velsolutely velle_butterpaper studio

Day 11 - Barcelona!

2012-02-08T18:12:00.033+08:00

Last day in Spain!

And we have come to the final day of our tour....tomorrow it's to the Barcelona Airport and back to sunny isle - Singapore.

Today's highlights include La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Park Guell and Barcelona Pavillion!!! And of cos last minute shopping.

La Sagrada Familia

The Glory Facade in whitish colour - very new.

Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic Church designed by Antoni Gaudi and it's not completed yet! The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and started construction in 1882. Under Gaudi's hands, he transform the church combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Targetted for completion in 2026.

Although on the outside it looks old and worn, however when we stepped inside, WOW! it looks so white and pristine and very very new. The new parts can be seen as the whiter parts.

Gaudi designed the columns to mirror trees and branches, which were in his eyes God's creation. And our tour guide tells us that LED lights are being used here!

left: Back of the facade (4 apostles) which depicts the death of Jesus also known as the Passion Facade. It is known for its spare, gaunt and lacking of decoration.
right: currently the front facade (4 apostles) which depicts the Nativity of Jesus
Once the church is completed, the third facade which depicts the Glorification of Jesus shall be the main entrance to the Church.

some of the stained glass in the older parts of the church and to the right of the photo, notice the glass windows are clear? that's because they haven't finished them in stained glass yet!

after visiting La Sagrada, we had a quick tour of Casa Mila and Casa Batllo on the coach! How funny! anyway, we will be walking the premises later so we can take some photos.

Casa Mila- here's a close up on the beautiful balconies designed by Antonio Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol.

Casa Batllo...wavy facade.

did you know that this building is so very close to Casa Batllo?
Exterior of Suites Avenue hotel designed by non other than Mr Toyo Ito himself!
and of cos Mr Ito explains that the concept behind his facade was his love for Gaudi's work ie wavy forms of Casa Batllo.

....then the coach went on to Montjuic.

Toyo Ito's Porta Fira towers...managed to catch a glimpse of it on the coach while we were on our way to Montjuic.

Agbar tower by Jean Nouvel can be seen from the viewpoint at Montjuic and even at Park Guell.

Palau Sant Jordi, Indoor Sporting Arena by Arata Isozaki

Montjuic Communications Tower by Santiago Calatrava

can you see Santa Caterina Market by Enric Miralles??? It has a colourful roof peeking out of the streetscape!

after visiting the old and new streets of Barcelona...it's time to hop onto our coach and head for our lunch destination at Olympic Harbour and who knows that we are in for more architecture feast!
~WEE!!!~

This sculpture by the famous American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein was part of the rejuvenation project for the waterfront area previously known as Moll de la Fusta. Positioned to be visible from areas, this sculpture was inaugurated for the 1992 Barcelona games. Made of concrete and ceramics, it is the ceramic cladding that pays homage to Barcelona and its famous son Antoni Gaudí.

and we saw Torres Au Natural by Enric Miralles, also by Olympic Port on route to our lunch destination!

Olympic Harbour is where we had our lunch. We ate at a Chinese restaurant which has nothing much to boast about except that it's surrounded by amazing architecture!!! Just ascending the escalator to the restaurant, one can see....facing the sea port was Frank Gehry's Peix, a giant whale (The Fish) made by bronze on top of a building. See...the yellow coach in the foreground? that's our coach!

After lunch, our tour leader dropped the 5 of us at the city centre as we were not joining the optional tour to Monserat - Monastery in the mountains because wj and I were more interested in visiting Park Guell and Barcelona Pavilion.

and so we found Drassanes station and bought our $2 euro one way ticket down to Lessep to get to Park Guell! Each stop was about 2 mins distance so there were a total of 4 stops to get to Lesseps which was pretty fast! we reached there in no time at all!

From the station, there were visible road signs leading you to Park Guell, so just follow those blue signs! Walk from Station takes about 20mins or so. And the last league reaching Park Guell is up a slope road filled with souvenir shops.

and we made some souvenir buys too!

Park Guell - Antonio Gaudi (1914).
Free admission, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site under "Works of Gaudi"

Doric columns support the roof of the lower court which forms the central terrace, with serpentine seating round its edge.

The unique shape of the serpentine bench enables the people sitting on it to converse privately, although the square is large. The bench is tiled and in order to dry up quickly after it rains, and to stop people from sitting in the wet part of the bench, small bumps were installed by Gaudí.

Bird nests built by Gaudí in the terrace walls. The walls imitate the trees planted on them.

Casa Martí Trias i Domènech while the one in pink is the Gaudi House of Museum.

Colonnaded footpath under the roadway viaduct, with external columns sloping to take the diagonal thrust from the vault supporting the road.

the 2 "Ginger Bread Houses" at the entrance of Parc Guell....i'm sure Hanzel and Gretel will definitely approve Gaudi's work of art.

Gaudí's multicolored mosaic dragon fountain at the main entrance - a famous mascot which every tourist must take upon visiting the park.

Barcelona Pavilion - Mies Van der Rohe

it was the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. Well-known for its simple form and extravagant materials such as marble and travertine. The entire building rests on a plinth of travertine.
Other unique features besides it's "floating" form are the exotic materials - plates of high-grade stone materials like veneers of Tinos verde antico marble and golden onyx as well as tinted glass of grey, green, white as well as translucent glass, act as spatial dividers in the pavilion.

Alba by Georg Kolbe

spaces that flows seamlessly between inside and outside.

Casa Mila - 1984

Casa Batllo - 1906
was a building restored by Antoni Gaudi and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the 1877. It is also known as the House of Bones as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality.

Day 10 - Valencia -> Barelona

2012-01-30T13:19:00.000+08:00

Morning Valencia!
Today we shall begin the day with a half day tour at Valencia, the third largest city of Spain.

Bull ring stadium!

left: me in the city.
right: Western view from Our Lady Square, with the Apostles Gate, the transept tower and the Obra Nova.

behind us is the Valencia Cathedral and Little Michael Tower aka Torre Del Miquelet

Towers of Serranos, one of the twelve gates that were found along the old medieval city wall in Valencia.

It is considered one of Valencia's most iconic building and is one the best conserved monuments in the city.

manhole of Valencia!

the tour guide explaining the origins of the Gothic Cathedral and the slow transformation of additional towers and other parts of the church.

after the tour guide explained a little about the history of Valencia and the city square, we were given some time to take some photos and souvenir shopping!

pretty lamps but i didn't buy any home...don't know where to put them!

we settled ourselves at this little cafe where they made their own pastries and wj had a cuppa hot chocolate which was very thick. And we used the toilet here too!

wj's thick chocolate. $3 euros
After our short break, the tour guide brought us to La Lonja where back in the olden times, people trade for silk, paper and sugarcane.

The Lonja which is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and opposite the Market which the tour guide brought us to take a look and browse around.

The Market! Bustling with activities!

wj posing with small to large cast iron pans meant for paella cooking!

ceiling of the market

we were given about 2 hours at the market and to settle lunch on our own, as we weren't really excited about grocery shop, so we went down to the main street for some real shopping! and brought back bags of Zara and Massimo Dutti, to the amazement of our tour members!!!!

Here's the flower market along the way to the main streets....

For lunch, as we were so short of time, we had a slice of pizza and a cup of soft drink for $2 euros.
Soon we board onto our coach and said our goodbyes to Valencia and we are heading towards our last city of Spain - Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia and Spain's second largest city!

Day 09 - Granada -> Valencia

2012-01-29T12:11:00.000+08:00

O_O ....4 more days and it's goodbye spain!

sadness.

breakfast at 730am. Rise and shine!
Today will be one of the longest coach drive from Granada to Valencia (home of oranges)...

Pitstop for lunch: shared a pasta with fish and hot soup with a bottle of lemonade.
And we bought some caramelised almonds to munch on the coach. $4.50euros for a pack.

after what seems to be a forever journey....our tour leader brought us to City of Arts & Sciences by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela!!! which is totally not on the itinerary!!!
WHAT A SPLENDID SURPRISE!!!

shadow of our coach...

L'Àgora -a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events are held

El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe - an interactive museum of science but resembling the skeleton of a whale. It occupies around 40,000 m².

It is the most important modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia. The City of Arts and Sciences is situated at the end of the former riverbed of the river Turia, which was drained and rerouted after a catastrophic flood in 1957. The old riverbed was turned into a picturesque sunken park.

L'Umbracle — a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia (such as rockrose, lentisca, romero, lavender, honeysuckle, bougainvillea, palm tree). It harbors in its interior The Walk of the Sculptures, an outdoor art gallery with sculptures from contemporary artists. (Miquel from Navarre, Francesc Abbot, Yoko Ono and others).

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

L'Hemisfèric - an Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium. The building is meant to resemble a giant eye, and has an approximate surface of 13,000 m².

How exhilarating the whole entire experience! we were so eager to leave the group and start walking and taking pictures of the place that after our tour leader gave us a time and venue to meet, we immediately ran off! and finally we met up with the rest at the souvenir shop then we realised that the tour leader was looking for us cos he wanted to change the meeting venue.

see how big this cast pan is!!! it can feed the 27 plus tour leader!!! and still have leftovers!

Dinner was provided and we were having Seafood Paella which originates from the city of Valencia! Most Spaniards consider Paella as their National Dish!

Valencians used seafood instead of meat and beans to make paella. Valencians regard this recipe as authentic as well. Later, however, Spaniards living outside of Valencia combined these two recipes and mixed paella was born.

Paella usually has a layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan called socarrat in Spain. This is considered a delicacy there and is essential to a good paella and I had lots of it because i had a second serving so the waitress gave me lots of the socarrat!

Day 08 - Seville -> Granada

2012-01-28T23:17:00.002+08:00

Good morning everyone!
This morning we will be leaving Seville for Granada where it's famous for its tiles which are more colourful compared to Toledo's.

so here's us cam-whoring on the coach whilst we are still wide awake while some of our tour members are already snoring away.... it's a 3 hours ride from Seville to Granada.

Olive trees are a mass production here in Spain, so olive oil is one commodity which you can get from here!

ahren: look she-orh-orh! mummy has a new bag and we are in it, think it's bimbo & lala....
she-orh-orh: you stupid bear, it's bimba & lola lah...

lunch was provided but this time it's not local cuisine but chinese food.

and onto Seville's street for some snapshots before our coach comes and picks us up to Alhambra Palace.

look! that's the queue infront of us waiting to go into Alhambra Palace! Here we are going for 2 hour walk and we must reach the palace at 330pm cos each ticket has a specific timing to visit the Palace. Since it's still early, the tour guide brought as along the Gardens first.

finally we are in! and we need to use the listening aid provided by our tour guide.

lots of cypress trees growing in the Generalife gardens and it is very well manicured and maintained to pristine conditions!

some of the local species which are thriving quite well in the cold weather.

see how manicured the hedges are? rows and rows of arched hedges form part of the garden.

Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens has a very moorish Architecture - muslim influence.

don't the trimmed cypress trees reminds you of Paddal Pop ice-creams???

colourful tiles line up the bottom half of the wall for easily maintanance says the tour guide and the walls are left empty because in winter time, they will hang tapestries to keep the place warm.
The floors have very little deoration too, because come winter, they will line it with carpet. So the only area where they really decorate is the ceiling!

here's a look at their ceiling!

after visiting the Palace, it's time for Singaporean's fave past-time....shopping. The bad thing about our tour leader was that he dropped us at YET ANOTHER run of the mill shopping mall called El Corte Ingles which is really popular and boring here...even the aunties in our tour complain how boring that shopping mall was. Ask our tour leader where is the nearest Zara, he says must take a bus! wj was quite pissed....and decided not to be outdone and he walked out of the shopping mall and makes a right turn and voila! we made it to the Main Shopping street where we found Zara Home, Zara, Massimo Dutti, H&M, Bimba & Lola, Pull & Bear, Stradivarious and so many more stores!!!!

after so much walking, we were quite hungry and bought some local donuts with hot chocolate sauce to munch on. YUMMY!

by the time we got back to the coach, all the street lamps lit up! Phew!! luckily we are not the last to reach the coach.

Day 07 - Lisbon -> Seville

2012-01-27T19:14:00.013+08:00

Time flies...
Almost half the trip has passed by in the wink of an eye! Today we will be leaving Lisbon and heading back to Spain's Seville, Andalusia's capital.

took some views of Lisbon city while on the coach....crossing the super big river which looks like the ocean.

lunch was on our own, where we had an economic set meal called the Pilgrim's menu. It was super filling!

Next, we arrived at Plaza de Espana...see the doorway to the place, looks so small and insignificant right?

when we went pass through the door....WOOO!

this place is humungous!!!! it has its own canal with pretty bridges across and gondolas like Venice and a very huge square!

series of jumping wj 1...2...3...!

series of jumping me 1...2...3...!

let's flamenco dance!

yes yes while crossing the streets we also take photos of ourselves!!! we are cam-whores!!! hahahaha

tour guide dropped us off at Barrio de Santa Cruz, formerly the ghetto of the Spanish Jews to have a feel of the place, the courtyards are filled with orange trees just like the main roads. But these oranges are bitter and sour, used for marmalade most of the time and not meant for consumption.

Next we head off to Giralda Tower which i didn't climb cos i didn't want to exert myself too much, we spend the 20mins instead of climbing, we browsed around the bookshop and bought some pretty neat souvenirs! and took some photos of the courtyard. The Gothic Cathedral was built by the Muslims where the architecture of the arches are quite evident and the Christians took over it and converted it into a church.

left: the Giralda Tower, right: Gothic Cathedral

city of seville.

tonight we are having a passionate Spanish Flamenco dancing show during dinner! WOOHOO! and a bottle of red wine is on the house too! First course was cold shrimp with salad, followed by Pork steak and dessert: a scoop of ice-cream, coffee or tea.

no shopping mall tonight. heehee

Day 06 - Lisbon, Portugal

2012-01-26T18:04:00.000+08:00

2 Nights in Lisbon
YES! and this morning we didn't have to lug our luggage down to the hotel lobby because we are staying 2 nights in Lisbon!

same old thing everyday.

Our tour guide was saying that Portuguese also love bull-fights just like the Spaniards and the difference between the two was that in Spain, the fighter is on foot while in Portugal, the fighter sits on the horse and fights. How interesting!

Our tour guide also explained about Portugal's geography and site constraint such that many Portuguese people are travelers because they are being cornered by Spain and the vast ocean, and the other way out was to travel by sea. So came about the famous Portuguese egg tart travelling all the way to Macau (that time, China loan Macau to Portugal under a treaty) and how Macau and some parts of Indonesia were under the Portuguese!

This morning was super FOGGY again, just like Salamanca!
First stop was to Belem Tower and we couldn't see the massive tower until we had gotten so close to it. The fog felt like drizzles in standstill ...like mist...and made all the photos so blurry and unclear...and blue and grey...YUCKS....

after visiting The Belem Tower and Monument of Discoveries, we proceed to Jeronimos Monastery (yes!!! the sun is up and chase away all the fog!) where the secret recipe of the Portugese Egg tart was founded! Right here in the Monastery!!! Can you believe that it was founded by Monks????
Anyway, there's a little bakery in blue awning just further down the street of the Monastery where the recipe was passed down to this family. So that's the origins of the famous Portuguese Egg tart.

some interior shots of the Monastery church....

Next the tour guide brought us to a square which was quite spectacular in ornamental finishes.

after visiting the Monastery, we had some free time to ourselves to buy the famous egg tart before we all meet up at the coach...so off we went in search our the delicious egg tart!!!

here's wj in the queue together with the rest of our tour members!

yes!we have finally gotten our famous portugese egg tart and it comes with cinnamon powder. Each egg tart cost $1.05 euros.
The bakery name is: Pasteis de Belem (1837).
Go try it if you happen to pass by there!!!!

YUMZ! i love it even better with the cinnamon powder on it!

after the egg tart snack, lunch was provided and it was Portugal's national dish "Bacalhau" - salted cod fish. It is often cooked on social occasions and is the Portuguese traditional Christmas dinner in some parts of Portugal. I thought it was quite tasty though some chinese mouth tour members didnt like it at all and complained....sigh, sometimes it's really hard to please everyone.

after lunch we were given about 2 hours or so for more shopping! There was a street selling international brands and another street selling the normal spanish brands called Baixa which we didn't have time to go cos we were looking for Prada and Longchamp! hahaha....

here's a bright red Lisbon sightseeing bus!

after shopping at the streets of Lisbon,our tour leader brought us yet to another shopping mall to shop! OMG! i think he must be really scare from all the complaints from other tour members not giving enough time for shopping! cos i was pretty darn tired from all that shopping!!!
So we were dropped off at this shopping mall called Colombo and there i bought more Zara, a pair of shoe ($39Euro) and bag ($184Euro) from Bimba & Lola because it was so cheap!!!!

sigh...beginning to feel a little guilty of overspending.

Day 05 - Salamanca -> Fatima -> Lisbon

2012-01-25T16:08:00.001+08:00

buenos días! morning in Spanish.
Our usual starts at 630am morning call, 730am breakfast and 830am check out, 845am load all the luggage on the coach and leave the hotel at 9am. So everyday is pretty much quite a routine which i find it quite relaxing, usually by 8pm we will be back at the hotel to rest and unpack.

here's wj having his breakfast spread of bacon, ham and scrambled eggs...as you can see, he's very busy eating.

here's a tummy check on myself! - Looking good! heehee...

this morning weather in Salamanca is ....FOGGY!

next is our 5 hours coach ride, crossing borders to Portugal and going onwards to Fatima. Our tour leader doesn't really tell us stories about Spain or Portugal, he usually lets us watch DVDs on the coach if not, it will be zzzz time.

After 5 hours ride, we reach a pitsop where we had our lunch on our own and some souvenir shopping where i bought a rosary for mummy dearest.

we weren't really hungry since we didn't exercise much after the heavy hearty breakfast, so we share a beef steak, or rather wj had it all to himself while i had a hot soup.

The Shrine of Our Lady Fatima is just a 15mins ride away...so we reached there in no time at all!

that's me doing a star jump at 5 months and counting!!! Many of our tour members are saying how lucky our baby is to travel so soon!!!! I hope so too that he will have a blessed life ahead of him!

here's The Chapel of Apparitions where Lady Mary appeared to the 3 peasant children.

our 2 jokers - she-orh-orh and ahren

Church of the Santíssima Trindade by Greek Alexandros Tombazis

wj in love with the floor tiles! Rustic!

that's us after buying a souvenir and taking a rest.

a piece of the berlin wall is being commerated here...

near the Church vicinity are rows of souvenir shops for tourist to buy stuff!

after visiting the Shrine of our Lady of Fatima, we hopped onto our coach for our last activity for the day - SHOPPING!
Our Tour Leader dropped us off at Oriente Station, Lisbon designed by the well-known architect Santiago Calatrava.

WOW...really spectacular his structural columns and flying beams that spans like the wings of a bird or plane...and so many trusses like a tree.
Anyway dinner we had to settle ourselves here, cos we were very rushed for time, dropping by the Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, H&M, Massimo Dutti and Bimba&Lola shops that we ended getting a quick meal from McDonalds, which wasn't so bad, the fries were hot and crispy!

here's a look at our buys for the past 5 days! The camper shoes we left them on the coach till the last day then we will pack into our luggage....

Day 04 - Segovia -> Salamanca

2012-01-24T23:27:00.001+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year Everyone from Spain!

here's us having our usual breakfast which we are going to eat for the next 10 days which consists of scrambled eggs, ham, sausages and croissant.

this morning, the first thing we saw when we entered the city of Segovia is the huge Aquaduct!

yes i love taking manhole photos and i have a series of all the cities of Spain in my following blogs...so watch out for them!

after the city tour, our tour leader agreed to let us have some time for souvenir shopping and to meet at this clock tower of Segovia's Plaza Mayor - opp there's a McDonalds!

and we saw a spikey building which reminded me of our esplanade fins!

our whole family outside Alcazar! - ahren, she-orh-orh, me and wj

isn't the castle a beauty!!!! looks so much like cinderella castle with the blue roof tiles.

and we have gotten our tickets to go into the castle to take a sneak peak!

the windows have arches to them which frames the pretty scene of Segovia

and we bought some souvenirs from Segovia home! - pretty ornamental saucer plates. after walking the streets of Segovia, lunch provided was the famous Suckling pig called cochinillo.
The suckling pig was brought to our tables with a lady adding a flame to the flowers which were attached to the piggy's mouth and it went into flames!
Next the lady used an orange ceramic plate to cut the crispy suckling pig up and threw the ceramic plate onto the floor! and put her hands to a clap! how extraordinary it was....

the suckling pig was served with baked potatoes and salad on the side.

After lunch, we said our goodbyes to Segovia and onto our coach, we are off for Salamanca!
and when we reached our tour leader said that it was difficult to get a toilet here and wanted us to buy a drink at the cafe and use the toilet!!! AIYOH!!!!

anyway, we managed to find a cafe and bought a cafe latte and use the toilet. And we saw the Casa de las Conchas on the way when we were looking for toilets. The Casa de las Conchas is a historical building in Salamanca which currently houses a public library. It has a peculiar feature on its facade - shells! Decorated with more than 300 shells.

me - waiting for the rest of our tour group who are also in search of cafe and toilets!

here's where the guide is telling is about the ornamental figures displaying artwork of the 20th century! - a spaceman, a monkey eating ice-cream and i can't remember what funny thing was created to date history.

here's a zoom in on the spaceman and monkey eating ice-cream , can you find it?

and here's another Plaza Mayor of Spain but in Salamanca.

me and my shopping bags!!! we managed to find ZARA HOME!! and bought quite a few stuff for our little baby!

Day 03 - Madrid -> Toledo -> Segovia

2012-01-23T21:42:00.003+08:00

And so starts our Third day in Spain
Breakfast was quite a spread...too bad i can't eat cold cuts and cheese...

and they serve churros for breakfast too! And the melons in Spain are truly sweet! The skin looks like a watermelon but the insides taste like a honeydew.

After breakfast begins our half day tour of Toledo

ahren and she-orh-orh viewing the whole of Toledo from afar.

here's me at the famous Alcantara bridge...can you see my tummy bum already?

and then it's wj's turn!

wj goes to get us a bottle of mineral water cos we heard from other tour members that the grocery shop selling really cheap mineral water for 90c euro!

next we are going to take the escalator up to the old city which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

streets of Toledo!

Next after taking some photos of Toledo, we were brought to a Damascene Workshop to see some handicraft being made into trinkets which were sold throughout of Toledo streets only! But i didn't buy any...not really my sort of thing.

Lunch was provided...and it was broad beans followed by fish and chips + a bottle of red wine...but I couldn't drink alcohol so we gave it to 2 elderly couples who seem to enjoy wine alot!!! - Later we found out that these 2 couples met each other on another tour to America and hit it off so well that they have decided to travel together again.

here's me outside the restaurant where we had lunch.

after lunch, we had a short walk to the Gothic Cathedral where our tour guide did a short interpretation of the place and city.

the interior of the Gothic Cathedral

more street shots of Toledo before we board the coach and onwards we move towards Segovia (2 hour ride).

Day 02 - Madrid

2012-01-22T17:39:00.003+08:00

We have finally reached Madrid Spain!!
Time to change our watches to the local time which is 7 hours behind Singapore's time.
The weather was good - it was a fairly warm winter where the temperature hovers between 10-17 degress in the day.

The new airport was looking really fantastic! Designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers.
The roof has a wavy shell like structure and finished with wooden panels giving it a very warm look coupled with orangy granite tiles.
The columns were coloured in zones - red, orange, yellow, green and blue...we arrived at the red zone.

after we had gotten our bags which took quite awhile...we hopped onto our coach which we will be travelling in for the next 10 days. On route to Madrid city I chanced upon MVRDV's building!!! How cool was that!!! it was so fast but i managed to catch a quick shot of the top part only while on the coach.

here's how the actual building looks like which i had gotten from another website.

On the coach, we saw some amazing modern apartments on the way which had me snapping like crazy. Spain is so much more modern than i had expected!

Our first stop was to the Royal Palace which had a big courtyard and many rooms. I found it pretty boring really, the rooms that were opened to public were the common rooms, bed chambers, dining room, room where they kept all the crockery which were gifts from other royalties etc etc...actually the rooms were quite dilapidated.

here's wj making a jump!

here's wj and ahren both at the royal palace courtyard.

Lunch on provided as part of the tour package. And we had tapas!
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold like our sour salad and mushrooms or warm like our calamaris, croquettes.
The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them.
This was quite true cos we had to share a table with another elderly couple and got to know more about them and at the end of the trip, we ended up mostly sitting and eating with them cos we were so comfortable with them!

after lunch, the tour leader dropped us off at a local market to get a taste and feel of the locals. And it was pretty near to the Plaza Mayor where we did some shopping!

as you can see, people are hanging out by the bars having tapas and conversations plus glasses of wine.

after visiting the local market, we went to Plaza Royal for a cuppa coffee and to bask ourselves in the sun which all the locals are doing! There were alfresco dining all along the square but only those that had the sunlight were the most popular cos the sunlight helped to keep the locals warm and happy as they drink and eat their meals.

Buskers at the Plaza Mayor, there was flea market going on too, but we really dint have to the time to browse. If it was a free and easy tour, we might have just spent an entire afternoon here soaking in the atmosphere!

see even spongebob is here basking!!

on the streets of Spain - Madrid

after walking the streets of Toledo, the tour leader brought us to Chic Shopping outlet at Madrid - where we did serious damage to our wallets!!! But it was so worth it because all the items we bought were at such a huge discount!

that's me and my brochure of the place...we had about 2 hours of shopping time there and didn't manage to grab our dinner cos we were so busy shopping!

End of the day buys-
HE: 2 pairs of camper, 1 Polo Ralph tee
SHE: 3 pairs of camper, 1 Rayban shades, 1 Polo Ralph Bag, 2 sets of CK lingerie
For Our cute little one: 5 CK rompers, 1 Polo Ralph shirt

then it's time to head back to our hotel - Nuevo Madrid. Rm 302.

Day 01 - Singapore -> Madrid

2012-01-20T18:40:00.000+08:00

We left for Spain on the day before the eve of Chinese New Year. So we had an early reunion dinner with my family which included the traditional lou-hei and steamboat.

then daddy drove us to the airport...cos we couldn't get a cab as it was raining heavily.

and we are on board QATAR airways to Madrid where we will do a transit stop at DOHA for an hour.

look what's inside our nifty travel pack which the airlines had provided? - Eyemask, blanket, eyepieces, ear plugs??? for loud snoring passengers? the usual socks, toothpaste and toothbrush set.

Shopping for shoes!

2012-01-19T23:06:00.000+08:00

HOLA!
my shoes from Spain!

bought from a variety of shops - Camper (Chic outlets), Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bimbo & Lola, Push & Bear

BABYMOON 2: 13Days 10Nights Spain Portugal Itinerary

2012-01-19T22:37:00.006+08:00

DAY 1 : SINGAPORE -->MADRID
(Meals on Board)
6pm:Assemble at Singapore Changi Airport for our flight to Madrid, the capital and largest city of Spain.
Click here for photos!

DAY 2 : MADRID
(Tapas Lunch)
On arrival, begin your visit to Royal Palace; King Carlos and his family’s official residence, which is used mainly for official ceremonies. Proceed to Puerto del Sol. Plaza Mayor was once the focal point of the old city where bullfights, royal coronations and even the Spanish inquisition took place. Plaza de Espana is the prominent monument of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the world famous story of Don Quixote, holds court in this famous square. For lunch,Tapas will be served; enjoy the wide variety of appetizers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. In the afternoon, enjoy a luxury shopping experience at La Roca Village.
Click here for photos!

DAY 3 : MADRID - TOLEDO · SEGOVIA
(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
This morning, proceed to Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a guided tour. Sightseeing will include the magnificent Gothic Cathedral, Toledo’s centrepiece filled with sparkling gold relief, huge oil paintings and portraits of all of ToIed0’s cardinals. Make a stop at Alcantara Bridge, then visit Damascene Workshop to see the ancient Moorish art of interlacing gold on iron or steel. Continue to Segovia for overnight Stay.
click here for photos!

DAY 4 : SEGOVIA - SALAMANCA
(Breakfast/ Suckling Pig Lunch / Dinner)
Segovia is famous for its suckling pig, called cochinillo; a specialty that is slow roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat succulent. This morning, visit the Alcazar where Queen Isabella promised Christopher Columbus the financial backing he would require to discover the New World. The 2,000 years old Roman Aqueduct was originally built by Roman settlers, who historically used Segovia as a military base. Later, proceed to the university town of Salamanca. Today”s highlights is Plaza Mayor, created in the 18th century, it is among the most beautiful in Spain and form the real centre of town. Next is the Cathedral, comprising two cathedrals nestled against one another since 1513; a new Romanesque style cathedral and an old Gothic style. Continue to visit the University, the oldest in Spain and chock-full of interesting architecture and arcades. Casa de las Conchas is one of the most representative buildings constructed during the times of the Catholic monarchy.

DAY 5 : SALAMANCA - FATIMA - LISBON
(Breakfast / Dinner)
Cross the border to Fatima, the world renowned place of pilgrimage in the Catholic world. Visit the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, which commemorates the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary to three peasant children in 1917. Chapel of Apparitions is where the apparitions are said to have taken place, is marked by a marble pillar on which the Statue of Our Lady is placed. The Berlin Wall is placed as a grateful memorial of God’s intervention for the fall of Communism as promised at Fatima. Depart for Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

DAY 6 : LISBON
(Breakfast / Portuguese Lunch)
Explore Lisbon with our local guide which includes tours to Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India. Torre de Belem, this UNESCO Heritage Site was built to defend the entrance to the River Tagus leading to Lisbon. Visit Monument to the Discoveries, a product of Fascist Portugal to commemorate the 500th death anniversary of the navigator, Prince Henry. Proceed to Alfama Quarters, Lisbon’s oldest district known for its fado bars and restaurants. Continue to Barrio Alto, a chic bohemian neighbourhood full of fado bars, trendy restaurants and steep, cobble-stoned streets as well as Baixa, Lisbon’s main shopping and commercial district. Portugal’s national dish is "Bacalhau" (salted cod fish), which it can be prepared in a variety of ways; all of them are delicious Portuguese cuisine where each region has their own bacalhau specialty. Enjoy your Portuguese lunch today.

DAY 7 : LISBON - SEVILLE
(Breakfast / Dinner)
Set off for Seville, Andalusia’s capital, famous for its bull fighters, flamenco dancers and singers. Enjoy a passionate Spanish Flamenco dancing show during dinner.

DAY 8 : SEVILLE - GRANADA
(Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
After breakfast, go on a walking tour with our local guide to Gothic Cathedral, the largest place of worship in Spain which lays claim to Christopher Columbus remains. Nearby is Giralda Tower, erected as a minaret in the 12th century. Continue to Barrio de Santa Cruz, formerly the ghetto of Spanish Jews, it is today Seville's most colourful district. Visit Plaza de Espana, murals of Spain’s 50 provinces are set into a curved wall in the most beautiful square in Spain. Thereafter, drive to Granada, the final stronghold of the Moorish empire.

DAY 9 : MADRID - VALENCIA
(Breakfast /Seafood Paella Dinner)
Enjoy a guided tour of Alhambra Palace which stands out as the most famous example of Moorish Architecture. Continue to Generalife Gardens, the summer palace and country estate of Granada’s Nasrid sultans. Thereafter, drive to Spain’s third largest city, Valencia; the birthplace of Valencia oranges. Enjoy a sumptuous Seafood Paella dinner in the evening.

DAY 10 : VALENCIA - BARCELONA
(Breakfast / Dinner)
Gastronomically, Valencia is home to paella, Spain’s most famous dish. Valencia’s Roman, Moorish, and Spanish history comes alive when your local guide takes you on an orientation tours to the bustling Town Hall Square, the busiest square dominated by the city hall and the main post office. Nearby is the bull ring, Town Hall, the massive Gateway Towers of Serranos and Quart. Visit La Lonja (the Silk Exchange), declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to the Cathedral & "Little Michael" Tower, one of the most important buildings in Valencia. Head to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia and Spain’s second largest city.

DAY 11 : BARCELONA
(Breakfast / Lunch)
Begin your visit to the city’s spectacular icon, La Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic Church, which is an unfinished masterpiece, designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudi. Next, admire his remarkable architectural masterpieces in Casa Batllé (house of bones) and Casa Mila (the quarry), a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the building without any straight lines. Drive around Montjuic Hill to see the Olympic Stadium and a great panoramic view of the port and city. Continue to Plaza Catalunya and Barri Gotic, the old part of town and end your tours at La Rambla, Spain’s most famous street.

DAY 12 : BARCELONA --> SINGAPORE
Home Sweet Home

Pregnancy #4- 21Weeks (5months)

2012-01-16T21:52:00.002+08:00

yup peeps!
I'm half way there already!!!

Stirling HDB Terrace - #342 New sheets for the CNY!

2012-01-14T22:07:00.001+08:00

New sheets for the Lunar New Year!!!

Baby #9 - Shoes for baby!

2012-01-14T22:02:00.001+08:00

Adidas is having a sale at its outlets and using Citibank card entitles you to a further discount on already discounted items!
~WEE!~

Pregnancy #5- 20 Weeks

2012-01-13T21:55:00.000+08:00

heehee...just bought a new dress...okay it's not meant for preggers like me, but i so heart the ribbon embroidery on the front that i have to buy it! Anyway i bought "S" so after birth i must jiayou to gain back my former figure!!!

hohoho....

Baby #8 - Booties for baby!

2012-01-11T16:38:00.002+08:00

Grandpappy bought these for our baby from Motherworks!

look how cute they are! Socks that looks like shoes!

think i'm going to get some more, cos i have seen the ones with a set of rainbow colour shoes!

WEE!

The Ahren and She-orh-orh saga

2012-01-11T16:24:00.001+08:00

踢你一腳！

Baby #10 - More baby stuff from IKEA

2012-01-08T22:10:00.001+08:00

we bought new curtains, bedsheets, quilt cover, mobile, pillow and sheets for the diaper station!

Baby #7 - Curtains for the new room!

2012-01-08T20:14:00.002+08:00

Yups, we have gotten new curtains from IKEA at the baby department! Usually we always walk past this section, now we are lingering here more and more often!!! hahahah....

and just the other day i also bought a baby cot, diaper changing station, mattress protector, quilt, baby pillow, baby fitted sheet and phew...the list goes on and on....

will post photos soon!

A Wedding to Remember!

2012-01-07T20:09:00.000+08:00

WOW! i think it's a first time for both wj and myself attending a malay wedding! Usually we always bypass those under the HDB void decks and admire how they can transform a bland and plain space to a luxury platform filled with velvet curtains, backdrops, tables and chairs, chandeliers, flowers, march in red carpet and even a throne for the Bride and Groom!

Anyway, our colleague was holding her Malay wedding at the Grassroots Club at Ang Mo Kio and it was splendidly decorated too!!! Plus the food catering was awesome as well!!! I ate to the brim!!! *burp!*

the whole gang!!!

me & the prettiest bride that day! ..ho ho ho...can anyone tell that I'm already 5 months preggy???

The Expectant Dad

2012-01-07T16:32:00.000+08:00

they say when the mum is pregnant, the dad is also pregnant in a way!

i think it's quite true, cos wj certainly has his cravings, has to eat the food that i eat, sleeps more than i do and has a bulging tum tum to show!

Maisonette Serangoon - #25 Almost done

2012-01-04T22:38:00.004+08:00

Final updates...
the new owners are going to move in this coming Friday!!!
Would love to get some day shots if possible this weekend...but here's some night shots of the place which we have done up so far...

enjoy!

NEW YEAR BBQ at our little place!

2012-01-02T18:44:00.004+08:00

Baby #6 - Stokke Xpolry Stroller

2012-01-02T18:25:00.004+08:00

Yes, we have just gotten ourselves a Stokke Xplory Stroller
Introducing...
This Norwegian product was introduced to the world in 2003. The Stokke® Xplory® is one of a kind and said to be the only stroller in the world to elevate your child to be closer to you, increasing the parent- child interaction. Although recently there’s the similar looking Joolz Bloom which has been giving this stroller a run for its money, it however may take a few more years for it to achieve the competitive level of the Stokke® Xplory® which continues to stay strong and true to its creative innovations.

The Stokke® Xplory® is made of high profile aluminum types and polymer plastics said to be produced to the same standards and quality used in motor vehicle and airplane production.

In the middle of 2006, Stokke® has made some major improvements on its Xplory® model, which includes the strengthening of the front wheel bolts and frame to give higher durability. The Stokke® Xplory® levers, handles and wheel brakes were also given a makeover and painted in white for better visibility.

for babies from 0-4 months

seat forward facing, fully upright with and without shade

seat rear facing, upright with and without shade

seat rear facing, fully inclined.

New Year Potluck with Parents

2012-01-01T18:21:00.000+08:00

here's our little feast!
Braised duck - parents
Braised tofu - parents
Fu Rong Dan (egg omelette) - us
Stir fried veggies - us
Special tofu ring - us
rice - us

Maisonette Serangoon - #24 Bin area

2012-01-01T00:04:00.000+08:00

YEPS!
we have changed the chute cover too!

Maisonette Serangoon - #23 Staircase

2012-01-01T00:01:00.002+08:00

i remembered one of my readers liked the railings of the staircase...well! we haven't torn the beautiful old thing down and replace with another but we give it a new coat of lacquer...

hopefully you like it as much as we do!

Maisonette Serangoon - #22 looking at the toilet shelvings

2011-12-31T23:58:00.001+08:00

Maisonette Serangoon - #21 More Kitchen photos

2011-12-31T23:55:00.001+08:00

Maisonette Serangoon - #20 Kitchen

2011-12-31T23:54:00.000+08:00

and it's done after 4 hours of work!

Maisonette Serangoon - #19 Countertop

2011-12-31T23:51:00.002+08:00

Yes it's New Year's EVE and we are working over here!!
Today the countertop is coming in for the upper storey toilet vanity areas and the massive L shape kitchen and breakfast area.

see...it took 4 men just to put the kitchen cum breakfast counter top in cos it was such a huge piece and it was blardee heavy!
We have chosen Samsung White star for the countertop.

Maisonette Serangoon - #18 Making an Entrance

2011-12-31T23:49:00.003+08:00

Remember the earlier post whether to keep the grille gate or not?
Well...we had half and half!

hahahah...we kept the main frame and cut the curly whirlys in the middle portion and welded straight bands across! and VOILA..looks like a new one and a fraction of the cost for a new one!

Maisonette Serangoon - #17 Toilet

2011-12-31T23:43:00.002+08:00

Using Grohe for all the toilet areas...here's looking at the Master toilet. Installed a shower and rain shower.

Zoom in at the multi function or water spray shower head. quite a pretty pattern huh!

1st storey Toilet isn't sharing the same water heater as upstairs so the owners have bought a simple electric heater.

And our WCs from Johnson Suisse are in already.

Maisonette Serangoon - #16 More lights going up!

2011-12-30T23:30:00.001+08:00

Here's more updates on our lights

All 3 toilets' lights have been installed and here's a photo of the master toilet.

Master: Cove lights installed together with false ceiling lights and it's done with an IC remote control where the owners can control the lighting on and off from their beds!
Convenient right?

Here's a look at the kitchen lights...we are using really simple round ones here.

We have chosen 2 simple white pendant lights for the breakfast counter too.

Living: Cove lights all in too!

Maisonette Serangoon - #15 Staircase area

2011-12-30T23:18:00.001+08:00

The staircase has been sand down and given a new coat of lacquer. Took the worker whole day till 8pm to finish this staircase and I must say it was very well done.
All reno works stopped just to have this lacquer done cos we didn't want any dust to fall onto the lacquer.

Here's looking at another lamp which we have installed at the first landing of the staircase.
We have chosen a simple one that flushes light up and downward to give a soft effect on the walls.
Plus in future when the owners were to hang their photo frames, it will give a rather nice glow to the area.

Here's a mini track of 3 spot-lights at the 2nd landing of the staircase. Cute small and yet powerful!

Maisonette Serangoon - #14 Dining area

2011-12-30T23:13:00.000+08:00

here's a look at the Dining lamp which we had gotten for the new owners!
Simple and chic! Plus you can always change the lamp shade to other colours when you feel like it.

here's looking at the dining lamp from another angle.

and another without the lights being turned on.

WJ reading Winnie the Pooh to our baby

2011-12-30T00:30:00.000+08:00

Bibigo at Raffles City Basement

2011-12-27T16:55:00.000+08:00

oh wow! this place is swarming with people!!! We made reservations and the lady said that she could only hold our table for 15mins!!! so we rushed from work like mad and thankfully it's certainly was worth the effort coming down here to eat!

For the bibimbap, you can choose your own rice - mix, white, brown, black and choose your meat - beef, chicken etc and even sauce - green tea, spicy, not so spicy, sesame, citron soy sauce etc...can't really remember as they are in korean names but you can get the waitress to explain them to you.

I took the original korean sauce that's really red and spicy! WOOT!

and we ordered a seafood pancake to share too! which was delicious with the light savoury soy sauce! and another plate of tofu and fried kimchi to share as well!! that was generally acceptable to most vegetarians, but for our carnivorous friends, i think they didn't really enjoyed this dish much!

Groupie photo - gathered to celebrate after doing our written papers!
A terrific break and gathering! Now is to await for our results...

here's me(4months preggy now!) and wj

seafood pancake with light soy sauce (very tasty!) and my rice bowl!!! comes in a set with pickled vegetables, kimchi and soup.

tofu with kimchi which we shared....

my bibimbap (hot stone rice) all mixed with veggies and sauce! YUMZ!

will definitely return for more sumptous food!!!

Once Christmas is over, it's time for Lunar New Year

2011-12-26T23:38:00.000+08:00

Maisonette Serangoon - #13 Lights!

2011-12-26T23:09:00.000+08:00

the lights are being delivered to site

here's another worker putting the final touches to the bench-cum-shoe cabinet - pumping in the sealant to stick the top to the wall.

another one is working on the laminates to the kitchen counter

Pregnancy #3- 18 Weeks (5months)

2011-12-26T00:34:00.001+08:00

Ahren

2011-12-25T23:28:00.000+08:00

in his new attire!

Christmas 2011 with the gals!

2011-12-25T23:20:00.000+08:00

and it's XMAS already!!!!

Christmas Breakfast morning

2011-12-25T09:32:00.001+08:00

Really cute buns from Green Pumpkin from this bakery at NEX.
Bought and tried their top 2 buns:-

Green Pumpkin bun (green tea and pumpkin paste)
Strawberry and choco chip bun

It's Christmas and the doggies are wanting a walk!

2011-12-25T00:25:00.000+08:00

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T23:06:00.000+08:00

Xmas Eve at my Mum's

roasting turkey instructions

Frosty always enjoy a festive occasion. See how happy his smile is!!!

here's a family photo. Missing my sis here cos this year she's spending her xmas overseas with her bf.

here's what we brought over for xmas dinner - aglio olio with shrooms

and a huge dose of fibre - salad!

wj's no-no finger pointing at Owen.

yup even our bed buddies are here to join us...

us in front of the huge turkey...and nope, we didn't manage to finish it!
Only ate half of it!

ahren + she-orh-orh: wooo (standing back)....the log cake is huge....
actually no...it's you guys who are little.

see our xmas presents on stool cos we are afraid our naughty dogs might pee on them!!!

and we bought a little present for ah-ren.

at the stroke of midnight...it's time to exchange and rip our presents open!!! and WJ has gotten me a MUMMY BAG!!! whoppeee!!! Just what i wanted to hold my baby bottles, diapers, pacifer and what-nots in future.

and i got a camper shoe for wj this xmas cos he wanted one.
Daddy got him a BMW vintage.

2011-12-24T18:03:00.000+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS
and A
Happy
New
Year
to one and all!!!

going over to my mum's place later for our yearly christmas dinner - turkey and stuffing, salad and spaghetti!

Maisonette Serangoon - #12 Updates

2011-12-24T17:46:00.000+08:00

Counting down to New Year and this flat has got to finish on time!!!
btw Merry Christmas to everyone here!!!!

Entrance area, the main door has been sand down to receive a new coat of paint.
Guest room door installed as well. This is going to the their sister's room in future.

Wardrobe: still waiting for the sliding doors to be installed today.

nope, no updates on the living room. Actually it's done. hahaha...the new owners just have to buy their sofa set, coffee table and tv console, shift their tv in and install new blinds!
Oh! I almost forgot, the lights are coming in on Monday (boxing day)....

Entrance area/ Dining area: shoe cabinet in!
Now waiting for dining lamp and dining table to come in.

Here's the feature box up wall for the tv area...hmm, we haven't decided to tile, paint or wallpaper it yet!!!! and there's so little time left!!!

Kitchen Breakfast area: laminates all in now, waiting for doors to come in.

1st storey toilet: Glass door installed, waiting to install sanitary fixtures now...

Kitchen: Leaving doors and laminates which they will do on monday too!

little door under the stairs installed! Though still needs a fresh coat of paint.

here's looking into the kitchen, love the light grey floor tiles the owners chose!

blurred photo of 2 glass sliding doors which leads to the yard.we have some track problem here which we need to solve pronto! *URGH*

Kitchen breakfast counter: Need plastering here!!!! to cover all the existing tiles.

more kitchen photos...sink installed already, Tuesday gotta call the solid top contractor in to install now. I hope the laminate doors will finished by Monday...and we still have to coordinate the backsplash.

Monday (26/12) gotta go down again to talk to the electrician and move all the lighting in cos we bought some more lights on Friday.

*fingers cross*
so many things so little time

Baby #4- Building an empire

2011-12-23T23:56:00.000+08:00

of baby clothes!!!

Baby #5- COTTON ON shirts and tees

2011-12-23T23:17:00.000+08:00

more clothes from COTTON on for babies!!!

and they are having a massive sale!

Maisonette Serangoon - #11 Wardrobe in progress

2011-12-23T22:57:00.004+08:00

Today we'll have more updates on wardrobes!

Ritey, just an overall look on the kitchen top again...

Both are wardrobes to 2nd storey guest rooms, one for their future baby, the other is for their mother.
The mistress of the house has chosen a deep brown timber laminate for the interiors.
The sliding door will be finished in white.
The parquet are original, just needs another round of sanding and polishing once all the interior works are completed. Should look fresh and new!

Here's a look at the 2nd storey toilets vanity works: both toilet cabinetry are almost there, leaving the mirrors and counter top and lastly the sink and taps.
The toilet in white tiles is the common toilet on the 2nd storey, we kept the existing wall tiles to save cost and re-tile the flooring plus add new electrical works.
The master toilet is the one with the grey wall tiles and the Vanity counter will be flushed with top and bottom lights for a warm ambiance.

some cleaning up after the carpenters have left the premises....

2nd storey master: Wardrobe almost all in now, leaving the sliding doors and drawers.

Shoe cabinet under the window also completed.

last but not least, the glass sliding doors are installed!

Our Bed Buddies in conversation

2011-12-22T00:24:00.000+08:00

Maisonette Serangoon - #10 Kitchen in Progress!

2011-12-21T22:39:00.000+08:00

Today is all about KitchenWerkz!

most of the kitchen carcass is 80% installed.
Soon the counter top subcon will be coming in to measure the top, followed by the backsplash subcon.

breakfast counter cabinetry is almost there too!

Glass sliding door between Kitchen and yard are almost there!

2nd storey Master: Wardrobe shaping up too.

downstairs is a war zone...the parquet subcon, the cabinetry subcon, the electrician, the plumber and the painter! It's a party here man.

Track in for sliding door to yard from Living installed too.

see how packed the upstairs guest rooms are too? All the toilet cabinetry are waiting to be installed!

Baby #3- Baby Fox clothings on sale

2011-12-20T22:49:00.000+08:00

Baby Fox is having 40% sale!!!
And we bought their baby tees for $12 after less, sweater was like $15 though i can't really remember the berms ...but it was on discount too!

Skinny Pizza at Raffles City basement

2011-12-19T00:17:00.000+08:00

we shared the appetiser platter where you can choose 3 different finger foods to start your meal.

The squid paella....whatever it was called but it was squid ink and it was a paella.
ooo....but it was good.

me and the beautiful-trying-to-grow-her-hair long Miss Meow.

me and charms

I had fish and chips all to myself cos im feeding for 2 now!
heehee...but i couldn't finish it cos it was so much...the truffle fries were fantastic, but i had a sneaky feeling the batter for the fish is marinated with beer! I hope im wrong cos im not suppose to take any alcohol....but ignorance is bliss right? Plus it's fried till god knows how many deg celsius...would have burn/cooked all alcohol content away right???

Maisonette Serangoon - #9 plasterboard ceiling up

2011-12-17T23:14:00.000+08:00

Today's updates are mostly on the ceiling and plasterboard areas:

here's looking at the living room plasterboard area where the feature wall cum tv will be.

kitchen updates: Kitchen wall tiles all plastered up, looking very spiffy now! ^_^
Looks so much neater compared to the flowery wall tiles earlier.
*sigh*
I just love simple clean lines.

some updates on the 1st storey guest room: floor tiles all laid and electrical wirings all up
1st storey toilet: zoom in on the wall tiles here - eggshell kind of pattern we are using here...mistress finds them rather cute and she says she's super duper happy with the small toilet outcome!
Plus the box up also done to conceal the pipe works.

2nd storey guest toilet updates: the hole in the wall is finally finished. And plumbing works are completed.

zoom in on the track to receive the glass partition and the plumbing works to receive the sanitary fittings.
Love LOVE the textured wall tiles which we proposed for the owners...think they are loving it too!!!!

here's a zoom in on the ceiling box to the right, making things looking neater!

here's a box up at the Guest toilet entrance area where we will put the water heater.

box up ceiling in the Guest toilet area....

Master room: False ceiling up too! Next will be the light fittings to create the ambience for the lovely couple!

window area in master also boarded up as this will be the tv console area, to the right is the toilet.

yard: walls are plastered up, looking neat here! And previous dustbin removed to make way for new one!

Living room false ceiling up to receive pelmet and light fittings.

kitchen cabinetry are moving here!!! WEE!

Baby #2- shirts & rompers!

2011-12-17T22:42:00.001+08:00

Def: A romper suit is a one-piece garment worn by children and sometimes women. Somewhat similar to a overall, it is loose fitting and usually has shorter legs that may be gathered at the end.

our first 2 baby romper buy!

here's a close up on the truck

and another close up! "MOMMY's HUNK"!!!!

and we got even more rompers! from 3 months to 6 months to 12 months!

and finally we ended up buying tees, shirts and even a cardigan!

The Handburger at Raffles city basement B1-65

2011-12-16T00:06:00.001+08:00

"THE WORKS" -MINE! complete with mushroom soup
Grilled 150g of 100% NZ grass-fed prime beef, topped with battered onion rings, cripsy bacon which i gave to hubs, sunny side up egg which i told the waitress to have it fully cooked, sauteed basil pesto mushroom, sweet onion jam, cheddar cheese, handmade barbeque and aioli sauce on a bed of coral lettuce and a tomato on a toasted caramelized onion bun!
$17.80

wj is also have the works with fries on the side

cus is trying the veggie burger ala " Stuffed Portobello" with salad.
she thinks the salad is good but the veg burger was a disappointment...or rather she wasn't very used to the taste of her veggie patty...
Stuffed Portobello: Oven-baked portobello mushroom stuffed with spinach, walnuts, Parmesan cheese and beancurd topped with breadcrumbs served with handmade tomato herb sauce on a bed o coral lettuce and a tomato on a toasted spinach with Parmesan cheese bun
$14.80

Maisonette Serangoon - #8 Laying tiles

2011-12-12T23:03:00.000+08:00

Here are more updates on our Maisonette reno works:

men laying the floor tiles in the living room

here's at the little store area underneath the staircase

1st storey toilet updates: Floor and wall tiles all up

1st storey Kitchen: Electric works installed

2nd storey master toilet: Wall and floor tiles laid

2nd storey guest toilet: Same thing here, wall and floor tiles laid.
We have chosen the same wall and floor tiles for the upper toilets.
Only the 1st storey toilet has a different wall tile as it's smaller and better to have a light colour wall tile to brighten the little toilet up.

concrete plinth laid to receive the kitchen cabinetry.
Mistress of the house said that her MIL does heavy washing in the kitchen, so it's better to lift the kitchen cabinetry.

shifted the utility box from the guest room to just beside the main entrance gate for convenience and easy maintenance.

All switches in!