Easter Break 2018 London & Exploring City of Berlin

Easter 2018 London(UK) & Berlin (Germany)

My most wanted holiday for 1st quarter of 2018 finally here. Flew with MAS from Kuching to KL 1330, and landed in KL at 1530. Prepare to check in for my Etihad airways, but the check in counter only open 3 hours before departure.

My flight to Abu Dhabi departed at 19.45 from satelite terminal gate C14.

KL- AD 1945- 2230 (7 hours)

AD- LHR 0200-0730 (7 hours)

Day 1 (30 March 2018) GOOD FRIDAY

The flight landed in London Heathrow Airport (terminal 4) at 0730. Immigration check, make sure complete the landing pass properly and confirm the place to stay in London. Checked UK Border.

Taking underground from Terminal 4 to King cross Station using Piccadilly line. The journey takes around 1 hour. Yeahhhh, finally in the centre of LONDON.

After short rest, I'll going to start my London revisited. It was Good Friday afternoon. raining and very chilly. Me and Mit taking RED BUS to Westminster Cathedral.

Coffee break to warm up before the church service.

In front of British Library, background is Renaissance Hotel, King Cross.

Pret and Manger, Westminster.

Westminster Cathedral on Good Friday

Day 2 (31 March 2018) Marathon

Another exciting program today Fun Run at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. taking National Rail (fast train) to Straford International station. Yeahhh 5 km run. 49 minutes. 1st Medal outside Sarawak or even outside Malaysia.

The run was to mark to beginning of spring and was organized by RunthroughUK.

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, standing, bridge and outdoor

At the finishing line.

Cik As in action

My first Medal outside sarawak is in London, Queen Elizabeth, Olympic Park.

After the run, went for shopping at nearby shopping mall, Westfield Shopping Mall. Quick lunch at rasa Malaysia restaurant then tea at Concerto Cafe for a pint of beer and black forest cake.

Lunch at Rasa Malaysia, at Westfield after the run.

Hawes & Curtis English Formal Shirts

Cafe Concerto - Peroni Beer

Day 3 (Sunday/ Is it April Fool?)

No it is not. It was Easter Sunday. I was privileged to attend Easter Mass at the oldest church in London, located at Ely place. The high mass was celebrated in high spirit accompanied by grandious orchestra choir.

Music and choir performance at the higher floor

After the mass, we went for an Easter Lunch at The Swan, Shakespeare's restaurant by the river Thames. The restaurant view was priceless. Overlooking the St Paul Cathedral and the Millineum Brigde.

Entrance of the Swan, we're seated at Level 1, facing the River Thames.

The Swan Menu

3 courses menu ( Starter-Main-Dessert) is a must in English land.

Lunch at The Swan, with St Paul Cathedral view.

Sunday Roast

Dessert

Background is Millennium Bridge.

Background is St Paul Cathedral.

Short walk to RCPCH office/ HQ and Great Ormond Street Hospital, a renowned children hospital in the world.

In front of Great Ormond Street Hospital, London on Sunday afternoon.

Easter Sunday evening at Oxford street , almost all shops were closed, but the people are still happening. Author with Zero Coke.

Oxford Street, shopping heaven.

London Bus at Oxford Street.

Oxford Street of London the excitement never fail you.

background is Selfridges.

Day 4 (2 April To Berlin)

Very early in the morning, we took underground Piccadilly line from King cross to London Heathrow Terminal 5. Taking British Airways to Berlin Tegel Airport ( pronounced as Te girl). Japanese Breakfast at Wagamama Restaurant. The ramen tasted so good. The journey from London to Berlin took 2 hours.

British Airways check in counter at Terminal 5.

Chicken Ramen ( 10 Pound)

Berlin, Here we come !!!

Berlin Tegel International Airport

Berlin Airport area.

This is Berlin Airport. As we arrived at Berlin Airport, we purchased a 48 hours Welcome pass to Berlin ( 19.90E) which can be used for kind of transportation in Berlin.

We took Bus from Berlin Airport to the City centre ( Alexanderplatz) and take tram M4 to Am Friedrichshain ( around 3 stations away). Here is our home for the next 3 days. Leonardo Royal Alexanderplatz.

Hotel Leonardo Royal , just opposite the Am- Friedshcein tram station.

After check in at the Hotel, starting our exploration of Berlin. First stop was Alexanderplatz square. Nearby shopping mall was still closed for the Easter Break, but a lot entertainment and BeerGarden at the open area.

Let the pictures do the talking.

Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin, near the Fernsehturm (TV Tower).
Originally a cattle market outside the city fortifications, it was named in honor of a visit of the Russian Emperor Alexander I to Berlin on 25 October 1805 by order of King Frederick William III of Prussia. The square gained a prominent role in the late 19th century with the construction of the Stadtbahn station of the same name and a nearby market hall, followed by the opening of a department store of Hermann Tietz in 1904, becoming a major commercial centre.
the 1920s, when together with Potsdamer Platz it was at the heart of Berlin's nightlife, inspiring the 1929 novel Berlin Alexanderplatz and the two films based thereon, Piel Jutzi's 1931 film and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Modern Alexanderplatz / Beer Garden

Around the Alexanderplatz, there is a TV Tower to see the whole city of Berlin. Muchen Museum is also located at the same building of the TV Tower.

Few Old churches just a walking distance from the Tv Tower. Berliner Dom a walking distance from Alexanderplatz.

In front of Berliner Dome.

Day 5 (Berlin)

Wake up early and started second day of Berlin exploration.

Anything about this wall is now precious history. Small pieces of the concrete wall was sold as a souvenirs.

Charlie Check point, Brandenburg Tor, Reichtag are the important land marks in Berlin.

The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the (temporarily) successful restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

It is located in the western part of the city centre of Berlin within Mitte, at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. One block to the north stands the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament (Bundestag). The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees, which led directly to the royal City Palace of the Prussian monarchs.

Throughout its existence, the Brandenburg Gate was often a site for major historical events and is today considered not only as a symbol of the tumultuous history of Europe and Germany, but also of European unity and peace.

Brandenburg Tor, located at the West side of Germany.

Reicshtag Building (German Parliament)( from the back)

Reicshtag Building (German Parliament)

We also went to Hard Rock Cafe Berlin, got our T Shirt and had lunch at Ke De We, the biggest shopping mall in Berlin.

Spotted Red Hard Rock Car near Bradenburg Tor.

Mandatory pose at Hard Rock Cafe Store Berlin.

Kaufhaus des Westens (Ke De We)

Lunch at Ke De We.

Ended our second day exploration at East Gallery, a remnant of Berlin wall and painted graffiti.

East Berlin

Bridge

Right side of the photo, Berlin wall remnant.

Mercedes-Benz Arena .

Berlin wall

Famous painting by a Soviet artist, kissing of 2 German leaders.

Day 6 ( Berlin)

Early morning view from Leonardo Royal Hotel. TV Tower can be seen.

Visiting around Alexanderplatz, Galleria Shopping Mall, Einstein Kaffe and Jews Museum.

Eintein is a German. This is Einstein university.

Hotel Lobby before check out.

vapiano , famous Italian cuisine. Located at Alexanderplatz.

Pasta and cheese topping.

Jewish Museum. Learn history of Jews in Germany. Nearby this area is also Anne Frank Museum.

Do Einsten really coffee lover? Einstein Kaffe, a famous coffee chain in Berlin.

Passing by Humboldt University, on the way to Berlin Tegel Airport. As of 2017, the Humboldt University of Berlin has been associated with 55 Nobel Prize winners, and is considered one of the best universities in Europe as well as one of the most prestigious universities in the world for arts and humanities.^[7]^[8] It was widely regarded as the world's preeminent university for the natural sciences during the 19th and early 20th century, and is linked to major breakthroughs in physics and other sciences by its professors such as Albert Einstein.

We had coffee at Einsten kaffe, a famous chained cafe in Germany.

Heading back to Berlin airport before taking BA to London Heathrow.

Day 7 (London)

In the morning, quick shopping along Oxford Street. Started from Selfriges Mall to John Lewis and House of Frasers. You wouldn't notice the time pass so fast and you have to call it a day. Managed to get few pieces from Gap, Forever 21 ( with discounts) and a Longchamp bag from House of Fraser. Got to rush back home and ready for the West End Theatre.

Selfriges, Oxford Street of London.

Lunch at Wasabi

Pliage Bag from LongChamp, House of Frasers. Oxford Street.

Quick Dinner at Rasa Sayang, Malaysian Taste at China Town . It tasted good. Authentic taste of Malaysian meal like Char keow Teow, Mi Kari.

Yummy... Malaysian Taste at rasa Sayang Restaurant , China Town London.

West End Theatre

This is the story, The Chandelier.
The musical opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical.
Deformed since birth, a bitter man known only as the Phantom lives in the sewers underneath the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the obscure chorus singer Christine, and privately tutors her while terrorizing the rest of the opera house and demanding Christine be given lead roles.