White Christmas Adventure 2010 – Day 5

Dec 21, 2010 – Piccadilly Circus – Trafalgar Square – Big Ben – London Eye – Singapore

Start off the day with oily English breakfast at one of the café along Queensway

We aligned at Piccadilly Circus station and start walking from there to Trafalgar Square – Big Ben & London Eye.

Magnificent Theaters

Trafalgar Square & Half frozen fountain

Dog begging his lover for LOVE

Building around Trafalgar Square  & Naughty Horse along Parliament St.

Hot sugar coated Peanut cost 2 pound. But it taste awesome!

Big Ben vs London Eye

Adventure trip ended with unpredicted stop over at Dubai Airport & Bangkok Airport due to faulty aircraft engine.

White Christmas Adventure 2010 – Day 4

Dec 20 2010 – Hyde Park – Oxford Street

A night of chaos, we were glad to reach London safe and sound. After settle ourselves in the hotel, we went for walk at Hyde park which just opposite our hotel.

The park was covered with pure white snow. Dogs running around, squirrel hunting for food, they seem to enjoy the sunny day in winter

Hyde Park

Oxford Street

We saw this café serve beautiful cakes and pastries. We were being tempted by those cakes and pastries and decide to have our lunch there.

Overall, the food taste ordinary, dessert disappointed us. Éclair was hard, tiramisu wasn’t smooth as the one we had in McDonalds Café in Paris.

Café Concerto, Haymarket: 45 Haymarket London SW1Y 4SE

Stroll along Oxford street.

Cute plushie at one of the toy shop along Oxford street

While thinking what we gonna have for dinner, we discovered Kiasu Restaurant opposite Bayswater Station. The restaurant serve Singapore/Malaysia food and we were craving for it. Being listed in Michelin Guide for 3 consecutive year this is the best choice for our dinner.

We had mix vegetable, chicken curry, pork ribs, Hokkien friend noodle and hot teh tarik.
One word to describe the food - Yummy~~~

Restaurant Kiasu: 48 Queensway Bayswater, London W2 3RY

White Christmas Adventure 2010 – Day 3

Dec 19 2010 – Musée Du Lourve - Eiffel Tower – Galleria Lafayette – London

It’s excited to see snow in morning. But the snow has also give us huge challenge.

View from Hotel Window & Bikes covered by snow

Our first breakfast in Paris @ McDonalds Café which just across our hotel.

Unlike McD Café in Singapore, McD café in Paris serve various type of pastry. The Cappuccino is smooth and the Tiramisu is awesome. Each cup of coffee come with small piece of milk chocolate which taste good as well.

After breakfast we went to visit Lourve Museum. Due to limited time we had, we did not enter the museum. When there is the next time to Paris will definitely enter the museum.

I always thought snowing is fun but in actual it isn’t. We had hard time walking on thick snow especially melted snow.

As the nearest metro station to Eiffel tower isn't near, so we decided to drop by one of the café near Eiffel tower. We had Escargot and Beef with pasta which highly recommended by the waiter. Well, it does taste good while it’s hot.

Le Castel Café: 5 Avenue Suffren 75007 Paris, France

At last reached my dream destination – Eiffel tower. But the weather was bad. It was raining and wind was strong. That’s the best shot I can get of this beautiful tower.

Shopping time! Our last stop before leaving Paris – Galleria Lafayette

Before catching our train back to London, we had our dinner at restaurant near Gare Du Nord. We were glad to have heavy dinner which able to help us sustain in cold night at Gare Du Nord.

I had pork ribs & big bowl of Crème brûlée. Taste heavenly good!

Buffalo Grill: 9 Boulevard de Denain 75010 Paris, France

After our dinner, we head toward Gare Du Nord and there’s where our “adventure” started. We found out that due to the bad weather condition most of the train to London was cancelled!

Eurostar did not manage the situation well. There isn’t proper arrangement for stranded passenger and we were required to queue for the next available train. Since it is on first come first serve basis, the queue was too long until we were standing outside at the train platform in cold winter night.

After queuing for 6 hours, finally Eurostar arrange stranded passengers to rest on off-service train. We were glad to know  there is a confirmed train back to London next morning but it would be first come first serve basis. We were praying hard that we are able get to board the train as there isn't’ any further confirm train after that.

We did not sleep for the entire night and we were again back to the long queue at 4am. Finally we are one of the lucky folks that manage to secure our seat back to London.

Lesson learned: Never ever travel during Winter in Western countries especially 1 week before Christmas. It’s chaos!

White Christmas Adventure 2010 – Day 2

Dec 18 2010 – London – Paris

We did not expect for super duper long queue at St Pancras King Cross station. We were worried that we could miss our train. But we are lucky to clear the immigration and arrive boarding platform just in time for the train.

Eurostar train has canteen & we had our first in-train breakfast

Paris Gare Du Nord – A place that I spend additional night in Paris.

Paris Metro – Old of the oldest metro in the world.
Shocking! Now I appreciate more for the effort of SMRT & SBS in keeping the train station clean.

Paris roads are confusing even with Map! Since we couldn’t locate our hotel, we decided to drop by nearest café to ask for direction to our hotel & have our brunch there as well or else they will not be so helpful on guiding us.

We had some salads & cheesy foot long sausage.

Café La Pointe Drouot: 34 Rue Drouot, 75009 Paris 9ème, Ile-de-France, France

Holiday Inn Paris: 46 Rue Trévise, 75009 Paris, France

Arc De Triomphe

Louis Vuitton @ Champs Elysées
(Spend 3 hours =.=”)

Hi-Tea @ Nespresso Café
(Spend 2 hours =.=”)

Arc De Triomphe & Champs Elysées night view with snow rain

After long day of walking along Champs Elysees, we are tired and hungry. A friend has recommended Iranian restaurant for dinner.

We had eggplant & some naan for starter and various type of kebab with buttery rice for main course. Taste awesome! especially the buttery rice.

Maison de L'Iran: Restaurant: 71 Avenue des Champs-Elysees. 75008 Paris

White Christmas Adventure 2010 – Day 1

Being busy, lazy, sleepy make me not updating blog. Since the accident falling off from stair, I’ve been praying hard for my leg to recover in time for my White Christmas holiday in London & Paris. At last I’m ready to fly to London and there is the starting point of the rest of wonderful adventure encountered.

Dec 17 2010 – Singapore to London

Ready to fly with Airbus A380. Plane is decorated with with pretty Poinsettia.
Jay’s new album listed in Asia Mandarin Music in in-flight entertainment system.

In-flight dinning.

After 14 hours journey I’ve make my first step into London. It’s only 15min from Heathrow airport to Paddington station and continue to my final destination – Queensway Station