Betty celebrates birthday with friends - Community - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Betty celebrates birthday with friends - Community - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Some old Northamptonions may remember Adrien Bracken, this is his Mum, many from our parents generation knew her.

Happy Hour at The Hilton Kuala Lumpur

This is a nice time of day in this steamy city of many cultures.Malaysia is a predominantly Moslem environment so consumption of alcohol must be done with discretion.
Shopping seems to be a big past time here, everywhere is geared up for Christmas with jingle bells etc playing in the stores. I cannot imagine that anyone here has the faintest idea what a " One horse open sleigh" is.Lights, reindeer, Santa Claus all mixed up with tropical settings. No mention of the religious significance.

I keep being asked what a minus temperature feels like and does it snow where I live.

Answer :yes.

Singapore Cocktail Hour

This is Singapore at 6.30 pm .Everyone in the Hilton Hotel seems to gather in the executive suite for happy hour.This is great, European wine plus delicious Asian savouries, satays, dumplings, curries.
It has rained for much of the time we have been here but this is tropical rain, like a warm shower so everyone just takes an umbrella and walks around regardless. The temperature is 32 degrees c , the rain comes as a relief.

This is a lovely and sophisticated city, safe and trouble free.

Today we went to the zoo, this has been shaped out of the surrounding tropical rain forest.A wonderful colony of orang-utangs. Local birds join in the fun,the plants are lovely, orchids everywhere.Too difficult to photograph as the rain cloud makes everything dark and flash upsets the animals.

Travel Check for Singapore

I am spending the last few days before travelling to Singapore and Kuala Lumpa checking I have not missed anything vital for a smooth journey

Today I was deciding which medication to take and found that anything containing codeine is not permitted  in Singapore.This is a common ingredient often combined with paracetamol in the UK. I take it occasionally for back pain, something I am likely to get after a 12 hour flight- care should be taken with it as it is addictive.

My local pharmacy has suggested paracetamol with antihistamine as an alternative so I will take this.Hope this will be ok , I do not want to disobey local laws.

If I get arrested for this, dear friends, please get me out of jail.

Degas and Leonardo da Vinci in London, Vermeer in Cambridge

If you are visiting England  some of the world's best art exhibitions are on in London and Cambridge this winter.

Degas and the Ballet at the Royal Academy is lovely, especially the drawings.I notice that some of them have been lent by someone from Pasadena.It seems that a millionaire living there bought them for his wife who was a ballerina. How romantic.


Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery has very complementary reviews. If you do not have a ticket already be prepared to stand in line for a long time.

Vermeer at the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge has irresistable paintings of women by Vermeer and others of the period. Cambridge is a good place to visit if you want to get out of London for a day.Go to the Copper Kettle on the way to the museum for coffee or the fantastic all day breakfast.

London 2012 Olympics Avoided by Tourists

 
                                     No Olympic Tickets For Us  ! 


Not one member of my sporty family has managed to get a ticket for the London Olympics (2 of them London Marathon Runners who raised thousands of pounds for charity).
Every time I drive past the building site with my disappointed grandchildren I now  see a colossal waste of money that has nothing to do with me or the million UK citizens who did not get any tickets.
We are now being bombarded with advertisements offering chances to win tickets by a variety of so called sponsors-- I do not want to win anything, I want to buy tickets .
Now it seems that tourist bookings for that period are down by 90%. Serves you right you greedy hotels who upped your prices.
I shall not buy one souvenir of this event.
We all know that FIFA big wigs, corporate noteworthys and other hangers on will be sliding into their free seats but perhaps they will have the funds to make purchases as they exit through that grandiose shopping arcade they  have built.

Malaysia and Singapore- Vaccinations Needed

Hepatitis A-it was good to find that the vaccination I  received in 1998 is good for 25 years. Given that we shall be staying in an urban environment for both Singapore and Kuala Lumpar we only needed
Typhoid
Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio Combined.

Warned to use lots of deet type insect lotion, use only bottled water both for drinking and teeth cleaning and not to touch any animals.

Arms aches a bit but so far no other effects.

The Travel Clinic very efficient

Useful website:  http://www.nathnac.org/

Paris for Four Days

Getting There

Travel by Eurostar, especially in the more expensive seats is very comfortable .A light but sustaining meal is provided.All so much easier than enduring the nightmare that travelling through airports has become.

Where to stay

Our favourite hotel is the  Hotel West -End in the Rue Clement Marot.This is a small, quiet hotel.The rooms vary in size and price, most have a balcony .The larger rooms such as 502, 302 are lovely.The hotel is well placed for sightseeing.There is a breakfast room but no restaurant.This is not a problem as there are dozens restaurants and bars nearby.Many hotels in France, including this one ,serve continental breakfast in your room at no extra charge.

    
Where to Eat  

It is almost impossible to get a bad meal in France.If you want the big treat go for the restaurants with tablecloths and wine glasses, check the menu displayed outside to give an idea of what it will cost you and dive in.Our favourite is Andre's in the Rue Marbouef.Reserve a table in advance.
Cheaper meals and snacks can be had in the bars and cafes ( no table cloths and wine glasses ). Most places advertise a dish of the day or a set formule.This is generally a good choice and will be well priced.

Shopping

You have to buy something nice from one of the stores. Galeries Lafayette is lovely, the clothes can be very expensive.A bottle of good perfume is what I went for, the Dior and other outlets carry a full range and have a high turnover which means it is fresh.They expect you to test everything and take ages over making your choice.You will find your bag full of nice freebies and samples when you get home.
The Haute Couture stores are for window shopping only unless you have just won the lottery ( or are a banker of course).

Artists will like the Sennelier shop,3 Quai Voltaire, the range of exquisite pastels and papers are irresistable.

                                            
SightSeeing

The easiest way to see everything in one go is to take a boat ride on the Seine.The Bateaux Mouche are well known.

                                                                 
The art museums are endless, I find the Louvre a bit of a challenge, it is huge.The recently reopened Orangerie is displaying a number of works I have not seen before, enjoyed the Soutine gallery.If you want to take a trip outside the city Monet's house and garden at Giverny are a treat.Please be aware that Claude Monet has been dead for many years, a gentleman from Texas was disappointed to find this excursion did not include meeting the artist.

Final Warning

Take comfortable shoes, one smart outfit, a French-English phrase book,loads of money , Immodium.





                                                      

Paris for The Weekend

Going to Paris by Eurostar on Thursday as a 70th birthday treat.
Usual panic about what to wear, they all look so well dressed in France.Will take something smart to wear for the nice restaurant we shall be going to , otherwise comfort will have to rule as I want to go to various art museums like the Musee D' Orsay.
Plan to buy a bottle of Dior's Eau Fraiche, can't get it outside France.

Malta Vacation Review

This was a succesful holiday, the weather was hot and sunny and the Phoenicia Hotel very well run and good value for money.
The Maltese are friendly,courteous people.Girls in national costume and a Maltese Grandma

Excursions

• We took a tour of the island to Comino with Captain Morgan Tours.This was a good way to see Malta from the sea. Lunch was included , this was a pleasant cold buffet with different meats, salads, fruit and wine.The boat stopped at Comino for about 3 hours to give time for swimming for those who wanted it. This island is a tiny rocky place, the water is clear and blue.Hundreds of people crammed around the  swimming area waiting for a turn to take a dip. This seemed a waste of time to us especially as once wet there was nowhere to change. We stayed on board and finished our lunch off with a huge doughnut and a coffee from the bar.

• An Open Top Bus Tour which has an get on and off arrangement took us to Mdina.This old city is a must.We sat on top of the bus for some of the journey. This was rather scary, the roads are very rough, it was also very hot however it covered a large part of Malta in a couple of hours and is worth taking.

Food

Fish dishes are good. Meat dishes should be selected with care, rabbit is served frequently, I certainly had it  in lasagne and in a burger which turned out to be a bunny burger-- nasty