Saturday, October 09, 2010

European Escapade - Reunited at Leicester Square **


After settling in our first London hotel,
B and I headed to Leicester Square to meet up with my sis Intan and her hubby Felix as well as my adorable niece Isabella. She is now three years old and though no longer a baby, looks cuter than ever!
Waiting for the tube to Leicester Square

We left the hotel and walked the two minutes to Gloucester Station to ride the tube into Leicester Square. The last time I visited London (many moons ago) I spent most of my two weeks dining, clubbing and shopping and neglected to enjoy any major sightseeing. This time around, B and I happily made our way to Leicester Square, eager to take in the view that night whilst reuniting with sis and family after bidding them goodbye a while back. Smiley
Leicester Square by night

Walking around aimlessly; we took plenty of pictures while enjoying the cool evening breeze and only stopped when I spotted a huge souvenir shop with a mascot bear walking around outside; luring customers inside. I was immediately enticed and happily hopped, skipped and jumped to the big Teddy for a hug and snapshot!
Fluffy hug!

Classic British phone booth

Empire Casino looked majestic at night; inviting us in for a little bingo and blackjack fun. One of my favorite ways to make a little cash as I spend a little cash during my vacations. Sadly, that evening we already had other plans, so B & I agreed to save Empire for another night. After all, we had six days to enjoy the beautiful city of London!
Ka-ching!

Nightlife in Leicester Square

We did however pause to watch a few artists at work and surprisingly I was not tempted to sit down for a portrait. I already had one done on my last London visit and it cost me £20 and 20 minutes of enduring the cold. One portrait is sufficient and don't forget the portrait pressie from Aussie that my artist friend Kim sent to me last year!
Artist at work

When sis arrived, B took some candid shots of us reunited in hugs, which unfortunately turned out blurry. I had a difficult time trying to grab Issy in a bear hug; she was screaming and covering her face with her hands but I hugged her anyway and pinched her chubby cheeks for good measure! ihikhik
Reunited

Issy looked amused and excited when she saw me. I guess she was wondering whom this lady was who suddenly appeared from nowhere to hug her and her Mommy! Smiley


It was cold so we took shelter at the nearby
Chiquito Mexican Restaurant & Bar for some before-dinner drinks. Thrilled to see my niece again, I was engrossed playing with her and completely forgot to snap some restaurant shots! adus
Intan, Issy and Felix

I had brought along some DVD titles for Issy from home; obviously it's cheaper to get them here than in UK. Before giving Issy her gifts however, I made her hug and kiss me first! gelakguling

Huggy wuggy Issy!

Initially reluctant, Issy eventually warmed up to me and allowed me to take her picture without hiding her cute little face behind her hands!

Issy & Aunty M

While Issy kept busy with her gifts, the adults spent some time catching up and making plans for the next day before hailing a taxi to take us to Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.
Coffee and chit-chat with Intan & Issy


We arrived at
HRC London and by then, everyone was hungry but after checking with the hostess; we were informed that there is a 2-hour wait for patrons dining indoors! Horrified, I refused to wait in the cold for 120 minutes! merajuk

Hard Rock Cafe, London

Thank goodness for my brother-in-law who somehow managed to charm our way in by speaking to another Spanish hostess. More than happy to speak in her mother tongue to my BIL, she gladly ushered Spanish-speaking Felix and the rest of us to an empty table outside. We had no qualms about sitting outside; better to sit and eat outside whilst enjoying a chilly night in London than to stand and wait around for 2 hours just to dine inside! ketukmeje

Issy entertained us by reciting the alphabet and singing at the top of her three-year-old voice. Check out her expression as she sang her heart out that night and doesn't she look adorable in her leather jacket?
senyumkenyit

La la la...!

Issy & Mama

Twisted Mac, Chicken & Cheese, was my dinner choice and it was pretty delicious; definitely tastier than the Shrimp Pasta I recently had in HRC KL!

Hanging out with Felix

Grilled Mediterranean Shrimp Linguine

Grilled Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

Classic Burger

After dinner, we stopped at the Rock Shop where I bought a teddy bear for
Issy and a shot glass for B. I made plans with sis to meet at the Tower of London the following day before we parted ways. By that time, Issy and I were already best buds and she bawled her pretty eyes out when I hopped on a separate tube to return to Best Western, The Cromwell. Smiley

Dinner that first night in
London ended on a scrumptious note indeed thanks to Intan & Felix who treated us at HRC. And this picture here is my favourite of the night. B and I are smiling after a delightful meal and Issy's pose for the camera is truly her most adorable yet! peluk

B, Mariuca and adorable Issy

MARIUCA LOVES

103 comments:

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:25 AM

8-) 8-) 8-)

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:34 AM

Aww.. what an great reunion GP!! and Issy looks so cute!!! i LOVE the last picture tooll :*

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:34 AM

ish ish ish.. the food sure looks yummy.. still hungry it seems..

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:35 AM

yelah.. i cannot RT your post!! :(

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:37 AM

hahahah that fluffy teddy bear looks so huge.. ahahah...

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:37 AM

poor Issy crying eh? lucky met again the next day kan?

LadyJava,  October 09, 2010 5:38 AM

hurray for Spanish speaking BIL!! ehehe

gagay,  October 09, 2010 5:58 AM

>:o >:o >:o >:o

gagay,  October 09, 2010 5:59 AM

LJ! ur sooooo faaaaaaaaaaaast! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

gagay,  October 09, 2010 5:59 AM

=-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O

gagay,  October 09, 2010 5:59 AM

:* :* :* :* :*

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:02 AM

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:07 AM

OMG GP, i wanna pinch Issy's cheeks in your last pic..OMG! =-O =-O =-O

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:08 AM

she's really adorable!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:13 AM

in your last pic, she looks like you kiddie..hehehe :-P :-P :-P :-P

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:13 AM

CASINO board is striking me! :-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:15 AM

La~la~la~la~

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:16 AM

you have had enjoyed much your vacay GP! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:16 AM

really good for you! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:21 AM

:-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:21 AM

did make a chop? *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW*

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:22 AM

can i have the bees here GP? ;) ;) ;) ;)

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:22 AM

terima kasih! ;) ;) ;) ;)

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:22 AM

Tweetmeme not working eh? *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW*

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:22 AM

>:o >:o >:o >:o >:o

gagay,  October 09, 2010 6:23 AM

:( :( :( :( :(

Caroline,  October 09, 2010 6:32 AM

:* :* :*

Caroline,  October 09, 2010 6:34 AM

wohooo! u n sis look great! :-D :-D

Caroline,  October 09, 2010 6:36 AM

I want pinch Issy's chubby cheek!!! :-P :-P :-P

tekkaus,  October 09, 2010 8:18 AM

Wow...it is a good reunion huh! :D

tekkaus,  October 09, 2010 8:19 AM

Baby Issy looks so different now. She is very chubby now. :D

ladyviral,  October 09, 2010 8:19 AM

I like the last post of Issy...

I guess throughout the session she was not warm up to you, hence some of time being her looking like very distant.

hehe! Fun to reunite. I want to reunite with my sister too.

Caroline Ng May Ling,  October 09, 2010 8:27 AM

alamak i just realize if at home i linked it with blogger but not twitter! hahaha =-X

Caroline Ng May Ling,  October 09, 2010 8:28 AM

love all the yummy foods! n this is y i like western food, the portion is quite huge!! :-P :-P

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:22 AM

=-O =-O =-O =-O

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:22 AM

morning Mariuca! :* :* :* :*

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:23 AM

oh my Issy is so adorable esp in the last picture!! :-P :-P

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:24 AM

so did u guys go to the casino? hehe.. :-$ :-$ :-$

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:26 AM

now i feel hungry just looking at the food.. :-D :-D

Monica,  October 09, 2010 9:27 AM

so many pics..love this post sweetie..!! ;) :)

Bella Enveeus,  October 09, 2010 12:41 PM

aww issy is SO cute! i SO want to pinch those cheeks! love the last picture sweetie, hehe.. and so bright la ur flash.. wohoo..

Bella Enveeus,  October 09, 2010 12:42 PM

huge portion of food there.. yums! but lookey the pricey.. haha.. ooh so nice i'm hungry now :-P

Annas Adornments, Sweden,  October 09, 2010 5:57 PM

Love this post! Seems like you all had a really fun time. I especially like the last picture with you and B and your niece.
I've been real busy in my offline life and have not kept up with my ususal blogging habits. It's like that sometimes. Up and down.
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's Alphabe-Th-C

David Funk,  October 09, 2010 9:19 PM

Hi Mariuca! :* :* :*

Wow, Issy is very adorable indeed! I like the last pic of her with you and B.

Leicester Square looks great at night!

And when I'm out of town, I'm all for going to a casino! It is a must for me!

Hugs for you sweetie! :* :* :*

bluedreamer27,  October 10, 2010 12:41 AM

the telephone booth reminds me of superman lol

bluedreamer27,  October 10, 2010 12:45 AM

have a great day and happy blogging :) :) :)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:13 AM

8-) 8-) 8-) LJ FC1!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:13 AM

>:o >:o >:o >:o GG FC2!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:13 AM

Great chop ladies, love n hugs! :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:19 AM

Yay, I ♥♥♥ the last pic oso, my sister asked her to pose and she happily did, mmg kecomelan la, geram betul tau!! :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:19 AM

FC2 oso crying GG? lol... :-P :-P :-P

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:20 AM

:-P :-P :-P :-P :-P

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:20 AM

CASINO board was bugging me oso GG hahahah! =-X =-X :-[ :-[ :-[ :-$ :-$ :-$

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:20 AM

:* :* :* Hi Caroline!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:21 AM

Definitely Tekkaus, really had a wonderful time! 8-) 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:29 AM

Ha ha good one BD, Superman indeed! :-D :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:30 AM

Hungry hippo LJ? I cooked and ate rice yest! >:o >:o >:o >:o

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:30 AM

LJ SSG, GG ha ha.. the other day Tito B read my comments and he said GG always late to chop it seems hahahahah! =-O =-O :-D :-D :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:31 AM

Morning GG! :-P :-P :-P

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:31 AM

Sama-sama... 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:32 AM

Pinch away Caroline.. if she lets you hahahah! I wan to pinch oso susah lol! :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:34 AM

Ha ha ha yeah!! She is very chubby now Tekkaus, drinking UK milk it seems he he... =-X =-X :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:35 AM

Good morning LV! Yeah she forgot me edi but only for a while, once she warmed up to me, it was awesome and she was holding my hand the whole time, love Issy! Where is ur sis btw? *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:35 AM

Thanks so much for ur visit BD, have a good one! 8-) 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:36 AM

Can RT edi LJ, yest TM down kut... *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:36 AM

=-O =-O =-O =-O lol GG!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:36 AM

=-O =-O =-O =-O Monica!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:37 AM

Yay thanks sweetie, this one 24 pics ha ha, the HRC one 36 aiyo! Next post? *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:38 AM

Abaden!! I had to visit my frens the slots right? Aiya... kalah la... =-X =-X :-[ :-[ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ >:o >:o >:o

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:39 AM

Ha ha enjoy the food pics then Mon, more to come! :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:39 AM

You got FC2 GG, congrats! :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:40 AM

Thanks Caroline, dis one my younger sis... 8-) 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:40 AM

Ha ha tu la kan Bella? Enticing me with her chubby wubby cheeks and cuteness, geram geram!! And so nice to hug too, bestnye! :* :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:42 AM

He he nampak je anything fluffy, sure kena bergambar, and yeah the Teddy was a biggie! 8-) 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:42 AM

Morning Monica, wakey wakey! :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:42 AM

Bees is up GG, buzzzzzz... ;) ;)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:43 AM

Ha ha really GG? Yay then cause she's so cute so it's a compliment! :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:43 AM

Oh no wonder la no pic for ur earlier comments Caroline... :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:46 AM

Hi Anna, thanks so much for ur lovely comment, I enjoyed writing this post too and yay for loving the last pic as well. Issy looks like a doll there I think ha ha, miss my niece now! *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW*

Oh same here sweetie, haven't been dropping EC or clicking Adgi much lately, still on vacation mode I guess, hugs! :* :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:47 AM

B impressed it seems dengar Ali aka Felix speaking Spanish LOL! :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:47 AM

:* :* :* Thanks GG, I think so too!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:50 AM

He he we did have a good time GG, u will too later when u and M go on ur vacay! :D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:51 AM

Thank you Tita GG! GP loves Issy! :D:D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:52 AM

Yeah crying it seems running after me wan to follow me naik tube ha ha so cute! And I love the way she says Aunty marzie, pelat2! :-D :-D :-D :-D

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 9:57 AM

Ha ha thanks Mon, so cute la she posed for the camera dat time, wan to pinch2 her cheeks dat time cannot tahan ha ha poor Issy... =-X =-X 8-) 8-)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:02 AM

Everybody needs a vacation right GG? Enjoy yours with mom soon… :)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:03 AM

Yest TM was down GG, now okay edi..

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:05 AM

OMG indeed! How to resist pinching right? lol... =-O =-O =-X =-X ;) ;)

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:05 AM

GG singing with Issy? La la la..♬♬

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:07 AM

>:o >:o >:o >:o >:o no need angry anymore GG, TM is back ha ha!

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:07 AM

Thanks for the RT cutie, and happy Sunday... :* :*

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:09 AM

Yeah pricey kan HRC so thank you sis for belanja-ing ha ha! Me too hungry now sebelum tidur Bella.. =-X =-X =-X

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:12 AM

Hi David! :* :* :*

Awww thanks so much, she is indeed very adorable, more so in person ha ha cause then u can hear her speak and see her antics, love cutie pie Issy!

Woot hi-five on da casino, what's your game David?? *DONT_KNOW* *DONT_KNOW* :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$

Mariuca,  October 10, 2010 10:13 AM

Damn huge Caroline, should share kan? Ha ha tamak la we all lol!! :D:D

Life Ramblings,  October 10, 2010 3:24 PM

that looks like a wonderful square to stroll around and it looks beautifully illuminated at night. how colourful and appealing!

Life Ramblings,  October 10, 2010 3:26 PM

Baby Issy looks absolutely different now. she's getting chubbier.

Life Ramblings,  October 10, 2010 3:28 PM

i enjoy all the pics honey and you're so fortunate to have a pic with big teddy.

Life Ramblings,  October 10, 2010 3:28 PM

enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a fabulous 10!

stevebethere,  October 10, 2010 5:51 PM

Those are great pics it's good to see you enjoying London :-)

Fida Abbott,  October 11, 2010 10:47 PM

Baby Issy, you are so cute and I really want to kiss and twist your chubby cheeks.
;)

foongpc,  October 14, 2010 1:46 AM

Haha! Cute teddy bear!!

foongpc,  October 14, 2010 1:47 AM

Hey I saw those telephone booth in KK!!

foongpc,  October 14, 2010 1:48 AM

haha! Yes, eating outside in the cold is better than waiting outside hungry and cold!! LOL!

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