#c&jPenangLangkawi

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I have traveled alone, I have traveled with my husband, I have traveled with my husband & daughter, I have traveled with my husband, daughter & son, I have traveled with my daughter, I have traveled with my daughter & son, But I have never traveled with just my son.

I came to this conclusion because I was thinking it’s actually the first time I’m traveling just with the kids to a destination that is not our home country (France or USA) or country of residence (whatever the country it is at the time of the travel).

Holidaying by ourselves (only ½ of the vacation!)

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Refreshing bubbles

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It’s all in the details.

The restoration of the building has been done beautifully.

While the mansion’s floor plan is essentially Chinese, the overall effect is eclectic and typical of 19th Century Straits Settlements architecture. Gothic louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles, Scottish cast iron works and Art Nouveau stained glass are among the features to be found in this inspired work of art.

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When we arrived there was a tour of the Hotel scheduled so we jumped on the opportunity.

Dubbed “La Maison Bleue” the flamboyant masterpiece of 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows took a very special man to create. Arriving penniless from Guandong province, China at the age of 16, Cheong Fatt Tze grew to become one of the most historic and colorful personalities of the era. “One of China last Mandarins and first capitalists”

It’s a gorgeous building

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When your boutique hotel is not only described as “One of the 10 Greateat Mansions in the World” by Lonely Planet but is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

“Cheong Fatt Tze - The Blue Mansion”

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It’s starting to feel a lot like…. vacation.

We are all packed. Penang & Langkawi (Malaysia), here we come.

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From our family to yours. Joyeux Christmas.

Ps: Before I get asked (via message 😉) Impromptu photo taken on iPhone (perched on a wall and with an iPad + cover as a makeshift tripod), edited on the iPhone (Snapseed app), graphics added on iPhone too (Over app) and all this was done from the lounge chair by the sea featured on the photo.

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I’m just going to sit here and suck up the view to take back with me to Singapore.

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It’s almost time to leave our little paradise in Langkawi. After the many walks we took in Penang, we took time to relax by the pool or by the beach and catch up on books in Langkawi.

This time of the year can be crazy busy. Hope you are also taking a little bit of time to relax.

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Well Good morning Langkawi.

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And then they were 4 again. Part 2 of operation mini vacation before Christmas is well underway.

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The rickshaws and Southeast Asia go hand to hand. This is the Malaysian version, full of colors & flowers!

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What can I say we like local, authentic food. And you cannot go more local and authentic than street food. However it was a good sight on my part not to add the extra flavor (hotness!) in my dish.

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Today focus was on the street arts around George Town

In 2012, as part of the George Town Festival of Arts and Culture, Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created a series of 6 wall paintings depicting local culture, inhabitants and lifestyles. They now stand as celebrated cultural landmarks of George Town, with Children on a Bicycle being one of the most photographed spots in the city centre.

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Ready for another day of exploration The mission today is to uncover the painted scene

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A sample of a few wrought-iron caricatures. There are over 50 and we must have uncovered ¾ of them just today. Even with a map they are not easy to find but it did keep the kiddos occupy and focused and they almost forgot how much we walked. Bribery was very reasonable ;-)