NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

[NoName]

Introduction

The NoNames have just returned from what can only be described as an exhausting trip over the northern winter and as the rules of the forum state, a trip report is compulsory. Well that’s what I’m going with to justify spending hours writing and compiling photos in order to ensure the memories live on forever in cyber glory. Perhaps I’ll gain a few likes and other reactions at the same time which as we know is the most important thing in the social media age. And so, away we go…….


NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

This trip was first conceived in the joyful, carefree days of a pre-Covid world when only the most standard of unexpected events could curtail travel plans. Personal or family illness? It might happen. Employer retracting leave approval? Maybe. Visa application rejected? Its possible. Global pandemic? Huh? What’s that?

2020 was a significant birthday for me and we had discussed doing another family trip over the 2020/21 Northern winter to celebrate the milestone. We wanted to take in some of the things I had always wanted to do, so when we first began planning this trip in mid-2019 we had in mind two main activities:

• New years eve in New York City
• Skiing in Whistler

Roll forward to January 2020 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! A few weeks later and well we know what happened. Like many, we were sure the disruption was going to be over quickly so we held out hope that the trip would go ahead but by the middle of the year it was just that, hope. In September we bit the bullet and cancelled everything with plans moved back 12 months.


Groundhog Day!

Roll forward to January 2021 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! The pandemic was just about finished! Like many, we were sure the disruption was going to be over soon so we held out hope that the trip would go ahead but by the middle of the year it was just that, hope. In September we bit the bullet and cancelled everything with plans moved back 12 months.


Take 3!

Roll forward to January 2022 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! The pandemic was just about finished! And what do you know, for all intents and purposes it was! The weeks and months went by and the world began to open up! An impromptu visit to Singapore in April to see Mrs NoName’s family got us back on the horse. Then 6 weeks later the adults went to Europe and it was all back on! We knew then that the family trip we had dreamed about for nearly 4 years was finally going to happen. By the third time around the travel plans had grown with additional destinations added. The final itinerary looked like this:

• Singapore – 2 nights
• Munich – 4 nights
• Helsinki – 1 Night
• Rovaniemi – 3 Nights
• Helsinki – 1 Night
• Frankfurt – 1 Night
• New York City – 5 Nights
• Calgary – 1 Night
• Banff – 4 Nights
• Vancouver – 1 Night
• Whistler – 5 Nights
• Vancouver – 2 Nights
• Seattle – 2 Nights

Note: The one night stays were just for night time arrivals followed by a departure the next morning.

Flights taken were:

• BNE-SIN – SQ in Y
• SIN-DXB-MUC – EK in a mixture of J & F
• MUC-HEL-RVN – AY in Y
• RVN-HEL-FRA – AY in Y
• FRA-JFK – SQ in J
• JFK-YYC – WS in Y
• YYC-YVR – WS in Y
• SEA-LAX – AA in F
• LAX-SYD-BNE – QF in J

Other than the AY flights, all were award bookings.


Over the next few months the rest of the details fell into place with hotels, internal transport, activities and restaurants booked. Cold weather clothes bought, then bought some more. Suitcases packed. Then when the school term finished it was finally here! A few days with family and friends and next minute we were off!.........

 

[drron]

This should be good. I continue to do trip reports to take the place of my memory. often go back when someone is talking about something we have done and it is remarkable what you have forgotten.
Also great to see you bite the bullet early and get those awards. Certainly until April last year they were much easier to find.

 

[NoName]

Day 1



We awoke pretty early and took the Aunt NoName Express to BNE International. We got there pretty much bang on T-3hrs and it was all systems go at the SQ check in desks. We heeded some forum advice and refused the multiple requests to use the self check-in terminals. Jumped in the J/KF Gold line before a staff member insisted on checking us in with the terminal. She did it all right down to depositing the bags for us so the process went pretty quickly. Unsure of how it would have gone if we had done it ourselves so would probably just wait in the premium line for a manned desk again next time.

I normally don’t hold any status with any airline at all but at the start of the year and in anticipation of this trip I took up the offer to transfer credit card reward points to KF miles and be able to qualify for Elite Gold status. Lounge access for shorter flights in Y was an appealing prospect when travelling with the whole family however this ended up being the only flight where we were able to use the benefit. Down the stairs and through immigration before making our way up to the SQ lounge where we were stopped in our tracks. Front desk refused to allow me to bring in two guests even though one of them was the 9yo NoName Jnr. All good, we will go the NZ lounge across the hall. No issues bringing them both there although they did point out that we had access to the SQ lounge.

Really liked this lounge. Much more open and spacious than the SQ lounge. Food and drink offerings were more than adequate for the time of day we were there. Good breakfast spread and plenty of self-serve drink options. We grabbed a seat, had something to eat and a couple of glasses of sparkling and passed the time before the flight.









About half an hour before boarding I ducked over to the SQ lounge to take a look. Most seats were taken but it wasn’t too crowded. I have been in this lounge a few times before and enjoyed it but I think when there are a lot of people there it would quickly lose some of its appeal due to the lack of space. Food options were good with the point of difference being they are mainly Asian. Similar good drink offerings to the NZ lounge with the main difference being the serving of actual champagne

 

[NoName]

Day 1 – Continued……



The time came and we made our way down to the gate. A short while later and we were going down the bridge and onto our plane.

BNE-SIN
SQ256
A350-900 (Regional Config)
48A, 48B, 48C


This flight was booked in March 2022 using Velocity points. Total cost for 3xPAX was 105,000pts + $320.43. I would have booked J however my recollection is that maybe I didn’t have enough Velocity points or KF miles lying around at the time. There was certainly availability. In any event, for this daytime flight, Y was fine. We took our seats and soon enough we were off.

Meal service got underway about an hour or so after takeoff. Unfortunately don’t have the menu or photos however I chose the Braised Beef w/Mashed Potato & Green Beans. As far as Y meals go this was good. Didn’t look much but tasted great and would happily have it again. After having a few quite average dishes on SQ this year (in J no less) this was a nice surprise. Ice cream was offered for dessert and I was expecting a bowl with a scoop in it or something however they brought out a streets pine lime splice. Was pretty happy with this option as well.






Spent the next few hours watching a couple of movies which included Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. I made a point of getting NoName Jnr to watch it too so he could see some of the NYC sites prior to us visiting. Entertainment options were plentiful so a point for SQ there, and the seats themselves, although a tight fit were fine for a day time flight. May be a different story if needing to sleep. Towards the end of the flight a mini chicken pie was served as a snack. I have had this before and while pretty small it was an ok option.
Soon enough we were on our approach to SIN. We landed on time an emerged into a crowded terminal. It was so crowded that staff were directing PAX to the immigration desks at the opposite end of the arrivals hall. Ended up having to walk 10 minutes before getting to the other end. Definitely much less crowded but with the extra time it took to get here I’m not sure we actually saved any time. Oh well.




Into the taxi and 20 minutes later we were pulling up at Mrs NoName’s parent’s place.

 

[craven morehead]

Introduction

The NoNames have just returned from what can only be described as an exhausting trip over the northern winter and as the rules of the forum state, a trip report is compulsory. Well that’s what I’m going with to justify spending hours writing and compiling photos in order to ensure the memories live on forever in cyber glory. Perhaps I’ll gain a few likes and other reactions at the same time which as we know is the most important thing in the social media age. And so, away we go…….


NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

This trip was first conceived in the joyful, carefree days of a pre-Covid world when only the most standard of unexpected events could curtail travel plans. Personal or family illness? It might happen. Employer retracting leave approval? Maybe. Visa application rejected? Its possible. Global pandemic? Huh? What’s that?

2020 was a significant birthday for me and we had discussed doing another family trip over the 2020/21 Northern winter to celebrate the milestone. We wanted to take in some of the things I had always wanted to do, so when we first began planning this trip in mid-2019 we had in mind two main activities:

• New years eve in New York City
• Skiing in Whistler

Roll forward to January 2020 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! A few weeks later and well we know what happened. Like many, we were sure the disruption was going to be over quickly so we held out hope that the trip would go ahead but by the middle of the year it was just that, hope. In September we bit the bullet and cancelled everything with plans moved back 12 months.


Groundhog Day!

Roll forward to January 2021 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! The pandemic was just about finished! Like many, we were sure the disruption was going to be over soon so we held out hope that the trip would go ahead but by the middle of the year it was just that, hope. In September we bit the bullet and cancelled everything with plans moved back 12 months.


Take 3!

Roll forward to January 2022 and I was online booking the required flights in the required cabin and we were set! A couple of accommodation options also booked. This was going to be great! The pandemic was just about finished! And what do you know, for all intents and purposes it was! The weeks and months went by and the world began to open up! An impromptu visit to Singapore in April to see Mrs NoName’s family got us back on the horse. Then 6 weeks later the adults went to Europe and it was all back on! We knew then that the family trip we had dreamed about for nearly 4 years was finally going to happen. By the third time around the travel plans had grown with additional destinations added. The final itinerary looked like this:

• Singapore – 2 nights
• Munich – 4 nights
• Helsinki – 1 Night
• Rovaniemi – 3 Nights
• Helsinki – 1 Night
• Frankfurt – 1 Night
• New York City – 5 Nights
• Calgary – 1 Night
• Banff – 4 Nights
• Vancouver – 1 Night
• Whistler – 5 Nights
• Vancouver – 2 Nights
• Seattle – 2 Nights

Note: The one night stays were just for night time arrivals followed by a departure the next morning.

Flights taken were:

• BNE-SIN – SQ in Y
• SIN-DXB-MUC – EK in a mixture of J & F
• MUC-HEL-RVN – AY in Y
• RVN-HEL-FRA – AY in Y
• FRA-JFK – SQ in J
• JFK-YYC – WS in Y
• YYC-YVR – WS in Y
• SEA-LAX – AA in F
• LAX-SYD-BNE – QF in J

Other than the AY flights, all were award bookings.


Over the next few months the rest of the details fell into place with hotels, internal transport, activities and restaurants booked. Cold weather clothes bought, then bought some more. Suitcases packed. Then when the school term finished it was finally here! A few days with family and friends and next minute we were off!.........

Dialing in to follow this TR

 

[NoName]

Day 1 – Continued…….



It was late afternoon by this point so after a brief rest it was down the road to the local hawker centre for dinner. When we visited in April it had been closed for renovation so it was great to be able to eat there this time. Grabbed a seat and a bunch of food to get stuck in to.



Next stop was Orchard to see the xmas lights. I had never visited at this time of year and Mrs NoName was very keen to show them to us.



We wandered around for a while taking it in as well as spending some time in a couple of the malls while NoName Jnr played some pokemon video game.

Time had gotten away from us and it was now quite late. We jumped in a bus and made our way back and into bed.

 

[ADLhighflyer]

Looking forward to this report @NoName !

 

[NoName]

Day 2


Awoke the next morning and went straight down to the hawker centre again for breakfast. It’s pretty much the routine when we visit. Filled the stomachs and then after a freshen up at home we jumped on the bus then train to Marina Bay. Today we were off to Gardens By The Bay, mainly to visit the two domes. We had been to these 8 or 9 years ago and were very impressed so was looking forward to seeing them again. We dragged MIL NoName for a day out which was nice.

Sinagpore Flyer across the water.



First up was the Flower Dome which is pretty much as the name suggests. Lots of different plants and trees arranged in different sections for each part of the world. In the middle of the dome was a Christmas-themed display. This section is changed regularly depending on the season, for example when we went previously it was arranged in a Chinese new year display.

 

[NoName]

Day 2 – Continued……….



After lunching at the nearby Shake Shack (tasty but overpriced with small portions) it was time for the Cloud Forest! This dome is like a rainforest – humid, misty, big waterfall in the centre with a path going around and around all the way up to the top. There was also an Avatar theme going on with various different displays and activities (I assume) related to the movie.

Mrs NoName flying a Banshee:

By now we had been here for a maybe four hours and the time came for us to leave. We began the walk over to Marina Bay Sands and to the MRT station within. Through the Super Tree Grove:




Across the overpass, into the shopping mall, down to the station and onto the train. A few stops later and it was out onto a bus and home. After relaxing at home for a while we made the short walk to grab another dose of hawker food before calling it an early night.

 

[NoName]

Day 3



Last day in Singapore and after the usual breakfast down the road we spent most of the morning packing. By late morning we were done so decided to go to Orchard for a couple of hours, mainly to satisfy NoName Jnr’s desire to play the same Pokemon arcade game from the other night. Even after two trips to Singapore in 2022, I’m still not sure how it works. Anyway, we made our way to Takashimaya where he had played it before and endured an utterly mind-numbing 90 minutes of play.

Had a quick, small lunch then jumped on the bus home. Yep, that’s all we did! Did have a brilliant turn of events on the bus ride back though which I will explain shortly. Back home by about 2:30, last but of packing, a teary goodbye and then we were in a taxi to SIN at 4. Loads of time for our 9pm flight to DXB.

 

[LadyC]

Glad to read your trip finally went ahead. IIRC, we were both discussing skiing trips to Whistler at the end of 2020 somewhere here on AFF before the pandemic changed all our plans. I'll be interested to read about your experience at Whistler. We changed our plans and ended up going to Park City and Vail last month, both of which were great.

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued……………..



Arriving at our final routing to Munich had been a bit of a journey but the end result turned out almost perfect. I had wanted to book us straight from Australia to Europe as Singapore had not been part of the original plan, only an addition maybe 6 months out. As it turned out a lack of availability when I went to book in January had made this possible. I had only been able to book the DXB-MUC sector so did that and continually monitored for AUS-DXB awards throughout the year. We began with 1xF & 2xJ QFF classic awards on EK for DXB-MUC, booked prior to the massive increase in award co-payments.

Once we decided to add in a couple of days in SIN I began looking for options to get to DXB. This proved to be difficult for 3x PAX and so I ended up booking myself on MH/EK SIN-KUL-DXB in J/F and the other two NoNames from SIN-FRA on a KF J advantage award with a paid connection to MUC on LH a few hours later. All of us would still arrive in MUC within a few hours of each other so while not ideal, Mrs NoName was ok to go along with it.

I left the existing DXB-MUC booking for the other two as is on the off chance something opened up last minute and a couple of days before we left Australia it did – 2xF departing on the 9pm flight. This meant a 7hr transit in DXB, most of which would be without me but a better option than before. I cancelled their SQ booking and prepared to write off the paid LH sector as a no-show.

I had continued to check several times a day hoping something would open up for me on one of the direct SIN-DXB flights but my hopes were diminishing. Every time – nothing! Sitting on the bus back from Orchard 2hrs before we were planning to leave for the airport one last check and jackpot – 1xJ SIN-DXB on the same flight as the other two! Booked! Existing booking cancelled! Nice! As it turned out I really dodged a bullet with this one – the MH flight to KUL ended up being delayed a couple of hours to the point where I wouldn’t have made the connection to DXB. Phew!
Final routing and cost:

1xJ – SIN-DXB – 75,000 QFF Pts + $692.89
2xF – SIN-DXB – 215,400 QFF Pts + $1,377.55
1xF – DXB-MUC – 89,800 QFF Pts + $178.80
2xJ – DXB-MUC – 122,400 QFF Pts + $357.60

Apologies, I can’t seem to find the FX charges so AUD will have to do here.

Arrived at Changi to find the EK check in desks not yet open which was what we had expected. Given it was still another hour before they did open we were directed to the early check-in across the road at Jewell. Perfect! We were going there anyway. Made the short walk over, down to the check in and after a slight delay while the agent worked out how to check the bags all the way through to MUC given the separate booking, we left with boarding passes in hand.
Had a bit of a look around Jewell and its well done IMO. Of course it is just another shopping mall in a city full of them but it’s a decent attraction and worth spending some time here.

And of course we had to spend time at the Pokemon shop and MORE of this game!

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued……………….





Eventually we managed to drag NoName Jnr away and it was full steam ahead to the QF F lounge. Through immigration and up the escalator.

We started off at a table near the bar area and enjoyed a couple of the QF2 coughtails. These tasted great and I would happily make them my first choice next visit as well.



We were keen to get as much food down NoName’s throat as possible prior to departure so dinner was next. We grabbed a table, ordered our food and pretty quickly it was served. I have to say, the service in the restaurant in particular was brilliant. Really well done, nice staff, polished. Big plus to them.
Menu:



We ordered the S&P Squid (very sad looking), prawn wontons, chicken wings & laksa. Got a bowl of chips for NoName Jnr after he refused to try anything else.






Finished off with the pandan and kaya sponge cake for dessert (and a bowl of ice cream for the child)

 

[ellen10]

Enjoying your trip report. We had our first long stay in Singapore (8 nights) and really enjoyed it especially gardens by the bay.
Looking forward to the next instalment

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued……….





Relaxed on one of the lounges for a while after dinner. Enjoyed another couple of QF2’s as well as a drink they brought around called “Christmas In A Glass”. Can’t recall all of what was in this (suspect gin) but it was sweet, had some cinnamon and was very tasty.



My opinion of the SIN F lounge is pretty high. It’s a great lounge, love the sit down restaurant and food on offer, love the tended bar and all the drink and coughtail varieties. Its clean, reasonably spacious, great showers etc. Love that they have kept the style the same at other F lounges on the network too. Looking forward to the next visit.

A bit over an hour before departure and the time came for us to leave. Made our way towards the gate and spied the EK Lounge. Well it wasn’t quite boarding time so we might as well pay a visit.



Impressive looking gingerbread house at the EK Lounge front desk.



There was nothing really wrong with this lounge but it is quite obviously a pretty sizeable step down from the QF F lounge. It was spacious, with plenty of tables and chairs but other than pretty stock standard buffet style food area, that’s all it was. We sat down and had a quick drink and it was enjoyable enough. Verdict is that it’s fine but I wouldn’t go out of my way to spend an excessive amount of time here.





After this brief unplanned stop it was time for boarding so we made the rest of the way to the gate.



Through the gate security and immediately onto the upper deck of the plane. Mrs NoName & NoName Jnr turned left (lucky them) while I turned right and took the long walk towards the back.

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued……….




I quickly settled into my seat and a few minutes later the other two came down to see me, Mrs NoName bearing the gift of pyjamas! I went to get changed as the plane loaded, enjoyed the pre-departure champagne (or 2) and next minute we were off. The trip proper was now underway…….


SIN-DXB
EK355
A380-800
1E, 1F, 21J

J:

There was a family group of 5 or 6 who appeared to be seated all over the place in the rows around me and were trying to get the FAs to move other people so they could all be seated together. I was pretty comfortable in my seat and wasn’t going to move unless it was for the seat immediately infront of me with the seat positioned against the window (as opposed to my current seat against the aisle). No request was forthcoming so didn’t need to disappoint anyone. Food service was underway maybe an hour after departure and seemed to take forever.



J Men’s Amenities Kit:



J Menu attached to the bottom of this post.

Started off with the tea smoked duck and was not disappointed. I recall having something similar previously which was just as good. Recommend.



Went for the roasted chicken for the main. Again this was pretty good although in reality nothing special. Standard looking presentation. Maybe could have done with more sauce as I recall the last part of the rice being dry.



I had nodded off prior to the main being cleared so I ended up deciding to skip dessert. It was now quite late and with the flight only being 8hrs to a middle of the night arrival in DXB I wanted to at least try to get some sleep. Made up the bed, put on an eye shade and rolled over hoping the lights would be turned out quickly. That took a while but the cabin did go dark eventually. Only managed maybe 2hrs sleep but better than nothing. Woke up and watched something forgettable on the entertainment system in order to pass the time. Eventually the descent to DXB began and pretty quickly after that we had touched down.

 

[NoName]

Day 3 – Continued………..



F:

While my J experience had been enjoyable - comfortable but pretty stock standard - for those up the other end of the upper deck it was on quite another level. NoName Jnr in particular was quite enamoured with his surroundings. He couldn’t get enough of looking around his suite and playing with the buttons to open/close the door and mini bar.




Their food service got going in a similar timeframe. NoName Jnr didn’t eat anything of note - just some bread and the chocolate tart- from my understanding but Mrs NoName enjoyed herself.

Compulsory glass (or two) of Dom to begin.



F Menu attached to the bottom of this post.

It seems Mrs NoName switched to the Torbreck right away.



Olives served right after takeoff:



Caviar to start (of course). They have really upped the serving size since our May experience. Instead of the small tin, its now a large pile of the stuff. Love it!



Beef tenderloin for main. Did not hear of any complaints which is a good sign given how much she enjoys her steak.



And the cheese plate to finish things off.



A fairly restrained dinner for Mrs NoName but with the lovely wine to go with it she was more than satisfied.

Both were now pretty tired so it was bed time. But not before NoName Jnr tried out the shower which of course sent the thrill level soaring further. They returned with the beds made up and were quickly out for a few hours before our arrival at DXB.

 

[NoName]

Day 4




Arrival at DXB heralded Day 4, albeit was only 1 hour old. It also heralded a 7.5 hour transit which while not ideal was unavoidable. I knew this time of night was a busy period at DXB but hadn’t realised just how busy. Wow! People everywhere!

We had landed at the B gates and decided to visit the lounge in this concourse first. We would make our way to the A gates where we were departing from in a few hours. First stop was the F lounge where they unfortunately wouldn’t let me bring in 2 guests. Happy to tell me I could pay a couple of hundred dollars to bring NoName Jnr in which I nearly laughed at. The J lounge it was then. After having a quick shower (very average bathroom facilities it has to be said), we found a quiet, darkish area with a few seats which we pulled together to allow some sleep.

At some point I went for a walk around to have a look at the lounge. There were limited options at this hour but I liked the various different buffet food stations based on type of cuisine.








Managed to find the champagne bar and did a tasting of the four different varieties of Moet available.





For the record my personal preference was in order:

• Nectar Imperial
• Rose`
• Grand Vintage 2013
• NV Brut

YMMV

 

[NoName]

Day 4 – Continued……..



By 5am everyone had awoken from their nap and with a few hours to go we made the journey to the A-gates where we would be departing from to MUC.

Xmas time even in DXB



Hopped on the train and a few minutes we were where we needed to be. Went up to the lounges to await boarding. Mrs NoName went straight to the J lounge while I took NoName Jnr to the F lounge for some breakfast. I reviewed this last time so wont go into too much detail other than to say it looks like the section of lounge that was closed off in May has now been opened. It doesn’t really add anything other than making a huge lounge even bigger.

We sat down and ordered breakfast. Pretty standard and pretty good. Pancakes for NoName Jnr, full breakfast for me and some fruit smoothies to drink.




Once done we went to meet Mrs NoName in the J lounge for the last hour or so of our transit. We found her with a few spare seats waiting for us which was nice of her. Had a couple of teas/hot chocolates and after some further relaxation boarding was called and we made our way to the gate.


Quick thoughts on the lounges we visited: my thoughts are largely the same as they were in May when we visit the A-gate F lounge and that is the lounges are simple too big IMO. That serves to reduce the exclusive feeling for me but of course it is still much better than being in the main terminal. Toilet & Shower facilities in the B-gate J lounge were pretty bad, could do with a makeover and being kept cleaner/in better condition. Champagne bar was a great feature and had it not been 3 in the morning I would happily have sat there drinking for much longer. Restaurant in the A-gate F lounge was great again. Another highlight.

And so, after all that lounge time it was finally time to make our last leg to Europe……..

 

[NoName]

Day 4 – Continued………..



We approached the upper deck of yet another EK A380and once inside the tables were turned. This time it was my time in F with the others in J.

DXB-MUC
EK49
A380-800
3A, 9E, 9F


F:

I settled in to what felt like a familiar home and after a couple of pre-departure Doms we were in the air more or less on time.



FA came around to take my order soon after and then we were good to go. Given the flight was just under 7 hours I decided to skip the breakfast options in favour of going straight to lunch. Another fantastic EK F feast on its way!

F Menu attached to the bottom of this post

Wine list. Apologies, I seem to have missed the port & desert wines.




Off-menu starter.



Caviar appetiser next up. Again, a nice big serving.



Had the prawn coughtail appetiser as well and pared it with a small glass of each of the whites. Prawns tasted pretty good but this wasn’t anything too special.



Steak for main and this was very good. Beautifully cooked, lovely jus and of course the Bordeaux only made it better.



Christmas pudding for dessert which was nice. Had a glass of the dessert wine to go with it.



Finally, as if I didn’t need any more, came the cheese plate. As I always do I just asked for some of all the cheeses on the menu. I mean why not right? Enjoyed all of them other than the feta which wasn’t really to my taste.



As a finishing touch they brought around a mini gingerbread house which I thought was nice. I saved it for after arrival and ate it a couple of days later.

With the food out of the way and the stomach VERY full I decided to see what the other NoNames were doing just a few rows behind me.