SHE was invited to attend her female friend's wedding in Chesterfield,
England.
But Malaysian actress Apple Hong and her three friends went one better as
they took an ad-hoc 17-day trip through Western Europe last August.
The 34-year-old told The New Paper: "We felt that it was a waste to go all
the way to the UK for her wedding and not explore the rest of Europe at the
same time."
The Bordeaux region in France was a natural first stop for Hong and her
travel companions, all of whom are wine aficionados.
The wine estates they wanted to visit - Château Pichon Longueville Baron,
Château Angélus and Château Mouton Rothschild - were unfortunately closed as it
was the summer period, Hong said.
The group, however, managed to gain access to the Château Pichon Longueville
Baron because one of Hong's friends knew its owners.
They were rewarded with a meal personally prepared by the owners, and plenty
of wine.
She said: "We just spent the whole day there sharing good food and wine. I
appreciate a good, powerful wine that has a well-rounded palate.
"Once you've had Bordeaux wine, your palate is spoilt. You can't go back to
normal wines, especially those from the supermarket.
"My friends have offered me wine back in Singapore after my trip, but I
can't bear to drink it."
More on Relax: Top 10 wine destinations
After spending three days exploring Château Pichon Longueville Baron and the
surrounding region, the party flew to Barcelona, Spain, which was quite
different from Bordeaux.
She said: "Barcelona is a really bustling city, unlike the peace and quiet
of Bordeaux.
"I strongly advise tourists to take a tour bus ride of Barcelona, because
it's convenient and covers most of the major attractions."
Hong was struck by the city's architecture, which was hugely influenced by
the late Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.
Hong said: "Without Gaudi, Barcelona's architecture would be very boring."
Hong added that this was most evident in Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, the
Sagrada Família minor basilica (a Catholic church granted a certain title under
canon law and given certain religious privileges), where visitor contributions
help fund its ongoing construction.
After Barcelona, Hong and her friends adjourned to England, where they held
a hen night for the bride-to-be before the latter's big day.
Hong's male friend, who operates the high-end Chinawhite nightclub in
London, made sure that the girls enjoyed absolute privacy, along with a free
flow of champagne.
"The next day, I was very hung over, but I still managed to make it to
Chesterfield for the wedding, which was held in a private garden with a very
elaborate cocktail party.
"English scones and English tea are a great help in dealing with a
hangover," she added with a laugh.
But Hong and her friends were still not done with Europe.
More on Relax: Spanish holiday for
less than $85 a day
On the spur of the moment, they decided to revisit France, this time
exploring Saint-Tropez (above), Nice, and the neighbouring Principality of
Monaco.
Hong revealed that the group got lost in Monaco when their Global
Positioning System (GPS) receiver failed to work there.
She recalled with embarrassment: "We finally realised that Monaco is
actually a different country, because our GPS receiver was still calibrated for
France.
"Monaco is like Europe's playground. Lots of rich people park their yachts
in Monaco."
Despite having a very unstructured trip, Hong still looks back on it fondly.
She said: "I'm a very versatile person when it comes to travelling.
"You can put me in a small town in the countryside or in a big city and I'll
enjoy both equally, but for different reasons."
More on Relax: High life in Monte Carlo
Click on for more photos of Apple's trip...
A snapshot of Bordeaux city, France.
The Château Pichon Longueville Baron winery in the Bordeaux region, France.
Malaysian actress Apple Hong in the cellar of the winery Château Pichon
Longueville Baron in the Bordeaux region, France.
Some vintages available for wine-tasting at the Château Pichon Longueville
Baron winery in the Bordeaux region, France.
More on Relax: Top 10 wine destinations
The Sagrada Família minor basilica in Barcelona, Spain.
