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| This is the influencer boulevard of trees at Marina Bay Sands... |
And so we arrive at the final chapter of the Festival of Fifty
This one takes us to Europe: a week in the Dolomites followed by a Croatian coastal voyage aboard Club Med 2. The travelling party is small but well tested. There's Mal, who by now requires no introduction, and joining us are Richard, one of our university friends, and his wife Ali, who I've known even longer, having first met her at age 15.
The story of how Richard and Ali ended up on this trip deserves a brief detour. Mal and Richard, in a remarkable display of life admin coordination, happened to be booked in for colonoscopies on the same day last year. In the post-anaesthetic haze that followed...that brief window of pharmaceutical goodwill where everything seems like a fine idea...Mal made a very persuasive case for an expensive European holiday. Richard agreed. After all, if not now, then when. Points flights were available. It was a sign. He then went home and, still riding the same wave of chemically-induced joy, booked himself a Wimbledon hospitality package for afterwards, because if you're going to have a big day, you may as well commit.
So here we are.
The plan is simple enough. A week based in the Dolomites exploring mountain trails, cycling paths, alpine villages and whatever local delicacies we can justify after a day of exercise. After that, Richard and Ali will head for London and Centre Court, while Mal and I swap hiking boots for deck shoes and board Club Med 2 to sail our way down the Croatian coast.
But before there are mountains or yachts, there is the small matter of getting there.
The journey begins with a flight to Singapore and a layover long enough that sitting in the airport felt like an unacceptable waste of time. The trade-off was humidity and sweat, which we accepted. Changi, in collaboration with Singapore Airlines, offers free city tours for transiting passengers — there are criteria to meet, and when we plugged in our details, exactly one option came up: the Singapore River and Marina Bay Sands. So that was that.
The tour was perfectly fine. It chewed up the hours adequately. And when we were dropped back at the terminal, we were very glad to be back in the air conditioning. Up to the lounge for a shower, some food, and the grim task of staying awake for another four hours until our flight to Munich finally boarded — sometime well past midnight.
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| We made it through immigration this time with no instructions from the immigration officer like "your eyes open big ok" at the automatic passport booths |
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| The group size was 33 |
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| The bus was air-conditioned |
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| Clarke Quay, our first stop |
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| If I was paying attention I would know why I took this photo |
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| Sir Stamford Raffles, the English guy who basically founded modern Singapore. And our guide TC, who was enthusiastic and friendly, but overly shared personal stories |
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| Boat Quay |
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| Original landing spot of Raffles |
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| Oldest building in Singapore, ex parliament house, currently a theatre |
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| The old Supreme Court |
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| "pit" test |
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| LV anyone? |
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| Travel party |
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| STAY AWAKE! |
