Wuppertal Zoo, Germany

Last Thursday, we were supposed to go to Riyadh Zoo. It's been close to 2 years since the last time we brought Rania there. For sure mas mag e-enjoy sya ngayon at si Leila. Unfortunately, nagka sand storm that morning kaya we had to cancel our zoo trip :-(
Kaya naman sabi ko kay Rania just have a look at our pictures before sa Wuppertal Zoo in Germany para as if nagpunta narin sya ng zoo hahaha.

The zoo is well kept, huge and beautiful.

 A visit to Wuppertal will not be complete without having a ride at their well known " Wuppertal Hanging Railway / Wuppertal Schwebebahn"

"The hanging railway in Germany's western central city of Wuppertal (pronounced Voopahtahl) is the oldest monorail system in the world. Built in 1900, the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn or "floating train" has been continuously operated since 1901, despite two world wars, various accidents and other turbulent events. " (excerpts from environmentalgraffiti)

Factory Outlet

I am a big fan of factory outlet...super fan!! hahaha Kaya naman when we travel aside from the must see places at good resto to dine, I always include factory outlets in our itinerary.


I have here some of the premium factory outlets I have visited both in Europe and US. You might find this helpful (",)


1. La Roca Village ~ 08430 Santa Agnès de Malanyanes
(La Roca del Vallès) Barcelona, Spain

Most of the factory outlets are located outskirt of the city or should i say "malayo" talaga

Inside La Roca. This is a small scale outlet

2. Castel Romano ~ Via Ponte di Piscina Cupa,
64 00128 Castel Romano (Roma) Italy

It was a rainy afternoon

3. Burberry Factory Outlet~ 29 Chatham PlaceHackney
London E9 6LP Hackney Central, Homerton

This is one of the outlet worth visiting. Trench Coat, bags, shoes, clothes, perfume and even umbrella. I have written a separate blog for this. Click here

4. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets  (New York)~ 498 Red Apple CourtCentral Valley, NY 10917

This is the outlet I enjoyed the most. Tory Burch, Saksfifth, Gucci, Prada  etc

5. Guam Premium Outlet ~199 Chalan San AntonioSuite 200 Tamuning, Guam 96913

Very few branded items 

6. Liberty Village Premium Outlets  (New Jersey) ~ One Church StreetFlemington, NJ 08822
(908) 782-8550

Mom and Dad. Shopping! Shopping! kahit freezing cold

7. Tanger Outlets  (Pennsylvania) ~46 Outlet Square Hershey PA 17033

After our trip to Hershey Park we visited the nearby outlet

8. Orlando Premium Outlets (Florida)~ 8200 Vineland Avenue Orlando, FL 32821 

 There are lots of outlets in Florida particularly in Orlando but I think this is the biggest

This is one of the biggest outlet I've been to

Edinburgh, Scotland Trip

Our recent trip to Edinburgh, Scotland is a business travel for hubby but R& R for me and Rania. We got to spend 5 wonderful days in the city. Nothing beats Sightseeing, Shopping and Food! So, here are some of the photos I took during this trip. Enjoy!

                                     Behind  us is the Edinburgh Castle

                                       

                                                  Bird's Eye View of the New Edinburgh

                                                                    The Scott Monument

Waiting in Line. Hop On~ Hop Off Bus Tour

My Mulberry Alexa

I got this new baby of mine during our recent trip to London. I've been contemplating whether to get a new LV or a Balenciaga. I've been reading post and review regarding the Balenciaga as "high maintenance" and honestly, hubby doesn't like the style..sorry for the Balenciaga lovers out there. So, he asked me to get something else. Since I got a new  LV Speedy Multicolore he suggested I should get a different brand this time.
I read bout Mulberry Alexa bag from different bloggers and it's getting a positive feedback from it's functionality, weight, maintenance etc. So, I decided to get one for myself  with hubby's approval, of course!
It was love at first sight when I saw it at WESTFIELD in London. The rich purple color (PLUM) is really stunning and will definitely add color to any wardrobe.They also have the iconic Bayswater which I really liked but the Alexa won coz you can wear it in 3 ways...as top handle, shoulder bag or cross body bag because of its removable shoulder strap.
Currently retails roughly USD 1,200.00 but you can avail the VAT Refund if you live outside EU Union.

My Alexa in Plum

Soft Buffalo leather

London Sightseeing

The City of London has always been included in my travel wish list. And just few days ago another wish was granted. We visited this beautiful city for almost 12 days with hubby and my daughter.
We've been travelling extensively for the past 2 years...Asia, Europe and U.S. and most of those trips we had limited days and time and  we opt to take guided tour or Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour. However, this trip was different coz we decided to purchased an Oyster Card which we used to roam around the city whether by bus, underground or railway (zoning fare applies)  
So,come join me as I give you a quick tour.

 London's Landmark..The Parliament and The Big Ben

 Hubby and Rania

Moi

 

 London Eye

Tower Bridge / London Bridge

Hyde Park

 One of the largest green space in Central London. It's really Huge!

Burberry Factory Outlet

Burberry has always been my favorite brand either for me, for Rania or for Hubby. I know it sounds crazy at times to pay for a child's blouse or top for $100 up or to spend $120 up for a polo shirt. But rest assure that you're getting what you paid for...quality!
Burberry is an international luxury brand. Its globally recognized name, trademark, and signature trench coat have been synonymous with quality and enduring style for over 150 years. (An excerpt from fundinguniverse.com)
And so, when hubby told me about this trip to London this is the first thing i researched online. The factory outlet of Burberry...and they have it! *grin*
The brand is known for its check patterned commonly red, black, white with equestrian logo. Unfortunately, due to its popularity, replica, imitations and fake items are out in the market nowadays *sad*
Well, back to my story, I really had a fabulous day at the Burberry Factory Outlet. The outlet houses clothing for men, women and children. They also have bags, shoes, accessories. Most of the items there are "ALL OUT" meaning they don't have other sizes or other stock. So, it would be best to call them before you come to check when is their delivery of new items. As per the staff, deliveries are twice a week but never on a weekend.

Burberry Factory Outlet
Address: 29-53 Chatham Place, Hackney London, E9 6LP United Kingdom
Telephone Number: 02089853344 (Use +44 if you are calling from abroad)
Opening Times: 10am - 6pm (Mon - Sat), 11am - 5pm (Sun)
How To Get There: Hackney Central is the nearest main railway station and is a 5 minute walk from there. This would be the best way to reach the place. As you exit the railway station just go towards your right. The nearest landmark would be TESCO grocery. Walk towards it and 3 streets from there to your right is the Chatam Street and you will see the Burberry Sign

We enjoyed the shopping

I got it for $170. Regular price is $250

I didn't let the opportunity passed. I have to get one hehehe.

Burberry's iconic trenchcoat.

I paid $700 against $1400 regular price. i was just lucky to still have my size.

Knitwear with the check pattern on the shoulders.

Outlet price: $124

I also got my daughter a baby pink top and a white trouser. They have very limited sizes for toddlers.

And although it is a factory outlet, you can still avail the VAT Refund if you're a tourist outside the EU Union. You can get additional 10-12% off the total bill ~  not applicable to children's wear

Greetings from London!! Quick Update!!

Pardon me for not writing any blog for the past few days. Me, my daughter and my hubby are presently out of the country and spending 2 wonderful weeks in London and Edinburgh. We will be back in Riyadh in 5 days time.
I haven't written any blog from this trip. However, I am saving all my stories, news and tips to write when i get back home.
Btw, I've seen a glimpsed of the Pope in Edinburgh on our way to the airport..lucky me! How i wish we could have stayed a day to see him. Anyway, it was a good experienced though.
Tomorrow, we're off to the biggest open market in London..its Wembley Sunday Market. Hubby's friend will take us there and hope to find a good bargain. I hope my body will cooperate with me..gee! I've been feeling tired and nauseated for the past couple of days because of my pregnancy.
Anyhow, I've been enjoying our stay here especially the very nice weather.
So, that would be my update for now and see you soon!

Paris, France

Paris, France is the second leg of our Europe trip (1st is Barcelona, Spain) We spent nearly 4days at the "Fashion Capital" of the world. This trip also served as a reunion for hubby and his friend Abir. It's been close to 20yrs since the lat time they saw each other (it was in India) kaya naman they didn't waste the opportunity to meet up. Abir came all the way from London to Paris just to see us and guess what? He even brought the very old hand lugagge that Abdul gave him 20yrs back. It came as a surprised!!! Who would ever thought that after all those years he was able to keep it and it was still in very good condition.
Anyway, as the story goes,  He became our guide/interpreter/photographer in Paris. He lived in Paris for quite sometime until he decided to relocate in London with his family.

  The famous landmark of Paris (France)

Eiffel Tower

 Baba and Rania

 Mommy and Rania

Louis Vuitton Flagship Store

 with Abdul's Good Friend, Abir

 behind us is the Arch De Triomphe

 Beautiful Eiffel Tower

 Louvre

 Notre Dame Cathedral

X'cess:

Please note that all the photos here are taken by yours truly :-)

Italy~ Rome and Vatican

After a short flight from Budapest, we finally arrived in Rome. It was love at first sight! I remember telling  hubby "Babe, this is where is belong" (drama queen LOL) and he just gave me a big laugh

Inside the Colosseo

Inside the Colosseo

Trevi Fountain

Moi and Rania

 St. Paul's Cathedral

 Vatican

Spanish Steps

The city of Rome is lovely. We enjoyed walking the cobblestone streets and small alleys. Eating Yummy Gelato, Pizza and Pasta! Shopping, shopping and more shopping!!!

It was a short 4 days stay but we enjoyed it a lot! We'll definitely be back!!!

V Day @ Robinson Restaurant ~ Budapest, Hungary

The Robinson Restaurant is a unique attraction in Hungary in the heart of the capital, with its own island on the City Park-lake near by the Heroes’ Square.
The Mediterranean menu, family like atmosphere with live Latin-guitar music in the evening awaits all guests. In the summer there is a beautiful view from the open air terrace to the lake with its fountain, in the wintertime the fireplace ensures the special surroundings for the culinary delicacy.
During the wintertime the capacity of the Restaurant is 80 person while there are 100 seats more in the summer when the terrace is open.
It is an ideal place for both: business lunch and candle light dinner. Reservation is required.

Moi Infront of Robinson

Moi and Rania 

Rania and Baba

Abdul ready to order

 Cold goose liver roasted in its own fat served with fresh garden vegetables

Chicken  Breast’ Devil ’style with fresh garden salads

 Beef Goulash