London Day #1

London today:

(1) Took the Tube from Borough to London Bridge - 1 stop on the Northern line.
(2) had a look around and walked over London Bridge.
(3) by chance I encountered the Monument - this is a tower monument erected to commemorate the great fires of London. £3 to go up all 311 steps and receive a certificate.
(4) from the views I decided to walk to the Bank and from their to St Paul's Cathedral (inspired by Mary Poppins somewhat)
(5) Did an audio tour of St Paul's which included upstairs in the dome (a recurring event was climbing circular stairwells throughout the day...)
(6) walked down the block to the Millenium Bridge and across the Thames to the Tate Museum of Modern Art
(7) honestly I didn't really get the modern art... Didn't spend much time here...
(8) walked along Southbank/ Thames River Walk all the way to the Big Ben.
(9) continued around to St Margaret's/Westminster.
Similar to St Paul's- tourists can't take photos but you had audio tours offered (£4 @ tSt Paul's, free @ Westminster)
(10) walked down along St James Park to Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately by this time it was 4pm so the Changing of the Guard was over for the day.
(11) walked down The Mall to Trafalgar Square. From there caught the Tube to Baker St.
(12) Final activity for the day was Madam Tussaud's - started at 5:45pm...
(13) Tubed back to Borough and am currently blogging while eating a chicken burger with a Guinness beer.. (fish n chips not avail as it's a Public Hol)

A couple of thoughts:
(1) the Tube isn't too bad, but in contrast Singapore's MRT is the best experience so far... And Melb is not even worth comparing...
(2) London is really tourist-friendly: Tesco has this package deal of sandwich of pasta meal + snack + drink = £2!!!!!
(3) Melb inner suburbs are clearly based on the architectural styles of London... I find Borough like a Richmond back in Melb... Roads are narrower here and the layout is reminescent of the sheer age of the city.
(3) really love the history and centuries worth of layers built up and up... The monuments, particularly Westminster
(4) beer (Guinness) isn't that bad but I still prefer a glass of red anytime!!!

Photos taken: 227 (includes handful from before today)

-- Post From My iPhone

On Transit in Singapore

Arrived in Singapore last night, Terminal 3. Very short taxi-ing from touchdown to terminal gate... Quickly checked into the Transit Hotel @ Terminal 2 (where my booking was held)

Woke up this morning at 7am (I guess body thought it was 9am) after sleeping at 10:30pm (12:30am Melb time).

This morning I returned to Terminal 3. Just had breakfast - yum cha and Kaya toast from Toast Box. Seriously considering a massage as part of killing time this morning.

Rung relatives in Singapore to say hi.

Changi Airport is so good. Just hooked up to their free wireless access, so on international data roaming charges!!!

Also now using an 8gb memory card on my camera - good 'ol Sony T200...

The last notable thing here is my interaction with the Transfer counter... The lady there had access to the complete seating arrangement on my flight. She even shared age profile details on the two people who will sit next to me... I had considered changing from a window seat to an aisle seat... mianly because I sat next to a father and son, the teenage son using a leg brace which made getting in and out a little more challenging.

So I've learnt that there will be a group of Brisbanites a few rows behind me... ;)

Going for a massage now... Aahhh!


-- Post From My iPhone

Sydney Airport

I have 2 hours + to waste here at Sydney Airport...

I don't have to check-in my suitcase again so everything is running smoothly. The weather here in Sydney is nice and sunny. Have packed my jacket inside the suitcase and draped my jumper around me instead of wearing it- this should work well should the A380 air conditioning prove effective and make the cabin really cold.

Qantas provided a brunch-type meal so I figure that I don't need lunch. On that note there's an Asian noodle place near the gate which is charging $15-16 a meal (normally would expect $8-9)!!! Now that's a rip-off!

But catch a nap and listen to music. Can easily snack...

There's a Sony/DFS electonics shop and I bought my backup memory card for the camera... I also saw 80gb PS3s going for $459... Just maybe I could get one on the return flight in??? (somehow don't think so but I'm allowed to dream on...)

According to the constant (slightly annoying) PA calls one United Airlines is being delayed a couple who are yet to turn up...

Fortunately my iPhone apps can keep me preoccupied for the next few hours!

Looking forward to the stopover Singapore tonight.


-- Post From My iPhone

Melb Airport

Didn't sleep much last night... Slept at 11:30pm but woke at 2:30pm and didn't sleep again 'til 4am.

Took the car to the carwash this morning...

Drove myself to the airport while Dad will drive car home; quite uneventful.

Now relaxing at the Qantas Club at Melb Airport... One announcement concerned me a little... One inbound aircraft was diverted to Sydney which will delay another domestic flight... Fortunately not my flight... But hoping my flight remains unaffected...

Will post again from Sydney!

-- Post From My iPhone

The day before flying out...

It's nice to have a whole day before flying out of Melbourne...

Slept in... 'til 9am. Note to self: will need to leave the house tomorrow around 9am...

Went to Chaddy for lunch and shopping. Bought from Kmart international power adaptors - pity UK and Europe use different standards...

Found out that Switzerland (Luzern) use Swiss Francs and NOT euros!!! O_o

Chaddy has just opened part of the new West mall... had a quick tour through there - will have to spend more time there when I return! Macca's also now opened their McCafe near JB/AMF, and the school kids are already hanging out there... on a Friday arvo at 1:30pm... hmmm... don't they have school???

Just created my travel pack checklist on iPhone - certain items I will buy in the UK (shoes which I hear are cheap over there...) and maybe a jacket... bought a very nice thank you present... need to research a bit more and print out additional info to go with the gift.

So far my suitcase weighs...

7kg!!!

So I'm going to pack more stuff in... =)

I've constantly checked the websites for online check-in... each time trying to work out when I should do the check-in... apparently for SIA, 48 hours before the flight is when it becomes available... finally worked out that the earliest is 5pm this evening - 48 hours before Singapore leg to London is also available (want to do both in the one session).
Qantas domestic online check-in is only 1 hour before hand, so I might just do it tomorrow from the airport...

Need to also take a look at the Singapore airport website - work out what I want to do on Sunday morning...

14 days to go!!!

Only 14 days to go.

Just a couple of things to do locally now... The biggest one being the need to actually pack!

Other than that arranging spending money... A whole range of advice on the different means. Thank you all.

One interesting item that I've been advised to bring is those tubes of antiseptic hand cream -handy for cleaning hands without water and avoiding public toilets...


-- Post From My iPhone

Travel Plans v0.6 - London specifics

I've been informed by friends working in London that Monday 31/08 is a bank holiday... which means a few of them will be out of town... =(

However, I do have a cousin who is still studying - so there's a possibility to spend the day with him...

Both Tues 01/09 amd Wed 02/09 have now been booked for dinner, with the final Wed 23/09 likely to be booked now...

Countdown: 22 days/15 working days left!

Travel Plans v0.5

In keeping with the latest developments for my upcoming trip, I've added on the coach travel between London (Victoria Coach Station) and Mansfield/Nottinghamshire where my cousin has agreed to pick me up from.

It also turns out that my Godmother's family in London are quite eager to show me a good time which is totally awesome as well...

Google Maps is a fascinating tool - I can check out the StreetView photos and get a virtual tour of all the travel routes I'll be taking... however, I'm resisting doing this too much as it will spoil the fun. Google Maps has taught me this evening that Hyde Park is pretty much in between the Victoria Coach Station and Bayswater where the Umi Hotel is for checking in on Tuesday 08/09.

One of the last unknowns in this whole trip still remains my first few days in London... Part of the challenge is where and who to stay with... meeting up with friends and getting in the sights - I will only have three whole days...

Sights I hope to see/visit in London include:

1. London Eye

2. Hyde Park

3. Buckingham Palace

4. Madam Tussaud's

5. a matinee show at Westend

6. London Tower

Somehow I don't think I can cover all of that in three whole days - although I will have one day from the afternoon of 23/09 thru evening of 24/09...

Travel Plans v0.4

Arranged to meet up with cousin in Amsterdam after work on the Friday.

My Amsterdam tour plans [17-18/09]
17/09 arvo = Visit the Van Gogh museum [www.vangoghmuseum.nl]
17/09 evening = Visit the Vodka Musuem [http://www.vodkamuseum.com/en]
18/09 morning = Visit the House of Anne Frank (8 euro for tickets - http://www.annefrank.org
18/09 afternoon = Visit the Royal Palace [www.paleisamsterdam.nl]

Overnight stay will be at Park Plaza Victoria, in the heart of the city.
Will also be catching a train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam since tickets are ~$30 AUD.

Travel Plans v0.3

Ok, now we're blogging live/real-time...

This third update focuses on the transition points between tour dates and my free time:

(1) London 08~09/09
Booked a room at Umi Hotel, Bayswater, London overnight for that Tuesday. This will ensure that I don't have to get up super early to make the 6am start from Umi Hotel. Check in will be anytime on 08/09 from 2pm onwards.

I've now downloaded a map fo the London Tube as a handy guide.

(2) Rome > Hertogenbosh 17~18/09
This transition is a little trickier... Hertogenbosh is ~1 hour from Rotterdam or Amsterdam by car (source: Google Maps directions). I've decided upon Transavia direct (via TravelEurope.com) which is 90 euro from Rome to Rotterdam. This flight seems the best, just need to find out more about the airline reliability! The alternatives are via:
- major airlines: at least 800 euro... yikes
- stop-overs (London/Paris): ~ 200+ euro plus flight durations blow out to 4hrs+

The flight I've picked leaves 10am and arrives 12:15 in Rotterdam - which will give me plenty of time in the arvo to explore and make my way to Hertogenbosh.

(3) Amsterdam > London 23/09
While doing the online flight bookings I have also proceeded to book the final flight/link between the Netherlands and UK. Cheap British Airways flight BA-435 will return me to London on the last Wed/full day of my hol. Afternoon flight ensures that I have plenty of time on either side to play... I'm thinking that the morning of 23/09 should allow me to visit the House of Anne Frank...
This particular flight will land me Heathrow and not Gatwick or the other airports.

All the jigsaw pieces are now starting to fall into place!

I've also performed a comparison on travel insurance but my ANZ Platinium Credit Card benefits seem to cover me without additional costs so... all good!

Travel Plans v0.2

Another retrospective blog/post.

Over the Queens Birthday long weekend I sat down to plan my trip further.

The "critical success factors" for me have been:
- focus on western Europe (main cities: London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam)
- see my cousin's family, in particular my nephew (UK)
- visit family over in the Netherlands (Hertogenbosh)

So, digging through several websites I explored travel costs, mainly through the train network of Europe. Apparently just to get a train travel pass for the 4-5 countries was going to cost $1500+ and this didn't even include accommodation or food costs.

A quick comparison for tour packages led to one particular pacakge: TopDeck - Roman Road, 11 days (the first leg of a much bigger 30-day Europe tour package). Thus my plans have now got a fixed middle:

TopDeck Roman Road Wed 09/09 to Thursday 17/09:
Wed 09/09 - London > Paris
Thurs 10/09 - Paris
Fri 11/09 - Paris > Mt Rigi
Sat 12/09 - Mt Rigi (Lucerne)
Sun 13/09 - Mt Rigi > French Riviera
Mon 14/09 - French Riviera (Monaco)
Tues 15/09 - French Riviera> Florence
Wed 16/09 - Florence > Rome
Thursday 17/09 Rome

Includes accommodation, 8 breakfasts & 4 dinners. I should mention also that this is a discovery tour meaning that we have free time to explore and not every little detail has been worked out.

All for $1950 AUD...

Travel Plans v0.1

~ Retrospective post ~
Back in April I booked my book-end flights:

Europe-bound
Saturday 29/08/2009: Qantas QF418 Melb > Sydney
Saturday 29/08/2009: Singapore Airlines SQ222 Sydney > Singapore
Sunday 30/08/2009: Singapore Airlines 318 Singapore > London

Home-bound
Thursday 24/09/2009: Singapore Airlines SQ321 London > Singapore
Friday 25/09/2009: Singapore Airlines SQ221 Singapore > Sydney
Saturday 26/09/2009: Qantas QF417 Sydney > Melb

Further Explanations
1. Singapore Airlines flys the A380 on the Kangaroo route... it's only recently they've announced that the A380 will fly the Melbourne > Singapore route, but even still that only starts from 30 Sept!
2. From experience, Qantas frequent-flyer points are best used for interstate flights only; thus this covers the Melbourne - Sydney flights.
3. The main choice for travel in Sept was from my cousin-in-law in the UK who suggested after the busy Summer months and that Autumn wouldn't be too cold; further his son would be 1yo by that time... definitely more interactive as babies go...