nairda

Ah.. my last entry for Europe trip. As previously mentioned, there was quite a long delay in taking off from Amsterdam due to delayed arrival of the airplane and thunderstorms at Heathrow (although it was sunny when we arrived). There was even more delay in disembarking & no working elevator at Heathrow. Not a very good impression of London so far, especially when Heathrow is suppose to be the hub of Europe travels. And London is a very "happening" place at the moment.. first, there was the bomb scare at Piccadilly.. it was only a block away from my hostel at Piccadilly Circus. Of course, I didnt find out till I've checked in and people were talking about it in the reception. So understandably, there was lots of sirens going off at intervals thru the night ... read more

Whoa.. I've got like 2 weeks worth to write. Nah, I'll just cut and paste from my own travel diary. Anyway, it's been a whirlwind tour thru Switzerland, Germany (Munich and Berlin), Vienna, Prague and Amsterdam. Then, London here I come.. and my 1st impression of it? Heathrow sucks major league. Not only that, the 1st thing people are talking about... "did u know about the bomb scare last night?". Talk about first impressions... but tomorrow will be a better day. Ok.. down to business. MUNICH (14/06/07) Super long train ride for 7.5 hrs.. luckily travelling 1st class with more space and less crowd. Nice city on 1st impression with lotsa pedestrian walking street and old buildings. Wombat Hostel also seems pretty good. Had Hofbrahaus (beer brewery place) for dinner and 1 L beer! Anyway, woke ... read more

Oh man... took ages to reach Interlaken. Left La Spezia at 6.40am, arrived aboout 2.30pm.. Go figure! Anyway, the trip through Switzerland was very picturesque with 70% of Switzerland being mountainous, plus we were in 1st class coach, hehe. Interlaken is basically a small town surrounded by mountains... and pretty touristy too! Our hostel was pretty crap.. rooms were old and the place was a fair hike from the train station (bus services stops about 7pm for the area). However, the view from the balcony was great! But then again, hard to get a bad view from anywhere in Interlaken. Switzerland is a pretty expensive place as most people would say... but the hit isnt as bad if you think of it in euros. Tried the cheese fondue (and never again) and rosti (my fave!). Other ... read more

After Milan, we head off to the coast of Cinque Terre named for the 5 small villages along the coastal line. Supposedly rivalling the Amalfi Coast for its beauty (according to the guide books). Used La Spezia as a base, as you would imagine accommodation in the villages would be limited and expensive. La Spezia surprisingly had quite a lot of shopping to be done if you wanted to.. anyway, the food here is better than in Cinque Terre! Started out at the largest village, Monterosso.. the only one with beach facilities. Having said that, there wasn't much of a beach either.. it was mainly rocks and gravel stones. But there were still heaps of people lying down & sunbathing! Will get back to this beach later... Next was a short train ride to the next ... read more

Just arrived at La Spezia, as a base for Cinque Terra.. some 5 small villages with coastline supposedly rivalling the Amalfi Coast. We'll see... Nothing much to say about Bologna.. everything was shut on our 1st day because it was Sunday. Anyway, two nights was rest day in comfy hotel Giardenetto. Internet was cheap though, at 1€ per hour! Venice... terribly touristy, and milking tourists for all its worth. Everything is way more expensive here.. internet at 8€ per hour compared to 1€ in Bologna! Anyway, the main attraction would be St Mark's Square with the basilica and also the Doges Palace around the corner. We also had a trip out to the island Murano, famed for its Murano glass.. watched some glass blowing finally after looking all over the island. Products were very expensive with ... read more

Italy tripWe arrived in Florence via a slower train from Rome.. first impression was good, but I think we brought the wet weather with us. Previously, friends were telling us of 30 degrees weather in Florence, which we havent seen at all. Guess its a good thing too! Anyway, it was nice not having to pray each time you cross the roads I basically had a siesta the 1st day in Florence.. had to recuperate from all the walking in Rome. Saw the Duomo the following day.. I think its the 4th largest in Italy. The main attraction was the huge fresco in the dome about The Last Judgement. Although it doesnt seem like it (due to its height), the fresco is actually about 4 times larger than the one in Sistine Chapel! More info ... read more

It has been 3 days in Rome so far.. and I think I've barely seen part of it. Perhaps I'm taking too long for each place or coz of the sleep-in till 10am! Anyway, heading off to Naples later today for another 3 nights before tackling Rome again on the way back north. There's going to be quite a list of things to see in Rome.. so if you get bored, come back another day when I've had time to put pictures up. Hehe! Ok, so far I've seen Trevi fountain (by day and night), the Spanish steps which wasn't too impressive by night, the Colosseum and Palatine hill, and the Roman forums. The Roman forums highlights includes the Casa della Vestali (Vestals are priestesses who tends to sacred fire at Tempio di Vesta), Tempio ... read more

Thought I would blog the food specialties that I particularly liked, or tried, as I travel.. will update as new things come along France Boullaibaise Escargot (cooked in garlic butter) Nice salads (special mention: Salade Oceana at Restaurant La Marmite in Montmarte, Paris - with fried potatoes and salmon!) Duck confit Steaks - seems pretty good everywhere! Various terrines and pates Veal cheek and tongue - cooked really tender, but tastes pretty strong for me! TJ ordered it, but only managed to eat half (I ate 1/3rd portion) Spain Tapas - lotsa variety including lots of fried stuff eg fried fish/calamari/octopus (punto) Rabo de toro (oxtail) Migas - fried breadcrumbs with peppers and chorizo Hot chocolate with churos Flavoured teas Sangria - combine red wine, liquor, sugar, ... read more