Making Portuguese Egg Tarts a Reality - SQ J and Virgin Upper Class
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Making Portuguese Egg Tarts a Reality - SQ J and Virgin Upper Class
I've finally mustered the energy and motivation to write this report for a trip back in July. Usually I start the first post of a TR upon departure, but this time around, I opted not to so I didn't feel the pressure to constantly edit photos to finish things up. It ended up feeling much less like a homework assignment and I could take my time writing things out.
Sometimes there are things that you wait for and look forward to that ultimately never happen, or get pushed off long enough that the excitement eventually wears off. It can be something big like a life milestone, or something as simple as trying a new food. Growing up in an asian-centric community in Southern California, I was exposed to my fair share of dim sum and the delectable egg tarts served for dessert. But it wasn't until my tween years visiting Hong Kong that I was exposed to the variation known as the Portuguese egg tart, aptly called "po tat" in Cantonese. I've mentioned in my recent trip reports we had planned an outing in 2020 to "chase the egg tarts" that never materialized. We tried to make it happen again in 2021 but Europe still wasn't having it. This time around, we would not be denied. This is a corny love story of reuniting with an old love, experienced in its birthplace.
I also had a self-inflicted downgrade to kick off the trip. We invited my in-laws on the trip and surprised them with a ride in SQ's new suites. I put the wife up there as well to entertain them and make sure things didn't get too out of hand, As for myself, I was relegated to J with the 2 kids. I told Mrs. ChongL I would be expecting hefty compensation in return for my services.
If you enjoy this report, here are some of my previous trips that I've posted:
Always Recycle - New York, Zagreb, and Frankfurt in SQ F
The COVID Contingency - Seychelles, Maldives, and DXB in EK First and QR QSuites
Chasing Cheap Michelin Stars in Tokyo - JAL Business and First Class
Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class
Czeching In and Jetting Out - LH F/J, FR Y, and BA F
Spring, Fall, and Hopefully Sakura in CX F, SQ NEW and Old Suites, CZ J, and OZ J/F
3 for the price of 2? RTW Babymoon to Japan, Maldives, UK (JL/EY/LH J/F/Apartment)
Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD
Christmas in Vienna with a Splash of Porsche and FCT - LX/OS Y, OS J, LH F
The Journey is Half the Fun; RTW in SQ Suites/CX F/JL J/EK F/EY Apartment/AA F
Escaping to the Southern Hemisphere: A Bora Bora Getaway
Honeymoon In Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, etc.) - AA/LH/EK F
Sometimes there are things that you wait for and look forward to that ultimately never happen, or get pushed off long enough that the excitement eventually wears off. It can be something big like a life milestone, or something as simple as trying a new food. Growing up in an asian-centric community in Southern California, I was exposed to my fair share of dim sum and the delectable egg tarts served for dessert. But it wasn't until my tween years visiting Hong Kong that I was exposed to the variation known as the Portuguese egg tart, aptly called "po tat" in Cantonese. I've mentioned in my recent trip reports we had planned an outing in 2020 to "chase the egg tarts" that never materialized. We tried to make it happen again in 2021 but Europe still wasn't having it. This time around, we would not be denied. This is a corny love story of reuniting with an old love, experienced in its birthplace.
I also had a self-inflicted downgrade to kick off the trip. We invited my in-laws on the trip and surprised them with a ride in SQ's new suites. I put the wife up there as well to entertain them and make sure things didn't get too out of hand, As for myself, I was relegated to J with the 2 kids. I told Mrs. ChongL I would be expecting hefty compensation in return for my services.
Itinerary
Itinerary
LAX-JFK on UA Y+ (757)
JFK-FRA on SQ Suites or J depending on whose point of view (A380)
FRA-CDG on LH Y (A321)
Prince de Galles, A Luxury Collection Hotel
CDG-LIS on U2 Y (A320)
Intercontinental Lisbon
LIS-LHR on TP Y (A320)
The Biltmore Mayfair
LHR-AMS on BA Y (A320)
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
AMS-LHR on KL J (E-195)
LHR-JFK on VS Upper Class (787)
JFK-LAX on DL Y (767)
Itinerary
LAX-JFK on UA Y+ (757)
JFK-FRA on SQ Suites or J depending on whose point of view (A380)
FRA-CDG on LH Y (A321)
Prince de Galles, A Luxury Collection Hotel
CDG-LIS on U2 Y (A320)
Intercontinental Lisbon
LIS-LHR on TP Y (A320)
The Biltmore Mayfair
LHR-AMS on BA Y (A320)
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
AMS-LHR on KL J (E-195)
LHR-JFK on VS Upper Class (787)
JFK-LAX on DL Y (767)
If you enjoy this report, here are some of my previous trips that I've posted:
Always Recycle - New York, Zagreb, and Frankfurt in SQ F
The COVID Contingency - Seychelles, Maldives, and DXB in EK First and QR QSuites
Chasing Cheap Michelin Stars in Tokyo - JAL Business and First Class
Good Things Come in 3s - Emirates, Qatar, and Singapore First Class
Czeching In and Jetting Out - LH F/J, FR Y, and BA F
Spring, Fall, and Hopefully Sakura in CX F, SQ NEW and Old Suites, CZ J, and OZ J/F
3 for the price of 2? RTW Babymoon to Japan, Maldives, UK (JL/EY/LH J/F/Apartment)
Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD
Christmas in Vienna with a Splash of Porsche and FCT - LX/OS Y, OS J, LH F
The Journey is Half the Fun; RTW in SQ Suites/CX F/JL J/EK F/EY Apartment/AA F
Escaping to the Southern Hemisphere: A Bora Bora Getaway
Honeymoon In Europe (UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, etc.) - AA/LH/EK F
Last edited by chongl; Nov 6, 2022 at 6:06 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
On the day of departure, we got dropped off at Terminal 7 at LAX to take our positioning flight to JFK. While I don’t usually get great sleep the night before a flight, I was extra nervous for our positioning flight. Making sure everything kicked off properly hinged on this domestic leg not having any issues, and I started to second guess my decision for not flying the day before to give ourselves some buffer in case anything went wrong. While I’m OK adapting on the fly with just our immediate family, potentially losing out on a Suites experience for my in-laws would be slightly more problematic. With this in mind, I was praying we didn’t get delayed. And, even in the air, I was hoping we wouldn’t get diverted or go mechanical.
Passed through security
Waiting to board
Ready to go! *Fingers crossed*
Made sure to tell my in-laws that this was Economy PLUS to make sure they knew I spent the big bucks on them. Only half joking here as we were trying to portray that we weren’t flying anything special, let alone Suites.
Getting closer to landing
On the ground at JFK
Once we had sauntered over to the check in desks, I tried to have my kids keep the grandparents distracted. Since they didn’t know the rules on what lines we could use, I made something up and told them we could use the Suites line since I had Star Alliance Gold. It didn’t matter, but anything to keep up the façade. I kept their passports and boarding passes to keep them in the dark
Our beautiful whale
Queue up more lies about status and lounge access and we were off to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Menu was via QR code
Food all around
Happy I wasn’t flying on any of those carriers tonight
A few minutes before boarding, I advised that we leave the lounge to get in the long line that would certainly await us. Another half-truth told as we saw a snaking line for Y already formed when we got to the gate. My final misdirection was saying that we could board first due to the children. With that completed, I pulled out the gimbal camera and handed it to my wife to record. I handed the boarding passes to the gate agent and walked down the jet bridge with a sense of relief and anxiety. There was no cabin swap so the surprise would go as planned, but now I was to make a right turn and handle the 2 kids on my own. I specifically asked that Mrs. ChongL not come back to help with the kids. My fear was if they were feeling clingy and they saw her, they would cause a disruption. I wanted her to try and relax and spend some quality time with her parents while I handled the munchkins.
The first row of J was taken immediately when the seat block was lifted, so we stuck with row 2
One of the more useless cubby holes
Mini-ChongL #1 already buckled in and cartoon selected
With 2 kids in tow, I didn’t have much time to save the menu offerings. All I can remember is that the food was pretty good and the bowl of noodles hit the spot
Starter and garlic bread
Then out of the blue, the purser came back and introduced herself. She presented me with a glass of wine from F, to which she commented “compliments of Mrs. Chong”. The wife came back afterwards, completely disregarding our agreement and said she had actually asked for Krug to be sent back. The wine will do just fine I said. Luckily, the kids didn’t make a fuss as she returned to the front. Then just a short time later, a plate of caviar appeared. Now this is more like it!
Somewhere between meal service and getting the kids to sleep, Mrs. ChongL returned and said what a lovely time her parents were having. It was a good feeling knowing it was day 1 of the trip and it was mission accomplished. I went down for some rest myself, and when I woke up, went to admire the engines silently humming along as we approached Frankfurt
Upon landing and exiting the aircraft, we followed the signs for connecting flights. We entered the EU, but nowhere did I see a path back to the gates as we should already be in the Schengen area. We ended up outside security, in the middle of the summer’s terrible staffing at airports. We came across long lines, and even with quite a bit of buffer time, I was worried about our chances of catching the flight to Paris. I ventured ahead and spotted a line for families which, while long, still looked more promising than the regular queues. We were able to make it through with about half an hour to spare
At the gate
Some good plane spotting since we were getting bussed
At the time of writing, this is the queen that remains in service
Onboard our A321 for the short hop
I haven’t flown into Paris much, but from the air, it looked like the Midwest if I didn’t know any better
Taxiing at CDG
Heading over to baggage claim and more than ready to get to the hotel after all the hours of travel
In all, SQ J was still a treat, especially with the middle divider able to lower and form a pseudo-double bed. Row 1 would have had a true double bed as advertised, but the setup we had worked amazingly well and allowed me to sleep with both the boys. The FAs were great in helping me get the little ones in place and comfortable so that I could take care of putting bags away, grabbing their water, etc. It was a pretty easy and pleasant flight, even with the 2v1
Next up: Checking into Prince de Galles and some time in Paris
Passed through security
Waiting to board
Ready to go! *Fingers crossed*
Made sure to tell my in-laws that this was Economy PLUS to make sure they knew I spent the big bucks on them. Only half joking here as we were trying to portray that we weren’t flying anything special, let alone Suites.
Getting closer to landing
On the ground at JFK
Once we had sauntered over to the check in desks, I tried to have my kids keep the grandparents distracted. Since they didn’t know the rules on what lines we could use, I made something up and told them we could use the Suites line since I had Star Alliance Gold. It didn’t matter, but anything to keep up the façade. I kept their passports and boarding passes to keep them in the dark
Our beautiful whale
Queue up more lies about status and lounge access and we were off to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse. Menu was via QR code
Food all around
Happy I wasn’t flying on any of those carriers tonight
A few minutes before boarding, I advised that we leave the lounge to get in the long line that would certainly await us. Another half-truth told as we saw a snaking line for Y already formed when we got to the gate. My final misdirection was saying that we could board first due to the children. With that completed, I pulled out the gimbal camera and handed it to my wife to record. I handed the boarding passes to the gate agent and walked down the jet bridge with a sense of relief and anxiety. There was no cabin swap so the surprise would go as planned, but now I was to make a right turn and handle the 2 kids on my own. I specifically asked that Mrs. ChongL not come back to help with the kids. My fear was if they were feeling clingy and they saw her, they would cause a disruption. I wanted her to try and relax and spend some quality time with her parents while I handled the munchkins.
The first row of J was taken immediately when the seat block was lifted, so we stuck with row 2
One of the more useless cubby holes
Mini-ChongL #1 already buckled in and cartoon selected
With 2 kids in tow, I didn’t have much time to save the menu offerings. All I can remember is that the food was pretty good and the bowl of noodles hit the spot
Starter and garlic bread
Then out of the blue, the purser came back and introduced herself. She presented me with a glass of wine from F, to which she commented “compliments of Mrs. Chong”. The wife came back afterwards, completely disregarding our agreement and said she had actually asked for Krug to be sent back. The wine will do just fine I said. Luckily, the kids didn’t make a fuss as she returned to the front. Then just a short time later, a plate of caviar appeared. Now this is more like it!
Somewhere between meal service and getting the kids to sleep, Mrs. ChongL returned and said what a lovely time her parents were having. It was a good feeling knowing it was day 1 of the trip and it was mission accomplished. I went down for some rest myself, and when I woke up, went to admire the engines silently humming along as we approached Frankfurt
Upon landing and exiting the aircraft, we followed the signs for connecting flights. We entered the EU, but nowhere did I see a path back to the gates as we should already be in the Schengen area. We ended up outside security, in the middle of the summer’s terrible staffing at airports. We came across long lines, and even with quite a bit of buffer time, I was worried about our chances of catching the flight to Paris. I ventured ahead and spotted a line for families which, while long, still looked more promising than the regular queues. We were able to make it through with about half an hour to spare
At the gate
Some good plane spotting since we were getting bussed
At the time of writing, this is the queen that remains in service
Onboard our A321 for the short hop
I haven’t flown into Paris much, but from the air, it looked like the Midwest if I didn’t know any better
Taxiing at CDG
Heading over to baggage claim and more than ready to get to the hotel after all the hours of travel
In all, SQ J was still a treat, especially with the middle divider able to lower and form a pseudo-double bed. Row 1 would have had a true double bed as advertised, but the setup we had worked amazingly well and allowed me to sleep with both the boys. The FAs were great in helping me get the little ones in place and comfortable so that I could take care of putting bags away, grabbing their water, etc. It was a pretty easy and pleasant flight, even with the 2v1
Next up: Checking into Prince de Galles and some time in Paris
Last edited by chongl; Nov 4, 2022 at 5:17 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Thanks for following, wrp96. Not so sure about the second sentence though
From what I was told, they thought there was a mistake and that they were led to the wrong seats, followed by elation when they realized they were indeed sitting in 1A and 2A
I make sure my parents get their fair share!
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Queue a sigh of relief as our baggage showed up on the carousel after hearing all the horror stories during peak summer travel…we exited the claim area to our waiting driver who would transport us to Prince de Galles. Five days prior to arrival, our SNA cleared into the Macassar Suite. The extra space would be well utilized by our family of 4.
A beautiful lobby
Entrance to the room was on the right hand side. The door directly in front led to the bedroom and main bathroom. To the left was the living area and behind me was the guest bathroom
Living area
Bedroom
Connecting door
Bathroom
Internet speed wasn’t spectacular either
My wife’s cousin came to meet us at the hotel to talk some logistics for the next few days. During our last visit 7 years ago, she had made it a point to show us around and was a great person to have accompany us. This time around, there was some unfinished business for my father-in-law, who had not had a chance to pay respects to his late parents for a few decades. This was the other main goal of the trip: so that he could see them again and hopefully find some closure. Secondly, we had arranged for my in-laws to stay at her cottage on the outskirts of Paris. With the important discussion out of the way, we head out to dinner
This restaurant was apparently a favorite of my wife’s cousin, who frequented this establishment for many years and knew the owners. Coincidentally, this was also one of the places we dined at last time we were in town
Smoked fish and potatoes
Beef and fries. We also had some delicious steak tartare that I didn’t manage a picture of
It was about 9PM by the time we finished our meal and the daylight was starting to fade. Not being used to the late sunsets, it felt more like 7PM, but our internal clocks were completely mis-calibrated anyway. We hailed a taxi and took the ride back to the hotel where the kids went down for some rest. We had started transitioning them to the different time before the trip so they managed to get some pretty good sleep. Mini-ChongL #2 however decided he was hungry and woke up wanting food. Thanks to staying at a luxury full service hotel, I was able to pay an exorbitant amount for some basmati rice and some eggs
When the morning came, we head downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. There was both an a la carte menu and a buffet
Buffet options
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52481905560_b218332a0b_h.jpg[/img
Here’s a picture of the greedy little mini-ChongL #2 eating breakfast
That morning, we went to the burial site for my father-in-law’s parents. After paying our respects, we went to my wife’s cousin’s place to hang out for the rest of the day. The boys had a nice backyard to run around and burn off some energy
It was a nice, slow day, different than how we usually go about things. But now, with the most important things out of the way, we could take some time to explore. The next day, we went to Champeaux which, thanks to SFO777’s past mention, allowed an opportunity to try the coquillette with ham and truffle
These cheese balls to start were amazing
Razor clams and foie gras also delectable
On to the mains!
After a very satisfying lunch, we wandered the city. Unfortunately, this was during the heat wave, where the day’s forecast would be a high in the mid 100s
The Seine and passing by Sainte-Chapelle
Notre Dame still rebuilding
Then it was back to the hotel for some naps. The kiddos were well adjusted by this point, quite a bit earlier on a trip than usual
Car spotting while walking to dinner. At least the RS6 Avant is finally available stateside
A small mom and pop shop within walking distance
Continuing on to Champs-Élysées for some dessert
Sunset
The next day, both mini-ChongLs were sick. We decided we were ok with just hanging out in the hotel considering that it would be even hotter, with a forecast of 106*. I ventured out in the evening, temperatures still blazing. A decently reviewed Mediterranean place was the first stop
Wife wanted a sandwich
I didn’t want to venture too far to grab food, but was hopeful based on the decent reviews. However, it seems my laziness resulted in a sad excuse of a meal. Completely dry and lacking in flavor...
Upon the arrival of golden hour, I ventured out for some night shots. I recalled a hilarious conversation I had a week or 2 before the trip, with mini-ChongL #1
Me: We're going to Paris soon. Do you know where that is?
Mini-ChongL #1: Oh yeah...I want to see the evil tower!
Me: Huh? You mean the Eiffel Tower?
The following morning, the kids seemed in a bit better shape so we obliged to take them out to see the famous evil tower up close. The temperature had also plunged 30 degrees with some light rain
Later that day, we just stayed in the hotel while the wife started packing. I ventured out to grab another simple meal
Another sandwich for the wife
Passing by the Arc de Triomphe (again)
Then time to get charged more than usual for some chicken nuggets. I think I paid like 9 Euro for one order of nuggets
Next up: On to Lisbon and the Intercontinental
A beautiful lobby
Entrance to the room was on the right hand side. The door directly in front led to the bedroom and main bathroom. To the left was the living area and behind me was the guest bathroom
Living area
Bedroom
Connecting door
Bathroom
Internet speed wasn’t spectacular either
My wife’s cousin came to meet us at the hotel to talk some logistics for the next few days. During our last visit 7 years ago, she had made it a point to show us around and was a great person to have accompany us. This time around, there was some unfinished business for my father-in-law, who had not had a chance to pay respects to his late parents for a few decades. This was the other main goal of the trip: so that he could see them again and hopefully find some closure. Secondly, we had arranged for my in-laws to stay at her cottage on the outskirts of Paris. With the important discussion out of the way, we head out to dinner
This restaurant was apparently a favorite of my wife’s cousin, who frequented this establishment for many years and knew the owners. Coincidentally, this was also one of the places we dined at last time we were in town
Smoked fish and potatoes
Beef and fries. We also had some delicious steak tartare that I didn’t manage a picture of
It was about 9PM by the time we finished our meal and the daylight was starting to fade. Not being used to the late sunsets, it felt more like 7PM, but our internal clocks were completely mis-calibrated anyway. We hailed a taxi and took the ride back to the hotel where the kids went down for some rest. We had started transitioning them to the different time before the trip so they managed to get some pretty good sleep. Mini-ChongL #2 however decided he was hungry and woke up wanting food. Thanks to staying at a luxury full service hotel, I was able to pay an exorbitant amount for some basmati rice and some eggs
When the morning came, we head downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. There was both an a la carte menu and a buffet
Buffet options
[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52481905560_b218332a0b_h.jpg[/img
Here’s a picture of the greedy little mini-ChongL #2 eating breakfast
That morning, we went to the burial site for my father-in-law’s parents. After paying our respects, we went to my wife’s cousin’s place to hang out for the rest of the day. The boys had a nice backyard to run around and burn off some energy
It was a nice, slow day, different than how we usually go about things. But now, with the most important things out of the way, we could take some time to explore. The next day, we went to Champeaux which, thanks to SFO777’s past mention, allowed an opportunity to try the coquillette with ham and truffle
These cheese balls to start were amazing
Razor clams and foie gras also delectable
On to the mains!
After a very satisfying lunch, we wandered the city. Unfortunately, this was during the heat wave, where the day’s forecast would be a high in the mid 100s
The Seine and passing by Sainte-Chapelle
Notre Dame still rebuilding
Then it was back to the hotel for some naps. The kiddos were well adjusted by this point, quite a bit earlier on a trip than usual
Car spotting while walking to dinner. At least the RS6 Avant is finally available stateside
A small mom and pop shop within walking distance
Continuing on to Champs-Élysées for some dessert
Sunset
The next day, both mini-ChongLs were sick. We decided we were ok with just hanging out in the hotel considering that it would be even hotter, with a forecast of 106*. I ventured out in the evening, temperatures still blazing. A decently reviewed Mediterranean place was the first stop
Wife wanted a sandwich
I didn’t want to venture too far to grab food, but was hopeful based on the decent reviews. However, it seems my laziness resulted in a sad excuse of a meal. Completely dry and lacking in flavor...
Upon the arrival of golden hour, I ventured out for some night shots. I recalled a hilarious conversation I had a week or 2 before the trip, with mini-ChongL #1
Me: We're going to Paris soon. Do you know where that is?
Mini-ChongL #1: Oh yeah...I want to see the evil tower!
Me: Huh? You mean the Eiffel Tower?
The following morning, the kids seemed in a bit better shape so we obliged to take them out to see the famous evil tower up close. The temperature had also plunged 30 degrees with some light rain
Later that day, we just stayed in the hotel while the wife started packing. I ventured out to grab another simple meal
Another sandwich for the wife
Passing by the Arc de Triomphe (again)
Then time to get charged more than usual for some chicken nuggets. I think I paid like 9 Euro for one order of nuggets
Next up: On to Lisbon and the Intercontinental
#9
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Gold (*G), DL Silver, Makers Mark Ambassador
Posts: 4,643
Enjoying this report so far! Mrs. WS93 and I are trying to decide whether to fly SQ J JFK-FRA for a wedding in September or if we should fly via CDG to BSL to get us closer to our destination.
Also, love the fact that in your photo of this Ferrari you also managed to get parts of a Bentley and a Rolls Royce by accident.
Also, love the fact that in your photo of this Ferrari you also managed to get parts of a Bentley and a Rolls Royce by accident.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Our airport transfer dropped us off just before check-in was open at CDG. My in-laws were spending some additional days in Paris to catch up with family, and also save us from additional hotel cost in Lisbon. Not to mention that the wife thought it was a much-needed break from them, as much as she loves them. It was time to switch to the low cost carriers
Clearing security, the wife grabbed some small bites to make sure the kids were fed
Maybe I got them on a good day, but I thought EasyJet was pretty well organized in comparison to the other ones we’ve flown in the past. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done
Upon arrival in Lisbon, we hopped into our waiting transfer to the Intercontinental
]
Beautiful lobby
We had a decent sized room with a sea view. The area by the sofa had just enough room for a rollaway for mini-ChongL #1
Better internet speeds than Paris
Another round of room service completed the night to avoid venturing out with tired, still recovering kids. Sadly, all 3 dishes were overly salty, bordering inedible
The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs. Unsurprisingly after how dinner panned out, much of the food was saltier than what I’d expected. On the second morning, I simply gave up and tried to unappetizing looking chicken congee, only to find out it was rather delicious
before we ventured out for the first egg tart stop, Mantegaria. When talking to our car driver the day prior, we asked him which was his favorite in town. He said the original, Pasteis de Belem was his personal preference, but noted that others hold a high regard for Mantegaria as well. “Perfect,” I thought as these were the 2 main egg tart stops that I had planned. With Belem being further away and something we had planned to do in the following days, we decided to head towards the closer establishment first
Hopping on the metro
Exiting the metro
A short walk away from our stop was the site of the golden-brown prize
Coupled with a cappuccino
These egg tarts were very good, with one slight problem. Now, I will let everyone know that I prefer well-seasoned food and have a soft spot for sweets. And to have these impressions (too salty or too sweet) 3 times in a row made me question whether I was too much of a simpleton to appreciate great food. Mrs. ChongL frequently airs her grievances that certain foods are too salty and I just brush her off as she just prefers things to be plainer and blander. With that in mind, these egg tarts were just wayyyyyyyy too sweet. I’m not sure if I got a bad batch, or someone just tipped in a little too much sugar during preparation, but even I warned the Mrs. these were too sweet, even for me. The crust was probably the highlight of the dessert, which had a light, airy, flakiness to it. The cappuccino definitely helped balance things out.
I’ll spare you all the pictures of McDonald’s for lunch, although I was quite elated not to be paying Champs-Élysées prices. That evening, we ventured out for seafood, or so we thought. Upon arrival, we were told they were only taking diners on reservations. Having already taken a while to find the place, we opted for Indian so that we could get some rice, a comfort food for the kids. I forgot to take pictures this time, but the curry and biryani were lovely
We called it a night and enjoyed the view from our room as the last of the daylight slipped away
The next day, we went to the aqueduct, but otherwise did nothing else noteworthy
Once the sun had set, I ventured out with tripod in hand for some pictures at the nearby park
On day 3, it was time for the OG egg tarts. These come with a short history lesson: In the early 1800s, there was a sugar cane refinery attached to a general store in Belem. As a result of a revolution, all convents and monasteries were shut down and clergy expelled. Word has it that a monk from the adjacent Jerónimos Monastery started to sell sweet pastries in the general store, eventually becoming known as Pastéis de Belém. The recipe has been passed on for generations and remains unchanged to date. I believe it was said there are only 4 people who currently know the recipe
Now THESE lived up to the hype. They had a perfectly crunchy crust which came with an audible crackle as the layers of thin pastry crumbled in your mouth. The custard was smooth, creamy, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Mrs. ChongL and I looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement as we had finally fulfilled the dream. We were happy not to be disappointed, relieved that we finally made it, and savored each bite knowing the moment would not last
The adjacent Jerónimos Monastery as it stands today
We took the tram further down to see Belem tower. After determining we would have to cross a skywalk to cross the street, we decided to turn around as I was in no mood to carry the stroller up and down. Deep down, I was already satisfied with the dessert sitting in my stomach
We head back to the hotel as I would be grabbing the in-laws at the airport in the afternoon. They would spend the night in Lisbon before continuing on for the trip to London with us. Why not have them go directly from Paris? Well, it was simply our way of making sure they didn’t get lost
Next up: The Biltmore Mayfair and some familiar sites
Clearing security, the wife grabbed some small bites to make sure the kids were fed
Maybe I got them on a good day, but I thought EasyJet was pretty well organized in comparison to the other ones we’ve flown in the past. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done
Upon arrival in Lisbon, we hopped into our waiting transfer to the Intercontinental
]
Beautiful lobby
We had a decent sized room with a sea view. The area by the sofa had just enough room for a rollaway for mini-ChongL #1
Better internet speeds than Paris
Another round of room service completed the night to avoid venturing out with tired, still recovering kids. Sadly, all 3 dishes were overly salty, bordering inedible
The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs. Unsurprisingly after how dinner panned out, much of the food was saltier than what I’d expected. On the second morning, I simply gave up and tried to unappetizing looking chicken congee, only to find out it was rather delicious
before we ventured out for the first egg tart stop, Mantegaria. When talking to our car driver the day prior, we asked him which was his favorite in town. He said the original, Pasteis de Belem was his personal preference, but noted that others hold a high regard for Mantegaria as well. “Perfect,” I thought as these were the 2 main egg tart stops that I had planned. With Belem being further away and something we had planned to do in the following days, we decided to head towards the closer establishment first
Hopping on the metro
Exiting the metro
A short walk away from our stop was the site of the golden-brown prize
Coupled with a cappuccino
These egg tarts were very good, with one slight problem. Now, I will let everyone know that I prefer well-seasoned food and have a soft spot for sweets. And to have these impressions (too salty or too sweet) 3 times in a row made me question whether I was too much of a simpleton to appreciate great food. Mrs. ChongL frequently airs her grievances that certain foods are too salty and I just brush her off as she just prefers things to be plainer and blander. With that in mind, these egg tarts were just wayyyyyyyy too sweet. I’m not sure if I got a bad batch, or someone just tipped in a little too much sugar during preparation, but even I warned the Mrs. these were too sweet, even for me. The crust was probably the highlight of the dessert, which had a light, airy, flakiness to it. The cappuccino definitely helped balance things out.
I’ll spare you all the pictures of McDonald’s for lunch, although I was quite elated not to be paying Champs-Élysées prices. That evening, we ventured out for seafood, or so we thought. Upon arrival, we were told they were only taking diners on reservations. Having already taken a while to find the place, we opted for Indian so that we could get some rice, a comfort food for the kids. I forgot to take pictures this time, but the curry and biryani were lovely
We called it a night and enjoyed the view from our room as the last of the daylight slipped away
The next day, we went to the aqueduct, but otherwise did nothing else noteworthy
Once the sun had set, I ventured out with tripod in hand for some pictures at the nearby park
On day 3, it was time for the OG egg tarts. These come with a short history lesson: In the early 1800s, there was a sugar cane refinery attached to a general store in Belem. As a result of a revolution, all convents and monasteries were shut down and clergy expelled. Word has it that a monk from the adjacent Jerónimos Monastery started to sell sweet pastries in the general store, eventually becoming known as Pastéis de Belém. The recipe has been passed on for generations and remains unchanged to date. I believe it was said there are only 4 people who currently know the recipe
Now THESE lived up to the hype. They had a perfectly crunchy crust which came with an audible crackle as the layers of thin pastry crumbled in your mouth. The custard was smooth, creamy, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. Mrs. ChongL and I looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement as we had finally fulfilled the dream. We were happy not to be disappointed, relieved that we finally made it, and savored each bite knowing the moment would not last
The adjacent Jerónimos Monastery as it stands today
We took the tram further down to see Belem tower. After determining we would have to cross a skywalk to cross the street, we decided to turn around as I was in no mood to carry the stroller up and down. Deep down, I was already satisfied with the dessert sitting in my stomach
We head back to the hotel as I would be grabbing the in-laws at the airport in the afternoon. They would spend the night in Lisbon before continuing on for the trip to London with us. Why not have them go directly from Paris? Well, it was simply our way of making sure they didn’t get lost
Next up: The Biltmore Mayfair and some familiar sites
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
The next morning, we met our airport transfer downstairs. There was only one problem, the transfer only had room for 4, when we specifically requested and got a confirmation for 6. Since we only had 4 pax inbound, they must’ve mixed things up somehow or dropped the ball on communication to the transfer company. Anyhow, we just hailed a cab for half of us and then emailed the concierge to sort things out. We got the transfer fee waived and some points back for service recovery, which I thought was quite reasonable. Once we got to the airport, we checked in and proceeded to the ANA lounge
The lounge was pretty packed, but we were able to find a seat as a party was leaving
Some of the food options
Plane spotting
After clearing passport control to depart the EU, we were greeted by a constricted gate area. On top of that, there was a person checking the weight and size of each carry on. After weighing the bag, we had to shove it into the size bin. With a little bit of effort, it slid in and we weren’t bothered for being over the weight allowance
On the plane, it was to the back we went
After an uneventful flight, we landed at Heathrow and cleared immigration very quickly. In fact, I was surprised at the speed at which we were able to get through and gather our bags given the terrible queues that others experienced during the same time frame. We hopped on the tube and eventually alighted at Green Park. A 15 minute walk brought us to the steps of the Biltmore Mayfair
Lovely lobby
We checked in and were upgraded to a nice suite. A nice common area near the elevators
Entrance
Bed
Living area
Bathroom
Abysmal internet speeds
We took my wife’s parents out to see the typical sights. But first, a nice 992 Turbo S
From Westminster, we walked to dinner at Ippudo for a nice bowl of ramen
True words
Arriving at our dinner spot
The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs, which had a decent spread
Then we continued the sightseeing
Including a detour to King’s Cross for a Harry Potter shot
Followed by the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and The Shard
Dinner reservations were at Dishoom, something I was desperately looking forward to
My favorite...the gunpowder potatoes
Then a slow stroll back to the tube stop to call it a night
The next day’s activities included a late lunch and afternoon tea at The Wolseley
Walking back to the hotel
Spotting a nice Miami Blue GT3RS with Weissach pack
We walked to Hyde Park in the evening to let the kids run around, before settling on some basic dinner of salted beef sandwiches at Selfridges
For the in-laws’ last day, the wife took them to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal for a nice 2-star experience while I watched the kids. A slow day relaxing in the hotel for me until dinner time. It was a nice stroll to Golden Union Fish Bar where we got our fix of fish and chips
We had one last day in London as a family of 4, which we spent in the same general area
I can’t even remember what we had for lunch, or whether we skipped the meal altogether. I do remember walking to get another delicious bowl of ramen at Bone Daddies though. The kiddos ate at least a bowl, if not more, leading us to order kae dama for more servings of noodles for them
Next up: Short hop to AMS and the lovely Waldorf Astoria
The lounge was pretty packed, but we were able to find a seat as a party was leaving
Some of the food options
Plane spotting
After clearing passport control to depart the EU, we were greeted by a constricted gate area. On top of that, there was a person checking the weight and size of each carry on. After weighing the bag, we had to shove it into the size bin. With a little bit of effort, it slid in and we weren’t bothered for being over the weight allowance
On the plane, it was to the back we went
After an uneventful flight, we landed at Heathrow and cleared immigration very quickly. In fact, I was surprised at the speed at which we were able to get through and gather our bags given the terrible queues that others experienced during the same time frame. We hopped on the tube and eventually alighted at Green Park. A 15 minute walk brought us to the steps of the Biltmore Mayfair
Lovely lobby
We checked in and were upgraded to a nice suite. A nice common area near the elevators
Entrance
Bed
Living area
Bathroom
Abysmal internet speeds
We took my wife’s parents out to see the typical sights. But first, a nice 992 Turbo S
From Westminster, we walked to dinner at Ippudo for a nice bowl of ramen
True words
Arriving at our dinner spot
The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs, which had a decent spread
Then we continued the sightseeing
Including a detour to King’s Cross for a Harry Potter shot
Followed by the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and The Shard
Dinner reservations were at Dishoom, something I was desperately looking forward to
My favorite...the gunpowder potatoes
Then a slow stroll back to the tube stop to call it a night
The next day’s activities included a late lunch and afternoon tea at The Wolseley
Walking back to the hotel
Spotting a nice Miami Blue GT3RS with Weissach pack
We walked to Hyde Park in the evening to let the kids run around, before settling on some basic dinner of salted beef sandwiches at Selfridges
For the in-laws’ last day, the wife took them to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal for a nice 2-star experience while I watched the kids. A slow day relaxing in the hotel for me until dinner time. It was a nice stroll to Golden Union Fish Bar where we got our fix of fish and chips
We had one last day in London as a family of 4, which we spent in the same general area
I can’t even remember what we had for lunch, or whether we skipped the meal altogether. I do remember walking to get another delicious bowl of ramen at Bone Daddies though. The kiddos ate at least a bowl, if not more, leading us to order kae dama for more servings of noodles for them
Next up: Short hop to AMS and the lovely Waldorf Astoria
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
We continued onward to our next and final stop, Amsterdam. In the morning, we checked out of the hotel and took the 15-minute walk back to Green Park for the ride back to Heathrow.
With the lounge full, we stopped to get some sandwiches instead to make sure the boys were fed. It wasn’t too long after that we hopped onto the bus that whisked us to the remote gate. Coincidentally, this was our sixth unique carrier on this trip (not by design). After flying United, Singapore, Lufthansa, EasyJet, and Tap Air Portugal, it was now time for British Airways
Less than an hour and plenty comfy in the back for that duration
Upon arrival in AMS, we cleared immigration back into the EU and met our driver for the 40 minute drive to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. We were greeted with a welcome snack that was made with the hotel’s own honey from the in-house hive. Additionally, we were upgraded to one of 4 rooms with massively vaulted ceilings and a view overlooking the inner courtyard
And another welcome treat in the room
Amazing detail in the staircase
Better speeds here
After a short break, we head out to explore and get some more food
Cheese!
Time for some fresh fries
…followed by Stroop waffles
Interesting vending machine
Bitterballen
From that short outing, we were filled enough to not really need dinner. It also helped it was relatively late in the afternoon when we went on our mini food tour. The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs with the Taste of Waldorf. This included multiple small platters of cured meats, bread, cheeses, fruit, and was one giant sampler
With rain in the forecast, I ventured out alone for some cookies. Although there wasn’t much drizzle when I left, it quickly picked up leaving me regretting my decision not to bring an umbrella with me
We stayed in the rest of the day. Other than some surprisingly good Thai food from a nearby restaurant, the time was spent relaxing in the hotel. The wife looked into take the boys on a canal tour, and booked for the following morning which would embark by the Heineken factory
Pirate ship
Back to wandering the town for our last day
And some more bitterballen
As I was suddenly craving a steak that night, and being too lazy to venture out again, we opted to order room service. All the food was delicious!
Then I changed my mind and decided to take some evening shots by the hotel. I was literally just across the canal from the hotel. You can see some of the interconnected buildings (6 in total) that form the grounds of the Waldorf Astoria
Last up: A journey back to JFK
With the lounge full, we stopped to get some sandwiches instead to make sure the boys were fed. It wasn’t too long after that we hopped onto the bus that whisked us to the remote gate. Coincidentally, this was our sixth unique carrier on this trip (not by design). After flying United, Singapore, Lufthansa, EasyJet, and Tap Air Portugal, it was now time for British Airways
Less than an hour and plenty comfy in the back for that duration
Upon arrival in AMS, we cleared immigration back into the EU and met our driver for the 40 minute drive to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. We were greeted with a welcome snack that was made with the hotel’s own honey from the in-house hive. Additionally, we were upgraded to one of 4 rooms with massively vaulted ceilings and a view overlooking the inner courtyard
And another welcome treat in the room
Amazing detail in the staircase
Better speeds here
After a short break, we head out to explore and get some more food
Cheese!
Time for some fresh fries
…followed by Stroop waffles
Interesting vending machine
Bitterballen
From that short outing, we were filled enough to not really need dinner. It also helped it was relatively late in the afternoon when we went on our mini food tour. The next morning, we had breakfast downstairs with the Taste of Waldorf. This included multiple small platters of cured meats, bread, cheeses, fruit, and was one giant sampler
With rain in the forecast, I ventured out alone for some cookies. Although there wasn’t much drizzle when I left, it quickly picked up leaving me regretting my decision not to bring an umbrella with me
We stayed in the rest of the day. Other than some surprisingly good Thai food from a nearby restaurant, the time was spent relaxing in the hotel. The wife looked into take the boys on a canal tour, and booked for the following morning which would embark by the Heineken factory
Pirate ship
Back to wandering the town for our last day
And some more bitterballen
As I was suddenly craving a steak that night, and being too lazy to venture out again, we opted to order room service. All the food was delicious!
Then I changed my mind and decided to take some evening shots by the hotel. I was literally just across the canal from the hotel. You can see some of the interconnected buildings (6 in total) that form the grounds of the Waldorf Astoria
Last up: A journey back to JFK
#13
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, Accor Plat, M&M FTL, BA Blue, QR Gold
Posts: 3,733
That's called an Automat. They used to be all the rate in the US between 1920 and 1960ish, when Mc Donalds style fast food became more popular.
It's also what the lines
in "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" refer to.
It's also what the lines
Originally Posted by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEyWqVfY4vo
A kiss may be grand
But it won't pay the rental
On your humble flat
Or help you at the automat
But it won't pay the rental
On your humble flat
Or help you at the automat
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Our hearts sank as we pulled up to AMS when we saw a long snaking line along the sidewalk leading up to the terminal. Luckily, we were back in J even for this short hop and it appeared that the Sky Priority check-in didn’t have the same hordes of people
After browsing some timepiece stores that had nothing to sell, we proceeded to the KLM lounge
Some blurry food pictures
About 15 minutes before departure, we left the lounge and walked towards our gate. Being such a short hop back to Heathrow, it we had a pleasant reminder of how non-US airlines are still able to complete a quick meal service
Upon landing at Heathrow, we had to re-clear security before heading towards the lounge. The connection itself wasn’t tight, but dining time on the ground would be cut short by the delay in passenger screening we had experienced. We stepped into the Virgin Clubhouse and ordered some food, only to realize it was a better idea to get to the gate for boarding. I had to say goodbye to my bowl of laksa that I hadn’t even seen yet
Menu
We also had a cabin swap from the A350-1000 to the older 787 upper class. Quite a dated cabin and even more awkward with how open it was to those across the aisle. We were also lightly hassled by cabin crew about mini-ChongL #2 sitting on our lap for takeoff. We’ve never had a problem with any other airline doing so when using the provided infant lap belt. He has his own seat booked but obviously still preferred not being on his own, especially with the cabin layout not providing much ability to see us when seated right next to us. Towards takeoff, the same crew member saw mini-ChongL #2 still with us and said they were making an exception. To me, I couldn’t process how it would be safer with him in his own seat, given the likelihood that he would try to climb out of his seat during taxi/takeoff. With the way we had him, we could made sure he stayed seated, buckled, and could comfort him if needed /rant
Bare feet? You can be on upper class, but still have no class
IFE
Menu
A nice view before meal service
The smoked salmon was decent for a starter. For the main, we opted for the curry, which was quite terrible
And dessert
Afterwards, we all went to sleep for a bit and woke up with a few hours remaining in the flight. Granted we were landing late in the evening and not flying until the following day, we were still a bit tired. The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, or rather forgettable, to be honest. Upon landing at JFK, I got questioned more than I’m accustomed to, with questions ranging from my profession, and what company I worked for. We took the air train to the hotel shuttle stop and were whisked to the Courtyard for a good night of sleep. It wasn’t anything fancy, but boy did that room feel great after a long day of travel!
As is customary, I will skip the last, boring leg home. However, I do have a short story about a pair of entitled women as we walked to board the 9th and final unique carrier home (United, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, EasyJet, Tap Air Portugal, British Airways, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Delta).
To set the stage, I’m pushing mini-ChongL #2 in his compact travel stroller on the moving walkways. It really is quite small and we get many comments as to how lightweight it is. As most of you have experienced, there are sometimes people who stand in middle and block traffic, but they are just unaware they are doing so. A quick “excuse me” is usually enough to make them step aside with no issues whatsoever. This is what happens with the first person I come across standing in the middle. As I roll up on the next 2 women who are blocking the walkway, one person in the middle and one person on the right, I say “excuse me”. They make eye contact with me and I think they’d make way. But rather than having one person move to one side to clear a path, the lady in the middle moved left. So now there is one person on the left and one person on the right. This gets me annoyed as they clearly didn’t bother to move out of the way, and now I have to try and squeeze past them. On top of that, I’m quite certain they gave me a look of “yeah you can go around us cause I’m not going to move”. Since they wanted to play games, I obliged and squeeze past the small gap that was open. Being more focused on getting past them, I end up running over a toe or two with the stroller, which was followed by an audible "owww". I can’t imagine it was as painful as her yelp made it seem.
I’m completely over it and turn around to say “if you want to stand around, stay on the right. I said excuse me and YOU decided to move left to block me.” They keep blabbering as we head towards the gate. There was a guy behind us who saw it all go down and made a comment telling them to stay to one side as well. Mrs. ChongL is telling me to stop engaging these 2 morons while I’m still turning around telling them off. I end up making eye contact with the guy who witnessed what happened and I put my arms up asking am I right or not? He nods in approval. Probably a little DYKWIA on my part, but I’m sure they still didn’t learn anything from the situation
After browsing some timepiece stores that had nothing to sell, we proceeded to the KLM lounge
Some blurry food pictures
About 15 minutes before departure, we left the lounge and walked towards our gate. Being such a short hop back to Heathrow, it we had a pleasant reminder of how non-US airlines are still able to complete a quick meal service
Upon landing at Heathrow, we had to re-clear security before heading towards the lounge. The connection itself wasn’t tight, but dining time on the ground would be cut short by the delay in passenger screening we had experienced. We stepped into the Virgin Clubhouse and ordered some food, only to realize it was a better idea to get to the gate for boarding. I had to say goodbye to my bowl of laksa that I hadn’t even seen yet
Menu
We also had a cabin swap from the A350-1000 to the older 787 upper class. Quite a dated cabin and even more awkward with how open it was to those across the aisle. We were also lightly hassled by cabin crew about mini-ChongL #2 sitting on our lap for takeoff. We’ve never had a problem with any other airline doing so when using the provided infant lap belt. He has his own seat booked but obviously still preferred not being on his own, especially with the cabin layout not providing much ability to see us when seated right next to us. Towards takeoff, the same crew member saw mini-ChongL #2 still with us and said they were making an exception. To me, I couldn’t process how it would be safer with him in his own seat, given the likelihood that he would try to climb out of his seat during taxi/takeoff. With the way we had him, we could made sure he stayed seated, buckled, and could comfort him if needed /rant
Bare feet? You can be on upper class, but still have no class
IFE
Menu
A nice view before meal service
The smoked salmon was decent for a starter. For the main, we opted for the curry, which was quite terrible
And dessert
Afterwards, we all went to sleep for a bit and woke up with a few hours remaining in the flight. Granted we were landing late in the evening and not flying until the following day, we were still a bit tired. The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, or rather forgettable, to be honest. Upon landing at JFK, I got questioned more than I’m accustomed to, with questions ranging from my profession, and what company I worked for. We took the air train to the hotel shuttle stop and were whisked to the Courtyard for a good night of sleep. It wasn’t anything fancy, but boy did that room feel great after a long day of travel!
As is customary, I will skip the last, boring leg home. However, I do have a short story about a pair of entitled women as we walked to board the 9th and final unique carrier home (United, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, EasyJet, Tap Air Portugal, British Airways, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Delta).
To set the stage, I’m pushing mini-ChongL #2 in his compact travel stroller on the moving walkways. It really is quite small and we get many comments as to how lightweight it is. As most of you have experienced, there are sometimes people who stand in middle and block traffic, but they are just unaware they are doing so. A quick “excuse me” is usually enough to make them step aside with no issues whatsoever. This is what happens with the first person I come across standing in the middle. As I roll up on the next 2 women who are blocking the walkway, one person in the middle and one person on the right, I say “excuse me”. They make eye contact with me and I think they’d make way. But rather than having one person move to one side to clear a path, the lady in the middle moved left. So now there is one person on the left and one person on the right. This gets me annoyed as they clearly didn’t bother to move out of the way, and now I have to try and squeeze past them. On top of that, I’m quite certain they gave me a look of “yeah you can go around us cause I’m not going to move”. Since they wanted to play games, I obliged and squeeze past the small gap that was open. Being more focused on getting past them, I end up running over a toe or two with the stroller, which was followed by an audible "owww". I can’t imagine it was as painful as her yelp made it seem.
I’m completely over it and turn around to say “if you want to stand around, stay on the right. I said excuse me and YOU decided to move left to block me.” They keep blabbering as we head towards the gate. There was a guy behind us who saw it all go down and made a comment telling them to stay to one side as well. Mrs. ChongL is telling me to stop engaging these 2 morons while I’m still turning around telling them off. I end up making eye contact with the guy who witnessed what happened and I put my arms up asking am I right or not? He nods in approval. Probably a little DYKWIA on my part, but I’m sure they still didn’t learn anything from the situation
Last edited by chongl; Dec 19, 2022 at 10:27 am