We all knew we needed a break after a really tiring 6 months trying to get Hiro & Jack Co. going. At first, we looked around the UK for a budget friendly option and then it became looking a flights. But at this point, the great summer holiday rip-off has descended. We tried looking at ferries to Northern Ireland to see the Giant’s Causeway but it cost £800-900 just to get across. As with any of our trips, a crazy idea ends up being the idea that gets the most votes. It was continental Europe! We even managed to score a really cheap ferry ticket from Dover to Calais. The only catch was it sailed from Dover at 7 in the morning and we live almost 200 miles away (4-5 hours) from that.

​It was a “living on a wing and a prayer” situation as we set off to Dover in the late afternoon. We had nothing planned. We didn’t know where we’d be visiting or where we were going to lay our heads the next day. It was quite a crazy trip down south and wasn’t without problems. Instead of arriving at a hotel near the port by 11pm for a sleep, we only managed to arrive at 230am. The darkness and tiredness meant I made a couple wrong turns that added at least 1.5 hours to the journey. The fast chargers were also shockingly slow and hindered our progress. As we put the kids down for a few hours of sleep, Debra and I decided the 2 hour sleep wasn’t worth feeling all groggy and stayed up instead to properly plan for the day.

The next morning at 5 in the morning, we loaded our car in the pouring rain and splashed our way to Dover ferry port. After passing the French Passport control, we queued for our ferry tickets and waited 20 minutes before loading began. It is an absolutely mind blowing sight to behold. The ferry swallowed HGVs with 40 foot trailers, camper vans and countless cars. Once we were safely parked, we headed to the upper deck but couldn’t head to the open air decks due to rain and wind. We just relaxed on the sofas and shut our eyes for the slightly rocky 90 min crossing. As the announcements came for us to return to our cars, we headed back down the belly of the ship. While waiting in the car, I configured the speedometer to show KM/H instead of Miles. It felt really strange seeing KM/H despite growing up using the metric system
​

​As we drove down the ramp in Calais, all I could think of was “DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE”. It was a little nerve wrecking when we arrived at the first roundabout and had to head right and go counter clockwise. A 5 minute crash course later, we arrived at a massive Carrefour in Calais and plugged the car while we had our breakfast at McDonald’s. I don’t know if this is the case for the entire France, but it was such an amazing experience when your food is served in proper reusable containers instead of paper boxes. Food was served to every customer eating in. The food tasted WAY better than what’s in the UK. It more than made up for the terrible journey down and the lack of sleep. It did give us some tummy aches after because it wasn’t gluten free but I think nobody complained. After stocking up on gluten free snacks and 6x 1L Evian water that cost €0.60 each, we headed 200km east towards the city of Brussels in Belgium. We made very good progress with the smooth and flat roads across France and into Belgium. The fast chargers were really fast too!
​

​As we parked up at the hotel parking lot, we congratulated ourselves. It felt like we broke our own boundaries of what we thought was possible travelling with children in an old EV. We plugged the car in for the evening and headed off to recharge ourselves. We settled on the idea of leaving our car at the hotel and taking the public transport to spend the whole day in Brussels the next day. We had a rough idea of visiting the Windmills near Rotterdam (Netherlands) the day after.

​“Bonjour! Time for Hotel Breakfast!” That did the trick of getting the kids out of bed really quickly.
It feels amazing having a full breakfast and couple cups of coffee without having to make them and wash up after. Fuelled by the amazing eggs, hash browns and bacon, we caught a tram to the city centre. Matt said it reminded him of the Piccadilly line and I can see why. It was a lot less crowded and cramped compared to London though.

​As we walked through the streets of cobbled stones and stunning architecture, we couldn’t help but marvel at the attention to detail and handiwork of those made them. Really helps us see how far we’ve come with the glass buildings and new builds we have today 🤣 As we walked through The Grand Place, we spotted medallions of Roman emperors and it presented a great opportunity to talk about how Julius Caesar fought against the peoples of Gaul and conquered what we call Belgium today. It brought back fond memories of the time when we were Road-schooling for 7 months. With all the walking involved, it was also inevitable that we had to name all the famous Belgian footballers 😅 After we saw the Manneken Pis, it was unavoidable that his name was mentioned far too many times throughout the trip. It is hard to avoid unsanitary jokes when you are going to see a weeing boy everywhere 🤪
​

You can’t go to Brussels and not have Belgian waffles and chocolates but sometimes food intolerances can get in the way of enjoying local delicacies. This time however, we are so grateful to find a shop that only serves gluten-free Belgian Waffles. As for the chocolates, we had an educational time at The Chocolate Museum learning about its origins, the painstaking process of making chocolate and tasting the different types of chocolate. If you want to be intrigued at the extremes of human endeavour just to get certain foods, read up on the story of tea and chocolates. Oh! Do look out for the containers they make just to serve these foods too.
​

​The rest of the day was spent wandering around the famous sights of Brussels. We saw the Mont Des Arts, Parc de Bruxelles, Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert and chocolate shops. Highly recommend Elisabeth for chocolates and Pierre Marcolini for macarons. We were served by a lovely lady in Elisabeth who explained patiently about the difference between the 3 popular chocolatiers in Brussels. The other shops probably sold good chocolates but they are either very expensive or too crowded. 
​

​That evening, our plans took a drastic change. The initial plan to visit Windmills was suddenly thrown out. Having clocked more than 11k steps in an afternoon, we decided not to put in another 11k steps the next day. We would have to pack up, look for another hotel in the Netherlands and risk missing the ferry with a super long drive back to Calais. Google reviews highlighted a challenging parking situation at the Windmills too.

The alternative plan was to stay another night in the same hotel but drive through Belgium, Netherlands and visit Aachen in Germany. It sounded like a very long drive but turned out to be the same distance driving to the windmills. As I poured over the details of charging along the way, I hit a road block with getting an emissions sticker to enter the low emissions zone in Aachen, Germany. We couldn't get it online in time and had to travel to the office to get it instead. There was a risk we couldn't get it. 

We took off anyway in the morning after another awesome breakfast and much coffee. The journey was surprisingly pleasant. Despite having to navigate dozens of apps to charge at different chargers, we seemed to have found our rhythm of driving an hour and charging for 10-15 minutes. Toilet, snack and playground breaks until we reach our destination is great for the mind and backs!
​

​Our lunch stop break did however pull up a little drama in Netherlands when the charger didn’t charge the car and refused to release our cable. A phone call did help solve the issue. But we quickly forgot that drama when we found lots of amazing cheese and gluten free Stroopwafels 😍 at a local supermarket.

​It wasn’t long before we crossed into Germany and it was time to get the emissions sticker. I was served immediately at the office and the lady took my V5C and checked its details before issuing the sticker. It was absolutely seamless. In and out in less than 5 minutes. It was supposed to cost €15 in cash but I only had my card with me. She smiled, waved it off and wished me a good trip. What a pleasant surprise!

​We parked up at the local multi-storey carpark with a slower AC charger so it could charge while we enjoyed the city. Aachen Cathedral was completed more than 1225 years ago, is a UNESCO world heritage site and rightly so. It is one of the most stunning cathedrals I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to quite a few. Despite the status it holds, entry was free of charge. The chandelier, mosaic, stain glass and amount of gold is rather mind-blowing. The pictures speak for themselves.
​

We found a moment to sit down quietly in the church and researched on the history of the church and answered the question “what do monks do?” when we saw a few of them visiting the cathedral. It is lovely to have these learning moments. After we’d wandered around the church, we explored the the old town centre and a 4 story book store. If the books weren’t all in German, we would have bought quite a few.

​One of the biggest highlights of this trip was the German food. Debra and I are big fans! We had the best wursts and our favourite radler. 

​The kids had some ice-cream to cool off in the heat before we headed to the Lindt factory outlet for more chocolates. When you see people hauling large boxes to their cars outside the outlet, you know the price is good. I found the experience a highly conflicting one because on one hand, you are glad you are getting cheaper chocolate. On the other hand, you realise how much you’ve been ripped off in Singapore and in the UK.
​

​More playgrounds, charging and toilet breaks later, we got back to Brussels to sleep for the night. At this point we were quite reluctant to leave. We wanted more of the amazing sights, breakfasts, foosball competitions at the hotel lobby and chocolate treats.

The following morning, we said goodbye to Brussels and headed back towards the ferry terminal in Calais. Having carefully planned the return journey back to the Midlands in the UK, we had time for a lunch stop at Dunkirk’s Carrefour to stock up on yummy gluten free food and some beer. A lot of cheese and saucisson later, we got through the French and UK border control and parked up on the berth.
​
Our minds wandered and thought about the countless possibilities we have now unlocked. It was as if there was some kind of divine appointment going on, the ferry was late and we happen to meet a lovely couple from Wales. We had a long chat with them about their adventures in classic cars and rallies throughout Europe. They are aged 50 ish and 80. Despite their physical ailments, they keep going! One key takeaway is that we don’t need the best equipment or the biggest budgets to have an adventure.

​The ferry did eventually arrive and this time the ride was a lot faster and smoother. Sunny and clear skies meant we stood on the open deck and watched the White Cliffs of Dover as we entered port. Nothing more British than seeing these iconic cliffs and getting some gusts of cold wind to welcome you home. The last 200 miles home was surprisingly smooth and uneventful. As we pulled up to our driveway safely, hearts full from the trip,  it was a “we did it!” moment and then it was where next?

Hello 2024! This is our first blog post since our November 2023 post because of work submissions, plenty of storms, really short days and the Christmas season. Life just happens and that's how we ended up not hanging out for two years with the children's favourite aunt. The pandemic may be something we are eager to forget but so many of the social distancing rules literally tore families apart. Right after the restrictions were lifted, we travelled for 7 whole months and almost immediately moved to the UK. We were overjoyed that she wanted to visit and hang out with a weird bunch for 10 days haha!

As we share our story of reconnection and recharging, this 10 day itinerary could work for you too if you'd want to visit the UK with your family. It's a slow, mindful and relaxing trip around England and Wales. 
​

We met in the grandest of settings in Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum in London. I thought finding each other under the blue whale skeleton named "hope" was really apt for our reunion. We spent a couple of hours exploring the rooms filled with dinosaur skeletons and animal taxidermy. I don't think the children gave their aunt's ears any break with their constant chatter. It was kind of a foreshadowing of the next 10 days. Haha! 

After a mandatory shop at the museum gift shop, we took a relaxing stroll to Hyde Park's serpentine in the windy, cold and gloomy weather of central London. We braced a sudden drizzle and the noisy geese and made our way towards our yummy rewards. 

After clocking more than 10,000 steps we were famished and so after a quick bite at Leon (a local fast-food chain with gluten-free options), we managed to find a space for 5 in the really crowded Italian Bear Chocolate - SOHO (London W1F 9QL). Call in to make a reservation because they are always full. ​The Italian hot chocolate looked really lush but our in-house chocolate connoisseurs thought its gravy-like texture didn't satisfy their chocoholic tastes. The cake however, did satisfy. It was gooey and fudge-like when served warm. Don't leave it out in room temperature for too long, the chocolate hardens!

After our dinner and dessert, we had our second dessert! Ice creams are great in hot weather but I think they are even better in cold weather! That's exactly what we had at Bilmonte (London W1D 7LW). They serve really really rich chocolate ice-cream (that taste a little like brownie batter) and their famous double pistachio ice-cream! 

Long walks, yummy food, lots of desserts and a jet-lagged aunty with two chatter box kiddos wasn't too bad a way to start the trip! We left Sasha for the next 24 hours in London while we headed back to Leicestershire that night. 

London is a bustling city very much like most major cities in the world. So if you'd like a relaxing time, we highly recommend getting a hotel room at any of the Hilton, Marriott, Sofitel or Holiday Inns at Heathrow airport itself. The Elizabeth Line now connects the airport to central London (Paddington) in less than 30 mins. You get to be away from all the sirens and crowds + lower hotel prices! 

Suggested relaxing things to do in London:
1. Museums (Natural History, National Portrait Gallery)
2. Parks/Garden (Hyde Park, Kew Gardens)
3. Stroll along the Thames or take the River Bus to see the major landmarks
(Canary Wharf to Embankment is quite a good route. You'll even get to sail under the Tower Bridge and London Bridge etc...)
4. Watch a play!
5. Desserts and Cafe hop. 

After some 400 miles (640km) in 48 hours on the motorways, we were now reunited in Leicestershire where we live. That meant we were all a little knackered from all the travelling. I think the worst mistake we can ever make when going on vacation is planning one that is so exhausting you'll need another vacation after that. 

We enjoyed a couple of really slow days where we just enjoyed each other's company. The kids bombarded their aunt with card games, board games and video games. Debra hung out in the kitchen with her sister and we enjoyed the simple meals. We've grown to appreciate just recharging with no agenda, just meals and company. 
​

​
​HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY WHEN TRAVELLING: Take a stroll in a large local supermarket. Our visits to Tesco (a local supermarket chain) turned out to be surprisingly therapeutic for all of us. I've not come up with an explanation for that...do you have one?

Once we felt recharged and ready, we crossed the border over into our favourite place in the world: Wales. Dolgellau, Gwynedd was our mandatory stop and TH Roberts (LL40 1BD) is our compulsory lunch spot. (Gluten free options available!)

After filling our tummies, we picked Cregennan Lakes in Gwynedd and Llandudno's Marine drive as our day's agenda. We spent the time soaking in the countryside, fresh air, strong winds and amazing sunshine. It was a lot quieter when we were out in nature. I guess we can all agree, with views like that, words fail us. 

The day definitely felt like it was too short. It wasn't long before we watched the sunset and revelled in some crazy dance music on our ride home. ​

The countryside is like a balm to the soul. We always recommend visiting Wales because it is just so incredibly gorgeous. We've met the warmest, kindest and most helpful people in Wales. I think the perspective and calm of being around our natural environment helps make us better people. What better place to be when taking a break from the hustle?

We spent a couple more days having early nights when we felt tired and woke up later when we wanted. The kids started their mornings with games and chats in bed with their aunt. The grownups had evenings watching our favourite shows (and some Rick Astley, haha!) while enjoying a glass of wine. 

We also took time to explore our shared interests in space at the National Space Centre in Leicester and ancient history at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum. It was refreshing to be away from work, be with the people you care about and just enjoy each other. 

We spent the last bits of the 10 days in the Cotswolds exploring the treasures within the villages. Stow-on-the-wold's candy store and other small local produce shops were really interesting. Feast your eyes on beautiful architecture and then enjoy all the amazing cheese, wines and candies you'll find in the shops! What we all really enjoyed was The Old Bakery Tea Room (GL54 1BN). They serve the most delicious gluten-free scones and meals. It must have been years since we've had scones that didn't ruin our guts. The cream and jam (or jam and cream) just made our smiles wider. 

Just like how a pot of tea always finishes too quickly, the 10 days flew by. We found ourselves at Heathrow again saying our goodbyes this time but our hearts and tummies have been very very full. We'll meet again. 

​House #3 in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands which had a large and new Panasonic rice cooker! You can imagine how excited I was. Rice cookers are essential items in a (mostly GF) Asian home. (We spotted 2 other families carrying their rice cookers into their cars as they checked out from their apartments too!) The kitchen here was half the size of the previous one BUT it came with bowls and teaspoons and a microwave oven! The single ceramic cooktop here was not as great as the induction top, because temperature control was relatively inefficient. Add to that, a stone wokpan that wasn’t nonstick in the middle and we got quite a bit of charred bits on our dishes this time around. We also had to get our own spatula and dish sponges in the end because theirs was mouldy. We aren’t big on diy steamboat meals, or steaming dishes but this kitchen was well-equipped with steamers and steamboat pots. Apparently people in Cameron love a good steamboat meal which explains why you can find restaurants offering them at almost every corner! FoodPanda/Grabfood app offerings are pretty decent here. You’ve got the usual Starbucks, CoffeeBean, Maccas, Marybrown, Dominoes, PizzaHut and some other local restaurants. Delivery fees and food prices are reasonable too. We haven’t had the need to use any food delivery service since the start of the trip but I thought I’d check and have backup plans for meals.

Some advice for anyone booking entire apartments on vacation with intent to cook meals:

1. Bring your own dish sponges
2. If you’re particular about cooking utensils like rice scoops/spatula, get your own.
3. Get things like oil/salt/sugar. None provided in any of the 3 apartments we’ve been in.
4. Bring your own trash bags. 
5. If you are picky about dish cloths (like me, haha), get a multipack at a local store. You can always throw them in the washer/dryer at the end of the day and toss them out at the end of the trip.
   ​

Cheat Days

Mummy needs a holiday too right? Some days we just decide to take small risks and eat out. Some particular cuisines are safer. E.g. Eating Sushis, rice bowls and Korean dishes is relatively safe because they are mainly rice based. But I still had a spell of bad headache from this meal because the soup had onions in them. Sometimes we just indulge and pay the price later on. It's a holiday and we all just want to enjoy really tasty food! Bak kut teh and Hor fun turned out alright with no immediate reactions. 
​

I’m really looking forward to the next leg of our trip. We are done chasing mountains and we really miss the awesome views, fresh air and cool temperature. Back to the city, we’ll probably be eating out more, especially with greater availability of allergy-friendly and familiar food establishments!
​