Wordless Wednesday

Europe Trip Update Part 13: Alone in Cotswold, meeting my crush! Day 1

Salam guys, so how many open houses have you've been? Yap, I do feel that I have add a few extra kg, and I'm so lazy to exercise...hmmm...well enough about it. Let's continue...

So, wake-up early morning and get breakfast at the hotel then went to the Paddington Station. I just packed light and left my luggage ion the hotel. So the train to Moreton -In-Marsh will depart at 9.12am but when I arrived, around 8.50am, still not sure which platform yet. Evidently, we only have 10 minutes to get to the platform before it depart and it was intense because I'm not sure which ticket to use( I got 4, like 2 for the journey, the other two for seat reservations).  Luckily, somebody help me and manage to get in the train on time.

In the train , still confuse to find my seat which I reserved and has to move from coach to coach until a lady asked me and I told her my seat which is in front of her but somebody occupied it. So she said nicely to the other passenger, that is my seat and I was thankful for it. The nice lady I think a professor or something because her stop is Oxford. Yeah, I'm being general hehe....

The train right was nice because I can see a wide open field and not to mention that there is free wifi. It took around 2 hours to reach Moreton-In-Marsh. When I reach there, again it is the same routine finding the hotel again and suddenly, I feel cold and I just realize that I left my jacket in the train. It just so cold and still ican't find the hotel. It took me around one hour to found it it it is really near the train station. It is a cottage house and it just so beautiful . The lady that run the house is Margaret and he is the owner of the cottage. My room is upstairs and with my own private bathroom. So I asked whether there is shop there that sells jacket or jumper and she said there is the town shops.

So my first destination is to go to the tourist information counter, my plan would be to Broadway, to see this beautiful house but was told to go to opposite site as the bus to go there is seldom and it is already noon. I have a list of  places that I wanted to go, the opposite supposed to be tomorrow but it is ok. So, I just follow her direction and then when to buy the jacket but they don't have it anymore because spring is almost over. Then went to Tesco to buy bread or something to eat and then I met my crush, yep he is the Tesco cashier. He has black her with blue eyes, and he said, "Do you need plastic bag with that, love"" I was just melt...hehe.. but need hurry to get to the bus station which is in front of a shop.

So my first stop is Bourton-on-the-water which there is river in the middle of the village. By the way, you can buy a day pass for 10 pound and you can do multi-stop in a day. You can buy from the bus driver and it is called "Discoverer Card" You can find more info from here http://www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/userfiles/file/public-transport/cots-discoverer-flyer-rmap-wlinks-web-final.pdf

So, there I was in the bus seeing all this open wide feel and it just feel so cool  and just want to go up there and run like in the Hindi movies hehe. So, when reaching Bourton-on-the-water, it just found a Edinburgh Wool shop and bough "a grandma wool sweater" there. It looks like grandma, but it kept me warms, so warm it is. It just one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It just so serene with ducks and beautiful country buildings. The river is calm and you just want to jump in it. After taking some photos, I went to the next place Northleach. It is a very old English town, and I just feel that I was in Medieval time. I stuck quite sometime there and just can't remember why I need to go there. After went to Post Office which is inside a shop and I just remember, I need to stop here to take another bus to Bibury, the most beautiful village in England. It was just late and I miss  the connection bus. Bibury is quite far away around one hour and I just don't want to take chances to go there and then don't have bus to go back Moreton as the bus only travel up to 6pm. So I just stuck there and take some photos and it is raining but not so heavy. It seems like light rain which on and off.

Then I decided to go to Bourton again because I just can't get enough of its beauty. Then I decided to have late lunch and of course another fish and chips and coffee. It just a beautiful day to having lunch. I just can't stop to see outside and wonder the mighty power of Allah to create such a wonderful place. So, after that I stop at Stow-on-The Wold, same old charming town before taking a bus back to the cottage and just feeling wonderful with a little bit regret because not able to go to Bibury. Maybe next time.

So next update is about "to be or not to be" yep, I visited Shakespeare Want to know more, stay tuned!.

My beautiful cottage

My room...the bed is so comfortable...

With Coffee station...

Breakfast room...

View from the room...

Where to go?

Nice Inn...

Moreton-In-Marsh town...

Lovely field...

Bourton-on-the-water bus stop...

I want to jump in so badly...

Me in grandma knit sweater...

In Northleach...

It is like in other century here...

What kind of flower is this?

Historic Wool Church...

Lunch of the day...

Cost of the day:

Food: 15 pound

Transportation: Train to Moreton = 35 pound (return)

                        Discoverer card = 10 pound


Souvenir: 5 pound

Other: Grandma sweater: 30 pound

Europe Trip Update Part 12: Time to say goodbye to Kelana Convoy

Salam, I think it is not too late to wish  Eid Mubarak or Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin. So how was your raya? Me after 33 years, still celebrated in single status so not much change but happy to see friends who I have not met for almost 16 years. Quite great raya, hopefully, I will spend my next year Raya with someone special. Haha wishes!

So today is the last day for my Kelana Convoy journey. However there is a little bit drama in the morning. It seems like the key to the one of the bus is missing....but after a few hours manage to find it back. Phew...
So we are moving to Calais, we will take ship to Dover and get back to London. So now I have travel by plane, train and ship all over Europe, what an adventure.

When we reach Calais, we need to go down for immigration and luckily not so many people, so we area able to go on time. The ship is so big, it has many decks and when we went to the top deck, it just was so cool and cold, I mean with the wind I can  only be there for about 5 minutes before going down to get some fish and chips. The journey took about 90 minutes and when I see the white cliff at Dover, so we have arrived already.

Then on the way to London, we just keep quiet, perhaps we know this is the last time we will see each other and still lingering to what a great journey that we have together. The bus stops at few places such as Victoria Station and Bayswater. After waving goodbye, then we are on our way. So, again, I still have not familiarize with the place and decided to walk but after one hours, give up and decided to take train to Paddington instead.  Best decision ever.

So still lost to get to the hotel but it didn't take long like the first time. So, it is time to rest and from tomorrow, I will be travel alone for the whole week. So tomorrow to Cotswold and I need to wake up early for my morning train. Hopefully, I will be able to find the hotel in Cotswold much faster tomorrow. So to be continue....

Friends for life!

With the bus!

 

Everybody line-up!

Bye bye France, I wish to visit you again soon!

Lunch of the day

Cool calming sea

Driver's Lounge

We are here at Dover!

Cost of the day:

Food: 15 euro

Europe Trip Update Part 11: Strolling along Champ- Elysees

Well, got my final exam result already. Quite great actually. Waiting to register for my last semester ever. It is the end of Ramadhan....how are you doing?

So we are still here in Paris. Today all of us will go together in a group. So our first destination is Avenue de Champ-Elysees. It is a very famous avenue where all the branded shop such as Louis Vuitton flagship store, Lacoste, even car's manufacturer such as Porsche and  the restaurant Laduree, famous for their macaroon.

So when we arrive, the bus park near LV store but it is still not open yet,  but people are queuing already. Then we walked along the road to go to another famous monument in Paris, Arch de Triomphe. It is inside a roundabout and to go there there is underground tunnel. Arch de Triomphe  is dedicated to the glory of all French armies. Like its Roman ancestors, this arch has served as a parade gateway for triumphal armies (French or foe) and important ceremonies. From what I hear, it was built by Napoleon Bonaparte. It has names of soldiers who died in the battle and has a small memorial place for them.

After that, well shopping time. To tell you the truth, I was quite afraid to go inside LV store, you have to queue and my friend, one of the nurses from Tabuk is carrying plastic bag for her Eiffel Tower small statue. Actually, I just thought that because they are a premium upper brand so they might be quite posh. So , I just nervous they will turn us away, but not. So we went inside and and it was just majestic, LV bags and accessories everywhere. I know I won't buy anything but I keep hearing that the price here is cheaper than Malaysia. Yap, we conquered the store and I ask one of girl from my bus and asked her how much is the bag that she is holding and she said it was 1000 Euro. I was just huh? wow Malaysians really rich. Most of them went out with LV paper bags. Me and the nurse, didn't buy anything and but still she wanted to buy bag so we when to another store, Lacoste instead. The bag there are very nice that she bought 2 bags.

Then we went to Perfume Museum, Fragonard and divided into 2 groups. I quite like the tour and remind me of the movie that we watched on the bus, Perfume: The Murderer Story and some of the way they used to extract the flower essence is the same like in the movie. So, the tour guide asked us how are we wear our perfume and of course spray on the hand pulse and rub which she said no no as we only need to tap it only. It is also great to know the difference between eau de toilet with 25% of water and the longest lasting smell is what we called essence which is more expensive and only bottled around 30ml and less. I bought 2 perfume one for me and one for my brother. I do love my perfume and now I'm freaking out how I'm going to get another one if it is going to finish already. I might need to come here and bought it haha.

After that we went to Galleries Lafayyet again, and my friend just bought 3 bottles of Chanel's perfume. We were treated like royal there with free samples and all. Then it is lunch time where they bring us to this place but I can't remember what is the name of it but it is near to Notre Dame. They have a lot of halal food there and four us decided to hangout and eat as we are tired to walked already.

Next in itinerary is river cruise and we though it is only for 30 minutes ofboy, it went up to one hour. I would not recommended the river cruise and some of the group quite upset because they didn't have time to go visit Eiffel Tower because of the boring river cruise. Luckily, I've been there before, so I was not so upset. But I do feel the time in Paris was not enough, I didn't manage to go to Notre Dame and the Lourve and didn't manage to go to the top of Eiffel Tower. I promise myself that I will  go Paris again someday. I do love the city, it just so wonderful and romantic. As for the people, some might think that they are not friendly but for me it just their culture. That is how we learn and appreciate our different diversities in this world.

I really wish to visit Paris again and to get my first LV bag!

The Lourve, as view from the bus...

Not sure what building is this...

The roundabout at Arch de Triomphe

Famous restaurant opposite of LV store

LV flagship Store

We are on the way to Arch de Triomphe

Yap, took the photo in the middle of the road...

Inside the tunnel to Arch de Triomphe

Memorial site 

Names of soldiers that lost their lives in the battle...

Souvenir shop, very expensive...

This monument was presented by Mesir's government to France...

One day, I will come and explore this place...soon

Lunch of the day...

River cruise ticket...

Notre Dame, view from the cruise...

Cost of the day:

Food: 20 euro
Souvenir: 20 Euro
River cruise ticket: 13 Euro