Winter Holiday 2017
Wow this post is super delayed! Then again, I've been too busy with RL (aka lazy) to update this blog. Last year my partner was posted to Paris for work assignment so I came for a winter holiday. It was my first trip to Europe since graduation in 2010 so I was excited!
We covered the following cities:
Paris
I skipped some of the places I visited previously. It was great to catch up with other colleagues and visit the attractions that I missed last time, such as the Eiffel Tower and Musee d'Orsay.
Lisbon
I'm ambivalent about egg tarts but the famous Belem egg tarts are fabulous. The pastry was flaky and the custard so smooth, it was a great counterweight to the steep streets of this city. We visited the Jeronimos monastery and food was so affordable here.
Barcelona
Barcelona was probably the most affordable city in this trip; I highly recommend getting the Barcelona pass as
Venice
The 1st business of order upon arriving at Venice was to check into our Airbnb. However there was a mess-up; another 2 guests turned up with the same booking and we could not contact the owner. We booked a room at the nearby the train station whilst waiting for Airbnb's response. In the end it was a no-go, we went for a hostel near the train station as our stay was very short.
We covered the following cities:
Paris
I skipped some of the places I visited previously. It was great to catch up with other colleagues and visit the attractions that I missed last time, such as the Eiffel Tower and Musee d'Orsay.
I'm ambivalent about egg tarts but the famous Belem egg tarts are fabulous. The pastry was flaky and the custard so smooth, it was a great counterweight to the steep streets of this city. We visited the Jeronimos monastery and food was so affordable here.
Barcelona was probably the most affordable city in this trip; I highly recommend getting the Barcelona pass as
The 1st business of order upon arriving at Venice was to check into our Airbnb. However there was a mess-up; another 2 guests turned up with the same booking and we could not contact the owner. We booked a room at the nearby the train station whilst waiting for Airbnb's response. In the end it was a no-go, we went for a hostel near the train station as our stay was very short.
Venice is a city built for walking; skip the gondola as it is pricey and you can see many of the sights on foot. We enjoyed exploring the little streets and fueling on pasta.
Florence
We spent 1 night in Florence but it would be good to spend at least 2-3 nights here as there is so much to see. We explored from the outside but if you're a history buff, it is worth getting inside.
Rome
The Colosseum was the highlight of this leg. It is massive and the imagination went wild with visions of pit fighting thanks to Hollywood. The Vatican City was fantastic; do buy your tickets to the Sistine Chapel online ahead of time as there are scalpers waiting to sell you overpriced tickets outside. The ceiling masterpiece by Michelangelo was truly breathtaking.
London
We took Eurostar from Paris to London; we arrived at Gare du Nord 15 min before departure time whilst the ticket clearly stated we had to arrive min 30 min due to the long check-in process. We were fortunate that there were seats on the next train considering it was 1 day before Christmas Eve so we arrived at St Pancras later and poorer.
The London leg was amazing; we spent 2 weeks here at my partner's relative's home which was conveniently located near the tube, plus we were in company of welcoming family. I've always wanted to see the red bus, telephone boxes and other British stuff that we see all the time in the media!
Grocery items, especially Asian food is more affordable in London; I loved Poundland which is like UK's version of Hinode. I spent 1 day alone exploring the museums, and it was amazing!
Summary
Overall, it was a great holiday; we spent quality time together and despite some rough patches, we emerged from this trip stronger than ever. I returned to office feeling loose and relaxed, as should be the byproduct of any good holiday!
We spent 1 night in Florence but it would be good to spend at least 2-3 nights here as there is so much to see. We explored from the outside but if you're a history buff, it is worth getting inside.
The Colosseum was the highlight of this leg. It is massive and the imagination went wild with visions of pit fighting thanks to Hollywood. The Vatican City was fantastic; do buy your tickets to the Sistine Chapel online ahead of time as there are scalpers waiting to sell you overpriced tickets outside. The ceiling masterpiece by Michelangelo was truly breathtaking.
London
We took Eurostar from Paris to London; we arrived at Gare du Nord 15 min before departure time whilst the ticket clearly stated we had to arrive min 30 min due to the long check-in process. We were fortunate that there were seats on the next train considering it was 1 day before Christmas Eve so we arrived at St Pancras later and poorer.
The London leg was amazing; we spent 2 weeks here at my partner's relative's home which was conveniently located near the tube, plus we were in company of welcoming family. I've always wanted to see the red bus, telephone boxes and other British stuff that we see all the time in the media!
Summary
Overall, it was a great holiday; we spent quality time together and despite some rough patches, we emerged from this trip stronger than ever. I returned to office feeling loose and relaxed, as should be the byproduct of any good holiday!
PS. This post was due 2017...but for various reasons I only got to the draft 8 years later so many things are lost from memory ;)
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