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Wednesday, July 8, 2015
London: A quick getaway
So I've just randomly participated in the Instagram competition (and him too!). Click here for more information (bit.ly/lundangtonewcastle). A big congrats to our (myself and @reenbow on Instagram) captions. Speaking of the definition of caption, too much laughter... I couldn't help it *flips hair*. No explanation is better than any explanation.
So anyway, we won ourselves a pair of tickets to London! I'm so thankful for it!
#lundangtonewcastle #youarehome
So anyway, we won ourselves a pair of tickets to London! I'm so thankful for it!
#lundangtonewcastle #youarehome
I have been raving about London for months... and here we are! Finally got a chance to fly together! Thank you Malaysia Airlines!
Some of the food we had on board. As usual, 3 courses plus a bun and beverages of your choice. Unlimited, so long as your tangki can store.
I didn't really like the beef though, good thing I've selected the chicken! :D For someone who goes by really small portions, this tray over here is more than enough for me...
Also, we were given packets of Glico Pretz and Oreo in between. So if you feel like snacking, just walk up to any crew, they would definitely be there to help out. If I remember correctly they used to serve instant cup noodles for long haul flights, except I'm unsure if they still do that.
It seems new to me - I'm a regular A380, to London (at least for the past couple of years!) I've never had satay except for once with Business Class which I have upgraded with Enrich points plus extra MYR for it. So impressed with the Satays!
After a long 13 hours flight, we were greeted with a whole basket of fruits and a Harper's Bazaar.
I had to kill many birds with just one stone, so here we are in the Waterloo area to collect tickets to Manchester and also to check out the beautiful London's Eye.
Also, in that area, you can find Big Ben. It was nice to meet Jane, Mimi and Peter along the way! Shame we couldn't grab dinner or drinks as it was already late. Don't judge the looks/colours of the sky - it was already 8pm by that time.
The Picadilly Circus area and that infamous colourful billboard.
I wanted to grab food at one of the restaurants but I was just too tired. I did the student usuals, grabbed a quick box of Wasabi and back to the room. Just so knackered!
These beautiful white pillars and buildings are really common in the Kensington area.
We took the first bus out of London to Manchester. Unfortunately breakfast begins only at 7am so we had to skip. Fret not, there are still sandwiches and crisps!
I'm so glad this wasn't my first time to Manchester - at least I did a good job by leading the way!
His long-awaited dream has finally came true!
P/S: His biggest mistake was to wear that jersey in London. Never.ever.do.that.
I'm also thankful for the second visit. I really don't recall seeing some of those sites in the stadium tour, perhaps it has been newly renovated. It wasn't that long to begin with, it was just less than 3 years ago. United must be really rich.
Since we came by bus, I've opted the rail for the return journey back to London. I would have stretched the journey to Newcastle if I could stay longer. Next time!
Just in time for Burger and Lobster before it shuts by 11pm! Or maybe later. Their menu is really simple. Lobster burger or whole lobster, steamed or grilled. All for £20!
No thanks to jetlag, my sleeping hours went topsy-turvy. Since I was up early, I might as well drag myself out to grab breakfast in the hotel. I'm actually surprised their selection of breakfast is pretty limited. There were no hot food at all, just cold cuts, cereal, fruits, bread, biscuits and cheese. The "hottest" was my cup of coffee. Nevertheless, it was suffice to feed me. I'm satisfied with whatever you can see from the picture.
@reenbow briefed us on things they had covered over breakfast. So I've decided to do the same - to walk to Princess Diana's Memorial at Kensington Gardens. Along the way, we passed by the Natural History Museum, Imperial College, Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.
One thing to take note, most parks do look the same. This area totally reminded me of Richmond.
After that long walk we landed upon the East side of London, not far East. Heron Tower at the Liverpool Street, up on the 40th floor there is a restaurant by the name Duck & Waffle. We waited for more than an hour (that was at about 10ish when we arrived) for a table. You can imagine how popular that place is. Meanwhile, our starters would be a glass of grapejuice, coffee and the view of London. It saved my time and money from going up to The Shard!
The duck and waffle is a must order - if you don't, please don't bother with the long queue. The foie gras crème brûlée tasted so weird in the beginning but as I helped myself with the brioche it was a really good combo!! I have to admit D&W's menu is full of surprises.
The Tower Bridge from London Bridge. You know how popular London Bridge till they even have a song for it?! It's absurd though, it's called the Tower Bridge... London Bridge is nothing but an awful looking concrete bridge that looks just like another bridge. Please remind yourself that the beautiful bridge is called Tower Bridge.
Borough market is exceptionally busy on Fridays plus it was lunch hour. The famous oyster shop is a must if you're an oyster lover. All these for only £10, can you imagine that! Yum!
Food stores were so packed it was almost impossible to get anything without queueing.
We've had a little complication with the tickets and it is in the midst of getting sorted. Nonetheless. The Book of Mormon was really good! So funny I almost died laughing.
It was already late by the time we were done, so we settled with a box of Four Seasons famous duck rice. It is nothing near what you can get in Malaysia, it is the fatty duck in London that makes it so good. Supper in bed, like a boss.
Saturday is best day to be in Portobello Market. It is only two stops away from Gloucester Road, so why not? There are plenty of old antiques to admire in this market. The most amazing purchase for the day was The Pride and Prejudice's hard cover; so well maintained! :)
Typical pub grubs. I just can't forgive myself if I did not get those scotch eggs.
An afternoon well-spent in Nottinghill. Time to bid goodbye. :)
The mandatory escalator shot for first timers.
Koya Bar is just one street away from our musical for the night, Miss Saigon. Such a pity the actual Koya is no longer operating. To my dismay, there were seats for us without having to queue. Those days, I had to queue at least 30-45minutes for Koya!
Miss Saigon was really good. I've never expected so many different props, it was just the whole package. I'm not going to be a spoiler, so if you're in London, go for it.
It is perfectly normal to be dragging suitcases in London... Anytime, anywhere.
Thanks for having us for the night... It was good to see you again! Also, for introducing this quaint little bar for Sunday Roast! Cheers!
The London Bus post which got me here in London. It was my first being in the new bus. The new buses are only available closer to Central London.
So glad to be in that red bus with the most annoying person really! #buswefie
British weather can be really wet and upsetting..
The only day which I have slight free hours to shop, the shops had to close by 6pm. Sigh! We had early dinner as there is really nothing much to do on a Sunday night. Cheers to a very huge platter of ribs for two at Bodean's Soho.
Sun sets only by 9pm, why not take a quick stop by at Buckingham Palace since it was on the way back.
A park "wefie".
Sadly, I was not able to bring him to some other famous places like Regent's Park, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, any Museums, but it is okay. More reasons to be back! :)
Never would I have thought that I would win this trip. I've never won anything major in my entire life. Thank you again Malaysia Airlines for picking me! I'm so glad to be able to introduce this side of the world to him. :)
Odd thing to say, but the bun was so good I had to finish it!
As usual, breakfast is always Omelette or Nasi Lemak. It was really cute when MAS crews had to explain Nasi Lemak. "Would you like rice with spicy shrimps or continental breakfast?" and when they meet Malaysians they would go "Would you like Nasi Lemak (haha save the hassle to explain!) or omelette for breakfast?". We know our Nasi Lemaks pretty well, no explanation needed!
The little goodies in the bag from the team. Each of us received a set to ourselves. :)
I have always been flying with MAS since I was little, and this is the biggest reward from MAS. I would like to thank Malaysia Airlines again for selecting us and popping in the effort and time to arrange everything! Good times will always pass quicker, back to reality now! Speaking of which, it is only about 24 hours away before my next flight with MAS. ^__^
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So good to revisit London again, it is really nostalgic every time I step into the UK! Despite the level of unhappiness the country may have created, it will still be my favourite country. It has never changed since my first time in the UK, 16 years ago. It is the place, the lifestyle and the convenience which all came in one fat package. I believe everyone has their favourite, mine is the UK and will still be the UK. Till then!
Labels: food, kensington, london, malaysia airlines, manchester, travel, UK