我的生活，欠缺了洒脱。除去身外之物的钱财，不靠谱的友谊，不踏实的工作，控制不了的健康，那自己的人生里，究竟剩下什么？每个人，都选择了自己的路，踏上了不同的旅程。年轻时的我们，没有心计，没有野心，只有梦想。不论是友情还是爱情，都比较单纯。如果人生的一点一滴都可以像影片般被记录，再被播放，那么我们会察觉一生中，我们往往错过了许多细节。每一个阶段的过去，身边的每个人都选择了自己的方向前进，为人生的下一站努力。人，就是要学会现实，学会寂寞。如果有下辈子，我会向往什么样的生活？
我会希望能有一个普通的童年，不用被逼着成长的童年。一个不需要学会独立的自己。单纯也好，愚昧也好，只要不复杂就好。二十年里搬了十次家的日子真的很累，仿佛没有一个方向和真正的落脚之处。飘浮的我，等待的也许是一个让我安定下来的理由。世界很大，却没有一个属于我的地方。下辈子，我只想做一朵温室里的小花，有人呵护，不需要逞强及逼着自己成长。下辈子的我，真的不想与这辈子的我相遇了。
原来一部分破碎的灵魂，还坚守在原地徘徊，望着那被遗忘的承诺。以为曾经的坚持和付出，会陪我达成32岁的梦想。然而梦想，总是说灭就灭。今生不被天时眷顾，我的梦想唯有等来世再实现。在那某年某月的打击中，我失去了一部份的自己。眨眼间，半辈子了，还是没有一个明确的方向。遇见，是幸运。遇不见，是宿命。安稳没选择我，既然没有依靠，我唯有努力再更努力。
有了选择，无疑是幸运。可是拥有选择的代价，却是更多被逻辑缠绕的枷锁。那在别人眼里的自由，只不过忽略了我不自由的一面。一个有我和没有我的世界，会有不同吗？活在镜中世界的我，你是否过着一个不一样的生活？以前重要的，现在还重要吗？
Saturday, 29 October 2016
Saturday, 3 September 2016
Hungary (Budapest) - August 2016
27th August 2016 (Saturday)
Catching the first train at 5.42am to London Heathrow and flying with Lufthansa with a single stop in Frankfurt kicks start my solo short summer vacation to Budapest. This is my first time acquiring a package (flight + accommodation) from the tour webpage and the overall experience was quite convenient and pleasant. The one day Buda and one day Pest getaway was just good enough for me to explore the basic scenes in the city.
The MiniBud in Budapest is a great door-to-door airport shuttle services at an affordable rate of €25.00 with return which saved me plenty of time and energy from figuring out how the local public transportation networks operates, and the waiting time was reasonably set within 30 minutes and therefore I managed to arrive at the hotel comfortably at 3.00pm.
The Boutique Hotel Budapest is a 4 stars hotel strategically located in the city centre close to most of the touristic spots. Even though the room was somehow less spacious than the average, nonetheless it was exquisitely decorated and their customer service were of great standards. With the Relax Room that I’ve got as part of my package, I have the additional privilege of late check-out until 6.00pm. However the shortcomings would be that the pillows weren’t very comfortable and it is kind of weird to be given 2 single blankets for the double bed.
After a quick freshen-up, I took a stroll to the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum), Great Synagogue (Dohány Utcai Zsinagóga), Timewheel (Időkerék), Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad-vár), Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) and Shoes on the Danube Promenade Memorial (Cipők a Duna-parton). The next best thing to do after the 9.7km walk was to look for a cafe to quench my thirst and to appease my hunger. I have selected one of the high-end restaurant – Dubarry Étterem along the Danube River overlooking the Budacastle, however their service was way below expectation as the waiting gap between the soup and the main course is longer than 30 minutes and I have already lost all appetite when the dish was served. I have therefore requested a take-away and slowly return to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the night.
Catching the first train at 5.42am to London Heathrow and flying with Lufthansa with a single stop in Frankfurt kicks start my solo short summer vacation to Budapest. This is my first time acquiring a package (flight + accommodation) from the tour webpage and the overall experience was quite convenient and pleasant. The one day Buda and one day Pest getaway was just good enough for me to explore the basic scenes in the city.
The MiniBud in Budapest is a great door-to-door airport shuttle services at an affordable rate of €25.00 with return which saved me plenty of time and energy from figuring out how the local public transportation networks operates, and the waiting time was reasonably set within 30 minutes and therefore I managed to arrive at the hotel comfortably at 3.00pm.
The Boutique Hotel Budapest is a 4 stars hotel strategically located in the city centre close to most of the touristic spots. Even though the room was somehow less spacious than the average, nonetheless it was exquisitely decorated and their customer service were of great standards. With the Relax Room that I’ve got as part of my package, I have the additional privilege of late check-out until 6.00pm. However the shortcomings would be that the pillows weren’t very comfortable and it is kind of weird to be given 2 single blankets for the double bed.
After a quick freshen-up, I took a stroll to the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum), Great Synagogue (Dohány Utcai Zsinagóga), Timewheel (Időkerék), Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad-vár), Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) and Shoes on the Danube Promenade Memorial (Cipők a Duna-parton). The next best thing to do after the 9.7km walk was to look for a cafe to quench my thirst and to appease my hunger. I have selected one of the high-end restaurant – Dubarry Étterem along the Danube River overlooking the Budacastle, however their service was way below expectation as the waiting gap between the soup and the main course is longer than 30 minutes and I have already lost all appetite when the dish was served. I have therefore requested a take-away and slowly return to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the night.
28th August 2016 (Sunday)
The classic buffet breakfast catered by the hotel was rather average but yet they provide a great start of the day for everyone.
The cooling breeze and the fresh air in the morning was excellent while I was heading to the Cave Church across the Danube river. Hasn’t been hiking for more than 4 years, getting to the Statue of Liberty is absolutely challenging because of the slopes and stairs all the way up to the top of the hill. I am glad that I did not list Buda Castle (Budavári Palota) as one of the must-visit place in my plan because observing those tour buses and the multitude near the entrance, I am absolutely not interested to spend my time queuing and squeezing amidst the crowd.
After walking another 2.4km to the Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya), I was literally dying of dehydration hence I couldn't complain much about getting myself a chilled drink despite knowing that it was just some coloured water that cost me a great amount of HUF2000 (£6.70).
Walking under the scorching sun and knowing that I will not make it back to the hotel without taking a break halfway, I went on looking for a dining place that I could rest my feet and refresh myself. I came to this sidewalk restaurant - Első Pesti Rétesház Étterem by chance and gladly picked an outdoor seat for my lunch so that I could enjoy observing the passer-by at the same time. The recommended dish by the staff was none other than the Foie Gras hence here goes my first trial of this exclusive dish plus having my first taste of the Hungarian Fish Soup (halászlé).
The classic buffet breakfast catered by the hotel was rather average but yet they provide a great start of the day for everyone.
The cooling breeze and the fresh air in the morning was excellent while I was heading to the Cave Church across the Danube river. Hasn’t been hiking for more than 4 years, getting to the Statue of Liberty is absolutely challenging because of the slopes and stairs all the way up to the top of the hill. I am glad that I did not list Buda Castle (Budavári Palota) as one of the must-visit place in my plan because observing those tour buses and the multitude near the entrance, I am absolutely not interested to spend my time queuing and squeezing amidst the crowd.
After walking another 2.4km to the Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya), I was literally dying of dehydration hence I couldn't complain much about getting myself a chilled drink despite knowing that it was just some coloured water that cost me a great amount of HUF2000 (£6.70).
Walking under the scorching sun and knowing that I will not make it back to the hotel without taking a break halfway, I went on looking for a dining place that I could rest my feet and refresh myself. I came to this sidewalk restaurant - Első Pesti Rétesház Étterem by chance and gladly picked an outdoor seat for my lunch so that I could enjoy observing the passer-by at the same time. The recommended dish by the staff was none other than the Foie Gras hence here goes my first trial of this exclusive dish plus having my first taste of the Hungarian Fish Soup (halászlé).
Taking a 2 hours rest back in the hotel rejuvenates me thoroughly before heading out for the night view of the Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház). The dusk seems to be the best hour for capturing a city with lights into the photograph however I missed the best timing as I did not expect the distance to be further than I’ve thought, but still the complete night view of that golden building was spectacular and stunning.
Picking the unfamiliar dishes from the menu is part of the fun as some local cuisine could offer some random surprises. I found this “Icy Cold Fruit Soup” in the soup category which captured my attention but it ended up more like a dessert as it was a sweet mixed of berries and the whipped cream. The Stuffed Cabbage was delicious and I am indeed satisfied with the these Hungarian cuisines, their services and the rate for this dinner.
29th August 2016 (Monday)
I started my morning in an extremely relaxing mode and after enjoying some light breakfast, I visited the Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok) and Váci Street nearby for some souvenirs shopping. I only spent less than 20 minutes at the Great Market Hall and another 20 minutes at the Váci Street before heading back to the hotel for a nap while waiting for the shuttle service to pick me up at 2.15pm. Despite the short transit interval of 40 minutes in Munich, I am glad that everything went on smoothly without delays.
The daily 20km+ walk is definitely a great exercise for me and I could have hatched more than 10 eggs in the Pokemon Go within 2 days only if I have the unlimited internet access that will not cost me a fortune. The average temperature of 29°C creates a two-colour tones on my skin but still I am loving and enjoying the sunshine before another winter approaches. I hasn’t spent any Forint on the entrance ticket in this trip because the more I have been travelling, the more I avoid entering the mainstream highlights such as the Cathedrals, Museums and Castles but rather favouring a relaxing meal, desserts or some drinks in a restaurant with calming ambience and a great view.
Those extremely budgeted trip with shared dormitory and hostel is gradually dropping out of my options’ list whilst I am getting older, since having a real good break is more important these days and I should be pampering myself sufficiently after all…lol
The daily 20km+ walk is definitely a great exercise for me and I could have hatched more than 10 eggs in the Pokemon Go within 2 days only if I have the unlimited internet access that will not cost me a fortune. The average temperature of 29°C creates a two-colour tones on my skin but still I am loving and enjoying the sunshine before another winter approaches. I hasn’t spent any Forint on the entrance ticket in this trip because the more I have been travelling, the more I avoid entering the mainstream highlights such as the Cathedrals, Museums and Castles but rather favouring a relaxing meal, desserts or some drinks in a restaurant with calming ambience and a great view.
Those extremely budgeted trip with shared dormitory and hostel is gradually dropping out of my options’ list whilst I am getting older, since having a real good break is more important these days and I should be pampering myself sufficiently after all…lol
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
我，可以不是我吗？
有那么一天的梦里，我遇见那个我非常向往的自己，一个现实中我做不到的自己。也许梦境，是一个用来弥补人生诸多遗憾的途径，一种精神上的慰藉。如果有那么一个世界，可以没有情感，也就没有伤悲。一个机械化的世界，亦有它的优点，不需要有竞争，不需要有区别，不需要有感觉，而只需日复一日的生活，那该有多好。
在这人来人往的一生里，有谁会到最后还留下？不离不弃，是人类最给不了的承诺。在人生路上走着走着，偶尔回过头，才发现周围并没有多少个人还在身旁。如果每份伤悲都是看得见的疤痕，那么多年后的我们，会否变得面目全非？很多时候，不说并不代表不痛，不提并不代表遗忘，不放弃并不代表不累，只是也没人去在乎吧，包括我自己。
在这人来人往的一生里，有谁会到最后还留下？不离不弃，是人类最给不了的承诺。在人生路上走着走着，偶尔回过头，才发现周围并没有多少个人还在身旁。如果每份伤悲都是看得见的疤痕，那么多年后的我们，会否变得面目全非？很多时候，不说并不代表不痛，不提并不代表遗忘，不放弃并不代表不累，只是也没人去在乎吧，包括我自己。
忘了多久，一个人窝在家里渡过节日已成了习惯。也不记得最后一次有人在身边帮我庆生是多久以前的事了。越走越远的日子，逐渐习惯了一个人的步伐，一个人吃饭，一个人旅行，一个人发呆，一个人傻笑，一个人流泪，一个人承担，一个人加油，一个人幻想。
我们的曾经，和曾经的我们，都是回不去的自己。每个人都在现实的面前低头了，妥协了，接受了一个我们自己并不想要的生活。时间嘀嗒嘀嗒的过，我们的一切也只能随着漂流。多年后，我们真的还记得自己是谁吗？
真心吗？在被伤害了多少遍后，你还信吗？
朋友吗？在被忽视了多少次后，你还要吗？
真诚吗？在被利用了多少轮后，你还想吗？
以往的世界，没有负担，没有社会的现实，没有物质的诱惑，没有太多的心机，没有太多的顾忌。 但随着年龄的增长，和那不断加在我们身上的重量都让我们变了。背弃了承诺，遗忘了自我。原本珍惜的，变不珍惜了。曾经看见的，却看不见了。
那一天的出生，就注定了这挣扎的一生。
我们的曾经，和曾经的我们，都是回不去的自己。每个人都在现实的面前低头了，妥协了，接受了一个我们自己并不想要的生活。时间嘀嗒嘀嗒的过，我们的一切也只能随着漂流。多年后，我们真的还记得自己是谁吗？
真心吗？在被伤害了多少遍后，你还信吗？
朋友吗？在被忽视了多少次后，你还要吗？
真诚吗？在被利用了多少轮后，你还想吗？
以往的世界，没有负担，没有社会的现实，没有物质的诱惑，没有太多的心机，没有太多的顾忌。 但随着年龄的增长，和那不断加在我们身上的重量都让我们变了。背弃了承诺，遗忘了自我。原本珍惜的，变不珍惜了。曾经看见的，却看不见了。
那一天的出生，就注定了这挣扎的一生。
Monday, 6 June 2016
Spain (Barcelona) - May 2016
Since I have been flying almost every other months recently (Vienna in February, Ireland in March and Netherlands in April), I have decided not to break the chain of travelling and therefore ended up booking myself a random trip to Barcelona in May! And as the speed of blogging could hardly catch-up with the trips that I am making, therefore a summary format as below could save me plenty of time…lol
Airlines (Vueling for outbound and Norwegian for inbound)
My first experience with Vueling wasn’t a good one because they only offers the option of web check-in to limited countries and nationalities, hence I am forced to join the queue for a long waiting time of 1.5 hours just to get the boarding pass and without any checked baggage. In comparison, the Norwegian Air has good services and a convenient check-in process which allows me to obtain my boarding-pass through the self-service kiosk and I get to crossed over the security within 20 minutes.
The Hotel
Since I wanted a more relaxing and private holiday of my own, I decided to spend slightly more on accommodation and Hotel Urquinaona is where I picked at £198.00 for 3 nights. The location is almost perfect because it is in the central of the city and most of the touristic spots are reachable by foot. Yet my stay was a big disappointment because the room stinks to the utmost! Horrible odour was filling up the room from the draining hole in the shower area making me feels like I am staying in the cesspit and I have to find ways to cover it up during the nights. As the room was facing the street, I can hear all sorts of noises from the outside through the closed windows and I am only able to fall asleep soundly after 1.30am before being awaken again at 7.00am. Even though the breakfast provided by the hotel was rather simple, but the croissants and fruits were delicious and the staffs were friendly and helpful throughout my stay and this somehow pacified my dissatisfaction with the room.
Airlines (Vueling for outbound and Norwegian for inbound)
My first experience with Vueling wasn’t a good one because they only offers the option of web check-in to limited countries and nationalities, hence I am forced to join the queue for a long waiting time of 1.5 hours just to get the boarding pass and without any checked baggage. In comparison, the Norwegian Air has good services and a convenient check-in process which allows me to obtain my boarding-pass through the self-service kiosk and I get to crossed over the security within 20 minutes.
The Hotel
Since I wanted a more relaxing and private holiday of my own, I decided to spend slightly more on accommodation and Hotel Urquinaona is where I picked at £198.00 for 3 nights. The location is almost perfect because it is in the central of the city and most of the touristic spots are reachable by foot. Yet my stay was a big disappointment because the room stinks to the utmost! Horrible odour was filling up the room from the draining hole in the shower area making me feels like I am staying in the cesspit and I have to find ways to cover it up during the nights. As the room was facing the street, I can hear all sorts of noises from the outside through the closed windows and I am only able to fall asleep soundly after 1.30am before being awaken again at 7.00am. Even though the breakfast provided by the hotel was rather simple, but the croissants and fruits were delicious and the staffs were friendly and helpful throughout my stay and this somehow pacified my dissatisfaction with the room.
21st May 2016 (Saturday)
This is the first time I thanked myself for the decision of picking the window’s seat because I did fell in love with the city of Barcelona from the sky even before I step onto the ground. The coastline is always attractive since I used to relate beaches to warm and sunny climate (though this is not always true).
Gothic Quarter & Catedral de Barcelona
This is the first time I thanked myself for the decision of picking the window’s seat because I did fell in love with the city of Barcelona from the sky even before I step onto the ground. The coastline is always attractive since I used to relate beaches to warm and sunny climate (though this is not always true).
Gothic Quarter & Catedral de Barcelona
The little streets and the medieval alleyways are full of surprises. I just love the random shops that I could find along the way and it will be adventurous if you could shut-down the GPS and start exploring every pathway in that area.
La Boqueria Market (Mercat de La Boqueria)
La Boqueria Market (Mercat de La Boqueria)
I enjoyed the delicious seafood platter at Bar Boquera (€26.00) and I wished I could have eaten more only if my stomach allows the additional inputs. Some vendors in the market would welcome photography by the tourists (free promotion on the web so why not), but some are rejecting pictures on their stuffs in a rude way.
La Rambla Street
La Rambla Street
Being the most famous walking street in Barcelona, this 1.2km tree-lined pedestrian mall is an excellent choice during sunny days. You could find stretches of restaurants, souvenir stores and various street performances along the way. Do respect the profession of the street artists and consider contributing some money as a reward for their hard work if what they did brightens your day.
The Raval Cat
The Raval Cat
This big fat cat of sculptor Fernando Botero is a piece of public art in Barcelona settling down in the district of Ramblas. It is not far away from the Rambla Street so do drop by for a picture and you will find yourself in love with this funny looking cat.
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Arriving at 7.40pm, I walked around the plaza and in order to get the best and complete view of the fountain, I waited at the terrace for more than an hour before the light show begins at 9.00pm. There were street dance performances in the meantime to kill the boredom of the crowd while everyone is waiting.
22nd May 2016 (Sunday)
L'Aquàrium de Barcelona
L'Aquàrium de Barcelona
To some of the people, my visit to the Aquarium at €20.00 could be a surprise, but I do love animals and it is not a bad idea at all spending half a relaxing day with the fishes.
Barceloneta
Taking off my socks and my shoes sitting on the sand by the beach, I am just practising the sayings of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” except that I did not go naked while sunbathing…lol
Dinner – Limosa
A sudden downpour in the evening forces me to hide under a roof for about 30 minutes before I could start looking for a restaurant to pacify my hunger. The first restaurant that I went checking-out wasn’t providing a good service and I just walked off due to the slow and unwelcoming behaviour of the staffs. I then came to Limosa having a portion of Paella and a glass of Pina Colada accompanied by a much better customer service.
Barceloneta
Taking off my socks and my shoes sitting on the sand by the beach, I am just practising the sayings of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” except that I did not go naked while sunbathing…lol
Dinner – Limosa
A sudden downpour in the evening forces me to hide under a roof for about 30 minutes before I could start looking for a restaurant to pacify my hunger. The first restaurant that I went checking-out wasn’t providing a good service and I just walked off due to the slow and unwelcoming behaviour of the staffs. I then came to Limosa having a portion of Paella and a glass of Pina Colada accompanied by a much better customer service.
23rd May 2016 (Monday)
Sagrada Família Church
Being the famous attraction of all time, Sagrada Familia was surrounded by a multitude of tourist during the start of the day. I gave up on the visit because if I buy the ticket immediately at 11.00am, I could only enter the cathedral earliest at 4.00pm due to the crowd. I would probably need to return again after the completion of this building in year 2028 since it is still under construction for now.
Park Güell
Sagrada Família Church
Being the famous attraction of all time, Sagrada Familia was surrounded by a multitude of tourist during the start of the day. I gave up on the visit because if I buy the ticket immediately at 11.00am, I could only enter the cathedral earliest at 4.00pm due to the crowd. I would probably need to return again after the completion of this building in year 2028 since it is still under construction for now.
Park Güell
Again, if I buy the ticket immediately at 2.00pm, I will only be allowed to enter to the park at 6.00pm so this attraction is as well kept for my next visit. After spending some time in the public gardens and hiking to the top of the hill for a panoramic city view, I saw this entrance thinking that it is linked directly to Park Guell. But after completing the very short visit then I only realised that this is the Gaudi House Museum and the small 2 levels compound is all that I could visit! So wow…I did spent €5.50 not knowing exactly the place that I am entering!
Casa Batlló
If you love art, then you shouldn’t miss both Casa Milà and Casa Batlló because the artworks of Antoni Gaudi were incredible and no wonder his architectures were integrated into most part of the city.
Lunch - Divinus
Have been walking for hours, it is time for a late lunch and picking a restaurant with the best seat where I could enjoy both the sunshine and watching the people flow leads me to Divinus. I wasn’t too greedy this time and my choices were: Goat Cheese Tapas (quite a good one), Mussels (quit ok..) and Baby Squids (nothing different from the sotong goring in Malaysia?!).
Casa Batlló
If you love art, then you shouldn’t miss both Casa Milà and Casa Batlló because the artworks of Antoni Gaudi were incredible and no wonder his architectures were integrated into most part of the city.
Lunch - Divinus
Have been walking for hours, it is time for a late lunch and picking a restaurant with the best seat where I could enjoy both the sunshine and watching the people flow leads me to Divinus. I wasn’t too greedy this time and my choices were: Goat Cheese Tapas (quite a good one), Mussels (quit ok..) and Baby Squids (nothing different from the sotong goring in Malaysia?!).
24th May 2016 (Tuesday)
Casa Milà
Struggling between La Pedrera and the Picasso Museum, I finally picked La Pedrera as I’ve been touring Europe for quite sometimes now and I finds museums and cathedrals looks almost the same everywhere hence I would sensibly opt for something different.
Lunch - Txapela
I have been passing by this restaurant a few times witnessing the crowd and on this final afternoon of my trip, I’ve decided to give it a try. I was dazzled by the variety of tapas they offered in the menu and have randomly picked a few from the list. Since I have not been drinking (alcohol) for a long time, one full glass of Sangria makes me feeling dizzy and sick while on my way to the airport. So… lesson learnt and I should not drink before I fly.
Casa Milà
Struggling between La Pedrera and the Picasso Museum, I finally picked La Pedrera as I’ve been touring Europe for quite sometimes now and I finds museums and cathedrals looks almost the same everywhere hence I would sensibly opt for something different.
Lunch - Txapela
I have been passing by this restaurant a few times witnessing the crowd and on this final afternoon of my trip, I’ve decided to give it a try. I was dazzled by the variety of tapas they offered in the menu and have randomly picked a few from the list. Since I have not been drinking (alcohol) for a long time, one full glass of Sangria makes me feeling dizzy and sick while on my way to the airport. So… lesson learnt and I should not drink before I fly.
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Netherlands - April 2016
While staring at the map wondering where I could plan for my next
vacation, it suddenly crossed my mind that I should pay a visit to
Keukenhof during the tulip season since I have been told a million times
by a colleague reassuring that it will be a wonderful life time
experience. With just a few scrolls and clicks on the mouse, I managed
to complete my flight booking almost instantly. Being an absolute fan of
flowers, I wouldn’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity to visit
the famous Garden of Europe.
21st April 2016 (Thursday)
The train service to Leiden from the Schiphol Airport is very convenient in just 30 minutes. The Airbnb apartment that I have booked in Leiden was rather cheap at £45 for 2 nights but slightly distance from the station. The apartment isn’t difficult to locate with a GPS but I was surprised to find some creepy dolls that were “nicely” arranged in one corner of the attic room making the atmosphere rather spooky. The eeriness did spoil my first night but luckily I have a better rest on the second night with the lights on.
My day was spent in a relaxing way taking a walk downtown visiting some recommended attractions in Leiden, and of course with my way of relaxation, ice-cream definitely comes into the picture. Failing to locate some good food in between lunch and dinner hours, a set of Filet-O-Fish at McDonalds would be a great choice. After visiting the Castle of Leiden (Burcht van Leiden) and strolling along the streets, I had a very simple dinner grabbing some bread before returning to the apartment and call it a day.
22nd April 2016 (Friday)
Not being well rested the night before, I woke up in a disastrous state having swollen eyes and a floating mind while forcing myself to get up for a quick wash-up before walking to the station. It was in fact a blessing for me to be slothful that morning as my initial plan was to start my day as early at 7.00am, but after much procrastination and arriving at the station later at around 7.40am, I then realised that the bus is only available after 8.10am. I would have struggled in the cold if I did follow my schedule tightly.
With the advance ticket of €24.00, I get to skip the queue and walk straight into the garden. Keukenhof will only be opened from the end of March to Mid of May (for around 8 weeks in a year) hence picking the right time for the visit is crucial. The two main reasons of my selected dates were, firstly the flower parade which falls on the Saturday of week 16 (23rd April), and secondly the end of April is the safest time between the blooming and harvesting of tulips. The different species of tulips displayed in Willem-Alexander Pavilion was spectacular and amazing. At times, I feel like I am walking in the land of the fairy-tales because some sceneries and landscapes were just dreamlike.
After a long 9 hours spent in the garden, I enjoy a great meal in a Japanese restaurant when I am back in Leiden. While on my way walking back to the airbnb apartment, I passed by a small farm and saw a donkey staring at me. After observing it for some moments, it slowly walked towards me but was being hindered by a stream hence remaining a distance away. It was so cute and I am tempted to slightly walk off the track to get nearer to this adorable creature. I get to touch him slightly through the fence and he would turn his head and look at me if I stop following him as if he wanted me to follow his steps while he is slowly moving to the other end of the farm.
23rd April 2016 (Saturday)
I met up with a friend of mine who is working in Belgium early at 8.00am to start our exciting day. The initial plan was to spare at least a few hours cycling the tulip fields but we ended up enjoying our brunch and the Flower Parade until 2.30pm. It took us quite sometimes to find the bicycle rental store and we paid €10.00 each for a short rent until 5.00pm.
The landscapes of the colourful tulips were stunning and the weather was just perfect for outdoors.
For convenience’s sake, we spent a night staying in Hotel Crowne Plaza Schiphol which offers great services and comfortable room as it is close to Amsterdam and the train station. Having seen the sex show in Bangkok previously, both Ms Ooi and I are interested to make a comparison between the Asian and the European version of performance hence we book a visit to Casa Rosso in the red light district. But to our disappointment, the overall set-up of the stage and the performance was rather below expectation.
24th April 2016 (Sunday)
The weather was forecasted to be wet in Amsterdam today and it did rain during the morning. We then made a flexible change to our schedule and visited Zaandam instead of Amsterdam. The well-preserved historic windmills and houses in Zaanse Schans is making it a popular tourist attraction. We enjoyed the breezes (shivering), the hail on our face and body (ouch!), mustard soup (yummy), the clog making (interesting) and cheese tasting (wow).
This is another great trip I have and I do wish to return again during the next tulip season and I will definitely look for an absolutely comfortable hotel so that I could expect a good night rest and some better pictures in the beautiful fields without carrying on my face the obvious puffiness and eye-bags!
The train service to Leiden from the Schiphol Airport is very convenient in just 30 minutes. The Airbnb apartment that I have booked in Leiden was rather cheap at £45 for 2 nights but slightly distance from the station. The apartment isn’t difficult to locate with a GPS but I was surprised to find some creepy dolls that were “nicely” arranged in one corner of the attic room making the atmosphere rather spooky. The eeriness did spoil my first night but luckily I have a better rest on the second night with the lights on.
My day was spent in a relaxing way taking a walk downtown visiting some recommended attractions in Leiden, and of course with my way of relaxation, ice-cream definitely comes into the picture. Failing to locate some good food in between lunch and dinner hours, a set of Filet-O-Fish at McDonalds would be a great choice. After visiting the Castle of Leiden (Burcht van Leiden) and strolling along the streets, I had a very simple dinner grabbing some bread before returning to the apartment and call it a day.
22nd April 2016 (Friday)
Not being well rested the night before, I woke up in a disastrous state having swollen eyes and a floating mind while forcing myself to get up for a quick wash-up before walking to the station. It was in fact a blessing for me to be slothful that morning as my initial plan was to start my day as early at 7.00am, but after much procrastination and arriving at the station later at around 7.40am, I then realised that the bus is only available after 8.10am. I would have struggled in the cold if I did follow my schedule tightly.
With the advance ticket of €24.00, I get to skip the queue and walk straight into the garden. Keukenhof will only be opened from the end of March to Mid of May (for around 8 weeks in a year) hence picking the right time for the visit is crucial. The two main reasons of my selected dates were, firstly the flower parade which falls on the Saturday of week 16 (23rd April), and secondly the end of April is the safest time between the blooming and harvesting of tulips. The different species of tulips displayed in Willem-Alexander Pavilion was spectacular and amazing. At times, I feel like I am walking in the land of the fairy-tales because some sceneries and landscapes were just dreamlike. 
After a long 9 hours spent in the garden, I enjoy a great meal in a Japanese restaurant when I am back in Leiden. While on my way walking back to the airbnb apartment, I passed by a small farm and saw a donkey staring at me. After observing it for some moments, it slowly walked towards me but was being hindered by a stream hence remaining a distance away. It was so cute and I am tempted to slightly walk off the track to get nearer to this adorable creature. I get to touch him slightly through the fence and he would turn his head and look at me if I stop following him as if he wanted me to follow his steps while he is slowly moving to the other end of the farm. 23rd April 2016 (Saturday)
I met up with a friend of mine who is working in Belgium early at 8.00am to start our exciting day. The initial plan was to spare at least a few hours cycling the tulip fields but we ended up enjoying our brunch and the Flower Parade until 2.30pm. It took us quite sometimes to find the bicycle rental store and we paid €10.00 each for a short rent until 5.00pm. 
The landscapes of the colourful tulips were stunning and the weather was just perfect for outdoors. For convenience’s sake, we spent a night staying in Hotel Crowne Plaza Schiphol which offers great services and comfortable room as it is close to Amsterdam and the train station. Having seen the sex show in Bangkok previously, both Ms Ooi and I are interested to make a comparison between the Asian and the European version of performance hence we book a visit to Casa Rosso in the red light district. But to our disappointment, the overall set-up of the stage and the performance was rather below expectation.
24th April 2016 (Sunday)
The weather was forecasted to be wet in Amsterdam today and it did rain during the morning. We then made a flexible change to our schedule and visited Zaandam instead of Amsterdam. The well-preserved historic windmills and houses in Zaanse Schans is making it a popular tourist attraction. We enjoyed the breezes (shivering), the hail on our face and body (ouch!), mustard soup (yummy), the clog making (interesting) and cheese tasting (wow). This is another great trip I have and I do wish to return again during the next tulip season and I will definitely look for an absolutely comfortable hotel so that I could expect a good night rest and some better pictures in the beautiful fields without carrying on my face the obvious puffiness and eye-bags!
Friday, 3 June 2016
Ireland - March 2016
With all the planning and arrangements I’ve done for my recent trips, I begin to feel a little overwhelmed and exhausted both physically and mentally and henceforth imagine it would be a great idea to pay for some local day tour packages this round to experience something new. As most of the scenic destinations and tourist attractions are found to be in the suburbs distance away from the City of Dublin, a guided coach tour will definitely be a convenient and prudent alternative.
I would probably grade this trip as the most challenging journey and below is how the story goes:
I would probably grade this trip as the most challenging journey and below is how the story goes:
20th March 2016 (Sunday)
As usual and not feeling surprised, the flight was somehow delayed due to the congested traffic on the runway in the Gatwick Airport. Not being overly concerned about the delay, I managed to arrive at the Dublin Airport around 3.30pm and after a long wait at the customer service kiosk, I finally found my way getting onto the Airlink Express (€6.00) which has a direct service into the city centre.
My one night’s stopover in The Kinlay Hostel was quite awful despite that this hostel has one of the best locations in town. The general layout of the building is comparable to a labyrinth because in order to get to my room, I needed to pass through at least 7 doors (3 secured and 4 none secured)) plus 4 corridors to get to the other site of the building. The surrounding was rather noisy with all sorts of noises and the furnishing in the room is obviously timeworn. Nonetheless I could not ask for more with the price of €54.00 a night hence everything is acceptable as basics.
Once I’ve completed the check-in, I immediately walked the 40 steps to the Christchurch located very close to the hostel. However it wasn’t my lucky day because the Church was closed exceptionally on that Sunday and therefore I could only admire the exterior of the building from the garden.
Having done some research prior to the trip, I am all excited to track down the famous Murphy’s Sea Salt Ice-Cream in town. My first combination was kind of weird having 3 exotic flavours in one go – Chilly Pepper, Dingle Seasalt and Butterscotch. I couldn’t help myself but to return again later that night with my colleague to enjoy 2 more scoops of the ice-cream as my supper.
I have been wondering in town not knowing what I should have for dinner because majority of the Irish dishes are serving red and white meats which would be too heavy as a meal for my appetite at that moment, I finally decided to go for the Japanese cuisine and gratefully Ukiyo serves delicious sushi in an excellent ambience.
As usual and not feeling surprised, the flight was somehow delayed due to the congested traffic on the runway in the Gatwick Airport. Not being overly concerned about the delay, I managed to arrive at the Dublin Airport around 3.30pm and after a long wait at the customer service kiosk, I finally found my way getting onto the Airlink Express (€6.00) which has a direct service into the city centre.
My one night’s stopover in The Kinlay Hostel was quite awful despite that this hostel has one of the best locations in town. The general layout of the building is comparable to a labyrinth because in order to get to my room, I needed to pass through at least 7 doors (3 secured and 4 none secured)) plus 4 corridors to get to the other site of the building. The surrounding was rather noisy with all sorts of noises and the furnishing in the room is obviously timeworn. Nonetheless I could not ask for more with the price of €54.00 a night hence everything is acceptable as basics.
Once I’ve completed the check-in, I immediately walked the 40 steps to the Christchurch located very close to the hostel. However it wasn’t my lucky day because the Church was closed exceptionally on that Sunday and therefore I could only admire the exterior of the building from the garden. Having done some research prior to the trip, I am all excited to track down the famous Murphy’s Sea Salt Ice-Cream in town. My first combination was kind of weird having 3 exotic flavours in one go – Chilly Pepper, Dingle Seasalt and Butterscotch. I couldn’t help myself but to return again later that night with my colleague to enjoy 2 more scoops of the ice-cream as my supper.
I have been wondering in town not knowing what I should have for dinner because majority of the Irish dishes are serving red and white meats which would be too heavy as a meal for my appetite at that moment, I finally decided to go for the Japanese cuisine and gratefully Ukiyo serves delicious sushi in an excellent ambience.
21st March 2016 (Monday)
The breakfast provided by The Kinlay Hostel was absolutely simple having only bread, butter and cereal, and there are all kinds of hilarious sign in the kitchen warning the guests to keep their hands off some shelves and to be cautious not to accidentally consume the foodstuffs that belongs to the other guests.
Since both of us have medium and large suitcases that need to be stored after checking-out from our room, we rented a cage locker at €2.00 before we could hit the town again. While searching for the storage room in the “labyrinth”, we approaches one of the cleaner asking for direction and were told that the storeroom was located at the first floor. Spending almost all our energy dragging the baggage to the first floor, we then discovered that it is actually at the ground floor!
A visit to St. Michan’s Church has been made mandatory in my itinerary after reading some comments that there is a chance for visitors to “shake-hands” with the 800 years old mummy in the crypt and it will be lucky for the person who touches the crusader! But I ended up being very disappointed because there isn’t actually the chance for me to touch them at all! We gave up on The Book of Kells in the Trinity College due to the crowd and went on looking for some local delicacy to appease our hunger. We came to a famous Irish restaurant - The Lotts Café Bar which is highly recommended by Tripadvisor, but unfortunately some famous dishes were not available due to the early hour we arrived before lunch.
After collecting our baggage and checking-in at Hotel Clarion Liffey Valley, I took a 15 minutes’ walk to the shopping mall nearby before meeting up with the other colleagues for dinner. We had our dinner and a long chat in one of the nearby Chinese Restaurant where they serve some Malaysian and Singaporean dishes too.
I just couldn’t wait to return to my room and enjoy a relaxing hot bath before hitting the sack and getting myself ready for the meeting on the next day.
22nd March 2016 (Tuesday)
After spending a long day in the meeting room with participants from different countries and continents, we gather ourselves once more for a group dinner in town at 7.30pm. We visited the famous bar - The Auld Dubliner for some beers and this is indeed the finest pint of Guinness ever! We had our dinner at the Elephant & Castle Restaurant trying out their famous chicken wings before we splited ourselves into 2 groups where one group continues with the drinking sessions and another group heading straight back to the hotel (so which group do you think I am in? Lol…)
23rd March 2016 (Wednesday)
After bidding farewell to all the other colleagues once we’ve ended the full-day's workshop, Ms Liu and I continued our own exciting journey in Ireland. Both of us stayed in different locations and my Airbnb room was surprisingly a value for money. At the price of £166.00, I get to stay in a cosy and comfortable double room for four nights. Not being in the best of my health condition (suffering from sore throat, fever and flu), I simply grabbed some pancakes and muffins from Tesco Express and jump straight into bed praying that I will feel better on the next morning.
24th March 2016 (Thursday)
As expected, my illness is getting worse but I still have to drag my feet 2.3km to the meeting point at 7.30am. Our first stop was to visit the famous and magnificent Cliffs of Moher. The winds were extremely strong and chilly giving us a hard time walking around in the open space. There were no fences or barriers built around the cliffs and out of curiosity, I even searched on the web interested to find out how many cases of accidents were reported in the past years but surprisingly there was almost none!
Next, we make a short visit to The Burren National Park where we walked on the cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone and took some photos before heading to the Galway City. We were given some free time to walk around the Galway City and have our dinner. Being an absolute seafood lover, there is no way for me to resist the idea of having fresh oysters served on the table. While strolling along the high streets, I am so in love with all the eye-catching and adorable souvenirs relating to sheep!
25th March 2016 (Friday)
The journey today took us around 3 hours to arrive at Belfast, and this city looks and feels exactly like any other part of the United Kingdom. The iconic walk in County Antrim - Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge cost us £5.00 each where we get to cross over to the island using the 8 years old rope bridge. The queue was very long and I am quite disappointed with the experience thinking that it would be very adventurous initially. Since we were only given a very limited time before we must return to the coach, both of us were only able to cross the bridge and immediately join into the queue again to return to the main land. A short walk along the coastal footpath is almost killing me with my flu and fever.
The only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland - the Giant’s Causeway is definitely worth a visit. We have to watch our steps carefully on the interlocking basalt columns trying our best not to fall into the water. However the winds were extremely strong and I was literally being blown off my feet, losses balance and fell onto the rock twice. Even the coastal guards were “stuck” onto the wall of limestone struggling to stand against the gales. Being sluggish to return to the visitor centre by foot, we paid €1.00 for a short ride and saving our energy for the next stop. For those fans of the series “Game of Throne”, the last stop at the Dark Hedges will be the perfect ending to the tour (but to me it was just a normal tree tunnel? Hmmp...)
The breakfast provided by The Kinlay Hostel was absolutely simple having only bread, butter and cereal, and there are all kinds of hilarious sign in the kitchen warning the guests to keep their hands off some shelves and to be cautious not to accidentally consume the foodstuffs that belongs to the other guests.
Since both of us have medium and large suitcases that need to be stored after checking-out from our room, we rented a cage locker at €2.00 before we could hit the town again. While searching for the storage room in the “labyrinth”, we approaches one of the cleaner asking for direction and were told that the storeroom was located at the first floor. Spending almost all our energy dragging the baggage to the first floor, we then discovered that it is actually at the ground floor!
A visit to St. Michan’s Church has been made mandatory in my itinerary after reading some comments that there is a chance for visitors to “shake-hands” with the 800 years old mummy in the crypt and it will be lucky for the person who touches the crusader! But I ended up being very disappointed because there isn’t actually the chance for me to touch them at all! We gave up on The Book of Kells in the Trinity College due to the crowd and went on looking for some local delicacy to appease our hunger. We came to a famous Irish restaurant - The Lotts Café Bar which is highly recommended by Tripadvisor, but unfortunately some famous dishes were not available due to the early hour we arrived before lunch. After collecting our baggage and checking-in at Hotel Clarion Liffey Valley, I took a 15 minutes’ walk to the shopping mall nearby before meeting up with the other colleagues for dinner. We had our dinner and a long chat in one of the nearby Chinese Restaurant where they serve some Malaysian and Singaporean dishes too.
I just couldn’t wait to return to my room and enjoy a relaxing hot bath before hitting the sack and getting myself ready for the meeting on the next day.
22nd March 2016 (Tuesday)
After spending a long day in the meeting room with participants from different countries and continents, we gather ourselves once more for a group dinner in town at 7.30pm. We visited the famous bar - The Auld Dubliner for some beers and this is indeed the finest pint of Guinness ever! We had our dinner at the Elephant & Castle Restaurant trying out their famous chicken wings before we splited ourselves into 2 groups where one group continues with the drinking sessions and another group heading straight back to the hotel (so which group do you think I am in? Lol…)
23rd March 2016 (Wednesday)
After bidding farewell to all the other colleagues once we’ve ended the full-day's workshop, Ms Liu and I continued our own exciting journey in Ireland. Both of us stayed in different locations and my Airbnb room was surprisingly a value for money. At the price of £166.00, I get to stay in a cosy and comfortable double room for four nights. Not being in the best of my health condition (suffering from sore throat, fever and flu), I simply grabbed some pancakes and muffins from Tesco Express and jump straight into bed praying that I will feel better on the next morning.
24th March 2016 (Thursday)
As expected, my illness is getting worse but I still have to drag my feet 2.3km to the meeting point at 7.30am. Our first stop was to visit the famous and magnificent Cliffs of Moher. The winds were extremely strong and chilly giving us a hard time walking around in the open space. There were no fences or barriers built around the cliffs and out of curiosity, I even searched on the web interested to find out how many cases of accidents were reported in the past years but surprisingly there was almost none! Next, we make a short visit to The Burren National Park where we walked on the cracked pavement of glacial-era limestone and took some photos before heading to the Galway City. We were given some free time to walk around the Galway City and have our dinner. Being an absolute seafood lover, there is no way for me to resist the idea of having fresh oysters served on the table. While strolling along the high streets, I am so in love with all the eye-catching and adorable souvenirs relating to sheep!
25th March 2016 (Friday)
The journey today took us around 3 hours to arrive at Belfast, and this city looks and feels exactly like any other part of the United Kingdom. The iconic walk in County Antrim - Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge cost us £5.00 each where we get to cross over to the island using the 8 years old rope bridge. The queue was very long and I am quite disappointed with the experience thinking that it would be very adventurous initially. Since we were only given a very limited time before we must return to the coach, both of us were only able to cross the bridge and immediately join into the queue again to return to the main land. A short walk along the coastal footpath is almost killing me with my flu and fever.
The only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland - the Giant’s Causeway is definitely worth a visit. We have to watch our steps carefully on the interlocking basalt columns trying our best not to fall into the water. However the winds were extremely strong and I was literally being blown off my feet, losses balance and fell onto the rock twice. Even the coastal guards were “stuck” onto the wall of limestone struggling to stand against the gales. Being sluggish to return to the visitor centre by foot, we paid €1.00 for a short ride and saving our energy for the next stop. For those fans of the series “Game of Throne”, the last stop at the Dark Hedges will be the perfect ending to the tour (but to me it was just a normal tree tunnel? Hmmp...)
26th March 2016 (Saturday)
Since Ms Liu will be departing from Ireland and back to China today, hence I was left alone for this Ring of Kerry tour despite my very ill health. I’ve tried contacting the tour agency but the refund of £85.81 was not possible hence I still have to go on with the excursion. It was unfortunate that the rain wouldn’t stop throughout the journey and we were hiding from the downpour most of the time (and it was even hailing at some point). I enjoyed so much the choice of my lunch having the seafood soup and seafood salad despite that these were rather expensive at €23.00. Being the slowest eater of all time, the limited meal hours posted a great challenge for me because I have to stuff everything into my mouth and swallows them down the throat in haste. This Ring of Kerry tour with train and coach cost me almost double the price as compared to the other tours but it appears to be less convenient and time consuming after all.
27th March 2016 (Sunday)
This is the day Ireland celebrated their 100 years of independent and the roads in Dublin were shut-down completely for the parade. I have therefore experienced a hard time booking a taxi online and getting to the Airport but fortunately I could still make it on time.
There are quite some additional expenses added to this trip such as the cost of the taxi for a few days since I am not able to walk in the cold weather at night. I even break the record of consuming more than 15 paracetamol doses within 3 days trying to cure myself from the virus (knowing that I have not even taken 1 pill in the past few years). Nevertheless, I am so much in love with the sheep and would love to return again to Ireland for a road trip with the opportunity to touch and cuddle them! I do appreciate the companionship of this sweet colleague of mine throughout the journey and yes, I do love this peaceful land of the leprechauns.
This is the day Ireland celebrated their 100 years of independent and the roads in Dublin were shut-down completely for the parade. I have therefore experienced a hard time booking a taxi online and getting to the Airport but fortunately I could still make it on time.
There are quite some additional expenses added to this trip such as the cost of the taxi for a few days since I am not able to walk in the cold weather at night. I even break the record of consuming more than 15 paracetamol doses within 3 days trying to cure myself from the virus (knowing that I have not even taken 1 pill in the past few years). Nevertheless, I am so much in love with the sheep and would love to return again to Ireland for a road trip with the opportunity to touch and cuddle them! I do appreciate the companionship of this sweet colleague of mine throughout the journey and yes, I do love this peaceful land of the leprechauns.
Monday, 22 February 2016
Austria (Vienna) - February 2016
1st February 2016 - Monday
My first overseas trip this year was none other than attending one of those business boosters meeting held in Vienna. I was trapped in front of my computer and on my phone before departing to the airport trying to complete as much work as I could knowing that the time will be limited once I arrived in Austria. The app’s notification concerning my flight delay worries me a little but luckily it wasn’t a long waiting interval where I get to arrive in Vienna at 5.30pm.
The 3 Days Vienna Pass which I purchased in advance at €101.00 is to be collected at the airport nonetheless the instruction wasn’t clear and I wasted almost 20 minutes waiting at the customer service counter before being directed to the correct kiosk.
The 4-stars Hotel Park Royal Palace Vienna was a good selection offering comfy room, luxury design and tasty food. My first dinner was undoubtedly the prominent Wiener Schnitzel (a very thin, breaded and pan fried cutlet made from veal) and I almost couldn’t believe that I’m capable of devouring everything served on the table.
2nd February 2016 - Tuesday
Congregating business users around the world, it is my pleasure to be invited to this meeting and getting to meet many people from other branches. It is as well my honour to be invited to give a short presentation and it’s been a while since I last presented formally to a large audience (excluding the routine trainings conducted for an approximate 10+ attendees).
Other than the conference, the dinner was another great opportunity of gathering together exchanging all types of information. There was an unexpected prize giving ceremony and once again, I was awarded the first price but this time is for raising the most work tickets to the helpdesk in year 2015 (Opps..). After the dinner, 6 of us packed ourselves into one car and started our night visit to the town for some fresh air and exploration. We joked and we laughed all the way as few of us have completed our part of the presentation during the day and we are absolutely in the spirit of liberty. We spent at least an hour in Café Landtmann chit-chatting and by the time we returned to the hotel, it is nearly 12.30am keeping in mind that the meeting on the next morning is scheduled at 9.00am.
3rd February 2016 - Wednesday
No doubt that conference is deemed the most fattening event and usually this is how it goes [Breakfast - Seminar - Coffee Break - Seminar - Lunch - Seminar - Tea Break - Seminar - Dinner - Drinks]. After spending the long day in the conference room, 4 of us sneaked out once again to the town for a stroll before dinner.
As I was not involved in the next day’s topic, I left Hotel Park Royal Palace and begin my solo adventure. A 1.6km walk took me to my next lodging place - Hotel Ekazent and as soon as the check-in is completed, I explore around the area looking for my dinner. I was lucky to discover this Japanese restaurant nearby and ordered a set of mix-sushi for take way since I was rather exhausted due to the late night outing the night before and I just can’t wait to return to the hotel for a good night rest. I’ve booked a double room because the promotional price was rather comparable to the price of a single room, but to my surprise, the room comes with 3 beds, a large sofa area and a changing room. Though it wasn’t new and modern, but I did enjoyed my 2 nights stay occupying the big room all by myself.
4th February 2016 - Thursday
The oldest zoo in the world - Tiergarten Schönbrunn is definitely worth visiting and finally I get to see the lovely Pandas!!! (But wait a second! Why is it in Vienna instead of China? Hmmp…) I have been going round the zoo but still returning to the same spot a few times just being reluctant to miss any chance of seeing the pandas. I guess the zoo keepers are keeping close eyes on me thinking that I am intending to kidnap those adorable bears…Lol
Checking on the weather report assuming that it will be a warm sunny day, I went out with only a layer of jacket and very soon to learnt the lesson not to underestimate the winter in Europe. The weather was unexpectedly cold due to the strong wind and I was shivering under the sun. Having no other options, I turned to the entrance officer requesting to return to the zoo after getting my gloves and additional jumper since the Vienna Card is only valid for a single entry, and the officer is kind enough to approve my return.
After spending 5.5 hours in the zoo, I paid the €5.00 to enter the Palmenhaus Schönbrunn for a tropical garden sensation. Guess I have had enough of palaces experience recently; I do not have much interest to enter the Schönbrunn Palace but just wandering in the incredibly wide garden.
My previous travels often go with simple foodstuffs; however this time I decided to pamper myself with decent meals. I discovered this Restaurant Odysseus while on my way to Hotel Ekazent, and the word “Greek Cuisine” immediately caught my attention hence I decided to give it a try without realizing that this is actually one of the highly recommended restaurants in Vienna. Witnessing the crowd in this restaurant, one could easily tell how good it is whereby the ambience is brilliant and the food is excellent. To my surprise, a glass of rose wine and a plate of mix grill only cost me €17.70 which is way cheaper than I’ve thought.
5th February 2016 - Friday
Waking up realizing the rain outside the window, I immediately return to the bed and enjoy more dawdling moment before washing-up and get ready to move to the central of Vienna. The metro service to the town was pretty convenient and easy, it is almost similar to the London Underground where all route are clearly displayed.
Hotel Pension Neuer Markt is located right in the heart of Vienna with just a few steps away from the well-known St. Stephen Cathedral. Even though the room wasn’t spacious, but it was clean, comfortable and exquisitely decorated. I was lucky to have my room ready at 10.30am despite the official check-in hour at 2.00pm.
To me, Albertina is a must visit gallery because in there I found many near perfect paintings and masterpieces. In fact it was the artwork of Pablo Picasso that attracts me the most initially during the draft my itinerary even though I am not so much into art nor could I understand his magnum opus. Unlike any other museums, the only downside is that there is no coffee bar and I am almost starving to death at 1pm without having my breakfast but I will not be allowed to re-enter the museum with my pass if I decides to have my brunch at the café just a few steps away from the entrance in the same building.
Having done some research prior to the trip, I make it a target to try some of the local specialties, and here I go with Apfelstrudel + Original Sachertorte + Schokolade Likör at Hotel Sacher. Nonetheless this combination doesn’t work the best because the sweetness in them is somehow overwhelming.
Almost every famous touristic destination is conveniently reachable on foot. Although the Kaisergruft (Imperial Crypt) did cost me an additional €5.00 for the entrance, but it did not disappoint me as I was absolutely amazed by the metal sarcophagi and I could never imagine a coffin could be built in such an outstanding and extraordinary way.
Once again without having much interest in the Hofburg Palace, I turned immediately to the Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) to admire the valuable collection of treasures in the European history. The life-sized mosaic copy of Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” draws me to the Minoritenkirche (Minorite Church) even though this was not one of the top touristic spot.
In this city of Music and Art, you couldn’t miss the chance stopping-over at the Mozarthaus (Mozart House) and the Haus der Musik (House of Music). I might even consider returning to this city once more to sit in for a musical concert.
The dusk came as early at 5.00pm due to the winter and most of the attractions were closed earlier than usual hence I took a leisure walk down the street looking for my dinner. There was a band of street performers with their instruments cheering the crowd with wonderful music on that Friday night. McDonald is definitely the best choice for filling an empty stomach of a drained body. The take-away meal allows me to enjoy my night in the hotel room and taking an early shower before hitting the sack.
6th February 2016 - Saturday
Even though there’s nothing too impressive on the breakfast counter, but the provision was sufficient for me to start my day. The best way of experiencing a city is none other than visiting their local markets. The Naschmarkt and Flohmarkt (flea market) was surprisingly big and crowded with all sort of items displayed - both organized and unorganized. I was at first concerned that the prices they would offer to a foreigner like myself would be unreasonable or ridiculously expensive, but my suspicious turned out to be false because the sellers were fair and some even have the price properly displayed. And here is where I accidentally broke a small glass souvenir for the first time, but was being consoled thereafter with the saying that this brings some good luck in return (with the €4.00 compensation… what a sotong)
I was attracted to the Time Travel Vienna after reading some good reviews on the Time Ride 5D Cinema experience, nonetheless it turns out to be below expectation. It is probably a great place for the kids to learn about the history of the city but might not fascinate adults very much.
Trying to look for something special, I walked 2.4km to the Hundertwasserhaus (Hundertwasser House) and the Kunsthauswien (Art House Vienna) but unfortunately the limited hours hinder me from entering the museum as I will need to be at the airport by 4.30pm. The non-stop City Airport Train (CAT) service from Wien Mittie Station to the Vienna airport only takes 16 minutes at €12.00 and this marks the end of my trip.
All I have to say is - I AM ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS CITY OF VIENNA! The surrounding is clean, the township is safe, the atmosphere is relaxing and most of the people are polite and helpful. I will absolutely recommend this place for solo travellers or someone looking for a short romantic getaway.
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Year End Review - 2015
It is again that time of the year to wrap up all sentiments to conclude, to count the blessings, to review the bucket list and to plan the next step. Blissful Moments
- Visited numerous overseas places (Brussels, Bruges, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Vatican City, San Marino, Phuket, Copenhagen and Siem Reap).
- Visited several local cities in the UK (Oxford, Bath, Salisbury and Manchester).
- Getting to know a few great friends who are always there to cheer my days.
- Surprises received during Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and on my Birthday.
- My pleasure to attend 2 wedding dinners in Malaysia.
- Watched 2 Musical shows at the London Theatre: Wicked and the Phantom of the Opera.
- Have had some good meals in London.
- Thanks to my colleague’s invitation for me to experience a western wedding banquet.
Achievements
- Accomplishing my goal of back-packing alone + trying the backpackers' style of staying in shared dome.
- Taken a step forward to start a small business in Penang with friends (https://www.facebook.com/housedemente)
- Received compliments from bosses and colleagues on the great job that I’ve done.
- Visited San Marino - my dreamed destination (and I should start making other destinations my dream now and plan to achieve them in the coming days).
Things Not Accomplished
- Have been lazy and failed on my workout plans (wondering when I could achieve my six-packs? Hmmp…)
- Not much of a progress as in personal development through readings.
- Had not lived my life to the fullest.
- Feel sorry to have missed and turned down some wedding invites.
Lessons Learned
- Most people will only look at what I have accomplished without giving any credit to the efforts and hardships behind the scenes.
- Not every creature in the name of human understands the art of gratitude, appreciation, consideration and responsibility hence do not expect these values from those deficient souls.
- Identifying and categorizing passer-by, friends, real friends and fake friends in my life.
Challenges
- The less preferred work destination - Keighley and Bristol has always been a nightmare for me. The far North city of Keighley is cold and remote; while the far West city of Bristol is inaccessible and often caused me hours of waiting for the public transportation to get home.
- To have survived another year in UK despite:
- Living with sandwiches (Other than sandwiches are still sandwiches...)
- Enduring an absolutely annoying housemate who is always on the phone loudly and inconsiderately.
- Tolerating the untidy people who always mess up the kitchen no matter how many times I have cleaned it.
- Dealing with colleagues who often cause me high-blood pressure and stroke.
- Traveling on public transportation with various inconveniences.
Year 2016
2016 will be a challenging year ahead with manifold turbulences to overcome and it is as well the time to refill and replenish what has been depleted overtime as the cycle of life reruns. Every decision is a challenge, and every move is a risk. Most aspects in life have been trying to bring me down repeatedly hence I will need to pick up the broken pieces and strive to move on.
Having failed the previous resolutions, maybe I should make myself a simple one this time - just to be easy going and be happier in 2016. Cheers~ :)
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