Play: Winter in Melbourne 2016

We love to visit Australia in winter because it is so hot in Singapore and the cooling weather is a good change during school holidays!

We visited Perth in winter for the past 2 years and this year, we decided to make some changes and we went to Melbourne instead.

Winter in Melbourne is more harsh than Perth and the weather is definitely much colder. We are all wrap up in like super thick winter jacket. We even bought a portable heater to make the room much warmer...

Melbourne is a nice city with lots more attractions compared to Perth. We manage to meet with little penguin here as the Penguin Island in Perth is always closed in winter for breeding season. Great Ocean Road is amazing and we love the Twelve Apostles. We had a great time doing cafe hopping in Melbourne city centre and for coffee lovers like us, we love love love the coffee here. Indeed a heaven for coffee lovers.

Rough Planning:
http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/05/winter-in-melbourne-2016-rough-planning.html

Day 1: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/05/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-1.html
Day 2: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/06/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-2.html
Day 3: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/07/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-3.html
Day 4: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/07/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-4.html
Day 5: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/07/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-5.html
Day 6: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/07/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-6.html
Day 7: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/09/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-7.html
Day 8: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/09/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-8.html
Day 9: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/09/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-9.html
Day 10: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/10/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-10.html
Day 11: http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/10/winter-in-melbourne-2016-day-11-final.html

Play: Journey down memory lane (Day 7-17 March 2015)

On this day, we woke up at 6.45am, excited to explore the area as it is the first time both of us visited Wengen. It is already bright outside and we could see the snow alps just from our window. I could wake up to this view everyday!!!! So pretty!

Amazing view!

We basically just chill in the room, admiring the view at the comfort of our bed. We then showered and got ready for breakfast by 8am.

Breakfast is provided by the hotel (inclusive in the room charges which is great! everything in Swiss is so expensive)

I love the breakfast, there is quite a good selection and the quality of food is good. Plus, we get to enjoy the view while having our breakfast, definitely a plus point!

Breakfast...selection of bread

Love the cosy interior of the restaurant (there is ham, cheese, cereal, muesli)

Freshly squeezed orange juice

Soft boil eggs

Have a happy breakfast!

After breakfast, we went back to our room, got ready and took the 9 plus train to Klein Scheidegg.

Bye, see you at night my cosy room.

Our room

We walked around, watching people ski. Had drinks at one of the restaurant and admiring the view. 

Even little kids are ski-ing

I wish I know how to ski... 

Lots of people skiing

Enjoying myself!

View from the restaurant...

Coca cola tent

We wanted to go to Interlaken and Bern at around 11.30am but it was very windy and there is a small storm so all the train services are suspended until further notice. We had no choice but alight from the train and find something to eat instead.

We ended up having lunch at Restaurant Hotel Belleve. 

Hubby used his camera to take some video of the alps and record some of the windy snowing sound...

Menu..

Hubby had ravioli(a type of pasta) and I had cheese rosti (potatoes). Both dishes are nicely done and really very yummy!

Ravioli

Cheese Baked Rosti

Selection of desserts which we did not try

By 1.30pm, the weather was a little better and train started to operate again. We took a train to Grindelward and then transfer another train to Interlaken OST. 

In the train...

Different class (first class, second class)

There is really nothing much in Interlaken, it is a small town. We walked around the lake and then took a train to Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen seems more lively with some hotels and restaurants. We stroll around for a bit, went and see the waterfall and then took the train back to Wengen at 5pm. 

I still prefer the town Wengen more than Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen. The view is better and there is snow! :)

Back to Wengen

We went back to the hotel to rest. After shower, we went walking around the pretty town once again and send some postcards back home!

Stamps for my postcard

All done

Postcard SEND! :)

Photo with our hotel!

We went back to the hotel around 7 plus just in time for the dinner. It is a good deal for guests as we get to top up a minimal amount for a four courses meal. Considering how expensive the food can be, this is a steal. Plus the food served at our hotel is very good and we can go down at our comfort, without the need to venture out in the cold for dinner. We just need to inform the reception if we would like to top up for dinner latest by early in the morning. 

The hotel serves different food each day and the menu will be made known to guest one day earlier so the guests could decide if they would like to dine at the hotel for dinner. 

For today, the soup of the day is elderberry soup which is pretty unique. It is my first time tasting the soup, a little bit sourish. Very appetising!

Starter: Elderberry soup

Starter

Main course: Beef with couscous and vegetable

Desserts

It was a very nice dinner, and we were very full by the end of it. Time to rest and recharge for tomorrow :)

Play: Two Girls Extended Weekend Trip at Ho Chih Minh, Vietnam

Ho Chih Minh has always been my favourite city. I have visited it a couple of times and when G wanted an extended weekend trip, HCM pops up to my mind. G had never been to HCM and she did not have much expectation at first. I am glad at the end of the trip, both of us enjoyed the city and what it has to offer. G especially loves the colonial building which houses the restaurants and cafe, food is great and we had a good time at the Heli Bar which has amazing view of the city.

It was quite a last minute trip. We only confirmed and book the air ticket one week before the trip. We are flying in from different countries so we tried to match our arrival time as much as possible. I arrived about 90 minutes earlier and waiting at the airport for G. G arrived 15 minutes earlier than expected and after collecting her check-in luggage, our holiday began!

We will be having a driver for 2 days and he picked us up from the airport. It is about 30 minutes drive to the hotel (we stayed at Somerset Chancellor Court which is a wonderful serviced apartment which I had stayed on my previous trip to HCM).

Review on Somerset Chancellor Court (http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/08/somerset-chansellor-court-review-ho.html)

One bedroom premier room

We checked in and after a short catch up, we changed and our first stop is a whole body massage. What a great way to start to trip... our relaxing catch up eating trip!

This massage place is greatly recommended. At SGD$25, you get a 90 minutes whole body massage, with hot stone and cucumber facial.

Address: 137 Hàm Nghi, Nguyễn Thái Bình, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

First stop- Full body massage session at 137 Foot Massage Salon

After the massage, it is time for dinner. We did not have a proper lunch so both of us are famished.

I brought G to this restaurant which serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant is located in this pretty colonial looking building and serves yummy dishes. Price are very reasonable as well.

Nha Hang Ngon Restaurant - one of my favourite Vietnamese Cuisine

Our first meal

Interior of the restaurant , patronise by many tourists 

Ambra Juice (also known as "Buah Long Long Juice" and Local Drip Coffee

Deep Fried Spring Roll with meat and crab filling

Com Tam- Broken Rice with Grilled Pork Chop

Crispy Pancake with seafood fillings

Grilled Chicken Wings

It was a good meal!

G's favourite dish is the deep fried spring roll. I love the Com Tam and my ambra juice, totally refreshing.

https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g293925-d1949058-Reviews-Nha_Hang_Ngon-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html

After dinner, we walked around the city a bit, snap a few shots of the Opera House grandeur facade and it is time for a cup of authentic Vietnamese coffee.

Saigon city at night

The Opera House

Local Coffee at Trung Nguyen

G had Mocha Jelly and I had the local coffee Tsang Tao Number 5

Coffee is amazing. It never fails to give me the "wow" although I have tried it many times while visiting the city. DO order it COLD with MILK, I felt that the cold coffee is much better than the hot one.

Both of us are exhausted and we decided to rest early today before continuing on our adventure tomorrow. 

Next up: Day 2 http://blessedlittletravelers.blogspot.sg/2016/08/two-girls-extended-weekend-trip-ho-chih_25.html