Singapore

Weekend getaway

The title normally means castle hunting or museum visiting when I'm in England. However, when in Asia, it's translated to having fun in a foreign land that's not too far away from home. And given the limited timeframe (i.e. Saturday and half of Sunday only) for travelling, Singapore appeared to fit the bill (and around my work schedule) perfectly.

It wasn't long after the screening of "Inside Out" that our plane descended gracefully onto the little metropolis's runway.

(Memorable) surpirses through spontaneity

Planning what to do during a trip is an absolute must for me. It honestly makes life easier and less hectic. On this occasion though, this action seemed completely inappropriate. Instead, I decided to go with my gut feeling for once (or rather with the results of a quick "eeny, meeny, miny, mo" on the tourist guide from the hotel's concierge) when choosing my first destination. That initially landed me at Marina Bay Sands, where cash splurging comes in two unique forms (i.e. shopping or playing at the casino). The shops weren't that spectacular to me (only because we have the same brands at home), but the interior definitely was.

Honeslty, just LOOK at my photos if you don't believe me.

 

 

One place I did enjoy was the Superheroes cafe (especially their rainbow cake --> truly a winner). I like the idea of combining fiction with food, as you get a story to go with your meal. It's absolutely worth the very, VERY long wait in queue!

Thank you spontaneity for bringing me to Marina Bay Sands - 'twas a perfect way to start my Singaporean adventure.

Animation: East & West

No trip is ever complete without a museum visit. The ArtScience museum (aka. the large lotus flower building) was the first one I headed to. There I guided myself through an inspiring movie exhibition by Dreamworks Animation. The models and art created for films like Shrek & Kung Fu Panda were all captivating, but what I became wonderstruck by was the amount of pictures the creators had to draw in order to produce just a single minute of an animation. The phrase "hardwork pays off" is definitely appropriate here in my opinion.

Another form of animation I enjoy is Japanese anime. I wouldn't call myself an overly obsessed fan, but I have been interested in anime ever since my younger years. It's no wonder I sub-consciously found myself headed towards the annual Toy, Game and Comic Convention. If I had to describe the main features of the showcase through a list, I would say that there was cosplay, manga, Sailor Moon figurines, cosplay, plush toys from Japan, fan art, cosplay, guest speakers, card trading and did I mention, COSPLAY?

 

       

  

 

The anime convention wasn't on my original itinerary, but it was surely a good choice! I then spent the evening wandering down Orchard Road, feeling content with my day and bedazzled by all the glittering lights.

 

Lucky last

It's hard saving the best till last at times, mainly because it's so unbelievably tempting to have immediately. However, if you can wait, it does make things seem much more memorable. And that's what happened with my day at Universal Studios. Despite the sweltering heat, I managed to go on a couple of rides and take lots of photos.

 

 

Here they are, FYI:

 

 

  

Clearly, I have an obsession with movie merch:

 

And obviously, I HAD to take a picture of the Fluffy Unicorn from Despicable Me (it was indeed incredibly "fluffy").

Oh yes and I had food, lots of it. Apologies for the lack of foodie pics (hunger made me forget to take my camera out).

 

 

 

I also captured many quirky sights on my Canon camera. Examples include...

 

 

 

  

This little fella here was particularly cute:

  

Last thoughts

Clearly I haven't even scraped the surface of Singapore's touristy sites (there's many more amazing highlights to see, believe me). Just walking around Sentosa was already enough fun for a day. But my weekend getaway is definitely something I will cherish for a very long time...

Well, long enough until I decide to head back for even grander adventures.

Like taking a spontaneous trip to Singapore :)

Conwy, North Wales

A change of weather and location

Shipwreck! #onthewaytoConwy

Ever wanted to run away from your problems even if it was just for a single measly day? I have. It helps to clear my mind if I enter a new atmosphere, and I always manage to go back with a solution to my problem. The aggravating feeling of incapable of determining the precise answer was exactly how I felt on a gloomy, rainy Sunday several weeks back. I don’t usually mind wet days but it gets a bit intimidating if it occurs in a cyclical pattern; the weather inevitably left me pondering about what I could do instead of what I had plan to carry out initially. Rather than whining about the storm in my lonely flat, I decided to search online for a sunnier spot elsewhere in the UK.

A breathtaking sight of the sea & sky

Conwy bound!

Conwy Castle!

Hmm…Conwy in Northern Wales looks promising, I thought. Why not go for that?

The mussels sculpture

Pirates!

Commencing the voyage

The difficulty in beginning an unplanned trip comes mainly in the form of timing. It’s good to think on the spur of the moment, but it does become troublesome when one has little time to prepare for the train (20 minutes precisely). Fortunately, adrenaline had started to flow, and I managed to take the earliest carriage to Conwy AND have my breakfast (in record time indeed). My camera immediately sprung to action to capture the incredible scenery which I passed when I was transported across multiple bridges and tunnels.

Popular place for fish and chips at Conwy

I wasn’t the only one that was headed towards this little coastal town. The reason for this became crystal clear immediately after I stepped onto the tiny, two track platform. I gaped in blissful surprise at the stunning combination of medieval and seaside-inspired buildings, with a touch of religious icons. It was undoubtedly a truly aesthetically pleasing sight.

Conwy station

The little train station.

First glimpse of Conwy Castle!

Oh and there were plenty of birds, especially seagulls and pigeons (see below for evidence)

Peek-a-boo, the pigeon sees you!

(Sea)Gull guards on the watch

One word: YOLO

Pathway towards fun and fascination

The popular motto, “you only live once”, is a perfect way of describing how I exactly I ended spending my day at Conwy. Although I only had 6.5 hours there, I daresay I truly made the most of it by going to all its finest attractions! From the Castle’s walls to its mighty towers, the first bit of my day involved roaming the interiors and exteriors of this magnificent medieval fortification. Although the steps were step and plentiful, I highly recommend exploring the majority, if not all, of the towers at Conwy Castle. The views you get from the top are unbelievably outstanding, especially if you go there on an incredibly sunny day like I did.

Little red flag

Complete awestruck, that's how I felt

The couple says hello from up here!

He was feeling really bored...

Thereafter it was a quick lunch and compulsory ice-cream break. I tried a plate of Welsh Rarebit (or "rabbit") and thought it was alright – mustard has never been one of my favorite condiments but it seemed to go alright in this dish! Oh, and if you do fancy a creamy sweet treat, you HAVE to go to Parisella D & Sons (they literally had the best blue, bubblegum ice cream I’ve had in a very longtime).

Capturing perfection in a cone

Welsh Rarebit for lunch

Three little fish

I then skipped merrily over to explore Plas Mawr, a grand Elizabethan Townhouse. I’d totally recommend saving this for the middle part of your day-out in Conwy, rather than last. Why? Simply because looks (or in this case, the building!) can be deceiving. There was a lot more to see than I expected when I first glanced at its front door. I thoroughly enjoyed the guide’s explanation on the daily routines of past lives at Plas Mawr (definitely a huge contrast to how people choose to spend their leisure and entertainment time nowadays!). 

Arriving at Plas Mawr

Playtime at Plas Mawr - how it was in the past

Past-time trinkets at Plas Mawr

Another historical house I visited was Aberconwy House, a 14^th century merchant house and official National Trust property. I enjoyed my time there but have to admit that Plas Mawr definitely shone brighter and satisfied me more than this particular building.

Found the hidden signature at Aberconwy House!

If you manage to find the time to do so, then I would highly recommend taking a boat cruise. Its running times are quite frequent, and you get a chance to admire the splendid seaside and castle views (as well as capturing them in film and photo of course!). 

Boarding the cruise!

My new boat cruise pal Poochie the doggie

Three bridges, Three transport methods (L-R: Car, foot, train)

Spectacularly sunny weather for a day out at sea

Conwy Castle from our cruise

Perfect name for a boat

After arriving back on shore, you can stroll down the beach towards the little red house, aka. the “smallest house in Great Britain”, for a quick nosey. Note: there are two tiny floors to admire.

I was taller than its door

Living room on the first floor

The bedroom - second floor

Of course no trip is complete without a couple of souvenirs – the Welsh dragon plush toy and Welsh cakes were perfect mementos to remind me of my incredibly fun and educational day-out in Conwy.

But if the above are not of your liking, there are PLENTY more quirky shops to purchase items from (trust me, I had a REALLY good look at each of them)

Sheep!

There was no doubt that I came back to my lonely little apartment feeling with elevated spirits and a look of true satisfaction. What started out as a gray and rainy day eventually turned into a golden day of sunshine with a little bit of flexibility and travelling.

Don't forget to signal for the train