Europe - Flying to Rome via Doha

Day 1 - 1 Oct 19

It’s our honeymoon again! We decided to take this Europe trip now, at this moment of time, while we still have the energy to travel from place to place every couple of days. We exchanged $3.5k of Euros and $1.5k of Swiss Francs in total for 2 pax for 18 days. And I tell you, with the exchange rate, it seems so little for 18 days!

Before all the European food indulgence, my body craved for some good Chinese congee. And I was craving for the same thing when I got back.

Flying with Qatar for the first time 

We sure wanted to fly with Singapore Airlines on a 14 hours kind of flight, but $500 per pax extra could be used to spend on other things during the stay. So we went with Qatar at around $1k per pax, with transit at Doha. In a way, it was good for our aching butts to come down and stretch. We didn’t need to worry about the luggage since it was transferred to the next plane.

I would say the plane we took was pretty good. The leg space seems to be more spacious. Pity I did not utilize much of the entertainment system due to sleepiness. Only managed to complete Dumbo and part of Men in Black 4. The food was quite okay. Pretty good curry fish and I love the warm plain bread with butter.

Doha airport is quite nice with many shops to explore. It does take a bit of time to get to your next boarding gate since they may be quite far apart. We had a 1 hr 45 minutes transit time which was kind of perfect for us given that you are not shopping around, and that there is no delays from the previous flight.

The airplane to Rome seems smaller and the darkness once again made it hard to watch my movie productively. Somehow, they do not seem to have the food they display on the menu as they were out of stock. There was no chicken and no pasta on the first flight, and then there was no more pancake the second time. So both of us ended up eating the same choice of food, which is something we don’t do since we want to try a variety. Their service was okay but definitely not impressive for a world’s best airline.

Arrival at Fiumicino Airport 

You know how they say we have to be careful in Europe? Once we were outside, there was already 2 suspicious men trying to talk to us. We ignored them and walked away pretending not to hear. At the second level, we sat down and had some croissants, orange juice and coffee. The orange juice is so sour that it made my heart cringe. The husband bought 2 croissants based on the colour I think, and one turns out to be pistachio, a flavour that is not very common to us. It is pretty delicious and fragrant.

Taking the Leonardo Express 

Leonardo Express is a quick option to get to central Rome - Roma Termini Station. We bought our tickets at the machine for 14 euro each. And the next thing we do is to observe what people are doing. If you read online, you would read about validating your train tickets before you board. I believe the purpose is to stamp in the time you were going to board the train so that you can only use it once. 

We saw someone putting the ticket in horizontally, and it dropped inside! Gosh. Actually, quite a number of people were also figuring out how to use the machine. Here's how you do it - Place it to the end on the right and swipe to the left. You will hear a "cut" sound and there will be a timestamp when it is taken out.

Ecce Roma Suites

We were walking back and forth looking at the map for our apartment place. It clearly shows on the map but we could not find it. One of the restaurant staff then assisted us and told us it was behind the big green gate, and then we saw the small names of different suites reflected on the side of the gate. Coincidentally, some guests came out at that time and we could go in without the passcode.

We arrived at a small and manual kind of lift which can only fit 2 people and 2 luggage. It is quite interesting to see this kind of lift. Reception is on the 2nd floor and we managed to check in earlier. We got one passcode for our internal door, and one passcode for the main gate. There is also a pantry area in which is shared among the 3 rooms. Ours is a room called Silver. Other than the very creaky bed, and the thin sheet which cannot be considered as a blanket (there’s an Ikea blanket which is like for kids and so thin as well), I guess this suite has all the basic things for the cheaper price we paid - around S$175 per night.

Lunch/Tea at La Muccu Biricchina

This is where we had our first Italian coffee, the espresso, which was gone in just one mouthful. The pizza is delicious for the starving-me. The carbonara is interesting and different from what we are used to. It seems creamier but yet not too overwhelming. Spaghetti is also thicker. Overall, it was quite a satisfying meal.

Then we had some ice cream at Grezzo Raw chocolate. The hazelnut gelato is thick and creamy, but a little on the sweet side for me. And that little ball of dessert is like a large Ferrero Rocher. What is interesting is that the tables and chairs in this shop are all made of recycled materials. What surprises me is that they can still support our weight.

The Colosseum

We explored our way towards the Colosseum and there were many revamping/restoration works going on there. I got excited to see the first water refill station, and there is even sparkling water.

We were really intrigued by how the Korean tourists take photos of their friend at different angles. There will be 1 model doing the posing and all the other friends will just start snapping. And then the next model is up.

We passed the Arch of Constantine and Arch of Titus. Most of the time, I don't know where we were walking. It was just too tiring for me since we did not have enough sleep due to the night flight.

Japan - Mt Takao & the Most Yummy Soba

Day 13 - 24 January 2019

Breakfast buffet at Hotel Musse Ginza Meitetsu

2000 yen each and we had our breakfast conveniently at the hotel itself. I would say that the variety is not fantastic compared to say our previous Tokyo hotel. If compared to all the Hokkaido hotels, this loses out by a lot. Nevertheless, it was a decent and filling breakfast before our mountain trip.

We were going to Mt Takao and were headed for Shinjuku Station for the Keio railway. I found out from other blogger that we can purchase a discounted package set from the ticket machine. We will get the return train tickets together with the round-trip cable car/chairlift ride. It is around 20% discount as reflected on the Keio corporation website. 

After purchase, there will be multiple tickets which include the train ticket, cable car/chair lift tickets and I think, the receipt. It is quite clear which is which since there is English on them. Keep them safely.

It will take around an hour before you reach Takaosanguchi station. I was sleepy-faced upon arrival.  Follow the map to reach the cablecar station. I think you could buy your tickets at that counter, but our tickets bought at the station was ready for us. The cablecar is the big one like at Namsan tower of Seoul, but with seats, which feels like the tram up The Peak. Of course, you can also choose to walk up via trail number 1. 

We wanted to use trail number 3 to reach the peak, but somehow we got lost and missed out certain signs. We just tried to anyhow find our way up and eventually probably reach the peak via trail number 1. Later, we saw in our photo the signboard that we missed :x. We walked straight instead of going left. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise for me that we took the safer option up.

After 1 hour of walking, we reached the top and enjoyed the view over some corn chips and 350 yen ice cream. Some people were really enjoying their picnic and wine at the seats. I would think that the toilet here would be rather old or dirty, but I was so wrong. The toilets in Japan are praiseworthy and so clean!

We took trail 4, which will pass the suspension bridge, for our way down . At the start, I noticed that the path looks narrow, and two people were walking along the edge of the steps. It already looks scary from the beginning. Little did I know that, most of the path will be like so near the edges. Any time you trip on the uneven ground or random branches, you might just fall over and be gone.

I guess this is the typical mountain climbing experience but I was not prepared at all. My boots felt too big on my feet and walking steadily on uneven ground was challenging. My sense of balance is really bad and I was dying inside. At some point, I almost tripped and the fear overcame me. And then I was crying, and the husband comforted me. Still, he could not hold me or anything because the path is too narrow. I walked on bravely and slowly, listening to his advice to step on flat surfaces as much as possible with each step.

We saw a number of elderly doing their hike like a pro. This is quite a normal activity for them I guess. There was a cute Japanese uncle who gave us visual instruction on how to walk so we don't accidentally trip on the roots of the trees.

And I was so relieved and happy when I reached the destination! Never want to do this again because my sense of balance really cannot make it. It was indeed a blessing in disguise that we missed out trail 3 because I think it will be similarly dangerous for me. At least I enjoyed walking up the peak! And we saw a faint view of Mt Fuji far away.

The going down part was quite funny. We stood there for awhile to observe how the chair lift works. Nobody was taking but the chairs just keep moving. The sign will interchange red and green to let you know when to go or stop. We stood there until we were told to walk, and then sit on the chair as it reaches our bums.

There is no seat belts or safety bar and we were going down! Take care of your belongings! It felt quite unsafe and terrifying at first, but fear not because they have netting below. It was an enjoyable ride down, and the styrofoam material on the seat prevents your butt from slipping down. They prohibit taking the chairlift after alcohol intake and you know why. Any crazy movement and you will just fall off.


Lunch/Tea at Takahashiya

Online reviews recommend to try the tororo soba at the mountain but I did not know which particular shop would be the best. I believe this shop would be it!

Their tororo soba is a must try and it has got to the best hot soba I have ever had! I tried the noodles before adding in the grated yam and raw quail egg, and it surprised me with the amazing taste. Light, yet very flavourful broth. The noodles are cooked to the right hardness as well. After stirring everything in, the taste is so delicious, with the gooey texture.

I have never liked SOBA as much as that day!

We also tried the duck and scallion soba which pales in comparison. The broth is hot while the soba is cold, so the end result is so so, and slightly salty. The red bean with mochi is also quite a surprise. There is a hint of saltiness in that bowl of sweet stuff, which is an interesting taste.

And like almost after our meal, we headed for Marutama ramen at Ryogoku. I would say the experience this time is bad. The staff did not seem very welcoming and I did not even enjoy the food. Marutama is quite localised and probably do not cater so well to foreigners. It's okay though, the one at Central would suffice. Quality is quite similar, in fact, less spicy.


Day 14 - 25 January 2019

We were headed home the next day, and our morning breakfast was at doutor coffee place. I must say it is an awesome place for breakfast. The sandwich is tasy and the bread is warm after being toasted. In a set, we get a drink with the sandwich. The royal milk tea is really bland though, compared to the bottled ones. The portion is a little small and I could fit another meal in!

In that cafe, I was overwhelmed with emotions from something that happened back in Singapore. Life could be so unpredictable. And the husband was giving me some life lessons. Never wait to do what you want in life. You never know when one day you can no longer do certain things. Treasure your love ones, treasure the present moment.

One thing for sure if you visit Japan, eat as many things as you can from 7/11. No regrets.