1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #284 - Roma Termini, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #284

- Roma Termini train station, Italy

(Fresh off the boat..at Roma Termini at 0700hrs, after a 12hr-flight from Bangkok. With a refreshing 12C and time to shop at Benetton at this train station itself and our first croissant + latte, my Roman holidays has begun, enroute to Naples and Amalfi. Trains here and in France are simply a delight - clean and almost always on-time. This time our eyes lit up, not because of the hyper speed of the train but look who else was in it? A roman lassie in the midst of returning home for Xmas eve, in a coach filled to the brim - it can only happen in Europe)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #283 - Crazy Christmas, Esplanade Theatre

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #283

- Crazy Christmas, Esplanade Theatre 

(It's been 2 years since we last saw them, thinking their 'Happy Ever Laughter' shows were better. And it is true that this year, it was toned down somewhat, with primary school children being invited to the stage too. Kumar without a dress is ample proof. Still Broadway Beng stood out as the main draw. But Pam's version of Adele's "Hello" was the surprise barrel of laughs. They are always worth a night out for us)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #282 - Ghost The Musical, Marina Bay Sands

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #282

- Ghost The Musical, Marina Bay Sands

 

(One of the all-time love stories ever in the movies have arrived as a musical on stage here at MBS. Ghost The Musical had all the leading lines that made the movie such a hit, including the best character of the lot, Oda-Mae, who had the most powerful voice on stage. The haunting song, "Unchained Melody" was sung differently and wasn't in full, which dampened the experience for the night. But it was a very good musical production, with some never-seen-before special effects)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #281 - Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, Marina Bay Sands

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #281

- Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, Marina Bay Sands

 

(He may be the 1st celebrity chef who put the 'f-word' into fine dining, but it took us 2 tries before we were able to get a table at his new restaurant, Bread Street Kitchen at MBS. This foul-mouth chef did not disappoint though. His sirloin steak, aged 28days according to the menu, was very tender and the roasted cod was delicious. Add to this their lava-chocolate dessert and the dining experience was almost perfect, at a price tag of about $180 for 2. That's a pretty good deal, given his reputation. But CUT by Wolfgang Puck, just 30metres away - see CUT Restaurant - seemed a tad better, food-wise, but with a bigger bill)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #280 - Prambanan Temple, Yogjakarta

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #280

- Prambanan Temple, Yogjakarta

 

(Prambanan is the largest Hindu shrine in Indonesia, and one of the biggest in this region. It is well visited by tourists, even though it is less well-known than the Borobudur Temple. Interestingly, it was built around the same 9th century as Borobudur. The middle building stands up to nearly 50m high. This temple has been hit by earthquakes and volcano eruptions, with many stone slabs left strewn around its outer walls. Doesn't it look like Angkor Wat from afar?)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #279 - Boko Keraton, Yogjakarta

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #279

- Boko Keraton, Yogjakarta

 

(Up in this hill is the Boko Ratu Keraton -  an archaeological find, showing a palace for the kings during the 800s - of the Sailendra or Mataram eras. The tour guy called it just Boko. Other than the nice views of the surrounding areas, this site is rather tame, especially after the highs of Borobudur Temple the day before)