The Labor day long weekend in Perth falls in early March. Very unusual time by world standards, but we’re not complaining.

We decided to take an extra day off and go to Singapore for 4 days. One of these was spent at Universal Studios, perhaps the only attraction in Singapore we haven’t seen.

We were lucky enough to be offered accommodation from our new friends Mike and Dorilyn at their house in Bedok. We’d met Mike and Dorilyn last year in Bali (Black Ops IV).

Accommodation in Singapore is expensive and to score free digs in a private house is like gold. Mike’s house is massive by Singapore standards. He had a unit in Bedok Court and was lucky enough to buy the apartment above it and convert it to a six bedroom two storey place. Jane and I had one room with ensuite and the girls had another room up stairs. Better than a hotel! We can’t thank Mike and Dorilyn for their hospitality. It was really fantastic of them to let us use their home.

We arrived late, around 2 am and caught a taxi to their place. They met us at the door and showed us to our rooms. Not much time for chit-chat – straight to bed.

The next morning we awoke fairly late and joined Mike at the local eatery for breakfast. We had the local coffee and selected some noodle dishes. Mike ordered some roti. Very nice way to start the holiday, although the girls were looking forward to a Jollibee breakfast. We promised them lunch instead.

We caught a “Grab” taxi into Bugis Juntion to start the shopping expedition. There is no Uber in Singapore. Everyone uses Grab instead, We used it a few times while we were there. It works exactly like Uber and is easy to use and reliable.

I released the chains and let the wild animals free. We shopped at Bugis Junction, Bugis street markets, then caught the MRT to Orchard road. First stop on Orchard road was Lucky Plaza and Jollibee, The girls were looking forward for their first Filipino junk food fix in over seven years. They went to town!

Although Jane bought a few pairs of shoes, the girls weren’t too successful with their shopping. Either too expensive or “too Asian” were the reasons given. hahaha

We went back home where Mike and Dorliyn’s helper had cooked a “bomb”. After filling our bellies, we spent the rest of the evening drinking and laughing.

For the second day, Dorliyn suggested the girls go to Changi City Point Mall. This mall is close to their place and specialises in factory outlet shops – and it has a Jollibee as well. Dorilyn drove the girls there and left them to their own devices. We joined Mike, Dorilyn and their kids, Shaun and Stephanie (Fifi) for chicken rice at a specialty hawker centre walking distance from their place.

The Chicken Rice was great and very cheap. Its great to get away from the touristy spots and experience great local food. Thanks again to the Harrisons.

We messaged the girls in the afternoon to see how they were going. The were loving the place and Jane decided she needed to go to (and buy even more shoes). So we caught and Grab taxi and joined them for a couple of hours, I even manged to buy myself a pair of pants.

Back home in time for Mike to drive us to one his restaurants, Boomarang. Boomarang is an Australian style sports bar and restaurant, catering for ex-pats who are tired of endless, noodles, chicken rice and laksa. Mike insisted on paying the bill. The food was very good and the service outstanding… but of course it would be for the owner.

Back home again for drinkies, tsismis and laughs.

The next morning was our Universal Studios day. We were up early have breakfast across the road and then catch a taxi to Sentosa Island. If you’re wondering why we’re catching taxis all the time, instead of taking advantage of Singapore’s wonderful public transport system it because when there’s four of you, it’s quite economical to get a taxi. Taxi (and Grab) fares are quite reasonable and of course its a door to door service. Catching the MRT would cost us four fares each time.

 

Its a long day! We got there at the park’s opening time (10.00am) and left about 7.30pm.

The park itself is not very big compared to Universal Studios in Hollywood, But there’s enough to do and see in a day. We started with the Transformers 3D ride which was pretty good. We then made our way to the park’s main attraction – the “dueling” Human vs Cylon Battlestar Gallactica roller coaster. Bettina, Bianca and I went on the Cylon one first. After a 45 minute wait time we boarded the hanging chairs and we were blasted around the track at blistering speeds. Jane joined us for the Human side of the roller coaster. This was a “car” types and was quite fast, although not as intense as the Cylon. Jane pooped her panties anyway.

We went on most other rides including the “Revenge of the Mummy” (too dark), “Jurassic Park River Rapids” (too wet), Madagascar (too kiddy) and the “Puss in Boots Giant Journey” (not bad). All were pretty good, but Bianca and I couldn’t resist going on the Cylon ride one more time. It was late in the day so there was no waiting time.

One the way home we stopped at Tampines mall to pick up some last minute pasalubongs and a quick dinner. Long and tiring day, but very enjoyable.

The next day was our flight home. Mike and Dorilyn took us to the airport, again showing us their wonderful hospitality.

It was a great little weekender. Love to do it again sometime.

We chose to stay in AirBnB accommodation, rather than hotels on this trip. The reasons were cost and flexibility. Hotels in both Paris and Amsterdam near the city centre were quite expensive. AirBnb allowed a lot of options close to major attractions with a reduced cost. Of course you don’t get all of the niceties of a Hotel, like housekeeping and fresh towels.

Paris

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/29356682

It was quite small. The shower space was very small. The bed was comfortable and the radiator heater kept the place relatively warm. The WIFI was very reliable and fast.

The location was great, just around the corner for the Eiffel Tower and 100 m from a Metro (train) station. There were plenty of restaurants in the area and a mini-supermarket right next door.

One on the main reason we chose this place is because it had an elevator. We had read many reviews of other places where there was no elevator and guests had to lug their baggage up several flights of stairs. This place had an elevator, however it was so small it would only fit one person and one suitcase. We had to take two trips!

My review on AirBnb:

We stayed at Calandra’s place for 5 nights January 2019. The place was small, but we expected that from the photos on the site. The photos are realistic. All amenities are there and working. The location is great. Right next to Bir Hakiem metro station and walking distance to Eiffel Tower. Calandra’s communication is excellent. We arrived early and Calandra kindly allowed us to check in early and offered a late check out too. The early check-in was a great relief after a long flight from Australia. I would definitely recommend this apartment for couples travelling to Paris for a short time.

 

Amsterdam

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2976795

We arrived at Amsterdam about 11 am and caught an Uber to our AirBnb north on the city. Our host Rene, met us at the door and explained how to get into the city and suggested nearby shops and restaurants. He showed us to the apartment, which was the lower level of their house. It was a beautiful space, with lots of room and a nice garden outside.

It was a fair way out side the city and getting into the city was a little difficult. There was a number of options: Walk (25 mins) down to the free ferry; Walk to the bus stop (10 mins) – bus to the metro station (3.20 euros each); Walk to the metro station (15 mins) (3.20 euros each); Uber (10-12 euros). We tried all methods, except walking directly to the Metro.  3.20 euros for such a short public transport trip seemed excessive. Uber wasn’t the fastest option either, as driving around the canals and waterways isn’t easy.What method you use all depends on the weather and how sore your feet are.

The bed was large and super comfortable. The shower was large enough and had plenty of pressure. It even had a sauna (extra cost), although we didn’t use it.

It really was a beautiful place. The only thing it lacked was a microwave oven.

Rene allowed us to check-put late at 1 pm, as we had a late-ish train back to Paris.

 

Paris over-nighter

Mercure Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle

We arrived back at Paris late and as we had an early flight in the morning we decided to grab a hotel near the airport. At around $150/night it was quite reasonable. It was nice, but nothing special. One annoyance was the WIFI wasn’t working when we arrived. It was working by the morning.

We ate in their restaurant “before PARIS“. We shared a steak and fries and a couple of glasses of Proseco. The steak was cooked to perfection. Very delicious.

My Tripadvisor review:

We stayed here one night to be close to the airport for an early flight out of Paris. We just needed a nice room, shower and WIFI.
The room was nice, clean and comfortable. The shower was ok (although, in a bathtub)
But the hotel WIFI was not operational when we checked in. This was important to us to communicate to family back in Australia.
The WIFI was working again by the morning, but it was quite annoying. The front desk staff apologised, but didn’t really seem to care. 
For this alone I’m marking the rating down

 

Our third and last full day in the Netherlands was dominated by a tour to Zaanse Shans, Marken and Volendam. This tour took us to the Dutch countryside, which is only really 30 minutes from the city. The scenery quickly changes from urban to rural in minutes.

The Dutch countryside in a word is flat. Low lying ground, mostly under sea level is carefully managed to prevent flooding. The Dutch are masters at water management.

First stop was Zaanse Shans to see the Dutch iconic windmills. The tour guide took us into an operational windmill to listen to the Miller explain how it all works. This particular windmill is used to cut wood. 400 years ago this was a major advancement in technology and enabled the Netherlands to create a vast navy.

The second stop was the town of Marken to see clogs being made. Marken was an island that has been converted to an peninsula by the construction of a long dyke.

We then caught a boat to Volendam. Voledam is a sea side fishing village. It reminded me of Fremantle with bars and cafes on the water, the smell of the sea and sea gulls cawing.

We had a cheese making demonstration with free tastings. All the cheeses were great. We bought two of the aged Edam cheeses.

We we’re funneled into a restaurant for lunch. They assured us they authentic Dutch dishes here, like Kipfler – which just looked like fish and chips to me. Jane and I shared a seafood soup.

We explored the town by ourselves for a little bit before watching he Stroopwafels demonstration. Stroopwafels are delicious. We bought a few packets to bring home.

Back into city. We had a canal cruise as part of the countryside tour and even though we’d already been on one we did it again. This time it was packed and we had to sit on the outside part. It was freezing!

We continued to explore the city, shops, red light districts, sex stores and coffee shops.

They really enjoy the high life here.

The next day we prepared for our train ride back to Paris.

The weather was gloomy so the scenery wasn’t much to watch. We arrived in Paris about 8 pm and got an Uber to our hotel near the airport for our last night in Europe.

I’m sitting here at Charles De Gaulle airport waiting for our long flight to Singapore when onto Perth. I’m reflecting on our wonderful trip. Highlights for me were: seeing the Eiffel tower for the first time; our first french meal of cheese, meats and bread; Montmarte tour; Anne Franks house; the Windmills at Zaanse Shans.

We really had a great time, although some sadness with news we lost out little friend.

One of the main reasons we wanted to visit Amsterdam was to see Anne Frank’s house. Jane has read her diary (and seen the movie) and is fascinated by her story. We had booked tickets before the trip. The museum was very well done. There was a route through the main house and annex where the family hid from the Germans for over two years. Each room had a running commentary of the things that happened. Knowing the story is one thing, being in the place where it actually happened was quite eerie. I thoroughly recommend the tour, although it leaves you with a reminder of the terrible things that happened at that time. Unfortunately photos inside the house are no permitted, so I cannot share any photos here.

We continued walking the streets of Amsterdam and stopped for lunch in Wurst & Schnitzelhaus, a German restaurant. They had a schnitzel lunch offer for 9 euros.

After lunch we walked down to the Van Gogh museum. I’d always had an interest in Vincent van Gogh ever since primary school where I wrote an assignment on the man. It was also interesting because we’d previously visited Montmarte, where Van Gogh lived after moving to Paris. When we got to the museum we were told they had “sold out” and there were no more tickets for the day. Bummer.

We decided to go to the Rijksmuseum instead which was right next door. This is the biggest museum in Amsterdam and has works of Van Gogh and Rembrandt.

We walked back into the city and through the streets of the red light district. It was fascinating to see the girls in the windows selling their “wares”. No photos allowed though.

We ate dinner at Saint Morris Argentinian Restaurant. Its funny when you’re in a city, you can find all sorts of cuisines, other than that of the host country. There were no Dutch style restaurants to be found. We shared a steak, chips and salad. Jane ordered a side of Chicken wings.  We managed to eat it all, after our epic walking day.

Later back at the house we realised we’d walked 11.8 km. We still have time for a glass of wine before bed.

 

 

 

for Chewy. 1/2/2019

 

We awoke early to catch the Metro to Gare du Nord, The busiest train station in Europe for our train trip to Amsterdam.

We arrived at Gare du Nord with the news that Chewy, our beloved dog was coughing badly and gasping for breath. Bettina, at home in Perth was messaging us asking what should do. We told her to take chewy to the vet. Chewy had been coughing for months and over the last few weeks he was eventually diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. We didn’t know how long he’d last. I felt confident we had a few more months with him. The vet rang me and confirmed our biggest fears. Chewy was struggling to breathe and was deteriorating fast. She recommended we send him to heaven.

It was a heartbreaking moment and relating that to Bettina over the phone was extremely sad. Bettina loved Chewy dearly and I knew this was probably the hardest thing she has ever done. To her credit she knew what had to be done and her and Bianca were there with him at the end. It was hard for Jane and I to be so far away during this time. Out train ride to Amsterdam was very solemn.

We arrived at Amsterdam about 11 am and caught an Uber to our AirBnb north on the city. Our host Rene, met us at the door and explained how to get into the city and suggested nearby shops and restaurants. He showed us to the apartment, which was the lower level of their house. It was a beautiful space, with lots of room and a nice garden outside. As we were unpacking it started to snow, So beautiful.

We then walked down the canal to catch the free ferry into the city.

My first impression of Amsterdam: I smells like marijuana. I knew it was legal here, but I never expected to smell it everywhere. It was mostly when you past people on the street you can smell it on their clothes. Very odd!

We decided to do a canal cruise straight away to get a feel for the city and get around with walking so much. It was quite interesting with lots of bridges and buildings.

We walked around the city and bought some cheese, meats and bread to take home for dinner. We stopped at the Centraal station to have a beer and reminisce about our old mate before Ubering home.

Rest in peace little buddy.

Day Four in Paris.

Laundry

As I mentioned in the previous post, we had damp underwear we had to dry. There was a laundromat near our apartment and within 10 minutes we had dry thermals again.

On the way back we stumbled upon a market under the railway tracks selling everything from socks to fish. Jane couldn’t resist and bought herself a jacket. I bought a extra thick beanie.

We had Breakfast at Secco Patisserie. This was a delight. I ordered a ham and cheese baguette, Jane had a plain crepe and a small croissant.

After, we continued strolling through the markets.

Lunch

When we got back to apartment we changed and got ready for our lunch at the Eiffel Tower. I had booked this before the trip. It allowed us to skip the line to go up the tower and to tick off one of Jane’s “must dos”.

The lunch was a “picnic” style 3 course lunch with a beer or wine. We were lucky enough to get a window seat. We were looking out over the Seine towards Trocadero. It was a clear day, so we were feeling magical. It was really a nice lunch.

Unfortunately the top level of the tower was closed for renovation. A disadvantage of travelling in the off-peak season I guess.

Louvre

After lunch we decided to visit the world famous Musée du Louvre. This is probably the best known museum in the world, and is home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

We arrived fairly late which meant no queue to get in. We didn’t have time to see much. The tour guide said you need months to see all 35,000 pieces, Like 80% of visitors we headed straight towards the Mona Lisa, or as the French call her “La Joconde“. There was a big crowd all around it all trying getting a small Mona Lisa image on the their phone.

We spent the remaining time strolling trough random rooms. We stumbled across the Egyptian exhibition which was cool. We kept having to stop and sit to ease our aching feet.

We left the Louvre and made our way to Rome on the Metro.

Rome

No we didn’t go to the Rome. We met Jane’s Aunty in Rome, Paris, just outside the city. Jane hadn’t seen Tita Del in around 20 years. It was nice to catch up with her and her 20 year old son Jay. They treated us to dinner at Mama Primi a very nice Italian restaurant. Jay impressed us with his fluent French and ordered a couple of cheese starters, then two pizzas. Jane had a Bloody Mary and I had a Himalayan Mule. All the food and drinks were delicious. The only problem was we had an outside table and it was very difficult to stay warm. We finished with coffee at a nearby coffee shop. It was a nice evening and was great to meet Del and Jay.

 

Day Five in Paris.

This was our last day in Paris, before travelling to Amsterdam in the morning.

We decided to take things easy as do some shopping.

We traveled to La Défense. The business district with a large shopping mall on the outskirts of the city. Jane bought some stuff for the girls at Sephora.

We caught the Metro back into the city to the Garnier Opera house. This is arguably the most famous opera house in the world and is the setting for the book (play/musical) “The Phantom of the Opera“. This truly an opulent building. So much artistry from the window knobs to the ceilings. It’s hard to imagine building a place like this.

We left the opera house and intended to go to the Musée d’Orsay but our feet were screaming “no more!” at us so we decided to head home for dinner and rest.

We had dinner at Bistro Dupleix near the apartment. We decided to be very french and ordered escargots in garlic butter. We also shared the confit duck leg and potatoes. Very nice way to round out a tiring day.

Big day tomorrow. Off to Amsterdam.

Tuesday we woke early again. We ate left overs for breakfast and went out at sunrise for some more photos. This time at the bridge at Bir Hakiem near our apartment. The bridge has a sculpture of Joan of Arc overlooking the Seine.

We then made our way around the tower to join up with a hop-on-hop-bus. We hadn’t booked it, but I knew we could pay on the bus. We chose Big Bus. It has two bus lines and a boat ride up and down the Seine.

We braved the cold and sat on the top deck. And it was cold!

The red route took as past all the popular tourist attractions including the Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, Louvre, Place Vendôme, Notre Dame, Musée D’orsay, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais / Petit Palais, Trocadéro. We decided to hop off on the Champs Elysées. We took some photos of the Arc de Triomphe, braving the traffic in the middle of the road like all the other tourists. I wanted to buy my watch at Skagen and Jane did some perfume shopping. We had a coffee and Nutella crepe because we were freezing.

 

Back on board the bus. This particular bus had a English speaking guide who was quite entertaining.

We rode right around again and alighted at the Garnier Opera. We will visit this Grand Opera house later, but now Jane wanted to do some shopping at Galeries Lafayette. When first entered we were confronted with foods of every kind. It was hard to resist buying something. We caved and bought a couple of macarons. When is France…

 

We transferred to the Blue bus line. This line went through Montmarte, Sacre Coeur and Gare du Nord. As we’d already experienced Montmarte on our walking tour, we stayed on the bus on the lower deck out of the cold.

We transferred back to red line to go the boat terminal near the Eiffel Tower. We had a 40 minute wait in the cold for the next boat. On hindsight, it probably wasn’t worth it. The boat ride was nice enough, but quite hard to see things properly at night from inside the boat. The ride was from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame and back taking about one hour. When we got back it was snowing. The first snow we’d seen in Paris.

We had dinner on the walk back to the apartment at Le Bistro de la tour – nothing special.

Back at the apartment we decided to wash out thermal underwear. We both have been wearing it for a few days now and needed a freshen up. It was hard to use the washing machine because all the instructions were it French (of course). We translated some words and pressed a few buttons and got it working. We soon realised it was only a washer – not a dryer. So we would have to find a laundromat tomorrow – we really need them.

Our body clocks were still adjusting to French time so we woke early – 5am and it was a good three and a half hours until sunrise. We ate our leftover cheese and bread from the day before’s lunch before getting up to walk to Place du Trocadéro for a sunrise photo shoot of the Eiffel Tower. We have seen many photos from this spot and Jane wanted to do a fashion shoot from there.

We were in luck, the sunrise was stunning.

We caught an Uber to the Moulin Rouge, We weren’t yet savvy with the metro so we thought we’d better take the safe option because we had a 10.30 deadline for our Walking tour on Montmartre. Turns out we got there early. As we’d eaten breakfast early and it was a little chilly we had a ham, cheese and egg crepe from a street side stall. Another Paris “must do”. It was delicious and really hit the spot.

Montmartre is an old village style part of Paris best know for the birth place of Bohemia and artists challenging the old rules of art, Artists such as Picasso, Toulouse Lautrec and Van Gogh lived there. It was also the seedy part of town where both the rich and poor came to have fun. The Moulin Rouge and its famous Can Can dance also grew out of this area,

Personally, I loved the narrow cobbled streets, the little shops and cafes and the quaint buildings. Parisennes love the area and work hard to retain its charm.

We made out way through the winding streets, forever climbing the hill to Sacre Coeur. Our guide had many stories about the artists and establishments of the time. I’m glad we did to walking tour to really get a feel for the area, Later we caught the hop on hop off bus and drove through the area. It didn’t have the same impact as actually walking through the streets yourself. I thoroughly recommend the walking tour.

The tour concluded at the magnificent Sacre Coeur Basilica. As its an active church, it has free entry, After we sat on the steps with some mulled wine and gazed over the commanding views over the city.  A man was playing harp. It seemed too magical to be true.

We then made our way via the Metro to the famous Notre-Dame in the Île de la Cité.

Notre-Dame is a stunning cathedral, although viewing directly after Sacre Coeur, it seemed a little less magnificent. I would suggest seeing them on different days,

We crossed the Seine and had a late lunch a Cafe Panis I ordered a chicken club sandwich which of course I couldn’t finish. Jane had a baguette with jam. Jane raved about her hot chocolate.

Home for a short nap then back around the Eiffel Tower for some night shots. We stopped for dinner at a nearby cafe and ordered (too much again) four cheese spaghetti before hitting the sack exhausted.

Paris and Amsterdam here we come!

We left Perth on Saturday afternoon. We arrived Singapore 10.45 pm for our connecting flight to Paris at 12.15 am. We are flying my favourite airline, Singapore Airlines. The fourteen hour trip to Paris was going to be the longest flight we’d ever taken.

I took a gamble and selected one window seat and one aisle seat, leaving a seat in between us hoping that someone wouldn’t book a single seat in the middle. It worked! Genius! That meant Jane and I had 3 seats to share for the flight. We could stretch out for a better sleep. There was a lot of turbulence which made the ride quite bumpy. Jane couldn’t sleep very well. I got enough to be fresh when we arrived at 7 am.

I was hoping to get a view of Paris from the the plane as we approached, but of course winter in the northern hemisphere meant it was still dark. The sun doesn’t rise until 8.30 am. So we arrived in darkness.

Clearing immigration and collecting our baggage was straight forward. Now comes the interesting part – catching the train to our AirBnB accommodation. We consulted the tourist information kiosk. He said to catch the shuttle to terminal one and catch the train into Paris and change to the “6” train at Denfert-Rochereau station. When we arrived we had to navigate to the number 6 line. This proved difficult with many stairways up and down with two 20 kg bags. Its going to be a lot more difficult going home with 30 kg … after Jane’s shopping. We got to the 6 line and promptly got on the train going the wrong direction. We quickly realised and proceeded to alight on the next station, but we couldn’t work out how to open the doors – the train took off before we could open the doors. The locals on the train must have thought was hilarious. Onto the next station – success! Now up and down more stairs to get to the opposite platform.

We made it to Bir Hakiem station no problem. Our AirBnB apartment was pretty close the train station. It was now 10 am and luckily our host allowed us to check in early, otherwise we’d have to wait around until 2 pm.

The Apartment was very small as we expected, but it’s comfortable and clean.

We unpacked and changed into warmer clothes – time to see the Eiffel Tower.

The Tour de Eiffel was walking distance from our apartment, as we rounded the corner there it was – so exciting – out very first look and the tower had an Australian flag in the foreground – it was like it was welcoming us to Paris – so surreal!

We spent the next few hours walking around taking a million photos. As we were walking I realised we were half way to the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe So we continued our walk.

We took in the sites and but this time we were getting hungry for lunch. I’d heard that the Champs Elysees was a tourist trap for eats, so we made our way off the main drag and found a nice french brasserie called L’étoile Vénitienne. We ordered french wine, and a cheese platter with bread and cold meats. A wonderful first meal in Paris. We couldn’t finish it, so we took it home for breakfast the next morning.

We decided to walk back to Place du Trocadéro to check out the view of the Eiffel Tower for a photo shoot the next day. The rain and wind set in and on the way it became so unbearable we decided to catch an Uber back to the apartment. Jet lag caught up with us and we decided to have a nanna-nap. At 8 pm we got up and decided to find somewhere to eat. We walked around the neighbourhood and find a Chinese restaurant, Jia Yan and had some soup.

Back to bed, still tired.

We woke up at 5 am the next morning and decided wait for the sunrise and do a photo-shoot.

Many people have asked me “Alan, what music do you listen to when you fly to Bali?”. Well …actually no one’s asked me that, but I’m going to tell you anyway.

The flight to Bali is 3 hours 40 minutes. With say, 20 minutes take off (please switch off all electronic equipment) and 20 minutes landing, that leaves a clean 3 hours of music listening time. And I mean listening. Most of us don’t get the time these days to just sit and listen to music, so it’s a great opportunity to sit down and really listen to the lyrics and music.

For this ride, you’ll need a good pair of noise cancelling headphones, a travel partner that won’t interrupt you (Jane I’m talking to you), fly on a budget airline so there’s no food served. This next 180 minutes is just “me-time”.

I didn’t just choose my favourite songs. I’ve chosen songs that a generally long, have interesting lyrics, or demonstrate skilful instrument or composition craft. Some of my favourite songs are not on this list.

Fasten your seat belt, watch to the safety demonstration, suck your Jila mints. Ready for take off.

Once the seat belt sign is switched off get into your zen mode. Don’t get distracted by the bogans behind you getting into their duty free or the flight attendants offering you Bintang and Pringles. Stay focused.

Let’s begin

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Two Tribes (For the Victims of Ravishment) – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Peter Gill, Holly Johnson, Mark O’Toole
Album: “Welcome to the Pleasuredome” (1984)
Length: 9:07

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present-
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
Possibly the most important thing.
This side of the world.

We start with Frankie Goes To Hollywood. For some reason, I love listening to Frankie on a Plane. I sometimes listen to the whole Welcome to the Pleasuredome of album on a flight. I’ve chosen “Two Tribes” for the first song. An obvious anti-war song.

For those that know me, you know I’m not really into electronic dance music. But I love Frankie because they combine the music with interesting snippets like “the last voice” and Ronald Reagan quotes. The “last voice” features throughout the album. Its a chilling reminder of a BBC announcer voiced by Patrick Allen with instructions in the event of nuclear war… “If your grandmother or any other member of your family should die whilst in the shelter, Put them outside, but remember to tag them first for identification purposes.”

Ronald Reagan quotes punctuates the song trivialising war… “Just think, war breaks out and nobody turns up.”

Frankie has the most pertinent phrase in the song though commenting on America’s agenda…

I’m working for the black gas

Lyrics aside, I love the way the music builds up, teasing you that something is coming, then to start again. The first half of the song is instrumental, building up letting down and then building up again… then bang…

When two tribes go to war
One is all that you can score

Lyrics: 7
Music: 9
Meaning: 8 (perhaps a bit outdated)
Goosebump factor: 9
A few words: anti-war dance song (hahaha)

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Long Road out of Eden – The Eagles
Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B Schmit
Album: “Long Road out of Eden” (2007)
Length: 10:17

Probably not a well known Eagles song. It’s the title track from their last album. Another anti-war song. More current that Frankie’s Two Tribes, but the sentiment is the same. America meddling in other peoples wars to protect their oil interests.

Behold the bitten apple, the power of the tools
But all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools
And it’s a long road out of Eden

It’s not a typical song for the Eagles. They’re seldom political.

The music is great as always. I’ve seen them in concert twice and their performance is flawless. Music, guitars and those famous harmonies.

Lyrics: 8
Music: 8
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: gimme another slice of that barbecued brisket

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Telegraph Road – Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler
Album: “Love over Gold” (1982)
Length: 14:18

This is my favourite song, so I’m going to be biased. The music is brilliant, lyrics are emotive and the song is about Geography… what more can you ask?

A long time ago came a man on a track
Walking thirty miles with a sack on his back
And he put down his load where he thought it was the best
Made a home in the wilderness

Its a long song – over 14 minutes. But it deserves that length. It follows the history from a “Dusty old Track” to a decaying metropolis. The lyrics a separated by musical interludes of piano – then Knopfler’s guitar. Piano in Dire Straits songs is a bit of a rarity. They’re a strong guitar band. The play between piano and guitar in this song is the highlight for me. It says, to me anyway, that the piano part is staying “everything is ok – get on with life”. It’s overtaken with the guitar piece saying “no, everything is turning to shit”.

And the birds up on the wires on the telegraph poles
They can always fly away from this rain and this cold
You can hear them singing out their telegraph code
All the way down the Telegraph Road

After the final verse the piano and guitar is joined by strong percussion with a final explosion of music. I’m getting goosebumps just writing about it.

Lyrics: 10
Music: 10
Meaning: 10
Goosebump factor: 10
A few words: masterpiece

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Adam’s Song – Blink 182
Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge
Album: “Enema Of The State” (1999)
Length: 4:09

A shortish song, but I had to include a Blink 182 here.

It’s a song about depression and suicide. The band wrote this about the loneliness of being on tour away from their loved ones. Other reports say the song is influenced my a suicide email received by Mark Hoppus.

I traced the cord back to the wall,
no wonder it was never plugged in at all

Its the more serious song by the band, who’re typically more lighthearted in their compositions. It was nearly left off the album, Hoppus saying it was too depressing.

Lyrics: 8
Music: 8
Meaning: 9
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: serious song from a good-time band

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Year of the Cat – Al Stewart
Al Stewart, Peter Wood
Album: “Year of the Cat” (1976)
Length: 6:40 (album version)

Year of the Cat was one of the first albums (yeah… LP vinyl) I bought. I played it to death. Every song is a delight.

Year of the Cat song is probably the best known Al Stewart song. It tells the tale of a holiday romance in a “country where they turned back time”. It’s produced by the legendary Alan Parsons. The protagonist is a tourist that gets mesmerised by a girl in the “Year of the Cat”. He follows her and stays with her and misses his bus home (or wherever hes going next).

By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
There’s a hidden door she leads you to
These days, she says, I feel my life
Just like a river running through
The year of the cat

Year of the Cat is references the Vietnamese Zodiac. The song was actually written in the year of the cat, which is the same as the Chinese year of the Rabbit. I was born in the year of the rabbit, so maybe this is why this song speaks to me.

Musically the song is complex, encompassing cello, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. The transition between solos of some of these instruments is extraordinary.

Lyrics: 9
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 9
A few words: this should happen to everyone at least once

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Jesus of Suburbia – Green Day
I. “Jesus of Suburbia”
II. “City of the Damned”
III. “I Don’t Care”
IV. “Dearly Beloved”
V. “Tales of Another Broken Home”
Billie Joe Armstrong
Album “American Idiot” (2004)
Length: 9:08

From Green Day’s epic album “American Idiot“, my favourite album. Two American Idiot songs appear on this playlist. Jesus of Suburbia is the story of the protagonist leaving home after being disgruntled over his parents and life at home. The second song on the play list on my play list is “Homecoming” where “Jesus” returns home.

I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this song played live twice. The transition into each of the five parts of the song is something to behold.

And there’s nothing wrong with me
This is how I’m supposed to be
In a land of make believe
That don’t believe in me

Lyrics: 9
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 10
A few words: classic punk-pop

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Ball and Biscuit – White Stripes
Jack White
Album “Elephant” (2002)
Length: 7:18

The main reason this song appears on my play list is the fantastic raw guitar of Jack White.

The song has simple lyrics. About a guy convincing a girl to sleep with him. “Ball and a Biscuit” is an obvious euphemism for sex, but I cannot find anywhere where it originated from.

And right now you could care less about me
But soon enough you will care by the time I’m done

White’s guitar work is sensational and almost talks ala Jimmy Hendrix.

Lyrics: 6
Music: 10
Meaning: 7
Goosebump factor: 10
A few words: if I had 3 wishes, one of them would be to able to play guitar like this

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Brother where you Bound – Supertramp
Rick Davies
Album “Brother where you Bound” (1984)
Length: 16:30

Title track of Supertramp’s first album after founding member Roger Hodgson left the band. The album has a distinctively different sound than Supertramp’s previous albums.

Brother where you Bound is a long song and bears a similarity to the bands 1977 song “A Fools Overture” (also on this playlist). This song deals with the Cold War, where Fool’s Overture deals with WW2 and British politicians.

It features Dave Gilmore (Pink Floyd) and Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) on guitars.

Boy you ain’t got no heart and soul
And your mind is weak and your blood’s runnin’ cold

The song starts with excerpt from George Orwell’s 1984 – has a strong lyrical start with a lengthy musical interlude. The percussion features the Phil Collins Drum sound which shaped 80s music.

Lyrics: 8
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 8
A few words: updated Fool’s Overture

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25 or 6 to 4 – Chicago
Robert Lamm
Album “Chicago” (1970)
Length: 4:49

A short song with few lyrics. Again this song was chose for the superb 70s style guitar work of Terry Kath.

It’s from Chicago’s second album – before they started numbering their albums and their first under the name Chicago. Their first album was as “Chicago Transit Authority. The song also appears on their greatest hits album Chicago IX.

The song was written by Robert Lamm and features Peter Cetera on vocals. Peter Cetera would eventually lead the band’s demise (in my opinion) after his association with producer David Foster.

It’s a simple story about Lamm staying up late (3.34 or 3.35 am) trying to write a song.

But to me this song is all about guitarist Terry Kath. Kath was a founding member of Chicago and lead guitarist. His guitar work along with the horn section defined Chicago’s sound. Kath tragically died aged 31 in a freak accident on 1978 after an accidental gun shot to the head. Kath was a legendary guitar player and said to be Jimmy Hendrix’s favourite guitarist. Such a shame he was taken early.

If nothing else, listen to the “wap wap” of Kath’s guitar.

The “horns” aren’t to shabby either. Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn and James Pankow – trombone

My only criticism of this song is it’s too short… so listen to it twice

Lyrics: 6
Music: 10
Meaning: 6
Goosebump factor: 9
A few words: RIP Terry Kath

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Homecoming – Green Day
I. “The Death of St. Jimmy”
II. “East 12th St.”
III. “Nobody Likes You” (Mike Dirnt)
IV. “Rock and Roll Girlfriend” (Tré Cool)
V. “We’re Coming Home Again”
Billie Joe Armstrong
Album “American Idiot” (2004)
Length: 9:18

As discussed in Jesus of Suburbia, this song is the return home of the protagonist, Jesus.

It’s very similar in makeup to Jesus of Suburbia, in that it comprises of five parts, each with great transitions into each other. Parts III and IV feature vocals from other band members Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool respectively. I can’t think of any other Green Day songs where its not just Billy Joe Armstrong on lead vocals.

Somebody get me out of there
Anybody get me out of there
Somebody get me out of here
Get me the fuck right out of there

Lyrics: 8
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 9
A few words: classic pop-punk II

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Tunnel of Love – Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (Carousel Waltz Intro))
Album “Making Movies” (1981)
Length: 8:11

Dire Straits had three previous albums before Making Movies. They had huge success with Sultans of Swing, but I wasn’t really impressed. But I remember driving home from work one day and Tunnel of Love came on the radio. I loved it and immediately bought the album (cassette). I’ve been a Dire Straits fan ever since.

It’s about a short romance in a fair ground. Knopfler references the Spanish City in Whitley Bay, a place where he had fond memories as a child. Tunnel of Love was played every morning when the fair opened in the years before it closed in 2002. I was surprised to see it refurbished and reopened in 2018.

In a screaming ring of faces I seen her standing in the light
She had a ticket for the races just like me she was a victim of the night

Knopfler’s guitar is stunning as always. You get caught up in the atmosphere of the carnival and the romance. It’s heart breaking, although somehow you understand when they part.

And in the roar of dust and diesel I stood and watched her walk away
I could have caught up with her easy enough but something must have made me stay

Lyrics: 9
Music: 10
Meaning: 9
Goosebump factor: 8
A few words: in the roar of dust and diesel

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Common People – William Shatner
Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior (Pulp)
Album “Has Been” (2004)
Length: 4:40

A recent remake of Pulp’s song Common People.

Obviously William Shatner is a legend on the big screen, but his curious partnership with the genius Ben Folds produced this gem. But it needed something else… enter Joe Jackson, another legend (according to me).

I’m a huge Ben Folds and Joe Jackson fan, and when I heard thy collaborated on this song, I was in heaven.

 

The song is about a spoiled rich girl who wants to experience live as a common person. Of course its impossible because she’ll always have a safety net.

But still you’ll never get it right,
‘Cause when you’re laid in bed at night,
Watching roaches climb the wall,
If you called your Dad he could stop it all.

The lyrics are clever, but the highlight for me is the combination of Shatner’s spoken word and Jackson’s singing. They start taking turns, then they’re overlapping each other, then they come together in the song’s conclusion. Its a credit to Folds’ composition craft.

Lyrics: 9
Music: 10
Meaning: 10
Goosebump factor: 10
A few words: three legends combine

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Hotel California – The Eagles
Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey
Album “Hotel California” (1977)
Length: 6:30

Everyone will know this classic from the Eagles.

What’s it about? So much debate on this.

The band have come out and said its about the Los Angeles lifestyle in the 1970s. Getting sucked into to champagne and high life. The band had tasted success at this stage and moved to California to work on their next album “Hotel California”. The album would go on to become one of the most successful albums of all time.

To me though, the song is about heroin. Hotel California is heroin.
…Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
…Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
…And she said, ‘we are all just prisoners here, of our own device’
…But they just can’t kill the beast

And of course the classic line…

‘Relax’ said the night man,
‘We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you can never leave!’

The band said he song is always open to interpretation. That’s my interpretation.

After the words comes a lengthy dual guitar part. The genius of Don Felder and Joe Walsh shine.

Lyrics: 10
Music: 10
Meaning: 10
Goosebump factor: 8
A few words: A classic

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Life During Wartime (Stop Making Sense album version) – Talking Heads
David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth
Album “Stop Making Sense” (1984)
Length: 5:51

I feel in love with the song after seeing it played live on the Stop Making Sense movie. Check out the video on youtube when you’re not on a plane. The song starts with the strong jogging beat. All front members of the band start jogging on the spot. At the end of the song lead singer, David Byrne is jogging laps of the stage.

The song is exactly as the title says. It describes what life would be like during wartime. One of the less cryptic Talking Heads songs.

We dress like students, we dress like housewives,
Or in a suit and a tie
I changed my hairstyle, so many times now,
I don’t know what I look like!

Lyrics: 8
Music: 8
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 8
A few words: If I ever took up jogging, I’d only jog to this song

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Fool’s Overture – Supertramp
Rick Davies, Roger Hodgson
Album “Even in the Quietest Moments…” (1977)
Length: 10:52

Roger Hodgson claims this song is about the fall of humanity around the start of WWII.

It starts with Winston Churchill’s famous “Never Surrender” speech in 1940.

Many writers have interpreted the song around the demise of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who resigned as Hitler was marching through Europe. I’m not sure he’s the “Fool” in the song.

I just think its a commentary on men fighting with men to their own downfall. “Man” is the fool.

Called the man a fool, stripped him of his pride
Everyone was laughing up until the day he died
And though the wound went deep
Still he’s calling us out of our sleep

I love the flow of the song, but I just wish the percussion was more pronounced. It seems a little weak in that regard. A bolder deeper drum line would dramatise the song more. Perhaps this is Hodgson’s legacy keeping Supertramp a piano focused band at that stage. I drew comparisons to the band’s more recent song “Brother Where You Bound” earlier. That song has a very strong and dramatic percussion – written my Rick Davies, without Roger Hodgson’s involvement.

Lyrics: 8
Music: 6
Meaning: 7
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: needs more bass

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Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan
Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
Album “Gaucho” (1980)
Length: 5:10

I love the music in this song. Steely Dan were way ahead of their time. Their music holds up today.

This song is about an older gentleman with a nineteen year old girlfriend. The differences they have. You can tell throughout the song that the singer knows the relationship is doomed.

Hey Nineteen
That’s ‘Retha Franklin
She don’t remember the Queen of Soul

The jazz music style is sharp and clean.

The last three verses make reference to “Cuervo Gold” – Tequila and the “Fine Colombian” which is said to be marijuana, not cocaine.

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

A curious end to the song. I’m not sure what it means. Perhaps the singer knows his relationship is doomed to fail – so he’s dulling the pain.

Lyrics: 7
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: smooth as silk

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Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I – V)- Pink Floyd
David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Richard Wright
Album – “Wish You Were Here” (1975)
Length: 13:32

Of course Pink Floyd had to make an appearance. They are masters of the epic long songs. There’s a number of their songs that could have been included here. “Dogs”, “Set the controls for the heart of the sun”, “Echoes”. I settled on Shine on you Crazy Diamond – but only parts I – V. Adding the additional five parts takes the song to over 26 minutes. Too long for a trip to Bali.

The song is a tribute to Syd Barrett one of the bands founding members. Barrett suffered mental issues after experimenting with psychedelic drugs.

Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.

 

Lyrics: 8
Music: 10
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: shine like the sun

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Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice (Sloth) – Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson
Album – “Heaven and Hell” (1997)
Length: 8:36

From Joe Jackson’s concept album Heaven and Hell, a music interpretation on the seven deadly sins. This song is “Sloth”. It has a slow lazy beat and features the vocals of Brad Roberts from Crash Test Dummies. Roberts’ bass-baritone voice is a perfect fit for the sloth like character in the song.

Waiting for worlds to collide in the comfort of home
They say Lucifer’s free
What shall we do?
Don’t …ask ….me

This is a masterful composition from Jackson and expertly portrays the sloth in all of us.

Lyrics: 9
Music: 9
Meaning: 9
Goosebump factor: 9
A few words: Can’t be bothered writing a few words

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30,000 Pounds of Bananas (Greatest Stories Live version) – Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin
Album: “Greatest Stories Live” (1976)
Length: 11:28

I just had to have a Harry Chapin song on here. There was many to choose from. “Taxi”, “Mr Tanner”, “A Better Place to Be” could have easily made it onto this list. Chapin is a master story teller, accomplished entertainer, producer and humanitarian. It would have been awesome to see him in concert. He died tragically in a car accident in 1981 aged just 39.

I chose this song because it best portrays Chapin as an entertainer. Its based around the true story of a 35-year-old truck driver, Eugene P. Sesky, was on his way to deliver a load of bananas to Scranton, Pennsylvania, loses control of the truck and crashes. Chapin plays a fictional account of the story and  in the live performance of the song plays alternate endings.

Because its a country song it should have a country ending
Something about motherhood this time
Because the song already has a truck

He plays with the audience and has them wrapped around his finger.

There are other versions of this song with even more alternative endings.

Lyrics: 9
Music: 8
Meaning: 8
Goosebump factor: 7
A few words: wish I’d seen that live performance

 

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Other songs that could have made it on my list

Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

American Pie – Don McLean

Taxi – Harry Chapin

Welcome to the Pleasuredome – Frankie goes to Hollywood

Private Investigations – Dire Straits

Piano man – Billy Joel

 

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References

https://en.wikipedia.org

https://www.songfacts.com

https://songmeanings.com/

http://www.rogerhodgson.com/

https://genius.com