had some cleaning equipment and an assortment of tea and condiments.
As it was Christmas eve, the resort had also organised for an outdoor performance complete with fireworks. There was a fire performance, followed by a trapeze act ( in the snow! ) and finishing off with fireworks and Santa zip lining across 3 rooftops!
After the performance we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner, which was unfortunately probably the worst meal of the trip. It was pre-prepared in anticipation of the crowd and it showed. The roasted capon was chewy and the dessert was dry. What made the meal even more passable was that there was a toddler at the next table who whined and cried the entire meal. I felt so sorry for the parents! The kid was probably tired and the Christmas meal didn't have a kids version. I couldn't imagine any kid wanting to eat the tough piece of meat! Dessert was a slice of log cake but that too seemed dry and too sweet. Anyhow... it was a long day of travelling so that was it for us after dinner!
Ski trip to follow....
Another couple was supposed to have come with us and take us to good grub but were unable to make it at the last minute.
I almost didn't make the trip: Madison fell sick, then Liam fell sick.. but the general consensus was that I should just GO ALREADY.
So I did.
I was really excited about the solo 14 hour flight! 14 hours of uninterrupted time to do nothing much! Time flew by quite quickly and before I knew it I arrived in Paris.
Day 1:
I arrived in Charles de Gaulle airport at 7am. Immigration clearance was smooth, so was the baggage claim. Chris met me and we caught the train back to town. He had checked into the apartment the day before. It was an old walk up apartment, with the creaky floorboards and quaint kitchen to boot. Very Parisian.
Got a cup of coffee and found out that Parisians like their coffee scalding hot and quite strong. I scalded my fingers as the coffee was spilling out everywhere. I think Parisians just don't walk around with their drinks. Bought some pastries and found them rather cold but crispy and buttery once reheated in the oven.
We wandered around and visited the science museum at the Palais de la Couverture. Fantastic except that everything was in French. There were many live talks and demonstrations on a Sunday!
Day 2:
Saw the Notre Dame cathedral. I didn't realize it's an actual church that is still being used! We didn't climb up the tower though, that would probably be nice too. Very ethereal being in the cathedral, candles and paintings and all.
We took the train to Sacre Coer, which is the highest point in Paris. Visited the cathedral there and checked out the crypt and its dome. Great views up at the dome, but seriously many steep and narrow stairs to climb. We got a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower from the dome.
For lunch, as per the Timeout Paris handbook, we went to Ma Cocotte, a Philip Starck restaurant. It's located at a rather unusual place near a bunch of flea and antique markets. Considering we didn't have a reservation, we were lucky to get a table for lunch. It was very busy but service was good. The staff were attentive and quick to get our orders. Food came relatively quickly too. It was interesting to see how much pride the French take in working in the restaurant service. They multitasked and are efficient. We got the fixed prix menu and got 2 courses with drinks for 2 for 56 euros! Reasonable in my opinion. There was quite alot of food for lunch! Absolutely no issue not being able to speak French.
After lunch we did more walking and wandering, but as it was winter it got dark and colder very quickly.
Day 3:
Decided to visit the Paris catacombs. The catacombs are a series of underground tunnels that were created in the early days as a result of mining for stone. The city became unstable as a result of these tunnels and parts collapsed. Subsequently parts of the tunnels were used as cemeteries as the city ones filled up. There are actual human bones lining parts of the tunnels that are open to public for viewing. As you can imagine there are 3 hour queues daily to see the human bones. We waited the 3 hours and it was probably worth it. The entire walk took about an hour to do and we wound up at a different location to where we started!
We had dinner at a local bistrot which had decent food and wine. After wandering around a little bit more it was time to call it a day.
Day 4:
Travel to Les Arcs-- we were booked into the Radisson Blu arc resort at 1950.
To get there: we had to fly to Geneva, hire a car, then drive the 200 km or so to Les Arcs.
When we arrived, the weather was unseasonably good! Blue skies, temperatures above freezing and no snow on the roads. We picked up a rental Volvo CX 60 which had snow tyres and set off.
It was so pleasant as we drove back from Geneva towards France again. We stopped at Lake Annecy to take in the sights and have lunch.
We passed through Bourg St Maurice, the final town before going up the mountain. From there it was a short pleasant drive up to the resort. The roads were good and we were up within 20 minutes.
In my experience, this resort is one of the best I've ever been to. We had a self contained room which had a kitchenette that was fully equipped. It had a Nespresso machine and a few capsules of coffee. The room rate included a welcome pack that had some cleaning equipment and an assortment of tea and condiments.
As it was Christmas eve, the resort had also organised for an outdoor performance complete with fireworks. There was a fire performance, followed by a trapeze act ( in the snow! ) and finishing off with fireworks and Santa zip lining across 3 rooftops!
After the performance we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner, which was unfortunately probably the worst meal of the trip. It was pre-prepared in anticipation of the crowd and it showed. The roasted capon was chewy and the dessert was dry. What made the meal even more passable was that there was a toddler at the next table who whined and cried the entire meal. I felt so sorry for the parents! The kid was probably tired and the Christmas meal didn't have a kids version. I couldn't imagine any kid wanting to eat the tough piece of meat! Dessert was a slice of log cake but that too seemed dry and too sweet. Anyhow... it was a long day of travelling so that was it for us after dinner!
Ski trip to follow....
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