My Europe travelogue so far…
London Day 1: Flying With MAS, Heathrow Connect & Piccadilly Circus
London Day 2: Covent Garden, British Museum, British Library & Phantom Of The Opera Musical
London + Rome Day 3: YHA Oxford Street, Gatwick Airport, easyJet & Tiring Rome
Rome Day 4: Six Beds, Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill (Part 1)
Vatican City + Rome Day 4: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica & St. Peter’s Square (Part 2)
Rome + Pisa Day 5: Santa Maria Maggiore Church, Pensione Rinascente & Leaning Tower Of Pisa
Pisa + Venice Day 6: Piazza Garibaldi, St. Mark’s Basilica & The Grand Canal
Venice Day 7: Foresteria Valdese, Libreria Acqua Alta & Thello Train
Paris Day 8: Hotel Andrea Rivoli, Palais Garnier & Raining
Paris Day 9: Paris Panoramic Views, Notre Dame Cathedral & Eiffel Tower
Paris + Versailles Day 10: Château de Versailles & Musée du Louvre
Paris Day 11: Roland Garros, Shopping & Seine River Sunset
Today is our last 1/4 day in Paris. In the morning we went shopping at BHV (Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville), another famous department store which is located just a block away from our hotel. We spent most of our time at the household department browsing through the pots, plates, baking items, etc. Then we head to Boulangerie Julien again (the one we went to on our first day in Paris) to sample one last time its super delicious roule pistachio chocolate (pistachio chocolate rolls) €1.70 and palmiers €1.80. Then it’s back to hotel to pack up and leave. Tell you what, only in Paris hotel you can smell the delicious freshly baked croissant. I dunno why. I’m guessing the hotel restaurant bake their own croissant. LOL
Our next and final destination is back to London via Eurostar. Although our train will depart at 2.40pm we head to Gare du Nord (railway station) around 11.30am (about 3 hours earlier) since it’s better to be early than late. You’ll never know what gonna happened like any mishap that will delay your journey. We spent our free time lepak-ing at the railway station. Haha
Gare du Nord (North Station) taken from Eurostar floor.
Another view of the lovely railway station.
Taken from TZ-7.
Train platforms.
To Eurostar departure area.
Around 1.20pm we proceed to check-in at Eurostar booth. Our Eurostar standard non-flexible single journey ticket from Paris to London cost £62 pax.
Filling custom form.
Then we passed through France and UK custom before proceeding to the waiting area. Bought some pastry at Paul’s Boulangerie.
Photo from TZ-7.
Right on time we were usher to our respective coach. Our coach 5 is a long walk away… *pants pants*
Photo from TZ-7.
The legroom is just okay.
Photo from TZ-7.
Goodbye France.
Only about 15mins-20mins are spent in the English channel tunnel. The whole journey duration is 2 hours 17 minutes.
Photo from TZ-7.
We arrived at London St Pancras Railway Station at 4.20pm (20 mins late). Haha
Photo from TZ-7.
Olympics logo at St Pancras. That’s a surprise for us. Many stopped to pose. Hehe
Photo from TZ-7.
London 2012 shop selling official London Olympics souvenir. We didn’t drop by. No time as we’re trying to avoid the tube rush hour. It will be a horrendous thing to stuck in the tube at rush hour.
Photo from TZ-7.
Another view of St Pancras Railway Station. The tube is connect directly to the railway station. So it’s a breeze.
Photo from TZ-7.
Well, we barely escape the rush hour! Our hostel for the rest of our remaining journey in London is at YHA Oxford Street (yes again). While on our way to dinner at Garfunkel’s Restaurant, we saw the underground rush hour jam is so long that it continued on to the main road of Oxford Street. So freakingly scary!
This is Oxford Street. Can you see the trishaw on the right? There are plenty here in this street. Was very surprised when I encountere them for the first time.
Photo from TZ-7.
We spent our night away at Primark, a clothing retailer with quality, style and affordable prices. I LOVE this place a lot. After H&M, Primark is my next favorite place to shop for clothes. Picture is showing the queue at womens fitting room. There are like 15 ladies ahead of me. The longest fitting room queue I’ve been in. Hahaha
Photo from TZ-7.
Do you want to know how affordable are the clothes in Primark? They’re like £2 to £6 for tees and blouses and £10 for shorts and trousers. Bought 7 items at only £36. Cheap or not??? We stayed at Primark until it was closing time.
Then we head to the nearby Marble Arch. Do you know that the original place of this arch was at Buckingham Palace?
Photo from TZ-7.
A large bronze horse head sculpture near Marble Arch. At first I couldn’t make out what this piece is since I was coming from the back of the horse head. Then finally it dawn on me. Then we stopped by KFC for loo visit. Kekeke
Photo from TZ-7.
On our back to the hostel, we saw this huge bicycle demonstration at Oxford Street. They were very loud!
Photo from TZ-7.
London taxi. 🙂
Photo from TZ-7.
That’s it for day 12. Four more days to go. I think you must be bored by now reading my travelogue. Haha
17 Comments
The horse head? What was that sculpture for? :p
I think it’s a part of refurbishment plan for the park there.
The taxi looks nice…not like ours. :p
Agree. It’s so inviting and I feel like wanna jump in every time I encounter one. But gotta remind myself they are expensive. Just to sit in one without moving will make my day. LOL
The arch was moved from Buckingham’s?? That’s one huge task to do! I go over to H&M a lot too and yes, their clothes are trendy and very affordable. Looking forward to more of London pics. Oh the last pic of France, were they sunflower fields?
Yup. They moved the arch to this current place in 1851 some more. Not sure how they do it. Finally Malaysia is going to have our own H&M store come September this year. Hahaha So late!!! I don’t think they are sunflower.
The station is so pretty. I could spend some time just gazing and admiring the structure itself.
Me too. 🙂
Nice train station!
Wah! The underground rush hour queue so long? And that queue at Primark also so long? Arghh! Not my cup of tea to queue for the fitting room!
Yeah very very loooooong. 🙂
Oh! That marble arch was originally from Buckingham Palace? Wow! That large bronze horse head statue looks interesting! But what does it mean? Why horse?
No idea why horse.
Nice London taxi! So 4 more days to go? Where else you went? : )
Many places more. Hehe
i like shopping at Primark, too! still have some PJs from their store (10 years?!!!) hahhahah…also spent the best £5 on a red shirt that was staple to many many choir presentations.
Ah! looking at your blog and photos make me want to go to UK but have no time for it in my coming trip. saddd…
Wah wah so tahan lama! Go again next round. 🙂