December 2011
29 posts
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 28 - Florence
last day of the year!
Started the day early at the Uffizi
saw the birth of venus and long long corridor(s) of sculptures and paintings. amazing stuff by the Medici family. sadly no photos allowed..
view from the Uffizi overlooking Ponte Vecchio
finally - we lined up for lunch at the place Kylie Kwong said she had the “best meal of her life”. We waited about 2 hours for it -...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 27 - Florence, Modena,...
it was day trip to Maranello day!
why you ask? the photos below should explain why we are headed to the small Italian town of Maranello if you have no idea..
to get to Maranello - we needed to catch a train to Bologna from Florence, then to Modena, then catch a bus to Maranello
downtown Modena. it was freezing!
to get to the bus stop in Modena to take us to Maranello, we had to catch a...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 26 - Florence
so so ready and excited for my first full day in Florence. How do you start? eating a local Panini at the Duomo of course!
why did we have to eat? because we were going to climb the cupola. the dome of the Florence Cathedral lol. all 463 steps.
the view of the dome from the inside
simply.. wonderful. <3 florence
i felt a bit like ezio. just a bit. needed his skills and a...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 25 - Rome & Florence
SInce our train was at 10:48am, and JG and I had to miss Colosseum yesterday, we left early to check it out. We dropped off out luggage at Termini, then metro-ed to the Colosseum
the impressive interior of the Colosseum
bye Colosseum!
then it was onto catching our train to Florence. the city I have been looking forward the most!
our train to Florence
and how does Florence...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 24 - Rome
JG and I didnt feel too well (PC suspected it was from the heavy rain we sorta got stuck in two days ago at Piazza del Popolo) so we decided to skip Colosseum with the gang and meet up with them at 1pm for Vatican stuff
the best pizza so far! look at the tonnes of mushrooms, and the thinness of the pizza. pizza by weight has never tasted so good!
after brunch, JG and I met up with the others...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 23 - Rome & Pompeii
It was take two for Pompeii - at least now we are sure sure that Pompeii Scavi was open
We took the train to Naples, and then had a quick breakfast in Naples
yummy and cheap food at the station
yay pompeii IS open
towards Pompeii Scavi
look how excited she is to see some excavations!
some ruins. this used to be a town!
there we a lot of stray dogs around the place
this is...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 22 - Rome & Naples
Christmas day! we decided to go to Pompeii, which needed a trip to Naples, from which we catch a regional train towards Pompeii
On the metro towards Roma Termini
Naples here we come
To our horror, and contrary to all our separate internet research, POMPEII WAS CLOSED. oh the horror. and it was christmas day too so a lot of things wont be open. Thankfully, an interesting museum for PC was...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 21 - Rome
i have JG all to myself today! so we decided to walk around Rome and do all the big ticket items!
Its Christmas Eve!
JG with St Peter’s Basilica
JG at Castle of St Angelo.
then we walked towards the Pantheon for the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. i felt i was in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood!
the view from the inside of the Pantheon
After that, we...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 20 - Berlin & Rome
it was time to depart Berlin to Rome, getting ready for hopes of a white christmas (which turns out by the end of the day I had very little hopes of)
our airberlin flight. which got delayed by an hour, and this was spent seated on the plane on the tarmac..
view from our street side trattoria where CS and I had lunch
lunch! first taste of Italian coffee - awesome!
then we went to the...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 19 - Berlin
Last full day in Berlin - sadly its decided to go all cloudy and foggy on us :(
you cant even see the TV tower which you can normally see from most places around Berlin!
look at that kebab place and its meat. literally, bigger than my head.
so the plan today was to cycle around Berlin!
our bicycles
the first stop was Tiergarden - a big garden in the middle of Berlin. Riding was good...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 18 - Berlin
yay gonna check out checkpoint charlie today. its the crossing point (or what used to be) of East and West Berlin at Friedrichstrasse.
what it used to look like
where the divide stood
what it looks like today. imagine a ten lane crossing facility here just 20+ years ago
the sign on one side
the sign on the other side
at the US army checkpoint
after Checkpoint C, MS told us that...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 17 - Berlin
wow after a fairly big night out - we were sorta in full swing to start the day. we left at about 10am to pick up some breakfast, and then CS and I will split up - he is going to spend the day with his friend, and I get to meet MS who is on exchange right here in Berlin!
good breakfast to start the day
after breakfast we split up. Wasnt going to see MS till later in the arvo anyway - I decided...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 16 - Berlin
so our overnight train was delayed by 60 minutes. We both thought we overslept and missed Berlin, even though we were up 30min prior to supposed arrival in Berlin. turns out it was simply late in its travels by 60 minutes despite departing on time. but not to worry. Berlin!
hi berlin!
our first sighting of Berlin streets
there was this snow mound at Potsdamer Platz. kids could get on like...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 15 - Brussels & Amsterdam
and only one night in Brussels - onwards on the 822 to Amsterdam to catch an Ajax game today!
our 822 train to amsterdam centraal. CS and I will meet JZ there to head to the game together :)
the entrance for us to Amsterdam ArenA - Ajax v ADO Den Haag 18 Dec 2011
view from our seats
CS JZ and I at the game where Ajax won 4-0. goals galore!
then we headed back towards town, for some...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 14 - Lyon & Brussels
today JG and I part (again lol) as she heads to Milan to (re)meet up with JL and PC, while I head up to Brussels to meet CS. till Rome JG!
the Lyon rivers during the day
all those late trains. apparently that day the Lyon airport workers were on strike, hence the overload on the trains. Luckily my 822 to Brussels Midi (third last) was on time :)
good bye Lyon. you have been so good in my...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 13 - Lourdes, Toulouse & Lyon
and that morning we left Lourdes really early to head towards Lyon.
funnily enough, the 528 train to Toulouse we were supposed to be on was not there! wtf, some disruption according to the board. no one we could ask coz the train station attendants are not there so early in the morning. no worries - we just caught the next one towards Toulouse
Toulouse!
the internets suggested this place...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 12 - Paris & Lourdes
ah JG reminds me we need to have cake and candles for one’s special day. so we got one.
=DD. thanks honey!
thanks hunnn
that was done at midnight. in the morning - we had to catch a super early train, well, not really (9am) but since its still dark in the morning it felt super morning. towards Lourdes!
they were charging stations for electric cars! so cool! and enviro friendly
...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 11 - Paris
yay Paris with JG. =DD
so JG kindly offered to go up the Eiffel tower a second time, this time during the day with me. it was a pretty morning, and we got there even before it opened! so we sorta had to wait with the other tourists in the cold and chilly wind tunnel!
and we got to take photos there too :)
from the second level of the EIffel tower. such a magnificent uniform city - no...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 10 - Paris
so ready for my first full day in Paris. Told the girls I’d meet them at Musee D’Orsay, but wow it was raining. Like, epically pouring! and Musee D’Orsay had super long lines outside, we decided to find cover
So we found a cafe nearby to have breakfast
croissants and all. breakfast around paris is indeed fancy :)
after breakfast, it was still raining - so we decided to...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 9 - Manchester & Paris
and to take my morning slow - this was my recuperation day. Sun doesnt rise till like a bit later though, so I took my time this morning since my train to London, en route to Paris doesnt leave Manchester until 11:55pm
view from my hotwire hotel which is only a 5min walk from Old Trafford and is really nice :)
after enjoying time around, taking my time to pack - it was time to get to London
...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 8 - Manchester
how exciting. ill be making my pilgrimage to the theatre of dreams on a tour today. =DD
my ticket, online prebooked. smart move - as the lines (as you will see later gets cookoo bananas)
spiritual end of OT - the stretford end
i am. at the theatre of dreams. *SQUEAL*
i am home
plaque and eternal flame to commemorate the munich air disaster
oh wow im going in the dressing room!
...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 7 - London & Manchester
super early train to Manchester - gonna watch United today!
en route my 2hr train up North to Manchester
Manchester im here! this is manchester piccadilly main train station
decided to hang around the city centre waiting for WL and her train to come - i picked up a Cumberland Sausage with Lancashire cheese and plum chutney at the Manchester Christmas markets. it was yum yum yum! see those...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 6 - London
Last full day in London! The plan is Harrods, St Paul’s, Lords, National History Museum and then around exploring. I have JG for the day yay!
First stop - Harrod’s. You know when a department store is big in a city when there is an exit sign dedicated to it at the nearest train station. I clearly didnt read it and waited for JG at the wrong exit hahaha
harrod’s! but we got...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 5 - London
Today I join JG JL and PC for some museum action - I meet up with JG first though yay
we meet up at West End. So many cool theatres and shows - why cant we have this in Sydney!
We decide to watch Chicago tonight - why? you’ll see later why!
Trafalgar Sq
axel at the national gallery. saw amongst other things van gogh’s sunflower. defs felt more cultured after this visit.
...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 4 - Düsseldorf & London
early start for me - an early flight to London via Easyjet. Needed to factor in super early traffic to get there, not to mention peak hour. so i left for the airport super early, and I see the airport in darkness!
my U2 flight =P
bye Düsseldorf! you have been kind to me!
H&M at the airport lol. We dont even have one downtown in Sydney!
my eastjet flight yay! wish me luck =P
...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 3 - Düsseldorf & Dortmund
the plan today is to explore Düsseldorf. yay christmas markets!
came a bit too early - still closed. At least I had photo ops to myself
walk along the rhine river. the sun was out for once!
Schlossturm Schiffahrt Museum - a shipping navigation museum located at a lighthouse along the Rhine. This was when i soaked a bit of the city’s history and culture :)
then I decided...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 2 - Düsseldorf, Köln & Bonn
AH told me tolday was best to make full use of my Eurail pass and see the surround cities of Köln and Bonn since they were max 1 hour away. And I took off fairly early in the morning, heading towards the main station
Düsseldorf main train station, and my 09:27 train to Köln
and once I got to Köln, exited left out of the main station, I saw this towering two-spired cathedral. Kölner Dom...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 1 - Frankfurt & Düsseldorf
after 28 hours on the plane, I have finally arrived in ze land of Germany
totes feel a sense of deja vu - it has not changed in 5 years :)
freaking epic story behind this. so i was waiting for the train to Köln to which I was waiting at Platform 6 (say that it was adjacent to Platform 7). I was told that my train was in 20 minutes, so I took my my time sitting down and waiting. To which,...
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Europe 2011/12 - Day 0 - Sydney & Dubai
And here we go again.. from the Australian summer to the European winter we (well, I, really) go!
my boarding pass to dubai, en route to frankfurt =D
value of brand awareness. despite not being able to read, im sure we all know what that is. Dubai airport is FREAKING PACKED AT 5AM
epic two seats to my own. love non popular routes.
advantage of flying emirates? you can choose an arabic...
