Travelogue 5: UK - Scotland Trip Part 1

It was a short 10 days vacation, 5 adults with 2 kids traveled from KL en route to London via Abu Dhabi. We took Etihad Airways (not because of MH17 and MH370 tragedy) as after few months of analysis thru www.skyscanner.net,  the cheapest fare on the range of date that we have fixed was Etihad.

The journey from KL-Abu Dhabi-London went off very well indeed not as bad as expected. My little Hafiey was cooperative, no crying like usual.His big brother slept all the way from KL to Abu Dhabi. And for the remaining 7 and half hours journey to London, he was busy watching cartoons and movies.

Alhamdulillah we arrived around 2pm London time. After settling down with customs, baggage and car rental, we departed to our first destination.

The kids with the baggage at Heathrow Airport. Part of the baggage were car seat, booster seat and loads of food for the rood trip. Cost saving. Car seat and booster seat can cause you GBP 10 per day each. 

Destination #1 - BATH

It was 8pm, windy, drizzling and the conclusion COLD. We checked in at Toghill House Farm. Our dinner was nasi impit, serunding ikan and sambal kacang..is like Hari Raya! Our food supplies for the 10 days vacation was 30kg. So do expect this kind of food to come out from the bag..

Morning at Toghill House Farm, Bath

We had breakfast at the cottage. Typical vegetarian breakfast was provided i.e. eggs, mushrooms with bread, cereal, fruits and yogurt.

We checked out and our next destination was Bath Town. The famous tourist attractions here are the Roman Bath, The Royal Crescent and the Pulteney Bridge. We walked from one place to another. As the weather was nice, though it's quite a distance, we managed to cover all the attractions half an hour ahead of schedule.

City of Bath..

Kimi was on the car seat which can be converted into a stroller. Hafiey in his stroller sleeping as usual with no excitement.

The Royal Crescent. This impressive landmark forms a sweeping crescent of 30 terrace houses, and is without doubt one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK.

Bath is very scenic. Kimi was very happy to see so many clocks here. His obsession..

Destination #2 - LIVERPOOL

And saying good bye to Bath, we departed to our next destination, the Liver bird city. Our next lodging was at Stalbridge Guest House not far away from Liverpool water front. It was a 4 hours journey to Liverpool. We had a quick late lunch i.e. nasi impit again but this time around with kurma daging and ayam at the guest house. We spent our evening at Liverpool waterfront. It was damn cold..10 degree Celcius with a strong wind by  River Mersey.

Us at the birthplace of the best band in the world

Waking up in the morning on the next day was the most awaited moment for Abah and Adik. We checked out from the guest house after having a self prepared sardine sandwiches and visited Anfield..We already pre-booked a stadium tour ticket online i.e. GBP 17 per adult. The tour was conducted in a relax and informal way which make us free to take as many pictures as we can.

Hafiey was not giving his full commitment at the end of the museum tour. Hmm..We were not sure the purpose of him crying in front of the REAL Champions League Trophy (the only one in England. Champions League Trophies at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford are replicas). Until Mr Hubby figured out that he was actually hungry. Stupid Mama. While we window-shopped at the Liverpool FC Store, Hafiey was eating in the car with Mr Hubby.

Our next destination, Old Trafford....

To be continued.....

New Addiction: Infused Water

I'm a fruit lover. I prefer plain water and juices rather than coffee and tea. So Infused Water is the perfect match. Sharing of my new addiction. You might be interested to try.

By adding a few slices of fruit into our daily intake of water, we can heightens minerals and vitamins that our bodies can easily and quickly consume, and at the same time are so delicious that we may find ourselves tricking our mind into drinking more water than we have in the past.

Put any fruits you like in a cold water and let the infused water in the fridge for at least 8 hours but not more than 24 hours.It is refreshing, healthy and improve your digestion system. Less cost, no drugs, no supplements, no pills etc.Some of the recipes that I've tried so far...

1. Kiwi 

This is my favourite. Kiwi is a superfood and is packed with vitamins. Kiwis also helps flush out toxins from the colon, which improves your overall health and well being.

Tips

Use overripe kiwi if possible. Kiwi and strawberry, a perfect combination. 

2. Strawberry

Strawberry can gives anti-oxidant effect. And if it is combined with kiwi, you will get booster : Cardiovascular health, immune system protection, blood sugar regulation, and digestion. And it is super delicious.

3. Lemon

• Lemon-infused water may lower your chances of developing diseases like cancer, slow weight gain and even prevent the common cold. .
• The citric acid in lemons helps to keep kidneys healthy. 
• Lemons are also high in vitamin C, which means they will improve your immune system. 
• Another bonus: Lemons reduce skin blemishes and can improve your complexion.

Tips

Your infused water likely tastes bitter if you did not cut off the rind. Peel the lemon skin, remove the rind and slice the lemon. Mint leaves can add colour to your drink as well as cooling effect. 

4. Pineaple and Grapes

Pineapple is a great metabolism booster, and it’s full of healthy vitamins and antioxidants like Vitamin C. Pineapple will give a sweet tart taste but grapes will not contribute so much taste into the drinks. Taking the juice from the grapes will however benefits your health as it contains cancer-fighting and cleansing compounds.

Tips

Too much pineapple will resulted in extra "zinc" to your infused drink. One wedge of pineapple with 8-10 cut into half grapes are just nice for one tumbler of cold water. 

5. Apple and Cinnamon

This is my mom's favourite. Apples have a slew of benefits including maintaining bone and tissue health, and cinnamon is one of the most efficient boosters of metabolism. Cinnamon is also excellent for regulating blood sugar, improving alertness and concentration

Tips

To extract significant flavor from the apple slices (cut as thin as possible) and cinnamon stick, put them in a boiled water for few minutes and pour in the cold water.

By the way, my new routine is to make my infused water after my dinner and having it for my 'breakfast on the go' for the next day with hubby. Mr hubby is against this idea anyway.."is too healthy". My tumbler is as  pineapple and grape infused water above and the goal is to finish it all by the time we reach KLCC parking. It has been 2 weeks and we never fail. More weeks to go.....

The upcoming infused water among others will be cucumber with limes, orange with mango,  peach and pear. Can't wait to try peeps!