Travel Tour

On this last day of our Europe tour, the morning call came at 9am, not the usual 6.30 or 7 am as on this day, we would just need to concentrate on the 20++ hours to fly back to Turkey and to Singapore. My wife and I woke up early at 730am, ate breakfast, back to hotel to pack up and rest. Lunch was on our own and my wife and I ventured to a Chinese café called Veng Heng where we saw the tour guide there eating. His presence told us the food must be nice there and hence we ate there. The pork chops were fantastic and prompted my wife to ask the cook whether there is any special recipe.

Moulin rouge reminded me of the show by Nicole Kidman. Hence I was keenly looking forward to the Moulin rouge show which our mini coach is headed. The tour group spent the time on coach trying our best to absorb in the sights and sounds of Paris as it was our last day in Paris. We learnt from our tour guide that Moulin Rouge show is situated near France’s red light district and along the way, he signalled us to look at the women of the night if there are any.

France is a romantic city where one can see couples kissing openly in the public. We were always on our guard too in a foreign city. I was appalled to see a man without 4 limbs begging, there were only a woman begging with her child and a man with his dog. We returned to Lafayette and I bought a bag for my mum at Longchamps after long waiting (the crowds has began to form then). As my wife would want to buy a Geok shoe, we went around looking for a Geox shop. Our thrill at finding one quickly turned to disappointment after learning it was just a Geox office. We spent the day walking around the shopping centre. At Printemp shopping centre, my wife bought a Prada wallet. We hid in the shopping centre as it was too hot outside. We then loaded up on water from a water cooler in Printemp outside a toilet and we sat on a bench outside the toilet for 2 to 3 hours, resting and passing the time. We were feeling quite parched and thirsty and did not have energy to go to the Lourves Musuem.

After showing us the location for tax redemption and the place to meet for pick-up to the Moulin Rouge show, it was free and easy for the tour group. As it was early, the shopping centre was not crowded, after the cue was given, the ladies and women, including my wife, sped off to locate their favourite bag shops! And the men, including me, were seen catching fast behind their wives, ready to take out our wallets!

Today was the last day of our Europe tour before the departure back to Singapore tomorrow. As much as my Dear and I missed home, the home food and the hot and humid weather, we still were a bit sad that today would be the last day of our Europe tour. Today was our second and last day in France and the tour itinery for today was Free and Easy, with the much looked-forward shopping trip at Lafayette and then there were recommendations from the tour guide to visit the Louvres Museum as well as the grand show Moulin Rouge. The whole tour group, except for a family of 4 females and a pair of Malaysian aunties chose to watch the Moulin Rouge Show and the tour manager was kind enough to charter a bus for this purpose.

After our soul-enriching tour of the beautiful Florence City, our tour group headed towards San Gimignano. San Gimignano was not initally in our travel itinery, it was an optional tour which the whole of the tour group agreed to visit, paying around 20 Euros each. San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. It is mainly famous for its medieval architecture, especially its towers, which may be seen from several kilometres outside the town. Before we entered into San Gimignano after walking up a long flight of stairs, we were awed by the show-stopping scenary: