London, May 2014

I had an opportunity to visit London for a few days so I planned out a few places to visit while I was there. This was my 2nd visit to London. I had previously visited London on a day-trip when Angie and I were on holiday in Paris in 2006. It was a very rushed visit back then and I was hoping to see more of London this time around.

Map

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The Garmin Mapsource gdb file can be obtained here.

 

I was staying around Westminster this round so largely my trips were based around this area.

Westminster Bridge

Westminster bridge spans the Thames river and it's a good place to get a view of Big Ben and Parliament Hall. However, beware of the flower ladies here. They will come up to you and try to place a flower on your shirt or jacket and 'welcome you to London'. However, after you accept the flower, they will ask for compensation. If you take your wallet out, they are not shy about grabbing a 10-pound or even a 50-pound note from your wallet. Be warned.

Big Ben and Palace of Westminster

The iconic Big Ben clock tower and the Parliament, the seat of the British Empire, can be seen on the left.

It is also the site of the famous 1605 Gunpowder Plot by Guy Fawkes to blow up Parliament and since then that day has been designated a public holiday.

The tower is often incorrectly referred to as Big Ben. However, Big Ben really is the name of the bell located inside while the tower is known as Elizabeth Tower. The nickname for the bell is believe to be attributed to Sir Benjamin Hall who oversaw the installation of the bell.

From here, I walked over to Westminster Abbey but you can also take a walk down to the river pier and take a cruise on the Thames River.

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is located next to the Parliament and is the site where all monarchs are crowned when they ascend to the throne. It is also the traditional burial site for departed monarchs. It is open most days but on Sunday, it is open only for worshippers / services.

The abbey charges admission for tourists but you can enter for free on Sunday for services. The admission charges are about £12.

From here I took a walk up Whitehall St towards Trafalgar Square. On the way, I stopped by 10 Downing Street.

10 Downing Street

This is the official residence of the British Prime Minister. The street used to be open to the public but security gates were installed to block access after a terrorist attack.

You can still walk by and you might get lucky and catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister if you're lucky.

Horse Guards

Further up the road from Downing Street, you'll find the Horseguards Parade. You'll be able to take some photos with the mounted guards here.

However, beware... the horses can bite or kick.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is a public square near Charing Cross station dedicated to Britain's greatest naval hero; Admiral Horatio Nelson, and his Battle of Trafalgar. The square is bordered by 4 plinths bearing statues but the 4th plinth (which was original meant for William IV) was left empty as they ran out of funds. It currently adorned with a blue rooster statue called HahnCock.

Nelson's Column located at Trafalgar Square and his statue adorns the top of the column. The column used to be a favourite haunt of pigeons with many of the birds leaving their 'offerings' (droppings) for the British hero. However, the authorities were not amused and outlawed the feeding of pigeons here and brought in birds-of-prey to hunt the pigeons down or drive them away.

Now, Trafalgar Square is very clean (much cleaner than when I last visited it in 2006.

The base of the column are ringed by 4 bronze lions which represent the 4 greatest victories of Admiral Nelson. The lions were made from French and Spanish bronze cannons captured at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Admiralty Arch

The Admiralty Arch is right next to Trafalgar Square. It used to house the Cabinet Office but was sold in 2012 for redevelopment into a hotel. The road under the arch leads right up to Buckingham Palace.

Cleopatra's Needle

Cleopatra's Needle is an Egyptian Obelisk that stands on the embankment of the Thames. I walked past it on my way back to the hotel from Trafalgar Square. It was originally presented to England in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt but was only transported to the UK in 1877.

At the base is a plaque dedicated to the sailors who died in the storm trying to ship the obelisk to UK.

 

 

On walking back to the hotel, I stopped by 'Enough To Feed An Elephant' restaurant at Waterloo station to have the traditional English fare of fish & chips.

The fish was fried to a very crispy golden crust and was good but not exceptional and the peas were really hard.

 

 

Her Majesty's Theatre

On the next night, I had booked tickets to watch the Phantom of The Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre (N51 30.505 W0 07.902) which is just a short walk from Trafalgar Square. While you're in London, you definitely should catch a theatre show while you're here.

 

You can get discounted tickets from TKTS (www.tkts.co.uk) or at their booth on Leicester Square. TKTS offers heavily discounted tickets for shows on the same day as they try to fill up the unsold seats.

At first I wasn't too keen to spend my free time watching a play but Angie had convinced me to take the time. I chose Phantom as I loved its songs and it was the play that shot Sarah Brightman to fame.

 

I thoroughly loved the play and bought some souvenirs in the theatre gift shop after that. After the play, I walked back to the hotel across the pedestrian bridge. Along the way, I passed by the London Eye.

 

London Eye



The London Eye is a Ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames. I saw it while walking back to the hotel but that night was my chance to snap a photo with it lighted up.

 

A typical round on the Eye will take around 30min and you can get a great view of London.

 

 

Sherlock Holmes' Pub

Next to Trafalgar Square, is the Sherlock Holmes Pub
(N51 30.425 W0 07.521). It's themed after the famous detective but is also known for good food and drinks. While in London, you really should visit a pub for pint of ale just to live the experience once (just like you should attend a play at least once while in London). I dropped by the pub with my colleagues for dinner after work on Fri night.

They have a wide selection of drinks and ales. We naturally had to try out the Sherlock Holmes Ale. I'm not really a beer lover but I do enjoy ale more as it is smoother. The ale here was smooth but again not very exceptional. Also, I would have preferred it a much colder but it seems to be the norm here in UK to serve beer warm or only slightly chilled.

The pub walls are decorated with Sherlock Holmes memorabilia and really sets the theme. Many of the items on display have a link to one of the many cases in the books.

 

However, if you are looking for the real Sherlock Holmes experience, you should visit the museum on Baker St.

For dinner, I ordered their beef pie which was a beef stew covered with a fluffy pastry top. The crust was very fluffy and crispy yet light. It was a very nice pie and it came with a side of boiled broccoli and carrots.

 

My other colleague had a fish finger sandwich which looked quite large.

 

My 2nd colleague had the English staple of bangers & mash which is sausages with mashed potatoes in sauce.

 

Sherlock Holmes Museum

The official Sherlock Holmes museum is located at 221 Baker St (the flat that Sherlock lives in in the books). It's located at N51 31.398 W0 09.486. If you have time or are a Sherlock Holmes fan, it might be worth a visit. It's also very near Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

Piccadilly Circus

After dinner, my colleagues and I walked out to Piccadilly Circus (N51 30.592 W0 08.088) which is a huge meeting open area with the largest electronic display boards in Europe and a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. It is said that you cannot stand for longer than 32 minutes at Piccadilly without bumping into someone you know... however, we did not stay long enough to find out. :p

Waterloo Station

The next day was my last day in London. I checked out and left my suitcase with the hotel concierge and then walked to Waterloo Station to catch the Underground to the British Museum. Waterloo station looks very grand and you can also catch trains to the other areas of UK. I caught the Underground to Tottenham Court Rd station and walked to the museum from there.

British Museum

Angie had persuaded me to visit the British Museum (N51 31.118 W0 07.514) due to their extensive collection of ancient Greek and Egyption artifacts.

 

The museum is free although they do suggest you donate £5 towards the upkeep of the museum but this is discretionary.

Their collection was very extensive and I spent almost 2 hours in the museum. They even have an entire tomb (The Nereid Monuments, left) on display there thus assuring the Brits' position amongst the world's greatest looters.... he-he-he... :p

 

Below, you'll be able to see the Parthenon Frieze, the collection of stone carvings from the Greek Parthenon temple that they extracted and brought to London. The collection is huge and takes up a whole section of the wing by itself.

Outside the museum, I bought a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus intending to visit several sites but unfortunately, there was a bicycle race that day through Trafalgar Square and the road closures caused massive jams. I ended up only able to visit St. Paul's and the Tower of London.

 

St Paul's Cathedral

St Paul's Cathedral (N51 30.806 W0 05.984) is a massive church and is definitely worth a visit but they do charge admissions. Like Westminster, they are open only for services on Sun.

 

Due to the huge traffic jams, I took an opportunity to grab a quick bite here.

Tower Bridge and London Bridge

I passed by both London Bridge and Tower Bridge (left) my way to the Tower of London. London Bridge is quite plain but the original London Bridge is actually in Arizona. Originally, a group of American businessmen offered to buy London Bridge but they thought they were buying Tower Bridge. The Brits happily sold them London Bridge and are still laughing over it to this day... :p

 

Tower of London

The Tower Of London (N51 30.585 W0 04.506) is where the Crown Jewels are stored. You are allowed to view the jewels but photography is strictly prohibited.

 

Along the grounds, you may see black crows hoping along. It is said that if the crows ever left the Tower, the British empire would fall. Hence, the Beefeaters clip the wings of the crows here.

On the grounds, they also had a show demonstrating the use of medieval weapons such as the spear, sword, and buckler. It was a very interesting and funny show with the actors all in character for the period. Definitely fun for the whole family.

 

I didn't get much time to walk around the Tower due to the traffic delays and the need to head back to the hotel to pick up my luggage before my flight so I had to leave without seeing more of the grounds than I would have liked. Luckily, the hop-on-hop-off bus ticket included a free cruise on the Thames back to Westminster so I wouldn't have to fight the traffic again.

Thames Cruise

The Thames Cruise starts just beside the Tower of London and you can see many of the riverside sights along the way. It's definitely worthwhile and you avoid most of the traffic-jams in the city. In the picture below, you'll be able to see the Tower of London including the Traitor's Gate where Guy Fawkes was brought in through to be tortured then executed.

 

Buckingham Palace

After picking up my luggage from my hotel, I caught a taxi to the airport. Along the way, I passed by Buckingham Palace (N51 30.095 W0 08.469). Angie and I had previously visited it in 2006. During May to July, the Changing Of The Guards ceremony happens daily at 11.30am but you should arrive 30min early to secure a place near the fence to view the procession.

 

Overall, I had a great time seeing the sights in London although there were so many more sights I missed out. It is definitely a city steeped in history and you need to do proper planning in order to maximise your visit if you ever are headed here.

 

Melbourne, Australia, 2013

Overview
I had started a 8-month assignment in Melbourne in 2013 and this gave me a wonderful chance to really explore the city and the surrounding areas. However, the amount of information I intend to post would be too large for a single blog post so I will be splitting it up into multiple posts. This first post will focus mainly on the city while my subsequent posts will cover the other areas outside of the city that I visited.

Map

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Garmin gdb file is available here.


Transport
Melbourne is a very modern and well connected city and normaly, transport should not be an issue here. There is a very efficient network of Trains and Trams thatd services the city and suburbs. However, you will need to get a MyKi card (a prepaid card) in order to use the trains, trams of buses in Melbourne. You can get the MyKi card at the train station or at most 7-Eleven shops. You will need to load/reload value on the card prior to any trip and this can be done at 7-Eleven shops or news agents/Lotto agents or at the train stations. After your first Touch-On, use of the MyKi on a trip, all subsequent trips/touch-ons are free for 2.5 hours and there is a max cap on what you can be charged in a single day. Once you become familiar with the system, it's a very convenient system to help you get around the city. 

Another important thing to remember when using public transport is that you must Touch-On and Touch-Off your MyKi card for all travel on the trains. You will also need to Touch-On your MyKi card when you board all Trams and buses. Ticket inspectors are quite frequent and you can be liable for fines for failure to Touch-On. Even if you have touched on on a previous train/tram, when you board a new tram or bus, you must still touch-on (even though you won't get an additional charge) or you can be fined by the ticket inspector.

You do not need to Touch-off when disembarking a tram/bus if you're traveling within Zone 1 (you should Touch-off if you're travelling within Zone 2 (outer suburbs) as the fare is cheaper).

Driving
If you're staying in the Melbourne CBD, I probably would not recommend renting a car/driving. The parking charges in the CBD are very expensive and drivers must know how to perform the famous 'Hook Turn' in the city due to the many trams sharing the same roads. If you're new to Melbourne driving, it's definitely safer for you to take public transport and avoid driving in the CBD.

If you're staying in the suburbs, then renting a car is a good way to do shopping as well as to travel to the other famous sites further away like Mornington Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road.

Internet Access
You can get free WiFi internet at all McDonalds or at most public libraries (including the Victoria State Library). The train station at Melbourne Central also provides free public WiFi access.

Another cheap option I've discovered is that Optus provides a relatively cheap 3G internet pre-paid plan. If you purchase an Optus Prepaid SIM (such as the Connect4Less plan), you can then visit Optus website and choose to do a top-up. When you are queried for how much you wish to top-up, you can see an option for Data RevUp which gives you 500MB data for 30-days for AUD5.00.


Places of Interest:
Chinatown
Chinatown is located on Little Bourke St. I've been down it a few times and I thought that it looked pretty cheap and fake and I didn't really like the Chinatown here in Melbourne. However, there are many trading shops here which are good for some souvenirs and you can also buy nougat here at cheaper prices than what you would find at the airport.

There is a small dumpling shop that is located on Tattersall Lane called Camy's Shanghai Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant. It used to be famous but nowadays their food is not as good as it was previously. I tried it out and found it good but not stellar. However, it's still a good place to try if you're in the area and are looking for something to eat. The price is quite reasonable. They also have a branch outlet at Box Hill. 

Another restaurant worth trying in Chinatown is Deng Café. They serve mainly Sze Chuan style fare so you had best be prepared for spicy food here. I tried out their Sze Chuan stir-fried chicken (pictured left) and it was quite good although the spiciness was a bit of a challenge for me. I almost couldn't finish the dish.



Bourke St. Mall

Bourke Street Mall is a shopping area further south of Chinatown. It is famous for housing many shopping malls including David Jones, Myers and others. There are also many street performers busking here, especially on public holidays.

Personally, I felt that most things here were over-priced and you could find most of the items at the nearby Target or Big W shops except for the fashion, jewellery and cosmetics.

There is a tourist information booth located along the road here if you wish to get pamphlets or city guides or just to ask for some directions.


Flinders St Station & Federation Square

Flinders Street Station is the oldest train station in Melbourne and all trains in Melbourne will pass through this station. The station is also famous for a series of old clocks on the main entrance which shows the time for each of the train lines. these clocks have become an icon of the station as many people have used it for scheduling meet-ups in front of the station.

It's a short walk away from Federation Square. There is always some festival or event being held at Federation Square every weekend... to the point that it is also known as Melbourne's Meeting Place.

Melbourne Central

Melbourne Central is both a shopping centre as well a train station on the city circle. This stop is very central to the CBD and you will generally stop by here to get to the other nearby places like Chinatown or Queen Victoria Market.

The picture on the left is of the Coop Shot Tower which was built in 1888 to make ammunition. It was incorporated into Melbourne Central in 1991 and now houses a museum.

There is also a food court on the lower levels near the train station where you can get a reasonably priced meal.

The State Library of Victoria is directly opposite Melbourne Central and is free for all visitors. It also includes free WiFi and air-conditioning. Besides being a great architectural sight, it is also a good place to escape the heat and check your emails.



Melbourne Museum

The Royal Exhibition Hall is a world-heritage listed site that is located next to the Melbourne Museum. It is a very beautiful building and has a beautiful garden around it. Many exhibitions and events are held here.
If you're visiting the Melbourne Museum, it's definitely worthwhile to take a short stroll around the hall.

You may want to pack some lunch with you as the only place to eat is in the Museum café which is a bit pricey.

The Melbourne Museum houses the skeleton of a Pygmy Blue Whale on display on the ground floor.

There are a large assortment of dinosaur bones on display as well. If you have children travelling with you, they will definitely enjoy this section.

Besides the dinosaurs, there is also a preserved body of a Colossus Squid.


The geographical and mineral section has a wide assortment of stones and quartzes but the most interesting section is the one on gold. There's a little weighing scale and screen that will calculate your net-worth in gold based on your weight.



Queen Victoria Market

Queen Vic Market is definitely a must for the food-lover as well as the shopper. It has dedicated areas for eateries, the butchery, seafood, fresh fruits & vegetables as well as an area selling knick-knacks from souvenirs, to t-shirts, to luggage bags.

Queen Vic originally started in 1850s and has continued to expand to this day. It is the only 19th century market remaining in Melbourne.

If you visit after 1pm, the shops will start discounting their meats and seafood up till 3pm, and you could end up with huge discounts on your purchases.

Near the side entrance, you will find Diane's Antipasto which has a beautiful selection of prosciutto ham, smoked salmon, marinated octopi, and stuffed artichokes. It's a great place to get a snack or an appetizer to start your food journey at the market.

The famous Bratwurst Shop is definitely a must-try. It is distinguishable by the huge crowds in front of the store as well as the aroma of bratwursts being grilled on the pan.

Their signature best is the Spicy Hungarian Bratwurst on a bread roll, which goes best with some fried onions and healthy serving of mustard. The only thing you need to beware of is the onions or mustard dropping on your shirt while you're eating. :-)

The picture on the left shows the various bratwursts and chorizos being cooked. Not much to say here except to hurry up and go get some... :)

The seafood section has a wide assortment of fresh lobsters, mussels, oysters and myriad selection of fish.

I would frequently see a person buying a tray of oysters fresh off the ice and just sitting down at the tables with a slice of lemon and slurping down oysters by the dozen.

During the summer, the Spanish Gourmet opens a small stall near the carpark where they serve a range of good Spanish food including seafood paella, chicken & chorizo paella, chorizo sandwiches and sangria wine.

Angie tried out their beef peppito with aioli (a special garlic-mayo sauce). Despite our stomachs being full from eating a bratwurst earlier, we couldn't resist trying out this succulent beef dish after seeing how fresh the ingredients were and how well it was prepared despite it's roadside stall settings.

Near the fruits section, you'll probably see this famous mini-donuts wagon that has been around for ages. They are famous for their little mini donuts which are stuffed with thick strawberry jam that oozes out when you bite into them.

This is the famous Mr Burger (www.mrburger.com.au) food truck. It is hidden away in a side alley behind the McDonalds restaurant located just outside The Bratwurst Shop. I passed by it so many times without realising such a tasty treat was hidden behind the mass-produced Big Macs shop.

For the meat-lovers, I definitely recommend the Mr Meat burger shown on the left. Beef patty topped with slices of bacon and cheese is definitely a must try for the carnivores.






St. Kilda Beach and Pier

Despite being beside the city, St Kilda has remained a very clean and popular beach. On a warm day, you will always find someone either sunbathing on the beach or taking a swim. There are lockers available for rent and public showers as well. There is a long stretch of walkway allowing you to either walk or cycle or skate along the whole length of the beach.
Additionally, there are many operators offering a range of sea-sport activities during the summer including kite-surfing, sailing, fly-boarding, and paddle-boarding.

I always enjoyed taking a walk along the St Kilda Pier. Besides the strong sea breeze, you can take a walk onto the rock breakwater for some great photos or for some quiet reflection.

At the end of the pier, you will find a colony of fairy penguins.

There are a series of rock breakwaters beside the pier that you can climb onto. It's a good spot to take some photos but do be careful of the uneven footing and beware of the rough waves which can come crashing onto the rocks if you are too close to the water's edge.

If you visit the pier just after sunset, you can catch a glimpse of the colony of fairy penguins that make their home on the pier. You are not allowed to use flash photography or torchlights or bring dogs onto the pier in order to protect the penguins.

The best season to visit is in the winter or early spring / late autumn as the earlier sunset means you do not have to stay out as late to see the penguins as they come out after the sun sets. However, do remember to bring a good jacket or dress warmly as the winds coming in from the ocean can make it very chilly. 
 

On my last trip there, I even saw a black swan. It was very friendly and came around looking for food handouts. I managed to snap quite a number of photos. However, the law bars people from disturbing the animals there so take heed as the fines can be hefty.

Besides the fairy penguins and other wildlife, you can also catch an amazing sunset from the pier. I've been here 3 times and have never been disappointed with the view.




Besides the pier, you will find St Kilda to be a very lively scene. One of my favourite restaurants on Ackland St is the BlueCorn Mexican Restaurant. Taking a walk along Ackland St will allow you to find many food shops. However, do take care not to venture too late at night as St Kilda is still being gentrified and there are still incidents of crime.
 

They serve very good Mexican food including fish tacos (shown on left) as well as their signature slow-cooked beef ribs (shown on left). I really do recommend the ribs and I always have it when I visit them.

Another great place for dessert on Ackland St is Monarch Cakes. They serve very good cakes and their most famous signature cake is the Chocolate Kougelhopf shown on the left.

Luna Park is an amusement park near Ackland St. It has many rides and it's front entrance is iconic.


That's all for now. I hope the information above gave you some good ideas for your next trip to Melbourne. I'll post additional items about Great Ocean Road and Mornington when I have time.