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Gilt Trip
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  • Janette and John

Gilt Trip

Janette and Candice fly into London and stay in London for 5 nights. Next is Belvoir Castle for 3 nights followed by 3 nights in Whitby. Then Henley for 3 nights followed by 2 nights at Hever Castle and ending at Adderbury for 4 nights. Read more
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    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 North Yorkshire, England
    Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    2

    Newby Hall and the lovely City of York

    Yesterday in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Started today with a drive of about an hour to Newby Hall near Ripon in North Yorkshire.

    I was expecting a manor house with an exhibition of doll’s houses and was blown away by such a fine house and beautiful gardens in a rural setting.

    The house is one of Britain’s finest ‘Adam’ houses and home to Mr & Mrs Richard Compton. An exceptional example of 18th century interior decoration, it was built in the 1690’s by Sir Christopher Wren. It was later enlarged and adapted by John Carr and subsequently John Adam. We were not allowed to take photos inside the house and they had sold out of information books so I couldn’t get photos for the blog.

    It is open to the public and holds various events and garden days to keep the property financially viable. Lovely place for families to visit as it has a miniature railway for rides, boat rides on the river and a quite extensive exhibition of doll’s houses. The gardens would keep any keen gardener happy for hours. In fact in 2019 it won Christie’s ‘Garden of the Year Award’.

    We did a guided house tour and the very learned guides explained about the building and Robert Adam’s contributions as well as the Compton family history. When talking about the various family portraits the guide explained that it was more expensive to have arms, legs and hands etc. included rather than just the head and shoulders. This gave rise to the expression of ‘costing an arm and a leg’.

    We decided to drive to York and have lunch there before our look about the place.

    Not far into the town we saw a nice cafe, ‘Baileys’, so we just had to go there. I had an open sandwich but Candice saw ‘Giant Yorkshire Pudding with chips and peas’ so went local.

    Spent a couple of hours walking about the shops and shambles. Bought the boys gifts to take home - the shops are very nice here and not as expensive as London.

    Had a cuppa and cake at the famous ‘Betty’s Tea Rooms’ and just as we were about to leave it started to rain. After carrying umbrella’s around everywhere and never needing them, of course we didn’t have them today. I had an old 1950’s plastic fold up rain bonnet in my bag which I take on every holiday and never use. With much hilarity I managed to get it on. No-one (apart from Candice) seemed to notice although I had a few smiles from elderly ladies.    Read more

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    Robin Hood's Bay
    Robin Hood's BayThat's a retaining wallSmuggler's cave??A small doorway retained from 1680.Our lunchtime view.Happy diners at The Bay HotelSmugglers Cave ??RAF Flyingdales located near Whitby.

    Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby

    September 9 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Headed off to the seaside today. Bit of a break from castles but still learned plenty of history.

    The history relates more to Whitby than Robin Hood ‘s bay which is just a few miles south. We decided to explore Robin Hood’s Bay first. It is a quieter village but really pretty and interesting. It is thought it was named after the famous outlaw but there is no historical proof that he ever lived there.

    It was so steep walking down to the beach that I was worried I would struggle to get back. I was fine - taking the road instead of the steps. Also, we took a break and had lunch of half a small lobster, chips and salad for lunch at a waterfront pub, The Bay Hotel, before we headed back to the car.

    Drove to Whitby which has become a bit like Blackpool. The Cook history was a big deal when I last visited but it is minimal these days.

    We took a guided boat tour for £5 each and it was worth every bit of it. It got rough as we reached the entrance to the bay (man made) and out on the cusp of the North Sea.

    Back on land we did the Promenade thing out to the end of the pier and then to the shops.

    Took up John’s suggestion and bought a tiny pair of ‘jet’ stud earrings. Jet is essentially a black to blue black lustrous, high grade lignite, dense in texture originating from fossilised Monkey Puzzle trees. Jet was particularly popular in the late 1800’s - often used for mourning jewellery.

    Running out of legs so back to the car via the supermarket where we purchased salad items for tea tomorrow as we bought 2 pasties at Castle Howard which we will need to eat up.

    We drove through the North Yorkshire Dales which were vast and much of the heather was out showing carpets of dark pink and purple.

    High on a hill near Whitby we noticed an unusual very large building. On further investigation it turns out to be RAF Flyingdale which operates as a continuous ballistic missile early-warning and space surveillance station for the UK and US governments.

     Home via the Durham Ox in Crayke as we enjoyed it so much last night. Dinner was as good as last night but we just had a main tonight. Home then to hang out the washing, do some blogging and off to bed.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    The Great Wall of ChinaPocket Cottage BnB

    Castle Howard

    September 8 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Arrived at Castle Howard, which is north west of Nottingham, at 12.00noon so after a lovely walk through gardens to the castle we had lunch in the Castle cafe before touring in earnest.

    Castle Howard has been home to the Howard family since it was built over 300 years ago. Successive generations have welcomed visitors and it is this continuing support from visitors that enables the endless tasks of renovations and restorations. It has also been hired for use by many filmmakers including Brideshead Revisited, Bridgerton and Death Comes to Pemberley. It houses beautiful paintings, tapestries, porcelain, sculptures etc. The gardens are vast with water features and amazing sculptures. There is a huge walled garden with espaliered fruit trees, picking flower garden rooms, kitchen garden including herbs and vegetables.

    Castle Howard is about 15 minutes drive to the BnB we are staying in for the next three nights. It is in a village called Stillington. This gorgeous BnB accommodation is called ‘Pocket Cottage’. It is small but perfectly formed. Attention to detail is first class and cannot fault anything. Lots of interesting things put together in a most tasteful, if quirky, way.

    We decided on a local pub for dinner and went to the nearby village of Crayke and dined at The Durham Ox. It was like an upmarket, slightly larger Tatong Tavern. Tuesday night and booked out but they had one table for two left. The fish pie we both had was delicious - so much so we booked in for tomorrow night too. The crepes were perfection.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    The 'Dole' cupboards.

    Haddon Hall - Afternoon Tour

    September 7 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Haddon Hall was another great estate owned by the 10th Duke of Rutland who also owned Belvoir Castle. He has 2 sons. The eldest, now 11th Duke, inherited Belvoir Castle and the younger son, Lord Edward Manners, inherited Haddon Hall.

    Haddon Hall has existed here since Norman times and is a good example of a fortified manor house and was built in the 1100’s. As it has never been rebuilt it presents as the incredibly old property that it is. It is a good example of a fortified house and has fine examples of medieval and Tudor architecture. We did a tour with Jackie who entertained and educated us. We loved the way it was presented. To our eye more tasteful than many of these properties that have so much on display.

    The ‘Dole’ cupboards were interesting. The largest collection in the world is held here. These were put outside houses such as Haddon for passing traders or estate workers and were filled with food and leftovers from the kitchen. The modern phrase ‘on the dole’ (receiving assistance) stems from the purpose of the ‘dole’ cupboard.

    Like most of these privately owned estates there has been a need to make them ‘pay their way’ as the maintenance is so expensive. Jayne Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Mary Queen of Scots are some of the films that have included Haddon Hall in their locations. It is open to the public and has a small cafe located in the old stable area.

    The grounds include beautiful gardens and it is set in a picturesque rural setting with a river, bridge and a dovecot set in the low lying hills.

    Haddon Estate was once much larger, stretching almost to Sheffield and including most of Bakewell. It still includes the village of Alport and part of Rowsley. We stayed at The Peacock at Rowsley, a small luxury hotel, two years ago and John’s niece (actually second cousin) Donna and husband Paul joined us for a meal there. Apparently Lord Manners recently acquired it so it is back in the fold. It is famed for its seven miles of fly fishing along river frontage to the rivers Wye and Derwent - the hotel being a lovely and convenient place to stay. We decided to have an early dinner there as it was so close and we had enjoyed it so much last visit. Lovely memories, dinner, and walk in their gardens.

    Back to Belvoir (pronounced Beaver as the locals way back were not happy with the French influence) to pack ready to head off to our next accommodation tomorrow.
    It had been a great stay. The house, we think, was full of castle surplus with some op. shop additions. It was cobbled together to show what they had rather than in any stylish way. (job here for Kate McKinnon). Things were old, well used and a bit dusty. Photos of the daughters of the Duke & Duchess reminded you who owned the property but we think it was probably managed by staff.

    Couple of odd things. The upstairs toilet lid wouldn’t stay up so you had to ‘get yourself ready’, lift the lid, then turnaround and sit before it fell down. Phew … if you got it right. No electric plugs are allowed in bathrooms in the UK. I had a hairdryer in the bedroom but it had a very short cord and the plugs were down near the floor and no mirror nearby. No coiffure for me but fun negotiating drying my hair whilst bending over and not being able to see what I was doing!

    We were asked to strip the beds (not a problem but we thought it a bit cheeky given the price), empty the dishwasher (which was still running so we left it) attend to the rubbish - understand that one, etc etc. Finally we were away.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    Arrival at Hardwick Hall
    Arrival at Hardwick HallFloor coverings made from local reeds.Goodbye Hardwick Hall

    Hardwick Hall - Morning Tour

    September 7 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Left later than expected to visit two historic houses in Derbyshire.
    Hardwick Hall is located near Mansfield on the outskirts of Nottingham and we arrived to find the on site cafe serving lunch. Vegetable soup and a big cheese scone for lunch before taking our tour of this tapestry laden castle.

    Hardwick Hall was built in the last decade of the 16th Century on a hilltop in Derbyshire. It was a marvel of its age with its extensive use of glass which was expensive in those early days. It was built next door to the old Hardwick Hall, a small manor house, where Bess was born. Bess became an immensely rich widow and also became Bess of Hardwick, Dowager Duchess of Shrewsbury. She was married and widowed many times and in the process her wealth grew. Bess had the new Hardwick Hall built and had the builders include her initials, E S, carved in stone standing atop each tower. They are still there today.

    I have never seen so many tapestries before. Bess purchased them to display her wealth. Indeed one of the guides explained that the reason no bathrooms were open for display was because they were being used for storage of the surplus of treasures.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    Dug up from a peat bog. Prehistoric deer. Not the only one found this way.1

    BELVOIR (Beaver) Castle

    September 6 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Our accommodation, Lodge Cottage is owned by the Duke of Rutland who lives at Belvoir Castle just up the road.

    Candice booked a tour of the castle and an ‘afternoon tea’ luncheon. We had a look about before the tour started at 11.00 am. The tour guide was so informative and entertaining. She had a background in fine art so was particularly good with the paintings. There is just so much history here.Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    Lovely day but really sunny.
    Lovely day but really sunny.

    Queen Elizabeth 11 - Her Life in Style

    September 5 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Early start to be at The King’s Gallery for an early booking for this exhibition. We were early so did a walk around Buckingham Palace.

    The exhibition was wonderful. It brought back memories for me of waving to the Queen during her visits when we lined up along the railway line. She would be in the front of the train with her gloved hand gently waving to our madly waving flags.

    I was also amazed at the needlecraft and embroidery skills displayed in the making of these garments. The evening gowns were beautiful. The day wear could be a little frumpy but very well made. She was so tiny it was hard to imagine anyone having such a small waist.

    Whist our waistlines could do with a little trimming we were hungry and decided we could have lunch then pick-up the hire car at Victoria Station as we were nearby. Harry’s, opposite Victoria Station, looked good. It is Italian with Italian waiters, and was just the ticket for lunch. No wine as we were driving North this afternoon.

    We then crossed over to Victoria Station and found the car hire desk. My passport was in my hand luggage back at the BnB as I thought it safer than carrying around London. I should have had it today but did have my physical licence. Candice had her electronic licence on her phone and a photo of her physical licence. She also had a photo of her passport on her phone.

    They would not accept the electronic licence and it looked like I would have to hire it in my name and I was the only one to drive.😠 They could not just transfer the driver detail but would need to make out a new booking and that would be almost three times the cost. Think it might have been cheaper to buy a car.

    The fellow suggested we try Avis or Europe Car who were about a kilometre walk away. We found them eventually (after first walking about a kilometre in the wrong direction).

    Avis was closed!! We think they may have run out of vehicles as the demand today was extremely high.

    Thank goodness for Europe Car. We had a most helpful fellow who discounted for us, accepted the electronic licence, made our start time a little later so our finish time at Heathrow would work better for us, and arranged a colleague to run through the various features and workings of the car.

    We had to take a sedan when we had originally booked a small SUV but we could fit everything in and we now had a car. PHEW.

    Drive to Lodge Cottage at Belvoir Castle.

    DRAFT ONLY    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    German Restaurant in MaryleboneThe Daunt BookshopYummy Niji dessert

    Shopping in Marylebone

    September 4 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Friday and our second last day in London. Cancelled a ‘posh’ dinner for tonight as we have had so much in the last few days.
    Off to do some shopping in Marylebone this morning. Lovely street shopping. Upmarket shops but not ridiculous designs or prices. Candice purchased a couple of shirts and a lovely pale blue jumper.

    We walked along looking for somewhere for lunch and Candice googled recommendations in the area. The recommendation she decided on was Fischers, a German restaurant and most unlikely for the area. It was fabulous. Decor interesting with old artwork, lovely timbers and it felt very German. Staff were lovely and we enjoyed traditional German meals, salmon or sausages with potatoes and sauerkraut. This was followed by a shared dessert of chopped up pancake and cherry compote which Candice introduced me to as one of her favourites. Delicious. Frans Joseph Kaiserschmarrn is the name of the dish.

    Candice then left me in ‘The Daunt Bookshop’, which is the most amazing bookshop I have ever visited, whilst she checked out a few more clothing shops. I had only walked about 8 steps in and could have purchased half a dozen titles. Too heavy for our return so I found one and recommended another for Candice which she bought on her return.

    Then back to the BnB to leave our parcels before walking to Harrod’s to shop for some gifts to take home. Peta, Candice’s half-sister, had a little baby boy today so something for a newborn in Perth would be nice. Purchased some salads and sausage rolls for dinner from their food hall and a couple of delicious Niji’s for dessert (Japanese glutinous cake).

    Back to the BnB to pack, eat our take home dinner, and an early night.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    London tuk tuk taken from a London cab.

    The Goring and The Phantom

    September 3 in England ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    By 3.45pm with glad rags donned we were off in a London cab to The Goring.
    The Goring Hotel was founded by Otto Goring in 1910. It is probably the closest hotel to Buckingham Palace so a very smart address. It has impeccable standards and it is still family owned.
    Kate Middleton and her family stayed here in the lead up and during Kate’s wedding to Prince William.
    We were booked in for an Afternoon tea at 4.30pm. We arrived early and were invited to sit in the lounge where we each had a Hugo Spritzer. Seems to be our cocktail of the holiday.
    We were directed to the conservatory which was beautifully set up. We elected to have the Bollinger Rose tea which included a glass of Bollinger Rose - very nice. The meal included the usual finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea and coffee. Made a great effort but couldn’t quite finish it all.
    We had a short wander around the hotel then were whisked off in a cab to His Majesty’s Theatre so see our ‘West-End show’. Candice had booked one of the Royal boxes to see Phantom of the Opera. More champagne, ice creams brought to us at interval, and we felt very special indeed. The performance was fantastic. Not a dance step out of sync nor a singing note not reached. We were so close we could see the expressions on the faces of the performers and they seemed so genuine in the parts they played. Goose bumps from the amazing singers. I guess it is London so it has to be good. Has been running for 39 years.
    Trip home in another London cab taking in the sights of London by night. What an amazing day.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John

    British Museum and shopping

    September 3 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Busy day planned for today. We took a cab to the Intercontinental Hotel where the Media Conference was being held for Candice to register etc and she will get copy of all the sessions she will miss. I enjoyed a quiet coffee there then we met up and went off to the British Museum.

    The King and President Emmanuel Macron from France had visited the Museum yesterday to view ‘The Bayeux Tapestry’ which is on loan from France and installed ready for a long running exhibition which unfortunately doesn’t open until next week. The 70 metre long tapestry depicts events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This was the last time England was successfully invaded and is the year from which the modern monarchy dates itself. The tapestry is a precious historical record but also a remarkable work of art.

    Couple of highlights we did see were the Tudor Heart Pendant and the Rosetta Stone. We probably liked the Egyptian section overall.

    The Tudor Heart Pendant was found near Birmingham by a metal detectorist in Warwickshire in December 2019. He reported it to The Portable Antiques Scheme which records archeological objects found by members of the public and enables museums to acquire such objects. The pendant was recently acquired by the Museum and in addition to government funding and major benefactor’s contributions, the public raised a lot of the funds required (£3.5 million) to keep it in Britain. It is clearly a public favourite as it was a very crowded exhibit.

    The Pendant is a rare, early 16th-century, 24-carat gold jewel linked to King Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The front of the pendant features an entwined red and white Tudor rose. The reverse shows the initials ‘H’ and ‘K’ with a French inscription meaning ‘all yours’. It is attached to a 75 link chain with an enamelled clasp shaped like a hand coming from a cloud. It is believed to have been made around 1518.

    The Rosetta Stone was discovered in 1799 by soldiers in Napoleon’s invading army at the port city of Rashid (Rosetta). (On the Mediterranean at the top of Egypt.)
    The Rosetta Stone carries an inscription in different languages which helped decipher ancient scripts. The fragment we saw was originally part of a larger stone slab and recorded a priestly decree issued on 27 March, 196 BC.
    The ancient texts were copied and circulated internationally and, within twenty-three years, the hieroglyphic script had been deciphered.

    We left the Museum in search of shops and lunch. We were close to where Candice worked in the late 1990’s so revisited her old stomping ground. 22 Stukeley Street was the office of Burkitt-DDB Media. I was even shown the lunch bar where she bought the tuna sandwich that gave her a massive allergic reaction!

    Had a wrap in a normal lunch bar and really enjoyed it after all our fine dining yesterday.

    I bought some new Sketchers to use as indoor shoes as the apartment is quite large for walking about barefoot. Candice bought a new tie for Kevin to wear to the races amongst a few other items then back to the BnB to freshen up and change for afternoon tea (dinner for us) at The Goring and our west-end show, Phantom of the Opera.    Read more

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    Train to Bath

    September 2 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today took a journey to Bath on the British Pullman train - a round trip of around 420 kilometres. Once out of London we traveled through the countryside of Surrey, Hampshire and Wiltshire counties before arriving at Bath which is just over the Wiltshire border in Somerset.

    What a treat. We were asked to dress up for the occasion and everyone did.
    We arrived at Victoria Station, platform 1, and were greeted with champagne and entertainment. The train has been maintained and decorated so well in very much the art deco style.

    The menu was for brunch, mid morning start, and dinner,mid afternoon start. Refer to the menu photo to see what we had. Everything was mouthwateringly delicious and accompanied by matching wines and a bottle of Verve. Whist we ate everything we could not keep up with the drinks.

    The decor was very much the 1930’s and the work in the timber panelling was amazing. As John’s mum, Edna, would say “Even the toilets were wonderful,”

    We arrived at Bath station at 1.30pm and had to be back at 3.30pm. This gave us time to wander the streets and when we arrived at Royal Crescent we found a small museum. It was at No. 1 Royal Crescent and was a large home built in the 1700’s and kept very much as it was. They even had coal in the coal shuttle. Commentary throughout your visit which came on when you entered each room. We loved it. Sore feet so decided to uber back to the station where Candice found a comfortable seat and I found a Marks & Spencer store to browse in. They have gone to cheaper products than I recall. The Jaeger brand was quality but the shoes all looked plastic, No purchases today.

    Back on the train for more wining and dining on our way back to London. We took a London cab back to the BnB and couldn’t get into bed quickly enough.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    1My favourite painting of the dayVan GoghVan GoghJohn ConstableRembrandtRembrandtRembrandtMonet1Outside Buckingham Palace

    London

    September 1 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Great night sleep then up and out to the Portrait Gallery. Arrived early so sat in a French inspired Italian cafe for a coffee and to soak up the atmosphere. It is so very different to life in Molyullah. So busy and vibrant and lots happening.
    Decided to go our own way through the gallery and meet up at the end when we compared notes.
    Amazing portraits and various collections. From the extensive collection of Tudor portraits to much more contemporary works. So much history as there is a background on the subject of each work.
    Met up and walked to the National Gallery where we had lunch and recharged our batteries before doing the rounds of the massive collections in the National Gallery.

    The National Gallery displayed over 1000 works of art which trace the development of painting in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the early 20th century. I had no idea that London’s National Gallery had so many of the Masters but perhaps some were on loan. Think there are more Van Gogh’s here than in his gallery in Amsterdam. Renoir, Rembrandt, Monet, Manet, Turner, Gainsborough etc etc. The building is also a work of art.

    The National Gallery effectively overlooks Trafalgar Square and the Wellington Monument which we walked around on our way to see Buckingham Palace. We walked alongside Buckingham Palace Gardens and like all the parks and gardens it was dry and barren of grass. Leaves are starting to fall pretty much before changing colour. The Government is asking people to stock up on canned foods - so worried are they about climate change, droughts, and the lack of backup in the supply chains due to such things as the ‘just in time’ practice.

    Hailed a London cab to finish our journey home and take the weight off our poor feet.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    1Waiting for luggage at the carousel
    1Waiting for luggage at the carouselCoffee whist waiting for our driver49 Edgerton Gardens - arrival211Off to Harrod's1211Friends for over 40 yearsHeston's fareTricked??

    Arrived

    September 1 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Touched down an hour early 4.30am. Heathrow was so quiet (apparently we were the first to land after the curfew which is 5am ??). We were straight through and out waiting for the driver at 4.45am. He was booked for 6.30am so it looked like a long wait. Had a coffee, recharged phones and Candice attended to emails etc.
    Lovely driver who chatted about London and got us to the BnB by around 7.00am. What followed felt like a long morning. After a longed for shower and cup of tea we walked up to Harrods, started at the top floor and worked our way down. Candice bought a gorgeous cardigan and I must say I was just a little uncomfortable with the prices of everything. Candice had booked us in for lunch in the dining hall (which is designed along the lines of a food market). In this lovely atmosphere we enjoyed lemon infused pasta dishes with prawns and a ‘Hugo Spritz’ cocktail (Prosecco, elderflower, lemon and ginger with mint) which was really refreshing and delicious.
    Then it was off to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to meet up with Jo. Jo has been a friend of Candice since they were about 14. They keep in touch a few times each year but the months go by without contact. Imagine her surprise when Candice was relaxing after arriving at the BnB to see on social media that Jo had arrived in London the day before and was staying at The Goring Hotel where we were originally booked in! She called her and arranged to meet after lunch at Heston’s garden restaurant overlooking Hyde Park and located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
    Lots of catch up ensued, laughter, way too much champagne and we tried some of Heston’s signature dishes, the Fruit Meat which looks like a mandarin but is in fact a delicious pate; some salmon in a lovely marinade; and some three times fried chips.
    We saw one of the King’s horses heading back to Buckingham Palace which thrilled Jo as she is here for an Equestrian holiday in the Cotswolds. She rides and keeps her horse on the Mornington Peninsular.
    Walked back to the BnB via Harrod’s Food Hall where we picked up some salmon gateau and salad for dinner.    Read more

  • Janette and JohnGilt TripJanette and John
    Leaving Molyullah
    Leaving MolyullahLeaving Melbourne.

    On our Way

    Aug 29–30 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Set off after lunch yesterday for the Park Royal Tullamarine. Lots of building going on around the hotel so did a quick recky and stretched the legs by walking to the terminal.
    Picked up some sushi there for dinner and back to the room to relax.

    Met Candice at the Departure terminal and had a very speedy check-in. Off to the First Class Lounge for a lovely a la carte breakfast.

    It seemed like we ate our way to Singapore and the food was lovely. The ‘pods’ are not as comfortable as Emirates and sleeping may not come easily on the next stretch as it did with Emirates but I guess that is a first world problem.

    Singapore Airport has a lovely selection of shops to look at and the walking, we hope, will do us good.
    ,    Read more

  • Trip start
    August 30, 2026