Rocks and Bones

You don't expect me to miss out on dinosaurs, do you? Even though I'd already been there on my first trip to Brussels, I had to revisit my favourite Belgian museum again. There's something pleasantly old-fashioned about this place - the beautiful wrought iron stairs, awkwardly posed models, and the glass-fronted cases in the geology section. Having lots of big dinosaur skeletons around don't hurt either. 

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences 

Rue Vautier 29

1000 Brussels

Belgium

The Concrete Jungle

Tucked away in the midst of the Brustalist wonderland that is the Barbican lies an unexpectedly serene secret garden. I'd heard rumours about its existence a while ago, and one sunny Bank Holiday weekend in May (yes, these were from that long ago), I decided to investigate. 

Tucked away behind an almost hidden set of glass doors, the Barbican Conservatory is an unlikely, underworldly respite from the city just outside. There are plenty of plants, as you may expect, but there are also birds, turtles and rather large koi. Even a little wooden bridge over a tinkling stream. 

Palace of Versailles

Scale model of Versailles

Model of Louis XVI's bedroom

It's probably no secret by now that I love a little bit of bling (ahem, yes, just a little...). So where better to soak some up than the Palace of Versailles. The place is a maximalist's dream come true. Even the gates glisten in the morning sun. No such thing as 'shabby chic' in that place, and thank Liberace for that! 

Restoration of ceiling murals

So much gilding, ornate frames, beautiful silk walls, and some really ornate ceilings including this one above. Just so much detail to drink in, really. Very much more is more, and a far cry from discreet and minimalist. Honestly, my brain was feeling pretty exhausted towards the end of our visit, but we discovered some lovely secluded, fairytale-like areas in the gardens where I could recharge and just let my eyes rest a little. We spent about 6 hours there, but the whole complex is huge, and I could easily have gone back the next day for another visit. I kind of had a giggle at the people who rented golf buggies or hopped on the Petite Train to get around, but at the end of the day, we gave in and hopped on one of the little trains for a ride back to the main gates too. 

Angry skies at the Petite Trianon

Villa Royale, Paris

Nope, there's no need to adjust your screens. The Villa Royale, which was our home for our four nights in Paris, is indeed this colourful and OTT. Oh why yes, I did go to Paris again, a mere month after my last 24-hour trip there. Why? Mainly because I just wanted to spend more time eating tiny cakes and walking around Paris, and also because it was a big-number birthday for me. I was completely enraptured by the blinged-out decor when searching for a hotel online, and to top it off, there was a whopping 30% off the price. Sometimes the stars just align...

Anyway, the Villa Royal certainly lived up to my expectations. All the photos above were taken in the lobby, and I haven't even got to the rooms yet. Each room is named after a notable French person - we got the Edith Piaf room, which had French windows that opened out onto a little balcony overlooking the Place Pigalle. 

Now, Place Pigalle has a reputation for being seedy and rowdy, and is lined with neon-lit sex shops, so may not be the ideal destination for some, but I really enjoyed staying there. I liked the neon lights, and the liveliness, and the general energy of the area. Aaand it's only a 5 minute stroll from the famous Moulin Rouge, as well as being very close to Montmartre and Rue des Martyrs, a street lined with yummy food shops and restaurants (more on that in a later post). 

Our room was on the small side, but then again, most rooms in Paris seem to be small. It's a very crowded city, after all. Anyway, who goes to Paris to spend all day in their rooms?! By the way, did I mention our room had pink silk walls? And a princess bed? And pink padding on all the doors? All in all, a delicious girly confection of a room. I did feel rather sorry for Manbacon, although he did say that he liked it a lot more than other more minimalist hotel rooms. I'm sure he actually loved it too.

Mustafa Centre

On the way back from Australia, Manbacon and I had a quick 2-day stopover in Singapore, just to break up the journey a little. We arrived in Singapore around 9.30 at night, and met up with my delightful and insanely energetic cousin Sabrina about an hour later for a trip to Mustafa Centre. Yes, that's right, we went shopping at 11 at night! 

No, there wasn't some late-night shopping extravaganza going on. In fact, it is possible every night, thanks to the fact that Mustafa Centre is a veritable temple to consumerism that is open 24 hours a day, every day. Seriously, if you're ever in Singapore and find yourself suffering from insomnia, that's the place to go. Have a look at some of the wonderful items we found. 

Monopoly: Singapore Edition

Crazy-eyed stuffed lion

Qwerty-keyboard thongs in pink and other colourways

Hundreds of dollars worth of milky hazelnut chocolate

Handpainted floating Jesus on some kind of animal hide

'Pie Sand' - chocolaty biscuits with crystallised sugar on top

Rows of fake flowers and scented items

The golden goose! 

No, unfortunately, I did not come home with those sexy Qwerty keyboard thongs. I did come away with some lovely sari fabric on supersale, as well as a glamourous set of rhinestone jewellery. 

Eggy, crispy roti prata and ice-cold bandung

After all that shopping, recharge with a meal at one of the numerous hawker centres in the area. A restorative meal of freshly made roti prata and lurid pink bandung helped us get our breath back.