Shops and other sorts of magic

This morning we repaired to the Tiffin Room for breakfast (as you do) where Ross thoroughly enjoyed the attention lavished upon him by the staff: 

'How are you today Mr Man? We are saying your name correctly aren't we?  Have you had enough coffee Mr Man?  How did you like your breakfast Mr Man? Would you like anything else?'  

I must admit I felt a little invisible by comparison.  Oh well.  I got to indulge in some bircher muesli and the world's nicest papaya so I was happy.  Walking back to our room, we  passed the enigmatic 'Courtyard Man' (as he affectionately became known) - a fellow guest who seemed to spend a disproportionate amount of time sitting outside his room.  And why not really when it meant enjoying the warm humid air, listening to the birds and the sound of raindrops pitter pattering on the surrounding leaves.

Outside the Tiffin Room - posing in the Raffles lobby

The walkway to our room overlooking the lush green courtyard - funnily enough one of the rare occasions where Courtyard Man was not present

As we walked to the nearest MRT station, we glanced back at the grand old facade.

The Raffles Hotel

Orchard Road was our goal today and even at our leisurely pace we arrived there just as shops were opening.  Ross did his best to act enthused but even at the best of times, shops are a chore for him.  With the vestiges of a cold, browsing just became a herculean task.   So we only managed to visit the Ion and Paragon shopping centres and the basement of Ngee Ann City before calling it a day. 

Proof that we did make it to Orchard Road even if it was only a brief visit!

I timed our visit to the Takashimaya basement just as Ross was getting hungry.  Perfect!  There's nothing quite like the soft doughy treasure trove of an asian bakery and in Singapore, there seems to be one around every corner:

Shelf upon shelf of baked loveliness

For me though, there was a special reason for coming here and I'd spent ages daydreaming about it. Thank you Mr Obanyaki for making the WORLD'S BEST taiyaki.  Piping hot and filled to bursting with the tastiest red bean filling.

My kind of heaven - the world's best taiyaki

We sat in the rather unglamorous surroundings of the basement near a fountain to have our food.  For all I cared it could have been a Michelin starred restaurant - I had my long sought after red bean pancake and all was right with the world!

We headed back to the colonial oasis of the Raffles with no other plans for the day beyond resting. However a knock on our door in the mid-afternoon saw us score a couple of free tickets to a magic show scheduled this evening at the hotel.  Before the show I managed to convince Ross to walk the short distance to the Raffles City shopping centre across the road for dinner at another institution: the Din Tai Fung dumpling house where we enjoyed some of their famous xiao long bau.  While delectable, a mix up meant we didn't receive our full order.  Rather than going hungry I make a panicked dash to the ever reliable Watsons for some emergency chocolate.  Always good in times of need.

The show at the Raffles' Jubilee Theatre introduced us to the kooky world of Joe Labero.  With crazy eyes and a loud, bombastic style, he ran through a series of illusions ranging from card tricks to levitation to daring escapes.  The theatre was only half full when we arrived so we were encouraged to move closer to the stage.  I refused to sit anywhere closer than the third row despite Ross egging me on.  For his sins, the magician duly picked on him during the act (HA!) and he became the 'key' person (key-holder really) for the duration of the show.  Nothing too embarrassing but just enough to keep him on his toes.  

Singapore dreaming

A special wedding anniversary called for a special celebration and so in January we took advantage of a package deal.  Back then an August travel date seemed impossibly far away.  As the months shuffled by, the holiday happened to acquire added significance as one last hurrah before mental dental work and a new life in academia.

******

Ross pulled his favourite party trick and came down with a cold right before travelling so it was a rather subdued start to the holiday.  And if there’s anything worse than sitting next to a sniffing, sneezing person on a five hour flight, it’s being sandwiched between TWO sniffing, sneezing people on a five hour flight (thank you mystery man to my left for also having a cold today).  Oh what fun.

We arrived in Singapore at 7:30pm and were met by our jovial driver – another of the perks of our holiday package – and whisked away to the Raffles Hotel for a once in a lifetime stay.  Definitely a novelty to walk a red carpet into the gleaming lobby, to be seated in a plush armchair next to a chiming grandfather clock while the duty manager checked us in.  And to be escorted down the marble and teakwood hallways to our suite by ‘our’ butler and shown our rooms. 

Herewith recorded for posterity (and/or as evidence of just how silly a tourist I can be in a fabulous hotel) – the colonial grandeur of our bedroom, parlour, dressing room and bathroom…

Views of the bedroom

His and hers sinks in the dressing room

The ornately tiled bath and shower

Between the front door and the bedroom - an exquisite parlour with small dining table and sofa (not shown)

Our butler's final kindness before retiring for the evening was to bring us our complimentary welcome drinks.  Although in the birthplace and spiritual home of the legendary Singapore Sling, we passed on that particular delicacy and stuck with something simpler and with less gin!

Meteorological musings

Overcast skies have created some spectacular mornings over the last few days ranging from thick mist to a glorious golden sunrise.

Morning moods

The mist lifts

Tuesday delivered Perth a spectacular storm and our wettest day of the year so far... just over 50mm of rain!  Brilliant while indoors, perhaps less fun while trying to get from one place to another without one's umbrella blowing inside out.  

It didn't work.

The storm just before it hit the city (Bureau of Meteorology radar image 17 June 2014)

Today brought more welcome rain and the following clip which I shall look back on fondly in a few months from now when the landscape is baking hot and parched again.

Yallingup to Smiths Beach

Another glorious morning in the south west.  There was only a faint red glow on the horizon when we left the house.

Sunrise

We started the day with a short walk (approximately 5km?) along the Cape to Cape track from Yallingup Beach to Smiths Beach.  There's nothing quite like the crunch of yellow sand underfoot, crisp sea air and the slender rays and faint warmth of the rising sun breaking through the cloud.

Smiths Beach at sunrise

Perfect.

Forest therapy

There is something inherently restorative about nature. 

It was therefore our good fortune to escape to the south west of the state for a few days.  How perfectly wonderful to visit the tall karri trees in the Boranup Forest and for just a few moments, feed the soul. 

Food for the soul