Farewell to Paris...a rest at Raffles..sites seeing Singapore
A bad flight but an nice night

The last day in paris we had planned to dispatch out excess clothing and then have a nice dinner out before heading off to CDG Airport for the flight to Singapore. The Scottish poet was rignt. Plans are apt to go astray. Maybe Paris is punishing us for having such a good time at her ( or is his) expense or maybe is just bad luck. After a marvellous dinner just down the Rue Ilse en Saint Louis Margie is sick. She thinks that 3 months of French food have overcome her digestive capacity. She makes a valient effort to see it off with a last trip to the Louvre she finally gives in and retires. No last romantic dinner so i take a walk on the Rive Gauche and find an English Pub with the rugby between Toulon & Cardiff Blues on live. Toulon have bought at least half the world's best rugby players and so the clean up Cardiff. I do however get see Freedy Mishelak (current French flyhalf) Johnny Wilkinson and Matt Giteau play in the one game.At half time I wander out down the road 50's and buy a takeaway Salmon & Spinach Quiche.It is so good I almost give up being a real man but its soon gone and I'm back to the Pub to have a pint of Black Beer and watch the rest of the game. This is really a great city.
Margie make a partial recovery and so are off to join the flight to Singapore. Our tickets are booked through Qantas but the flight is oprated by French Airlines. We arrive early and have booked in about 3 hours before the scheduled departure. Despite this Margie and I are not seated together. Nor is there any possibility of an upgrade. Worse still because my ticket was Qantas and the flight is AirFrance I could not book in on line and get a good seat, like everyone else has done.all in all this is the worst flight I have made in 40 years of international flying. I would advise against taking any shared flights as the flight operator sees the other ticket holders as unwelcome quests at the banquet. I will never do it again.
Despite the poor flight we arrive in Singapore and are whisked off in a very nice air-conditioned cab to Raffles. This is one amazing Hotel. Despite the fact that our booking was somehow misplaced (it is unclear and perhaps ultimately unimportant who bears responsibility for this) we are made to feel very welcome. Although the reason for the booking issue cant be worked out we are given an upgrade to a suite (Rudyard Kipling Suite), a complimentary drink whilst the formalities are worked out and then shown to our accommodation.The small suite is very nice. There is a foyer with a lounge, table and chairs and a bar leading to a bedroom (great bed) and dressing room with a bathroom with bath attached. the staff are very helpful. We have a bulter, Fahdli, who says we must consider ourselves the "King & Queen of Raffles". A bit over the top but delivered with total sincerity.
Margie make a partial recovery and so are off to join the flight to Singapore. Our tickets are booked through Qantas but the flight is oprated by French Airlines. We arrive early and have booked in about 3 hours before the scheduled departure. Despite this Margie and I are not seated together. Nor is there any possibility of an upgrade. Worse still because my ticket was Qantas and the flight is AirFrance I could not book in on line and get a good seat, like everyone else has done.all in all this is the worst flight I have made in 40 years of international flying. I would advise against taking any shared flights as the flight operator sees the other ticket holders as unwelcome quests at the banquet. I will never do it again.
Despite the poor flight we arrive in Singapore and are whisked off in a very nice air-conditioned cab to Raffles. This is one amazing Hotel. Despite the fact that our booking was somehow misplaced (it is unclear and perhaps ultimately unimportant who bears responsibility for this) we are made to feel very welcome. Although the reason for the booking issue cant be worked out we are given an upgrade to a suite (Rudyard Kipling Suite), a complimentary drink whilst the formalities are worked out and then shown to our accommodation.The small suite is very nice. There is a foyer with a lounge, table and chairs and a bar leading to a bedroom (great bed) and dressing room with a bathroom with bath attached. the staff are very helpful. We have a bulter, Fahdli, who says we must consider ourselves the "King & Queen of Raffles". A bit over the top but delivered with total sincerity.
After the very ordinary flight we are not up for much so we have a laksa and wontqon soup. After being in Franch for 3 months we ask for extra chilli. the young chinese waitress looks surprised but delighted. We explain that we are Australian and have been living a chilli free lifestyle in France. I am not sure how much of this she understood but we got the extra chilli.On the way back to the room we catch some live music and have have one last dink in the famous Long Room Bar where ther is some great live
To bed. If that bed in Istanbul was the best in Europe this has to be the best in Asia.