Best Places to Visit in Prague during Winter (2 Days Itinerary)

Prague was the go-to city in 2016. Everyone was going there and I decided to make the trip there as well. It is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, also the 14th largest city in European Union. Prague is by far my favourite city in Europe. It's beautiful and has so much to offer. Although it was winter there and it was an old town, it was indeed a beautiful old town. I spend 2 full days there and heres my itinerary there.

21st - 22nd December 2016
The moment I got down from the train station. These was the view I was getting. I knew immediately I am going to love this city.

We decided to use the first day to explore around the city before going out to Prague Castle.

DAY 1
Old Town Hall
It is one of the city's most visited monuments located at the Old Town Square. If you want to get the view of the Old Town Square, I'll definitely recommend you to climb this tower for it. So can get a 360 degree view of everywhere. Even with my limping leg, I had a little bit trouble climbing up but it was all worth it.

Entrance fee :
Basic : 250 CZK (About £9)
Reduced : 150 CZK (About £5) - This was for student.

Old Town Square
We spent 2 hours ish just walking around the square, going around eating their Chimney Cake (also know as the Trdelnik). So one of our friend decided to challenge ourselves to have at least 10 of those Chimney Cake. Apparently, its famous in Prague so its a MUST try. We manage to have 8 of those before we all decided that it was enough.

Prague Astronomical Clock
This is the most popular landmark in Prague. It's THE Astronomical Clock. It is a medieval astronomical clock, mounted on the wall of Old Town Hall in the Old Town Square. This clock represent the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details. If you look closely, the way the clock was built, the details and medieval design...what a magnificent piece of art.

Even from picture, you cannot deny the beauty of this astronomical clock. 

Charles Bridge

This is a historic bridge crosses the Vltava river. It is one of the most visited sight to get a view of the city along the river. 

We spend a lot of time going around Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square in the city. Just admiring the beauty of the city. Partly, we were also overly exhausted from the flight in the morning. So we just wanted to chill and walk around the city.

DAY 2
We got up really early as the itinerary of the day was the Prague Castle. I would definitely advise you to go early. We were there about 10am and the queue was so long already. Took us about 1.5 hours before we actually made it into the castle

Prague Castle 
This is an ancient symbol and the most significant Czech monument. Also, a UNESCO site with a tradition of more than 1,000 years. We spend almost 2 to 3 hours just exploring the whole area. The ticket include the St Vitus Cathedral and a lot of other place surrounding the castle.

Here, you can also get a view of Prague. This was a shot caught while queuing for the entrance. 

St. Vitus Cathedral

I feel like in every European country, you definitely have a significant Cathedral that you have to visit. In Prague, it would be the St Vitus Cathedral, which is the largest and most important monument in Prague.

Golden Lane Street
Oh, while you are at Prague Castle, don't forget to walk along the Golden Lane Street. It's quite a pretty street if you are looking for nice photos. The shops were pretty cool too selling different kind of accessories and also not to forget souvenirs.

Petrin Hill
We decided to head onto our next destination, the Petrin Hill. There's a transportation that takes you up the hill. For some reason, we were on the other side of the hill so we couldn't see any tram going up and hence, we climb up. It took us about 40 minutes due to my injured leg because it was hurting but I heard that the view is pretty and I figured its been 2 weeks, I should be able to do it.

We finally arrive and trust the view was worth all the sweat and pain. It was so beautiful and sadly, this photo do not do it justice. This was just right after sunset and the city lights were all on. I got a pretty good view. 

Mirror Maze
Since we were up there already, we decided to look around and found this Mirror Maze. There is also a Rose Garden nearby but it's Winter, so no flowers. Mirror Maze was more of an fun activity rather than a sightseeing spot. We had fun going around with all the different type of Mirror and trying to find our way out (which was quite easy).

Inner Child of me came out as I was just running around the area, playing hide and seek with my friends but your image were all reflecting everywhere. We will finding an angle where not a single mirror can capture us but we failed. It's called Mirror Maze for a reason. 

Petrin Tower Lookout
We didn't actually pay to enter the tower as it was already closed by the time we got there. We did manage to get a view of it at night (of the tower itself). I thought getting the view from the hill was already good enough for me. If you guys want to get a whole view, you would probably want to try heading up to this tower.

This was also our last stop before heading back to our hotel and get some rest before taking the early train to Budapest at 5am in the morning. We actually thought of just staying at the train station but realise we all needed the rest so we rebook the same room and slept till about 3am.

Wenceslas Square
Well, you always see photo of the front of the square so let me show you the back of it. This square is more of an expensive shopping street for me. Its quite nice but for some reason, I have no idea why I don't have a photo of it. Probably because my phone and camera battery might have died at the same time. I remember my camera battery died on me the moment we reach Mirror Maze and probably my phone didn't last that long too.

We were actually staying 4 mins away from Wenceslas Square. The hotel is call Fusion Hotel. We paid about 70 euro for the 4 of us which I found it pretty cheap. I still remember how much I did not want to leave Prague. Despite the cold and gloomy weather, this city still manage to capture my heart. I was glad that everything went well after our trip in Cologne. We were all well and kicking.

I had a pretty good time in the city and got pretty good shots too. I would definitely go back there to Prague again if I was given the chance. This was almost towards the end of my Europe tour before heading back to London so I felt even more heavy hearted to leave this place.

If you are interested to follow on my whole Europe trip in 2016, feel free to read up on my Luxembourg, Cologne, Germany and Budapest post.

Read More

Review on The Drawing Room, Ampersand Hotel Afternoon Tea

The Science Afternoon Tea in Ampersand Hotel won the Best Theme Afternoon Tea award this year (2018). The theme was inspired by their neighbour, the Science Museum. I've been to a few tea now and I had fun with this one. This wasn't just your traditional tea. They added a little excitement with science experiment and even the experience was different from the others. For more information about their afternoon tea, you can find out from their website here. 

As I mention previously, afternoon tea isn't cheap but as it was the Afternoon Tea week, there were offers on a lot of the afternoon tea. Instead of the original price of £39.50, I paid £29.62 which I would say it was totally fulfilling. I book through this website here. The afternoon tea website which gives you all the offers on afternoon tea. If you book it through here like me, you will get 25% from here. It's only until the end of this month so if you want to experience it do book now. 

I will rate it a 9 out of 10. They had a beautiful ambience, good service, food was good too and totally love the theme.

The Drawing Room has a really good ambience and classy feeling. It was a high end boutique hotel in Kensington and I definitely would say it was indeed nice to have tea here. The location is just 4 minutes walk from South Kensington tube station which was easy to get there. If you are around there visiting the Kensington Garden and Natural History Museum, drop here for an afternoon tea.

This was our little corner that we were having our tea. The chairs were really comfortable but of course not easy to eat due to the level of the table being too low. They have those proper table and chair height too but these chair were comfy.

So our first activity, we were given these flask and some mixer and ingredient to run a small experience. They gave us two infuse flavouring, passionfruit and raspberry, lemon fizz, sugar syrup and baking soda. The effect was suppose to be a smoking fizzy if you did it right. We made a mistake putting the baking soda before the fiz. We should have put everything in the flask and then the baking soda last. The end product was quite tasty to drink so I was okay with it failing but for those of you who wants to see the effect, this will be my advice.

The most important part of the Afternoon Tea is the menu thats on today. I really like the whole theme and even the sandwiches, scones and desserts were actually pretty good.

SAVOURIES 
Smoke Salmon & Avocado on Blinis
Brioche with roast beef, horseradish, watercress, cornichons
Chicken with Lemon & Tarragon Mayonnaise Bun
Truffle & Mushroom Pie

SCONES
Homemade white chocolate and cranberry scones
Plain Scones
Service with Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve and Lemon curd squeeze tube
Toppings : Freeze dried raspberry, freeze dried pineapple, crunchy caramel

PASTRIES
Strawberry & elderflower jelly petri dish
White Chocolate & Blackberry Planet Mousse (Chocolate Spaceman)
Cherry, yoghurt & Passion Fruit Macaroon
Lychee & orange half moon cake
Mini Dinosaur biscuit & milk chocolate fossil hidden written chocolate "soil"

They had this mystery chocolate box that they require us to figure out ourselves on what does it contain. It like dinosaur fossil finding which I found it so cute. They make it fully science theme covering the tube experiments, to fossil finding.

I have to say the pastries were all very rich in their flavour. My favourite was the scones. It was crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. It was perfectly done and I really like it a lot. All the pastries were really good. The cherry and passionfruit infuse macaroon was really well done where the crust and the filling had a good balance of taste. They even added the dry ice effect on the Chocolate mousse.

For those of you out there who love chocolate, this dessert is so rich in chocolate and all chocolate lover will definitely love it. There is a raspberry filling which goes perfect well with it. This was the highlight of the dessert due to the dry ice effect you get when they first serve you.

If you want a good picture with the dry ice effect, this is what you will get which is makes the picture really nice. Overall I had a really amazing experience at the Drawing Room in Ampersand Hotel. I definitely rate it a 9/10. The service was really good as well. Oh before I forget about my tea, I had the Jasmine Honey Lemon Orchid Tea which was a black tea that is not as strong as Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea. Perfect way to sync it with the flavourful food. Then I finish off with a Lemon Verbana tea to clean my pallets!

I definitely enjoy my experience there and it was definitely worth it for me. Gotta say though, these afternoon tea are sooooo filling. Till my next afternoon tea experience (when there is a good offer again)!

Read More

Ploy, Publika @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ploy @ Publika is one of my favourite Asian fusion in restaurant. It's an modern Asian fusion cuisine, which has an exquisite taste. The presentation of the food are also detailed minded. Their dishes uses Asian spices and blend it into dishes which is not so Asian. The ambience of the restaurant itself is quite nice and suitable for celebration. To find out more of their restaurant, you can head on to their website here.

Publika is about an hour drive from my place and would take more an hour if there is traffic jam. The fact that I am willing to drive all the way there is what makes it worth it. If you happen to exploring Publika, you know where to go for a meal. 

The entrance to the restaurant. 

SMALL PLATES

Crispy Baby Squid (RM12)

I really love how crispy those baby squid were and the sweet sauce that it was fry with. It blended really well and was a good starter. We were having conversation at the same time something sweet and savory to nibble on.

MAINS
Angel Hair Shrimp (RM29)
They say that the safest choice is to order a spaghetti. The dish might look really simple but the sauce that goes with the spaghetti was not too creamy and well blend into this flavourful dish. The shrimps were't those big prawns but those small and slightly fry if I did not remember wrongly. 

Soft Shell Crab Pizza (RM38)
This is not your typical pizza. It doesn't even look like one. The crust is not the normal thick crust you see on an regular pizza. Its more like a thinner and crispier version of pita bread. They are actually quite generous with the soft shell crab which is good. Overall, the blend of flavour were alright but it was something different that you don't usually get it else where. I felt this dish was pricy and although it taste good but it's not something I would pay for RM38.

Black Rice (RM31)
This is a squid ink rice top with raw egg yolk with shrimps, also my favourite dish out of everything. Some places overkill the squid ink rice with the flavour but this one here has just the perfect balance of taste. The shrimps were pretty fresh and crunchy, just how I like it. The saltiness from the squid ink top with the fragrance of the basil leave and the slippery feel from the yolk to the rice creates a flavourful dish of this. 

Torched Sunrise Salmon
It's an improvised version of popiah wrapped in salmon (sort of). Either ways, they would torched the salmon right in front of you which is sort of a mini fire performance. The taste was exquisite and I really like the blend of the sauce with the rice and the freshly torched salmon. I am not a fan of raw food but I like this one here. 

DESSERT
Dessert has always been my favourite part of a meal. One of the main reason I am here is for the Durian Panna Cotta. I am a big fan of durian and i love panna cotta. So when my friend mention that Ploy has a dish which combines both, I was like "say no more fam, we are going there this Friday".

Durian Panna Cotta (RM12.50)
I had really high expectation for this dish and it definitely did not fail me. It was so wobbly and you can see it bouncing when you move the plate. The durian they use were not just some flavouring, you can actually taste the durian meat on the top. Both durian and the panna cotta blend so well and has this texture which would melt in your mouth. I love it! So we ordered another one. 

Deep Fried Mantou with Salted Caramel Ice Cream (RM12)
I love salted caramel ice cream so I was quite excited to try this one as well. Overall, its a typical dessert but the ice cream was really nice. Its not very easy to eat it all together as you can see, its pretty big. 

It was a Friday night that we had this and indeed it was a good end to the week. I absolutely love the black rice and the durian panna cotta. One thing I try to avoid writing about food is that, if its good, you end up craving for it so much. 

It's been awhile since I actually did a food post in KL and decided to write up on one of my favourite. Absolute favourite for fusion restaurant. 

Read More

Exploring Cologne, Germany in Winter

Cologne is the largest state in the largest city in the North Rhine Westphalia and the fourth most populated city in Germany. It's a really pretty and peaceful city where you can travel at your own pace. My recommendation is that you can actually spend a day in the Cologne and here are the places that I've been to. I did not spend anything on the entrance fee so it was quite nice to go around the tourist spot as most of it were free. If you are planning to travel around Germany, here's a link where you can find the Best Places to Visit in Germany.

18th - 20th December 2016
The journey continue from Luxembourg to Cologne in Germany. We took a train there. We left to the train station in the morning on the 19th December. We didn't read German so we didn't know the timetable for that day was different. We waited for awhile but the train didn't come and there was only 40 minutes left before our train depart. Somehow, phone calls didn't works so we went to the Grocery store nearby to make a phone call to book a taxi. The people there were so nice and try to help us out with it.

We made it! To the train station but that was just the beginning of everything. So, we got on the train and arrive at Cologne. The moment we step out of the train station, Wu Ping realise that his DSLR camera wasn't with him. Man.. boy did we all panic because it cost him a few thousand ringgit for that. We head back to the train station and reported lost and found. Called all the way to Luxembourg station as the train was heading back there. For some reason, we manage to get hold of them and lucky for us, they found the camera. The only catch was that the collection point is where we had to travel all the way back to Luxembourg to collect it. Well, Wu Ping bought a ticket to go back the next day.

Cologne Train Station

We felt so much better and hence, continue on to explore the city. We did the Mandatory Christmas Market duty. Christmas Market actually originated from Germany but now its just everywhere. And thats why we pick Germany as one of our stops just to visit the Christmas Market. Apparently Cologne was one of the top 3 that was in the list. Boy.. it was pretty.

Group Photo featuring Stranger 

So where else did I visited in Cologne? Here are the few places that I've visited there!

Cologne Cathedral

It's a Catholic Cathedral and it's beautiful. Even the external architecture is amazing. Its beautiful at night. Unfortunately they had a bit refurbishing hence, the pictures...

Great St Martin Church

The church is a Romanesque Catholic church in Cologne. Its foundation rest on the remnants of a Roman Chapel, build on what was then an island in the Rhine which was later transformed into a Benedictine Monastery. It's located within the city and would definitely come across it while you are exploring the city.

Rhine Garden

This was a park along the Rhine River and it's actually really nice especially with a good weather to chill along the river. The whole area is quite instaworthy. You get the view of the famous Hohenzollern Bridge as your background.

Hohenzollern Bridge

This is a bridge crossing the Rhine river in Cologne. I always have a thing for bridges so wherever I go, if there is bridges I'll definitely be there. And one thing about bridges in Europe, they always have the "lock bridge".

The view you will get crossing the bridge, This was taken at about noon-ish. 

These were the four main places we actually went around exploring during our time there which can be done in a day.

What happened during the trip?
So.. after our dinner on the first day, Wu Ping mention that he wasn't feeling very well. Google for all his symptoms and realise he had the "Traveller's Disease" which is a stomach infection. We were suppose to head to Copenhagen the next day at night. So, Kah Yee decided that she would go in his place to collect his camera. I volunteered but clearly voted out due to my limping leg. Things sure didn't go well during our visit here this time.

We were suppose to take flight but did not make it. I stayed back to look after Wu Ping. Somehow, things didn't go well for us because Jie Yvin missed her flight to Copenhagen that night as well. Man.. we were so sad and down because nothing was going right. She rebooked her flight for the next day while I was still waiting for Wu Ping to recover to see if we could continue our Europe Tour or head back to London. He felt so much better the next day so we bought our flight ticket and head over to Copenhagen. Well, it was such a pretty city at night. Since we were suppose to take our flight to Prague on the 21st December (next morning on the night we arrive at Denmark), I had only that night to explore the city.

Well of course I had to visit the famous tourist place Nyhavn, the colourful house at the waterfront and canal. They still look pretty at night and this was the only place I manage to go. Well, this gives me a reason to come back here again for a longer tour.

Although it was very unfortunate that we did not manage to see more of Copenhagen and our 1.5 days in Germany became 3 full days, we manage to explore Cologne more. It's such a peaceful city even with tourist. It's not crowded and nice to visit. We had a good weather of the third day so we really enjoyed and Wu Ping recovered too so that was amazing. We kept praying for things to get better where we don't miss anymore flights or anymore bad event happening. And things after that was just perfect. We enjoyed Prague and Budapest so much. Everything was great after that. Oh! We even got the camera back thanks to Kah Yee. She left that day to London as she has stuff on while we continue our trip.

Sometimes, its things like this that you experience allows you to tell a story. It might not be great but we manage to still finish what was planned! :) I am not going to deny that it hurt so much on my wallet due to the last minute tickets and unplanned stay!

If you are following this trip, be sure to check out my visit at Luxembourg and the trips after to Prague and Budapest
.

Read More