IL DOLCE FAR NIENTE. The sweetness of doing nothing!

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IL DOLCE FAR NIENTE. The sweetness of doing nothing! The year 2010 is almost over, and I'm eager to bid it goodbye. And then welcome the coming year 2011. I'm pinning much hope on 2011.

The Trips I Failed to Blog About

With plenty of time in my hand, I started reviewing my travel journals. I found some trips which remained unblogged for some reason, but held many fond memories for me. I do not intend to forget these adventures of long ago. More so as they were experienced with close friends and kin. But my memory fails me now on the details of such trips. Senior moments?


I look back and smile at the thought of my first trip with my sister to Europe. I went nostalgic visiting the same places which held many more memories of my youth. I embellished this blog with fresh pictures taken by my friends, which are absolutely far better than my pre-digital photos. When we arrived in Rome, I had the temerity to request a family friend who happens to be a priest to stand in line for the Vatican Museum. This is just to make sure that soon after our arrival (the next morning actually) , we would be sure to do the Museum before we even consider the other touristy sites.


I still laugh at my 2001 drive-through trip with my friends, all 9 of us packed like sardines in a van cruising around California, Nevada and Arizona. In 2002, I had a major surgery a month before my planned trip to Europe with a friend and a nephew. It was one trip where I didn't have to carry a single suitcase or bag as my nephew took care of that. 😊 I blogged about our many adventures in Europe but completely went lazy with the 2002 Portuguese leg of our journey. I should be adding more photos here as I "locate" more photos 😊 And there's the short trip to China back in 2001--- my first Great Wall experience where I came off the climbing with a bloody nose. It was November and I must have pushed myself too hard. Going down, I found blood drops on my shoes. My first nosebleed.


How about the time we went to USA in 2003 with 2 young ones aged 2 and 5, strollers and all? We covered the East and West Coast, took planes, trains, buses and cars? I laugh just remembering how we went around Disneyland with one of 2 babes sleeping in his stroller nearly all day! Oh, how we made so many trips to Burger King, Denny's and all those buffet meals at Vegas! Then there was the impromptu 2003 trip to London on business, a call from a friend then in Paris who gleefully told me she has a month's lease left on her daughter's flat near Champ du Mars. Another call, and our common friend from Zurich decided to hop on the next train to be with us in Paris. Yet another call, and I learned that another friend based in Virginia, USA is visiting Barcelona as their 1st stopover before driving all around Spain. Whoa, these old hags had a party!


And who'd forget the surprise we pulled in Singapore last 2006 ? I meant to meet Shelly in Singapore before we fly together to Paris for the first leg of our European tour. Her sisters joined me on that trip to Singapore a day before I was to meet Shelly. On the day Shelly arrived at the hotel, we were just driving in and almost spoiled the surprise. Imagine the girls on the car floor as we drove through the gate while Shelly was getting off the taxi!



I beg you guys to indulge this over the hill dame. Many details escape me now. So, this comes out as a hodgepodge of various trips. Yet it "completes" my many adventures, none of which I intend to forget. I doubt I have the energy to go "historical" and do separate blogs for each of these adventures. But this is what happens when one finds time in her hands. So pardon me.


Such is life. It is all about relationships. Family. Friends. Sharing adventures with them make for a lot of happy memories to last you a lifetime. I may forget some of the details, but I still have a smile on my lips whenever I remember. 😊 Happy New Year, everyone!


PS. Thanks to an anonymous reader who so kindly corrected me in one of my photo captions. I'm telling you, my memory is going haywire 😊

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Photos

Ponte St Angelo
This is a blog about all the places I visited and FAILED TO BLOG ABOUT. And yes, this was in Rome. My bad! (Thanks for the correction)

Rialto Bridge in Venice
Crossing this bridge is an experience by itself. Too many photos of this bridge taken, but I love this photo (taken by Mike) best.

Aaaaah, Venezia!
This photo was taken by my friend Mike. I have been egging Mike to submit his photo entries in some competition. Love his photos!

Cruising the Rhine
with a travel group. taken 2000

Hampton Court 2000
Stayed in London for more than a week. This photo with my sister Levy was taken at Hampton Court.

Stonehedge 2000
Taken in 2000 on a weekend trip out of London.

Summer Holiday With Family
This was taken in London back in 2000.

Grand Canyon 2001
With my dearest friends.....sisters Weng and Dodie.

Fourth of July, 2001
With friends in Los Angeles, California

Yosemite 2001
We "vanned" all around Arizona, Nevada and California! Only 2 drivers. The ladies in the van did the shopping and yakking.

With Friends On A Weekend in Paris
From London, we woke up at 3 am to drive all the way to Paris in time for a hearty breakfast, a quick hotel check-in and then a day at Disney Paris! Year 2000

With Sarah Cruising the Rhine
Taken in 2000.

With Ate Levy in Vienna
Taken in 2000

With Friends in Shenzhen, China
My first few trips soon after "retiring" back in 2001.

Great Wall
First trip to Beijing back in year 2001.

Temple of Heaven
With friends in Beijing 2001

We're Family!
Yosemite Park. 2001.

With Nephew Ryll in Lisbon
A month after my surgery. With my Sydney-based nephew. In Lisbon, Portugal.

One Family, Two Strollers 2003
I doubt if I can do this again.