More friends and food

We repacked for our night flight after breakfast (adequate, basic mix of ‘American Breakfast’ and Asian with fresh fruit, toast, croissants etc), checked out and left our bags at the hotel. I had arranged to meet two old friends from my High Commission/Defence days for lunch so they introduced me to the Defence PA and I had a look through some of the HC, great view over Boat Quay and down to the sea. We went to a nearby Hawker for delicious chicken rice and kalian, so I was very happy, and we had an hour catching up on family, ex colleagues etc, a very pleasant hour spent.- Very pleased with the photo of the view looking across to the Stamford where we were last night on the 70th floor

Pete had gone wandering on his own when I went to the HC so, despite it being (according to Google weather) ’32 degrees, feels like 37’, I walked along to Boat Quay and down to the Fullerton Hotel where I braved the revolving door (I hate them, scary) and had 15 minutes wandering round their little museum and breathing in the perfume from several enormous flower arrangements with lots of pink lilies amongst other blooms, it was really beautiful. The Fullerton used to be the General Post Office many years ago. In our time they had amazing Sunday brunches with ‘free pour’ champagne and I have to say we indulged a few times, great food, lovely surroundings by the river, what’s not to like?

Next stop was the Asian Civilisations Museum, stopping to take a photo of my reflection in the ball sculpture on the lawn, it has the sounds of the city quietly coming out of speakers – kids, trains, cars, birds etc, very effective. ACM has a great display of goods from a shipwreck https://www.nhb.gov.sg/acm/galleries/maritime-t…, and another set of pottery from about the 8th century, some gold, all sorts. I loved two dresses in the small costume display, maybe 2-300 years old, a gold cup, and a beautiful headless statue that looked like very faded painted wood, fascinating.

Then out into the ’32 degree’ heat to walk down to Raffles City mall where I met Pete for a cold drink and after that we headed to the Long Bar in Raffles itself for, of course, a Singapore Sling. We had plenty of time up our sleeves so the maybe 20-minute queue to get in didn’t bother us standing in the shade. They were busy but we both felt there were fewer tables on the main floor, and they seemed to be sending bigger groups of maybe five or more, up the circular staircase to the additional bar. I chucked peanuts on the floor, as you do, and we had the obligatory photo, it was a pleasant way to pass an hour. We were sitting at the bar and chatting to the man next door, in his 80’s, on his way home after a cruise round Australia and NZ.

It was also a chance to find out what Pete was doing out on his own, behaving of course, he’d had more than three hours walking the back streets, went as far as Sri Mariamman temple, crossed the river, got some photos of pretty good art work on some shops. He likes just wandering and seeing what’s around the next corner.

We were able to have a shower at the hotel pool, got a taxi to the airport, and I’d booked us into a lounge for a few hours so we were able to relax with their buffet meal, something to drink. Nice and easy.Read more