Macau Adventures: Day 3 - Ferry to Macau

Screen cap of Google Map's street view of China Hong Kong City Building

     Yes, my friends and I decided to have an Amazing Race across China and its special administrative regions (SARs).  We visited, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau in our 4d3n tour last February.  It's a very crazy idea. I don't encourage anyone to do the same, especially for first-time travelers.

     Throwing caution to the wind, we spent a night in Macau just to be able to say that we've been there.  Well, I've been there before, but most of my companions were first time visitors of HK, China and Macau.  

     So, from our hotel, we took a shuttle going to TST.  The stop was very near the China Ferry Terminal.  It's very easy to find.  Just go inside China Hong Kong City,where the huge Esprit outlet store is located at the ground floor.  Refer to the photo I screencapped from Google Maps.  Entrance is beside Esprit, just go up to the short escalators until you reach the third floor, I think, where the booking offices are located.  From there, you can take your pick of ferry service depending on the time you want to depart. Most services leave even every 30 minutes, except for Cotai Jet which departs late in the afternoon if I remember correctly.  This ferry station also services passengers to Mainland China such as Zhuhai. [Update April 2014:  The Esprit outlet store relocated inside the China Hong Kong City Mall]

This is the floor where the ticketing offices are located. 

Departure Area at the China Ferry Terminal Station

     After buying tickets and while waiting for our ferry to depart, we ate lunch at Cafe de Coral, a fast food chain in Hong Kong which offers cheap meals, of course by Hong Kong standards.  The food there is quite tasty and they change their menus depending on the time.  After 2 p.m., no more lunch sets, for example.  Be sure to state clearly your choice of set meal and which beverage you want since not all cashiers understand English well.  You can point to the menu on the wall, then say if you want milk tea, or if you want cola (additional price).  You'll be given a printed receipt plus an order slip which you'll have to hand over to a staff at  a separate counter where roasted ducks are hung.  Wait for your order and hope that the cashier and helper got your orders right.

Well, what do you know?  Look at how dirty my cup was.  

Probably, the tea spilled.  It was just surprising that the staff were unconcerned 
about the messy cup and did not even bother to replace it.   

This was my lunch.  It was an oven-baked pork chop with pineapples and sauce poured over the rice.

Yummy, but there was too much sauce. 

     We picked First Ferry/Turbo Jet as our service provider.  It was the same company we used when I went to Macau in 2009 with my family.  It leaves every 30 minutes from 7am to 10:30 pm everyday. Makes you wonder how many gamblers, tourists, businessmen and locals shuffle to and from Macau each day.  Hmm.

     Anyway, I think we paid around HKD 150+ per person since it was a weekend.  But the ferry was not packed and it was a pleasant ride so we were able to take a nap.  About an hour later, we reached Macau! Yay!

      Once in Macau, and after passing through the immigration, we took the underpass going to the other side of the street to catch a free shuttle bus to our hotel, the Venetian.

The Venetian Hotel's Mascot was at the Ferry Terminal to welcome Macau's visitors!  

So cute!

The Free Shuttle to Venetian.

Melaka Travel Adventures - Day 1: Jonker Walk

     Jonker Walk is a street in Melaka flanked on each side with heritage houses turned into hotels, shops and restaurants.  There are temples, too.  On weekends, it becomes a night market and the streets are closed to traffic.  Apparently, Jonker Walk is famous for antiques but on weekends, clothes, souvenirs and food, among other stuff, are sold.  It has sort of a touristy feel but it is masked by rows and rows of beautiful heritage buildings.

     It is quite easy to reach Jonker Walk from the Dutch Square.  Just cross the street, walk along the small bridge over the river and you'll see the street island with a marker: Jonker Walk.  On its right, a huge red building with a restaurant and a souvenir shop selling local food items or "pasalubong," mostly sweets,  like the local dessert dodol, candied or dried this and that, biscuits, chips, etc.  I think the building's name is San Shu Gong.  It's usually packed with tourists on weekends buying just about everything they could carry back home.  Anyway, Jonker Walk is very hard to miss and it'll take less than 2 minutes to walk from the Clock Tower to the marker.

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 3: NTU Education Tour, Part 2, and the Gongguan Night Market

View of the Taipei 101 from the NTUgrounds.

     As I have said a couple of posts back, I had an impromptu snacks tour during my trip to NTU.  And rightly so, my guides ushered me to where the locals buy two (2) of the most popular snacks/treats inside NTU before leading me to the Gongguan Night Market.

     Me and my tour guides, Ms. Annick and Alice, walked towards the right side of the Main Library until we came to a small, cottage-like store packed with people.  The guides told me that NTU sells some produce from the NTU Farm and their by-products, including NTU's very own ice cream!  And they're selling like hotcakes!  When we got into the NTU store, the ice cream wafer/sandwich was sold-out and there were no more ice cream on cups left in the freezer.  Good thing we waited for a while because the staff restocked the ice cream on cups, about half a pint each, and they wiped out in mere minutes!

The NTU store.  

See how the locals spend their Sunday afternoons: outdoors!

     After buying the ice creams, we faced a little challenge finding an empty table where we could eat and chill.  There were tables and chairs outside, al fresco style, and a couple of picnic tables.  We found a vacant picnic table, and I had the opportunity to hang out as the locals do.  Not long thereafter, I met the cutest and the smartest Taiwanese I've ever met, pictured here:

      This boy's parents shared our table and the kid and I hit it off immediately.  All he did at first was to glare at me but after some time, he relaxed and even played with me.  He's just 2 years old but he can recite the English alphabet and can count in English.  So cute! And smart!

     While playing peek-a-boo with the toddler, I ate my ice cream, which was vanilla, and it was creamy and delish.  Then after an hour, I quickly forgot about the waffle my guides volunteered to buy.  Apparently, you buy it from a nearby store, if I remember correctly, or is it at the same store?  I forgot because I was buying the ice cream when the guides bought the waffle.  Anyway, our number was in the hundreds and it had a time for pick-up.  Yes, you buy the waffle then wait for an eternity because there are about a hundred people ahead of you.  It was worth the wait, though.  The waffle was perfectly done:  it was crisp outside and soft inside.  It almost melts in the mouth. 

     After we finished off our ice cream and waffles, my guides brought me food tripping at the Gongguan Night Market!  Yay!  

     Ms. Alice asked me if I have ever eaten any of the famous Taiwanese snacks.  I told her no, with the exception of the Hot Star Chicken and the waffle that we just had.  She was so shocked!  So, she and Ms. Annick dragged me to what they tell me is a very famous stall at the Gongguan Night Market selling a thick misua soup of some sorts and stinky tofu.  They swore to make me eat stinky tofu, which I did, and I even ordered the misua soup.  The stinky tofu was not so bad.  It was delicious but the odor is mildly off-putting.  I say mildly because apparently, the stinky tofu served at the stall was not as stinky as the ones I smelled at Jiufen.  I was not able to consume the soup because it was so heavy and the stinky tofu was filling by itself.

The popular stall selling stinky tofu.

The delightfully delicious stinky tofu and soup.

     After eating, for the second time in about two hours, we rounded up the streets of Gongguan Night Market and a lot of snacks along the way, including roasted duck heads:

     As the day went darker, the throng of people and cars got thicker.  And yes, there are a lot of young people at the market since it's so near NTU.

     Finally, we reached our ultimate destination, to a hugely popular bubble tea shop.  It's easy to spot.  Just look for rows of some more than 50 people and that'll be it.  There's even chalk marks on the ground to let people know where to line up.  Yes, if you see people lining up in Taipei, it's probably for some famous snacks.

     The guides told me that it's arguably the best bubble milk tea, and the secret? Brown sugar for the tapioca.  I was like, we've been doing that back home since like, forever.  So, the taste was way too familiar for my buds.  And the shop sign has a crazy long explanation why the written logo is long or something.. It's also on the plastic cups, like a logo. The guides told me that it's a strategy to deter copycats to copy the store's logo. Anyway, the bubble tea was yummy and worth the 30-minute wait.

My order being prepared.

My bubble tea.

    

     After finishing off our bubble teas, we went back to the Gongguan MRT station.  I had to board down a stop ahead since it's nearer my hostel.  And after saying my goodbyes and gratitude to Ms. Annick and Ms. Alice, I got off my station.  Sigh.  That officially ends my free Taipei city tours.


   

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011: Day 2 - Ximending and Sophisca Candy Shop

     Since I came back early in Taipei from Jiufen, I took a short rest at the Hostel.  A shower with hot water came after that.  Then I went back to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station to buy some Jill Stuart cosmetics.  

     Anyway, for one reason or the other, I decided to dress up.  I bought a dress just for my Taiwan trip, and I wanted to use it that night.  I even curled my long hair.  Call me vain, and I won't take it against you.  Besides, I want to look great for my night out in Taipei, plus, I was hoping Eric from the hostel would see me in my kinda pretty state.  And, it never hurts to look presentable.  Who knows, I might meet someone.  Heehee.

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011: Day 2 - Jiufen Once Again, and Crazy Bus Drive Back to Taipei

 

     I took a bus from the Gold Ecological Park to Jiufen.  As it was a Saturday, Jiufen was crazy full of people.  And it's magic seemed to have waned on me.  Perhaps there were so many people it was suffocating.  So, I didn't stay long, although I planned on having tea at A-Mei's tea house.

     However, I finally tried eating some goodies but just a little because I just had lunch.  I focused on the food stalls and some quirky shops, squeezed my way through herds of people and wandered up and down the narrow alleys and stairs.  And I survived!  Yay!

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011: Day 2 in Jinguashi (Part 5) - A Miner's Lunch Experience and Strolling Around the Gold Ecological Park

     I know, I have way too many posts about my Jinguashi trip.  But don't worry, this is the last, I promise.

     The gold panning experience wrapped up at lunch time.  Before I headed down, I snapped pictures of the surroundings, including the dogs that seem to live in the area I found sleeping at different places in the Park.  While going down, I saw a very dilapidated Japanese house.  It looked forlorn and desolate.  There was a sturdy wooden gate but the house itself was beyond repair.

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Sun Moon Lake, Part 3: Full House Resort!

     From Ita Thao Pier, the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway is around 650 meters away.  There's a sign, that is how I knew how far is it.  I followed the street signs from Ita Thao Pier and no more than five minutes, I came upon this quaint lodging, very rustic and charming.  This is that something I was looking forward to discovering in Sun Moon Lake.  It's a treat waiting for me to find. It's a log cabin, and there were tables outside its garden.  I took a step closer, and I saw a fantasy land.  I almost squealed in delight!  I love gardens and everything cute, and all of these are in this place called, Full House Resort. 

Vietnam Travel Adventures - Day 1: Taking a Break, Dining and Night Market

     

     From the Cu Chi Tunnels, we came straight back to the Sinh Tourist office.  By then, we were already famished.  It was past 1:00 p.m. already.  We just picked out a place to eat near the area.  We would have wanted to have some Vietnamese food but we have not yet scoured the area, and all we saw were those western-styled restaurants since we're in the backpackers' area.  We picked the Buffalo, and dined al fresco.  Prices were reasonable considering the taste.  I got a lasagna, because I'm Garfield and I love lasagna, and my friends got some subway-like sandwich, similar to the ones sold by the street vendors in Ho Chi Minh, and some steak.  My lasagna was really yummy; the sauce was made of real tomatoes and it was served in a clay pot. Very cute.  It cost around VND 110,000 and I ordered some Vietnamese iced tea (iced loose leaf tea sans sugar), and paid 10% service charge.

Beijing Adventures - Day 3: Quanjude in Wangfujing

    

     Our driver and tour guide chauffeured us to Quanjude in Wangfujing.  I have read raves about this restaurant, presumably, it serves one of the best Peking ducks in Beijing.  Of course, we're in Beijing, and it's a must to eat this delectable dish.

     So, it was around 1:00 p.m. when we got to Quanjude.  We thought that we would not have a table, but to our surprise, there were vacant tables.  Yay!  It's not that there weren't any diners, mind you.  Rather, the restaurant is just huge.  It's like a ballroom of a hotel; it's that expansive.  The restaurant seems really classy, with those beautiful chandeliers and red and gold table cloths.  There is also a stage, what for, I don't know.  I slipped out of my coat and I hung it over my chair.  Immediately, a waiter came, placed a cloth cover over the back of my chair, and another one over my belongings which I stashed on top of the chair beside me.  Viola.  No coats hanging that skews the aesthetics of the place.  Very effective. 

     We ordered of course a Peking duck, well, half a duck, as well as the pancakes and the side dishes.  We also had dessert, I couldn't remember what it was, as well as another dish.  We just had Peking duck the night before but what the heck. The only complaint I have is that the tea is not free.

     So, a couple of minutes later, a chef with a cart came near our table and proceeded to prepare the duck.  I was really amazed with the look of the duck.  Although the one we had the night before was tasty, it was nowhere near the beauty of the duck laying there before our eyes.  Quanjude's duck looks moist, full, smooth, and huge.  Also, the skill of the chef in slicing the duck is superb.  Having witnessed two separate preparations, Quanjude makes it better. The slices are thin and even.

     The chef first sliced off some duck skin, and it looks so crispy!  The waitress brought a small plate to our table. When we ate it, it was full of fatty oil from the skin.  It was yummy but oily.  A little later and another plate was filled-up with duck meat.  It was delicious!  We weren't disappointed, not in the very least.

     And I met my second future husband here, too.  He was with his grandparents, I suppose.  Well, they may be his parents.  Like my first  future husband, he's tall, but he's more of a risk-taker when it comes to fashion.  He's wearing a pink sweater and cool sneakers.  If he's wearing bright pink and remains manly, then, he's so comfortable with his sexuality.  I took a photo of him.  He can be seen, too, in the second photo board.

This photo doesn't do him any justice.

He looks way better in person.

He's carefully checking the bill while waiting for his parents/grandparents.

Thoughts - Planning a Rendezvous with Mr. J in Taipei

     I went to the theaters yesterday, as I always do almost every week.  This time, I watched the Green Hornet.  I was curious because I used to watch the Green Hornet tv series' reruns when I was a kid.  I mean, Kato in the tv series was none other than Bruce Lee; who wouldn't want to watch?  Well, I was also  a little confused that Green Hornet's Seth Rogen.  He is more known for his comedy films.  So, what the heck, I might as well give it a shot.

     So, I was sitting contently in the movie house, then all of the sudden, Jay Chou appeared as Kato, the barista?  I knew Jay Chou's in the film as Kato, but I couldn't care less.  After all, I only know him to be super famous in Asia but I don't know any of his songs or films.  But then, every single time he appears on screen, not just as a barista but as a genius car-and-arms designer/inventor/martial arts expert, my heart starts to go, doki doki.  Really.  And I've never seen nor heard any of his works but his presence onscreen?  Amazing.  He was so darn charismatic.  I mean, he had me when he sang Gangsta's Paradise.  By the end of the movie, what started as a fleeting admiration became an adoration that by the time I got home, I knew I fell in love.

     I tried to rationalize everything.  Can I really be converted into a believer after just one movie?  Am I really that easy?  Hmm.  Yup, I think I am that easy.  Heehee.  Anyway, it's a good thing that I'll be back to Taiwan this April where Jay Chou hails and I'll be able to go to his  French-Italian restaurant in Taipei, Mr. J.  You see, the last time I was in Taiwan, I was contemplating on whether or not I should go to the restaurant.  Not that I am a fan; I don't even know him then, but only because it's one of the must-visit restaurants in Taipei, along with PS Bubu which is where one of the scenes in Meteor Garden was shot.  I was supposed to go there on my first day in Taipei but the restaurant would not open until lunch time and I didn't have the liberty to wait since it was just almost 10:00 a.m. and I must be on my way to see the Taipei 101.  Besides, I was supposed to go the Hello Kitty Sweets the following day so I dropped Mr. J.  I didn't know him then anyway.

     Now, it's a different story.  I feel I need to go to Mr. J, and settle my feelings once and for all.  I'm planning a rendezvous.  I hope Mr. J waits up for me.  Lol! 

     Here are the details of Mr. J's, courtesy of m1m1 -

Mr. J Restaurant 義法廚房

台北市光复南路308巷43号
Address: No.43 Lane 308, Guangfu St., Da-an District, Taipei City 106
Tel 2377-9090/(02)2731-2245
Opening hours: 1130am - 10:00pm
http://www.mrj-tw.com/

2. Mr J II at 吳興街250號 within the Taiwan Medical University

Photos from the Mr. J website/Wretch account

Beijing Adventures - Day 2: A Very Satisfying Peking Duck Dinner at Jin Xing Lou

This is where we ate.  I forgot the name of the restaurant, though.  Who can help me?
EDT:  According to commoner over at PEX, this is called "Jin Xing Lou," a typical Beijing-style restaurant.  Thanks a lot, commoner!

     A short ride from the Pearl Market and we reached our last destination for the day, a restaurant for our Peking Duck dinner.  According to our tour guide, the restaurant is famous in the vicinity.  Which vicinity, I don't know.  But I noticed that it's located in a locals area; there was a supermarket, food stalls and  eateries selling noodles, and those food-on-sticks.  Also, it seems to be located in a residential area because I've seen some apartments and/or condominiums there.

     So, this is our Peking duck dinner.  We had a table at the back; the moment we entered, all eyes were on us.  Really, I'm not kidding.  I scanned the restaurant and we were the only non-Chinese there.  It was full of families dining.  There was one family with a child, around 7 years old, and the girl's in some sort of a costume, so I guess she just performed somewhere.  And then, there's this table adjacent to ours; he's obviously dining with his parents.  And he's my future husband.  Lol! 

     Then the guide told us that the Peking duck will be prepared in front of us.  Then there goes this chef of some sorts with a cart and a full Peking duck.  He started cleaving half a duck.  It was not my first time to see the process.  After all, I live in the Philippines and there are a lot of Chinese here, as well as Chinese restaurants, but to see it in Beijing is kinda special, don't you think?

The chef was very amiable.  I can see through his mask that he's smiling!

    

     Of course, there were other foods served, but I really, really loved the flavor of their Peking duck.  This is the best restaurant we've eaten at in our Beijing tour package.  Everything was delectable and really tasty!  And of course, my future husband, as well as my future mother and father-in-law were looking at me (I wish!), well, looking at us, sneaking glances every once in a while.  Don't worry future husband, I was also looking at you; if only it isn't rude to stare, I would have gazed at you longingly.  Hahaha! Mother, father, I'd be honored to be your daughter.  Hohoho!  Speaking of which, my future husband is not only tall, like really tall at least 6 ft in height,  handsome and curious at other nationalities, meaning, us, he seems to be filial.  He took his parents out for dinner, I guess.

     Enough of my boy-hunting.  By the way, my friends and I were all saying, my the best girl win!  LOL!

     Going back to the food, every thing served to us proved to be really yummy.  It wasn't as oily as some of the dishes we've tried, and again, the food was more than we could consume.  As for the Peking duck, well, we all know how to eat it, no need for instructions.  We're still Asians and Peking duck is very famous and as I've said, many restaurants in our country serve Peking Duck.  Yeah, but that didn't deter me to pick up a slice and eat it with rice.  I'm such a rice-loving person.  Heehee.

     So, we left the restaurant, and I was trying not to look at my future husband but in my peripheral I saw him, and my future in-laws looking at us, following us with their gaze.  Farewell, okasama, otousama; good bye, anata.  Lol!

Beijing Adventure - Day 2: Lunch at Beijing Siwei Restaurant

     After an hour of walking to and from a short section of the Great Wall, we went to our van so we could move on.  However the tour guide was speaking with an elderly lady who got lost.  She said she'd been walking around for 2 hrs looking for her tour group but she couldn't find them.  It broke my heart.  The guide asked us permission to stay a little longer so she could help the old lady.  When a tour guide who can speak the old lady's dialect came, our guide passed on the old lady's problem. According to our guide, there are four, more or less if I remember right, car parks and they all look alike.  The old lady couldn't remember which carpark she came from.  Our guide told us that the reason she asked us to walk back the same way at the wall is because after a while, everything will look the same.  It'll be easy to end up another section.

     So, we went to this restaurant for lunch.  Of course there was a lot of food.  I ate a lot.

     There's a gift shop at the other side and the guide was almost pulling us out from shop because we still have loads more to do.  Then I saw the old lady who got lost there.  She's been found and her sister was fuming mad.  Apparently, they've been for her for hours.  Lol!  All's well.

     Next stop is the Temple of Heaven.

Beijing Travel Adventures - Day 1; Dinner at Tang Du

     After the acrobat show, we went to Tang Du restaurant for dinner.  Our guide said that dinner will be  traditional Beijing dishes, including the ever famous kung pao chicken and roast duck.  Again, the food served to us was more than what we could consume.  I liked the first restaurant better, though.  I drank a glass of free local beer,even if I don't really drink. I just want to taste it.

     The duck wasn't really roasted; it was a cooked one with sauce, bell peppers, etc (see lower right photo).  According to my friends, the kung pao chicken was tasty.  I didn't eat it because I don't like spicy foods.

    
     On our way to the restaurant, the guide  asked  us if we have preference on what we wanted to eat.  I told her no seafood because of my allergies.  She told me that there wouldn't be any, and there isn't much in Beijing since Beijing is far away from the sea.  Yay!

     After dinner, we returned to the hotel to retire for the day.  Whew!

Beijing Adventures - Day 1: Buffet Lunch at Tai Yi Chun

  

     One thing I love about China tours are the lunch and dinner included in the package.  I mean, China tours are by no means cheap [we had to pay a handsome sum of USD 420.00+ per person for a three-day tour and 6 days, 5 nights accommodation, which excludes the airfare and tips].  However, if you factor in the lunch and dinner they provide, plus refreshments at times, and the transportation, you'd realize that you don't have to spend for anything during the trip.  After all, the lunch and dinner are so filling and delicious that you won't feel hunger pangs at any given time during the tour.  And, since it isn't summer, the need for water isn't that compelling.  I couldn't remember a day when I had to drink water, tea or soda while on tour, except when dining.

   
     For the first day of tour, we had lunch at Tai Yi Restaurant, and it was buffet!  I wasn't hungry at all because we had buffet breakfast at the hotel, but well, I had to eat because we still have a long day ahead of us.  The food was really yummy, especially the kung pao chicken (it was spicy but I ate a spoonful), and the sweet and sour pork.

     We had a late lunch; and surprisingly, some of the westerners we saw at the Forbidden City come in to the restaurant after we did (they're part of a large tour group).  Small world, eh.   Good thing we got there first; the line at the buffet table suddenly got long.

     This is where we ate, somewhere near this street: Xinjiangongmen Road, not too far away from the Summer Palace.

 

 
     The restaurant has a huge lawn with trees...it was kinda romantic outside, really.  Maybe because I love trees.

      Right after lunch, we went to the Summer Palace. Yipee!

Baguio Adventure: Day 1 - The Manor at Camp John Hay, SM Baguio and Cafe by the Ruins [May 2010]

     We went to Baguio last May.  Suffice it to say that it was work-related, although it was more like a yearly Baguio vacation than work.  Still, our presence was required; we just needed to make sure that we're seen and afterward, we're off to enjoy Baguio on our own.

     For accommodation, we were billeted at the Manor in Camp John Hay because nobody wanted to stay at the old, service house that was provided for us.  For one, it was creepy.  Who knows if ghosts abound.  Ha!  Anyway, it was my second time to stay at the Manor and I was glad to see that it was undergoing a face lift and that the garden at the back was revamped. Besides, if I wanted to "scout" for ghosts, then I'd better do it in style. Heh.  The downside to staying at the Manor, aside from the cost, is its seclusion.  If you don't have a car, then good luck to you.  The good thing?  The Manor promises both rest, relaxation and community with nature.  Plus, if you know how to play golf, you're in luck.  There's a golf course at Camp John Hay.

     Looking back, I realized that we hardly did anything on our first day in Baguio.  We spent the morning resting because we were tired from the four or so hours trip up north.  We had lunch a restaurant a few steps from the Manor, and then we rested, again.  Yup, that happens when you're traveling with a large group.  You end up resting over and over again.

     We had nothing else to do so we decided to go to SM Baguio.  How weird is that?  It's not a tourist spot but we went there.  Funny, really.  That's what happens when girls travel together: they end up in the malls.

     Good thing that one of our peers suggested that we go to a coffee shop called Cafe by the Ruins.  We didn't know where it was, only that it was near Burnham Park but we asked some locals around, including some officers in uniform, for directions. By the time we found the Cafe, it was already dark.  I didn't buy anything from there but I just took pictures inside.  It was quaint, sort of like a cafe with an enclosed outdoor dining area.  According to my companions, the pastries they bought were delicious.  

     Of course, we had to end our day early because we had nothing else to do.  I managed to get out of our room and take pictures at the Manor's back garden.  It was really beautiful and enchanting at night.  It was nice to walk around the garden at night while wistfully hoping for some cute guy to keep me company.  Lol!

Our room: