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Published: February 28th 2013
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As people say, the first time will usually stick; and my first experience in watching a musical in London definitely does. Going in with little background knowledge of wicked and wizard & oz, I was pleasantly greeted with great singing and acting with a pretty decent plot. Some of the songs do stick too, and the story did touch me a little. Well worth the money! Will be looking forward to watching more musicals in London before returning to Singapore, especially Le Mis and Phantom, two of which are highly rated by friends.
Thought the day would have ended, but things just got better, when impromptu-ness kicks in, and when guys like us just have the “just do it” spirit. And so, from a mere comment of wanting to try out the public cyclo-bikes for rent for an hour or so, it turned out to be a whole night of peddling around River Thames. It was a crazy idea, but we did had lots of memorable times cycling along the riverside, taking incredible night shots of the city landscape and having a good time trying to beat the cyclo system. After refueling for supper at the 24/7 macs and having
our bike rentals delayed with subsequent stopovers at faulty cyclo stations, the icing on the cake came when we were greeted with the glow of lights from the Tower Bridge. It was our ultimate destination and we made it, thankfully and how glad we were, when we were able to capture that image of the bridge and its reflection off Thames. By far, it’s my favourite shot of London. Well, that’s the reward I guess, for doing things that the rest will not, cycling in the freezing cold weather while the rest are asleep and just giving it a go at things that are outside our comfort zone.
Day 3:
After a short 3 hours sleep, or rather nap, we headed off for good old Dim Sum in Chinatown. Friends were craving for Chinese food after a month or so away and before long, all the chee cheong fun, siew mai and cha siew pao were deliciously captured into our bellies. Though I just had Dim Sum a week ago in Manchester, I was always welcoming for more Asian food! Haha. Headed for a short walk in the M&M’s world, pretty cool shop for us, before meeting up
with George at the British Museum. The museum was pretty interesting though I spent a good half of the time catching up with George. Perhaps the most interesting thing in the museum was the mummies and the stories behind it. It was time for more Asian food, as we settled for a Japanese restaurant for some Ramen and Don dinner, thanks to a friend’s recommendation. Forgotten the name of the restaurant but we definitely had a filling dinner with the big portions served. Ended the day with more night shots of the increasingly amazing city, as we strolled to Trafalgar Square, then to the riverside before ending at the Westminster Abbey. Got some worthy contenders to the night shot of the Tower, with The Big Ben and Westminster Abbey standing out amongst the rest.
Day 4:
The last day was more relaxing, with only 2 items on the agenda: visiting the Tower of London and being a glutton at the famous Four Seasons restaurant, with their signature roasted duck. Initially, we intended to spent an hour or so at the Tower of London but we ended up leaving the place at 3plus (we arrived at 12pm) so that
says a lot about the visit there! A daunting looking castle, it is majestic in its own rights from the exterior, but what was more impressive is what’s inside of it. The green gardens where the wardens reside in, the different gates and torture chambers, display of ancient armouries and modern warfare equipment and to top it up, the highlight: Crown jewels worn by the royal family of the country. As guys, we were naturally drawn to the weapons and armouries but the jewels definitely did draw my eyes firmly to them, admiring just how beautiful the diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphire crystals are. 100 over carats?! Man, they will, I’m pretty sure, drive any woman nuts. Ok, maybe not the Queen. Lol. Like we all agreed, being able to set our eyes on the crown jewels alone makes the entrance tickets more than worth it. The white tower within the castle itself (which is also the tallest tower) is where the armouries are showcased. A pity we can’t go all the way to the top to have a bigger view of the tower bridge. We did though, took some day shots of it as we exited the place from
Tower Bridge
Fav photo of the night the side. Day and night view of the, in my opinion, most iconic structure in London city completed!
Dinner at Four Seasons was equally good with the roasted duck simply heavenly. We ordered steamed white chicken as well and both were just delicious to the max! (Singaporean slang for very good). A pity we had to rush a little as Clarence was catching Le Mis musical, which was just conveniently located 3 minutes away from the restaurant. The service was decent as well, and for a sumptuous and mouth-watering dinner for 10pounds per person, I would take it anytime. Another recommendation for roasted duck is Goldmine restaurant, also highly rated by friends. I would probably try that one the next time!
The London trip was very fulfilling (and filling for the stomach too!) and heartwarming. Fun times with friends, doing the things we like to do, and just spending memorable moments together. I have not seen much of London as yet, and for that, I will definitely be back again. : )
For now, Norway (Tromso) awaits in 2 days time. Can’t wait! Studies have got to wait though. :p
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