I've been planning this stroll for a few days now but due to the weather conditions, I have to keep postponing it. Luckily, last night the weather was good and so I took that opportunity to finally make this planned stroll happen. I intend to start the walk from the Sultan Mosque down to the CHIJMES Cathedral along the North Bridge Road. It's estimated to be a 15-minute walk but because I was taking photos along the way, it took me longer than expected.
Follow me as I navigate my way through the crowd and find the interesting views, sites, and things that will catch my attention through this stroll. I may enter the alleys to check on things but I will still come back to the original route along the North Bridge Road. As an avid fan or an #appreciator of architecture, I think the designs of mosques and cathedrals provide us a glimpse of the standard of beauty during the olden days.
After taking a few photos of the Sultan Mosque, I started my stroll from Arab Street and then turned to the North Bridge Road that leads to the direction of the CHIJMES Cathedral.
In between my stroll from the Arab Street to the CHIJMES Cathedral, there are many alleys and corridors that I pass by. For me, I enjoy entering the alleys and being able to find restaurants, shops, and pubs that I won't easily find just by surfing through the internet.
The first alley that I entered is the Haji Lane which I happen to stumble upon after a few minutes of my stroll. My observation of this alley is that this is where the young adults meet with friends and hang out.
I felt like I'm not hip enough to wander around and check the shops along the Haji Lane and so I decided to turn back and return to my original route.
The next alley that I went to was Bali Lane where the environment feels grungy and more like a place where gangsters hang out, haha. But what I like about the place is the street art on the opposite side of this alley.
From here, I move on to the next part of the stroll, I have reached the Bugis area. This is the place where office buildings and shopping malls are located. Immediately, I felt the change of vibe in this place, it has become brighter and more formal (it's my kind of place).
The first street that I entered was Liang Seah St which is a popular spot for Thai restaurants. There is plenty of Mookata or Thai BBQ-style food.
From here, I continued the stroll along the North Bridge Road and found myself amazed by the architectural design of the National Library.
The photo on the right is the Bras Basah Complex which is my go-to place for any school and art supplies.
After passing by the National Library, I reached Raffles Shopping Arcade which is a known place to shop for the top-end brand for watches.
At the end of the arcade is the intersection of North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road. Across from where I stand is the CHIJMES Cathedral.
Finally, after a 30-minute stroll, I have reached the CHIJMES Cathedral!
After crossing the street, I was welcomed by the signage of CHIJMES and as I entered the building, I was greeted by the hanging lights that looked like the Avatar's Woodsprites which are the seeds of the Tree of Souls.
The entrance from the side of North Bridge Road is considered the backyard of the cathedral and so the first shops that you will see are the restaurants and bars. To give you a quick insight into the CHIJMES Cathedral, although it is currently used as a commercial space, it was originally a town convent for the Holy Infant Jesus. It used to serve as an orphanage, boarding house, and as a chapel.
The architectural style of the design is called Neo-Classical which is visible from the ornaments that are used to decorate the pillars and the facade.
Wandering around the cathedral and passing through the arcades brings me back nostalgia and deep memories from the past. I think that this is a good place where I can simply walk along and sit on the benches and feel calm and at ease even though I'm surrounded by the vibrant city vibe.
At the sunken level behind the cathedral is a line of restaurants and wholesome pubs. From where I stand, I'm enjoying the view of the cathedral while listening to the live band that's playing pop acoustic songs.
Within the vicinity of the cathedral complex, there is a garden with artificial grass that is surrounded by light-decorated trees. It looks like it was also inspired by the movie Avatar in which the trees are glowing as night falls.
As I found my way to the front of the cathedral and gazed upon the bell tower, I was silently admiring the beauty of the old architecture. The proportion is sublime and the details of the ornaments are truly amazing.
During this night, there was an ongoing event inside the cathedral and I was unable to go in and take photos of the interior. However, during my wanderings around the complex and along its arcade filled with classical ornaments, I felt solace and was able to escape the noise of the city.
My journey to the world of places.
