Finally!! Here's a continuation of my London & Paris Trip.
Refresh Part 1 here -
Five Days in London (Part 1)
Due to my poor memory, I could not actually list out my itinerary day by day, so it is going to be postings on the places that I visited during my trip, and based on the sequence of my photos in my camera.
So in Part 1, I visited the following places:
- Harrods
- The Best Fish & Chips in London
- West End: Queen's Theatre
I have an idée fixe to clean and luxe hotels. Usually I will try to book myself a minimum 4-star hotel for my trips. Hilton Hotel was our cozy abode for five days.
Another most critical thing right after accommodation would probably be the food. Apart from fish and chips, the Brit love their afternoon tea probably as much as the Singaporeans love our char kway tiao. For a country that considers tea as their unofficial national beverage and where demand is colossal, I definitely need to try their afternoon tea, and with style, I must add. I picked Langham Hotel for my dallying afternoon tea, after my long flight.
I was given a warm welcome at the entrance of the restaurant. I have to say it is definitely a shibboleth to say that the British were aloof, because throughout the trip, I never have any bad experiences with them. I was even amazed by their willingness to help. The interior of the restaurant was modern and chi-chi. Nothing like what you see in TWG. Most obviously, the greatest difference is, there is no Filippino (Thank God!)
The tea selections were extravagant without a doubt, and I was totally spoilt for choice. The desserts served were exquisite, and totally satisfied my sweet tooth. I even ate Kev's share since he was less of a dessert person. If I were to compare the bread and sandwiches with the desserts, I would say, I prefer French bread. Still, money is well spent because we received excellent and attentive services. You need well-mannered people to serve people who are willing to spend in your restaurant. Usually the wealthy people don't have much patience with bad-mannered people, and they absolutely do not enjoy repeating their words three times to get their meaning across. (Not sayin' I am rich.)
After the tea, we walked around the area to shop a little. On a separate day, we went to the outlet stores. The outlet stores were off the beaten track, and we had to take a train. I would still say that Paris had the best outlet stores. Nevertheless, I could see Kev enjoyed his shopping judging from the number of things he bought. I have to say, we bought more in Paris.
Part 3 will cover the sightseeing tours that we been to. Stay tuned.
Side Note: Did you ever notice that TWG only hires mainly Filippinos? The truth is, they have very poor service standard, and I can't understand their English just like they don't understand mine. But as a matter of factly, it should be them who should adjust to our cultures and understand our language, not us! I just decided not to patronize them anymore. Or unless they remove their service charge from the bill.
Labels: shopping, travel
