My European Tour (Part 4)

Today we leave Venice and head for the fashion capital of Italy, Milan

Day 5
As usual we left the hotel at 8am after breakfast, and as usual, another 4 hours on the bus...
Well, this time we watched a movie... I can't recall what it was... Oh yeah!
We watched "Money Not Enough 2". Great way to pass 4 hours.

So we arrived in Milan around 12:30pm, and we headed toward Piazza Duomo, the main public square of Milan. In front of it is the world's 3rd largest cathedral simply known as Milan Cathedral.
Before any walking took place we were released for lunch, andwhat did we eat?
...
...
...
...Burger King...

In anycase it was a good lunch. I like they're nuggets, but not their onion rings, too much batter. and it should be coated with bread crumb instead of batter anyways.

Well, anyway after lunch we went for the city tour which started, where else but Milan Cathedral. The Milan Cathedral took 5 centuries to build and it supposedly houses one of the nails that came from Jesus' crucifixion. Due to the fact that it took 5 centuries to build, the cathedral has several different architecture styles, ranging from Gothic to Renaissance.

In the basement of the cathedral lies a crystal coffin, containing the body of the archbishop of Milan from 1560 to 1584. His name is Archbishop Charles Borromeo. But of course I didn't come to Milan to see dead bishops in crystal coffins...

We left the cathedral and began our 15 mins walk to our next destination the Castle Sforzesco, home of the House of Sforza. It was in this castle tha Leonardo Da Vinci came to to work for the Duke of Milan before he left for France in his last years. The Castle has a rich history of political intrigue and internal power struggles. As is usual among the great families of Europe at that time. The Castle itself is huge and impressive. I wouldn't mind having that castle as my home. In anycase, the Castle is now a museum which displays several of Leonardo's works.

After that we walked to see La Scala, the Milan Opera house and the Administrative building of Milan.
We then headed back to our starting place, the Piazza Duomo. where we were released for dinner and then we headed back to our hotel, the Executive Hotel.

It's great to know that they take care of you in that hotel. The have the usual amenities, water boiler, mini-fridge, mini sewing kit. But they even have shoe polish! Not that I used any...

We had a good rest and the next day we would say "Goodbye Italy" and "Hello Switzerland".

As usual I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Enjoy!

Milan

A christmas tree in the Piazza Duomo

Castle Sforzesco

My Europen Tour (Part 3)

Today's post will be about Venice

Day 4
So we left the hotel in Florence at around 8am again, and we started the 2 hour long journey to Venice!
Venice is built on a lagoon and is famous for it's glassware, among other things.
It was originally a place where traders from all over Italy and parts of Europe would come to, this made Venice one of the most powerful Italian states in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

So we arrived in Venice and boy was it cold! The wind was blowing and the tempreature was about 0 to 2 degrees, with indications of strong winds in the late afternoon. But in anycase we arrived in Venice via water taxi, and upon arrival the first thing we did was ride in gondolas. We went through the canals of Venice and took in the marvelous architecture of the time period. I enjoyed myself much.

After that we were free to go for lunch, and because it was so cold, we just walked into the first restaurnt that we saw. When we stepped in we were greeted by a wave of warmth. The best feeling ever!
In anycase we got sitted and we started to order our food. I had a bowl of fish soup which alone costs S$32! Then I had a main course of grilled fish which cost S$40! And for dessert I had real Italian Tiramisu. I will never be satisfied with Singaporean Tiramisu, ever again...
The S$32 for the fish soup was worth it as there was more than fish in it, there were clams, mussels, squid, octopus, prawns and fish. My mum ordered a bottle of red wine to go with our food and I drank about two thirds of the bottle. My mum drank the other one third, and my sis took a sip... By the time we were done, my mum was drunk, and I was high. There's a difference between high and drunk.

When we asked for our bill the waiter came to us with the bill and 3 shot glasses filled with a citrusy liquier. I asked what it was and he said it was his last Christmas present to us! Wasn't that nice of him. I would recommend the restaurant, but strangely there was no name. In anycase after that shot I went from high to drunk! It was a good feeling, the headache not so...

So we walked out of the restaurant, my sis being the only sober one, and went for the city tour, but I was having a throbbing headache, so I sat outside in the cold and waited. I was so drunk that I called Kelvin, a friend, and talked to him for 10:51... I would regret it when I saw my phone bill... But in anycase, my mum and I decided to sober ourselves up, so we left the tour group and went back to the same restaurant to sober up and keep warm.

When we arrived my mum ordered an espresso and my sis ordered a hot chocolate. I asked the same waiter who served us earlier to recommend something to make me sober, and he asked, "Would you like a chianti?"
I was drunk, and so I said, "Okay then, I trust your judgment."
He arrived moments later with a bottle of red wine and served it to me...
I would forget my name a few sips later. But it was a fun experience! Haha!
I couldn't finish the whole bottle, so I took it back to the hotel with me.

The day spent in Venice had to be one of the best, except for the headache that I had... Oh well...
As usual, I'll let he pictures speak for themselves.
Enjoy!

Venice

The Bridge of Sighs

Our final view of Venice.

P.S: My drunkeness justifies my lack of photos for this trip.

My European Tour (Part 2)

On this post I'll be blogging about Pisa and Florence

Day 3
We set off from the hotel at 8am and spent 4 hours on the bus travelling from Rome to Pisa.
Of course we had a pit stop every 2 hours. At our first stop I saw this cute Italian boy about my age, with Bill Kaulitz's hairstyle. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture... *Sigh*

We finally arrived at Pisa after 4 hours of travelling and we had a guided tour of the city.
Well, to be truthful it was a very short tour and it was raining that day...
We only saw 3 buildings, a church, the baptistry and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. We walked into a cafe for lunch, I had a chicken sandwich, and boy was it good...

After lunch we went back to the bus for an hour and a half long journey to Florence.
Upon arrival in Florence we had another city tour. We saw a cathedral called the Santa Maria del Fiore, or simply known as the Duomo (Dome in Italian). We went in and saw some rather interesting things, like a medieval 24 hour clock and a painting of Dante Alighieri, the father of the Italian language and authour of the famous "Divina Comedia" (The Divine Comedy).
After the Cathedral we walked through Florence, in the rain, taking in the view and enjoying the Christmasy atmosphere.
After the city tour we went for an Italian dinner, which consisted of a vegetable and pasta soup, spaghetti and lasagne, pork chops and fries, and lemon meringue ice cream! For beverages we had plain water and... Red wine! Yes on this trip I drank quite a bit... Mostly wines, no local beer...

I felt particularly happy that day, cause I got a SMS from Joel wishing me Merry Christmas. So yeah, I'm happy. After dinner we went back to our hotel and had a good night's rest.

As usual, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
Enjoy!

Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Florence (Duomo)

The door to the Duomo's Baptistry

Duomo Interior

The 24 hour clock

The Dome, it has over 1000 characters on it

The Father of the Italian Language, Dante Alighieri

Florence at night

Finally, Michelangelo's King David. (Ignore the 2 boys)

My European Tour (Part 1)

Hey there guys! I've finally decided to stop procrastinating and start blogging about my trip in Western Europe. But first off I wanna say to all of you, if you have the chance to go to Paris, France, then I say jump on the opportunity.

But today's post isn't about Paris, I'm gonna save the best for last.
Today's post is about... Rome! Yes, Rome.
So withour further ado, let's begin!

Day 1
Nothing much... Just took a 16 hour flight almost halfway around the world.
It's not too bad provided that the plane has TV, which they DON'T!!!
But in anycase 16 hours goes by quickly if you just sleep.

Day 2
Touched down at the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport around 6am in the morning Rome time.
Took about an hour to pick up our luggage, yes Europeans do things slowly...
Then off we went to our bus, and we went straight to the Vatican City.

Though I'm no Christian or Catholic, but standing in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, surrounded by statues of saints looking down upon you, makes me feel nothing but a deep sense of awe. We went about the Vatican with our guide Roberto, a local Italian, and he showed us the points of interest. It's interesting to note that the whole of St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica can be considered an artwork. There are many optical illusions and detailed craftmanhip.

After the  Vatican City, we headed into Rome for the city tour. We visited places like the Colosseum, The Hippodrome, the Temple of Venus, the Presidential Palace and my favourite place in Rome, the Trevi Fountains.

Finally after the Trevi Fountains, we headed back to our hotel the Holiday Inn Rome.
Check back later in the afternoon or tomorrow for Part 2: Pisa and Florence.

Now, instead of boring you with my commentary, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Enjoy!

Vatican City

The statue of St Paul in front of St Peter's Basilica.

The grandly decorated interior of St Peter's Basilica

Michelangelo's Pieta, the Virgin Mary embracing Jesus.

Michelangelo's name is carved into Mary's chest.

The famous Swiss Guard

Rome

The Temple of Venus

Hadrian's Arc

The Trevi Fountains

Our final parting view of Rome before Pisa and Florence

Bad start to the year

Sometimes people don't really hear you out.
They doubt what you have to say.
The people whom you thought would support you turn out to be actually putting you down.
Why is that?
I wonder, but I get no answer.

All the same, like I said earlier this day. This is by far the suckiest day of my life.
Come to think of it, it's not that bad. But it is the worst day of the year 2010 so far.
Not a particularly good sign of the things to come in the year ahead.
To end my life would be as simple as jumping off a building, drowning in a river.
Slitting my wrists, or hanging myself from a tree.
Gassing myself to unconciousness, burning myself on a pyre.
But, it is not hope that pulls me from the abyss.
It is not faith that holds me back from the edge.
It is the very possibility of being master of my own life. Being the master of time.
Being the master of my own destiny that leads me to not cross the veil.

I need not conform to the norms of society, neither do I have to do as it says.
But still society is bound by its current trends and the collective thoughts of the people that form society. And it is because of such things that one cannot fully do as he or she wishes. A majority of people are conformists. The minority are anti-conformists, sometimes known as rebels to the majority.

I had hoped to receive some form of support, or at least a word of advice with a nice tone.
I had not expected a harsh thrashing down.
For that my mood has taken a further plunge, from the deep end of the pool, to the deep blue sea.
I had actually spoke to a friend of my plan and my thoughts.
Her listening ear and comforting words did much to lift my mood today.
But all that was brought down by a towering golem of harshness.
Familiarity, does indeed breed contempt.
A concept which I seem to have become familiar with.
A concept which seems impossible, but true.