#i am not flying Cathay Pacific out but i did decide to fly it back | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theresa-of-liechtenstein · 3 years ago

Text

@lavstar i was so incredibly stupid and i deleted your ask while i was drafting it… i swear i didn’t forget to do it 😭 anyway i’ve FINALLY finished it so let’s jump into the compilation of the most planes i have ever brainrot ❤️ because no ❤️ you cannot expect me to pick one ❤️ it is impossible ❤️

two airbus A320s taking off from parallel runways, five nautical miles apart ‘cause they’re not gay!

btw i genuinely do not care about military aircraft (never have, prob never will) so these are all to do with civil aviation. also huge disclaimer i did all the commentary off the top of my head (i did have to wikipedia some of the stats im not martin fucking crieff) so if i mess up a term or something that’s on me

of course no post about my favorite planes cannot leave out the OG. my first love, the most plane i have ever ridden; the one, the only, the increasingly irrelevant due to industry shifts, the beloved Airbus A380.

(L) just look at this big beautiful girl! + (R) a view of i believe scotland? as approached from the north

i don’t know why i love this plane so much, because lots of other people certainly don’t for a lot of reasons. her size makes her the main character out of necessity at every airport she comes across, and she’s an inconvenience for air traffic controllers for that reason. her origin story is [twitter stan account voice] a bit problematic. given changes in industry trends, she is also quickly becoming irrelevant. airbus my beloved please just admit that the four engines thing was nostalgia and go. she’s a marvel of engineering sure, but when all is said and done…the B747 came, she served cunt, and then she got phased out. the A380 was made with the intention of doing the same…unfortunately, she didn’t really complete the second step.

wait holy shit. i know why i love this plane so much. it’s because this plane…is me ❤️

—

and now for thee og in terms of famous big-ass planes that everyone loves: the B747. everyone loves the 747. even if they say they’re not into planes, they are. for me, not gonna lie: a very big reason for why i love the Queen of the Skies so much is mark vanhoenacker’s book, skyfaring. he flew the 747 for bri’ish airways (when they still had them) and loved that plane so much and man who am i to blame him.

(L) i think i teared up when i saw her through the big windows for the first time bc i was like oh my god. i am going to be on her. this icon of aviation, the arguable symbol of commercial aviation. so much history, so much significance… + (R) the past, the present, and the future of british airways in one image 🥺

i was on a 747 twice in my life. once on a cathay pacific flight to the philippines, and on my last flight abroad, on a british airways flight to heathrow. little did i know i was flying one of the last of their 747 flights—they phased them out completely the following year, a bit earlier than anticipated due to the pandemic.

as enzo ferrari once probably said, “ask a child to draw a plane, and certainly he will put a hump and four engines on it.” in terms of sheer iconic power and energy, the Queen (and she is the only earthly being to whom I shall ever refer as such) would far and away be the top on anyone’s list, save for the fact that i don’t have a top to this list and i have other planes to get to dear god this is getting long do you know what you’ve got yourself into!! the Queen really said “flight belongs to the people now” and the airlines just had to shut up and listen!! she is truly the main character!!!

genuinely don’t remember what river this is except that it’s in the UK… 🙈

i feel like everything else i say about her is just going to be a pale imitation of how evocative skyfaring was, so honestly i really recommend the book it’s so good and it’s one of my favorites. my copy is sort of falling apart now bc i kept bringing it around to places 😭 anyway, the number of airlines using her for passengers is decreasing, but you know who still use converted versions of her as well as purpose-built models? cargo airlines! anyway, ups and their brown planes my beloved 🤎

—

this slot was going to go to the B767 and 757, and i was going to rhapsodize about how aesthetically the 767 looks like a nicer plane to me because of Chonk, but the 757 is really endearing because it’s a narrowbody jet and it’s got landing gear that is long in a useful but unusual-looking way, which in essence what i’m trying to say is that if the 757 were a person, it would be esteban ocon.

so i was getting ready to write all of this down in much more words than i needed, but i remembered suddenly the very reason i was making this post in the first place. and that, my friends, is the B777.

honestly you don’t fully understand how big the 777 is until you see it in person. because we are all acclimated to think of like the 747 when we think of ‘big plane.’ but the 777 is massive. even i forgot about it when i wrote That Fanfic.

the 777 and 787 are the future of long-haul commercial aviation (and i say this as an A380 stannie). widebody jets with 2 big-ass engines are most likely what we’re going to see in the sky going forward when it comes to long-distance travel, and the pandemic pretty much confirmed that.

that aside, i love the 777. so much that i wrote a whole fanfic around one making an emergency landing ❤️ i really pretended ETOPS (the thing where a plane can fly for a long time on one engine) did not exist for six chapters and an alternate ending and i think that’s just very quirky of me aha 🤪

dear god do not mind my hat i literally bought it because of fred fucking thursday of endeavour… what the FUCK was teenage me on 😭

the 777 was supposed to be a trijet (one with three engines, two under each wing and one built into the vertical stabilizer) but as the mcdonnell douglas and lockheed martin trijets (cba to look up the numbers) were not projected to continue to be successful, they got rid of the trijet 777 idea and instead made it have two engines. another thing i think is neat is that all the examples of the 777 that you will see in the wild right now don’t have winglets bc the wings themselves are so long and raked back that they’re not necessary. which would be a weird thing for me in particular to find neat, because if you know me well you know i have a thing for winglets. (the 2022 f1 car’s front wing my BELOVED WAKSKDKSJSJ!!!!!) i also think the way the wingtip lights are incorporated into the wings are so neat. the upgraded version they’re trying to make now, the 777X, will have foldy wingtips so you can DIY your own winglets and i think that’s hilarious (and also cool).

—

genuinely i think i’m the only plane person that likes this last aircraft: the Embraer ERJ-175. i like her for purely nostalgic reasons. she reminds me of how i returned to my roots and decided to pursue engineering.

so okay this is going to have nothing to do with the plane, but i was lucky enough to be given a visit to the flightdeck after landing back home from a weekend trip. i was so excited to be allowed to sit in the first officer’s seat, and got to poke around the flightdeck for like ten minutes. which was cool, but all this was with the sinking realization that even operating a regional jet might be too physically demanding (read: unsafe) for someone of my… [exhales knowing EXACTLY what i’m about to walk into] height.

that is one fully glass cockpit. also those yokes are specific to embraer, boeing’s look more like f1 steering wheels with stuff cut out of them i think, and airbus’s are operated by side stick. it’s almost funny especially when watching flightdeck videos of the a380 cause it’s like… you’re doing All That *gestures vaguely at plane* with THAT *gestures at thing that looks like a chicken drumstick with semiconductors implanted in it*

so that was piloting as a career done with for me (much to my family’s relief.) and then i thought “hm i don’t have to be flying planes all the time to be working around them…why don’t i work on developing them instead?” and i was passively interested in matsci already, so that’s how and when i decided to pursue engineering, with hopes of working for airbus or boeing and in civil aviation.

we’ll see how that pans out, i say as i side-eye the exponential growth of my interest in motorsport.

thanks for the ask! i’m so sorry i was stupid and deleted it but i hope you like this very long, drawn out, and frankly deranged response 💚

#em speaks #lavstar #this is half me showing off my plane pictures half deranged rant i hope you enjoy

24 notes · View notes

whenfictionandworldlitcollide · 3 years ago

Text

ABNKKBSNPLAKo?! through a student's eyes (ABNKKBSNPLAko?! by Bob Ong)

ABNKKBSNPLAKo could be treated as one of classic Filipino book staple because of its humorous narration of what school life is for an ordinary Filipino student. It follows the story of the author’s journey from elementary, high school and college, recounting all of his pranks and childhood memories, up to the confused teenage phase, while not leaving out the times where he was in the lowest of the lows. It included the famous FLAMES game, crushes, and the let downs of university life told in the funniest and most witty way possible. It also didn’t leave out his adult stage wherein he faced what reality really is.

In his anecdote, Bob Ong was on the path of discovering himself in his early years as an elementary student in a public school. In here he experienced everything a typical kid goes through—buying from the infamous “tray” loaded with snacks from the school canteen, games that included SOS, and many more. One scene that strike me the most is when he had his recognition, and his mother came late. It was the first time he noticed what it felt like to be on top, but no one’s there for you. Later, he also discussed his Cathay Pacific backpack and compared it to the big trolleys that children use nowadays, saying that he doesn’t know if the new generation only have much more subjects to learn, or we’re just becoming dumber as time goes by.

Then high school came. It was the point of pimples, first crushes, first fallouts—everything firsts, you’ll have it in high school. Here, he discovered that high school was way different from elementary. There are certain rules to follow—like having your hair cut in 2 by 3, many things are prohibited, these rules should be followed, etc. He ended the passage with a note from Grant Gilmore, “The better the society, the less law there will be. In heaven there will be no law… in hell there will be nothing but law, and due process will be meticulously observed.” Following this quote was a line of, “Hell ang high school. Cool.” He then proceeded to one of the most remarkable scenes for me where he proved he is on his path of realizing and developing his principles. They are rushing their school project when suddenly, a teacher announced that they have to do rosary since it’s rosary month. Then one of his classmates asked, “Sir, paano yung non-Catholics?” Bob Ong was tempted to say he’s a non-Catholic even if he’s not, but he ended up still going to the rosary session, upholding his principles and understanding the reality that he needs to choose between two things. He also discussed how students are heavily graded based on their academics, rather than their character—which we may see in many politicians. Intellectual people, yes, but lacks empathy.

Come college, and this is where the theory of phenomenology will be heavily discussed as college was the 360-degree turner of his life. He thought that college was going to be easy. He applied for various universities and was accepted in all of them, but what happened was he was not really decided with his course. He even joked with him saying, “Basta may “computer”, ayos na ‘yan!”. This started his downfall.

He was constantly late for his classes. He never had any interests in the subjects, and the commute was making him tired even before he arrives at his school. One time he arrived late, and the instructor prohibited him to take the prelim exam, stating that he should go to the dean to get a permit. The dean did not see a valid reason to allow him to take the exam, and this is when he realized something. That he allowed himself to be dumbed down by his instructor. If he was truly concerned of him, he should just let him take the exam since he still arrived within the period.

After that incident, he started slacking off from school. He dropped off, was depressed. It came to a time wherein he goes to school even though he’s not enrolled, just to pretend that he’s still okay and was not letting down his family. He didn’t know where he would be disappointed—with himself or with the education system which was seemingly bringing down students like him with unnecessary subjects or tasks to do, painting a world wherein if you receive a bad grade, you are a failure. But then it dawned to him what he really needs to do, and got back to school through a vocational course. He discovered that people in vocational courses aren’t stupid like others say, but are normal students like the majority of the population. Surprisingly, he became a teacher—being in the opposite perspective of the world he lived in for so long: school.

ABNKKBSANPLAKo shows Bob Ong’s development in finding out who he really is and why he exists through his journey in school, which many can relate. How he addressed his life as a teacher heavily supports the idea, as he realized that we exist for the academic standards, aiming for high scores in tests, quizzes and projects without totally giving credit for one’s character and expertise. If you are a wiz in one subject but failed the other and you do have good conduct, it doesn’t matter. He realized the reason of existence for most students like him: getting a card with grades that are capable of flying colors, and a diploma which is like a ticket to this world to be respected and looked upon to.

It also came to him that we often exist to brag our achievements even though we’re nowhere near what we wanted to be, so we veil ourselves in this make-believe world of successfulness, for people often quick judge those who are below them. He demonstrated this example in a setting of a high school reunion. In such event, you’ll usually hear others peak performances after graduation, and those who had nothing to flaunt are left in the dark. After reading that part of the book, you might ask yourself, am I existing for my success or of other people’s expectations?

Lastly, the author realized that his life wasn’t always what you were told when you were little—always birds and bees and colorful bed of flowers. That not every child had their own childhood. That it is okay to fall down, as long as you’ll able to get yourself up. And that exam scores don’t define you as a student, but your take on life will. The world is made up of various “free” lectures that you can use at your expense. And eventually, we will all graduate somehow—just in our own different ways.

He ended the book in a line that says, “Nakabalik ako sa lugar, pero di ko na naibalik ang panahon.” On this part, he came back to his old school to claim his records from the registrar, and it was like he took the trip don the memory lane. Here, he truly shows that it finally dawned to him what his true reason for existence was, and that was to live according to his time phase and not out of others expectations.

2 notes · View notes

travelworldnetwork · 6 years ago

Link

Share on Facebook SHARE

Share on Twitter TWEET

Pin to Pinterest PIN

Link

A sunset view of Barcelona, one of the world's most vibrant and avant-garde cities. Photo: Alamy

Post on facebook wall

Share on twitter

Share via Email

Pin to Pinterest

Share on Google Plus

The last time I stood here, looking up at Barcelona's famous La Sagrada Familia, it was 2006 and my three girlfriends and I were making a pact: let's never return to this city, as long as we all shall live.

Yet here I am. The shards of a broken promise at my feet, as 12 years peel away to reveal the distressing situations that led to our oath. The make-your-own-sangria-fuelled cooking class. The accidental splitting of our group on Las Ramblas. The swiping of my friend's bag at dinner. My other friend and I hiding from some undesirables in a nightclub bathroom.

That our youthful foolhardiness was as much to blame as the city was a fact that took me more than decade to admit. As author Alain de Botton rightly reflects in his philosophical tome The Art of Travel, "a danger of travel is that we see things at the wrong time, before we have had a chance to build up the necessary receptivity and when new information is therefore useless and fugitive as necklace beads without a connection chain".

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Pin to Pinterest

Link

A tapas bar with hanging jamon over the counter is part of the city's top drinking and dining scene. Photo: Alamy

Realising that perhaps I wasn't ready for Barcelona back then, I decided it deserved a second chance. This time around, however, I'd do it right, putting myself in the hands of luxury tour experts Abercrombie & Kent, to present Barcelona to me in her most flattering light.

As we enter the neo-classical facade of the El Palace Hotel, and wander through the gilded lobby, I'm visited by the ghost of poor accommodation choices past. Back in 2006, a grande dame hotel with a fancy doorman was something my friends and I could have only dreamt of. In those pre-Airbnb days we'd rented an apartment, sight unseen, off a strange man at the train station. We'd headed to the city's outer limits to find our digs were flea-infested and had cockroaches in the coffee. It hadn't gotten us off to the best start with the Catalonian capital, I realise as I sip tea on the El Palace rooftop pool terrace with 360-degree views over the city.

Soon, my travel compadres and I are wandering old Barcelona's sun-splashed laneways in search of the city's most impressive architecture, something I couldn't have cared less about at 22. Our first stop is the Palau de la Musica Catalana concert hall, one of Barcelona's best examples of Modernista architecture, created by architect Domenech i Montaner in 1908. Studying the stone pillars covered in intricate floral mosaics embellishing the facade, I realise I probably walked right past this extraordinary building 12 years ago. More fool me if I did. Because entering the upstairs auditorium, a kaleidoscope of ceramic roses, chandeliers, sculptures and stained glass, feels like walking inside a life-sized music box. I understand our guide perfectly when she says you can feel that this structure, originally built for the Orfeo Catala musical society, was the love child of people united by music. Some may find the building over the top, but to me it is music in physical form.

As we continue walking, I wonder how I could have once overlooked the psychedelic mosaiced facade of Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo as we pass it, and the wave-like stone balconies of La Pedrera. Perhaps I hadn't matured enough to find these buildings worthy of appreciation. Or maybe I was so cranky at the city by that point that I'd simply had my blinkers on.

The real star of Barcelona's architectural show however, Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, I did see 12 years ago – although only for the three minutes it took to snap a selfie in front of it. I knew nothing about Gaudi the man, or the significance of his avant-garde masterpiece, which attracts 3 million tourists annually. Today, happily, we have Abercrombie & Kent's art expert Maria Teresa Farriols accompanying us, a petite, animated, Gaudi-obsessed blonde. "There are three men in my life," she tells us, "Gaudi, Dali, and my son."

Farriols walks us around the exterior of what will eventually be the world's tallest church, when it finally gets completed in 2026. The first stone was laid in 1882, she says, adding that the Catalan architect believed God had all the time in the world so there was no need to rush it to completion. We marvel at the dizzying spires and botanical and religious sculptures covering the exterior, before heading inside. The soaring vaulted ceilings leave us feeling as though we've entered a gigantic stone forest, while the Murano stained glass throws rainbows across the floor. "Gaudi took inspiration from his dreams," Farriols whispers, "he was connected to a higher force." She explains the intricacies of the debate that has raged for more than a century about whether this mind-bending building is genius or folly. No matter which side of the fence you sit on, it's an undeniably brilliant feat of imaginative construction that it's almost impossible not to be moved by.

How to properly research and plan for a trip, yes, but also how to give a destination's history and culture the appreciation it deserves.That includes culinary culture, I realise as our small group sits for supper at a trendy, intimate downtown tapas restaurant named Casa Lolea. In 2006, my friends and I had skipped dinner in favour of taking a cooking class.

Which sounds classy. Until you discover the class was run by a company called Smashed. And that other than learning how to make bastardised sangria, all we really learnt to cook was tomato toast.

Soon, we're picked up in classic red and bottle-green sidecars and, as the day starts to fade, we whiz through the boulevards of the elegant Eixample district and the Gothic Quarter. No wonder Barcelona so inspired artists like Picasso and Miro, I think as the wind whips my hair and the city lights start twinkling all around us.

Arriving at the Montjuic hilltop, we clamber out of our sidecars for a glass of cava, Spain's moreish sparkling wine. As I sip, I gaze out over the sprawling city. How, I wonder, could I have ever used the word ''hate'' in reference to one of the world's most vibrant and avant-garde cities? I raise my glass: to Barcelona, for finally showing herself to me, to growing up, and to second chances.

TRIP NOTES

traveller.com.au/barcelona

abercrombiekent.com.au

FLY

Cathay Pacific flies from Sydney to Barcelona via Hong Kong.See cathaypacific.com

TOUR

Abercrombie & Kent specialises in private and small group journeys to Spain. An eight-day private journey through the north of Spain, including two nights at Hotel El Palace Barcelona, two nights in San Sebastian, two nights in Bilbao and two nights in Madrid, is from $14,855 per person twin share. See abercrombiekent.com.au

Nina Karnikowski travelled as a guest of Abercrombie & Kent and Cathay Pacific.

from traveller.com.au

The post I vowed never to return to Barcelona. I was wrong appeared first on Travel World Network.

#Travel Guide

0 notes

travelfoody · 8 years ago

Text

[Please see my video above, if you prefer to watch a video review.] We’ve flown Cathay Pacific First Class a few times before and we’ve always received very good and consistent service on all of them. Needless to say, we were very excited to be flying them again.

We spent the night in Los Angeles, and arrived at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal about 2 hours before our 8:30 am flight. We used one of the self check-in kiosks in the terminal and made our way to security. The line was quite long at security , but we made it through in about 15 minutes.

We walked over to the Qantas First Class Lounge, one floor above the departures terminal. This was our first time visiting the lounge and we’ve heard lots of good things about it. We were greeted by a female lounge agent upon arrival, and were shown inside the lounge. She asked if it was our first time at the lounge, and we said yes. She mentioned some of the basic offerings of the lounge, like the full bar, a la carte dining, and showers; and she wished us a pleasant stay.

We made our way to the dining room to get some breakfast. We took a seat, and were approached, and given a menu by a friendly server. We ordered some coffee , which was promptly brought by another server. Then I ordered 2 poached eggs, and some bacon. The server seemed surprised and asked if we wanted anything else from the menu, but we declined and mentioned that we were going to be eating again during the flight.

It took a while for our order to arrive, but when it did, it was delicious! The poached egg was perfectly cooked, and the bacon…well for those of you who know me, you know that I can eat bacon everyday.

After the delicious meal, boarding was announced and we made our hike way to the gate area. For some reason, we always end up with flights at the very end of the concourse. It took us about 10 minutes of brisk walking before we arrived at the gate.

They were already pre-boarding when we got to the gate, so we didn’t have to wait long. First and Business Class passengers had priority boarding so we were one of the first people in the plane. Upon arriving at the door, we were greeted by Pushpa, the in-flight service manager, and Jariya, a Senior Purser. In charge of the First Class galley was Winnie, a flight purser. I was seated in 2K, while my companion was in 1A. Jariya walked me over to my seat, and once I was settled returned with a hot towel and asked what I wanted to drink. I ordered a glass of Krug, which was brought over almost immediately along with some crab amuse bouche. The amuse bouche was light and the Krug refreshing. Jariya soon came back and offered me an amenity kit, and pajamas.

The seat configuration in the First Class cabin on Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777-300ER is a very generous 1-1-1. This makes the cabin extra spacious. There are also no overhead bins in First Class. Instead, you stow your belongings in the hidden wardrobe and storage closet behind the IFE monitor.

While still at the gate, Pushpa came over to bring us the dining menu and landing cards for Hong Kong. She also thanked us for flying Cathay Pacific. Then she asked if we wouldn’t mind filling-out a customer survey form, we gladly obliged. We had a slight 20 minute delay on the ground, which meant I had a few more refills of Krug. The captain soon made his pre-flight announcements and mentioned our “long” flight time of 15 hours and 20 minutes to Hong Kong. The safety video started playing and we soon pushed back from the gate.

During taxi, Jariya took our beverage and meal orders. As to be expected, taxi to the runway took almost 20 minutes because of all the flights coming in and out of LAX, but we had a nice and smooth takeoff roll and ascent once we reached the runway.

About 10 minutes into the flight, the captain switched off the seatbelt sign. Jariya soon came with some more Krug and asked if she could to set my table for the meal. I said yes, and took the opportunity to change into my pajamas.

When I returned to my seat, my table was already set – complete with a handwritten thank you note from the crew.

I ordered fresh fruits for the starter course, which was served with some croissants and jam.

For the main, I opted for the Dim Sum which was served in a steam basked. It was delicious!

Then I ordered some Hong Kong Style Milk Tea to finish the meal.

My table was promptly cleared and Jariya asked if she could make my bed. I said yes, and went to lavatory to freshen up. There are 2 First Class Lavatories in front of the First Class cabin. They are on the smaller side, but are very clean and nicely stocked with Aésop Toiletries. I noticed that the flight attendants would always freshen up the lavatories every time a passenger gets out of one, which I very much appreciated.

My bed was already made by the time I got back to my seat. I also found a full size Evian bottled water next to my seat. I love Cathay Pacific’s First Class bed. Although it’s not a fully enclosed suite, it is still very private. It’s also wide enough, so that you don’t feel claustrophobic when lying down. The mattress pad, pillows and duvet were also of high quality and very comfortable.

I checked out the in-flight entertainment selection a bit. There were plenty of movies, TV shows, games, and audio programming available, but ultimately I just decided on just watching the moving map, as I dozed off to lala land.

I slept a good 5 hours, and woke up hungry. I then walked over to the galley and ordered a burger and a diet coke from Jariya. She said it will take about 20 minutes to prepare, which was fine. My table was once again set, and my order arrived within a few minutes. The burger was huge! I was expecting it to be more like a slider, but this definitely was not. It was served on a brioche bun, with veggies, and pickles. It was delicious!

After the snack, I went back to bed and slept for another few hours. About 2.5 hours before landing, my companion and I asked Winnie if we could dine together. She happily obliged, took our orders, and proceeded to setup the table on seat 2A, which was unoccupied. Winnie mentioned that the seat recline was inoperable on that seat, so it remained empty for our flight.

My companion and I both opted for the caviar as our starter, and we continued with the Krug and water for our drink. The caviar was served in individual tins, along with the usual accoutrements, and complete with a mother of pearl spoon. -Delish!

Then there was the salad and soup course, I ordered the chicken tortilla soup, while my companion ordered the prosciutto salad.

For the main course, I ordered the Beef Fillet, which was cooked to a perfect medium. My companion had the Sea Bass with Gai Lan, and Steamed Rice. Both were beautifully presented, and very good!

Winnie then rolled the cart over and offered us some cheese. We picked the ones we liked, and she plated it for us. I also ordered a glass of port.

At this point, we were already stuffed and decided to just share one dessert. It was vanilla ice cream, and raspberry financier cake.

After the meal, I went to the lavatory to change out of my pajamas, and freshen up while Jariya and Winnie put away my bed. I was also given a hot towel, and a box of chocolates upon returning to my seat.

A few minutes later, the Captain announced our descent into Hong Kong. We hit a few chops during the descent, but it became smooth after we were below the clouds. The descent and landing were smooth and uneventful.

Taxi to the gate was quick, and we soon bid farewell to the crew. Thanks to eChannel, passport control took no more than a minute.

I loved how Hong Kong airport was all decked out for the Holidays when we arrived.

We walked over to the Cathay Pacific’s The Arrival lounge to take a quick shower before venturing out to the city. The friendly lounge attendant offered us an a la carte dining menu before we hit the showers and insisted that we ordered something to eat. We ended up ordering a Katsu Curry bento box. We took our shower and our order was ready by the time we got out. I thought that was awesome and the meal was delicious!

So before I give an overall impression of this flight, I have to give much props and thanks to Winnie for the pre-landing meal service. It seemed that her colleagues were on break when we ordered our meal, so she prepared and served a complete meal service for two all by herself! -And it all looked so effortless and seamless, not to mention delicious! It must be a result of all the rigorous training Cathay gives to their flight attendants. Jariya also did an excellent job in taking care of us during the rest of the flight.

I continue to be impressed with Cathay Pacific’s First Class in-flight offering. The hard product may be a little outdated these days, but it was still very comfortable even for a long haul flight. The service was prompt and efficient, yet very polished and appeared effortless. This was yet another amazing flight with Cathay Pacific! I give this flight a perfect 10 out of 10. #love

Cathay Pacific First Class Boeing 777-300ER Los Angeles to Hong Kong We've flown Cathay Pacific First Class a few times before and we've always received very good and consistent service on all of them.

0 notes

travelworldnetwork · 6 years ago

Link

Share on Facebook SHARE

Share on Twitter TWEET

Pin to Pinterest PIN

Link

A sunset view of Barcelona, one of the world's most vibrant and avant-garde cities. Photo: Alamy

Post on facebook wall

Share on twitter

Share via Email

Pin to Pinterest

Share on Google Plus

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Pin to Pinterest

Link

A tapas bar with hanging jamon over the counter is part of the city's top drinking and dining scene. Photo: Alamy

Later, as I wander the boutique-lined laneways of the medieval Born district, I get to thinking about timing in travel. Maybe, instead of lamenting all I missed during my first Barcelona trip, I can appreciate all I've learnt about travel in the 12 years since. How to properly research and plan for a trip, yes, but also how to give a destination's history and culture the appreciation it deserves.That includes culinary culture, I realise as our small group sits for supper at a trendy, intimate downtown tapas restaurant named Casa Lolea. In 2006, my friends and I had skipped dinner in favour of taking a cooking class. Which sounds classy. Until you discover the class was run by a company called Smashed. And that other than learning how to make bastardised sangria, all we really learnt to cook was tomato toast.

Tonight, however, we get a taste of Barcelona's world-class drinking and dining scene. We sip organic sangria and nibble lip-smacking morsels of pickled octopus, tuna ceviche, melt-in-the-mouth jamon and creamy patatas bravas. We toast, we chat, we laugh. It's a near-flawless Catalonian food experience, and the perfect prelude to phase two of our night. Soon, we're picked up in classic red and bottle-green sidecars and, as the day starts to fade, we whiz through the boulevards of the elegant Eixample district and the Gothic Quarter. No wonder Barcelona so inspired artists like Picasso and Miro, I think as the wind whips my hair and the city lights start twinkling all around us.

TRIP NOTES

traveller.com.au/Spain

abercrombiekent.com.au

FLY

Cathay Pacific flies from Sydney to Barcelona via Hong Kong.See cathaypacific.com

TOUR

Nina Karnikowski travelled as a guest of Abercrombie & Kent and Cathay Pacific.

from traveller.com.au

The post Revisiting Barcelona: Is it a city worth returning to? appeared first on Travel World Network.

#Travel Guide

0 notes