Finally Europe
Little did I realise my dream of going to Europe would manifest. I was able to save a bundle minimising expenses during lunch and tea break during my short but fruitful stint with CPF. Parents promised me some money for the trip as a 21st Birthday Gift and I gladly accepted their expense. Up until today, a week since I since I returned from my final destination, London, I still remember vividly the days I spent in Nice, Cannes, Paris, Amsterdam, Den Bosch, Eze and the other little suburbs of the French Rivera. Problem is, I wouldn't know when this memories will last and all that remains would be stills from my trusty Panasonic. All that remains would be a file with 741 photos, label-less and caption-less.
The first step I took onto Europe was at Heathrow Terminal 4. I was navigating through barriers and gantries finding my way to Terminal 1 where I would be taking a connecting British Airways flight to Nice. Heathrow was a far cry from the sane organisation in Changi Airport. Everything was in a mess. All you could do was follow signs that led you around corners and sometimes they were less than conspicuous. Lines and queues were at every counter and disgruntled passengers made my brief experience in Heathrow less than pleasurable.
After maneuvering for what seemed eternity. I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 1 after a slow shuttle bus ride. I had a 3 hours to spare before my flight leaves so I bought a smoked salmon sandwich and a bottle of mineral water from Pret-A-Manger. London was the home for everything expensive. The total damage for a common and less than satisfactory sandwich breakfast came up to a little over £5. Translating that into Singapore dollars, that would set me back S$15. S$15 for a simple breakfast was unheard of by my standards but I was left with no choice in Heathrow. This was considered the most reasonable deal I could get. My other options included gourmet smoked salmon and caviar at the seafood bar. I can't complain.
Three hours seemed like eternity with nothing to do but staring at a screen that would in due time show you your flight details. The problem with Heathrow airport and other airports in Europe would be their inefficiency. In Changi Airport, you would know your gate almost immediately, once you've collected your boarding pass 2hours before your flight. In Heathrow and for that matter Orly and CDG in Paris, you would only know which gate your flight leaves afew minutes before your flight leaves. If you knew 5min beforehand, you had to make a desperate sprint to the other side of the terminal just to catch your gate before it closes. It was super inefficient and unorganised.
Okay so I caught my connecting flight after several short naps and walks along the departure lounge and was excited to be crossing borders and finally the French Rivera.
I arrived at Cote d'Azur Nice International Airport at approximately 1pm and was pleasantly greeted by Jun. Little did I realise, her friend had agreed to pick me up from the airport and I could return to her airport in the comfort of a car. I was introduced to her friend Rauny who was also an international student studying in Nice and was from the island nation of Tahiti. Our first stop was a little Italian restaurant in Biot called Toscana. Quaint and very Mediterranean themed interior, I was spellbound by the warm French attitude. I heard so many horror stories of snobbish French folks who wouldn't take a second glance at an Asian or for that matter anyone else. I was pleasantly surprised when the couple beside our table started opening little conversation with both Jun and Rauny. I was still lost not knowing anything French but I played along.
After a hearty lunch, we went back to her apartment in Sophia-Antipolis where I can finally unpack and hand out gifts and little goodies from Singapore. Her apartment was far from spartan. For what its worth (and mind you it was worth quite a bit), it had a stove a private toilet or toilettes, a study table and of course a bed. But what sets her apartment room apart from others I've seen was the amount of food! Food glorious food. Open any cupboard near the stove and you would be greeted with all sorts of mixes, ingredients and goodies that tantalise the taste buds.
Almost immediately, her friends were enjoying a BBQ party organised for their French teacher. So again, I was fed like a king with burger patties, grilled chickens and of course pasta soup. My first day and already so much food. I was thrilled and couldn't wait for the second day to begin where the fun would begin!
The first step I took onto Europe was at Heathrow Terminal 4. I was navigating through barriers and gantries finding my way to Terminal 1 where I would be taking a connecting British Airways flight to Nice. Heathrow was a far cry from the sane organisation in Changi Airport. Everything was in a mess. All you could do was follow signs that led you around corners and sometimes they were less than conspicuous. Lines and queues were at every counter and disgruntled passengers made my brief experience in Heathrow less than pleasurable.
After maneuvering for what seemed eternity. I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 1 after a slow shuttle bus ride. I had a 3 hours to spare before my flight leaves so I bought a smoked salmon sandwich and a bottle of mineral water from Pret-A-Manger. London was the home for everything expensive. The total damage for a common and less than satisfactory sandwich breakfast came up to a little over £5. Translating that into Singapore dollars, that would set me back S$15. S$15 for a simple breakfast was unheard of by my standards but I was left with no choice in Heathrow. This was considered the most reasonable deal I could get. My other options included gourmet smoked salmon and caviar at the seafood bar. I can't complain.
Three hours seemed like eternity with nothing to do but staring at a screen that would in due time show you your flight details. The problem with Heathrow airport and other airports in Europe would be their inefficiency. In Changi Airport, you would know your gate almost immediately, once you've collected your boarding pass 2hours before your flight. In Heathrow and for that matter Orly and CDG in Paris, you would only know which gate your flight leaves afew minutes before your flight leaves. If you knew 5min beforehand, you had to make a desperate sprint to the other side of the terminal just to catch your gate before it closes. It was super inefficient and unorganised.
Okay so I caught my connecting flight after several short naps and walks along the departure lounge and was excited to be crossing borders and finally the French Rivera.
I arrived at Cote d'Azur Nice International Airport at approximately 1pm and was pleasantly greeted by Jun. Little did I realise, her friend had agreed to pick me up from the airport and I could return to her airport in the comfort of a car. I was introduced to her friend Rauny who was also an international student studying in Nice and was from the island nation of Tahiti. Our first stop was a little Italian restaurant in Biot called Toscana. Quaint and very Mediterranean themed interior, I was spellbound by the warm French attitude. I heard so many horror stories of snobbish French folks who wouldn't take a second glance at an Asian or for that matter anyone else. I was pleasantly surprised when the couple beside our table started opening little conversation with both Jun and Rauny. I was still lost not knowing anything French but I played along.
After a hearty lunch, we went back to her apartment in Sophia-Antipolis where I can finally unpack and hand out gifts and little goodies from Singapore. Her apartment was far from spartan. For what its worth (and mind you it was worth quite a bit), it had a stove a private toilet or toilettes, a study table and of course a bed. But what sets her apartment room apart from others I've seen was the amount of food! Food glorious food. Open any cupboard near the stove and you would be greeted with all sorts of mixes, ingredients and goodies that tantalise the taste buds.
Almost immediately, her friends were enjoying a BBQ party organised for their French teacher. So again, I was fed like a king with burger patties, grilled chickens and of course pasta soup. My first day and already so much food. I was thrilled and couldn't wait for the second day to begin where the fun would begin!
posted by dihays at 4:45 AM
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