Our New-est Home

Yes, we are moving again.

Not wthin Dublin or Ireland, but to another new ctry - UK.

We opted for the ferry-train route to London this time as we have lotsa barang barang to bring along with us (though we have also arranged for 4-5 boxes to be couriered over via DHL).

The ferry will leave Dublin port for Holyhead in United Kingdom and then change to the national rail from Holyhead to Birmingham and then London.





After Peter sent us off at the port, we boarded Ulysses, the huge cruise-like ferry. The ferry IS a cruise ship - they have facilities like movie rooms, restaurants, cabins, game room & duty free shops!

My hub decided to book a cabin for the 3-4 hours journey so that we can have a good rest. This reminded me of our first trip tog on board the 3D2N KL cruise..here's the view from our cabin.

The ferry set off about 20mins later. We made a call to Peter to thank him again for his farewell meal, and for sending us off.

We do feel abit sad leaving Dublin as it had brought us lotsa memories - both good and bad. We will be bringing along the good ones (treasuring them) and leaving the bad ones behind to those who deserve to keep them. And of cos, we are also excited abt reaching our new base and setting up our new home!





We rested for awhile getting around exploring the facilites...Well, what else other food for my hub! We ordered a feast (plus yummy desserts & hot choc) to fill up our stomach for the journey.

We then took a short stroll around the ferrry, Ulysses.

And snapped sm pix...

It was ard 1am when we reach Holyhead..the moon lit brightly our 'path' towards our new home...

It was quite a long wait for the train to come. We loaded our survival packs onto the train for the 6-7hours of ride to London.

Halfway through, my hub made himself 'comfortable'...heh ;P

Finally when we arrive Euston station in london, we grabbed our stuff and took a cab to a hotel we booked in Earl's Court. The hotel is newly refurbished and look pretty chic..

It took us one week of intensive house searching before we finally found a place nearby. Earl's Court is a very nice place - safe with plenty of amenities..something like Rathmines in Dublin..They were having this Earl's Court Festival when we were there and we joined in the fun!

There were many stalls selling food and crafts, with performances lined up back to back, in one of the streets. We bought a home-made carrot cake + a huge popiah..it was delicious!

After a week in Earl's Court, we moved to our new 'home' a few streets away..The area may not be as nice as Earl's Court, but its right next to the tube station (which is one of our essential criteria) and close to High Street Kensington etc...what attracted us was also the view from our room - unblocked and windy!

After the agent left, we spotted a few 'flaws' and decided to snap pix of them as evidence (in case they try to 'ke-tok' us after the lease ends)..better be safe than sorry yah!

After unpacking, we took a train down to the city to chill out..we popped by the largest toy store in London - Hamleys (toy-lovers heaven!)...wethen went to Leicester Sq for our well-deserved roast duck dinner feast! Yum yum ; 9

Farewell Dublin

Time to say goodbye..

2 years in dublin, ireland, doesnt seems long but its long enough to form some sentiments for this place - cold, windy, wet, peaceful & definitely far from home...




ard this period 2 yrs ago, we visited dublin on our 1st europe trip to ireland, london, paris..my 'bf' then came for an interview and thats the start of his overseas working life and of cos, our long distance r/s..

it wasnt easy living & working (very diff for those who study) in a foreign country, esp in one without many sporeans/chinese (initially)..but well, it really depends on hw focus you are on yr long term goal..

for me, i have been travelling to Europe and of cos Dublin a few times within these 2 yrs and only after 1.5 yrs do i decided to give up my career n family to join my hub here...sm how, i do feel 'something' for the place too..

Rathmines, is a place that leaves us with rather deep memories..my hub lived there for about a year + and i lived there for abt half a yr...its a very nice little town..definitely safe and very convenient (which we like!)..n so, on the day before we leave, we decided to take a short tour around the area to 'admire' its beauty for the last time..



this used to the path my hub always walked to and fro home and work..there is a big tesco nearby, a KFC (most horrible kfc in the world), Pizza hut n 'Ho Ho' chinese takeaway (all the msg-filled food)...

n this is the other side of the road where u can find all the cafes, shops, mini 'Swan' shopping mall n of cos, houses etc...u can oso find a library on the left..thats where i borrow all the recipe books + DVDs fm..

we cm bac to this very same place we took picture in 2005...the spirell in O'Connell street - one of the widest streets in Europe, which we nicknamed it "jin gu bang" (like the one sun wu kong used..haa)..

we walked around and it started to rain again..so, we went to the cinema in parnell street to check out the tickets for 'Simpsons' movie for tmr..after getting the tickets, we passed by the ever so 'busy' restaurant next to the cinema and decided to treat ourselves to a GOOD 'farewell' dinner b4 leaving Dublin. my hub ordered steak (his fav) n i ordered fish chips..as u can see, the portions are huge!

the next morning, we met Peter at the cinema and watched our 'farewell' movie..n yes, i cant help but snap a pix with the simpson family...n of cos, peter n my hub must take one too! heh...

after the movie, we went back to rathmines to grab lunch. peter treated us to our farewell lunch at the new burger joint - cant rem the name, but its quite a cool place...they use the comic books as covers for their menu..shud be a young owner i tink...we went bac to our house for my 'green bean soup' dessert n drink b4 we cont doing our last min packing.

then ard 6pm, the landlord came..we rushed thru our packing and went down to wait for a cab to the port..peter was very nice, he went home, change into his cycling gear and cycled to our place and then the port to send us off..he's one of those great pals we made in dublin..n for sure, we will stay in touch! ; )

b4 i end this post, i must mentioned the 3 carrot cakes, 1 banana walnut n 1 apple tart that i baked for my hub's office...it was our way of saying thank you to them, esp his boss, Duffy, for employing my hub n giving him the chance to excel here...his boss even told me i dont hav to find any job..as i can open a bakery just by selling my home-made carrot cakes!! he said his daughter finished the whole cake rite after dinner..haa...wud u buy one? ; 9

'Artty-Fartty' Weekend

15 June - Bloomsbury Day

My hub and i had a sudden crave for a good chinese meal (despite the fact that there are no good chinese food in dublin) n so, we went to the unofficial 'chinatown' in Abbey Street to check out sm restaurants...we ordered a plate of fried noodles, some tofu n veg..quality was so-so but its very expansive! well, this is dublin..u cant possibly expect much yah..heh ;P

After the meal, we happened to walk pass an area that is being cordoned off....so we went in to chk it out - its the celebration of Bloomsbury Day! oohh, no wonder we saw so many publicity banners along the main street..so this is 'THE' Bloomsbury Day celebration:

June 16, the day on which James Joyce had his first date with Nora Barnacle, who would later become his wife. June 16th is also the day on which the infamous novel, Ulysses, is set.

We went into the museum to check out n were told that we were just in time for the recitation of James Joyce's works...actors and actresses were dressed up in costumes and they 'performed' live in the streets...





its like a mini play staged in public...n they were reallie good..we enjoyed 20mins of free 'performance' before we head bac to continue our packing...

________________________________

16 June - AIB World Street Performers Championship

http://www.spwc.ie/

we wanted to catch the performance at Merrion Square yest but it was raining, yes again...so, we decided to check it out today..we wanted to get Peter to come along with us...but his hp had sm probs n we couldnt contact him...

our main objective was to catch this Japanese group - Garmajobat's performance as we have seen enough of 'ang mos' street busking..they were very comical and cute!! we reallie enjoyed the show..esp my hub (who wasnt very keen initially abt cming), but end up, he was the one laughing thru out the whole show..haa...

sometimes we wonder y we din get to enjoy such shows in spore where we used to have the Spore River Busking Festival..maybe its the people/audience who 'helped' make the difference to the overall atmosphere...in a relaxed n fun environment here, everyone is very sporting. they just gathered around the roadside n enjoy the show or being 'tekan' by the 2 comedians...

we were so excited to see them n went up to have a short chat with them after the performance..n guess wat, they tot we were from Korea (??)..haa..not bad leh..korean or japanese - we were always mistaken for whenever we travel...n b4 we went into the park to check out other performances, i took the chance to snap a pix with them! Say cheese!

There are always rows of pple selling art pieces or paintings along the gates of Merrion Square(thou i rarely see anyone buying them)...i guess its part of their lifestyle in Europe as u can find similar scenes in Paris and London...











Inside the park, u can find plenty of stalls or carts selling yummy ice cream or hot food...n of cos, plenty of pple too!










There is one thing i like very much abt Europe...n that is their vibrant ARTS culture...not those 'fake' or 'imitation' kind that spore has been trying very hard to put up...even the simple n 'cheap' decoration they had blended very naturally with the greenery of the garden...like the one below, they got children to do up flowers wiht their names using paper and hung them ard the trees - seems like a mystic garden ya?








The organisers also turned the garden into a mini 'maze'..performers are scattered all over n they rotate among themselves every couple of hours...these 2 husband & wife 'Daredevil Chicken Club' caught our attention..but personally, i dun enjoy such 'silly' stuff...abit too much for me...








There was also a vote & win competition gg on throughout the 3 day festival where the group with the highest vote will win the championship and gets invited back next year to perform...the guy below from Australia is the winner last year..n this yr, he is back with more stunts to show off...his performance is the daring kind, rather than comical..he played with fire n swallowed a real knife etc...however, what impressed me most was his ending speech (of cos he asked for $, but in a very meaningful n sincere way) - "this is my profession n livelihood..so, if u hav some spare cash to 'give' for my performance, i would be most happy..however, if you dont, dont worry, this performance shall be my gift to you...n this is the beauty of street performance!" - so inspiring! n it warms my heart...as in the midst of our $-minded society, there are still pple who believe n are passionate abt what they do..hmm...

After that, we continue to walk around n found more interesting sights...i like this decor too..simple but it gives a very artistic feel to the area...

well, its time to rush back...as we had to meet Javi & Magda for coffee at cafe near our house...we met them, had a quick chat b4 we brght Magda to the Oriental Supermarket n share with her what kind of sauces or ingrdients she can buy to cook...

thereafter wen we got home, i have got the sudden urge to whip up an Indian meal..its oso to clear our food la...as we r abt to leave in a weeks time..i made the yellow rice with raisin n long beans, special salad (a dish i learnt fm spain during our recent trip) n beef redang (okie, this is fm marks n spencer..kekeke..nt worth buying so many spices just to cook one bowl of redang for 2 pax la)....

The food was good! Heh..we had a good dinner n time to start packing again! =9

Hola Espana!

~ Madrid, Cordoba, Seville ~

01 - 04 June

Hola!! (hello in spanish)...

- Madrid -

during the May long weekend, we went over to London for a short break...n for the June long weekend, we followed our spanish frds back to their hometown, in Southern Spain (which i havent been to)!..


we took a plane from Dublin -> Madrid -> transfer a train to the city centre -> took another train ride -> all the way down to the Southern side!

my hub was abit silly as he wore n brght along all the winter wear to spain! summer time in spain is very diff fm dublin (still very cold)..u can see a guy behind him in short sleeves wondering if there is sthg wrong with him..haa...so pai seh....anyway, the train stations were very modern in madrid..this is the billboard 'art' (u mite not be able to see the real motion) where they used animation to make it seems as though the trains and escalators are moving on the wall...very creative!

upon arrival, we went with Javi (pronounced as Ha-vi) to the University of Madrid to collect his graduation cert...the university is very big and there is a train station rite smack in the centre of the campus..hw i wish our nus is that convenient!

Javi n Magda....with his cert! Congrats!!

we then grab a quick bite at the cafe b4 heading to Madrid's central station, 'Atocha' to meet Javi's brother...i was amazed when i reached the station...as there is an indoor 'jungle' inside the train station itself...n u can even find turtles inside it!



The architect Rafael Moneo’s idea for the latest extension of the station was to make waiting more comfortable. So he decided to convert the old building into a moist and tropical greenhouse.

Javi met his brother and had coffee with him while Magda brght us across the road to buy the famous must-try spanish 'burger' - Calamares De Madrid..

Here it is....the infamous calamari burger in Madrid!

Javi said its real good...n of cos, we must try! all of us ordered a diff filling so that we can try...fortunately we had magda there to do the translation...otherwise, we reallie duno which one to choose...

as time was running short, we grabbed our burgers n ate them otw to Cordoba..okie, u can see my hub din reallie like it...cos he doesnt like thick ham/bacon...n if u hav been to spain, u will know the pple love pork!

- Cordoba -

Finally we are here - Cordoba! This is prob a place not many people will come...

this is the famous 'view' of cordoba...

the temperature rose to 37 degrees wen we were there...n i m sure u can tell hw hot it was by looking at this ah pek...he had to take off his shirt n walk cos it was soooo freaking hot (even hotter than spore!)

Magda's parents picked us up at the train station n sent us to the hotel...we rested in the hotel as we were quite tired...then in the evening, we waited for Javi's parents to come n pick us up from the hotel to a very very special place for dinner:

The Roman Cave!

Apparently, this is one of the famous roman caves where slaves were locked inside to dig out rocks for contruction...now, it has been taken over by a F&B estbalishment which converted it into a tourist cum fine dining attraction...its very exclusive as u had to drive all the way out of town into the hills...

there was a mini tour inside the caves but i din went in as it was very dark n scary...many many slaves died inside...so, magda n myself waited outside while my hub, javi n his mum went in....

After the tour, Javi's mum treated us to some 'fine dining' at the restaurant next to it...the food was reallie good...my hub took many many pix of it but i decided to post my fav dish - the dessert of cos! haa...its called 'Symphony'..dark, milk n white choco cake....yummy!!!!

we had diff drinks for that meal...h2o, red wine to go with our meat n to end it off, we had this very sweet dessert wine (small tube) which was my fav...it tasted very fruity...nice...

Javi's mum sent us back to the hotel n yes, that was Day 1!

Day 2, we went to the Cordoba town to explore the city..not many know that in 11th century this was one of the most important capitals in Europe. People of the most different cultures and religions - Jews, Muslims and Christians - were living peacefully together, and important philosophers, scientists and artists emerged from here..





we went to their world-famous 'Mezquita', the Moorish mosque and museums. It was built by the Muslims over 1200 years ago and converted into a cathedral in the 14th century..u can see the unique red n white pillars...

During the first few weeks of May, Cordoba hosted the "Festival of the Patios" where private homes open themselves to the public to show off their floral displays. n we were lucky to see a few of the very impressive patios (garden)..the photos were with Magda..will upload wen she send is the CD...

After that, Javi brght us to one of their fav place for lunch...it was a classic place for the locals..the food was good...local fav like the flamenquin, croquettes n we tried a new dish - smoked cod fish with fresh orange..it tasted good! very refreshing for a hot day...will post the pix wen i got the cd...

Magda went to meet her sister after lunch while Javi brght us ard..we took a break at a local 'coffeeshop', had a drink n sm 'snacks' (preserved olives)...my hub hate it as he dislike sour stuff..haa...after that, we took a bus back to our hotel to rest as the weather was so hot that it makes us feel very tired..

Then in the evening, we were invited to dinner with Magda's fmaily near their house...Magda's family is very close-knitted n so, all her brothers n sister n their family joined in! we took up 6 tables i tink...food was good as they ordered the all time favs...i tink the food makes it the best part of the trip, as my hub loves food n we were brght to all the good ones this trip!

- Seville -

Day 3, we took a train down to Seville for one day short trip. The train ride was about 1-2 hrs..so it was quite ok...

we walked to the town area wen we arrived and had a drink while we waited for Magda's frd, Man-do (not sure of spelling), to join us for the day...we went to 'La Giralda', one of the largest cathedral in Christendom..

but b4 that, we stopped by a tapas bar for some food as we didnt had any breakfast...

my hub was so hungry that he kept targeting the food, as the rest chatted...n b4 they knew it..the food was gone! haa...

as it was a weekend, there was a long queue outside the cathedral, waiting to get in and up to the top...we lazed around outside to wait for awhile...n as we waited, we checked out the surroundings..there were many horse carriages ard the area, n my hub decided to 'molest' 1 of the horses - the horse actually turned ard to see who was touching/caressing (?!?) him! heh...

we finally went in n yes, it is very very grand...with all the historical collections...

a must see if u are there!

we then climbed 77 flights of 'slopes' (not stairs..apparently, it was built that way so the horses can run up) to the top of the cathedral, where we were rewarded with the paranomic view of the city...it was worth the climb after all!

After the climb, we walked around the city and discovered this big patio 'flea market' where the locals gather to sell antique coins, stones n toys etc etc...u can find very interesting stuff here..

we then went to find out about the bullfighting show after that...n had lunch at a popular 'bull-fighting' restaurant near the bull ring...we were very fortunate to be able to catch the last show of the season...the weather was very hot but we braved thru n watched the cruel show for an hour under the scorching sun, before meeting up with Magda and gang to return to Cordoba..we enjoyed the experience of their culture...but we do not support it..it was a cruel and unfair game from the start...wen i got the pix fm the cd, i will elaborate more on the game..

Day 4, time to go back!

frankly, we cant wait to go back...not bcos spain wasnt fun..but bcos the weather was toooooo hot...we din have our sunny spore island clothes with us n it was torturing wearing our jeans walking ard...

on the last day, we had half a day to walk ard on our own b4 meeting magda n javi to return to Madrid n then dublin...we wandered ard the city and rewarded ourselves with a BIG hearty 'farewell' meal! my hub ordered so much food but he still managed to finish them..nw u noe hw big an eater he is!

there is this very special kind of beer there - beer mix with lemon which tasted very good...esp on hot days...my hub drank alot of them n end up getting abit 'drunk'..haa..

we had some spare time before boarding the train in Madrid n Javi brght us to the Atocha Train Station Memorial - a memorial monument located at the Atocha Train Station that commemorates the 191 victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, and the special forces agent who died when seven suicide bombers blew themselves up on 3 April 2004.
Thousands of messages of condolence made in the days after the attacks are inscribed on the inside of the tower, which can be seen from the 11m-tall (36ft) cylinder stands outside..

this marks my 2nd trip to spain...the first one was last year april where we went to madrid, valencia, barcelona & bilbao..

there were 2 things i wanted to 'achieve' during this trip, i.e. to watch a bull-fighting n flamengo show..so as to complete 'Spain'..as i have more or less 'cover' the ctry/places i wan to go (thou we mite pop by barcelona again one day)...we only managed to catch the bull fight which i am happy enough, as it was sm thing really interesting n diff...as for the flamengo show...i realised it was very commercialised kinda dance performance like those 'aqua shows' u see in thailand...n so, i gave that a miss...

alrite, time to return to freezing cold dublin...home sweet home ; )