MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: Hong Kong

Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts

Saturday, June 23, 2018

From Hong Kong to Sydney, Australia

On August 27 of 1993, we left Hong Kong at 21:00 on Qantas Airlines and in 8 hours and 15 minutes we arrived in Sydney with a time difference of 2 hours.
We landed at 8:30 and went by shuttle to the Hilton Sydney on 488 George Street.

We walked to the beautiful Queen Victoria Building on 455 George Street and explored some of its 200 shops.

That yielded a cute WOMBAT and a koala...

Yes, Womby still lives with us!

QVB as the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney is called. Just click the link to learn more about this gem!

Refreshing to walk from the Hilton Sydney to the QVB, it was raining but it was not too cold.

This cute Australian Koala resides on the window ledge in our guest bedroom.

The night flight on Qantas for those 7,300 km went well.

Dinner - Sleeping - Breakfast was the sequence here...

Already in April, husband Pieter got listed as a speaker for the AMGA/ISMS

On Sunday, August 29, the lectures started in the Sydney Convention Centre - Darling Harbour

Sadly I learned that this building has been demolished after 25 years and is no longer...

Click: Darling Harbour Live Temporary SMB

AMGA AUSTRALIAN MUSHROOM GROWERS' ASSOCIATION

Compost Workshop and Seminar - Sydney

We traveled by MONORAIL
Well, from blogger friend Sami, from the blog: COLOURFULWORLD in a reply comment to me, I learned that the MONORAIL is no more.

So it got taken out on June 30, 2013...

We rode it again on Monday August 30 as the lectures started at 8:30 and Pieter's turn was at 9:00.
By 17:00 we walked back to the hotel and had dinner at 19:15 with Chris and Bob Dumbreck, Marion Lawson and John Rodwell from California at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia.
Elegant dining and very British!
After dinner, we all did walk up to the Opera House for a fantastic view.

On Tuesday, August 31, we went by bus at 6:00 already to the markets; FLOWERS & VEGGIES with plenty of fresh MUSHROOMS as well.
After breakfast, coming back by bus to the Hilton hotel, we were crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In front of us a German couple had fallen asleep... suddenly she woke up, nudging her husband and scolding him for NOT video taping the spectacular view! Priceless.

In the evening we had a standing reception at 20:00 in the Convention Centre.
On Wednesday September 1, we started again at 8:00 and Pieter did a summary of this workshop and seminar and that went very well; great applaus from the audience.
On Thursday September 2, we had one last day of lectures.

Rounded off with a formal Banquet at the Convention Center.
Pieter got to wear his Burberry tuxedo for the 2nd time within ONE week!

We had a relaxed morning and flew from Sydney to Melbourne where cousin Liz picked us up at the airport by 14:55... stay tuned!

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

HONG KONG 1st International Conference on Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products

Before I will continue about our next trip to Australia, we have to do this en route Hong Kong Conference from 23-16 August, 1993.

Husband Pieter had already been to Hong Kong, but it was my FIRST trip ever.

This was also the view one gets when landing in Hong Kong, a beautiful city!

Above picture was on the post card that I bought for my Mom, as I always did from everywhere we traveled.

We travelled very well because we had the luxury of getting an upgrade to Business Class on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, in seats 77 A+B on the upper deck. We both slept very well on our way from Atlanta to Amsterdam.

Next day we spent at the Van Gogh Business Class lounge in Amsterdam where we took a shower, posted lots of cards and shopped till we continued to Hong Kong at 21:30 and again we both slept a lot! Arrival in Hong Kong at 15:50

Well over 350 participants from more than 40 countries...

Of those 350 participants I was one...!

We stayed at the Royal Park Hotel Shatin, Hong Kong

Indeed, Royal Park Hotel Grand Entrance...

Afer a shower at the Royal Park Hotel, we went with our host, Fred Giorgi, to a delicious Italian restaurant: Cucina!

Cucina, Marco Polo Hotel, Harbour City in Hong Kong with spectacular view!
Photo is from The Yum List
All this, followed by a very good night sleep...

Early morning photo from our room at Royal Park Hotel... lots of glare due to the early sun into the window.
You are actually looking here at Shatin Central Park just click link .

We left at 8:00 o'clock by bus to the Chinese University of Hong Kong for the opening of the conference.

After the opening at the University, we went back to our hotel for lunch and next to the Town Hall for the lectures.

The first day got rounded off by a Reception with Hors d'oeuvres, at the Double Haven, 4/F Shatin Clubhouse of the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Husband Pieter and I at this reception...
Back at our hotel by 21:30
On Tuesday, August 12, we went again to the Town Hall after breakfast and after lunch continued to attend lectures.

For dinner we were included by Giorgio Foods as their guest.
I've scribbled some shop info to the left for Wednesday afternoon.

Now the Omni Hotel is called Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel...

Here husband Pieter and I, having a conversation with other guests, after dinner.

On Wednesday, August 24 we did go to the lectures in the morning but went by taxi to down-town at Star House in Kowloon, for shopping. That yielded some beautiful silks, you find two links about those silk garments below this post.

Very helpful for having the street names written in Chinese, for the taxi driver!

Another day full of lectures and a lot of humor! We all laughed so hard with one gentleman from Thailand; he was hilarious in his presentation and no doubt captivated full attention from the audience.

In the evening on Thursday August 26, the Conference got rounded off by a regal 10-course dinner at Riverside Ballroom of the Regal Riverside Hotel

Whole Barbecued Suckling Pig

Braised Twin Vegetables with Ham

Sauteed Shrimp with Assorted Vegetables

Braised Superior Shark's Fin Soup with Shredded Chicken

Steamed Fresh Gurnard

Braised Sliced Abalone with Mushrooms and Vegetables

Double-Boiled Black Mushroom Soup with Whelk and Tien Tsin Vegetables

Deep-fried Crispy Chicken

Fried Rice with Seafood in Portuguese Sauce

Shrimp Dumplings and Noodles in Supreme Soup

Chilled Pudding in Seasonal Fruit

Chinese Petits Fours

Liquid Refreshments Generously Provided by Giorgio Foods, Inc.

Fond memories of a very happy time with husband Pieter in Hong Kong at this regal Banquet.

Love the silver spoon and chopstick rest!

Perfect Conference ending!

Pieter looking dashing in his Burberry tuxedo with silk velvet bow tie and cummerbund.

Next day we had a very lazy morning and we flew on Qantas Airlines at 21:00 to Sydney, Australia in about 8 hours and 15 minutes = 7,300 km and a 2 hour time difference.

Stay tuned for the next segment...

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Amazing Approach into Hong Kong International Airport! | video youtube

{Part XIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Silk Velvet Dress from Hong Kong Trip Fabric} | previous post by me

{Raw Silk Purchased in Hong Kong for Sewing THIS} | previous post by me

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

{Part XIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Hong Kong}

On April 2, 1987 the People to People Citizen Ambassador Program team arrived by train in Hong Kong!

Husband Pieter enjoyed this train ride so much!

Not the greatest weather but still.

View from Pieter's hotel room in Hong Kong's Central Business District.

As Pieter wrote: 'So far Hotel Furuma Inter-Continental was the most luxurious on this trip!'

Too bad, they only stayed for 2 nights...

This is a post card from the FURUMA Inter-Continental

A sad fact is that the hotel is HISTORY...

After 28 years of service this 517-room hotel with its 30th floor La Ronda Revolving Restaurant had to make place for a leading global insurance company's office tower by the end of November, 2001

Farewell, Furama Hotel Hong Kong! ←just click the hyperlink.

In the first photo at the top, you saw the Hilton hotel...

In the spring of 1993, there were four big hotels in the island's Central Business District: the Hilton (now demolished), the Furama (now demolished), the Ritz-Carlton (demolished, now relocated across the harbour in Kowloon) and, to give it the full name on one ever uses, the Mandarin Oriental.

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong turns 50 ←click hyperlink for reading the afore mentioned... Sad in fact!

In the afternoon, after arrival, the team got a guided cultural orientation of Hong Kong, including a visit to Victoria Peak from where Pieter took this photo.

As mentioned already during the train trip, the weather was not suitable for photos...

This was a better deal, buying post cards that show vistas from the Peak!

Pieter wrote to me in his letter that Hong Kong Island is so vast and so beautifully build around the bay and those sky scrapers nestled against the slopes of the mountain. There are no words to describe it; you have to see it with your own eyes!

Hong Kong and Kowloon from the Peak (post card)

Hong Kong and Kowloon from the Peak... different view (post card)

Hong Kong and Kowloon from the Peak (post card)

The Peak Tram Hong Kong with its funicular railway, carrying both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island (post card)

They also got to visit the fishing village of Aberdeen. Here you see the Floating Restaurant of Aberdeen (post card).

This belfry at Tsim Sha Tsui, which has a long history, is a symbol of Hong Kong (post card)

A very typical view for Hong Kong is such a Chinese junk (post card)

Don't you love the exotic sight of these Chinese junks? (post card)

On the second day, the team had a lovely evening sunset cruise through Hong Kong Harbor, followed by dinner at the famous 240 meter high Revolving 66 Restaurant that sits already on a hill.

Imagine the breathtaking view!

The restaurant is seen at the left and Pieter's hotel to the right... (just click to enlarge and see the bubble where I wrote the info).

Also seen is the ferry, by which Pieter went to the other side for a morning meeting with a Campbell Soup business person in Hong Kong.

He skipped the shopping and exploration for that morning.

The team all met in the afternoon with Dr. S.T. Chang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Pieter is a co-author with him and both of us do know him from different International Congresses and from his visits to the Practical Training College for Mushroom Growing that my husband founded and headed as the Principal and Active Teacher.