It’s been a couple of months since I came back from my epic spring trip. So, it’s high time I wrote a trip report, and that’s what this, along with a few more posts, will be all about.
To recap, six of us cousins and sisters planned on a trip together this spring. We’d been planning this trip for a long time, and it finally came together in May. How are we related? We’re all first cousins, our mums are sisters, and we’ve been quite close all our lives. When we were younger, because of the age gap, maybe we could not be as close as we wanted to, but as adults, we have maintained a closeness and know all the highs and lows of each other’s lives.
The Planning
After going back and forth on locations, we finally zeroed in on Italy. Mainly because it checked all boxes, including being vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Our base would be London, where two of my cousins lived, and the others would travel to Europe. We flew in from North America and Asia. Once the location was decided, I decided to spend some days before the trip in London. I decided to travel about five days before we were supposed to fly out to continental Europe, and I was the first to arrive.
I flew Singapore’s flagship airline, Singapore Airlines. My options were nonstop flights to London or transiting in the Middle East. I decided to go the nonstop route since it was a 13-hour flight, and this would be my first long-haul flight, and I don’t do very well during flights. Even on flights to India, after about two hours, I start getting impatient and just want to land. So I rationalised that a nonstop flight would be faster, hence, it would be easier on me. Next came the choice of the airline. My choices were Singapore Airlines, which, at the time I booked my tickets, had four daily flights to Singapore, British Airways, which had two daily flights and Qantas Airlines, which had one daily flight, all flying into London Heathrow. I think Singapore Airlines also had one flight to London Gatwick, but since Heathrow was closer to my sister’s house, I didn’t look at this option. I next looked at ticket prices and all three airlines had similar prices, within $100-150 of each other. Since I have been a KrisFlyer member, and this trip would give me miles, it was a no-brainer for me to choose SIA. I booked a day flight out to London, which meant I took the flight that left Singapore around 9 am and landed in London around 3:45 pm, local time. My return flight was a late evening flight which left London at 8:30 pm, landing in Singapore the next day around 5 pm. This meant I reached London late enough that I don’t crash with jetlag and can sleep after an early dinner to be able to sightsee the next day, and the return flight meant I had almost the entire day after landing from Italy to spend more time with my sisters.
I also offered to plan the itinerary of the trip. The cousin I was staying with is an intrepid traveller, and between her practical know-how and my planning skills, we were able to plan the trip. We decided to go to three cities, Rome, Florence and Venice. We stayed in Rome for three nights, spent two nights in Florence and stayed overnight in Venice. All travel between Italian cities was conducted using their high-speed trains. We flew out of London Gatwick to Rome and from Venice into London Heathrow.
My almost 14-hour flight from Singapore to London Heathrow was uneventful. The aircraft was an A380, which meant about 500 people across multiple classes were flying together on two levels. I had booked the cheapest ticket, which came with 25 kg of checked-in baggage and 7 kg of carry-on luggage. While booking the ticket, I wanted to book the exit row seat, which came in at SGD 150 per seat per leg, but was dissuaded by my sister, who said this would open up during check-in. She was wrong. A month or so after I booked my ticket, those seats were snapped up, and I regretted not purchasing them when I could. Since I was a solo passenger and maybe because of my frequent flyer membership, I got an aisle seat (thank god) next to a lovely couple who were travelling from New Zealand to London. So at least I was able to move around during the flight. Since my flight was a day flight and we were flying west, chasing the sun, I felt the flight was boring!
I had pre-loaded my phone and tablet with entertainment and books, and also used the in-flight entertainment system, but as I mentioned earlier, I get bored easily onboard. So the walking around really helped. I could not sleep because I was well-rested and also excited, though I think I did take a couple of small naps during the flight.
London
We landed in London on time, and immigration was a breeze. Singapore citizens need an ETA or Electronic Travel Authorisation instead of a visa, which I had gotten a week before my trip. I needed to download the UK ETA app on my phone and apply for the ETA by scanning my passport’s biometrics into it. It cost about GBP 16 or SGD 30, and approval came in less than five minutes after the application. The ETA is valid for two years, and I can stay in the UK for tourism purposes for six months at a time. So, because I had the ETA, all I needed to do was scan my passport at border control, and I was officially in the UK!
My sister picked me up from the airport, and after meeting her family, we went for a walk around 8 pm, and the sun was still shining! I laboured on till dinner and bedtime because I wanted to be fresh for the next day, my first day in London. I had about 2.5 days to explore London, after which the others would land and our trip would officially begin.
On my first full day in London, we left the house early and headed to Hyde Park. My sister lives on the outer edge of zone 1, walking distance from a tube station, so that was our mode of transport. After walking across Hyde Park, I checked out the Serpentine lake and saw Kensington Palace from outside, and then sat for a while in Kensington Gardens before walking out of the park.
Our next stop was the Victoria & Albert Museum. This museum has been on my visit list for years. When I was in my late teens or early twenties, the V&A Museum had a travelling show they took to many cities around the world, including Mumbai. I think this was to celebrate a milestone year in the museum’s history. I went to the museum twice, once alone and once with my sister, and this cousin and her sister. I was entranced and knew whenever I go to London, I had to visit the museum. And to my good fortune, my sister also enjoys museums and just the week before she had gotten membership to the V&A. This meant, in addition to the free exhibits, we could also check out their special exhibit, which was an exhibit showcasing Cartier’s jewellery over the years, which was out of the world.
After spending a few delightful hours at the museum, we went back to Hyde Park because my sister had to run some errands. We then walked to Buckingham Palace and saw it from the outside. Then walked across St James’ Park, where we spent some time admiring the views and then home. I had walked more than 23,000 steps and was feeling jet lagged at this point.
On the next day, we left home bright and early to go and visit the Tower of London. I had prebooked a slot for us for 9:30 am. The Tower of London is phenomenal. If there is only one attraction you want to pay for in London, it should be this. Rising on the north bank of the Thames, the Tower of London began in 1078 when William the Conqueror ordered the White Tower, a stark stone keep meant to cow newly conquered Londoners and guard the capital. Over nine tumultuous centuries, it expanded into a concentric fortress, royal palace, menagerie, mint, and, most famously, a high-security prison. Its walls echo with tales of intrigue and tragedy: Anne Boleyn’s final walk, Guy Fawkes’s interrogation, and the mysterious disappearance of the “Princes in the Tower.” The Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site today and one of Britain’s most popular museums and tourist attractions.
I wanted to see the crown jewels and especially the Koh-i-Noor diamond, but to be honest, the diamond felt a bit underwhelming to me. Maybe because of the diamond’s history, I expected it to be much more, but it didn’t speak to me like I thought it would. We also joined a Yeoman Warder’s tour, but because of the crowd, we couldn’t hear much, so left the tour less than 10 minutes after joining it.
After the Tower of London, we walked to the Tower Bridge and took some photos before our next destination, a quaint church close to the Tower Bridge called St Dubstan of the East. Set within the ruins of a Wren church, St Dunstan in the East Church Garden is a green oasis with benches and a fountain with greenery draping the historic walls. The church was originally built around 1100, a new south aisle was added in 1391 and it was repaired in 1631. It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire of London. The Church was again severely damaged in the Blitz of 1941. Wren’s tower and steeple survived the bombing. During the reorganisation of the Anglican Church after World War II, it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan’s. In 1967, the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970. When we were there, it was lunchtime and we found many office workers having lunch there. I wish there were someplace like this when I worked full-time, so I could also have a breather during lunch in cool and sylvan surroundings.
Our next destination was a place that was GG’s wish, Leadenhall Market. A huge Harry Potter fan, Leadenhall Market is where the first film of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was partly filmed. Leadenhall Market was used to represent the area of London leading to the popular wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron and was the inspiration for the magical shopping street Diagon Alley. It’s a charming, airy market in the heart of the city with shops, boutiques and restaurants with stunning architecture dating back to the 14th century.
We were hungry at this point, and our next stop was perfect for lunch. We went to London’s highest public garden, the Sky Garden, to take in 360-degree views of the city’s iconic skyline as well as have lunch at one of the restaurants in the space. Access to the Sky Garden is free of charge, but spaces are limited and visits must be booked in advance. Here we were joined by others in the family, and it was lovely to see all the sights in the city centre with the Thames flowing past, and then have a yummy lunch.
Post lunch, we wandered across the London Bridge and walked to Borough Market. This is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. The present buildings were built in the 1850s, and today the market mainly sells speciality foods to the general public. After having some dessert here, we hopped into the tube to Greenwich to take an uber for an exciting trip.
At Greenwich, we walked down to the pier to take an Uber boat down the Thames. The only option available at that point was a boat to the Westminster Pier, so we hopped into that. It was a nice way to see London by the river, and I enjoyed the trip, soaking in the sights that I would otherwise not see. The trip took about 30-40 minutes, and we were able to pay using the same cards that we used on the tube and bus. After disembarking from the boat, we wandered around Westminster and then took the tube home.
On my third day in London, the first thing we did was to return to the airport to pick up my sister. After she came home and freshened up, we went out. Our destination was the St Paul’s Cathedral. Dominating the skyline with its gleaming dome, St Paul’s Cathedral is the masterpiece Sir Christopher Wren raised after the Great Fire of 1666, and was completed in 1710. Outside, its soaring 365-ft silhouette draws the eye, while inside, a serene Baroque nave draws the eye up to a coffered dome inspired by St Peter’s in Rome. Whisper along the interior of the Whispering Gallery to test the acoustics, then climb to the Golden Gallery for panoramic views of the Thames, the Shard and Tower Bridge. In the crypt, Admiral Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill lie. The cathedral hosted the funerals of Diana’s maternal grandmother, state services after the Blitz, and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981. The stairs going up are a killer to the knees, but the views from the top are spectacular.
After lunch at a Greek restaurant, my first time, we took the tube to Covent Garden, walked around the theatre district a bit, and then went to Europe’s largest shopping centre, Westfield, for some retail therapy and dinner. And that was pretty much the end of my London sojourn.
The next day was spent travelling to both London Heathrow and Gatwick to pick up the last two who landed almost at the same time. So we had a mini road trip before our big trip. In the evening, we all trooped to the last sister’s place, who lived a bit further away, but closer to Gatwick which was from where we were supposed to board our flight to Rome. After a scrumptious dinner, we woke up early on flight day. The taxi to drop us at the airport was supposed to pick us up at 5:30 am, so we had an early start.
The next three parts will be all about our Italian adventure, so keep watching this space!
Inspector Singh is irate. He’s been instructed to attend a Commonwealth conference on policing in London: a job for paper pushers, not real cops, as far as he is concerned.
Memories and Such 