A very full Friday

We continue to cram as much as possible into our day and walk the short distance to the Red Dot Design Museum at Marina Bay.  The small museum showcases some of the world's best designs for objects ranging from telephones to active wear to robots. 

Marina Bay

My favourite work has to be "Life Stripe" by the artist duo SPREAD. The artists use coloured strips to map out 24 hours in a subject's life. The display shows the life stripes for animals and people from various professions (bankers, students, trainees). I think I found one that comes close to Ross' ideal existence... the dark orange stripes are meals, the light orange stripes are activities, and the blue stripes are sleep... I couldn't find one that was all blue!  

Could Ross secretly be a cat?

We leave the museum and walk into The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands - the very posh shopping centre next door. By now we are both tired and hungry as breakfast was a few hours ago. We don't want to spoil our appetites for high tea later though, so we decide to buy some snacks from a convenience store. Gluten-free isn't well-catered for here and so I end up purchasing some Australian rice crackers that I see in Coles all the time, but right now are very welcome indeed. We sit down outside for long enough to inhale some crackers and walnuts, and then decide we may as well just walk the rest of the way back to the hotel.  

A little oasis of calm at Marina Bay

Thankfully we're rewarded with magnificent views across the bay

It's wonderful being back in our room and having a few hours to rest before we head to the next thing. I spot a 'hidden' window that has been concealed behind a blind. The blind is exactly the same colour as the wall and flush with the wall surface so it is something of a revelation to see the astounding view over to Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Happily the plumbers have repaired the bathroom sink and so we don't need to move away from our corner room. I am glad because the view is intoxicating.

The view from the hidden window

And another of Suntec City

At 5pm, suitably rested and freshened up, we make our way downstairs to the lobby to partake in High Tea at the Lobby Lounge. This is another of the 'extras' in our accommodation package and it is all very nice. A pianist lightly improvises popular tunes in the lobby as we sit on plush seats under the golden arch of the ceiling. We're informed that we are the first guests to try the hotel's Sakura High Tea as it is the 1st of March and the new monthly menu has only just commenced.

Sakura cherry blossoms by our table   

Waiting ...

When it arrives, the asymmetrical serving stand is a sight to behold. The lowest tier has beautiful savouries (sadly not enough) and the remaining tiers hold exquisite hand-made  sweet perfections that delicately float towards the apex. Keeping with the cherry blossom theme, the little mouse cakes, sponges, and scones are all lovely shades of pink. It is all wonderful but we struggle to get through the sweets, not least because both of us prefer savoury flavours, and (as we discover later), we're really really not used to eating sugar. But we have to give it a go so we at least sample everything and leave the table feeling very full indeed.

Sakura high tea

Fortunately this evening we have the opportunity to walk off some of the consequent sugar buzz. Hopping back on the MRT, we make our way to Bayside station and join throngs of people inching towards the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. It is our second visit here for the nighttime light show, but we immediately notice that compared to a few years ago, there are lots more people and it is standing room only. Perhaps it is because it is a Friday night. In any case, the 15 minute light and music show is just as dazzling and we enjoy it immensely. Funnily enough our last visit in 2016 also followed an indulgent high tea. Seems we are making something of a habit of going from tea to supertree...

The Supertree Grove reveals itself

The show begins - views of the enchanted forest

When the show ends we take a small detour through the gardens and happen across the slightly bizarre but captivating sight of a floating baby, suspended in front of the city lights.

An unusual view of the city at night

Comfortably back in our room by 9pm, we should be tired. Ordinarily at this time we'd be stifling yawns and struggling to keep our eyes open. Even more so after a very full and exhausting day walking around for hours. But we're both absolutely wired. The sugar from the afternoon's cakes has delivered a massive jolt and we end up watching Die Hard - the 1988 classic that until now I'd never watched all the way through. 

Lights out at 11pm, and then begins a very uncomfortable night.

Green space odyssey - Part 2

Our next stop - the Marina One 'Green Heart' development - is a different beast. This is a green building on a much larger scale. Here, there is a central 'atrium' between four skyscrapers that has been sculpted into a forest several storeys high. It is open to the elements and so it is bright and airy, yet it feels contained. The buildings are all crazy flowing shapes and resemble a surrealist fantasy.

Flowing building facades

What it does achieve is an incredible lightness of form. The buildings don't seem bulky even though they're large. Lots of light gets through and the central space doesn't feel claustrophobic.

Looking up to the sky

Once again, there's artistry (or should that be wizardry?!) here - lots of organic shapes, muted colours, water and a variety of textures 

The waterfall - not a gushing torrent but a gentle trickle that mimics the sound of rain

At ground level - inside the 'Green Heart'

Once again we take the lift upstairs to a garden terrace that is several storeys above street level. It is a vast space. It is a weekday morning and we are the only ones there apart from a cleaner. Hard to imagine who might use this space usually... office workers? Is it used for functions? Although warm and humid at street level, up here it is surprisingly breezy. There are garden beds densely packed with tropical vegetation, green walls, and an astonishing view across to neighbouring buildings.

The garden terrace... with twisting sculptures?

Green walls

Lush green wall

Garden bed and a visual link to the financial district beyond

It is not the most legible of spaces and we get a bit lost finding our way back down, but we eventually get to Level 2, where it's possible to walk down a winding ramp back towards the Green Heart. 

Twisting steel forms that encircle the Green Heart

Descending the ramp back towards the Green Heart

Back to the forest floor

We have already been treated to two amazing developments today and it isn't even midday yet! My green wishlist is satisfied however, so it is onto other adventures.

Green space odyssey - Part 1

In typically super-efficient Singapore style, the moment we report the plumbing problem to Reception, the call gets logged with a plumber. We casually stroll to the Level 4 cafe by the swimming pool and indulge in the first of our holiday breakfasts. I'm so excited to see char siu bao and absolutely relish the pillowy softness of its steamed skin and savoury-sweet innards! In less than 45 minutes we are back in our room getting ready to head out when the plumber arrives. We leave him to his task and make our way to the MRT station. 

From the Promenade station it is only a short journey to Chinatown. There, as we try to orient ourselves with a map, a friendly station official rushes over to offer us help and give us directions. At street level, it should be a simple matter of just looking around for a plant-covered building...

Chinatown

Chinese New Year decorations

And then it reveals itself. The beautiful green-clad revelation that is the Parkroyal on Pickering. Foliage tumbles down its facade and wraps around several terraces. The hotel boasts organic shapes that mimic rock formations and it claims that every guest room has a garden view.

Exterior views of the Parkroyal on Pickering 

The lobby is no less impressive. Natural finishes are complemented by water and greenery. A row of comfortable seats replace the traditional sofas that are a fixture in most hotel lobbies. These face outwards over a water feature that wraps around the outside of the hotel. Together with a screen of plants, it conceals the busy road beyond. It is quite magical.  

Green wall inside the Parkroyal lobby

Lobby dreaming

Keen to explore the public areas a bit more, we steal into one of the elevators and go upstairs to the garden terrace. It doesn't disappoint. There is more tumble-down vegetation and a sense of airiness and freshness several storeys above street level. 

Looking up at the green terraces

Parkroyal exterior

It is quite a spectacular design as the muted grey colours and different textures - hard and soft - combine to create a very aesthetic and soothing environment.

Different colours and textures 

Grand columns and tall trees line the terrace adding to the sense of space

Just when you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the scale of things, the designers cleverly throw in an knee-high herb garden with some old friends like borage and ginger. So there's a neatness and familiarity in the garden beds that reside between the sun loungers.  

The herb garden

And my... what a swimming pool. The infinity edge drops off into the top of palm trees and glorious CBD skyline. Walkways and colourful seating pods are evenly spaced along the whole length of the terrace. The pods almost look like they are suspended over the edge of the building and are little secluded oases of calm.

The infinity edge pool with colourful seating pod

We are both suitably amazed and it's hard to take our leave of the cool and serene garden terrace. As we head back downstairs and retrace our steps to the MRT station, we are slightly stunned into an awed silence. We agree that it should definitely be added to our wishlist of places to stay in the future.

Happily Ross isn't too bored being dragged around green buildings as there is one more development that I want to see. Just like the Parkroyal, I first heard about it during my PhD and it has only recently been completed... 

A short dose of Singapore

Departing on an international flight from the domestic terminal at Perth Airport doesn't prove to be the most pleasant experience as it means battling the crowds flying to Sydney and Melbourne at check-in. Having a tiny meal and a chocolate bar thrown at us, along with very poor inflight entertainment options, only adds to our disappointment with Qantas and resolve to never fly with them internationally again. 

Fortunately Singapore is only a short flight and the rather lacklustre start to our travels does not colour the rest of our  stay. 

It is our second time at the Conrad and we are just as impressed with the room, now beautifully refurbished. Our package gives us an upgrade to a corner room on the 21st floor. It is magnificently quiet and has a fantastic view over to Suntec City.

The new look decor with sharp lines and a neutral palette 

Comfy seating along the full length of the room - all the better to admire the view

Love the bathroom ... even more so because someone else is cleaning it

The view from our window to Suntec City and the Fountain of Wealth

As the last rays of afternoon sun dissolve into a languid evening, we decide it is time for some food. We make the short 5 minute walk across to Suntec City. Conveniently the underpass near the hotel brings us out at the Suntec basement food hall where we're assaulted by the sound of food stalls, chatter and hustle of the crowd, and delicious food smells. 

But we want something more so we thread our way upstairs and somehow our weary feet get us to the top floor where we're faced with a choice of restaurants. Ross looks like he's losing the will to live by this stage so we settle on Din Tai Fung. It is a good choice as the food comes out quickly and we enjoy a wonderful assortment of xiao long bao and fried rice. A friendly waitress even initiates us into the 'golden ratio' of 1 part soy sauce to 3 parts vinegar so we can enjoy our dumplings to the max.

Happily fed and too tired to walk any further, we return to our room. Our bathroom has 'his' and 'her' sinks and I pick [the correct] one to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. As Ross turns on his tap though, water gushes out from beneath the basin and soaks the floor. We just look at each other as we've unpacked our gear, settled into the room and just want to go to sleep. It will have to be tomorrow's problem.

Why it's so nice to be home

For some reason jet lag is particularly debilitating this time. I find myself hand-washing a cardigan and repotting a plant at 2:30am in the morning, something I've never done before. And although Ross manages to sleep (for Australia this time), even he finds himself watching Star Trek reruns in the middle of the night to begin with. 

But it's so nice to be home. Despite the numbness of jet lag, post-travel digestive upsets, minutiae of household chores and, all too soon, the soul-destroying ennui of weekdays, this is what it's all about... the Sunday sunrises and beauty of my park. The park with all its gorgeous spring colours, golden light, moody river views framed by foliage, peace, calm and the cure for the nature-shaped ache that I've unknowingly carried around these last few weeks.

Some of the amazing colours of Kings Park (Sept 2018)

And the image which, for me, just sums up why it's so nice to be home is this....

Enough said.