tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347787242024-03-05T23:00:37.799+11:00{ rachtravel }The travel ramblings of a Sydneysider that likes a good getaway! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-14348981544585410302014-01-28T22:14:00.002+11:002014-01-28T22:14:56.309+11:00The Challenge: 20 Things to do in Italy<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year I managed to head to Europe (yet again) for a short adventure. An opportunity came up 6 weeks before the travels and it didn't take me long to decide to go on the trip. I did the maths and sums, and could even afford a business class trip on the way home with my American Express Membership Rewards. Sweet! So a trip to Berlin, Italy and Paris was planned for a short 18 days. An </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">andante </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pace trip it was not – hectic yet completely optimised </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">amazing racing it turned out to be.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Prior to heading to Italy, I stumbled across this article whilst doing my trip planning and research:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/20-things-everyone-should-do-in-italy.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20 Things Everyone should do in Italy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I read it and thought it would be novel to do it, but completely forgot about it when I went full steam ahead mapping out the itinerary and doing flight & train & hotel bookings. Whilst searching for other travel emails in my inbox recently, I found this link again, so thought it would be worthwhile to assess and review my amateur 11 day trip to an Italy-travel expert! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Take a night ride on the #1 vaporetto in Venice - Yes...and No</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did I take a ride on the vaporetto? Yes! I didn’t do it at night though and I didn’t sit on it for a full trip but it’s the experience that counts right? I did take an evening sunset ride on a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gondola </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with my travel partner along with 2 Japanese Tourists on a honeymoon though! I don't think they minded us crashing their romantic holiday (I hope?). One way to save on the pricey EU80 Gondola Ride is to just find other travellers that are willing to share the cost with you. As cheesy as it sounds, a ride on the Venice waters on a gondola is a must if you only plan to see Venice once.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Spend 15 minutes with “The Last Supper” in Milan </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No to Last Supper. Yes to Milan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time I decided to take this trip, I would have been on the waiting list to see 'The Last Supper' in time for maybe Christmas. I did however go to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Milan</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">for half a day and saw the stunningly gorgeous Gothic Duomo. It’s incredible to see it as you surface from the metro station. I wandered around the Milanese streets in search of lunch and hit quite a few cool spots, and took snapshots of cool ‘design things’ I spotted. Milan is after all the design capital of Italy. I did see drafts and copies of da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ whilst in Venice though - there was an exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings at the <a href="http://www.gallerieaccademia.org/" target="_blank">Academia</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- 'The Universal Man', so I saw at least conceptual drawings and sketches of ‘The Last Supper’. The best part of my Milan visiting was actually the opportunity to meet up with my parents for an hour or so to have tea at the stunning <a href="http://milan.park.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html" target="_blank">Park Hyatt Milan</a> where they were staying for a few nights. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Overdose on Renaissance art at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think I overdosed before I even entered <a href="http://www.uffizi.com/" target="_blank">Uffizi</a>! The queues for the Uffizi were unlike anything I have seen. And under that strong Tuscan sun in early October (I can only imagine how the summer would have felt), it’s not the best place to be standing in Florence. Even with pre-purchased tickets, we had to queue at our allocated time slot to get inside the museum. Actually, just be prepared to queue in Florence wherever you go if it is not winter. I LOVE art museums, but I can’t say Uffizi was my favourite museum I have visited in the world. But a mighty collection of Renaissance art it is - all the big names can be found here - Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli etc. Where else to better understand and appreciate this art style which pioneered western paintings but in the Renaissance birthplace of Florence. And in an old Medici palace! My favourite painting in the entire Uffizi would have to be Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ - something captivating about the long wavy blonde hair and the curves of a woman’s figure!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Get a guided tour of the Vatican Museums</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Yes...and No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I did go to the <a href="http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html" target="_blank">Vatican Museum</a> not on a guided tour but with an audio guide. I would highly recommend pre-purchasing tickets to the Vatican Museum to ensure you get in on the day you would like to visit. I’m sure a guided tour would have been fantastic had I remembered to book it prior to going on holidays. The audio guide is still a good alternative and worth your money. The Sistine Chapel was definitely the highlight, so make that your last stop so you can fully appreciate everything in this museum. There are multiple tour groups that are on a tight schedule and race through this museum just to get to Michaelangelo's masterpiece, and unfortunately race out again. My advice is to take your time to appreciate the incredible detail in Michaelangelo's art (and not to lose your travel partner in the crowds!). You cannot take photos inside the Sistine Chapel so you may as well take it all in. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful spiral staircase inside Vatican Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Climb Florence’s Duomo - No...but</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t climb it, but certainly did enjoy a view of the Duomo from my accommodation. My first <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> experience was pretty awesome. And I didn’t even know the apartment had a view at the time of my booking! Bonus! To be honest, I didn't even walk into the Duomo during my 2 nights in Florence. Refer to point 3 regarding crowds and queuing in Florence. I did take in a sunset view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo - stunning!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that was the view!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Eat pizza in Naples </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Naples is the birthplace of the world famous pizza. Not many people actually put Naples on their itinerary if they are on a 11 day trip of Italy. I did out of necessity to connect us to essential travel points (airports). The Naples I saw was rather grungy and dirty, and frankly dirtier than places I’ve visited in parts of Asia! However the pizza I ate in Naples was the best ever. Full stop. Head to <a href="http://www.pizzeriastarita.it/" target="_blank">Pizzeria Starita</a> for a meal you will remember forever! By sheer luck we managed to get a table immediately even though there was a queue! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. Visit the Greek ruins in Sicily</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t make it that far south in Italy. I think I'd need to prepare lots of Euros too! (See point 8 & 9 below)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Tempt fate driving along the Amalfi Coast </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Sort of</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think just by heading to the Amalfi Coast you are tempting fate whether you drive along the coast or not! Our holiday adventure was going almost exactly to plan until we hit Sorrento. From then on we experienced the southern Italian chaos as well as torrential rain which is a rare occurrence. (Thankfully it cleared up on Day 2) We didn’t drive by ourselves along the Amalfi Coast but we did take various forms of transportation along the Amalfi Coast - buses, ferries and taxi rides. Bus is by far the cheapest way to get around, that is IF you can get on the SITA bus or IF it turns up! I have admiration for the drivers that drive along the Positano-Amalfi coast route, especially the bus drivers that are able to reverse 20m up a hill if required for traffic to flow. And for tourists that attempt the driving, you are brave! I'd much rather have a relaxing time on my holiday than tempt fate, or at least, have plenty of Euros handy to take very expensive taxi rides on the Amalfi Coast. View wise, still spectacular and I can see why honeymooners like to flock here. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12Qz3J4faN210CXasjyklzIAbKbjnPAVQgcpNQGXnD-ZsclNwShCyQnCSiuMrYKWw7Noz4zYz52dFRaO3vUR4B77qXeZmPjQxa_UXI46F2h6mVygXFJRDgrWkGP3PMSotlRly/s1600/DSC_0600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12Qz3J4faN210CXasjyklzIAbKbjnPAVQgcpNQGXnD-ZsclNwShCyQnCSiuMrYKWw7Noz4zYz52dFRaO3vUR4B77qXeZmPjQxa_UXI46F2h6mVygXFJRDgrWkGP3PMSotlRly/s1600/DSC_0600.jpg" height="412" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture perfect Amalfi Town</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Sunbathe on Sardinia </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No...but</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We did see the rocky sands of Positano and get my dose of the sun and get a Mediterranean tan whilst taking a boat cruise around Capri! It’s an interesting paradox where the southern part of Italy is economically less wealthy than the northern parts, however my Euros disappeared rapidly in this part of the country. Capri is beautiful, and I will remember the fantastic weather we experienced with the clear blue skies, deep blue coloured ocean, and wind blowing in my hair. However, I will also remember the experience of entering the <a href="http://www.capri.com/en/s/la-grotta-azzurra" target="_blank">blue grotto</a> (which is also stunningly beautiful), and watching my Euros sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean sea. If you want to see anything South of Rome in Italy, come with Euros, in cash! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue skies at Capri</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10. See an opera in Verona </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where art thou Romeo? I would have visited Verona just to find that balcony of Juliet’s.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">11. Find all the “David” statues in Florence </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Technically we didn't actually set out to find all the 'David's in Florence, I think they find you. Florence city is not large and all the tourists attractions are just at your footsteps (along with the crowds). But do head to the <a href="http://www.uffizi.com/accademia-gallery-florence.asp" target="_blank">Accademia </a>in Florence to see the 'real' David, there is a 'fake' one in there too. The real David is pretty awesome. You can either wake up super early and head to the Accademia to queue (see point 3 & 5 on Florence queuing), or you can do what we did, pay people to take us on a guided tour and skip the queues. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the fake David's</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">12. Wander the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Yes! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was by pure accident that we wandered around Trastevere on day 1 of Rome. We were walking around Rome without a map (rather, a bad map of Rome) to see where we might end up. It was only until we pulled out the map again that I realised we were at Trastevere. I didn't know anything about this neighbourhood except for the fact that my friend over at <a href="http://takingtotheopenroad.com/" target="_blank">Taking to the Open Road</a> met her fiance there near a fountain. So I figured it must be a cool place to be! On our meanderings we stumbled into a really amazing cheese store. People on food and wine tours were dropping in for visits, the store was plastered with write-ups around the world, locals were buying their cheese there too. It's nice to have a travel partner so keen on food stores as I am pretty sure I would have walked right passed it without a beat. There's definitely a nice vibe in this neighbourhood that looks to be somewhat shielded from the flocks of tourists you will spot in Rome. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOj5tLAPGWzYWtgfT4glFJvR7J9s-8TrfOnL9PpNkJbMsZqLYu2KObqBJEZGaTFNlcaAbax9oVofluPjNFupdLlHp3OeRtkKd7FBqxPyc-bmzHuuvNm99rJfGLbQhs79bUlJZ/s1600/DSC_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOj5tLAPGWzYWtgfT4glFJvR7J9s-8TrfOnL9PpNkJbMsZqLYu2KObqBJEZGaTFNlcaAbax9oVofluPjNFupdLlHp3OeRtkKd7FBqxPyc-bmzHuuvNm99rJfGLbQhs79bUlJZ/s1600/DSC_0261.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy knows his cheese!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">13. Go back in time at Pompeii </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Yes!</span><br />
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 14.949999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our Pompeii excursion was ruined by heavy rains! But that didn't dampen our spirits to see this 'open air' museum. It is incredible. Blows your mind to think this city existed during Roman Times almost in original form. I wish we had more time and some sunshine. It wasn't too fun to be out in the rain on muddy slippery soil whilst at an 'open air' museum. Yet somehow when the coach took us up to Mt Vesuvius there was sunshine, blue skies and a great view of Naples from above. I'd highly recommend adding Mt Vesuvius to the itinerary if you are doing a Pompeii visit. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2G0gxA4O9RdTLx_FNBN1HU2YBXt90MdffLyG71GciekBgOrgTnj8bJ5V_jPAnOQ7zQi1EYhPH__R9sQQBT6EDk0alE_cCp2-cBPVbamxghNgv8LOj3QcFEOdPnWeTp3l310Z/s1600/2014-01-281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj2G0gxA4O9RdTLx_FNBN1HU2YBXt90MdffLyG71GciekBgOrgTnj8bJ5V_jPAnOQ7zQi1EYhPH__R9sQQBT6EDk0alE_cCp2-cBPVbamxghNgv8LOj3QcFEOdPnWeTp3l310Z/s1600/2014-01-281.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ruins at Pompeii</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynUoI7dnpjIIDs1UyxdZSok9IUmTHJuVU5UIJqy9t8A27PL9An1N2o-LzeRu2H8SrmJzLab-KaAkHpIK_64c4yYTTwcKlvLM-RPSwYXK0V6GC4tqxjjZUobwTqRIbncIDzSku/s1600/IMG_6600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynUoI7dnpjIIDs1UyxdZSok9IUmTHJuVU5UIJqy9t8A27PL9An1N2o-LzeRu2H8SrmJzLab-KaAkHpIK_64c4yYTTwcKlvLM-RPSwYXK0V6GC4tqxjjZUobwTqRIbncIDzSku/s1600/IMG_6600.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt Vesuvius</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. See an Italian soccer game </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have seen an English soccer game before – I'm guessing you should really go to see what the crowds are all about rather than the game! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">15. Hike the Cinque Terre trail </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Given the time frame it was a choice between Cinque Terre and Amalfi. If I had chosen Cinque Terre our itinerary probably would not have been so crazy. Next time!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">16. Eat two scoops of gelato daily </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Sort of</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We started well on Day 1 in Milan eating gelato. And it was GOOD gelato. I have no idea why we didn't continue our gelato eating, even though I was sweating so badly in the hot heat in Rome.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">17. Get lost in Venice </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– Yes!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And we got lost multiple times. People say to throw the map out when you are in Venice and just explore. It's a good idea as the maps are rather hopeless anyway. Where else are you going to find a car-less city Island? The only bad thing about getting lost is trying to locate the hotel at the end of the day. Just when you think you are close, you are oh so far away from that bed! If you can check out Venice during the <a href="http://www.labiennale.org/en/art/" target="_blank">Biennale</a> which is held every 2 years, the temporary exhibitions are definitely worth a look as the standard is extremely high! We were lucky that the Venice Biennale was on, it made getting lost in Venice a lot more interesting...such as scoring a free boat ride courtesy of the Portugal exhibition. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hLyeONlNZ0hiWh0NQkeg7SoBPN8PCZ5-Q72TJJQQ_meW9Tud9uGBRZ0jAuu51zwrtAnpPMfBdju7CohfpV722XvAipBT95WDd5b5f6friMICMZcXdSQyDe4F9_p4kwuGkUdP/s1600/2014-01-282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hLyeONlNZ0hiWh0NQkeg7SoBPN8PCZ5-Q72TJJQQ_meW9Tud9uGBRZ0jAuu51zwrtAnpPMfBdju7CohfpV722XvAipBT95WDd5b5f6friMICMZcXdSQyDe4F9_p4kwuGkUdP/s1600/2014-01-282.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">18. Take shelter from rain (or sun) inside the Pantheon in Rome – Yes!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By sheer luck, I managed to find Airbnb accommodation near the Pantheon. We pretty much started and ended each day around the <a href="http://www.rome.info/pantheon/" target="_blank">Pantheon</a>. I would say the Pantheon is perhaps more impressive than dare I say, the Colosseum. There is something about admiring architecture </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> old and strong. To think people from Ancient Rome days walked amongst this monument is mind blowing! Those 2000-year old stones are sure to cool you down during the Roman heatwaves. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLgUJQWI0z9n07c9TIdO5v3pkBIG8h5OWHxuOY2M2SsJeoaNHkrytD2jGYFCw-NA2PDyz0qxwb8-zF8TvKABAnwK_ELNXSXQz3jbm1tbDZDy4Ns0iAyR3RyoUL-af75WKUCdX/s1600/DSC_0466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLgUJQWI0z9n07c9TIdO5v3pkBIG8h5OWHxuOY2M2SsJeoaNHkrytD2jGYFCw-NA2PDyz0qxwb8-zF8TvKABAnwK_ELNXSXQz3jbm1tbDZDy4Ns0iAyR3RyoUL-af75WKUCdX/s1600/DSC_0466.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">19. Go for a drive in Tuscany </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">– No</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been told a drive through Tuscany and a trip to Sienna is a must. The only glimpse of Tuscan hills I saw on the on the high speed rail from Florence to Rome. But hey, I drove through <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/four-days-in-provence.html" target="_blank">Provence in 2012</a>...similar...no?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">20. Walk in Caesar’s footsteps in Rome – Yes!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I planned out an ‘Ancient Rome’ day to hit all the ‘ancient’ spots and try to imagine life in those times. Start your day at the Roman Forum where you can buy your entry ticket to the Colosseum and avoid that lengthy queue. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5LSCdYUinxloos4tFZNgOst7lQKAxC2UTrc9ADmtvuxhcG7eJzfcFgAu9I8fewVOz6VXLTZbQyDWlv54yd2QgpqvhBsfcGP42aAe0pKsskWXWM9u79FJwufqnHZcKuE52Y_T/s1600/DSC_0330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5LSCdYUinxloos4tFZNgOst7lQKAxC2UTrc9ADmtvuxhcG7eJzfcFgAu9I8fewVOz6VXLTZbQyDWlv54yd2QgpqvhBsfcGP42aAe0pKsskWXWM9u79FJwufqnHZcKuE52Y_T/s1600/DSC_0330.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headless statues at the Roman Forum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc94SJW9fQfAp82qOBL0yarnwzX9vJndVt9KDXCIYRGcgESN0XDBhovwTMpAcrNHXARlmrjj8gT71GoPREo4WWot2BdxyGrg2rtj_zvg83P923mpYPlHl2cHjtD7D0bESoxFwr/s1600/IMG_6052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc94SJW9fQfAp82qOBL0yarnwzX9vJndVt9KDXCIYRGcgESN0XDBhovwTMpAcrNHXARlmrjj8gT71GoPREo4WWot2BdxyGrg2rtj_zvg83P923mpYPlHl2cHjtD7D0bESoxFwr/s1600/IMG_6052.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The impressive Colosseum</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 14.949999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My score out of 20, only 5 definite No's! I was pretty impressed with my self assessment, given my itinerary looked like this: </span><span style="font-style: italic; line-height: 14.949999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Milan-Florence-Rome-Positano-Sorrento-Pompeii-Naples-Venice. </span><span style="line-height: 14.949999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crazy? I'd say so but I had a travel partner willing to go along with the craziness. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 14.949999809265137px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Readers, do you have a top 20 or even top 5 or top 10 for an Italy escape? Have you done all 20 items listed above?</b></i></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-05477934-bcdb-0635-caaf-f63f982d8add"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-31435252009442733892013-10-25T12:51:00.001+11:002013-10-25T12:57:37.070+11:002013 Point Spending Spree!<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most girls I know enjoy a good shopping spree, especially when a sale is on, be it to buy shoes, clothes, handbags or all. </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exhilaration</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and hysteria is experienced as beautiful items are purchased, money 'saved' and the credit card is handed over to get its workout. As life would have it, I am not most girls - exhilaration and hysteria is experienced when I am sitting at my desk comfortably accumulating 'points', particularly those bonus points that come from new credit card applications, upgrades and referrals! (That is not to say I don't enjoy a good sale either). After years of consolidation and treasuring my beloved <a href="https://catalogue.membershiprewards.com.au/aboutProgram.mtw?inav=au_menu_rewards_mr_info">American Express Membership Reward</a> points, this year I went on an unintentional point spending spree. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is how the point-spending blow out occurred:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">20,000 points for a One Way Economy Class ticket – Melbourne to Sydney on Jetstar</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">46,750 points for a One Way Business Class ticket – Sydney to Shanghai on Malaysia Airlines</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">46,750 points for a One Way Business Class ticket – Kuala Lumpur to Sydney on Singapore Airlines </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">51,000 points for a One Way Business Class ticket – Paris to Sydney on Malaysia Airlines </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">40,000 points for a One Way Business Class upgrade – Paris to Sydney on Malaysia Airlines for my travel partner</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Total Blowout = 204,500 points!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that is quite a spending spree and all in one calendar year, but hey, I probably saved thousands of dollars with the business class trips I took :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the interest of full disclosure, I did use some personal funds to supplement the point-spending spree as well. </span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I applied for a <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/au/content/reward-cards/david-jones-card/">David Jones American Express card</a> this year which came with 20,000 sign up bonus points for a $99 annual fee. Those points funded my one way Melbourne-Sydney Jetstar flight which was a pretty good deal since I was purchasing the ticket one week before a long weekend! (FYI: I used my own money to purchase the Sydney-Melbourne ticket) I made the flight redemption by using a cool feature in <a href="http://www.webjet.com.au/membershiprewards/american-express/">Webjet </a>to 'redeem' my points. However, I do not recommend this strategy unless it is last minute! Also, I don't think the DJ Amex points are really worth all that much...but hey I wanted to save some money. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since 2011, I have been paying $99 p.a for my <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/au/content/platinum-edge-credit-card/">American Express Platinum Edge card</a>. I get a discount on the annual fee as I am a member of the ICAA (Institute of Chartered Accountants). The best thing about this card was my sign-on bonus of 20,000 points! Additionally, I have been referring family, friends and colleagues this card and I have pocketed another 70,000 points from that. Another awesome feature of this card is the 'free' domestic flight you get each year - I managed to fly to Launceston for free this year so well worth my $99! </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each flight redemption triggers surcharges & taxes. For the Asia trip in earlier in the year I spent about $600 on those taxes & surcharges; and for the Paris-Sydney flight on Malaysia Airlines A380 business class I spent about $580. These surcharges do sound hefty, but when you compare it to the actual dollar value of a business class flight and the utility consumed, I think it is well worth it!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;"><i>So what is the deal with buying one-way tickets everywhere?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to do a few 'open jaw' trips this year, and a lot of the online flight redemption booking tools do not allow this. To overcome this issue, I bought one way tickets and it allowed more flexibility in choosing my reward flights and carriers. Another reason for this decision is that I lacked points to complete my Europe trip wholly in business class this year + upgrade my travel partner, so it was easier to buy a one way economy ticket combined with a one way business class flight redemption. (The sacrifices I made!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For example, this is how I structured my short 8 day Asia trip this year</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sydney-Shanghai via Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines Business Class - 46,750 points + $352.71 in taxes & surcharges</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines - bought one way economy ticket for $237.31 - it was cheaper to buy MAS than Air Asia at the time. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kuala Lumpur-Sydney via Singapore on Singapore Airlines - 46,750 points<b> + <span style="font-weight: normal;">+$252.60 in taxes & surcharges</span> </b>- and it gave me a chance to try the A380 cabin!</span></li>
</ol>
<b>Total = 93,500 points + $842.62</b><br />
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A Sydney-Shanghai business class flight on MAS is about $5,500, so I definitely think this point redemption was value for money! Not to mention the additional comfort of a lie-flat bed, fantastic champagnes and wines to indulge on, proper headsets, a huge screen to watch my movies etc. To provide some perspective, 95,000 Amex Membership Reward points only convert to a $750 gift voucher. It still puzzles me to learn people would rather use points for a gift voucher instead of treating themselves to a business class flight you otherwise can't afford ordinarily!<br />
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I could have avoided the point blow out if I had known that I was going to be flying overseas twice this year. I was only planning on doing one trip this year (hence my logic to blow out points on Asia), but sometimes life takes a turn and new opportunities arise. Sure I could have found a better way to utilise my points to the max, but I am thankful that I had such a healthy balance of Amex Reward points to treat myself another time this year.<br />
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The point blowout obviously means that I am not sitting on a healthy Amex Membership Rewards balance anymore, nor do I see any bonus points coming my way soon. (If anyone in Amex is reading this, please feel free to send some bonus points my way!) For my upcoming travel endeavours, I will be going back to my 'purchased' US Airways points to make a redemption. Once you've sat in business class a few times on a long haul flight, it is pretty hard to go back to Economy.<br />
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Meanwhile, I am diversifying my points portfolio and really hoping the <a href="http://www.hsbc.com.au/1/2/qantas">HSBC Platinum Qantas card</a> I have applied for will be approved so I can start building on my Qantas Frequent Flyer points! Always good to have options when it comes to travel and point redemptions :)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-77823835677907800892013-08-19T21:26:00.004+10:002013-08-19T21:27:21.378+10:00Four Days in ProvenceHead to <a href="http://takingtotheopenroad.com/">'Taking to the Open Road'</a> to read my first ever guest post - <a href="http://takingtotheopenroad.com/four-days-provence-itinerary/">Four Days in Provence</a>! <br />
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Read about my travel tips and experiences exploring the gorgeous villages and towns in Provence - Avignon, Les Baux de Provence, Rousillon amongst others!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rousillon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Les Baux de Provence</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-28618402088660165542013-07-15T21:32:00.001+10:002013-07-15T21:57:38.629+10:00Provence, Purple, Lavender...trip planning!<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Traveled June 2012</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The decision to travel to the sunny, warm, French countryside was made at the bookshop whilst my travel partner and I were flicking through French travel guide books. Conflicted with the array of options and choices - Lyon? Normandy Coastline? Mont St Michel? The Champagne region? Loire Valley? Once we saw photo spreads of Lavender fields, we both decided that there was no other choice, we had to head to Provence!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YFOgl6NpwzJaBy-kjQoDAyVla4skacsqHB320QdCozzfiw1iFybp9WzE1rXbraY2LA1cml5ukyxOE3iSKjegYepl6BntuXw9IK82qxnQb0BHxigYq2BwapI47ukHDIubXgsg/s1600/provence_lavender_131785114442927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YFOgl6NpwzJaBy-kjQoDAyVla4skacsqHB320QdCozzfiw1iFybp9WzE1rXbraY2LA1cml5ukyxOE3iSKjegYepl6BntuXw9IK82qxnQb0BHxigYq2BwapI47ukHDIubXgsg/s1600/provence_lavender_131785114442927.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Beautiful Lavender fields</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;">Months and many after-work long nights were spent researching the best options to tour Provence. Bus trips? Private Tour? Self-drive? Trains? There is an abundance of information and resources in books, web pages, travel forums, blogs dedicated to ‘Provence’ that it was all a bit overwhelming! I actually spent weeks researching all the private tour operators, since it is meant to be a ‘holiday’ and I didn’t want to plan out each day and stress myself out with driving…on the other side of the road! However, the price-point for a private tour just proved a bit too expensive for us (approx EU350-450 per day), so we went with the self-drive option to cut costs down. In hindsight, I can say the self-drive option worked out very well – it definitely added an element of </span><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>adventure </i></span><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;">to the holiday - </span><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;">m</span><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;">oments of cursing the GPS; accidentally setting the speed limit to 50km/h on the German hybrid Mercedes C-Class hired car; driving 6 different ways from Avignon to our B&B; taking the backroads of Provence and almost driving through private driveways</span><span style="line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">After conquering the hills and windy roads of the Alpilles region (why is the GPS showing trees? omg we are driving up the little alps!) I can now say with confidence I am able to drive on the other side of the road. Win!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Next on the research list was the accommodation options. I’ve been a keen holiday planner, I love it. To my surprise, I didn’t realise that you were meant to start researching accommodation options and booking items 6 months in advance, especially if one is planning a summer trip to Provence! 6 months! I actually thought a 3 month head start was plenty of time. Once I discovered that fact, I went into accommodation search frenzy mode, which is saying something since I am known by my friends to spend hours researching hotel options even for a mere 2 day city stay.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The forums and blogs suggest Provence is best experienced through B&B stays, and I would have to agree. And unlike hotels which are listed on a wide range of websites, the B&Bs are listed on a different system, and I actually found the better or more highly rated B&Bs just had their own webpage, which you had to contact them directly. There’s a myriad of price points again for a B&B stay in Provence, you can go for the very minimalist basic option or stay in a grand old castle that commands significant Euros. I would recommend working out the location of where you would like to base yourself for the few days/weeks for your stay there, before committing yourself to an accommodation search. For our stay, I wanted to be close to Avignon, mainly because we were only going to be in the region for 4 days and would be arriving via the high-speed trains from Paris. I managed to find this lovely B&B in Le Thor called <a href="http://www.le-clos-des-sorgues.fr/en/index.asp">Le Clos des Sorgues</a> which is owned and operated by a husband & wi</span><span style="color: #444444; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fe</span><span style="color: #444444; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Véronique et Thierry Verholleman</span><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I found this place after trawling through the options on TripAdvisor and would highly recommend a stay here. The price point was very reasonable and they had the perfect accomodation option for our party of five. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Le Clos des Sorgues B&B</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The Master Bedroom</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Look at that blue sky! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 1.15; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Le Thor is about a 20-30 minute drive from Avignon (depending on how lost you get…I didn’t know what people were talking about when they said the roundabouts are not like the ones here!) and the house has a rustic yet new feel to it. The rooms were all newly renovated and decorated in French provencial style and after experiencing the shoe-boxes in London & Paris, there was so much space!! The breakfast was a delightful treat of a variety of pastries and breads, homemade jams, fresh eggs. You know you are on a holiday when you are treated to a lovely breakfast. It was hard to get ourselves moving each day after such a wonderful treat! This B&B has fresh fruits for you to pick as well as a pool to cool down at after a long day driving around the country roads of Provence. The most amazing part of our stay were the hosts –</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 14px;">Véronique et Thierry</span><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> spoke very good English, were enthusiastic about looking after guests and gave us recommendations each day for things to see, and restaurants to try. Even though I had read pages in guidebooks and had a rough idea of which towns we were going to hit, it was still reassuring to have the hosts point out the not-to-be-missed towns and sights.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful garden grounds at Le Clos des Sorgues</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An abundance of cherries to pick from the gardens of the B&B</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Driving around in luxury </span>of course!</span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next Post: Four Days in Provence</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - the lavender quest!</span></span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-80472697449466628672013-05-15T00:47:00.000+10:002013-05-15T00:50:01.291+10:00Archi-tour of Spain: Part 3 | Barcelona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><i>Visited: June 2012</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I’ve been fortunate to see quite a bit of this world through my travels, but one city that always eluded me all these years and one that I've been super keen to visit - Barcelona.</span></div>
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Almost every visitor of Barcelona that I have spoken to sings
praises of this city. The culture, architecture, food, shopping, weather, shopping, eating, shopping, eating (one can just rotate on shopping and eating) –
everything about it seems to enchant its visitors. Little did I know this city
was going to completely blow me away!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve already given you all a taste of Barcelona through my <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/food-safari-spain.html">Food Safari</a> post, and if you are a foodie, please make it a mission to visit this
amazing food capital! To me, the most stunning aspect of Barcelona would have
to be its architecture. Whilst Gaudi’s buildings are stamped all over
Barcelona, and I do love Gaudi’s incredible mind, imagination and willingness
to experiment and push the boundaries in modern architecture, but it is actually the component of its small parts that make Barcelona shine. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Now onto the photographs so one can see why Barcelona is such a cool place to visit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigj3EthF_DIlnPMDkL7vph4YYi1XrvWxf1b-2CZrgIOIEt8g3nWd0oZBKAhUy3aWnr93UeX0-SsqRzS6wmccuDWBBJ2fkxU19t6pnSMgf4khsB9EEU3BL2oqmE2akcAS4IIUYB/s1600/2013-05-141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigj3EthF_DIlnPMDkL7vph4YYi1XrvWxf1b-2CZrgIOIEt8g3nWd0oZBKAhUy3aWnr93UeX0-SsqRzS6wmccuDWBBJ2fkxU19t6pnSMgf4khsB9EEU3BL2oqmE2akcAS4IIUYB/s640/2013-05-141.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centuries old buildings that are still standing strong!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DyeZfAG-ycTQKxnHhUPzywDRJaWn9zGsyuKzaHoXdzfw8PrmPLZA1LGeaEXf9bOJxXPUYRPSbPjaFxrLc9JExAyRybk7jm7sqo1zScn3puMMlL5SJ1il1l4_kcybgHE1Kfvp/s1600/2013-05-142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DyeZfAG-ycTQKxnHhUPzywDRJaWn9zGsyuKzaHoXdzfw8PrmPLZA1LGeaEXf9bOJxXPUYRPSbPjaFxrLc9JExAyRybk7jm7sqo1zScn3puMMlL5SJ1il1l4_kcybgHE1Kfvp/s640/2013-05-142.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No building looks the same in Barcelona!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQKbrOwvDSDEPWELDRzdgMuWR2HxWN2xW1mach6t9Hfo5BlBjxiRfGR9sWMBebadIuwHL-lwn6Li_s0OUMQgYw5yGVjQbuK0BalcyYdomm7kt0JLLZZEgQQPCcD7OkHBYEtrW/s1600/2013-05-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQKbrOwvDSDEPWELDRzdgMuWR2HxWN2xW1mach6t9Hfo5BlBjxiRfGR9sWMBebadIuwHL-lwn6Li_s0OUMQgYw5yGVjQbuK0BalcyYdomm7kt0JLLZZEgQQPCcD7OkHBYEtrW/s640/2013-05-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mansions on Prasseig de Gracia</td></tr>
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The Chimney Tops (or we liked to call them 'ice-cream cones') from <i>Palau Guell</i> are incredible works of art. They are imaginative, distinctive, colourful, fun and just plain unusual! Really appreciated and admired the creative efforts of artisans of the time, and of course thank you Gaudi for having such a vivid imagination.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKfTPa4-riKSh7pP1NjYdyMTd7r8CWxafFVNnv6BhyphenhyphenKWByOhhgPAPVhtLj4bsGzP8qrsFNMc4feHlSEOjPS_FBi-Ht6ofo1iCljXrovL323hA_fYe4kkL5_hZ_3FTf10fJKq4/s1600/2012+Barcelona+FB+Album.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKfTPa4-riKSh7pP1NjYdyMTd7r8CWxafFVNnv6BhyphenhyphenKWByOhhgPAPVhtLj4bsGzP8qrsFNMc4feHlSEOjPS_FBi-Ht6ofo1iCljXrovL323hA_fYe4kkL5_hZ_3FTf10fJKq4/s640/2012+Barcelona+FB+Album.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I actually thought another cool feature of Guell Palace was being able to checkout the Barcelonean rooftops, which was such a contrast from the colourful, imaginative chimney tops!<br />
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<span style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><i>Park Guell </i>also by Gaudi, commissioned by the extremely wealthy Guell family is another originally intended to be a housing development. What a housing development even though only two of the houses are visible at the entrance to the park right now. Who wouldn't want to live in a house that looks like it's from a fairytale book? Again, it is in the details where Gaudi shines as an artist. All the mosaic and motifs. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJiIjrN_QrBkIFpKWA_Axw_gcdQnNg1S0bJ3ft2Xobn1XsuT89uuEAbKZbpvOfCfe7tTHUeAn5qXgKtg8jm0QRH7L6k9Wmg97QA6krGIaLrGpetELehnJbJ_1byYZ8GH4rdRO/s1600/P1011972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJiIjrN_QrBkIFpKWA_Axw_gcdQnNg1S0bJ3ft2Xobn1XsuT89uuEAbKZbpvOfCfe7tTHUeAn5qXgKtg8jm0QRH7L6k9Wmg97QA6krGIaLrGpetELehnJbJ_1byYZ8GH4rdRO/s640/P1011972.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Park Guell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNt90jv4LG1jDxdgA1ggt7RQCInwU3JJDCUPYrB_TV1tlVgjETJSQ8XW_X-KazZ-mHw7tV8n77vGQv5mCYyqFH3ZIJbhmSVBksbAb3oL8duol1RMjXzuPfnb5xtrgj35foMUy/s1600/2013-05-143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNt90jv4LG1jDxdgA1ggt7RQCInwU3JJDCUPYrB_TV1tlVgjETJSQ8XW_X-KazZ-mHw7tV8n77vGQv5mCYyqFH3ZIJbhmSVBksbAb3oL8duol1RMjXzuPfnb5xtrgj35foMUy/s640/2013-05-143.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredible mosaics</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhPrlgyv92asx-X83iaA4uqdwj14wIuuQul5vPYBHl6WpB2V8nHdLhfkps3S8YBh_8Xokmp7qN3xZ79o8NqvCXBhRGgcwrTODlrxSbtZiRnr6fZtH3o_UvD2n5_bqRDFBUL-g/s1600/P1011962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhPrlgyv92asx-X83iaA4uqdwj14wIuuQul5vPYBHl6WpB2V8nHdLhfkps3S8YBh_8Xokmp7qN3xZ79o8NqvCXBhRGgcwrTODlrxSbtZiRnr6fZtH3o_UvD2n5_bqRDFBUL-g/s640/P1011962.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The people, the mosaics, the structures, the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiyasLNymXBKeT3CmX-11aulyXiuiUfI8yFgIMdg5avEX81FsoSDQ1RLdEbjykTG_Ga8Eo8F3KiHu767w55aC_DLjRUOV5q3d8zmaCGgJzcGSaRoc2v_URZQZRlRYg9K1Lza3/s1600/P1011987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiyasLNymXBKeT3CmX-11aulyXiuiUfI8yFgIMdg5avEX81FsoSDQ1RLdEbjykTG_Ga8Eo8F3KiHu767w55aC_DLjRUOV5q3d8zmaCGgJzcGSaRoc2v_URZQZRlRYg9K1Lza3/s640/P1011987.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone wanted to touch the dragon & take a photo, along with all the other tourists!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As if taking a day tour of Gaudi's works were not enough? We booked ourselves to see<i> </i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><i>Casa Milà</i> on a night tour, another one of Gaudi's works on the prestigious Prasseig de Gracia. To imagine people lived here before? Those shapes and surfaces, contours. Genius. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB-IQjfaBB6jSFaKoBLuIqBKqeBNwy9JwWSkEDZW0J2FxtG_ht5GtbskGubdcfD3mwkaYoOzvhkzxVptHSVEpkM4TjksB4k3UgWLGlGH12ijTZ5Qd7lDT7_Abx_to4N7nidRd/s1600/DSC_5207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOB-IQjfaBB6jSFaKoBLuIqBKqeBNwy9JwWSkEDZW0J2FxtG_ht5GtbskGubdcfD3mwkaYoOzvhkzxVptHSVEpkM4TjksB4k3UgWLGlGH12ijTZ5Qd7lDT7_Abx_to4N7nidRd/s640/DSC_5207.jpg" width="436" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior of Casa Mila</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhj-3dGo4D0helRuu-YCDTStvE28KWDJL27_O1Mbdi2pa9q-Pp6-jkTkCdR03XXuE5An93gcbyhLwT_RRg8RMPJDOOfBZJt1IKR5nMx9hq4ZSrqJgAESDTH0ZBuryob7p1Jq2/s1600/2013-05-148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhj-3dGo4D0helRuu-YCDTStvE28KWDJL27_O1Mbdi2pa9q-Pp6-jkTkCdR03XXuE5An93gcbyhLwT_RRg8RMPJDOOfBZJt1IKR5nMx9hq4ZSrqJgAESDTH0ZBuryob7p1Jq2/s640/2013-05-148.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Originally built as apartments. Windows and doors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VTXcKzWtFAGqdlpuI8V5RC1Ded4F78vjYQwVLSoEgRj7P8JbLOId-HV-zz-AKi2n8jsYP9aeYKfBFQXbm6OaaO2QDk3jMOU7nTj1I-si2psBNCYcyfi0H8thMXNli4Ee4us4/s1600/2013-05-147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VTXcKzWtFAGqdlpuI8V5RC1Ded4F78vjYQwVLSoEgRj7P8JbLOId-HV-zz-AKi2n8jsYP9aeYKfBFQXbm6OaaO2QDk3jMOU7nTj1I-si2psBNCYcyfi0H8thMXNli4Ee4us4/s640/2013-05-147.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaudi really had a thing with making interesting chimney tops!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ57bLMcRnb8JmAdVVVsK4vPMuqJGfSVQ2KR6M3z1JLPkdDxCuWBu2wJPXJOU0h55RC3wZGLB2MBT0ZcyMQ1yuFXGrn2dL_DGqcoMyNfzlIRNYxOtY7axLETYCpLqcX8uf4yCe/s1600/DSC_5295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ57bLMcRnb8JmAdVVVsK4vPMuqJGfSVQ2KR6M3z1JLPkdDxCuWBu2wJPXJOU0h55RC3wZGLB2MBT0ZcyMQ1yuFXGrn2dL_DGqcoMyNfzlIRNYxOtY7axLETYCpLqcX8uf4yCe/s640/DSC_5295.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night view from Casa Mila</td></tr>
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Now I am definitely saving the best for last. The Grand Masterpiece of them all - <i>La Sagrada Familia</i>! One word - WOW! The unfinished church designed by Gaudi which commenced construction in 1882 and is still going to this day with an ETC of 2026/2028 . I was completely and utterly blown away by Gaudi's attention to detail on all aspects of this building. It is incredible how Gaudi managed to combine the neo-gothic style with the elegantly post-modern art noveau style all into the same building and have these elements work harmoniously. Loved how Gaudi incorporated several stories from the bible into his design. Even a simple door is not spared of details. The interiors of this church are also remarkable. The interior is unexpectedly bright for a church that is so heavy on details when viewed from the outsside. There is an abundance of light that enters into this church, and the stained glass windows assist in forming a rainbow of colours. The tree-like pillars give structure and stability to hold the basilica, and whisks the audience away into another land whilst enjoying the stillness and tranquility inside the basilica. <i>La Sagrada Familia </i>is not to be missed if you are stopping by in Barcelona and <i>cannot </i>be missed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVQiTLSa4WXbykq3z8rb0YusWwLf3wSRCtze4TQnO0Oj5Q99syjzHOEGuo3kcIBKXiqj23pWlwLNE-9VEGtuXizAjdubrUTHvHucbgsPY9JhLrjcPUITIQ02re_UinZfh89lo/s1600/P1012043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVQiTLSa4WXbykq3z8rb0YusWwLf3wSRCtze4TQnO0Oj5Q99syjzHOEGuo3kcIBKXiqj23pWlwLNE-9VEGtuXizAjdubrUTHvHucbgsPY9JhLrjcPUITIQ02re_UinZfh89lo/s640/P1012043.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first glimpse of it from a street!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjP8mQsKr3lelz-G-D2nB7JaGVwTp5RvaP2vj076Eg6exxwwibJ48x8xTYmB6eMhZIsYHt2O1Glb5iLY63MhUyM7Y7C3tbwhBv7YQGlkhAKIuyaxl3L5wTillMW9jgtd2yG4i/s1600/2013-05-145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjP8mQsKr3lelz-G-D2nB7JaGVwTp5RvaP2vj076Eg6exxwwibJ48x8xTYmB6eMhZIsYHt2O1Glb5iLY63MhUyM7Y7C3tbwhBv7YQGlkhAKIuyaxl3L5wTillMW9jgtd2yG4i/s640/2013-05-145.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Text on doors</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3CC6abm_AwYseI-RhMGew9DriT590DP-I58tReksVn0FB6Sj4nz77IcSKRFvjgGs6Fm_vUyP04Sjc5nQt_YegntVdlSpuyxaNSUrm2FXuEzMkm4TtMNLIrqyCjv-nsFt3iy-/s1600/2013-05-144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3CC6abm_AwYseI-RhMGew9DriT590DP-I58tReksVn0FB6Sj4nz77IcSKRFvjgGs6Fm_vUyP04Sjc5nQt_YegntVdlSpuyxaNSUrm2FXuEzMkm4TtMNLIrqyCjv-nsFt3iy-/s640/2013-05-144.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous interiors. Those pillars are incredible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTlmIbVRlZ7O2Gtbj__zYYiCZm29j6oJSRN5m5A8zbOCK1nkpoDLlQ6M0DvJYISkISOiWGYKUDZukZrL1j_DaNsqxZFfMSQc8FgFG5G9N66avpqJxXtE-l9I7BrdsWsDIxmWA/s1600/P1012103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTlmIbVRlZ7O2Gtbj__zYYiCZm29j6oJSRN5m5A8zbOCK1nkpoDLlQ6M0DvJYISkISOiWGYKUDZukZrL1j_DaNsqxZFfMSQc8FgFG5G9N66avpqJxXtE-l9I7BrdsWsDIxmWA/s640/P1012103.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look above! Beautiful</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusy3PhcCuExVls4bB-oConWLZY2_ES48LJlBD_ozTlS9BQ6RbBCwWarFhwR6pAoDOdQChFmJo4ogFM6jFh4fYvvwJY6t2U0Oa_KHXfYA2mA0lQXEZrMHQzgefKwmUEMTM-k0t/s1600/2013-05-146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusy3PhcCuExVls4bB-oConWLZY2_ES48LJlBD_ozTlS9BQ6RbBCwWarFhwR6pAoDOdQChFmJo4ogFM6jFh4fYvvwJY6t2U0Oa_KHXfYA2mA0lQXEZrMHQzgefKwmUEMTM-k0t/s640/2013-05-146.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More details - reminds me of the 'chimney tops' at Palau Guell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MjasTqWfOi9160R_r24YXaux5HMfQY1kzhD02FmHGU33w8tOGzmBtiRgpULVcD_QkGnAlfZzTHy3_rQamhDxI98djcWG_BRYDllILKcBXXk77OYq1cQKaFMgoxZicGSJUfPC/s1600/IMG_1799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MjasTqWfOi9160R_r24YXaux5HMfQY1kzhD02FmHGU33w8tOGzmBtiRgpULVcD_QkGnAlfZzTHy3_rQamhDxI98djcWG_BRYDllILKcBXXk77OYq1cQKaFMgoxZicGSJUfPC/s640/IMG_1799.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3 wise men - stories from the bible can be seen from the exterior. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7nmJ-pw6LWpPFgJMYlx7cJKtJlhdga23pQDFsJkFyi0EtcKyv274IwkV4lXOo6lLQ9yHUlspu-4aVGNWNfHWrLXpU27tz1Yv9WIsRvAOC4SoeXEog5eg2sDR94C2JvVkA0JB/s1600/IMG_1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7nmJ-pw6LWpPFgJMYlx7cJKtJlhdga23pQDFsJkFyi0EtcKyv274IwkV4lXOo6lLQ9yHUlspu-4aVGNWNfHWrLXpU27tz1Yv9WIsRvAOC4SoeXEog5eg2sDR94C2JvVkA0JB/s640/IMG_1780.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The darker gothic side of La Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s3GjdiIjMvdzgzjJWZbHWUAq_-V8bjV18mJqC2Hu8mqq4qGdrPAi2KeVJPggcD5Btx0wTShqyUcbZAm50JQhHt1EBTI3XTRlx-YfNJFKT1dr6at1dbKVZjrJPKXDVOJknE-0/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s3GjdiIjMvdzgzjJWZbHWUAq_-V8bjV18mJqC2Hu8mqq4qGdrPAi2KeVJPggcD5Btx0wTShqyUcbZAm50JQhHt1EBTI3XTRlx-YfNJFKT1dr6at1dbKVZjrJPKXDVOJknE-0/s640/IMG_1782.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brighter modern side. All looks amazing!</td></tr>
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Barcelona cityscape from the top of <i>La Sagrada Familia</i><br />
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Hoping these photographs will encourage you to visit Barcelona if you haven't already been! Definitely one of the must-see cities in this world. If you have visited Barcelona already, I hope you have still enjoyed this photo-heavy post!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0Barcelona, Spain41.3850639 2.173403541.2897564 2.015475 41.480371399999996 2.331332tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-87654896959677946342012-12-06T00:05:00.000+11:002013-05-15T00:47:34.056+10:00Archi-tour of Spain: Part 2 | SegoviaSegovia is a relatively easy day-trip away from the hustle and bustle of Central Madrid. We took the <a href="http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html">RENFE</a> high speed rail train from the Chamartin Station, (can I stress here how much I LOVE fast moving trains that are modern and clean), and a bus into this quaint historic town.<br />
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Upon our arrival, Segovia greeted us with its most impressive sight - the ancient Roman Aqueduct.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1yletZ_63Jq-y6jD3wtdv0CqCdWatvh3tMCRNn8mI2Cgf4erhqKu2HOX4sJhuEYFNGW6DLmNTqfNhdy0FbuJkKgmIWkfcMQREOJwx41im84A5BnNhvUIA00w_4mhm8UGoC-O/s1600/IMG_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1yletZ_63Jq-y6jD3wtdv0CqCdWatvh3tMCRNn8mI2Cgf4erhqKu2HOX4sJhuEYFNGW6DLmNTqfNhdy0FbuJkKgmIWkfcMQREOJwx41im84A5BnNhvUIA00w_4mhm8UGoC-O/s640/IMG_1478.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvisXQJhabXedKGi0ZvuPnHEsDRGZBu4jNQgxCTtzhxuKMseji_DGQrapk7iOCL5XZgll6ROoaopf3xWhJRWdbU-eJmd14GUxWw1KXQAlPCLobG3jX6wjC1ezT2XL4CgRe6Y8M/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvisXQJhabXedKGi0ZvuPnHEsDRGZBu4jNQgxCTtzhxuKMseji_DGQrapk7iOCL5XZgll6ROoaopf3xWhJRWdbU-eJmd14GUxWw1KXQAlPCLobG3jX6wjC1ezT2XL4CgRe6Y8M/s640/IMG_1609.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
As you can see above, it is simply a brilliant piece of architecture and civil engineering. The arches are perfectly balanced and in proportion, which is where I see the beauty in the design. The aqueduct was allegedly built during the first century to supply the city with water, using just blocks of granite stone. No concrete or mortar were used at all, and this is evident when you look at the aqueduct up close. I'm still in awe as I post these photos.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As we wandered up the streets filled with small stores selling all sorts of items, we were greeted to the majestic Segovia Cathedral - <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and San Frutos.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unlike the more recently built Cathedral we saw in Madrid (see prior post <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/archi-tour-of-spain-part-1-madrid.html">here</a>), this Gothic Cathedral began construction in 1525, and was only consecrated in 1768. Although Gothic in style, the interiors of the cathedral correspond more so to the Renaissance style with wide areas of space and luminosity. We all bought the audio guide to wander around the Cathedral space, but I have to say most of that knowledge is now lost. This is what happens when you do not document your holidays as you go! I've always enjoyed looking at the stained-glass windows inside churches and cathedrals. I like to imagine I was one of the simple, illiterate folks back in the days, where the only way I'd know the stories from the bible, were to look up and recreate the story using my imagination. I also love the high ceilings inside cathedrals, as it really feels like you have left your own world behind, and come to place to worship and have your quiet time with God. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zmf-xQJDCgPdN1fhljdDx5p3wdYN8QL7N-n3oZYdFgDrWeWCg93wTxCMwKADZqHcKiFx9XughEMYwq7hjhUZP2Fjah8LPrmIhyubIFhyZ7o0tdUoXRAk8f7PmdSIHY_btcka/s1600/Segovia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zmf-xQJDCgPdN1fhljdDx5p3wdYN8QL7N-n3oZYdFgDrWeWCg93wTxCMwKADZqHcKiFx9XughEMYwq7hjhUZP2Fjah8LPrmIhyubIFhyZ7o0tdUoXRAk8f7PmdSIHY_btcka/s640/Segovia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brilliant light inside the Cathedral. Loved the high ceilings, arches and stained glass windows. </td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Another magnificent sight of this old, small town is the Alcazar. It should look familiar to you if you've been to Disneyland - the Sleeping Beauty Castle drew inspiration from this Alcazar. Here's my attempt to show the comparisons. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrhekvOuomj4lq9-CQEGrSvmTuZMv5M0BR_iY6kkaUBr7jzvyhziqVRo7GyGHE0yLOSOP5HJck84ppyIaZlpY6I1dA4LuQrDtAsKc58EpFkznJSBraNQJJA9qzsCfUAPVkeOk/s1600/Segovia+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrhekvOuomj4lq9-CQEGrSvmTuZMv5M0BR_iY6kkaUBr7jzvyhziqVRo7GyGHE0yLOSOP5HJck84ppyIaZlpY6I1dA4LuQrDtAsKc58EpFkznJSBraNQJJA9qzsCfUAPVkeOk/s640/Segovia+Disney.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disney vs Segovia's Alcazar</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">The Alcazar was built over the remains of a Roman fortress and has undergone many renovations and transformations over the centuries. It's ownership has also gone through several hands ranging from the Castillian Monarchs in the 13th Century to being a State Prison in the 18th Century! The Alcazar is definitely worth a visit and a climb up the tower is a must! I don't know how many steps there were, but it was a very long and windy path up to the very top. The trek up was worth it as you do get a commanding view of Segovia from the Alcazar. I've seen photos of the Alcazar lighted up at night and it looks stunning. If we had more time in Spain, perhaps an overnight trip just to see the night photos could have been an option. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8MvZmgDYS_DVqzNtjQNi8oCqFbwiUGNjibUfJvFev480W-rdLw1-MXv-VhSxfdK3H2QQnDwGTxEUPhsAs9jnD4Arn24nMV1axuXgMAYRepv9D5kOmF33QeM0k7fylYGrjsU/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfi8MvZmgDYS_DVqzNtjQNi8oCqFbwiUGNjibUfJvFev480W-rdLw1-MXv-VhSxfdK3H2QQnDwGTxEUPhsAs9jnD4Arn24nMV1axuXgMAYRepv9D5kOmF33QeM0k7fylYGrjsU/s640/IMG_2421.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main entrance to the Alcazar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkXAbNFCW-n_-XQLdbOoKrs68kwHsw5CVBYXRiqOMNcIks3Tsi3yNKM7SC-pBOVBzWbTdfHhX7IKnloOVcHhJoa26Gg-SNTpQIxPS2SXqyAVr4WX5gb7WUzyWqQnUA5T5UuPx/s1600/Segovia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkXAbNFCW-n_-XQLdbOoKrs68kwHsw5CVBYXRiqOMNcIks3Tsi3yNKM7SC-pBOVBzWbTdfHhX7IKnloOVcHhJoa26Gg-SNTpQIxPS2SXqyAVr4WX5gb7WUzyWqQnUA5T5UuPx/s640/Segovia1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alcazar had very Islamic shaped windows, and very textual exteriors!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">After visiting the 3 most important sights in Segovia, we probably could have taken a train back to Madrid. However, as tickets were all pre-purchased, we were forced to hang around Segovia for much longer after lunch. There is only so much culture and sights one can take for a day, so after the three sights, we decided to just enjoy life the Spanish way. We took our afternoon very slowly. We rested. We sat. We chatted. We admired the aqueduct and attempted to talk about politics and any other life issues. Usually the conversation descended into discussions about - should I have orange juice, coke or another Sangria? Deep and thoughtful people we were. In fact, t</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">o think that this town had enough water to require an aqueduct is also unbelievable. As my friends can testify, my eyes and skin didn't agree with the extremely dry conditions in Segovia. You would think an Australian girl could withstand the dryness, but no, my eyes became so dry that I eventually had to take my contact lenses out and walk around the city the rest of the afternoon half-blind. Luckily, these sights were so impressive, you didn't really need to squint hard to see it. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">We also witnessed 'siesta' time. It's no myth here, they do take siestas! From 2-4pm, all the shops were closed. So even if we wanted to help Spain stimulate its economy, we couldn't. We were forced to just hang out at a cafe and eat ice-cream, I suppose, take a holiday! </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Here are some additional shots around Segovia. I found the exterior textures of the buildings to be particularly fascinating and rather unexpected!</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">If you are ever planning to visit Madrid for a few days, definitely add Segovia as a day trip itinerary! It's small enough to cover in a day, and you will have plenty of time to go back to Madrid and enjoy a good meal and a glass of wine!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;">Just a few more photos of the impressive aqueduct!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><i>Next Post: Archi-Tour Part 3 - Barcelona! I can't wait to share my thoughts and photos of this amazing city!</i></b></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com1Segovia, Province of Segovia, Spain40.9494272 -4.119209240.8534847 -4.2771377 41.0453697 -3.9612807tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-84604739041932792232012-10-30T23:23:00.001+11:002013-05-15T00:47:56.092+10:00Archi-tour of Spain: Part 1 | MadridAs a keen observer and appreciator of the built-environment, I can only imagine that Spain must be a dream destination for architects. From the whimsical and magical creations of the ingenious Gaudi, the jaw-dropping aqueduct in Segovia, to the grand Catholic cathedrals with traces of Islamic arts embedded in the design, the few days I had in Spain to admire these creations left me wanting to linger in Spain for far more than I had planned to. Spain has had a colourful history, and the architecture which stands now and continues to evolve demonstrates this vividly. Travel is not only about ticking off sights seen, foods eaten, and racing to beat everyone to it, travel is also about understanding history, culture, people and society today, at least that is how I see it. What better way to see a country than through centuries of architecture!<br />
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As I present my archi-tour snapshots, I hope you will all come to appreciate the beauty and ingenious of the built environment.<br />
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<b><i>Part 1: Madrid, Spain</i></b><br />
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Wandering through the old streets of Madrid - such colours and details!<br />
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Exploring <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font: 13px/18px Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the grandeur of the Royal Palace of Madrid. The official residence of the Royal Family of Spain, although they physically live elsewhere.</span> </div>
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Almudena Cathedral behind and built on an old Islamic mosque and site. Love this picture below as it reflects the changing status of religion and history in this city. Surprisingly, this Cathedral is fairly modern as construction only began in 1868 and was only officially declared complete in 1993.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The Edificio Metropolis Building - one of my favourite buildings in all of Madrid! I think it may have something to do with the Beaux-Arts architecture style which I love.<br />
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Above: Plaza de Cibeles is the symbol of Madrid. Think <i>Real Madrid</i> and the sight will look familiar to you. I really love grand old buildings that take you to a different era in history.<br />
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Above: Plaza Mayor - this was built during the 16th-17th Century as Madrid was ruled by the House of Hapsburgs. It was originally a market square, and was even a bullfighting arena at one stage in history.<br />
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Whilst exploring Madrid's grand old buildings was a highlight, my personal highlight was actually just meandering around the various districts. These building show how people once lived and continue to live in this old yet modern city.<br />
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I can't say the building on the right in my favourite - but just wanted to highlight contrasts and contradictions. I do love the neat rows of low rise buildings on the left and how they are all so individual. The photo on the right demonstrates what a tax policy can have on building design. Allegedly there used to be a tax on the number of levels in a building. The placement of windows were to confuse officials.<br />
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I think I may have developed an obsession with photographing windows and balconies whilst in Madrid. Just love the details and uniqueness of each design.<br />
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It's not all old buildings in Madrid - example of Modern Architecture here with the Reina Sofia Museum which houses contemporary art. I'm sure this museum had an impressive collection of Picasso & Dali works here as the guidebooks told me, but I wouldn't know since dummy me didn't get to go in. I went there on the day it was closed. Nevertheless, I had time to appreciate the impressive lines and shadows formed by the glass and steel structures, especially from the newer wing of the museum/arts centre. The best part of museums - abundance of space both inside and in the public courtyard areas.<br />
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<b><i>For those that have traveled to Madrid - what was your favourite part of the city?</i></b><br />
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Stay tuned for Archi-tour of Spain: Part 2 | Segovia!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.700345440.2232694 -4.0162024 40.6101124 -3.3844884tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-25838090174527875282012-09-18T00:20:00.001+10:002012-10-24T19:30:43.032+11:00Food Safari SpainI visited Spain this year from June 2nd - June 9th and had a great time eating my way through Madrid and Barcelona. We didn't research any places to eat during our trip, so everything we ate in this country was something we 'stumbled' into, or only looked into it upon arrival. I have to say Spain is a great country for stumbling into food joints!<br />
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I had high expectations for Tapas in Madrid, given it is supposed to be THE CAPITAL for Tapas. I would say we hit some great food joints on some nights with the most mouthwatering offerings, and other nights it was more random, in other words, not the most amazing food. Unfortunately I only took tapas photos of places where there was decent light - most tapas joints we walked into were high on atmosphere and low on light!<br />
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Pictorials of the Food tastings in Madrid:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcKCqf_rEOjkMWllcV5MKCtVYr9wkFSIg0H46S5UvS_VczsavBiQtUJIg1HOwz65FUVDyZuFCSzu-MksPHKK_jdUr36LdD6BAJP5Q5IAFnTlAFwHIhV3k49tJZbJIm74ISD8y/s1600/2012-09-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcKCqf_rEOjkMWllcV5MKCtVYr9wkFSIg0H46S5UvS_VczsavBiQtUJIg1HOwz65FUVDyZuFCSzu-MksPHKK_jdUr36LdD6BAJP5Q5IAFnTlAFwHIhV3k49tJZbJIm74ISD8y/s640/2012-09-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stumbling into food joints in Madrid</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The meats were a definite highlight of this meal!</td></tr>
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We were told on our walking tour of Madrid that <a href="http://botin.es/web/?q=en">Restaurant Botin</a> holds the Guinness Books of<br />
Records for being the oldest restaurant in the world - established in 1725. As tourists, we decided that we had to check it out on Night 3. It was certainly fun to experience dining at this classy old joint, but I'd have to say Madrid has plenty of other great food offerings for a better price. Impressed? Not entirely, but go for the brag factor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuOZ6sNVzNh2LkafTlosFK6TDRb49R3V-8reB5DqaWGjr4Hx4I7shj25sFJVDOqilEGkGDRPYY6g-H4pK31-Qav-fhBvHaY3OrHSa77GxFCtClIbu0FbbGOHOhJzZfdri4U7C/s1600/Food+Spain5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuOZ6sNVzNh2LkafTlosFK6TDRb49R3V-8reB5DqaWGjr4Hx4I7shj25sFJVDOqilEGkGDRPYY6g-H4pK31-Qav-fhBvHaY3OrHSa77GxFCtClIbu0FbbGOHOhJzZfdri4U7C/s640/Food+Spain5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restaurant Botin - The oldest restaurant in the world! Hemmingway also wrote about it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zqWPPlrfAzK2HBHeyHblQsoHgXF46Bxn-Mcw9EWbLTCVKIKOM7l5_o6owTnkm2qz0Y3i0L0Rk90yTpQ9MUTs519ED4cO3PZe8vKTz1KNdIEQMXzxbbwq2TlqjlRzPH8UPaoS/s1600/2012-09-152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zqWPPlrfAzK2HBHeyHblQsoHgXF46Bxn-Mcw9EWbLTCVKIKOM7l5_o6owTnkm2qz0Y3i0L0Rk90yTpQ9MUTs519ED4cO3PZe8vKTz1KNdIEQMXzxbbwq2TlqjlRzPH8UPaoS/s640/2012-09-152.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sangria at Botin was rather tasty! The pork crackle tasted better in Segovia.</td></tr>
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Whilst the food was great in Madrid and we all had such a great time eating around the nooks and corners, I'd have to say in my opinion, Barcelona really trumped Madrid. Check out the pictorials below!</div>
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Snacking at <a href="http://www.angrup.com/txapela/restaurante-barcelona/index.php">Txapela Resaurante</a> - our first meal in Barcelona. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nsdvQwGCdh4C4nfZslPVi5KY7ixbBEqZTXX2_jJ-5283us9GrJz_x3VwuFl4InQ1chvHaVJlB7R2lpp1I924iYFNcjO34xlvBM28Vwdyo-xkhFpd1Ao4TWyZqHzqjK0faQXp/s1600/2012-09-153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nsdvQwGCdh4C4nfZslPVi5KY7ixbBEqZTXX2_jJ-5283us9GrJz_x3VwuFl4InQ1chvHaVJlB7R2lpp1I924iYFNcjO34xlvBM28Vwdyo-xkhFpd1Ao4TWyZqHzqjK0faQXp/s640/2012-09-153.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dining at <a href="http://www.restaurantescincojotas.com/index.php">Restaurantes Cinco Jotas</a> - I guess we would class this as our express 'fine dining' experience. Express because we had to rush to a night tour after the meal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisNQbfO2aE7aqVXCVlIFV8BOHBLA_8aYPlHSfT9M-8bP2hyJyej23vTOelfJwNYcsfvQGUO9Vgyik_jZ_toVADz2jk3LuROuH7AzeojSzBuu30o1nqx3buM6PVNIdz-u4gUU4/s1600/Food+Spain3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisNQbfO2aE7aqVXCVlIFV8BOHBLA_8aYPlHSfT9M-8bP2hyJyej23vTOelfJwNYcsfvQGUO9Vgyik_jZ_toVADz2jk3LuROuH7AzeojSzBuu30o1nqx3buM6PVNIdz-u4gUU4/s640/Food+Spain3.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ivkt8rxUuBdenYWEpQIBNjoNHMgwymq9GSLVF5-qvrf2rMjYgc0gRJkKrHKfrJAptUWENNJtSlYeKpyMOk8yPpD7qjhvQGDGDkbUjYfyMMy_I50R7Kt7gCS4d1EMTL20HwoP/s1600/Food+Spain6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ivkt8rxUuBdenYWEpQIBNjoNHMgwymq9GSLVF5-qvrf2rMjYgc0gRJkKrHKfrJAptUWENNJtSlYeKpyMOk8yPpD7qjhvQGDGDkbUjYfyMMy_I50R7Kt7gCS4d1EMTL20HwoP/s640/Food+Spain6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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3 course lunch at a local food joint near Park Guell - no tourists in sight besides us. Win! Excuse the Coca-Cola - it was a really hot day. I devoured the dessert so quickly, that I have no photographic evidence of it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaWgDL4fS3bhWJ3kYkpD-kLbXnyeeIaD7CFJqXfSNABQDssPuL-HkSyjw3e6WkuzELy9FTxI_T0TGUdiN1aouESvjIGCUji3Y6xOvYyYpEkEaDBRbo0DC2kxjhWlaNoQXJ1Rr/s1600/Food+Spain7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaWgDL4fS3bhWJ3kYkpD-kLbXnyeeIaD7CFJqXfSNABQDssPuL-HkSyjw3e6WkuzELy9FTxI_T0TGUdiN1aouESvjIGCUji3Y6xOvYyYpEkEaDBRbo0DC2kxjhWlaNoQXJ1Rr/s640/Food+Spain7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stuffing ourselves with food at <a href="http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/restaurants/tapas/cerveceria_catalana_in_barcelona">Cerveceria Catalana</a> for a late lunch, and a very long waiting time. The wait was so long we window shopped for around 50 mins before getting a seat. It was worth the wait though, food was divine!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe-xaICzpdeMmldn3M-JN-oP5sTmuqY6Q414Whu37mCBMPFZ2BnmBAOEleqTNR0ws1_k5mUSCTdr4l-pR50aZWm0FdZE-PDuBE0TjYIuuFToCKmRSg1b_NMOrdJC_94e28VJ4/s1600/2012-09-154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe-xaICzpdeMmldn3M-JN-oP5sTmuqY6Q414Whu37mCBMPFZ2BnmBAOEleqTNR0ws1_k5mUSCTdr4l-pR50aZWm0FdZE-PDuBE0TjYIuuFToCKmRSg1b_NMOrdJC_94e28VJ4/s640/2012-09-154.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFYp1IfO0vx_mQlSfs6wkIh-1izb4Dq9j5WJwXRklddEOB1GUsOywDHIWq5IiuAni3SUYr5ukPEF9_t9lQuXupPcDvH6tW0IwpjBquQwjuwkiDGujApZs-Zz0QRJRZi-RVXgJ/s1600/2012-09-157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFYp1IfO0vx_mQlSfs6wkIh-1izb4Dq9j5WJwXRklddEOB1GUsOywDHIWq5IiuAni3SUYr5ukPEF9_t9lQuXupPcDvH6tW0IwpjBquQwjuwkiDGujApZs-Zz0QRJRZi-RVXgJ/s640/2012-09-157.jpg" width="640" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuBF41SJYaMd8WR6OpVsIFkDV7s-B8HTcGky4EGVMFfSpibxA7TLDbE1IeiKKnJaPLyi_axJrJ9gi4vy3Tm0tF_y0chVfPmh9KoRA0Rc7kATo-cqjtYg6bhfaeAQRyXLo-QE3/s1600/2012-09-156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuBF41SJYaMd8WR6OpVsIFkDV7s-B8HTcGky4EGVMFfSpibxA7TLDbE1IeiKKnJaPLyi_axJrJ9gi4vy3Tm0tF_y0chVfPmh9KoRA0Rc7kATo-cqjtYg6bhfaeAQRyXLo-QE3/s640/2012-09-156.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A definite highlight of our 'Taste of Spain' trip was eating Jamon. After an overload of jamon for 8 days and seeing jamon displayed everywhere we went in Spain, it was a bit of an overkill, but I have to say I miss it very much now in Sydney. I just cannot eat an ordinary piece of ham anymore. Sadness.</div>
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We visited many food markets whilst touring Barcelona & Madrid. I love visiting food markets, as there's always energy at the food markets and you will always see locals going about with their daily lives. The Madrid San Miguel food hall was a really fun way to get excited about Madrid to kick start the travels, and I think I went there 3 times in my four day trip to Madrid! Only because it has such a fabulous location in central Madrid.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm0f6Hz_T7j9Td3FypywB_E0Pfurrh5GOGPU02KTDMbVZ3MpsRTZUAlTKc4byWNVnX0oVxYjbNPES58pqE8jtUBrGBqVCTa7y4f36JJtyA5MjbW1eUWJ59U1OZj8vICqAePJW/s1600/P1011618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm0f6Hz_T7j9Td3FypywB_E0Pfurrh5GOGPU02KTDMbVZ3MpsRTZUAlTKc4byWNVnX0oVxYjbNPES58pqE8jtUBrGBqVCTa7y4f36JJtyA5MjbW1eUWJ59U1OZj8vICqAePJW/s640/P1011618.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XV8yVbZLI2x1M_YWxkAC8P0Ql-ZcBdMzDMT6aW12co_RvHqjlPbiKaVXgxaX-MZ90k7DeMqbfANgCYfSYCaAc55GpfE2SyLlYHBNXHvVEJfV4_pkCxDCRTNB390c5yjMVdgN/s1600/Food+Spain12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XV8yVbZLI2x1M_YWxkAC8P0Ql-ZcBdMzDMT6aW12co_RvHqjlPbiKaVXgxaX-MZ90k7DeMqbfANgCYfSYCaAc55GpfE2SyLlYHBNXHvVEJfV4_pkCxDCRTNB390c5yjMVdgN/s640/Food+Spain12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The markets we visited in Barcelona <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Mercat</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;"> de Sant </span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Josep</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;"> de </span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">la Boqueria</em> </span>was so full of energy and people - both tourists and locals. We ended up going to these markets 3 times as well.<br />
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Delightful market offerings<br />
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Brunch at the markets 'Pinotxo Bar' - one of the best!<br />
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To spice up our travels (gotta love puns!), my friends and I attended a cooking class in Barcelona @ <a href="http://www.cookandtaste.net/">Cook & Taste</a>. Yes, I actually cooked something, or at least assisted. I've often heard of friends taking cooking classes on their travels, but this was the first time I've ever attempted a cooking class - anywhere, and have to say it is definitely a worthwhile and highly recommended activity to experience a foreign culture, learn something new, and importantly enjoy a great meal! It's a good break from all the 'sight-seeing' and hectic dashes to visit important sights. Now that doesn't mean I will start cooking Spanish meals for friends any time soon! But I've definitely appreciated the spices, prep work and cooking skills required to cook an excellent Spanish meal. Cooking classes must be the rage for newlyweds, as we were the only group of 'friends' at this cooking class. Now there's an idea for those with a wedding coming up :P<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instructor and students all hard at work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top left: Catalonian Bread, Seafood Paella, Fish Entree, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Shot of red bell pepper soup flavoured with toasted saffron and cod, </span><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px; outline: none; text-align: left; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Asparagus with Romesco sauce</span></span><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="fcg"> </span></span>Asparagus and Romequo Sauce, Crema Catalana</span></td></tr>
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I hope you have all enjoyed this post as much as I've enjoyed compiling it. I'm hoping this will inspire more people to visit Spain if you haven't already been. <i><b>Question for readers - for those that have been to Spain, what were your food highlights? </b></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-61378872340573998092012-08-16T00:15:00.000+10:002012-09-07T14:49:52.912+10:00Business Class Rocks!The one unattainable dream for the longest time - scoring a business class flight. I'm not as fortunate as some people that travel on business for work all the time; or am one of those lucky few that get picked by some random formula to be seated at the pointy section of the plane. No, no such luck for me. I've always had to work for things in life, and that includes scoring a business class flight. If you want to find out how I scored a business class flight, read my <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/business-class-travelit-is-possible.html">post</a> from a few months ago.<br />
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Alas my 2012 Summer Holiday was going to be THE holiday - not just because I was going to be in Spain, England and France during June, but because I was finally going to experience Business Class Travel! I can report that it was fabulous! How did I survive those long haul flights on Jetstar, United Airlines before? How did I convince myself that Singapore Airlines A380 Economy was the best experience? </div>
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There's a world of difference between Economy & Business. I cannot even imagine the quantum leap between Business and First!</div>
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Now lets break down my <a href="http://www.thaiairways.com/">Thai Airways</a> experience :</div>
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<i><b>Comfort</b></i></div>
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It's not only the seating that is just so much more comfortable, and the fact that you can recline and actually sleep. I found it was the little things that actually made the experience more comfortable. </div>
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<li>Proper headphones. I never knew that the pointy end of the plane used noise reducing, cushioned headphones! I could actually hear clearly the dialogue in the movies!</li>
<li>A thick, soft blankie. I felt like a baby covered in such luxury. </li>
<li>Proper branded handcream in the bathrooms. It gets dry up in the air. I found myself hydrating my hands frequently. </li>
<li>Abundance of space. No more tripping over bags or books or any other item you have on a flight. No more climbing over other passengers to get to the bathroom. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best photo, but Herringbone seat config on the Paris-Bangkok flight</td></tr>
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<b><i>Food</i></b></div>
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I must say airline food has improved incredibly over the years, even in economy class. The food in Business Class however, is just superb. Proper table service. Drinks on arrival. Drinks for the entire flight. A wine list. A drinks cart. Proper steak. Cheese platter. Fruit platter. Fresh bread rolls. Real cutlery. They certainly know how to feed you in business class. After having flown 24 hours to get to Spain from Australia, I was completely stuffed upon arrival, as I ate pretty much everything that was presented to me on the 2 flights to get there. Amateur mistake? Nah, just making sure I enjoyed the experience.<br />
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The Menu</div>
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Just some of the food I ate on the flights.</div>
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<b>Service</b></div>
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Incredible. The best service I received was on my Bangkok to Madrid flight. Unfortunately the Bangkok to Madrid flight was in an old 747 still stuck in the 1990s, but what they lacked in facilities, the staff made up for it big time in service. Just little things like greeting me by name put a smile on my face. </div>
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<b><i>Lounges</i></b></div>
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Access to a lounge is a fine perk. In my case I flew with Thai Airways so upon arrival at Bangkok, one can choose to get either a free foot massage or a free head/shoulder massage. I only managed to take advantage of this freebie on my return stopover, and it was so worth it. The variety of food and drinks option is also a bonus. After 26 days in Europe, I was desperate to eat some steamed asian buns and dim sims, there you have it at the lounge, freshly cooked! You never have to spend top dollar buying average food at an airport. If you have a long stopover (which I had on my return trip), you can even use awesome showers. I was expecting a dorm style like shower room. The bathroom at the Thai Airways lounge in Bangkok was triple the size of my bathroom in Sydney. I had so much room to lay everything out! You don't have to worry about cleanliness or hygiene either as they scrub down the bathroom after each use. Luxury. Convenience. Free. </div>
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<b><i>Checkin Process</i></b></div>
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It's fast and there are no queues. Enough said. </div>
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Prior to going away on my holiday, I started to obsesses about planes and seats. I never used to pay any attention to the type of aircraft I'd be flying, but since I was introduced to the world of business class travel, I found myself on <a href="http://www.flyertalk.com/">flyertalk</a> forums, <a href="http://seatguru.com/">seatguru.com</a> trying to learn everything I could about service, routes, seat allocations etc. I was obsessing about the Thai Boeing 747 plane that I'd be flying - whether it was going to be the newly fitted or the ones stuck in the 1990s. Checking flight schedules to ensure Thai Airways didn't change the rosters. </div>
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Now how can I go back to budget or economy class again? I don't think I will be unless it's a domestic trip. I'm definitely aiming for more business or even first class travel in the future!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-28228487162877835772012-05-25T01:21:00.001+10:002012-10-24T20:23:21.720+11:00Adelaide, Barossa & The Hills (South Australia)Evidently it has been a long while since I last posted about a trip! My plans to post about Leura after writing about the National Pass have obviously failed - 8 months later still no update. The awesome food-safari-esque trip to Penang Malaysia last year has also failed to materialise thus far, however, I will be writing about my most recent trip to the delightful Adelaide City and surrounds...Yeah!!<br />
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Courtesy of my awesome <a href="https://www.americanexpress.com/australia/">American Express</a> credit card, I am entitled to a free domestic trip each year. As is customary RC style, the best time to redeem a free flight, is when it is just about to expire. As I panicked about the possibility of losing my free flight if I didn't act fast enough, I booked a trip to Adelaide, South Australia, for no reason other than, I've never been there before! As Mothers Day was approaching, I convinced mum and dad to go on this last minute trip with me, just so we could do something different for once on a weekend; and Mothers Day seemed like a good excuse to get mum out of the house! Luckily, my parents were both very keen on the idea, especially mum! Win!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards @ Barossa</td></tr>
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I arrived into Adelaide on Friday May 18th - the last flight which Virgin operates to Adelaide. Given there were 3 of us here, I booked ourselves into a serviced apartment @ Mantra Hindmarsh. You can read my review of Mantra Hindmarsh <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g255093-d277671-Reviews-Mantra_Hindmarsh_Square_Adelaide-Adelaide_South_Australia.html">here</a> on TripAdvisor. I actually think a Serviced Apartment is the way to go for these short domestic trips if the group is larger than 2; and can highly recommend Mantra Hindmarsh if anyone is planning to visit Adelaide. </div>
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Sat May 19th we set out to visit the world famous - <a href="http://www.barossa.com/">Barossa Valley</a>! Why is the Barossa Valley so famous? It is Australia's premier wine region. If you don't know anything about wine, just google Penfolds Grange, which retails upwards of $500 for a single bottle. It comes from the Barossa Valley! I've had the pleasure of tasting this beauty before, thanks to some very generous friends, but as I am not a wine buff/expert in any way, I was more interested in capturing the scenery of the Barossa Valley with my camera. The Barossa Valley is only a short one hour drive from Adelaide, so if anyone is going to Adelaide, you <b>must </b>hire a car and drive here. So as we were driving towards the Barossa and I could see the beautiful valleys and vast open spaces, I excitedly took my camera out of the bag only to realise, I didn't charge my D-SLR camera battery!! FAIL! Has it been that long since my last trip that I forgot to charge my camera battery? Luckily these days we are all equiped with Smartphones, so I reluctantly resorted to my iPhone, which I have to say, can take some very good photos. I was very impressed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Barossa Valley</td></tr>
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The number of wineries in the Barossa can be rather overwhelming, so I'd highly recommend you mark<br />
out a few wineries you're keen to visit before just driving off with no clear direction. I had a few recommendations from friends and colleagues so I pretty much followed that, and whilst we didn't visit the well known ones like 'Penfolds' and 'Jacobs Creek', I certainly had an awesome time visiting the four listed below:<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.chateautanunda.com/"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">Château</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"> </span>Tanunda</a> </span>- This was our first stop and I was impressed with visiting my first<span style="font-family: inherit;"> '<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">Château</span>' </span>of the region. The building is really quite impressive; and I did like the setup here where small wine makers can have their own stand to promote their wines; so you get to taste both those Tanunda wines and something a little different. </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvb7JxOKbTzwPvXzcFwJ8oxlZXAkJwfApzekTiXFydae1vBRtkF1Y3kL3ViWeKpgHVF8ebPvjHeM_62Y00mBSg3WEJu9fSoaKNOcRLW7c6lYw_QMOYSV_F-u5NuUklYPyfDKR/s1600/IMG_1097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvb7JxOKbTzwPvXzcFwJ8oxlZXAkJwfApzekTiXFydae1vBRtkF1Y3kL3ViWeKpgHVF8ebPvjHeM_62Y00mBSg3WEJu9fSoaKNOcRLW7c6lYw_QMOYSV_F-u5NuUklYPyfDKR/s640/IMG_1097.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateau Tanunda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_WSiSN6g36O0-fOV7Ov8fFlI4BpCXSZ2xEEto5zr1rHfFD81ZHGGH60QHdtnOlv3kTaHrBhA76_X-oudbF2CnkiOj4QYzxPWBhcLH5YBSa2bRpx4o6zNeQdzYRAWhqmRZ5LP/s1600/IMG_1099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_WSiSN6g36O0-fOV7Ov8fFlI4BpCXSZ2xEEto5zr1rHfFD81ZHGGH60QHdtnOlv3kTaHrBhA76_X-oudbF2CnkiOj4QYzxPWBhcLH5YBSa2bRpx4o6zNeQdzYRAWhqmRZ5LP/s640/IMG_1099.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready, Set, Go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.yalumba.com/">Yalumba</a> - We came here purely for historical purposes. It is Australia's oldest family owned winery. I thought wine tasting experience was very pleasant here and the grounds were full of fabulous autumn colours. I definitely spent more time taking photographs around the gardens than tasting the wine. </li>
</ul>
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<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmW8a5TZTWsa7LlqVcLRxRIbNRyE8lOfjHtFhC7pd0e22mus0AOL93o-LMBzNJjdLL8a8s51iw-f_fJ4YNbgBxuz1e68j-fGX7y8C7MnXpugrEJOiMBs4gCcDARCoUSTMZl-W/s1600/IMG_1140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmW8a5TZTWsa7LlqVcLRxRIbNRyE8lOfjHtFhC7pd0e22mus0AOL93o-LMBzNJjdLL8a8s51iw-f_fJ4YNbgBxuz1e68j-fGX7y8C7MnXpugrEJOiMBs4gCcDARCoUSTMZl-W/s640/IMG_1140.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful grounds at Yalumba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VI9r1fSB7d7Mt96L5yicOhChE8_Pm4YHvrXhYQxQhZSLoLXej05k8H6nDlM7UqM08zpei5i15uM3Aii-SV8oO_136oCXOjKWOPw8QgT3uC_PVpTMhbzSAvNQxIHeM_HF5Seb/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-VI9r1fSB7d7Mt96L5yicOhChE8_Pm4YHvrXhYQxQhZSLoLXej05k8H6nDlM7UqM08zpei5i15uM3Aii-SV8oO_136oCXOjKWOPw8QgT3uC_PVpTMhbzSAvNQxIHeM_HF5Seb/s640/IMG_1135.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Autumn colours and light!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG8OxZCtIPKgclp5SnzHvxcUq0xSeZdUV1kmh0nnCDnYfqh2vhGVw46NnVH-LvVCJB5hRpRfZoIBtHTMluDRiSqiJSHbQFHRN454UZa07dRbun0ch8GmNJw6SOn8Es-LFX6Ia/s1600/IMG_9478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSG8OxZCtIPKgclp5SnzHvxcUq0xSeZdUV1kmh0nnCDnYfqh2vhGVw46NnVH-LvVCJB5hRpRfZoIBtHTMluDRiSqiJSHbQFHRN454UZa07dRbun0ch8GmNJw6SOn8Es-LFX6Ia/s640/IMG_9478.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With mum & dad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.seppeltsfield.com.au/">Seppeltsfield</a> - The drive into Seppeltsfield was probably the highlight of our entire drive in the region. The gardens surrounding Seppeltsfield are just gorgeous. I wasn't too impressed with the $5 wine tasting fee, and given it was so busy, I didn't actually taste any of their fortified wines there. However, do visit Seppeltsfield, you will be impressed with the gardens and grounds. And the drive into Seppeltsfield was certainly worth the trip! Especially when we drove past the grounds of <a href="http://www.thelouise.com.au/dine/">'The Louise'</a> which houses the upmarket restaurant Appellation - the top 3 hatted restaurant in South Australia. Perhaps next time I visit the Barossa, I will make a booking at Appellation, just to catch that commanding view...for lunch!</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69qomteL2zjYHnXDEt1JiEwY7AECgKhDA2hTi61jA7TA1fEoIulLP31kt1NGuY1Nv7PF3u33CAjWClEtccx__v2d5v-vTfBWhdPx97H0ei4KvNpRqSS-LbS-4zgNUair69CNS/s1600/IMG_1155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69qomteL2zjYHnXDEt1JiEwY7AECgKhDA2hTi61jA7TA1fEoIulLP31kt1NGuY1Nv7PF3u33CAjWClEtccx__v2d5v-vTfBWhdPx97H0ei4KvNpRqSS-LbS-4zgNUair69CNS/s640/IMG_1155.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If it's in a glass case, must be special!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFm19v7eHj7PekpQD7Pke_COQJ8gMprDeA4Mr53FIX74WlbFlobGEO3HXJe7GK5_rULRyF-HTpXPo2fhmu06ZW87dduYDfZRJccysitDClNwpSuPqsoz_kzJ2Tde8Nc0Djcx5/s1600/IMG_1156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFm19v7eHj7PekpQD7Pke_COQJ8gMprDeA4Mr53FIX74WlbFlobGEO3HXJe7GK5_rULRyF-HTpXPo2fhmu06ZW87dduYDfZRJccysitDClNwpSuPqsoz_kzJ2Tde8Nc0Djcx5/s640/IMG_1156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't get to the wines...so take photos of antique cars!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hzpfpGVr98bN4TSKpBXWUou0BNnmmeLq7aitH7IvPf-g1-WrFPRVYxY_ExGxTBFaVsB0kz98W-hiomi8nb0f2I2tMQ1hwdvsemCS-Uhl4wK6033GXV0TP6DDpKMbcEf-BYq-/s1600/IMG_1181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hzpfpGVr98bN4TSKpBXWUou0BNnmmeLq7aitH7IvPf-g1-WrFPRVYxY_ExGxTBFaVsB0kz98W-hiomi8nb0f2I2tMQ1hwdvsemCS-Uhl4wK6033GXV0TP6DDpKMbcEf-BYq-/s640/IMG_1181.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is South Australia. Just loved the landscape. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb-VEGzczjGtUdi6Z_WySOwVlmJX_4-af9m0oHIh5_i_Pb-zP8O5cGFOPGUeMRSq6SAKerDRW8EH_xnbtRLc40cYgj1_WzdqlGgbF_vbPzevlgTLvgjXXUZf8y9CltFLex0p8/s1600/IMG_1168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb-VEGzczjGtUdi6Z_WySOwVlmJX_4-af9m0oHIh5_i_Pb-zP8O5cGFOPGUeMRSq6SAKerDRW8EH_xnbtRLc40cYgj1_WzdqlGgbF_vbPzevlgTLvgjXXUZf8y9CltFLex0p8/s640/IMG_1168.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aussie Farm Postcard shot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.rockfordwines.com.au/">Rockford Wines</a> - This was a much smaller winery compared to the 2 mentioned above, however, it certainly had its own character and charm. I really loved this place. Again the drive into the Rockford estate was just gorgeous, especially since it was around sunset and we were driving towards the hills, a beautiful array of orange-purple shone through the landscape. </li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxgbD7eiaq2tZTjiGAFIKO6jj-W1V7-muykc-nsXLZndRC4x0GqD4zY3uxaegJWwY10UHWYmvMXA4GY1eMBaoM_uL9R1cWRpSKKZwcZbypG1t5n2F8vFm87rZb-rbqQN1qi-K/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxgbD7eiaq2tZTjiGAFIKO6jj-W1V7-muykc-nsXLZndRC4x0GqD4zY3uxaegJWwY10UHWYmvMXA4GY1eMBaoM_uL9R1cWRpSKKZwcZbypG1t5n2F8vFm87rZb-rbqQN1qi-K/s640/IMG_1196.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAMIl6vSBWmxuW1Xh0KUoJqfS0CQoPzwDnEMO3NenhYCWQfXBw6mrcIuKjFo2-p4Z4oxs7cEzEzKfl16rIkpzwqY0auTYSVU2QtDgmIzl-940MIs3hmmJq3rR-N9y6SYWZZfa/s1600/IMG_1198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAMIl6vSBWmxuW1Xh0KUoJqfS0CQoPzwDnEMO3NenhYCWQfXBw6mrcIuKjFo2-p4Z4oxs7cEzEzKfl16rIkpzwqY0auTYSVU2QtDgmIzl-940MIs3hmmJq3rR-N9y6SYWZZfa/s640/IMG_1198.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enter this little cute house to taste the wine! This place really had great character. </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg087-pUO3xZ0rG4AKkod4YbLzgEAuAHHd50W-hrGFUJGww6-D0mknwMQmgsVlScGnHrIT5eX8KoGgjOBsD2gupSbMWhvrjo4UUvGX_RnOI40j4yKiItX_1jc-zm4aGH9JaafCe/s1600/IMG_1213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg087-pUO3xZ0rG4AKkod4YbLzgEAuAHHd50W-hrGFUJGww6-D0mknwMQmgsVlScGnHrIT5eX8KoGgjOBsD2gupSbMWhvrjo4UUvGX_RnOI40j4yKiItX_1jc-zm4aGH9JaafCe/s640/IMG_1213.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changing colours as the sun was setting...</td></tr>
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<br />
Other Snapshots from the Area...</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bUwqy7zTesTpIcVJXEaqOVEDhNoS8VfnNxsx_9slXvCMSRZmuwX_2HwLGWBupiHM1Yoe0D4xBolXlLKYMBACYRmwi_qiYlxS8tyz52AphSCHMmzZZbhfHuKnxHzXqHRtBgy-/s1600/IMG_9470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bUwqy7zTesTpIcVJXEaqOVEDhNoS8VfnNxsx_9slXvCMSRZmuwX_2HwLGWBupiHM1Yoe0D4xBolXlLKYMBACYRmwi_qiYlxS8tyz52AphSCHMmzZZbhfHuKnxHzXqHRtBgy-/s640/IMG_9470.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks be to God!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cvAsTg75ZjcUX_sQbHXY-jwWY6OzpC1Pkyu_wI2gpOHiEFczKcTkKv7h2KgoCrQO0_WNf0z3r3GcRzxFyPqPZ38AFswE9VU9T6TyDsCGeHXkh0sf45nVTtxDcq8CHUc70Okx/s1600/IMG_9455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cvAsTg75ZjcUX_sQbHXY-jwWY6OzpC1Pkyu_wI2gpOHiEFczKcTkKv7h2KgoCrQO0_WNf0z3r3GcRzxFyPqPZ38AFswE9VU9T6TyDsCGeHXkh0sf45nVTtxDcq8CHUc70Okx/s640/IMG_9455.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lutheran Churches feature prominently in SA. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYx1nkv0vjpz0_98jr7ZKspo6ROMd_QWmvThIBZsqU0LawiBcL_Cs_ZmbiKjhdZv32mUTlwcIsG4rmSx3sd6c3CUqxXFwS63xsjQWJP70aHC4D4TUdDhcGhNZHcv6oBzWeQ9q/s1600/IMG_9494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYx1nkv0vjpz0_98jr7ZKspo6ROMd_QWmvThIBZsqU0LawiBcL_Cs_ZmbiKjhdZv32mUTlwcIsG4rmSx3sd6c3CUqxXFwS63xsjQWJP70aHC4D4TUdDhcGhNZHcv6oBzWeQ9q/s640/IMG_9494.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have so many photos that look similar to this. Just loved the scenery!</td></tr>
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<br />
Amazingly, even though I was just sitting in the car giving my dad directions of where to go, I was really tired by the end of the day! I'm glad we didn't plan a fine dining restaurant experience as I would not have enjoyed it given how much ground we covered! However, I would like to go back next time just to taste the South Australian produce, as it is advertised to heavily as being the best in the country, yet I didn't have a chance try it this time.<br />
<br />
There's no time to rest on weekend trips! Sunday morning after cooking our own brekky, I headed out to Adelaide Zoo whilst my parents went to walk around and attend a tour of the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.zoossa.com.au/adelaide-zoo">Adelaide Zoo</a> - It has probably been a decade since I last visited a zoo, and normally I wouldn't go but since Adelaide Zoo has the privilege of hosting Panda's, I just had to go! It was worth my $32 just to see these cuties - Wang Wang & Funi eat their bamboo and play with each other. I have to admit Disney/Pixar movies have had a profound effect on me as I was almost expecting Wang Wang to pull some Kung Fu moves. Oh dear! And I was almost expecting the lions to break out into song. It's funny how the mind works! But yes, do pay the zoo a visit if you happen to pass through Adelaide.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wDSxr5cFSs68uby9g6Qs3TEJs6bzK327bdNb398g-Z73RSJgBdgOp-dgigNvIke16PDjA8_Z_Z04866eh2B7bspTh-oKgFu09TlKM7MdIamntXtmJseFCrTWyRBtPe5s_rwx/s1600/IMG_9375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wDSxr5cFSs68uby9g6Qs3TEJs6bzK327bdNb398g-Z73RSJgBdgOp-dgigNvIke16PDjA8_Z_Z04866eh2B7bspTh-oKgFu09TlKM7MdIamntXtmJseFCrTWyRBtPe5s_rwx/s400/IMG_9375.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute Pandas!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhropcmQQLPk26Q6AezvuJHIfxv83EAWD7IWx0GsEsFBhhV_QOMuRBpOYFpgDXGEvn9dsox2NXcRYzIJ3wixFyri4cJCwTkjBDaXDARd_EnqeRAnAzr6GCuE_pSHkh41SN799C6/s1600/IMG_9397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhropcmQQLPk26Q6AezvuJHIfxv83EAWD7IWx0GsEsFBhhV_QOMuRBpOYFpgDXGEvn9dsox2NXcRYzIJ3wixFyri4cJCwTkjBDaXDARd_EnqeRAnAzr6GCuE_pSHkh41SN799C6/s400/IMG_9397.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wang Wang & Funi</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMHqfNxmpVOC2tFiGexxRgt0s-ZQgeSGfOWBwJv3mtU0XyGES6CC8aMqrvI6cV27HsgNHWpNYHwh_5Uy6Sju-4SGvdrG8IQWYjCzLc8Ux0Okygr9Qx9-ag3ZrSalu0uS2dBZW/s1600/IMG_1265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMHqfNxmpVOC2tFiGexxRgt0s-ZQgeSGfOWBwJv3mtU0XyGES6CC8aMqrvI6cV27HsgNHWpNYHwh_5Uy6Sju-4SGvdrG8IQWYjCzLc8Ux0Okygr9Qx9-ag3ZrSalu0uS2dBZW/s400/IMG_1265.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handsome looking lion there</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0bRMeqdrK8BICkX_SrJYmD5luSCKM9xKXYR5WtvsmOi1i-jajV7DnwE7mtDuZlFMM5rFZwVsJLs_YWCrxVxlgk-H2iD7NT9pqzGWUCR1Fu7JuHEVp0LklFViEC3MacOXwn58/s1600/IMG_1295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0bRMeqdrK8BICkX_SrJYmD5luSCKM9xKXYR5WtvsmOi1i-jajV7DnwE7mtDuZlFMM5rFZwVsJLs_YWCrxVxlgk-H2iD7NT9pqzGWUCR1Fu7JuHEVp0LklFViEC3MacOXwn58/s400/IMG_1295.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These tortoises really did move slowly!!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/botanicgardens/home">Botanical Gardens</a> - Whilst waiting for my parents to finish their gardens tour, I wondered into the gardens and really wish I had more time here to explore and photograph the scenery. It's located just next to Adelaide Zoo.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpTKRUOuZK5zQ5BdTMsvHQR1NU3mGsUwnMc_Mcqm6voIRPz5LN92iEuI0xZjlqDTc4AGA8Zgf0oU39IsoIPTQNpx_brGfAfb8OiaNIA83wpA2Qwptn4vs3ZGz5cX-AbX_yc8p/s1600/IMG_1299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpTKRUOuZK5zQ5BdTMsvHQR1NU3mGsUwnMc_Mcqm6voIRPz5LN92iEuI0xZjlqDTc4AGA8Zgf0oU39IsoIPTQNpx_brGfAfb8OiaNIA83wpA2Qwptn4vs3ZGz5cX-AbX_yc8p/s640/IMG_1299.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumn has clearly arrived at the Gardens</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.southaustralia.com/regions/adelaide-hills.aspx">Adelaide Hills</a> - Another highlight of the trip (I seem to have too many!) - wow just a fabulous drive only 30 minutes away from the city. I was really pleasantly surprised on our drive to Hahndorf, which is Australia's oldest German settlement town. We probably only spent around 30-45 minutes at Hahndorf but I really love how they have used their German heritage to lure tourists. It works! I certainly felt like I had travelled to Germany for a short period of time. The shops here I guess were typical of country town shops (just thinking about my visits to Leura & Berry last year) but with a German twist. If I could plan my Sunday again, I would have definitely headed here for a lunch or a cup of coffee and some German pastries.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdXE2F3DFz31hARz2zm8V8bEWolniUii0KqsSAWRvZYrbhsQPiaUn1xExezNkoyZlDEfaXrXn41MOG7l-mvgLtxUw4Q889PBp5DNLJqOlnArflLXiHbBla4WrhmN4UexRme5J/s1600/IMG_1332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdXE2F3DFz31hARz2zm8V8bEWolniUii0KqsSAWRvZYrbhsQPiaUn1xExezNkoyZlDEfaXrXn41MOG7l-mvgLtxUw4Q889PBp5DNLJqOlnArflLXiHbBla4WrhmN4UexRme5J/s640/IMG_1332.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving into Hahndorf</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlpA-HIbwyquoIL65EH8meopLG_Wn8lcpA089W7AVu91_-tX0crA0AprBtb1oqcHS4NPk95Jt0UOR0GhNT1w8F0FZkcW5zbEmKio-VyIeFkJGBPvPW_MNf2WXfqtbcpoPMYEx/s1600/IMG_9563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlpA-HIbwyquoIL65EH8meopLG_Wn8lcpA089W7AVu91_-tX0crA0AprBtb1oqcHS4NPk95Jt0UOR0GhNT1w8F0FZkcW5zbEmKio-VyIeFkJGBPvPW_MNf2WXfqtbcpoPMYEx/s640/IMG_9563.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shop at Hahndorf - just like I went to Germany for a day!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinD1_ussF_wA3tfLcBDhUiiqy9EANZbeqw54CdnN7G_VPUukiCtnrguI2juU4b6JkD0Nr8D_z7eU6a1q1QWKzIOPVgrz3HOTAwRrgN7-T6gHn-UhT3rp1TPxIzfzG-__XeNG9R/s1600/IMG_1348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinD1_ussF_wA3tfLcBDhUiiqy9EANZbeqw54CdnN7G_VPUukiCtnrguI2juU4b6JkD0Nr8D_z7eU6a1q1QWKzIOPVgrz3HOTAwRrgN7-T6gHn-UhT3rp1TPxIzfzG-__XeNG9R/s640/IMG_1348.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hahndorf</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoKs3rI6ETWU73WTLdyF9QrrrN4f3XQ2mtoH2qK48VkVKdW6y5Aa-fxMcNK13Q5z8fJ36LDN-1H8MqjcHe9NDLHPGZ-okV2HswKBkQHYcvGqGcQsR6t1aJCR44AMztaP4ryXW/s1600/IMG_1335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoKs3rI6ETWU73WTLdyF9QrrrN4f3XQ2mtoH2qK48VkVKdW6y5Aa-fxMcNK13Q5z8fJ36LDN-1H8MqjcHe9NDLHPGZ-okV2HswKBkQHYcvGqGcQsR6t1aJCR44AMztaP4ryXW/s640/IMG_1335.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quaint old houses on Main Street</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiQqhJtNODTWizfOkKhvPyUTOl0ovLK5rA6i7nueanmtPF5pUi-wW5ljlKoK7sSVSJMlBsd-HsZamicPjMkcTtUGQWJDJ6SbmmLM42CF9DTStlCJSyVoOmh4awTg1vmNe8tVf/s1600/IMG_1346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiQqhJtNODTWizfOkKhvPyUTOl0ovLK5rA6i7nueanmtPF5pUi-wW5ljlKoK7sSVSJMlBsd-HsZamicPjMkcTtUGQWJDJ6SbmmLM42CF9DTStlCJSyVoOmh4awTg1vmNe8tVf/s640/IMG_1346.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artsy crafty stores</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoWl4lItqqBfLszvhB4mCgi2IK2DLzVjcn-_lfhrZQAzqmMwW7JMTFefOcyTZwzA5SBDOZLUczcp91LFuCkV-jdKH0W1Utn867ioD5v8xeQx7QqgK9kvRPw9uhj-91vUVuYcj/s1600/IMG_1356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoWl4lItqqBfLszvhB4mCgi2IK2DLzVjcn-_lfhrZQAzqmMwW7JMTFefOcyTZwzA5SBDOZLUczcp91LFuCkV-jdKH0W1Utn867ioD5v8xeQx7QqgK9kvRPw9uhj-91vUVuYcj/s640/IMG_1356.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean by German? </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJi3BcIOXW92w1QZ1Ekq0bEumjop8zSucBBqEnTBOZ2BFkB0vUH-VZ3Z3iTuYqgFsA1F04YIP7hG_6ss9V0A7uaoq_ztKmLN4U77gaFsgk7l4aVo31pJPL1ZLbLywvJm7PRwoO/s1600/IMG_1344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJi3BcIOXW92w1QZ1Ekq0bEumjop8zSucBBqEnTBOZ2BFkB0vUH-VZ3Z3iTuYqgFsA1F04YIP7hG_6ss9V0A7uaoq_ztKmLN4U77gaFsgk7l4aVo31pJPL1ZLbLywvJm7PRwoO/s640/IMG_1344.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian Heritage of the region can be seen throughout this area</td></tr>
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We also stopped by Mount Lofty on our way back to the airport - whilst the lookout itself was Ok I thought - nothing that remarkable, it was only a lookout to see Adelaide City from the top, again, the drive towards Mount Lofty was really quite nice.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-MfQ3qxWi_MZsfn6xIlT9FDqTINKOvwS4zt69zbx0I0zhuOj38_OFlGL6EGX01R24hoPz85IKK2yCg2GWvyqAn6nFKxYX19Jh8MWr90RIEqs6nj5N98btUCA_578jOF7ofAl/s1600/IMG_1373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-MfQ3qxWi_MZsfn6xIlT9FDqTINKOvwS4zt69zbx0I0zhuOj38_OFlGL6EGX01R24hoPz85IKK2yCg2GWvyqAn6nFKxYX19Jh8MWr90RIEqs6nj5N98btUCA_578jOF7ofAl/s640/IMG_1373.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mount Lofty lookout - can't see a lot with this light and clouds! </td></tr>
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Overall the weekend trip to Adelaide was just superb. I went to South Australia with zero expectation but came back pleasantly surprised by the experience. It's definitely good to get out of my own city & state once in a while. Australia is so much larger than simply NSW or Sydney. The time spent with my parents was just precious too. Happy Mothers Day Mum!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y8pCI6N2vlxuWLuU6Vfot7wMsNKcyUzRhOzTuIoNYBXLJjFCmO9kTviTPIY_V9Tu6fVY7UOrCQU-rne__KbOy2cFVOPJp78PBAdmOFPxBT_17uGDlX5kf9HhEIFnKr-4ygMP/s1600/IMG_9558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y8pCI6N2vlxuWLuU6Vfot7wMsNKcyUzRhOzTuIoNYBXLJjFCmO9kTviTPIY_V9Tu6fVY7UOrCQU-rne__KbOy2cFVOPJp78PBAdmOFPxBT_17uGDlX5kf9HhEIFnKr-4ygMP/s640/IMG_9558.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Mothers Day!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com2Adelaide SA 5000, Australia-34.9287264 138.5999453-34.954763400000004 138.5604633 -34.9026894 138.6394273tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-60911095726161219822012-02-02T01:18:00.002+11:002012-09-07T14:50:08.660+10:00Business Class Travel...it is possible!<div>
A few weeks ago I booked my trip to Europe for June 2012! Holiday planning is definitely one of the best ways to start the new year! My destinations will include and not be limited to Madrid, Barcelona, London and Paris for a 25 day period. Aside from seeing these great cities, I am most excited about experiencing business class travel for the first time ever! Yes, that's right I am a newbie to business class travel. For someone that does zero business travel for work, I think I have done quite well to achieve my return business class ticket on <a href="http://www.thaiairways.com.au/">Thai Airways</a>. </div>
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I have shared this with some of my friends, and everyone is asking - how did you score a business class flight for the price of an economy price ticket? </div>
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I am about to share my secret, which is not so much a secret when you ask google about it. </div>
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<b>The secret: points. </b></div>
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<b>Points?</b> But it takes FOREVER to accumulate credit card points &/or frequent flyer points unless you are travelling for work all the time. That statement is correct. However, another option is to <i>buy</i> points. </div>
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Over a 2 year period I have been buying <a href="http://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/programdetails/purchasemiles/default.html">US Airways miles</a> (points) whenever they have the 100% bonus special on. This enables you to buy up to 100,000 miles for about US$1,600. (I have to thank my travel savvy cousin for sharing this secret with me 2 years ago) Now to travel from Australia to Europe on business class requires 120,000 miles, which equates to approx US$1,900. To me, that sounds like a bargain, especially when economy flights from Australia to Europe are about AU$2,000+. But why would I be buying US Airway miles if I am in Australia? Thankfully US Airways is part of the Star Alliance network which inclues Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand to name a few. Once you have accumulated the required miles, you can claim on ANY of the Star Alliance airlines. All you need to do is pick up the phone and call US Airways (I use skype since it is an international free call), tell the call centre representative the trip you would like to make, wait for them to do the relevant searches, confirm your booking and pay the taxes and fees. For my Europe booking the taxes and fees was about $250, so all up less than $2,200 for a return business class trip to Europe. I think it was worth all that effort and planning! </div>
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Easy! </div>
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Kind of. </div>
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It's been a learning experience, but I am willing to share more secrets. </div>
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1) If you are planning to redeem a business class flight on <a href="http://www.singaporeair.com/SAA-flow.form">Singapore Airlines</a> - forget it. </div>
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SIA make it pretty much impossible for business class flight redemptions. In 2010 I tried to book a business class flight with the points I bought from Singapore-Munich. But because I was such an amateur back then, I ended up booking an economy class ticket! Now that was a waste of points because I didn't even save that much money! However, given the circumstances of that trip, it all worked out OK. </div>
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2) It is best to know the exact route you want before calling up US Airways. Otherwise, you will spend over an hour on the phone trying to make a booking. How to find my exact route? Use the <a href="http://www.staralliance.com/en/">Star Alliance</a> website to find out which member airlines will suit your itinerary. There is also another tool to use to find business & first class availabilities, but that requires another lengthly blog post. </div>
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3) Book your holiday more than 3 months in advance. I actually tried the business class redemption method last year for my mum's holiday to the UK. I booked 3 months in advance, and whilst I managed to get her to London on business class from Sydney, she had to go via Bangkok & Zurich. A long way, but she got there in the end! </div>
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4) Best to book tickets more than 6 months in advance to popular destinations like London. Unless of course you are willing to travel for more than a day to get there. </div>
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Now I just have 4 months of waiting to look forward to this!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnxTFiSxogwbqtV5FOB3LKn-syNxxoukZneZRzA3YyVUvokgHk-61byeWObC4mWOmQypfhi7gsI8LOcPW5dvjHl7DR7m2SYq3vDlP2_cXbsLugyPcV32DG2DHacfIPusrBShT/s1600/Thai-Airways-Airbus-A340-600-Royal-Silk-Business-Class-Cabin-Seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnxTFiSxogwbqtV5FOB3LKn-syNxxoukZneZRzA3YyVUvokgHk-61byeWObC4mWOmQypfhi7gsI8LOcPW5dvjHl7DR7m2SYq3vDlP2_cXbsLugyPcV32DG2DHacfIPusrBShT/s640/Thai-Airways-Airbus-A340-600-Royal-Silk-Business-Class-Cabin-Seat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Airways A340-600 Royal Silk Business Class</td></tr>
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Important Note: US Airways have recently increased the value of points. So even if they do have the 100% bonus special on again, it is unlikely that you will be paying US$1,600 for 100,000 miles. But given I don't accumulate points fast enough, it is still a viable option to make business class travel possible!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-23045597672452534532011-11-10T22:33:00.000+11:002012-09-07T14:50:43.993+10:0015 Oct 2011 | The National Pass + Katoomba, Blue Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Blue Mountains is a popular day-trip destination for many Sydney-siders and tourists alike. Sydneysiders like myself make trips to the mountains to escape citylife, enjoy nature, breath in the fresh mountain air and just chill. There's also enough going on in the mountains to keep city people entertained...at least for a weekend. This time however, me and a group of girlfriends decided we should be more 'active', so we planned to give bushwalking/hiking a go.</div>
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It took us about 2.5 hours to drive from the city (on a Friday night) to Medlow Bath, just one station away from the more popular, touristy Katoomba. A friend of mine (check out her travel blog <a href="http://takingtotheopenroad.wordpress.com/">here</a>) booked us into this lovely B&B - <a href="http://www.chaletguesthouseandstudio.com.au/">'The Chalet'</a> - which is a delightful guesthouse featuring a large number of modern Australian art throughout the property. The main dining/living area in particular is a mecca of great art books and art works. If we had experienced bad weather that weekend, I would have gladly enjoyed a day 'in' just reading up on the art books by the fireplace. This guesthouse was definitely one with character and charm which I'd recommend to anyone wanting something 'different' for the trip to the mountains.The guesthouse had excellent facilities and a family room suited the four of us fine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZjgULon8FZuVUjfGLhVujcTzNHrfP_DD0MlAgv9kFer-Wxz4oToU0HZg6-gQSzNw1cBjpVHyAqv2oBv1tmOMvzZ4fCuqnseA6Nrg8u7m6h1yNMKfWHPJjUYLsO3h-RmhU7Lf/s1600/DSC_4465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZjgULon8FZuVUjfGLhVujcTzNHrfP_DD0MlAgv9kFer-Wxz4oToU0HZg6-gQSzNw1cBjpVHyAqv2oBv1tmOMvzZ4fCuqnseA6Nrg8u7m6h1yNMKfWHPJjUYLsO3h-RmhU7Lf/s640/DSC_4465.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the dining room...surrounded by great art!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbBDCCmpmqwMZlstJKxc77g_dHDhg4t4D0ygTDyRwXcNLI0EUjASQmLoksNEaRyPu28pTFQ1BwEj6ai6ve_KF6E3lSqK_7sPPIPTe3EpCPd_s1UJRqkvrzW1QuuKVepjmGp3/s1600/DSC_4469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEbBDCCmpmqwMZlstJKxc77g_dHDhg4t4D0ygTDyRwXcNLI0EUjASQmLoksNEaRyPu28pTFQ1BwEj6ai6ve_KF6E3lSqK_7sPPIPTe3EpCPd_s1UJRqkvrzW1QuuKVepjmGp3/s640/DSC_4469.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea & Chat time! My fave part of the photo - the images in the mirror! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYQQha83355cpnJ28Ybn8XVMbM_2CHyhRXD_qOoLanGNqGTM0_zAoMryuxOOJbDDnH1wyfpTSvrbj-Sp_iUPwACucGRceR0JA8Ai5aqPw2xeJE0Q3KbuZ8SZL5C9bvsVi2vT0/s1600/DSC_4476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYQQha83355cpnJ28Ybn8XVMbM_2CHyhRXD_qOoLanGNqGTM0_zAoMryuxOOJbDDnH1wyfpTSvrbj-Sp_iUPwACucGRceR0JA8Ai5aqPw2xeJE0Q3KbuZ8SZL5C9bvsVi2vT0/s640/DSC_4476.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On Saturday morning, after much deliberation - to hike or not to hike as the weather looked questionable; then which hike out of the 100 available trails in the blue mountains? We finally decided to go on<a href="http://www.nationalpass.com.au/"> 'The National Pass'</a> - a 6km hike around the Wentworth Falls region of the Blue Mountains.<br />
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All I can say is that the hike was simply stunning. I am so glad we decided to hike because the weather worked out perfectly for us. There were a few wet areas from the previous nights rain where I had to be careful and walk slowly to avoid tripping in my running shoes (memories of Taipei 2009 and tripping whilst hiking were haunting me), but nothing that requires too much skill or experience. I personally have a fear of going down stairs, so again I was slow on those parts of the walk. But made up time as I like going on the ascent! The worst part of the hike was actually just the last 10 minutes, due to the ever increasing rather than diminishing number of stairs one had to climb; and the increasing temperature and humidity. Plus I think a large part of the tiredness/fatigue was just mental endurance by that stage. The great thing about being active is the sense of accomplishment. The walk took us approx 3 hours including a 20 minute lunch break.<br />
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I will now let the photos show and convince you that Australia just has some of the best scenery in the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA19C0cnWsCRoihwiRI_6aIe3NPwST83sxtqRUy9SGey-cmKzxBBBVD2R_HQExswGn9TETt-HX73PmjmRETWJVUaqMggRGOdFAA84xr9zNp11FgnKTs1yVVx7mZ02iEZBq45b/s1600/DSC_4484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA19C0cnWsCRoihwiRI_6aIe3NPwST83sxtqRUy9SGey-cmKzxBBBVD2R_HQExswGn9TETt-HX73PmjmRETWJVUaqMggRGOdFAA84xr9zNp11FgnKTs1yVVx7mZ02iEZBq45b/s640/DSC_4484.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBe5Cr0hM-EgRi9q8tP3zwQV3BUuNUbS87hjO1-uas09z9GOIHg3KYNXorX0WmIZp49D6ZRJzIJjscoWuRHXgcFQm8XWhrgTldwyOB4EeupvKNdd1NcYkLe1c6bwY3FVKPuybr/s1600/DSC_4487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBe5Cr0hM-EgRi9q8tP3zwQV3BUuNUbS87hjO1-uas09z9GOIHg3KYNXorX0WmIZp49D6ZRJzIJjscoWuRHXgcFQm8XWhrgTldwyOB4EeupvKNdd1NcYkLe1c6bwY3FVKPuybr/s640/DSC_4487.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenery from start of hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe8zaE-M9zF75u2kthIpeDO4PxYygTE1wxnhFssghh6wvl2wwv0mI9D7gc8YQBd8PRa52UyEpkI-C-8oIA57yIjuVXLIkbUXqEHftU-kmyiJkQNwbn2Y_HfnMGK8ul__4FjOM/s1600/DSC_4494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe8zaE-M9zF75u2kthIpeDO4PxYygTE1wxnhFssghh6wvl2wwv0mI9D7gc8YQBd8PRa52UyEpkI-C-8oIA57yIjuVXLIkbUXqEHftU-kmyiJkQNwbn2Y_HfnMGK8ul__4FjOM/s640/DSC_4494.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First glimpses of water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHA0CU2r9ZP5Zst4JO6nbWMLkiJBT-5-UEiOsiI-AJWYmya-0rX5mxKEZYVAZBuVmmPQxSQGCknJBvyo_tifTwn7_SCtt5o6FNNbej7w_M8ik_DiDJLjJr1S-0SJoQFoOmGxS/s1600/DSC_4500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHA0CU2r9ZP5Zst4JO6nbWMLkiJBT-5-UEiOsiI-AJWYmya-0rX5mxKEZYVAZBuVmmPQxSQGCknJBvyo_tifTwn7_SCtt5o6FNNbej7w_M8ik_DiDJLjJr1S-0SJoQFoOmGxS/s640/DSC_4500.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just love waterfalls! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT8p4c1oncc-9q8VZS0aL7993hDhQ4jZxozUVzwWv6CFXwXzyK9c_z6mRf4i-Mp2VMrjD_NP01nf42i4J0HBTop6RX43shYMCzjEj5Wxu97OtW8HmV-PDgVyXA0h1GDKm80y2/s1600/DSC_4508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT8p4c1oncc-9q8VZS0aL7993hDhQ4jZxozUVzwWv6CFXwXzyK9c_z6mRf4i-Mp2VMrjD_NP01nf42i4J0HBTop6RX43shYMCzjEj5Wxu97OtW8HmV-PDgVyXA0h1GDKm80y2/s640/DSC_4508.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature at its best. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSTc1yXubOwka0rSk8N-dzaVRjso7ioNBpyUtWTujt8laB_4FmSMOgx7mnqj0DjYvC1ofW8TaR89Z9eKyGWnrEm9DZGhXgTJLVsA2vTTm0d8zYlSnL-M_JS4Xqxkbka-Id8BK/s1600/DSC_4528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSTc1yXubOwka0rSk8N-dzaVRjso7ioNBpyUtWTujt8laB_4FmSMOgx7mnqj0DjYvC1ofW8TaR89Z9eKyGWnrEm9DZGhXgTJLVsA2vTTm0d8zYlSnL-M_JS4Xqxkbka-Id8BK/s640/DSC_4528.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parts of our hike...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx_aGHU-mXQg1CZ4AMZnQZVXtLZzUax0qxUnXs4iXxR6hNs3IkhCgZeKKdWw0SZsjf1_skijE7nspmC7qgRS6eGdKsw-gBGh7DD34YfE9XC6KWLHpKw-FHTim2SHtv903p3xU/s1600/DSC_4532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx_aGHU-mXQg1CZ4AMZnQZVXtLZzUax0qxUnXs4iXxR6hNs3IkhCgZeKKdWw0SZsjf1_skijE7nspmC7qgRS6eGdKsw-gBGh7DD34YfE9XC6KWLHpKw-FHTim2SHtv903p3xU/s640/DSC_4532.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing rocks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMf3ayhFo_SzHJIykdk266G85iTkLyr-b5JcNSs7O-Z7jTVCoimaja7Uv1RmNHMAoD1jveT8gW9HsH8ygOR7fh9nsKPswbab8YPc0eFa9gHlDb2ZA-Xo6CV6FkN62nmTCryGj/s1600/DSC_4562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMf3ayhFo_SzHJIykdk266G85iTkLyr-b5JcNSs7O-Z7jTVCoimaja7Uv1RmNHMAoD1jveT8gW9HsH8ygOR7fh9nsKPswbab8YPc0eFa9gHlDb2ZA-Xo6CV6FkN62nmTCryGj/s640/DSC_4562.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wentworth Falls (I believe!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMFC8tR1bpwUzZ_VfXJvZzJ34Ucbv1LlTkE95iL7BC4iaLo9YTVPuRm6IXOTtc2uMAD8cN6QJ-pLg0YVSIrdUD0Fl3_iH4CFXMljo3P1bjKC-HLKcTyn7KYBo5_WMaTB9SqtB/s1600/DSC_4573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMFC8tR1bpwUzZ_VfXJvZzJ34Ucbv1LlTkE95iL7BC4iaLo9YTVPuRm6IXOTtc2uMAD8cN6QJ-pLg0YVSIrdUD0Fl3_iH4CFXMljo3P1bjKC-HLKcTyn7KYBo5_WMaTB9SqtB/s640/DSC_4573.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creative shot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiuc9NVpYMd5RD5i_JkUNOfwlTZjYRGgVcVVVjzfxBsJB44iazUopvMdSp6o9fLPe_mvsl21eEjCGwb9vrQ9qlHp5r_IPRXMdOouy9yA_LfwhLcfv4cs7JWSNBapd7UkqF5iT/s1600/DSC_4598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiuc9NVpYMd5RD5i_JkUNOfwlTZjYRGgVcVVVjzfxBsJB44iazUopvMdSp6o9fLPe_mvsl21eEjCGwb9vrQ9qlHp5r_IPRXMdOouy9yA_LfwhLcfv4cs7JWSNBapd7UkqF5iT/s640/DSC_4598.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obsession with waterfalls continues...</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXsWl5gln9v8DMTUCg6176lN_Eve3j10IIVm9KvNtATqUv2dTYjzMdW7Ag8oCZEBcFtct0_PlRSNvBYoXsxsTLSEXLi8vjP3kZ0PFQLUKubUasXFLzvSnb9YSvQO9hCKEFLFm/s1600/DSC_4611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXsWl5gln9v8DMTUCg6176lN_Eve3j10IIVm9KvNtATqUv2dTYjzMdW7Ag8oCZEBcFtct0_PlRSNvBYoXsxsTLSEXLi8vjP3kZ0PFQLUKubUasXFLzvSnb9YSvQO9hCKEFLFm/s640/DSC_4611.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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Even though I've visited The Blue Mountains over the years, it had actually been about 15 years since I last saw the Three Sisters at Katoomba. We couldn't have picked a more appropriate time to catch sunset and the sister light up by night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGStAKZ5w3wtT3G4AsPpe-geLa6tVb6HtF4ag-KPThi3LFeazNe4NpUf3c80FWsAGIB294-UeJCqPoivkm81TQTFb3f63SU_MT2otKNIvEXM9HNC66lkbjCB8JqQFr6phPt2Da/s1600/DSC_4670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGStAKZ5w3wtT3G4AsPpe-geLa6tVb6HtF4ag-KPThi3LFeazNe4NpUf3c80FWsAGIB294-UeJCqPoivkm81TQTFb3f63SU_MT2otKNIvEXM9HNC66lkbjCB8JqQFr6phPt2Da/s640/DSC_4670.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset colours at Katoomba Three Sisters Lookout</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLcBey7rW5MTtefn41S4YmuRVp4Zn9cUxUnlvAogVo9wibd4D8ilNfCKS8NrTNyUb_ZLUQ8BMVTp3izkr5DFtjJ6B2Ty44lFVzWPj_uAk3VCQy9JS78_AL4LHq7KbQPN58VE6/s1600/DSC_4678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLcBey7rW5MTtefn41S4YmuRVp4Zn9cUxUnlvAogVo9wibd4D8ilNfCKS8NrTNyUb_ZLUQ8BMVTp3izkr5DFtjJ6B2Ty44lFVzWPj_uAk3VCQy9JS78_AL4LHq7KbQPN58VE6/s640/DSC_4678.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Sisters by sunset</td></tr>
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Next update: Leura Walkabout</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-91273731591024028402011-10-17T21:42:00.000+11:002011-10-17T21:42:50.554+11:00Travel HiatusMy blog has been empty for the last couple of months because quite simply. I have not left Australia. Sadness.<br />
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There was an option to travel around England with my parents, but I finally decided to give my career a good go, rather than take my neverending holidays. I hope it pays off some time in the future...otherwise, there's reason to be sad about that too. (In all seriousnesss, I think it was a good thing I stayed in Sydney to work on a few interesting projects)<br />
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So to compensate for lack of flights out of this city, I've been <i>trying</i> to get out of Sydney...<br />
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Just last weekend I went to the Blue Mountains for a weekend-away trip with the girls. Unlike most 'girly' trips, this was not the 'relaxing' type. So stay tuned as I will be blogging about that trip! I will say it was an awesome trip to keep my readers (if there are any left!) amused. <br />
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Back in August, I also went up to the Central Coast (Gosford/Terrigal) - to see a friend and her family. August was literally the first time I left Sydney since March this year. It's hard to believe that once you stop moving, you really stop moving. And just a drive out of the Sydney Metropolitan area becomes an accomplishment. I was so pleased that I did get out of Sydney that day though - just for a change of scenery and vibe; and of course to see a friend I had not seen in a few years and her new bub who is just so adorable!<br />
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This weekend I have a trip to Jervis Bay for an 'adventure' challenge. I'm getting quite excited about seeing the white sands and the crystal clear waters of Jervis Bay. The first time I ever went to Jervis Bay was when I was 11 years old, and I still have a clear memory of the beauty of this place. Now, I just need to get through that adventure challenge and then I can relax and take in the scenery of Jervis Bay.<br />
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Now for overseas travel...any news??<br />
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I will be travelling somewhere for Christmas 2011! My first Christmas away from Sydney in 4 years! I am getting quite excited about it. I am not going to a new place at all, in fact, to the country I have been to the most number of times - <b>Malaysia</b>. I usually don't consider a trip to Malaysia as a holiday at all, but I just have to take what I can get. 11 Days in Malaysia, I really hope to cover more than the usual KL & Sitiawan this time. I must! Hope to be seeing Penang, Melacca and maybe Singapore to visit friends if time permits. But the point of Malaysia 2011, is really to end the year in a relaxed state. I've been on-the-go these last few months in terms of everything, and I just need to take some time out. Need to start 2012 full of energy so I can conquer more countries and travel. So far I am thinking France & England...but who knows?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-38903506417797427432011-05-16T23:40:00.000+10:002011-05-16T23:40:08.948+10:005 Mar - 6 Mar | Singa-bore, No more lah! | SingaporeSingapore, a familiar yet foreign destination for me. Our affairs are so brief. A simple exchange of 'Hello & Goodbye' - that's been the extent of our encounter. Over the years I have learnt to navigate my way around Singapore Airport T3 like it is my second home. I know where to find my kaya toast with milk tea; to find the internet terminal with the least people; to find my favourite shops to satisfy my need to browse but not buy; to find a place to sleep on those brief stopovers. Routine and familiarity. 'Singapore', the city outside the confined space of an orderly and homely airport terminal - I've never known you too well. Although I have come to visit you on countless occasions, and experienced a close encounter of almost setting up life in Singapore 17 years ago, you have still been a stranger all these many years. This time, no. I am determined to venture beyond T3 and discover Singapore the modern Asian metropolis booming with activity under the hot equatorial sun.<br />
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I only just visited Singapore 6 months ago in <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com/2010/11/9-oct-24-hours-in-island-city-singapore.html">October</a>; but it was a whirlwind visit where I didn't really have much time to explore. This time, I was determined to do a bit of sightseeing and exploring for once. Here are the highlights of my 48 hour stopover! (still a short trip!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RHS/"><b>Raffles Hotel</b></a> -<span style="font-family: inherit;"> One of Singapore's most famous hotel and landmark, and for very good reason. After 20 or so years visiting Singapore, this was my first time walking 'inside' the hotel. It is a grand, gorgeous hotel that takes you back to the Colonial days of Singapore aka 1920s. In a city where the newest project always attracts the most attention and fanfare, this is definitely a welcome change from the modernity of Singapore. I arrived at this hotel to have lunch with my friend S whom I hadn't seen since Taipei 2009! Sh<span class="Apple-style-span">e treated me to a lovely Nasi Lamak lunch with a Singapore Sling (invented at this very hotel around 1915 by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Ngiam Tong Boon at the Long Bar) @ The Empire Cafe - a delightful 1920s style 'Coffee House' cafe with local dishes and some international dishes. You will not find 'value for money' here, but a colonial-Singaporean experience! I definitely recommend coming here during your Singapore stopover. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raffles Courtyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nasi Lemak @ Empire Cafe...HUGE servings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourists lounging @ Long Bar</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.ionorchard.com/"><b>Ion Orchard</b></a> - This gigantic mall has probably been around for a few years now, but it was nice seeing a bubble-shaped shopping centre on Orchard Road. (Question: Why do Singaporeans need more and more malls??) Singapore is supposedly a shopping haven, but given I had just come from Hong Kong & Taipei, shopping was definitely the last thing on my mind! So I focused my attention on appreciating nice things and eating. I dined at the Ion food court before going back home to Sydney and took a few snaps. They have certainly added a new aesthetic to my idea of 'food courts'. Decor is pretty, but food can be better! But who can tell given I myself ate one huge bowl of laksa, chicken satay and ice kacang in one sitting :S<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glitzy Ion Orchard Rd</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Ion by Night</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aint this a fancy food court?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">我這個愛吃鬼!Still had a stomach to eat Ice-Kacang!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3b22ozbrw7OyiiB4Pws0sTN8cPr7erfadBjEym0F-Ay7JGJMvjYH5A2JDdgtf_uh4QjE0Pw3XNVu3lCWRqp4znJCTqQRDHEINinoiGaSPE9yVayz8iXuzyaCfOYEv4-gMdj1/s1600/P3061015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3b22ozbrw7OyiiB4Pws0sTN8cPr7erfadBjEym0F-Ay7JGJMvjYH5A2JDdgtf_uh4QjE0Pw3XNVu3lCWRqp4znJCTqQRDHEINinoiGaSPE9yVayz8iXuzyaCfOYEv4-gMdj1/s400/P3061015.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my laksa & satay...<br />
my mate's prawn noodles also in view as well</td></tr>
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</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Singapore Chilli Crabs</b> - Since I am an offspring of Malaysian-Chinese parents, I am always going to argue that the food is just so much better in Malaysia (and need I say cheaper?). So what else can one eat in Singapore? Answer: Singapore Chilli Crabs. S recommended her mates restaurant called <a href="http://www.redhouseseafood.com/">Red House Seafood Restaurant</a>, apparently HK superstar Maggie Cheung dined here before, so if it was good enough for her, it is good enough for me! There are 2 locations, one on the East Coast (where many famous seafood restaurants are located) and one at Robertson Quay which is where we dined. The food was delicious! </div></div><div> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Pepper Crab!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Singapore Chilli Crab</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting right into the meal!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.marinabaysands.com/"><b>Marina Bay Sands</b></a> - Want to blow your money in Singapore? Then head to Marina Bay Sands! It is the new Casino Complex that has really elevated Singapore to a new status. I really wanted to check out the famous skypark /pool bar 'Ku De Ta' just for the sake of saying 'I have been there' when I came here last time with limited time! So this time I made an effort to convince my friends to head there. The view from the skypark bar is simply stunning!! It does make you go 'wow' however, the $50 elevator ride with 1 drink included is a rip-off, but they sure know how to milk tourists like me who will pay for it because she only had 1 night left in Singapore! To avoid such high charges, do not go on a Saturday night after 9pm! I'm still glad I went though :)</div><div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Marina Bay Sands...look at those impressively large pot plants</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Edm8X7-QoN-ErPmYlZA7PziajHXYE_RvSQtENoMKynMubcIomtSZkwc0ieBtBSF9Itzh4BNz0Jr2wkbXMnW5XcdQZZB-r8b8ttxV-t2O30tVvwELzR3Ha1Gy1ix5SD_gwyKV/s1600/P3060894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Edm8X7-QoN-ErPmYlZA7PziajHXYE_RvSQtENoMKynMubcIomtSZkwc0ieBtBSF9Itzh4BNz0Jr2wkbXMnW5XcdQZZB-r8b8ttxV-t2O30tVvwELzR3Ha1Gy1ix5SD_gwyKV/s640/P3060894.JPG" width="480px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflections</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZGV9zhKkj4Im7QcqBIsxet1pD5DqlExGc5uoKnvjIUHhPq69AeKiDwbAYjzSTMLJo2CtQVXT6bbdJiwhKRF5C1kScc9Lcwon_I8i1NoqVo9epFnJKav3wfBHoTYqE9VxglkF/s1600/P3060902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZGV9zhKkj4Im7QcqBIsxet1pD5DqlExGc5uoKnvjIUHhPq69AeKiDwbAYjzSTMLJo2CtQVXT6bbdJiwhKRF5C1kScc9Lcwon_I8i1NoqVo9epFnJKav3wfBHoTYqE9VxglkF/s640/P3060902.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar in the sky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluEIQcmyLBrwU_Oxmz_gdKVyAL4JUEun4MkW3-H-4MJPkCgLSE20b-161Srvb1Rf2UewmEuAslSuUjJ4NPCMtkjKttOU0Qo8DSKUOIJl8yM8UVi3hDt66BiLbJ4eeTgMCmJJ3/s1600/P3060923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluEIQcmyLBrwU_Oxmz_gdKVyAL4JUEun4MkW3-H-4MJPkCgLSE20b-161Srvb1Rf2UewmEuAslSuUjJ4NPCMtkjKttOU0Qo8DSKUOIJl8yM8UVi3hDt66BiLbJ4eeTgMCmJJ3/s640/P3060923.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dodgy photo of the crowd @ Ku De Tar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORTjux1mr7j-ICnUyNK_LprQtIZ9EBENN9GqQRImoKL4NM0nDzfY1WjVodcG4qK57DTu1tzlZkbBZf4ta7VsT8Jdw7C2qMXI69VOcjn01ve6ltKvsJJcAoClHDjvqy20KUkyZ/s1600/P3060930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORTjux1mr7j-ICnUyNK_LprQtIZ9EBENN9GqQRImoKL4NM0nDzfY1WjVodcG4qK57DTu1tzlZkbBZf4ta7VsT8Jdw7C2qMXI69VOcjn01ve6ltKvsJJcAoClHDjvqy20KUkyZ/s640/P3060930.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the view from above...looks like there was a water light show on at the time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-793OatL2UvQvKN2dIQtXhS5am0WC3Fd043M_QEDDjOyrax68dp2BWr1c9he8X-ga9gw4NBQM22O6PdR7eQdpk0GAjl_Rrt2utB46Cal_Kjg6hBnylIkcL3nAJBM_mt1aO2PW/s1600/P3060934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-793OatL2UvQvKN2dIQtXhS5am0WC3Fd043M_QEDDjOyrax68dp2BWr1c9he8X-ga9gw4NBQM22O6PdR7eQdpk0GAjl_Rrt2utB46Cal_Kjg6hBnylIkcL3nAJBM_mt1aO2PW/s640/P3060934.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View around Marina Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDkPIM5XbYjl7TfUAtEc4AxHIuKgSFVQoL_nCCC7vje3IoVF-FcsnMkGEuNSugrhvVDABIrMqIzGg3mRW4de7qQxiR79s1c4XIq4bvB6100zX80T4qO_z5u0lkNk9rvjbPh0r/s1600/P3060921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDkPIM5XbYjl7TfUAtEc4AxHIuKgSFVQoL_nCCC7vje3IoVF-FcsnMkGEuNSugrhvVDABIrMqIzGg3mRW4de7qQxiR79s1c4XIq4bvB6100zX80T4qO_z5u0lkNk9rvjbPh0r/s640/P3060921.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More lights & views</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuTGYI9pXNVXv61iqGevIsrgnGS2pouwQNO53kE4Lxny0f3MAQz2TJt7ojOgWCEc0oW9j_Es0DjXIh0LvAgC5PUKRckfpatWLVAh4aENqhvHLSdf1k1zo6dIgeu8gT1vEnVz_/s1600/P3060927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuTGYI9pXNVXv61iqGevIsrgnGS2pouwQNO53kE4Lxny0f3MAQz2TJt7ojOgWCEc0oW9j_Es0DjXIh0LvAgC5PUKRckfpatWLVAh4aENqhvHLSdf1k1zo6dIgeu8gT1vEnVz_/s640/P3060927.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the pool from here??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JYDa2WBrmLv34UhGITlWbsbkjPkXrKih9j-oegzLLMmXJLnN6ZERl2fyl7aqfzK1HKI2RmycK8sAHJ-LybNQJtY-8Yy-qN2-4ZLyZxO_sy3xZYeWdCK_lZnaRUejPPJLSfIt/s1600/P3060937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1JYDa2WBrmLv34UhGITlWbsbkjPkXrKih9j-oegzLLMmXJLnN6ZERl2fyl7aqfzK1HKI2RmycK8sAHJ-LybNQJtY-8Yy-qN2-4ZLyZxO_sy3xZYeWdCK_lZnaRUejPPJLSfIt/s640/P3060937.JPG" width="640px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just more of the oasis in the sky before heading down again</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmD5IUnOCwCs0Vh5cxUMtURPUIK_PYop2h3F5zTj9-CCOrOl31Le3BsYW2RQpLrl1D72Bmp3G20o_v9OBk-C7maYlpU_c8Wxa4iUXt7dHES5AVPi10Qk8Qp7EOmuNQ8pm0MN_/s1600/P3060942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCmD5IUnOCwCs0Vh5cxUMtURPUIK_PYop2h3F5zTj9-CCOrOl31Le3BsYW2RQpLrl1D72Bmp3G20o_v9OBk-C7maYlpU_c8Wxa4iUXt7dHES5AVPi10Qk8Qp7EOmuNQ8pm0MN_/s400/P3060942.JPG" width="300px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M, B & Me...at the expensive elevators!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCP7DbhSzgeHNu6zH9OX_Lx-Fp5X4JMLAeRkakeX6giurTXhBKFn1STHVwIcYHTEokZw5ge-ixyStAXfsQTpa3RyE9oyiNNUHFfrTF-FKcQvlNRum7P-Rdj8l_PQMoMYla2vVZ/s1600/P3060944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCP7DbhSzgeHNu6zH9OX_Lx-Fp5X4JMLAeRkakeX6giurTXhBKFn1STHVwIcYHTEokZw5ge-ixyStAXfsQTpa3RyE9oyiNNUHFfrTF-FKcQvlNRum7P-Rdj8l_PQMoMYla2vVZ/s400/P3060944.JPG" width="300px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S & Me...heading back down</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.nationalmuseum.sg/">National Museum of Singapore</a> - Museums in Singapore? Yep, surpringly they exist! Since S was there with some friends for lunch, I decided to join them after my own family lunch with Dad and my aunty & uncle. The architecture of this museum is quite stunning - with the light-filled foyer areas and interesting decorations in a modern space. I really liked it! Unfortunately for me, I was in such a rush to get there I forgot my camera. So I had to settle with my average camera phone to snap some shots. The exhibitions inside this museum are probably less impressive than the architecture of this museum, but I still enjoyed my lesson on Singapore's history, and checking out some other permanent exhibitions such as the Fashion Living Gallery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoBQdFWwpQ6SZLsr-wERFWQ_L4W2cc5cnpkaM4A39D6EnpK7mX3ooj9_MSddVwcEhyphenhyphenODip7N-6r7BARtZlnqX7GdCTfjxjgLkjGtn5GcrV1iQQT0CxdxLZmKLgCaXeDID_8Xu/s1600/Image0734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoBQdFWwpQ6SZLsr-wERFWQ_L4W2cc5cnpkaM4A39D6EnpK7mX3ooj9_MSddVwcEhyphenhyphenODip7N-6r7BARtZlnqX7GdCTfjxjgLkjGtn5GcrV1iQQT0CxdxLZmKLgCaXeDID_8Xu/s400/Image0734.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting sculptural art</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6fWWTkt_tAyp92CZmo-Ucu9c-Nl5sAulk5rj1sdFgztbXPr2EWkTZf8lRjOfsknynfv53t2woO1sS_GAc-LiEuDtO4WTxqbleu9kzudbBLjOSvTQoK6Z05vbMHEzonx4zmqD/s1600/Image0735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6fWWTkt_tAyp92CZmo-Ucu9c-Nl5sAulk5rj1sdFgztbXPr2EWkTZf8lRjOfsknynfv53t2woO1sS_GAc-LiEuDtO4WTxqbleu9kzudbBLjOSvTQoK6Z05vbMHEzonx4zmqD/s400/Image0735.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light filled modern entrance</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Selected photos from the exhibitions...my camera phone has serious limitations indoors!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDgsUoKrUZ15zfyS0SWAGzrkmGe2w6nW0-PuV_a1ofG3Ev1TICY31DlrM6pBqVj8ZTP7E-nlKdW34cXD1w491ai9SbK9fN_fI9AVNmynI7KAzDIe2fdPu6fCuAz5faDqgUxUv/s1600/Image0759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDgsUoKrUZ15zfyS0SWAGzrkmGe2w6nW0-PuV_a1ofG3Ev1TICY31DlrM6pBqVj8ZTP7E-nlKdW34cXD1w491ai9SbK9fN_fI9AVNmynI7KAzDIe2fdPu6fCuAz5faDqgUxUv/s400/Image0759.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u15j6QmFb_ziGBHLiTq2GMYshaP9no6aSgQ1H3MiaOEAlfZ_YcPVvuXgGtAyWpOKCt0nnadV2R4AAThZCXY4uDcfzPKG4G2tyevtMIh7C1kfUREYm3jX6RqLoh39BbW2P49H/s1600/Image0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u15j6QmFb_ziGBHLiTq2GMYshaP9no6aSgQ1H3MiaOEAlfZ_YcPVvuXgGtAyWpOKCt0nnadV2R4AAThZCXY4uDcfzPKG4G2tyevtMIh7C1kfUREYm3jX6RqLoh39BbW2P49H/s400/Image0772.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWoKVjvUrDqpxuKQCzKaXSN3_Rhj2Ltb-GFkuD3p59zQTQbFfb2nzn1qMgbR71nJAGldjsD0VspVz0fSkDMj1gXPFqWpG_dPeyl18g1jEEX5s4vhnSzgXSbK86xw2tF_ShxJj/s1600/Image0752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWoKVjvUrDqpxuKQCzKaXSN3_Rhj2Ltb-GFkuD3p59zQTQbFfb2nzn1qMgbR71nJAGldjsD0VspVz0fSkDMj1gXPFqWpG_dPeyl18g1jEEX5s4vhnSzgXSbK86xw2tF_ShxJj/s400/Image0752.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/"></a></div><div><a href="http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/">Singapore Art Museum SAM</a> - Since it didn't take us long to browse through the National Museum, we dropped into the nearby SAM and, surprisingly I quite liked it. I prefered this museum to the National Museum just because I like fine arts more so than Singapore's history (can one blame me?). This museum is housed inside the former St. Joseph's Institution, which was one of Singapore's oldest Catholic boys school until it was gazetted as a national monument and became a musuem. If you are tired from the shopping and eating, SAM is a welcome change and I'd recommend a visit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1533&EM=VTY_ST_singapore_1533_overview"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xQjF3T-iswV2fY9oxJhRYXG7ELu6ZEkg1RlXPEJQzNT99t5IkluafLqnlof-sc3TBQ1kwCTnzMdqoql6TdBdvhXRi1A2A-7D_6ds1Dn_snbbbzd4bmFyVpZNbu16OEg-oCi/s1600/Image0780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xQjF3T-iswV2fY9oxJhRYXG7ELu6ZEkg1RlXPEJQzNT99t5IkluafLqnlof-sc3TBQ1kwCTnzMdqoql6TdBdvhXRi1A2A-7D_6ds1Dn_snbbbzd4bmFyVpZNbu16OEg-oCi/s400/Image0780.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pp6xhlGb3Eh40MgWMusn1MOGOxCHGKVjvhyphenhyphenqTo-mFL8CWKzRVonFo2njpKh3YWZobmw-7zOMLXTjh4lyLcXSoY5wHxmuAZR1Mb59knwiM9hMA_l2wK7gCMisMZ0Uh_mzmYvp/s1600/Image0779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pp6xhlGb3Eh40MgWMusn1MOGOxCHGKVjvhyphenhyphenqTo-mFL8CWKzRVonFo2njpKh3YWZobmw-7zOMLXTjh4lyLcXSoY5wHxmuAZR1Mb59knwiM9hMA_l2wK7gCMisMZ0Uh_mzmYvp/s1600/Image0779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pp6xhlGb3Eh40MgWMusn1MOGOxCHGKVjvhyphenhyphenqTo-mFL8CWKzRVonFo2njpKh3YWZobmw-7zOMLXTjh4lyLcXSoY5wHxmuAZR1Mb59knwiM9hMA_l2wK7gCMisMZ0Uh_mzmYvp/s400/Image0779.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br />
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<a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1533&EM=VTY_ST_singapore_1533_overview">St. Regis Hotel</a> - My dad was here on a business trip same day I arrived into Singapore, so I managed to enjoy a bit of luxury at the St. Regis Hotel. This hotel is probably one of the best ones I have ever stayed at, and the best thing about it, FREE for me! (on par/marginally better with the Lebua experience of <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com/2010/12/5-10-nov-blitz-through-thailand.html">Bangkok 2010</a>) On a serious note, for luxury hotels, I have to say the Asian cities know how to create a space of true indulgenece and escape. (sorry Australia & USA, you need to lift your game to compete with Asian cities!) The hotel lobby is stunning and the rooms were impressively large. The bathroom was probably one of the larger ones I've ever seen, toiletries were well stocked, there was ample space for suitcases and the only complaint I have about this hotel would be the slightly slow service, but that was a non-issue really. I'd highly recommend this hotel to anyone planning a Singapore visit and have money to spend :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poolside @ St Regis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3t8ZZNSIEiLowgaGTMui1QGjnHmiJRq5ktgOeXIybHUAW6aHP4TG0K-IWzLpQNbSr5a0wrcbH-MjsuI2S6xVR09U4-IhJEYz9kf0zc1J3-RSL2wKgbFjRjYtoybhpM3Yuf5w/s1600/P3050812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3t8ZZNSIEiLowgaGTMui1QGjnHmiJRq5ktgOeXIybHUAW6aHP4TG0K-IWzLpQNbSr5a0wrcbH-MjsuI2S6xVR09U4-IhJEYz9kf0zc1J3-RSL2wKgbFjRjYtoybhpM3Yuf5w/s640/P3050812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bright & spacious lobby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoPHw33xDUGYwhd80S_aoaMPwEECT1NYeowklG0xyP_dXs11TKRFqIBF-ZKZWQsZr1QnYxWw4ipygL_Nm_UqS2SeV8R7-N_zDky0v9Bxh5J0zPpTLmBtnXM03amPEtHU-3h6s/s1600/P3060968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoPHw33xDUGYwhd80S_aoaMPwEECT1NYeowklG0xyP_dXs11TKRFqIBF-ZKZWQsZr1QnYxWw4ipygL_Nm_UqS2SeV8R7-N_zDky0v9Bxh5J0zPpTLmBtnXM03amPEtHU-3h6s/s640/P3060968.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Lobby area I think...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAcd-kaw9TI29TblkTFz-CiCt_HY76qsPTnipm_KK2dcGdw4wEeBxwJHnkews3si5-jifzeOEpmpfB79jUqHZdItIJ-164giZJEwTfSl1zTHdkv2U6oGPNQDW0qbv6QnOHfMH/s1600/P3060965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAcd-kaw9TI29TblkTFz-CiCt_HY76qsPTnipm_KK2dcGdw4wEeBxwJHnkews3si5-jifzeOEpmpfB79jUqHZdItIJ-164giZJEwTfSl1zTHdkv2U6oGPNQDW0qbv6QnOHfMH/s640/P3060965.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the room where I ate breakfast...stunning!</td></tr>
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</div></div><div>Some other photos of Singapore taken this trip:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Tapas Restaurant around Chimes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYczb2sjX6_vxcfVBQXs_3hVQn-eoi6afTgYbM4xyfjhrG9IQhbLGDLTbH6HwxzPA_oWe3bsWlO9jabUNHLi-8z3Ypvfv5bh-pSl13HhAkNOsFuYUnUa0xnisgG2UcI-ingED/s1600/P3050805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYczb2sjX6_vxcfVBQXs_3hVQn-eoi6afTgYbM4xyfjhrG9IQhbLGDLTbH6HwxzPA_oWe3bsWlO9jabUNHLi-8z3Ypvfv5bh-pSl13HhAkNOsFuYUnUa0xnisgG2UcI-ingED/s640/P3050805.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimes during the day is completely empty!<br />
But how nice are the mosaic chairs and tables?</td></tr>
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</div>新加坡-這次我真的對妳另眼相看。妳不在是那了無生趣的地方。妳真的能站在世界的舞台上閃耀。但妳可不能忘記本色。雖然妳的歷史不是悠久古老的,但這就是妳的特色。我期待妳的未來。請帶給我驚喜吧!</div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-19914739516299973152011-04-29T00:26:00.002+10:002012-09-07T14:51:05.875+10:003 Mar | 喝茶,享受 - 這是我愛的台北 | Taipei, Taiwan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My ideal 3 day trip would have included an outing to either Jiufen 九份 or Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園. As I've mentioned in the last 2 blog entries, the weather in Taipei was just too cold and wet this time to go to either destination, so we settled on a mini-trip to Maokong 貓空. (I've got no idea how this place derived its name as it sounds so strange even in Chinese!) The decision was also made easier by the fact that the Maokong Gondola 貓空纜車 rides were advertised extensively on the Taipei City MRT trains.</div>
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When I was here in 2009, the <a href="http://gondola.trtc.com.tw/eng/index.htm">Maokong Gondola</a> rides were not even in operation as they were under extensive repairs. I was told they were the scariest gondola rides one could go on. (In actual fact, they had to shut down the service as a typhoon caused significant landslides near one of the Gondola towers in 2008) And the only other way to get there was to rely on a friend/acquaintance to drive you there to enjoy the Taipei City views and drink tea. We were game to try these new gondola rides, well at least I didn't tell M the history of this until we were on the return journey down from the mountains! Ignorance sure is bliss on such occasions. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new and improved gondola rides @ Maokong</td></tr>
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To get to Maokong it couldn't be simpler - simply hop on the brown Wenhu MRT line 文湖線 and head to Taipei Zoo Station. When you get out of the station, you will be greeted by cute cartoon characters such as the ones below, and you just need to follow the signs to get to the Gondola station (about a 5 minute walk). Once there, you will be presented with the option to go on the 'Crystal' cabin rides or the normal ones. I didn't know what the difference was so simply went for the non-crystal rides as there was no queue! (We later took the crystal rides on the descent. It just means the floor of the cabin is made of glass so you can see through it).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">太可愛了吧!</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>As we were clearly on the ascent here, the weather was remarkably cooler up in the mountains. It definitely made for good tea drinking and hibernating weather! Once you arrive at the main tourist hub, you will be welcomed by touristy food sights such as the ones below. I'd suggest walking further in to find 'teahouses' or restaurants/cafes to get a more authentic, local feel to the area. There is definitely no short supply of tea houses/restaurants so take your time to pick one that takes your fancy. Once we picked a place, we only ordered a pot of tea to drink. Here I performed my duties as 'host' to give M an 'authentic' Taiwanese tea drinking experience. (I really should have learnt from mum and her friends the correct way to do it!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up and away!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take a stroll around the main strip. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea time!</td></tr>
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The scenery up in Maokong is really quite beautiful as the pink apricot trees were still blooming whilst we were there. I also like this 'coffee cart' we found up there too. The Taipei City views were a bit of a blur this day given the weather, I know from experience that it looks lovely by night.<br />
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<b>貓空風景</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwsyuioQxQTwV4Ch_obOUnJr8D2HJFeND-MlaCuHvwbPOexUQktFMJbJ4CcA_i9n5akdYBwYatJ8H7YYgH4JAEV_qhm2NAPY45Vx-VCg5Cfh0laBCzmz-w-Tg_yS48CoS9sEG/s1600/DSC04915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwsyuioQxQTwV4Ch_obOUnJr8D2HJFeND-MlaCuHvwbPOexUQktFMJbJ4CcA_i9n5akdYBwYatJ8H7YYgH4JAEV_qhm2NAPY45Vx-VCg5Cfh0laBCzmz-w-Tg_yS48CoS9sEG/s640/DSC04915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">貓空間 - 超可愛!</td></tr>
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Next on the itinerary was finally a trip to the famous Taiwanese-owned '<a href="http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/en/index.asp">Din Tai Fung</a>' 鼎太豐 franchise. We went to the Sogo-Fuxing location as I know that place is much larger so the wait for a table isn't as long. (Note: we still had to wait for a table despite the fact we were eating lunch at 3pm!). Here we ordered their famous soup dumplings to share. After over-eating for a couple of days, we were trying to tone it down again!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySQeWbRp_mHul-OWBdsppkPQwNhRG3QQgzVW7PmDnlVja3PlUjdsNIlGXpCaCbSY_ON7R9s7KMXauZeJV6hQf8l-E1A9eppEUkk3B7cKb48QTaEn3mjfOARwW8WJVJUha8Ekw/s1600/P3030696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySQeWbRp_mHul-OWBdsppkPQwNhRG3QQgzVW7PmDnlVja3PlUjdsNIlGXpCaCbSY_ON7R9s7KMXauZeJV6hQf8l-E1A9eppEUkk3B7cKb48QTaEn3mjfOARwW8WJVJUha8Ekw/s640/P3030696.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Din Tai Fung counter...those perfeclty aligned cans is what I noticed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkj8tBCi9J9ehPDwQw3lrL3-SZjMCDY061cVWY564SEWWh96QZ9-rKdnzW8W35fJt2PsoOF1eBH9vo-fqveIRMQyZRVDh0KWrYQmlf0nhw2Zhlouz1F9gQxz0jh154SubjaOn/s1600/P3030697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkj8tBCi9J9ehPDwQw3lrL3-SZjMCDY061cVWY564SEWWh96QZ9-rKdnzW8W35fJt2PsoOF1eBH9vo-fqveIRMQyZRVDh0KWrYQmlf0nhw2Zhlouz1F9gQxz0jh154SubjaOn/s320/P3030697.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">紅油抄手 - spicy dumplings. My absolute favourite!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11m9ci5-88TM83SneimdFO-0tUpTBxSVAHQ6XtVmAxByhF8l5g_6PxeiIH-uA9z38LtFnB0XpLfO6LCo6qYA9IEcG90JnvtkB4zYmapBa6HnxxqQ1HIMHf48H_eW-rChU4xlR/s1600/P3030699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11m9ci5-88TM83SneimdFO-0tUpTBxSVAHQ6XtVmAxByhF8l5g_6PxeiIH-uA9z38LtFnB0XpLfO6LCo6qYA9IEcG90JnvtkB4zYmapBa6HnxxqQ1HIMHf48H_eW-rChU4xlR/s320/P3030699.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous soup dumplings 小籠包</td></tr>
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Last minute gift shopping @ <a href="http://www.sogo.com.tw/">Sogo</a> - There's no need to struggle for gift ideas as post people will appreciate some fine Chinese tea or Pineapple cakes as presents from Taiwan. Since we were already at Sogo, we just sampled the gift/food store area to get our shopping done. I can recommend the '旺來酥' Pineapple cakes from one of the Sogo counter. Definitely sample the cakes as each brand do taste different. If Pineapple cakes are not your thing, there are other Chinese-style pastries to buy including '太陽餅' '老婆餅' '宜蘭餅'。Go crazy! I can also recommend Pineapple cakes from Chia Te 佳德 which my dad recently visited and bought plenty of cakes. This stores is so famous that people queue from day to night for a box of these delicious golden squares. Check it out here: <a href="http://www.chiate88.com/">http://www.chiate88.com/</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CfCS0lunfsXrNxoZ54WHeBm0F3So_wvH1eXPFGMW4f77DS1_961lSS7l3L19ANxj-xY3vJZocdWhqKdaKxkWa3hIlP0aRge8UkOJk5EJh7i2tuS3sTXQzN2rLqooHWwQKRXm/s1600/P3030702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CfCS0lunfsXrNxoZ54WHeBm0F3So_wvH1eXPFGMW4f77DS1_961lSS7l3L19ANxj-xY3vJZocdWhqKdaKxkWa3hIlP0aRge8UkOJk5EJh7i2tuS3sTXQzN2rLqooHWwQKRXm/s640/P3030702.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Kitty Gift Shopping available at Sogo</td></tr>
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Throughout this trip, there was an element of sentimentality - so I left visiting the Shida Night Markets 師大夜市 last on the agenda as this place is most vibrant at night. This night markets cannot be compared to the scale of Shilin night markets, but my goodness check out the crowds that gather here each day! Oh I missed walking down the narrow Longquan street 龍泉街 on a daily basis. Those days were so memorable! I can't believe I lived 5 minutes from this place for 3 months yet I still didn't head into every nook and corner for a bit of discovery. We ate a bit of food here at Shida including the deliciously good pan fried buns that taste almost the same as the ones from my childhood, and I was glad to discover the famous 藍家割包 from the neighbouring Gonguan night markets 公館夜市 now have a small store here. I'd highly recommend these 2 eateries if you are here at Shida. I really like the boutiques around Shida too, unfortunately we were just a bit shopped-out and time short to really check them out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7oJYczYp_8MzGgYSPSUjc8gV7fIT3_3NBnRq2dz0wVMisd0f3wffmiRL7AmpGt_O0yRT9vU6odrcjNGBdSnN6M1h5PAKnCbJ25JD25aGHie-sbHHEm0O9gfROx3qEzz1wSXt/s1600/P3030709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii7oJYczYp_8MzGgYSPSUjc8gV7fIT3_3NBnRq2dz0wVMisd0f3wffmiRL7AmpGt_O0yRT9vU6odrcjNGBdSnN6M1h5PAKnCbJ25JD25aGHie-sbHHEm0O9gfROx3qEzz1wSXt/s640/P3030709.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The busy Shida night markets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6_CKljvB2wi2QdY8CaAVIKLJ6zCIMvu3MqgWpMTmDPSq_F9tVUlzqtx9fO_nF4NayP9jm0lC1vwJXpDrV_zUMR20CkMOAoFc7cVi4st3vC0vtFT67IK0Udd7Wecl8KK7AHjM/s1600/P3030710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6_CKljvB2wi2QdY8CaAVIKLJ6zCIMvu3MqgWpMTmDPSq_F9tVUlzqtx9fO_nF4NayP9jm0lC1vwJXpDrV_zUMR20CkMOAoFc7cVi4st3vC0vtFT67IK0Udd7Wecl8KK7AHjM/s640/P3030710.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous 許記生煎包 vendor. Take a number and queue!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lopsided photo as I was holding onto food at the time. <br />
We ate it so quickly I didn't even take a photo of our 割包.<br />
It's like a chinese sandwich but full of flavour!</td></tr>
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Did we end the day here? Of course not! There was still one unique Taiwanese experience left on the itinerary. Bubble Tea 珍珠奶茶. <a href="http://chunshuitang.com.tw/">Chun Shui Tang</a> 春水堂 is the one and only destination to head to for <strong><em>great</em></strong> bubble tea. Apparently this was the first store in Taiwan - Taichung to invent the bubble tea! Once we finally located the cafe, we found ourselves ordering the hot taiwanese bubble milk tea to warm ourselves up from the cold outside. M agreed with me that it was the best bubble tea she had ever tasted! (Win!) It's a combination of the chewy bubbles (tapioca balls) and sweet milk tea that makes this place the overall winner. We also ate a bit of food too which is nothing that special. Just light snacks to fill the stomach and I guess you don't want the food to overpower the bubble tea! I highly rate Chun Shui Tang and they have quite a few branches all over Taiwan. The one around Zhongshan is pretty good too!<br />
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Chun Shui Tang Locations (the ones I've been to)<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">光復</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">店: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">光復南路180巷4號</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">南京店: </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">南京東路一段29號</span></span></span></span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_dro2N_GAG3U_A4l16UbBzq8I539j9ml9CAz2j0_xtsyrTMj4FYmDVNKmqQet8UrHqYdttcKrEy2jhiGMmUSofc59tiY7rPG7tv5JOdSNb7vpZ1pHBR-O9BRMQUgxNm4lGln/s1600/P3040720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_dro2N_GAG3U_A4l16UbBzq8I539j9ml9CAz2j0_xtsyrTMj4FYmDVNKmqQet8UrHqYdttcKrEy2jhiGMmUSofc59tiY7rPG7tv5JOdSNb7vpZ1pHBR-O9BRMQUgxNm4lGln/s640/P3040720.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside 春水堂 - 有沒有文藝風格的感覺?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNmFM3WCi8P3r6_z6htKxf-v2t0oe4XM01hOaN5sncHdzZwOUO3-hzRdlDB_yvTOehA4jJdlkP7C2BlIgKrRps7WzspM3c4qc4Hmn2_Z5Z5-vjnl9dAG807XWRmTD6lG8o_nD/s1600/DSC04945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNmFM3WCi8P3r6_z6htKxf-v2t0oe4XM01hOaN5sncHdzZwOUO3-hzRdlDB_yvTOehA4jJdlkP7C2BlIgKrRps7WzspM3c4qc4Hmn2_Z5Z5-vjnl9dAG807XWRmTD6lG8o_nD/s400/DSC04945.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally had my bubble tea 珍珠奶茶</td></tr>
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Last but not least, we headed to <a href="http://www.marquee-taipei.com/">Marquee Bar</a> for drinks. I had heard much about Marquee Bar from the internet so was keen to check out this lounge bar. Unfortunately this place was a bit too pretentious for our liking. They definitely do make some tasty cocktails and have good service here, so maybe we just went on an off night where people simply decided to stay home and hibernate from the 11 degrees temperature. In any case, we probably should have gone to my prefered <a href="http://www.taiwanfun.com/north/taipei/nightlife/0801/0801Cocktail.htm">Fifi bar</a> for some winding down time but nevermind, I did want to check out a new Taipei bar. I checked it out and can say that I'd prefer going to Fifi or Brown Sugar any day :) But this is purely my preference and experience.<br />
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Marquee Restaurant & Lounge: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><a href="http://bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&pc=FACEBK&mid=8100&where1=110+Taipei%2C+Taiwan%E4%BF%A1%E7%BE%A9%E8%B7%AF%E4%BA%94%E6%AE%B516-1%E8%99%9F&FORM=FBKPL0&name=Marquee+Restaurant+%26+Lounge&mkt=en-US" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">信義路五段16-1號</span></span></a></span><br />
Fifi Bar & Lounge: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">仁愛路四段15號2樓</span></span><br />
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We actually had half a day left on Day 4 where I managed to catch up with 2 friends from 2009 that are still in Taipei! It was definitely great to see them and I really hope my next trip to Taipei is at least 10 days long so I can take my time to walk down old streets, see new things and tour other parts of Taiwan that I haven't seen yet! I hope my dear readers have enjoyed reading these Taipei entries and have found the info here helpful. In any case, comment away if you have questions or just want to write compliment my writings :P<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_fWTtttsHl6lCSPkZFrGzQUdp6gqko7SDUc6cQUewMEqd0aYkhZXX5mH5ZSjvfGyfymzLUePuHWc7qTPjOmsX8pMzXMds6Nm5xEKFYDIUuOgHgkYkGRNxsWhSZrNR1_ysOw7/s1600/DSC04951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_fWTtttsHl6lCSPkZFrGzQUdp6gqko7SDUc6cQUewMEqd0aYkhZXX5mH5ZSjvfGyfymzLUePuHWc7qTPjOmsX8pMzXMds6Nm5xEKFYDIUuOgHgkYkGRNxsWhSZrNR1_ysOw7/s640/DSC04951.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">我愛台北!</td></tr>
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我愛的台北以往如常。雖然不像上海,北京在世界的舞台上閃閃發亮,吸引大家的仰慕和青睞,但台北的確有她可愛親切的一面。她彷彿在人們不注意之下漸漸地成長,演變成一位亞洲不可缺席的角色。一個充滿文化,文藝的華人地區。這也就是台北的特點。一個地屏不大的城市, 卻充滿豐富的口味。每來一次就嘗試一點點地不同。我希望台北會不斷地改變自己,找到未來在世界舞台上的地位。<br />
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Next update will be about my brief stopover in Singapore so stay tuned!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-80577434749449261392011-04-24T17:16:00.003+10:002011-04-26T09:54:10.538+10:002 Mar | Out and about in Taipei 遊台北 | Taipei, Taiwan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There’s never a dull moment when you have a list of twenty things to get through with only 2 days left to go!</span></div><br />
<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Breakfast 早餐</span></span></strong><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The best way to start the day in Taipei is to visit the famous Taiwanese breakfast establishment known as ‘Yong He Dou Jiang Da Wang’ </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">永和豆漿大王 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Yong He </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">永和</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a large city just outside of Taipei City itself, and they are known to make the best soya milk in the whole country. Thankfully most successful Taiwanese businesses follow the franchise model, so there was no need to travel to Yong He to taste the soya milk, as a 5 minute walk by foot was enough to find our breakfast. (And chances are, no matter where you stay in Taipei, you will find the ‘Yong He’ brand) Here I began what was a consistent theme on this holiday – over ordering.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just some of the things available for breakfast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dude cooking our breakfast</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnWJjmFtPRxH_3ATSg5w5biKhl0xOKe_jXTh0R80ZM2pLGiVgOfJMprlBfS3XmlAzQf-fbrYYrkHYMFXDX9f2cZ5LA2oipj0f0eiPz_m7Xk6oKzJVmjusS1NE9T8lCS0N_Zcm/s1600/DSC04874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnWJjmFtPRxH_3ATSg5w5biKhl0xOKe_jXTh0R80ZM2pLGiVgOfJMprlBfS3XmlAzQf-fbrYYrkHYMFXDX9f2cZ5LA2oipj0f0eiPz_m7Xk6oKzJVmjusS1NE9T8lCS0N_Zcm/s400/DSC04874.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here I am with our breakfasst</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As one can see from the photos below we devoured the deliciously good soya milk 豆漿 with fried bread sticks 油條 + raddish cakes 蘿蔔糕 + chinese style omelettes 蛋餅. There's a lot more on the menu but I probably needed a party of five to at least get through half the menu! This is one of the best ways to taste an authentic Taiwanese breakfast on a budget. All this food for under AU$5. Bargain.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Address: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">永和豆漿大王 located at </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">102 Fuxing South Road, Sec. 2 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">復興南路2段</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">102號</span></span><br />
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<strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">National Palace Museum </span></span></strong><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">國立故宮博物院</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It seems appropriate that after a heavy breakfast we should walk it off at one of the top museums in the world. The </span><a href="http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/home.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> is a ‘Must See’ attraction for any first-timers to Taiwan, and in my opinion, repeat visitors! The National Palace Museum ranks up there with other top art museums including </span><a href="http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Louvre</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Metropolitan Museum of Art </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for its incredible collection of the finest Chinese antiquities. There are over 675,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts ranging some 8000 years! You will find pieces from the Neolithic age to the last Chinese dynasty - the Qing dynasty. It is simply astounding to see how the Chinese civilisation has progressed in those 8,000 years and continue to progress in this modern age. Despite what history has written about Chiang Kai Shek, I still applaud him for taking all these artifacts from Mainland China and housing it in this incredible museum. I'm not sure if these artifacts could have survived war time China. My love for walking around museums and admiring artworks can definitely be attributed to my childhood spent living in Taipei. My mum cultivated in us an appreciation for history and fine arts via frequent visits to this amazing museum. Unfortunately, one cannot take photos inside the museum, so I only have external shots.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To get to the National Palace Museum</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Take the MRT Danshui line to Shilin station </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Catch the Red 30 bus or bus 255 to the Museum</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Palace Museum <br />
- 100 Years of the Republic of China</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the entrance to the National Palace Museum</td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Celebration by Marc Chagall" Exhibition</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Taipei is one of the best cultural cities in East Asia. Why? You can choose to visit any time of the year and be guaranteed there will be a major exhibition worth visiting. When I was there in 2009 the </span><a href="http://www.tfam.museum/TFAM_Exhibition/default.aspx?Pmn=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Taipei Fine Arts Museum</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> displayed the popular 'Pixar - 20 years of animation' exhibition, followed by an exhibition of 'fireworks' from one of the best fireworks masters of our time - Mr Cai Guo Qiang 蔡國強 - 泡美術館. This time in Taipei not only was there the immensely popular </span><a href="http://www.2010taipeiexpo.tw/MP_4.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">International Floral Expo</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, but also a </span><a href="http://chagall.ishow.gmg.tw/?unit=index"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Celebration by Marc Chagall"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> exhibition at the National Palace Museum. For the sake of convenience and my interest in art history, I chose to go to the Chagall exhibition rather than the Flora Expo (which is supposedly one of the best ever!). I wish I had more time at the Chagall exhibition, because I really did find joy viewing his works, whic I found unusual because I do not usually feel the emotion of happiness and joy when I'm focusing on the works of just one artist. Chagall is a Belarusian-French-Jewish artist and one of the first 'modernist' of the 20th Century. His works attract the viewer (at least me) by his vivid use of colour and just the free form flow of his paintings. Pablo Picasso remarked in the 1950s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"When </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matisse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Matisse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Matisse</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> dies, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chagall will be the only painter left who understands what colour really is."</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster of the Celebration by Marc Chagall exhibition</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px;">“Les maries de la Tour Eiffel” </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If anyone reading this blog is planning a trip to Taipei soon, I'd highly recommend this exhibition. It will still be showing until May 29th, after that you can follow it to Taichung. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">PS: Speaking of art exhibitions, unfortunately I missed 'Monet Gardens' exihibition by one day! I just want to emphasise again that Taipei is an art-savvy city and I hope Sydney lifts the standard of art exhibitions.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉麵</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beef noodle soup is another 'must eat' item in Taiwan. For those not in the know, Taiwan is THE Chinese-cultural melting pot, especially in relation to cuisine. Taiwan is THE place to sample all the best Chinese food (except Cantonese food) - whether it is Hunan 湘菜, Sichuan 川菜,Peking 京菜,江浙菜, you can find it all here in Taiwan and be confident that you are eating quality food. I make no exaggeration here. Why go to China when there is Taiwan? But the beef noodle soup movement in Taiwan can be explained as the result of years of sharing and integrating these Chinese regional cuisines to amalgomate and perfect the National dish - Beef Noodle Soup. Sure you will find beef noodle soup in mainland China, Singapore, Hong Kong and everywhere else, but it is in Taiwan where you will find this dish being elevated to the status of King. Am I exaggerating? Probably, but if a country holds an annual beef noodle soup competition to award medals to the best beef noodle shop in the country, you know that it is serious.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Taipei City pamphlet we found in the hotel guided us to Taoyuan street behind Ximen station to find a row full of beef noodle soup vendors. As our stomachs were grumbling by 3pm, we found ourselves on this street, walking up and down trying to select a vendor to eat at. Eventually we walked down an off-street alley and found ourselves at a moderately busy beef noodle soup vendor. What we were about to taste was just superb! Yep, we found ourselves a truly authentic and deliciously good Taiwanese beef noodle soup vendor. The broth was tasty and full of flavour and the noodles were soft and fresh. Oh how I love eating noodles in Asia. Below is our find...and would be the most memorable meal of our trip!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcgZMizV9lpXF8ReRlsmZ_ZnBzeq-JqaYq7S630MMQEvwObVjwQBewwFsMQB0EPoue5B177gETYLdzHleZJ3AJLLJqe7fYgZ9Tusi_bp-8LzUIF81TsNF0eDkM-YDGCXX_ddZ/s1600/P3020554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcgZMizV9lpXF8ReRlsmZ_ZnBzeq-JqaYq7S630MMQEvwObVjwQBewwFsMQB0EPoue5B177gETYLdzHleZJ3AJLLJqe7fYgZ9Tusi_bp-8LzUIF81TsNF0eDkM-YDGCXX_ddZ/s640/P3020554.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously good Beef Noodle soup!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnh5m7hcwFGiofJAqCMQEdMMEZVbNc_MAUwfnZkepZrb_KV7ML55IVXyzztIu9Bg-0KvLRfNK8b8KuR6KBjykoJ5UO81xdylHRK-ktRxjY2V8czBJTPghFksGqe_kHpok36yN/s1600/P3020558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnh5m7hcwFGiofJAqCMQEdMMEZVbNc_MAUwfnZkepZrb_KV7ML55IVXyzztIu9Bg-0KvLRfNK8b8KuR6KBjykoJ5UO81xdylHRK-ktRxjY2V8czBJTPghFksGqe_kHpok36yN/s640/P3020558.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The secret to good beef noodle soup is the broth...where they cook it for hours. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJHiatE4zUGITl3PEHmitGfQB1W12milYe_Vu9dbFYKbiYLnLAUxIGjturU_p5sdYwYdqT4VOuza8cHjiuG_ZulwfDN_Wp-H9ZT6T06oF57rHW_JVjEa3DsLGpKihQkMYSkRf/s1600/P3020557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJHiatE4zUGITl3PEHmitGfQB1W12milYe_Vu9dbFYKbiYLnLAUxIGjturU_p5sdYwYdqT4VOuza8cHjiuG_ZulwfDN_Wp-H9ZT6T06oF57rHW_JVjEa3DsLGpKihQkMYSkRf/s640/P3020557.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The noodle shop people in action</td></tr>
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</span></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ximending 西門町</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As was a common trait on this holiday, after a meal comes a long walk. This time we went to the Harajuku of Taipei - Ximending 西門町 for some youthful injection of popular music, fashion and just general roaming around. Ximending is where the youth (by youth I mean highschoolers) come out to play. What did we accomplish? Unsurprisngly, more shopping. You would think after Shilin night markets we had accumulated our stash, but no, the bright lights and music just tempt you with more things! I liked roaming around Ximending just for observing the colour, the hecticness the youthfulness of it all. It's a great place to take some happy snaps too. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4FAtfCa4kbODCduL25UT0Dl1GMxlxFrkHOX9RXV9tghro0f09tU83yPzZtTeHLT-S6dn1yt3t7zSFtbYGmqf3vkeVU3gV8ETijP7H_aJA6z-cAG5rTQnjV8GMGHaKIWbud9v/s1600/P3020563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4FAtfCa4kbODCduL25UT0Dl1GMxlxFrkHOX9RXV9tghro0f09tU83yPzZtTeHLT-S6dn1yt3t7zSFtbYGmqf3vkeVU3gV8ETijP7H_aJA6z-cAG5rTQnjV8GMGHaKIWbud9v/s640/P3020563.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colourful Ximending </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgtS48jgcPOYxAQa31hMuFCbVTX0lfVfX06DtfXStvtb7ogpvwxycin-gndc75YsUAcZ9lMYfeXcR9h8TMH9sj9b1CO_u1tBlbFrhuj0m6QSKkA24wnmqo0FDyFZkgvaFcyfa/s1600/P3020579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgtS48jgcPOYxAQa31hMuFCbVTX0lfVfX06DtfXStvtb7ogpvwxycin-gndc75YsUAcZ9lMYfeXcR9h8TMH9sj9b1CO_u1tBlbFrhuj0m6QSKkA24wnmqo0FDyFZkgvaFcyfa/s640/P3020579.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were there until dark!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8VPBgwtsIVNQk8dd0a6x82Hqg2ZNauL6T2mDPwy9iEaErKJ0_Ze2YaTmLFGHSvxr_gvF6dfeuyE5c_atwyab484AwK0B_MubVkqjSLhFAXwZiLNHbQn8Mq_5M4LWB9NF1i9h/s1600/P3020588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8VPBgwtsIVNQk8dd0a6x82Hqg2ZNauL6T2mDPwy9iEaErKJ0_Ze2YaTmLFGHSvxr_gvF6dfeuyE5c_atwyab484AwK0B_MubVkqjSLhFAXwZiLNHbQn8Mq_5M4LWB9NF1i9h/s640/P3020588.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Theatre - Building with a difference @ Ximending</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">CKS Memorial Hall </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">中正紀念堂 </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">& National Theatre & Concert Hall</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most visitors come here by day, but since we didn't have many days left I thought a night trip would be appropriate especially since they light up the National Theatre & Concert Hall. I never managed to take photos of this place at night last time, so was eager to do so this trip. It was probably a good idea as we didn't spent too long out here due to the cold and winds! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsY4Y0KgtbS-TmP2-Bhj23Y-gIzrgC93-BJFnpX-gtDBfv1B7WzJvcIm-KGR8IxzhX814qc994tXnUa1MTkVDL33AjhavZyzrZqtMGJwExNVQKJ7tCgeXr1ftpO73H-YITQrt/s1600/P3020594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsY4Y0KgtbS-TmP2-Bhj23Y-gIzrgC93-BJFnpX-gtDBfv1B7WzJvcIm-KGR8IxzhX814qc994tXnUa1MTkVDL33AjhavZyzrZqtMGJwExNVQKJ7tCgeXr1ftpO73H-YITQrt/s640/P3020594.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberty Square by night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddytv5Fr-6k8WTkiHP_VaxBul0H74UN2pOfA9bEjEx1QSNS-g4jgwKEnEgvjyLgG_Ov8EXqyMt_nMrtXJ68nq5jxXrOdkBJ7y25esYLLWFvGs339NiSIW9JBaIX17b4tG5mpx/s1600/P3020610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddytv5Fr-6k8WTkiHP_VaxBul0H74UN2pOfA9bEjEx1QSNS-g4jgwKEnEgvjyLgG_Ov8EXqyMt_nMrtXJ68nq5jxXrOdkBJ7y25esYLLWFvGs339NiSIW9JBaIX17b4tG5mpx/s640/P3020610.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Concert Hall by Night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdN4H6SeAAkqkQxoMq-ePxIsmnBF5td9sNNRhWGUYhm8Qwh6yxc8eOXLqe_Qu-T3dlGEHrYARHG-qdiN4ew_90XLm9QA33AHC8OGxr9SwNZNckWGSHC1bh41V2gRju_AffdKZ/s1600/P3020604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdN4H6SeAAkqkQxoMq-ePxIsmnBF5td9sNNRhWGUYhm8Qwh6yxc8eOXLqe_Qu-T3dlGEHrYARHG-qdiN4ew_90XLm9QA33AHC8OGxr9SwNZNckWGSHC1bh41V2gRju_AffdKZ/s640/P3020604.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CKS Memorial - this is worth a visit during the day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg9AwAA8ST90JuTUAU2j5zSkl79ZOYRcR0zaS1OrL4kRNHAb5lPQrL7NfLXnsLMjVL49uGz0PbnitaL_1WDqxgNgeprQMSDK8nPKEy9MO9TXQg5YbHyDSLNzN6b9f4BfcDujO/s1600/P3020614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizg9AwAA8ST90JuTUAU2j5zSkl79ZOYRcR0zaS1OrL4kRNHAb5lPQrL7NfLXnsLMjVL49uGz0PbnitaL_1WDqxgNgeprQMSDK8nPKEy9MO9TXQg5YbHyDSLNzN6b9f4BfcDujO/s640/P3020614.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Theatre Hall (side view)...how gorgeous by night</td></tr>
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<div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kiki Restaurant</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I really wanted to try this restaurant in 2009, in fact I booked it for my own Farewell Taipei dinner but had to cancel it at the last minute. And I am so glad we went this time. </span><a href="http://www.kiki1991.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kiki </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">specialises in Sichuan style cuisine 川菜 which is a Chinese cuisine known for being spicy, and one of my favourite cuisines. Since there were only two of us diners, we were a bit overwhelmed with the menu so ended up ordering Chicken with sesame and pepper sauce 椒麻雞 and sitr fried cabbage. Initially we were surprised with our choices - a) we didn't realise the Chicken dish was a 'cold' dish. (The menu comes in English, so really no excuses) b) the cabbage dish looked rather ordinary. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find the food was just SO GOOD. I can't really describe the taste here but it was just delicious! This is a great place to dine in Taipei, and you will find many locals dining here enjoying a hot pot meal in the winter months. We were amazed with all our neighbouring diners and the fact that they could eat on average 4 dishes between 2 people, yet we were struggling! I love Chinese food. I have to say, when it is cooked and presented well, nothing beats it! At the end of the dinner, total damage was only AU$15 for 2. Another bargain!! But in a great setting. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kiki is now so popular that you can find a few branches in Taipei & one in Taichung. We went to the original store in East Taipei. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Address: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">復興南路一段28號 </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cHBiU2dy3jcTi_Kpqo1sBXdz__Ro0LWAJus2A0ZHYMfiDRBpQJV8HVic1RaNGKpbvXbPY9ajGemTV9O5y1LeDf_01LsF2fjaB3O_l5Xx7WcK2c42WXheYKxLQYRaILlv2H2o/s1600/P3020628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cHBiU2dy3jcTi_Kpqo1sBXdz__Ro0LWAJus2A0ZHYMfiDRBpQJV8HVic1RaNGKpbvXbPY9ajGemTV9O5y1LeDf_01LsF2fjaB3O_l5Xx7WcK2c42WXheYKxLQYRaILlv2H2o/s640/P3020628.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFM4Q7Oyhpicwg7FgDvSBoMNHgQFmJZV3OkcyYQgcszau6KpR5M6DJDpjmtZgG2Ew3iaTzExxoDm8_UzjLEEtoxvUnbJGu6Vj-t218H0dp2pjtIiyPozXDFQIzFVzjWMbf0MM/s1600/DSC04899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgFM4Q7Oyhpicwg7FgDvSBoMNHgQFmJZV3OkcyYQgcszau6KpR5M6DJDpjmtZgG2Ew3iaTzExxoDm8_UzjLEEtoxvUnbJGu6Vj-t218H0dp2pjtIiyPozXDFQIzFVzjWMbf0MM/s640/DSC04899.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious Sichuan-style food</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cHBiU2dy3jcTi_Kpqo1sBXdz__Ro0LWAJus2A0ZHYMfiDRBpQJV8HVic1RaNGKpbvXbPY9ajGemTV9O5y1LeDf_01LsF2fjaB3O_l5Xx7WcK2c42WXheYKxLQYRaILlv2H2o/s1600/P3020628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown Sugar Lounge Bar</span></span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For some reason I didn't manage to go to </span><a href="http://www.brownsugarlive.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brown Sugar</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> at all when I was there in 2009 for 3 months. (I don't know why? I just ended up being occupied with other things!) So this time I really wanted to go to this popular jazz lounge bar. Again, so glad we went as it was a Wednesday and 'Ladies Night' where we both got 2 free glasses of Moet champagne (we think it was Moet because of the glass it came in, and the taste was just so much better than the champagnes we've tasted before!). Here they had a jazz band performing on stage for a good hour or two. It was the perfect way to end our hectic day roaming around Taipei city. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Moet + Jazz = Perfect way to wind down on a holiday.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Address: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">台北市</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">松仁路10號</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(near Taipei 101)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJFQpFj0BRhtaI72lFdNVbB9PaO-qmA01xYgvj12bubEwFrvvKf5pultfjJfmS3ejYfhPLdmW2MkVBWBFxyv30O-5I0d3y-8PdC3wAO9cmghJdzDO82B1Qag9JXE0vWtaDFEp/s1600/P3030645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJFQpFj0BRhtaI72lFdNVbB9PaO-qmA01xYgvj12bubEwFrvvKf5pultfjJfmS3ejYfhPLdmW2MkVBWBFxyv30O-5I0d3y-8PdC3wAO9cmghJdzDO82B1Qag9JXE0vWtaDFEp/s640/P3030645.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bar @ Brown Sugar...had no where else to sit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk22US21P0KmauMYMxJes8MQn5s8ufxGZ7XfTjA_zUfeTpYN3MBMkpksBzpKGULeeR6lF6BG8lSxK1Gm7vHoSDeotdeUWWYn-cnmCKwcMLS8ROqGzYFMP69gj2RmzfIIGPcYD/s1600/P3030643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk22US21P0KmauMYMxJes8MQn5s8ufxGZ7XfTjA_zUfeTpYN3MBMkpksBzpKGULeeR6lF6BG8lSxK1Gm7vHoSDeotdeUWWYn-cnmCKwcMLS8ROqGzYFMP69gj2RmzfIIGPcYD/s640/P3030643.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was really fascinated by the lighting here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbZRGxhxBYHXgkVDV7foiPRUpShdCQaMERrNCK94zKvclRIvAYENUhUd6B279w0_ttMAj3itTHteLcTl2IDOYUtl0YCt1Bhl4vdZO1HJmPLvShjJ3um8TKBc8Q1HEbgRP-B0b/s1600/P3030639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbZRGxhxBYHXgkVDV7foiPRUpShdCQaMERrNCK94zKvclRIvAYENUhUd6B279w0_ttMAj3itTHteLcTl2IDOYUtl0YCt1Bhl4vdZO1HJmPLvShjJ3um8TKBc8Q1HEbgRP-B0b/s640/P3030639.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marissa with her Moet & jazz band in the background</td></tr>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-54863944696834168122011-04-06T20:23:00.000+10:002011-04-06T20:23:04.248+10:001 Mar | Taipei Revisited | Taipei, Taiwan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you read this blog, you would know that Taipei is pretty much my 2nd 'home'. As Hong Kong is so close to Taiwan, I couldn't let a side trip to Taipei slip through my fingers! I went to Taipei this time with a good friend of mine, where we spent a good 3 days here exploring all we could in the short time frame.</div><br />
One of the more surprising things about Taipei this trip was the weather. I thought it was going to warm up to the late-teens/early twenty degrees mark, not too dissimilar to HK, which would have meant good sightseeing weather. Nope, we got freezing cold 13 degrees and 2 unprepared travelers with just a thin blazer on hand! It was all grey skies as well, not the bright sunny Taipei I left behind 14 months ago. I had planned out this Taipei trip quite thoroughly, down to snacks and meals, but the weather put a dent on certain plans. I had to change the itinerary a bit, which was a bit annoying as I had drafted out everything on my lovely excel spreadsheet (I can't help it, itineraries are best done on spreadsheets!) I cut out a few things...M wouldn't have known otherwise :P<br />
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<em>PS: I am splitting the posts into 'days' as I will never finish anything if I were to update everything in one go. </em><br />
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<b>Day 1:</b><br />
Once we settled into the very comfortable and convenient <a href="http://www.parktaipei.com/en/index.html">Park Hotel Taipei </a>(I highly recommend it - 2 people for about $120/night), we went out in hunt of food! Taiwan is known amongst other Chinese groups for its fabulous food, but I must say since I have lived on the spices of South-East asian cuisine for so long, I am still biased. (Go Malaysian/Singaporean cuisine!) Yes Taiwanese food is great, but only if you know what to eat imo. I took M to one of my all time favourite Taiwanese eatery - <strong><a href="http://www.iddi.com.tw/main.html">度小月</a>.</strong> Here you will find a wholesome Taiwanese meal with a couple of updated fusion dishes to delight your palate. I like to ease people into the Taiwanese way of eating, and this place is the perfect transition restaurant. You will find great food, in a very nice setting at cheap prices. It is almost like going to a street vendor, but in a high class setting! The restaurant has been around since 1894 so you cannot go wrong here!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yWtS2WNKNiyxk6B7I1vLZ29djH8_z3NJnzxVOpCriRXkm9b906a4oJ-G8m__ICObVykMZ273OErNivVSDtI6Y9AUcYiVxz2cXiWoKEYClnqBXTdbnHc_nY9Np6ziJxrFeiWN/s1600/P3010390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yWtS2WNKNiyxk6B7I1vLZ29djH8_z3NJnzxVOpCriRXkm9b906a4oJ-G8m__ICObVykMZ273OErNivVSDtI6Y9AUcYiVxz2cXiWoKEYClnqBXTdbnHc_nY9Np6ziJxrFeiWN/s640/P3010390.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street vendor-like store front</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7ZyHImbL5yVN52lAS35zmnWpOMQZSOTWIYLF1G3vzJnsQ-r1gssX5F5L_ybvZF38R_yVnYU3CTMtAyEJ6bLdII7wd6nMUnAUOig07_5sPaYgdbnM1rt1BK1M9THeM3MRwz6M/s1600/DSC04793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7ZyHImbL5yVN52lAS35zmnWpOMQZSOTWIYLF1G3vzJnsQ-r1gssX5F5L_ybvZF38R_yVnYU3CTMtAyEJ6bLdII7wd6nMUnAUOig07_5sPaYgdbnM1rt1BK1M9THeM3MRwz6M/s640/DSC04793.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much to eat, but only 2 travelers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn8UInqcbFb1T0ge1-bxV335P7Xgy9n3QC3OlmjTTQoSrZduK32zqGPpdGem7BXUEve4s7XI3bR0Ti9s6iJ-YORdfBZ7mFuZ8JKLIYd0vk6mTmy3JVt9ezNYXIAkLvLb1JCoO/s1600/DSC04798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn8UInqcbFb1T0ge1-bxV335P7Xgy9n3QC3OlmjTTQoSrZduK32zqGPpdGem7BXUEve4s7XI3bR0Ti9s6iJ-YORdfBZ7mFuZ8JKLIYd0vk6mTmy3JVt9ezNYXIAkLvLb1JCoO/s640/DSC04798.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 bowl of dry noodles, 1 bowl of soup noodles, and 1 fusion-sushi roll dish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mpi9QqB3BbmNYh9w16mBQ3Z22CU1T7rzVZbeTbSVaPuBRYJeJNkYCdTHD0nXiqY7mZX7jkhXNp5QLAMTyaPYx0s1O9DA3KSNGaaqKsLR1WhjnCRPWLecQ_7GO8OnlXx61_Bk/s1600/DSC04801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Mpi9QqB3BbmNYh9w16mBQ3Z22CU1T7rzVZbeTbSVaPuBRYJeJNkYCdTHD0nXiqY7mZX7jkhXNp5QLAMTyaPYx0s1O9DA3KSNGaaqKsLR1WhjnCRPWLecQ_7GO8OnlXx61_Bk/s400/DSC04801.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually the two of us ate ALL this! And we finished it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Since we consumed so much food, we had to just walk around the block for a bit to let everything digest! It was nice to roam around the streets of East Taipei (Zhong-xiao dunhua) - they have a lot of cute boutiques and eateries everywhere!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCa_K8yIntm1BZQXLGn2tzbCwWWS6R2XXxTdwIllP6QdzTbC-MsTNUrQq8o9OdPCNez3-wy4ovHsrCAgsyKpn0HeXi3r-vd6ImXDgBSRAWQCXoQMItDZLr2RgpZEyLDiAOyi9/s1600/P3010401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCa_K8yIntm1BZQXLGn2tzbCwWWS6R2XXxTdwIllP6QdzTbC-MsTNUrQq8o9OdPCNez3-wy4ovHsrCAgsyKpn0HeXi3r-vd6ImXDgBSRAWQCXoQMItDZLr2RgpZEyLDiAOyi9/s400/P3010401.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used to walk past this store all the time, I still haven't had a chance to try the buns!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC5fv4YGUs5DnXK3GjNWv8j1ydwWaTBazUpwGX8DxMrRDp-6tpKSEJOoz6EotqFSKRZ28oX3D7CegzQskG6HLjV3jdh9B-vsnKFpQfD0LJRvi5swAD0gBC28Trn0rsO0cMe2J/s1600/P3010405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBC5fv4YGUs5DnXK3GjNWv8j1ydwWaTBazUpwGX8DxMrRDp-6tpKSEJOoz6EotqFSKRZ28oX3D7CegzQskG6HLjV3jdh9B-vsnKFpQfD0LJRvi5swAD0gBC28Trn0rsO0cMe2J/s400/P3010405.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very cool Lomo concept store</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsYJYv9FlJkkY0u2S8UqplWM8zbrvngQs_THKoQ6uLQotU9YlH_zAeaX2lSJprQvy-ji_SCw1ppsRqgd3uMy6fozwCE4GwLyFjLykQhPpnv6c1OBVGd98VdfN-jBsR6hb_5Ga/s1600/P3010407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsYJYv9FlJkkY0u2S8UqplWM8zbrvngQs_THKoQ6uLQotU9YlH_zAeaX2lSJprQvy-ji_SCw1ppsRqgd3uMy6fozwCE4GwLyFjLykQhPpnv6c1OBVGd98VdfN-jBsR6hb_5Ga/s400/P3010407.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute boutique displays can be found all over Taipei</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div>Since we were already around East Taipei, we just kept heading East to see more Taipei sights:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />
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</div><div><b>Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall</b>:<br />
SYS 孫逸仙 is also known as the 'Father of China'/'Founding Father’ 國父 both in Mainland China (People's Republic of China) and Taiwan (Republic of China). He was the key instigator and political activist for overthrowing the corrupt and increasingly powerless Qing dynasty, and founded the Republic of China. I think anyone of Chinese-descent ought to know who he is and what he fought for to bring about modern China and uniting Chinese as a whole around the world - collectively we are actually known as 中華民族. He wrote 三民主意 - 民權,民族,民生 : Three Principles of the People - Nationalism, Democracy, People's livelihood. (I could go into a whole history lesson here, but I think I will refrain myself). The point is, there is a memorial which can be found in Taipei dedicated to Sun Yat Sen. The memorial is built in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty (618-907AD), so it may look a little different from the usual classical chinese architecture you see elsewhere.<br />
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As you will see from the pictures, there are a few statues of him throughout the memorial, the most significant statue being in the main hall where there is a gigantic statue of him. I think that statue is even larger than Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. The 'changing of the guards' ceremony which happens on the hour is definitely worth a look if you've never seen it before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBet4d-8K2SFapnfAcnCBz3Rd8b021ipKmVfr4geYpK1h0aW5FC79Lp5AemXXIvMtvKKZlIxeyYuMS3UykKhYLXBU30uBoTaeEm9zoV7E0goVMvKcY-lzx3lm-wWTLzDESLTRC/s1600/P3010420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBet4d-8K2SFapnfAcnCBz3Rd8b021ipKmVfr4geYpK1h0aW5FC79Lp5AemXXIvMtvKKZlIxeyYuMS3UykKhYLXBU30uBoTaeEm9zoV7E0goVMvKcY-lzx3lm-wWTLzDESLTRC/s400/P3010420.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large statue of SYS inside the memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZcslMhubLC7wCUo8vimAR_GQm6mf_Uuh7ycnxZB7p8ihjqetvkhpTxh7o1xOJwHDuxiZobICdng7rQzSh-B1PHbQHkbxOyhjtuNNs9pQ9vgJ4FiPW9F8bBaIidxe9GTp_Cqx/s1600/DSC04811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZcslMhubLC7wCUo8vimAR_GQm6mf_Uuh7ycnxZB7p8ihjqetvkhpTxh7o1xOJwHDuxiZobICdng7rQzSh-B1PHbQHkbxOyhjtuNNs9pQ9vgJ4FiPW9F8bBaIidxe9GTp_Cqx/s400/DSC04811.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun Yat Sen statue in the gardens.<br />
If you look behind the statue, you will find Chinese words on tablets behind. <br />
I am most impressed with the evolution of the Chinese written form over the centuries</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSQLEJPdqk9xzjJ68do3xKWkQONYiqJ6mgkPZcMWUVfuvyzIp_vL2WAOjujOFVAvX1qgWw2pnLe6M_8KD8kI25SHAfwMy6eMZUWz6ouqxz2KdnQY7NefPdoe8ZVWcukhk7l2I/s1600/P3010434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSQLEJPdqk9xzjJ68do3xKWkQONYiqJ6mgkPZcMWUVfuvyzIp_vL2WAOjujOFVAvX1qgWw2pnLe6M_8KD8kI25SHAfwMy6eMZUWz6ouqxz2KdnQY7NefPdoe8ZVWcukhk7l2I/s640/P3010434.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowds that gather to see the ceremony! <br />
It used to be Japanese tourists that were the majority, these days it is clearly the Chinese tourists in the majority</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGVnlKy74bUBY2enw61b-03syXkFYhJvsEDYpSst1MqqSoLEctdiouQlbyEQdNV0F8lwuc-jPk8QnKaoZ52MgUckkERNEsmCxKw4uHsVIIRCX-lu_p7sZ4ZvdYomiJ_2f7SJg/s1600/P3010418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGVnlKy74bUBY2enw61b-03syXkFYhJvsEDYpSst1MqqSoLEctdiouQlbyEQdNV0F8lwuc-jPk8QnKaoZ52MgUckkERNEsmCxKw4uHsVIIRCX-lu_p7sZ4ZvdYomiJ_2f7SJg/s400/P3010418.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lanterns just outside the main hall are pretty :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTfhdGUk4wTS0-7uJnHtKf0WAF23N-rTc8bQAueEozuGC5tbXvyC7YjBt7po07Cv6kuy4gu1dMnJ8kgbz3810pEF74qhTdUIOd6LpjJIpUUeVx9ZiIgkTrOSW0WV-RC51inmV/s1600/P3010458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmTfhdGUk4wTS0-7uJnHtKf0WAF23N-rTc8bQAueEozuGC5tbXvyC7YjBt7po07Cv6kuy4gu1dMnJ8kgbz3810pEF74qhTdUIOd6LpjJIpUUeVx9ZiIgkTrOSW0WV-RC51inmV/s640/P3010458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SYS Memorial Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As we could see <b><a href="http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/index_en.htm">Taipei 101</a></b> in our vicinity, we decided to keep heading East. It was a cold day to be walking around exposed to the elements but we persisted! Usually I'd recommend heading up to the Taipei 101 Observation deck as everyone else does, but not today. The weather simply was not clear enough for me to recommend heading up to see the entire Taipei. M didn't mind so we found ourselves roaming the Taipei 101 mall which is very beautiful, if only they had affordable shops inside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr80LsqlQBWfoqjXJLy9QcnWBq7BtftYjaw2Q_XwKsaHsnCeHY8Rmx8th48yVJiaMPFDmR5aBOK2DLH2L3S9MJs4g9DXnTQLlZHRaPyz237H3wb3Szqp8hJ81kd6XrvEHsTjr/s1600/DSC04829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEr80LsqlQBWfoqjXJLy9QcnWBq7BtftYjaw2Q_XwKsaHsnCeHY8Rmx8th48yVJiaMPFDmR5aBOK2DLH2L3S9MJs4g9DXnTQLlZHRaPyz237H3wb3Szqp8hJ81kd6XrvEHsTjr/s640/DSC04829.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipei 101 from SYS Memorial...not the clearest of days!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlweKQb6_fFhlcrabFDaYUv1N_8SS9qN1QCFGuKowV0U8pzsZqvXK3TL-Rjm0wTgvjtEA9TZMRVlAC0NQR5BLAbNQlaF1BceJHPt2g1Xvo40lVNblD4wRJbDta5nK3p0eJhvzp/s1600/DSC04838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlweKQb6_fFhlcrabFDaYUv1N_8SS9qN1QCFGuKowV0U8pzsZqvXK3TL-Rjm0wTgvjtEA9TZMRVlAC0NQR5BLAbNQlaF1BceJHPt2g1Xvo40lVNblD4wRJbDta5nK3p0eJhvzp/s400/DSC04838.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this new? One can hire bikes to ride around the city. <br />
Discovered this on our eastwards journey to Taipei 101</td></tr>
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Taipei is a 'book city' and I say that because not only do you find bookstores everywhere, you will also find the largest bookstore - <b>Eslite</b>. <a href="http://www.eslite.com/">Eslite</a> is probably more a concept/lifestyle store, especially the branch at Taipei 101, but people definitely come here to read &/or buy the books more so than buying clothes and gifts. I love this place! We spent some good time there only because I selfishly wanted to. What makes this place so attractive? For me, it is because this store is just so comfortable and inviting. You are free to read any book you wish to, and you don't need to buy it, but most people do end up buying a book or two or more. Borders simply cannot compare to Eslite!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwoaJGFuJRP-oeE_M4lfG0mh6DDx9jTJsaf-qHOkc9sshDzcT_VgNkXVaemNFMF_VP6q_iIn_z6dtfibLqCXNhl3kfNwaqhA0CZROaPp-OvW-OHdxWd-CFDHeds-1vcMM2LmM/s1600/P3010471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwoaJGFuJRP-oeE_M4lfG0mh6DDx9jTJsaf-qHOkc9sshDzcT_VgNkXVaemNFMF_VP6q_iIn_z6dtfibLqCXNhl3kfNwaqhA0CZROaPp-OvW-OHdxWd-CFDHeds-1vcMM2LmM/s640/P3010471.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Eslite bookstore. It's awesome!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQgkJYuGQxmQ9wHPSE6lXKFNS0n5OvZt9c-jqyFO3hkrjZv3vI1J_TXxLFiWzyO76apMJ5iuqt46Oy28EI6Kop4fi57kY7w2A-Vjg5F0dCdnwMTmdBaJwlqd4BgWNgzexUaxB/s1600/P3010466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSQgkJYuGQxmQ9wHPSE6lXKFNS0n5OvZt9c-jqyFO3hkrjZv3vI1J_TXxLFiWzyO76apMJ5iuqt46Oy28EI6Kop4fi57kY7w2A-Vjg5F0dCdnwMTmdBaJwlqd4BgWNgzexUaxB/s640/P3010466.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the awesome stationery section</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
As our feet were about to collapse from all the walking and sightseeing, we stopped for coffee and tea at the cafe inside Eslite. It was a much required break as our next destination on my revised itinerary was to head to the <b><a href="http://www.nightmarketsintaiwan.com/ShilinNightMarket.html">Shilin Night Markets</a></b>! M had no idea what kinda day I had planned for ourselves, nor did I.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxXC3rrlzBoXscmE0uVp8LrvIJ0hNGSjLPcwfiJN_uXhY4yzwA7X-fbqhZPsFIzHmU-7IpIEXgGNvsk8bo3mX6n1JDtAGlJIDElmeTGICm71ntfKazHJsrYH1BSq4LPN_QlWN/s1600/DSC04842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxXC3rrlzBoXscmE0uVp8LrvIJ0hNGSjLPcwfiJN_uXhY4yzwA7X-fbqhZPsFIzHmU-7IpIEXgGNvsk8bo3mX6n1JDtAGlJIDElmeTGICm71ntfKazHJsrYH1BSq4LPN_QlWN/s640/DSC04842.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trendy cafe inside Eslite. Love the decor!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
One of the great things about Taipei that I absolutely love are the MRTs. They are fast, convenient, timely, clean, frequent and importantly, they get you to almost every corner in Taipei. If not, just wait a year and a new MRT line will be operational. (Shame on Sydney! where's my convenient transport system?) For some reason I had worked out in my head we should just buy point-to-point tickets rather than pay a deposit for an Easycard and add credit to it. In hindsight an Easycard would have been more worthwhile even for just a 3 day trip. We didn't lose the fun though as buying point-to-point tickets meant we could keep using the touchscreen machines and getting our casino chips! Casino chips? Yes, that is how a ticket is issued! I don't know if any other country has implemented this, but what a good system! You don't end up wasting paper and you just slot it into the machines. How awesome and environmentally friendly :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dZrmbrm1sOQVQpd8DfVJtb3SqBfeT6O5k1uWkUa2zHy91rLoBt6r-V0_77os7K-eRIEHUrWarUMGWhl0_pf-Yr8HJCMgN3_zaQ2lj4E0bvvwp7Rff8BRw4qRhYeXk87Ng4XT/s1600/DSC04848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dZrmbrm1sOQVQpd8DfVJtb3SqBfeT6O5k1uWkUa2zHy91rLoBt6r-V0_77os7K-eRIEHUrWarUMGWhl0_pf-Yr8HJCMgN3_zaQ2lj4E0bvvwp7Rff8BRw4qRhYeXk87Ng4XT/s400/DSC04848.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Casino chip travel ticket!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUe5B0mfzj8QLSF85EifUED4KF6FQYY8RtHRlyJkVhFpZvjIZ-XsLGO9nGL_XlBpG0bUvvKtlY0sWgULVmlDUVlZRj9tykxK6AplKqHmXXnnomL8xp5MCAWmskuxZaUBur4Bh/s1600/P3020520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUe5B0mfzj8QLSF85EifUED4KF6FQYY8RtHRlyJkVhFpZvjIZ-XsLGO9nGL_XlBpG0bUvvKtlY0sWgULVmlDUVlZRj9tykxK6AplKqHmXXnnomL8xp5MCAWmskuxZaUBur4Bh/s400/P3020520.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@ Shilin Night Market Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The idea of going to <b>Shilin Night Markets 士林夜市</b> is so that we can sample the famous Taiwanese Small Eats 小吃. This is what ALL tourists do in Taiwan, so I had to let M experience this! Below are some of our dinner samples :) Unfortunately I couldn't remember how to navigate to where the locals go to eat in Shilin, so we ended up at the 'touristy' sight of the markets. We eventually found it but by then we were full and couldn't eat much more.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFHGsfqNz_RNj2Hy1SFAR0Zi5ClhI5rHasQJjtwgxZyQGqBaUC67N-5KgLGrs0Yx4HIE4pMjZIFBNUo5Yk2vfZao9jL0yrav5QKtp1ohNZF6N_PZmpLf29eACGeHJIZYrzvGB/s1600/P3010488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFHGsfqNz_RNj2Hy1SFAR0Zi5ClhI5rHasQJjtwgxZyQGqBaUC67N-5KgLGrs0Yx4HIE4pMjZIFBNUo5Yk2vfZao9jL0yrav5QKtp1ohNZF6N_PZmpLf29eACGeHJIZYrzvGB/s640/P3010488.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food vendors @ Shilin Night Markets</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J6R5Bv3vrrjKWR75XJGZUawy1T3Q7xHsJfEutwRCocMPA8ewFG6ZbC3SYYzlABkyet_eQhwy7WLo1bsCUEmpUdtEAYHwpNvfqKEMtXY8x4SjiL6cEBNqpaGeq2cWznns51TG/s1600/DSC04849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1J6R5Bv3vrrjKWR75XJGZUawy1T3Q7xHsJfEutwRCocMPA8ewFG6ZbC3SYYzlABkyet_eQhwy7WLo1bsCUEmpUdtEAYHwpNvfqKEMtXY8x4SjiL6cEBNqpaGeq2cWznns51TG/s400/DSC04849.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oyster Omelette, Stinky Tofu & Taiwanese sausage<br />
These are all typical eats at Shilin Night Markets!<br />
My personal favourite is the stinky tofu!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol_OIGq4aJuOxBUTRFPSC_derHxlVE5I4tr6-E3cDwIlT8GSmbGbNVqfzUqKOJUYJeVGjQuhxkYOhPonzcl_DfzJD75Idh-AfTg5aIBtvgJx_FhnxQVwoczA2rFkByGQtCl7j/s1600/P3010486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhol_OIGq4aJuOxBUTRFPSC_derHxlVE5I4tr6-E3cDwIlT8GSmbGbNVqfzUqKOJUYJeVGjQuhxkYOhPonzcl_DfzJD75Idh-AfTg5aIBtvgJx_FhnxQVwoczA2rFkByGQtCl7j/s400/P3010486.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating my stinky tofu!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2ZVBDSBXOSWP3_nykt1zQiiXak029HHZa7dzOcPMylYZStv8QHqeA0Gc1JdYtqbmzHlxaKnyO43u5_X8R6zXZuzoq_t5cbtmG0nYHS09f6SmyFMRUEaWVqUQw11obXOk5zbu/s1600/P3010485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2ZVBDSBXOSWP3_nykt1zQiiXak029HHZa7dzOcPMylYZStv8QHqeA0Gc1JdYtqbmzHlxaKnyO43u5_X8R6zXZuzoq_t5cbtmG0nYHS09f6SmyFMRUEaWVqUQw11obXOk5zbu/s320/P3010485.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M ready to eat!<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGraXbeTj1GUoCWw-JVpCO780M1uEZQXfMAV0g87fPi2CgZucEjHzamc4tzmHIqJVoQXCspbIjgsLlyldyMFpuRcDVzmKNeMhwAASYHramOEvWUxEF9h5ldLnWQ2tXtZouSaHO/s1600/P3010500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGraXbeTj1GUoCWw-JVpCO780M1uEZQXfMAV0g87fPi2CgZucEjHzamc4tzmHIqJVoQXCspbIjgsLlyldyMFpuRcDVzmKNeMhwAASYHramOEvWUxEF9h5ldLnWQ2tXtZouSaHO/s320/P3010500.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street vendor selling soy-milk dessert</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIHcXdbBPFIAhFZkf6-DVvv7EbVwcNqvcuwc-ZklnGtYiIDCcaE20akwX2WaRC4jqvHwAtO-xlFQkcpnfTx_pea5XDMPSRCm6uv3ujLrlwyQ7bltHaymTTgn5377vePoSHoQp/s1600/P3010502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIHcXdbBPFIAhFZkf6-DVvv7EbVwcNqvcuwc-ZklnGtYiIDCcaE20akwX2WaRC4jqvHwAtO-xlFQkcpnfTx_pea5XDMPSRCm6uv3ujLrlwyQ7bltHaymTTgn5377vePoSHoQp/s320/P3010502.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I gave it ago...yummy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Going to Shilin Night Markets is really quite an experience. It is one of Taiwan's largest and you can sample all the Taiwanese treats in one venue, play old-school games and of course do some great night market shopping. Before we knew it, we spent 3 hours just roaming around the night markets! Oh how I missed Taiwan!! Locals and tourists descend to this venue on a daily basis, there is not one day where it is quiet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D_HRrSOtdCpms0xRo9gcv42Nq4b8b55OZTJxx3b_RehBHkqP468LuzjLPhFuFifu5z7s-qhn8ElplsR7ItOpUjSBoV6GwaWzCrmMgudfhYcrIGMQwjlEnc4M8ma-ilwgmfI8/s1600/DSC04864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D_HRrSOtdCpms0xRo9gcv42Nq4b8b55OZTJxx3b_RehBHkqP468LuzjLPhFuFifu5z7s-qhn8ElplsR7ItOpUjSBoV6GwaWzCrmMgudfhYcrIGMQwjlEnc4M8ma-ilwgmfI8/s640/DSC04864.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old-School Games time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ696Jo3W-V3kO2UtozjDMtL1mejw2iFoEhDDmZp0125E3I4oCzsP1CRhkLnnoYmRG8lG9yPT8Wq9sieGCiQ1OZPU71bGj-YR5lEbfHSp17Wb89-bd4YH6fHJMqAwx5NmQMZXS/s1600/P3010512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ696Jo3W-V3kO2UtozjDMtL1mejw2iFoEhDDmZp0125E3I4oCzsP1CRhkLnnoYmRG8lG9yPT8Wq9sieGCiQ1OZPU71bGj-YR5lEbfHSp17Wb89-bd4YH6fHJMqAwx5NmQMZXS/s640/P3010512.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out all the jewellery from this vendor! <br />
I bought a couple of gifts from this store</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcXimjlubTJtaiTIRaLSyQ54oYfF61iJ8BC0fJ7uDcmuU69l84DaX4SzWJDlG-k3IVlYwYaEcPvZ78BKabXnHlYrkwt4kWaBVwInUCnMu-l1Jj3KJUnipRgO2t5b_DWFamOV7/s1600/P3020516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcXimjlubTJtaiTIRaLSyQ54oYfF61iJ8BC0fJ7uDcmuU69l84DaX4SzWJDlG-k3IVlYwYaEcPvZ78BKabXnHlYrkwt4kWaBVwInUCnMu-l1Jj3KJUnipRgO2t5b_DWFamOV7/s640/P3020516.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This stretch was all food! <br />
We probably should have come here first rather than eat at the 'touristy' part of the markets!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Taipei Day 1 was certainly an action-packed day! We didn't even have energy to drag ourselves to a bar to have a relaxing drink! (And I missed out on going to my favourite lounge bar in Taipei this trip, Fifi...*sobs*) We certainly walked until our legs were about to detach themselves from our bodies. Sleep and rest was in order.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVL805W4ZYUofB-7KkvfqplWAE8f7QN8FvlC21qBBRyPl018LAkw4qf4vPdHyUmY3jaHLdzcYbYUlbGme672Pbof0Q5e_fkg2fCQ18vEy-VLXIuWC7bybbIpg13G_7DYOwiBE/s1600/P3010385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVL805W4ZYUofB-7KkvfqplWAE8f7QN8FvlC21qBBRyPl018LAkw4qf4vPdHyUmY3jaHLdzcYbYUlbGme672Pbof0Q5e_fkg2fCQ18vEy-VLXIuWC7bybbIpg13G_7DYOwiBE/s640/P3010385.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking forward to some snooze!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Tune in for Taipei Day 2 coming soon!<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-73769420494457861012011-03-27T02:30:00.015+11:002011-03-27T02:52:40.203+11:0027 Feb 2011 | Karen & Brian's Big Day | Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another wedding, another overseas trip!</div><br />
This time I went to Hong Kong to attend my uni friends - Karen & Brian's wedding celebrations. I've known Karen since first year uni, and she is one of the few friends I made in 1st year uni that I am still friends with today :) And Brian, well, he started appearing at events (badminton games, dinners, or just generally giving Karen lifts everywhere!) when the two of them were still 'friends' :P It's always nice to go to weddings when you see the union blossom into something far greater and more meaningful, I just had to attend this wedding even though my annual leave balance is now well and truly into the negative numbers. <br />
<br />
It was definitely a fun and festive wedding! Enjoyed the whole day from the morning Chinese tea ceremony & 'games'; to the lovely afternoon church ceremony; to the elegant and classy dinner reception at the ever so glamorous Four Seasons Hotel. <br />
<br />
Here are the highlights of the wedding...enjoy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwepX2GyNBfQ5_C1TpkPzGJlfQ8h8eqxlD-49uFKYvu0mCb1rcpt_DLOV9gUqUYRH2Loa6oCRx1RPg0idto3pJ62tla8ah6OFwEWIbU1WRkeYMILXqSSzB3li2TkzacX6OFu8/s1600/57674169-A196-DCB1-C631-E432AB49DEE0wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwepX2GyNBfQ5_C1TpkPzGJlfQ8h8eqxlD-49uFKYvu0mCb1rcpt_DLOV9gUqUYRH2Loa6oCRx1RPg0idto3pJ62tla8ah6OFwEWIbU1WRkeYMILXqSSzB3li2TkzacX6OFu8/s640/57674169-A196-DCB1-C631-E432AB49DEE0wallpaper.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><strong><br />
</strong><br />
<strong>Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Lam!</strong><br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
祝你們百年好合,白頭偕老!<br />
我真的很榮幸能參加你們的婚禮!<br />
一切都安排的很周到,完美,優雅。<br />
是一個非常感人的婚禮,尤其Brian獻歌給Karen的那一刻 :)<br />
<strong><br />
</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><strong><br />
</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-12494113778193077262011-03-19T23:23:00.001+11:002011-03-19T23:24:17.568+11:0026 Feb - 28 Feb, 2011 | Fragrant Harbour | Hong KongHong Kong - the 'fragrant harbour' city characterised by tall skyscrapers, dim-sums and Jackie Chan! Truthfully, I think it is one of the most gorgeous cities in Asia - I love admiring the brightly-lit skyscrapers that adorn Victoria Harbour by night . It is a sight that takes my breath away always.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwn9obpRUYEBXRsUynKDD4VYDG-nJLLL884pLzXT5uZlZyyB4Onr7XzO4TrWbSgPW6OdvokWWPlWLTH47ulHuB6K4bsZLEEo0xdAqcprxowDrby6m1shS5GdbZKuLvz9V9VIB3/s1600/P2260123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwn9obpRUYEBXRsUynKDD4VYDG-nJLLL884pLzXT5uZlZyyB4Onr7XzO4TrWbSgPW6OdvokWWPlWLTH47ulHuB6K4bsZLEEo0xdAqcprxowDrby6m1shS5GdbZKuLvz9V9VIB3/s640/P2260123.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon view of Hong Kong...no time to see it by night this trip!</td></tr>
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The purpose of this trip was to attend my friends wedding, which you will be able to read in my next blog post. As that event only took up one day, I had approx 1.5 days to cram all the sightseeing, catch up, shopping & eating I wanted to do in this city. Time was ticking!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvyj09Sd7Oy5GfSSItVhqefkFjhrfuqxfjPvvq8f3iDZTkKOm-mMkpu5knVIU1G_ZxBbZ53RQ0Elm-5o7M5SHZ5LXbyj_E6kMITijyo_4lMC2NaSely1GNgopxTwqswRANPUz/s1600/P2270182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvyj09Sd7Oy5GfSSItVhqefkFjhrfuqxfjPvvq8f3iDZTkKOm-mMkpu5knVIU1G_ZxBbZ53RQ0Elm-5o7M5SHZ5LXbyj_E6kMITijyo_4lMC2NaSely1GNgopxTwqswRANPUz/s640/P2270182.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lights, Signs, Action @ Causeway Bay</td></tr>
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<strong><a name='more'></a>1. Shopping</strong><br />
Unsurprisingly, my number one priority was to get some shopping done. Hong Kong is probably the capital for shopping in Asia, and rightly so. There's a huge variety of international brands at relatively good prices, as well as small local boutiques, local brands that are unique in each way, and cheap! Despite the variety of stores available, I still found myself gravitating towards Zara, H&M, Uniqlo...which can be purchased almost anywhere in the world, except Australia. (My poor fashion deprived country!) Given the strength of the Australian dollar, I shopped in comfort knowing I was going to get a good deal no matter where I went! Also, any trip to Asia is generally a good excuse to go on a spending spree!<br />
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Here are some snapshots of the fancy high-end boutiques in Tsim Sha Tsui. No I didn't shop here (H&M is more within my budget) but I enjoyed photographing these stores!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27YBoNw_tLpw3vrq4UXwBMikoAVX9aeok4W75tPPtgYMqO1hFJf7KI3wsMM0jRVC4Vn24elvSG8owSgFaQmr17AmNWDbAXkKG9dFk31UIlHCT1qPXovF_j6GKyC2pM0zk9TFz/s1600/P2260162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27YBoNw_tLpw3vrq4UXwBMikoAVX9aeok4W75tPPtgYMqO1hFJf7KI3wsMM0jRVC4Vn24elvSG8owSgFaQmr17AmNWDbAXkKG9dFk31UIlHCT1qPXovF_j6GKyC2pM0zk9TFz/s640/P2260162.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long queue outside LV! </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_CqZ3Zq23zEHJNC_CBk9w-LEY3BIlowcV_GK6V-l572n4_3lCVmcexdYdFaI7IaQKH6yiJix8qpubaLFo373f9t_2diD5rKysMJqcWiNQeWP3Ckmi37xR0qR4g1qv5brvtt/s1600/P2260142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2_CqZ3Zq23zEHJNC_CBk9w-LEY3BIlowcV_GK6V-l572n4_3lCVmcexdYdFaI7IaQKH6yiJix8qpubaLFo373f9t_2diD5rKysMJqcWiNQeWP3Ckmi37xR0qR4g1qv5brvtt/s640/P2260142.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aI2GhlWAO9wQwJauyGFHpuNt7t5l0Oic0kGTZVBtwa-stTB5CCPlo14_Lh37FzbYRLA-DGc2CgQBUmGoXGWIVTfOTOsC0GCesAhI30FgVdgMBCMiZhLHZOu1FRyCVr1wX9SW/s1600/Shops+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aI2GhlWAO9wQwJauyGFHpuNt7t5l0Oic0kGTZVBtwa-stTB5CCPlo14_Lh37FzbYRLA-DGc2CgQBUmGoXGWIVTfOTOsC0GCesAhI30FgVdgMBCMiZhLHZOu1FRyCVr1wX9SW/s640/Shops+Collage.jpg" width="626" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><em>Total acquisitions:</em></strong> 2x business shirts from G2000, 2x skirts from Zara, 1x 3/4 sleeve top from Zara, 1x short sleeve top from Zara, 1x handbag from small vendor, 1x dress from Ju's, 1x jacket from H&M, 1x short sleeve top from H&M, 1x long sleeve top from H&M, 1x long sleeve top from Uniqlo, 1x hoodie from Uniqlo &; 1x Ballet Flats from Zara (probably the regret purchase of the trip. They were expensive for HK standards and are actually not that comfortable to walk around in). As you can see, it was a substantial purchase, but imo, not a greedy one either!</div><br />
<strong>2. Sightseeing</strong><br />
My other priority was to try and see <em><strong>one</strong></em> new attraction/scenery/sight in Hong Kong. For someone that has been here around 8 or 9 times, is there more to see in this Island City? The answer is, yes there is most definitely! This time a small group of us took a 30 minute bus ride on those cute little mini-buses from Causeway Bay to Stanley. It was a welcome change having spent the past 2 days commuting between Causeway Bay & Central. The bus ride took us to the other side (South) of Hong Kong Island, where it almost looks deserted except for a few building developments. It was almost unbelievable to think we were still on the same main Island as hectic Central. Since we got to Stanley so early in the morning (10am is early in Asia) we had the pleasure of strolling around Stanley Markets and checking out the small beach and pier before the tour groups descended, and enjoying much needed crisp, fresh air.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUW2-CcNHxtBkWHQZcnfq3WVotHuCyUyVQChCFPPndqiAFhIZJprUYIY83ZhWlDfNmPw50UbHXWadbOiCRORqTPvqq_XBfOpOkNlqIrHONI0FL3IpGEinVXlCt2c_9vCvZz-H/s1600/P2280318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUW2-CcNHxtBkWHQZcnfq3WVotHuCyUyVQChCFPPndqiAFhIZJprUYIY83ZhWlDfNmPw50UbHXWadbOiCRORqTPvqq_XBfOpOkNlqIrHONI0FL3IpGEinVXlCt2c_9vCvZz-H/s400/P2280318.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Stanley Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbx9CtBUxMJ5-oB9WZKpGZl8WjPvE9gFibZb_-h6HFFCvTFrZvtYYQ_ZR-A8nBRFYCEt91DPC3SVIm6Q0hjIvbDAzcHDLbymhlBka150BLzcqMbnWaC0ijzrzv215-6uoViGf/s1600/P2280322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbx9CtBUxMJ5-oB9WZKpGZl8WjPvE9gFibZb_-h6HFFCvTFrZvtYYQ_ZR-A8nBRFYCEt91DPC3SVIm6Q0hjIvbDAzcHDLbymhlBka150BLzcqMbnWaC0ijzrzv215-6uoViGf/s400/P2280322.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley Markets</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc44V62tY7MNf3mKvHyoT5LfEB-VDg5JkUb_KZxUuFifspe-HTl5rNcLFefOJeTwKmgtqVxLy4FGRLEo10tOj38S0UZpleQLDk-ka5WxWq-A0kBGOrGyUbFkBOQaWodyN5XNX/s1600/P2280342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc44V62tY7MNf3mKvHyoT5LfEB-VDg5JkUb_KZxUuFifspe-HTl5rNcLFefOJeTwKmgtqVxLy4FGRLEo10tOj38S0UZpleQLDk-ka5WxWq-A0kBGOrGyUbFkBOQaWodyN5XNX/s400/P2280342.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pier @ Stanley</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFi-O7CJL8EOC6vkSOh1DbfBzW9D2lTvmAVWnijIucnNbSOHksWdEOQpa8oy2Oe8d8AZDpxz05-4UaXF1PsWi1JdQQDefHlZ5-ycu1Mqb3mqohp9eZdh7lxPyN7xE8I8USE3P/s1600/P2280340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFi-O7CJL8EOC6vkSOh1DbfBzW9D2lTvmAVWnijIucnNbSOHksWdEOQpa8oy2Oe8d8AZDpxz05-4UaXF1PsWi1JdQQDefHlZ5-ycu1Mqb3mqohp9eZdh7lxPyN7xE8I8USE3P/s640/P2280340.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Waterfront Restaurants @ Stanley</td></tr>
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<strong>3. Catch up with Friends </strong><br />
<strong></strong>Traveling to new cities and countries always fills one up with a sense of excitement and adventure, there is no doubt about that. But in the last few years I have definitely enjoyed traveling to places where I know people in the city/country. Somehow it just makes the whole experience more <i>real</i>, and you feel more of a <i>connection</i> to the place even if you only know one soul there. There is always a sense of familiarity when I go to Hong Kong, as I know there are always people there I can catch up with. I guess because of this factor, I will always find myself coming to Hong Kong if the chance arises :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ICsSpVrQSLF2X0ee-IBzUztxCxt_Z_9Gar_iRmyNMl8Ptlzx_G8aCXi9XCUtZhWxMOLdyq50chQ7muND9J97Qx88YZ4-0FaLwaw0fTWUqHIY4nTPMSbP_Te3lyMgKiX9G4-m/s1600/P2270197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ICsSpVrQSLF2X0ee-IBzUztxCxt_Z_9Gar_iRmyNMl8Ptlzx_G8aCXi9XCUtZhWxMOLdyq50chQ7muND9J97Qx88YZ4-0FaLwaw0fTWUqHIY4nTPMSbP_Te3lyMgKiX9G4-m/s640/P2270197.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mo Bar @ Mandarin Oriental for drinks</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeysI6sWpGG9rYHGojuh-elVd56c6tne7UbGktByG9iezgzCAIuP-ktlaw4jNDo2zDGRdee119WoQlZuZzsgOlMxfHUILO8gh2TWLsWTuvWV4Y0ZTKRmmtcau3SFFx8NvPLCxb/s1600/MRS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeysI6sWpGG9rYHGojuh-elVd56c6tne7UbGktByG9iezgzCAIuP-ktlaw4jNDo2zDGRdee119WoQlZuZzsgOlMxfHUILO8gh2TWLsWTuvWV4Y0ZTKRmmtcau3SFFx8NvPLCxb/s320/MRS.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha41S1Fk3uLtQGwYGI1C5AcnNSfZTx99LXIyPVjeapH-jE2KWw4G-7GE0RQyP5tR56RBfPN00L2oPKIJjQ08ARt6_wg18giTdeMHY6D8hQ3q2uiQJnvTi1AgTM0z6hkzeClTue/s1600/LD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha41S1Fk3uLtQGwYGI1C5AcnNSfZTx99LXIyPVjeapH-jE2KWw4G-7GE0RQyP5tR56RBfPN00L2oPKIJjQ08ARt6_wg18giTdeMHY6D8hQ3q2uiQJnvTi1AgTM0z6hkzeClTue/s320/LD.jpg" width="275" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZK06uBG-xJULaLIIfzXJqySdacscYcMS1DZrqIu6Vlci9Gj2cxHBOdIpBJVkaWNUepzVRU4CvOHI834Wn6gNixNxXs9xa1Qtl6SS5jygdzDJYEpMsGM7Iyttzj34QMPqtrTox/s1600/PMR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZK06uBG-xJULaLIIfzXJqySdacscYcMS1DZrqIu6Vlci9Gj2cxHBOdIpBJVkaWNUepzVRU4CvOHI834Wn6gNixNxXs9xa1Qtl6SS5jygdzDJYEpMsGM7Iyttzj34QMPqtrTox/s320/PMR.jpg" width="275" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDMTxtnzTm0f4xhf3qGxlRiAJJ9881zUJ4WsnSSVSHLzZAIG25Kjznkf2p1tMp3-hiUxmWGmFJWqa9z-aQFiBj50DSSjYyPuWl-wvxbrZ3s_Tc9JnGrXtdV51JP7nNTIl0Rcg/s1600/BKR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDMTxtnzTm0f4xhf3qGxlRiAJJ9881zUJ4WsnSSVSHLzZAIG25Kjznkf2p1tMp3-hiUxmWGmFJWqa9z-aQFiBj50DSSjYyPuWl-wvxbrZ3s_Tc9JnGrXtdV51JP7nNTIl0Rcg/s320/BKR.jpg" width="275" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDMTxtnzTm0f4xhf3qGxlRiAJJ9881zUJ4WsnSSVSHLzZAIG25Kjznkf2p1tMp3-hiUxmWGmFJWqa9z-aQFiBj50DSSjYyPuWl-wvxbrZ3s_Tc9JnGrXtdV51JP7nNTIl0Rcg/s1600/BKR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>4. Eating</b></div>Hong Kong is part of Asia and it is simply impossible to go to an Asian city and not eat! Hong Kong is blessed with a high demand of good food, so here are some snapshots!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDnkpGzP7DiIWBracuGXvQz4_3KJL7qvTJadYn1qLvgLnfHVVGpXREGi2SKI1akVqotXwOAONfZyhuVMeOtSaqmBk_a-lslMUlVRg0vtjl6OvgjyVaIqhYtAfn6oW7PNUWCwR/s1600/FoodHK1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDnkpGzP7DiIWBracuGXvQz4_3KJL7qvTJadYn1qLvgLnfHVVGpXREGi2SKI1akVqotXwOAONfZyhuVMeOtSaqmBk_a-lslMUlVRg0vtjl6OvgjyVaIqhYtAfn6oW7PNUWCwR/s640/FoodHK1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt97GFPlenaYDMTyAOpC8geDdi-GAHaDmIxIYApfYSX__sSSgsveE0LN5KK-4-SDud8Yhb_0CTgw9hSQt3ICrVl0QkLoNtJDKE1FziigDnOIAg5mAa9uHtZKjQMnU4PROflTn0/s1600/Food2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt97GFPlenaYDMTyAOpC8geDdi-GAHaDmIxIYApfYSX__sSSgsveE0LN5KK-4-SDud8Yhb_0CTgw9hSQt3ICrVl0QkLoNtJDKE1FziigDnOIAg5mAa9uHtZKjQMnU4PROflTn0/s640/Food2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlTMSDJsYouWT2Wpwb9OZVhW1WxKPxUbFNmyzcOk9_gC31FAUrtc2y74nKpLjSC4bu2ugKwWyd1ldfc9GxYC4A4IkNFk_2iMQDE-QZO4sS2Ajh4vcv5Ba1dxxvpNRqrzZE1rx/s1600/Food3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlTMSDJsYouWT2Wpwb9OZVhW1WxKPxUbFNmyzcOk9_gC31FAUrtc2y74nKpLjSC4bu2ugKwWyd1ldfc9GxYC4A4IkNFk_2iMQDE-QZO4sS2Ajh4vcv5Ba1dxxvpNRqrzZE1rx/s640/Food3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Hong Kong - I don't know when I will see you again, but I am sure our paths will cross at some point. Until next time!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-39895177086592973282010-12-15T00:22:00.002+11:002012-09-07T14:51:30.298+10:005 - 10 Nov | Blitz through Thailand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been getting a lot of questions lately about my holidays. I seem to give everyone the impression that I go on a lot of holidays. Untrue! I think it is due to the timing of my Facebook photo uploads, where I usually upload a whole album (or 2 or 3) of photos from my last trip just before I take off on my next destination. Understandably, people get confused. But the truth is, I take 20 days of annual leave per year like any other Australian worker. In 2009, I took a career break, where I was 'studying' which hardly counts as travel! (Sure some travel happened at the end of my studies, but ask my classmates, I was like the most nerdy tryhard student in the class!) Some people choose to go on domestic trips, I just choose to go on international trips, as domestic trips always ends up being so expensive. So again thanks to Jetstars annual birthday sale of 'Take a friend for free' (is this not evidence I'm a great bargain hunter too? Holidays don't have to be expensive...good thing I've got friends...Thanks Wendy!), I found myself a new destination - Thailand!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bangkok Skyline from Hotel room @ Lebua State Tower. Have to say Bangkok is gorgeous by night!<br />
One FINE hotel, I highly recommend it!</td></tr>
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Even though I've visited Thailand's southern neighbours Singapore & Malaysia so many times in my life, this was my first trip to Thailand, yes I know, I shocked many of my friends. In 3 shorts words - <strong><em>I loved it! </em></strong>It was a short visit, only five nights - 2 in Phuket and 3 in Bangkok, in which I sat on the plane way too many times for such a short break. (Discovered new budget airlines such as Bangkok Airways and Nok Air, both decent airlines for short trips) I would like to say it was a much deserved getaway where I worked so hard prior to this trip, but no, truth is this holiday was not too long after my last. (Hmm...perhaps my friends have a point) However, who says you have to wait a full 6-12 months before one can take off again?</div>
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Although I wasn't in Thailand long enough to experience the country in its entirety, I really really enjoyed the small sample I got to taste :) The hospitality, the food, the people, the scenery, the beaches, the traffic, the shopping, the list just goes on! Bangkok was probably the highlight for me, there's a certain buzz in that city that makes it exciting. It is by no means a beautiful or gorgeous city, it is polluted, congested, noisy, yet it finds a way to charm you! The experience was also made better by the fact that I had my gorgeous friend Lily taking us around, she was a brilliant tour guide even though our time spent together was so short! (Next time I will make my trip longer Lily!)</div>
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<b>Bangkok Day 1-3:</b><br />
This consisted of shopping, eating great food, shopping, temple visits, shopping, Jim Thompson House Museum, eating by the Chao Praya river side, foot massages, boat rides, catching the skytrain (seriously even Bangkok can manage a metro system...Sydney needs to lift the game), walking around the magnificent Grand Palace, drinking cocktails high up in the sky :)<br />
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You know you're in Asia when you see the masses</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The Magnificent Grand Palace. I loved walking around this place. I thought the architecture and detail was just stunning. </span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing detail everywhere you look around the Grand Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Thompson House - an excellent museum/house/garden to visit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wat Arun, built in the Khmer Style</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy & me at a local joint eating great food!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The delightful Lily playing tour guide to us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruising on the Chao Praya</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Dome Bar @ Lebua...a FAB place to be...only 5 floors up from our hotel room :)</td></tr>
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The interesting thing about Phuket is that, I never realised it's an Island larger than Singapore! That just goes to show how tiny Singapore actually is! People come to Phuket for watersports, elephant rides, Island hopping tours but we did none of that. We DID sit by the beach and enjoyed our overcast weather, the soft calm waters, the hotel pool, sleep ins, late breakfasts (Lebua in Bangkok still had the better breakfast, but seriously can't complain!), hour long Thai massages, great seafood at both the high end and cheap and a cabaret show. (We were in Thailand) All in all, a great 2 days to unwind from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Although next time I come to Phuket, I'll be avoiding Patong and staying in a much quieter area, and will definitely try to pack in some Island tours - this trip was just too short to be doing so much...there's always next time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patong Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Simon's Cabaret</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All that food for just TWO!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5USBiTLAPiQd9Er5e8y3gYGpGJIf77rIDiz4PNHqZpR-xgLCj41WDsH59QOWE50d3sq8abvQfb8iAVYW-xqVhccRAb1wdgFDFww-LbpQf8wu2o-tZ4qT5e5_Tcr-Iche5PNo5/s1600/DSC_0209+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5USBiTLAPiQd9Er5e8y3gYGpGJIf77rIDiz4PNHqZpR-xgLCj41WDsH59QOWE50d3sq8abvQfb8iAVYW-xqVhccRAb1wdgFDFww-LbpQf8wu2o-tZ4qT5e5_Tcr-Iche5PNo5/s400/DSC_0209+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We watched a Thai dance & music performance whilst indulging in our huge feed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRGrMJvW20Wrgqz_3e2F-0J729Jb1pFAbvMkTbOuY1O_HtNTKV3Z0p0RCvUEufFwvsF6D6Gv8keNVTDWLyb-QmN6m5StNwZoyhVYlG7FgK2Nzyd57TJDWdW6Rmmkz6_rk9_uG/s1600/DSC_0261+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRGrMJvW20Wrgqz_3e2F-0J729Jb1pFAbvMkTbOuY1O_HtNTKV3Z0p0RCvUEufFwvsF6D6Gv8keNVTDWLyb-QmN6m5StNwZoyhVYlG7FgK2Nzyd57TJDWdW6Rmmkz6_rk9_uG/s640/DSC_0261+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Another day at the beach...Karon Beach...a very nice and peaceful beach</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<b>Trip Details:</b></div>
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Sydney to Phuket Return Flight - <a href="http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/index.aspx">Jetstar Airways</a></div>
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Bangkok Accommodation - <a href="http://www.lebua.com/en/">Tower Club at Lebua</a></div>
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Phuket Accommodation - <a href="http://www.thenappatong.com/">The Nap Patong</a> </div>
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Phuket to Bangkok Flight - <a href="http://www.bangkokair.com/">Bangkok Airways</a></div>
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Bangkok to Phuket Flight - <a href="http://www.nokair.com/NokConnext/aspx/Welcome.aspx">Nok Air</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-14472338948287995542010-11-25T20:49:00.001+11:002010-11-25T20:50:05.348+11:009 Oct | 24 Hours in the Island City | Singapore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We arrived into Singapore early in the morning, and I was glad to find myself in Asia again after the 2 weeks of racing around Europe. After going to all these places, I know my heart belongs in Asia, as I always feel so comforted to land on these soils, no matter which country it may be.</div><br />
Anyways, mum and I checked ourselves into the same hotel we stayed at 10 years ago. Peninsula-Excelsior which has a fantastic location around Marina Bay. I'm pleased to say the hotel has undergone extensive renovations and the rooms we stayed at was significantly more comfortable than before. The views from the hotel room are quite amazing, and again, quite different to those we saw 10 years ago. How rapid changes happen in Singapore!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrWDTxL6OuFZR-myvOsbT0z_M2mdQmVjtq-KFbu7JmI-eQViCLqrN8NQ4FL36pIu8qxQ_Z1Zp76lcQsalq853C66yMEXEOxkwsMCdBrCxNx4Np98It8VYM4Ez5522avHkwmhp/s1600/DSC_3767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrWDTxL6OuFZR-myvOsbT0z_M2mdQmVjtq-KFbu7JmI-eQViCLqrN8NQ4FL36pIu8qxQ_Z1Zp76lcQsalq853C66yMEXEOxkwsMCdBrCxNx4Np98It8VYM4Ez5522avHkwmhp/s400/DSC_3767.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from hotel room of Marina Bay<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztP_uQh18cSBGjYNBWggh1Gh2fqSG7iUXV5J-cpm6YXyqrOjeFa_MXNMCW-YGsomO-wasnDOB1zXBVXBh6Y-LCNp57sdlmNfXRO6_JVxTt_E36dQaewtPL7cTWB1vrhxG7Sa8/s1600/DSC_3768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztP_uQh18cSBGjYNBWggh1Gh2fqSG7iUXV5J-cpm6YXyqrOjeFa_MXNMCW-YGsomO-wasnDOB1zXBVXBh6Y-LCNp57sdlmNfXRO6_JVxTt_E36dQaewtPL7cTWB1vrhxG7Sa8/s400/DSC_3768.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The obvious new addition to the skyline is the Marina Bay Sands building. I don't know how architects feel about this building? Its definitely futuristic and conceptually intersting. I suppose it fits into the Marina Bay surrounds area given all the futuristic buildings around there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZxPif31RMxjbhpW2WOWTO9YpdHn5mPV26Y_nkRwbmbLp1w0gy1apP1DZQ0N1a1WqmKhCd-ncu9y9LZfuCTVh-n3Iz6hm6fkCObBfe_g7eJUhUozc3SORpDCptalRGO635Q7M/s1600/DSC_3766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZxPif31RMxjbhpW2WOWTO9YpdHn5mPV26Y_nkRwbmbLp1w0gy1apP1DZQ0N1a1WqmKhCd-ncu9y9LZfuCTVh-n3Iz6hm6fkCObBfe_g7eJUhUozc3SORpDCptalRGO635Q7M/s400/DSC_3766.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New building on the block! Marina Bay Sands...<br />
There's a park in the sky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5_uYw4NXIRmAc-XSnegsIc8qsb-ey46Rh1ePhNFwFH8HY3khg5lF4VluvlO0VTgdR2xy9Kq3lJ484yO7GcHQTm-xZ5sOWAT7DfMFU1uwKsUCoKIoIwv8L2vrAG7fcKpphbGy/s1600/DSC_0768+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5_uYw4NXIRmAc-XSnegsIc8qsb-ey46Rh1ePhNFwFH8HY3khg5lF4VluvlO0VTgdR2xy9Kq3lJ484yO7GcHQTm-xZ5sOWAT7DfMFU1uwKsUCoKIoIwv8L2vrAG7fcKpphbGy/s400/DSC_0768+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shocking night photo. Oh well at least I have something!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0aBat6gdFL-fbkI2RzrrX8EKOWt1H1mslXYmQ1bry2zMpDTC6e6dP7FSu4fsWg8Ux9Gn6Sl2L25-pAro00fA_3epuFB4YN_ejzZ0C4J70xA0uUUjBUT5qPJOTlS8ISJf2Y_o/s1600/DSC_0760+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0aBat6gdFL-fbkI2RzrrX8EKOWt1H1mslXYmQ1bry2zMpDTC6e6dP7FSu4fsWg8Ux9Gn6Sl2L25-pAro00fA_3epuFB4YN_ejzZ0C4J70xA0uUUjBUT5qPJOTlS8ISJf2Y_o/s400/DSC_0760+%25281%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My one and only decent night photo in Singapore.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0aBat6gdFL-fbkI2RzrrX8EKOWt1H1mslXYmQ1bry2zMpDTC6e6dP7FSu4fsWg8Ux9Gn6Sl2L25-pAro00fA_3epuFB4YN_ejzZ0C4J70xA0uUUjBUT5qPJOTlS8ISJf2Y_o/s1600/DSC_0760+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div></div><div><br />
After having a brief snooze following our 14 hour long journey (3 movies and 2 TV shows = no sleep on the plane), my mum decided to spend my next 10 hours visiting a few relatives I have not seen in quite some time. All I could think about at the time was lost shopping time...how awful? I am yet to buy all the Asian CDs/Chinese books I was hoping to buy prior to this trip! But I am glad to say all the relative visits were very worthwhile and enjoyable. I wouldn't have traded that for anything else. Shopping can always come later, or done on the internet. Catching up with relatives is priceless, and its astounding to know just how many of my extended family lives in Singapore! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG51lZvsFA1gvW9yq03ulG4S1TElca4xeEOTJkI9BtMGut_KhofK8XS0amhN7KWHx7VFi87LIdP03vG8PPvPpNUUl9Fq5VXxIF7TytQCNgbB831ACiqIntEpIurvKhyphenhyphen9eiMty/s1600/DSC_0757+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisG51lZvsFA1gvW9yq03ulG4S1TElca4xeEOTJkI9BtMGut_KhofK8XS0amhN7KWHx7VFi87LIdP03vG8PPvPpNUUl9Fq5VXxIF7TytQCNgbB831ACiqIntEpIurvKhyphenhyphen9eiMty/s400/DSC_0757+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">My dad's cousins place in Singapore. <br />
It was always one of my favourite places to visit as a child. <br />
This is what happens when you have architects in the family!<br />
They create lovely living quarters</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4avCfSQu1DZsgrjXQZVnb3aQeaW63Z1OAzOaOin8avNRcvqv7s65e2cvunw0ZlfL2_OFy1mVWHbYNKbDeW4IJr1NGTX-09FThJlChi4siRHhKX8PwjTjWggUXxwH6rSf3nmdf/s1600/IMG_5730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4avCfSQu1DZsgrjXQZVnb3aQeaW63Z1OAzOaOin8avNRcvqv7s65e2cvunw0ZlfL2_OFy1mVWHbYNKbDeW4IJr1NGTX-09FThJlChi4siRHhKX8PwjTjWggUXxwH6rSf3nmdf/s400/IMG_5730.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, 2nd cousin Jeremy whom I met for the first time in 20 years or so!<br />
& Dad's cousins wife (my aunty) - unofficial historian of the Tan/Chen 陳 family</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did catch up with other relos, but we were blitzing it through it so forgot to take some photos :(</div><div><br />
I'm going to include photos from Singapore airport now as I really didn't take that many photos in Singapore, and I need to make this page a bit more colourful!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFzP7dgw9jU4nqRtEqlsY1VdLIGPJEQsPgbFQSQ8iL3T-mg_xiZpQiMWBqc8Xv1Vh6H866BXl-sltOpvofYXyBVt5cLmROO8UwXCv6KA-DGXvozng5UMHA0hvGf18IlRccFOY/s1600/DSC_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFzP7dgw9jU4nqRtEqlsY1VdLIGPJEQsPgbFQSQ8iL3T-mg_xiZpQiMWBqc8Xv1Vh6H866BXl-sltOpvofYXyBVt5cLmROO8UwXCv6KA-DGXvozng5UMHA0hvGf18IlRccFOY/s400/DSC_0694.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Singapore airport</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcTkB6VKU8U3j6JiXCtFW_TgVUuyotWT7Bbdv2vtvS1r4-O0dcGr8ExdMANhk7SVyZ9DW2r2H72S__FPdSyQhAHHJdRPdCEmM4sYbFshMGSeh7TmFcaUxQZiV9sqi7zW87Bp1/s1600/DSC_0706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcTkB6VKU8U3j6JiXCtFW_TgVUuyotWT7Bbdv2vtvS1r4-O0dcGr8ExdMANhk7SVyZ9DW2r2H72S__FPdSyQhAHHJdRPdCEmM4sYbFshMGSeh7TmFcaUxQZiV9sqi7zW87Bp1/s400/DSC_0706.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Typical image @ one of worlds most busy transit airports!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2LVn9vLFKv7zfChIfk6AXqd5jE3sin3ftp6s6TfBVbJQXFVZEmTTBA-mJ-pE5h_RSnbYYD6ZqkNPFkP3tY2kbvwFE466aGJCm_KnT7hbrP4XfYytYUbiCGWrlgrkNYlKHUdM/s1600/DSC_0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2LVn9vLFKv7zfChIfk6AXqd5jE3sin3ftp6s6TfBVbJQXFVZEmTTBA-mJ-pE5h_RSnbYYD6ZqkNPFkP3tY2kbvwFE466aGJCm_KnT7hbrP4XfYytYUbiCGWrlgrkNYlKHUdM/s400/DSC_0679.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating @ Singapore airport<br />
Singapore sampler - small portions of Mee Siam, Laksa & Chicken Rice. YUM!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYeK75rLeVzcEK1lm_klu61vQ4kNxRX3fUgi_1Yktt9NI1HyiT3kgH4yJAAZZDf7qdVzf1A5b_DzasYDy55EL4eigSEyO4QkF4pjoYhaji_B3VJRo0QidlGq3ED31f4ncTDKQ/s1600/DSC_0682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYeK75rLeVzcEK1lm_klu61vQ4kNxRX3fUgi_1Yktt9NI1HyiT3kgH4yJAAZZDf7qdVzf1A5b_DzasYDy55EL4eigSEyO4QkF4pjoYhaji_B3VJRo0QidlGq3ED31f4ncTDKQ/s400/DSC_0682.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful orchids @ Singapore airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perhaps Singapore is not as boring as I used to think it was. As a tiny island country, it has certainly done well to promote itself on the world arena. Next time round I hope to spend more than 24 hours on this Island City. I've been to Singapore so many times yet I've never been to the Zoo, or a fancy Singaporean bar to enjoy a Singapore Sling, and I do want to check out the Marina Bay Sands building too, who doesn't want to see a rooftop infinity pool? And really how large is that rooftop park?</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-55537280410181379612010-11-23T00:53:00.003+11:002012-09-07T14:51:54.771+10:006 Oct - 7 Oct | Land of Fairytales | Bavaria, Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You always feel a bit sad when a holiday is reaching its end, yet there's a sense of relief to find yourself on the return journey too. I have to say, the 3 of us were looking forward to returning to Munich. According to my dad, it was 'back to cilivisation' for him. I think he meant German efficiency and precision. And really, you do feel the difference when you travel from the affluent Germany & Austria to the developing Hungary and Czech. </div>
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Well the Prague-Munich rail trip was by far the longest train ride of our trip! More than 6 hours on a train! I can't say we did a great deal but sleep or read our books. It was still great to enjoy the at times mountainous scenery and the autumn scenery always makes me feel so happy.<br />
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<i>S</i><i>cenes from the longest train journey all trip:</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSAJB3sfbp1NL2aTfCB_RgipC3uSdF0GKbJ8ORw17I-Pv8j4FBODuZ9Z5N47Poc2qFaYJv6txFHfldxEWK2_5BU1gzkrgrmGO4twJupU8XZVqcMM5MMcFBDSHwli6gpCWbDLT/s1600/DSC_3451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSAJB3sfbp1NL2aTfCB_RgipC3uSdF0GKbJ8ORw17I-Pv8j4FBODuZ9Z5N47Poc2qFaYJv6txFHfldxEWK2_5BU1gzkrgrmGO4twJupU8XZVqcMM5MMcFBDSHwli6gpCWbDLT/s400/DSC_3451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way back to Germany from Prague</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjur8GYWnPqRwF-ixkWyVHsKAEXsqbWbWRnrsifs105Zl2sWtOM5jsRjK0hJ0BGVF2VftfZ4MJt0fc8EFWUSa9QBjiTFQrQ7jFW0j9ZNLClcRNLwBuXQNanLpJ0NkoBmUkGqvU-/s1600/DSC_3459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjur8GYWnPqRwF-ixkWyVHsKAEXsqbWbWRnrsifs105Zl2sWtOM5jsRjK0hJ0BGVF2VftfZ4MJt0fc8EFWUSa9QBjiTFQrQ7jFW0j9ZNLClcRNLwBuXQNanLpJ0NkoBmUkGqvU-/s400/DSC_3459.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun almost breaking through</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1wRnqaoCcDA-cIRPYA9pyQFJIETD1vL_gtZK3S6gFVkCdqfmkdcDo0HT6FMqJECCFfmw9cKKgoRciXHHIsZbvV-bYNswawKvgExHtgG6rTQTkqTLr9iqA1Bk0jydHDN4J8SW/s1600/IMG_5689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1wRnqaoCcDA-cIRPYA9pyQFJIETD1vL_gtZK3S6gFVkCdqfmkdcDo0HT6FMqJECCFfmw9cKKgoRciXHHIsZbvV-bYNswawKvgExHtgG6rTQTkqTLr9iqA1Bk0jydHDN4J8SW/s400/IMG_5689.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sneaky Dad took this pic hahaha<br />
We sat on a Czech train, still way more comfy than Aussie trains!</td></tr>
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By the time we got back to Munich, there really wasn't much time to do anything else but enjoy a good meal. My parents were desperate for a non-western meal, so luckily for us we found a great Indian restaurant near the hotel. I have to say, it was as good as the Indian meal I had in London 4 years ago!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZzVhvaMCz4ZacibrK08Oy0fZwyNJKHhEo5rALy9Pv2vcX8kYkIvGql893mRBP2RPepsHL5wyPUVPDnDklRMlXJa8BLi8kFYQFmkBM5oCcZdwqWyl33pQCUv-uXAOEH8sqoOh/s1600/IMG_5692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZzVhvaMCz4ZacibrK08Oy0fZwyNJKHhEo5rALy9Pv2vcX8kYkIvGql893mRBP2RPepsHL5wyPUVPDnDklRMlXJa8BLi8kFYQFmkBM5oCcZdwqWyl33pQCUv-uXAOEH8sqoOh/s400/IMG_5692.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family meal...Indian food in Munich, pretty awesome actually!</td></tr>
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The next morning I commenced my final day of Bavaria super early (it was still black outside when I left the hotel), as I booked myself on the popular <a href="http://www.viator.com/tours/Munich/Royal-Castles-of-Neuschwanstein-and-Linderhof-Day-Tour-from-Munich/d487-285016">Castles Tour</a>. I was finally going to see Neuschwanstein Castle!! The castle that inspired Walt Disney, the one built by the 'mad' King Ludwig II. After experiencing several days of grey skies, I was filled with joy to see a blue sunny day in Bavaria!! Oh how I missed the sunshine and blue skies!</div>
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First stop: <i>Linderhof Castle </i>- Built by King Ludwig II as a hunting lodge, in the French Rococo style</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSGshZnmZFhhZGLMwBl9vhu2ZsD8WpHjw2ATDkHiFD79oTYa0zKz0V_CF-7g_f2VhyphenhyphenLZQssA1RX5yLsck0DJSkS4jfe5ADPQSsO_31ybBx7o_PkXKdHaEFZZ4E_Hc9NQN6_2m/s1600/DSC_3478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSGshZnmZFhhZGLMwBl9vhu2ZsD8WpHjw2ATDkHiFD79oTYa0zKz0V_CF-7g_f2VhyphenhyphenLZQssA1RX5yLsck0DJSkS4jfe5ADPQSsO_31ybBx7o_PkXKdHaEFZZ4E_Hc9NQN6_2m/s400/DSC_3478.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that! No clouds in the sky</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtpO8YeHgvBhNU1FQHjG4JzVkRH32yNSke-mLefCzw-wK7yI2GwsAyhOtD9HKm66HPifJIeCq0PfQeJHPCzww5WMPlhACzhNhqExILKHCOJEpouRie3BA33SoleAiO04sWA-T/s1600/DSC_3484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtpO8YeHgvBhNU1FQHjG4JzVkRH32yNSke-mLefCzw-wK7yI2GwsAyhOtD9HKm66HPifJIeCq0PfQeJHPCzww5WMPlhACzhNhqExILKHCOJEpouRie3BA33SoleAiO04sWA-T/s400/DSC_3484.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who doesn't like nice romantic walks in this setting?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG10C-UwJkVfphpstCSsC-FK6BeTgMvl0iezwSi4A9-DB3tqj6Ej9rGx-wFvaVHfsuIfms7Ums8RZHxazNpOZgdMoR_Ii7J39P-66uqPfAC_UPk3EZJX8P0Mb4M91wBM1W-v_C/s1600/DSC_3496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG10C-UwJkVfphpstCSsC-FK6BeTgMvl0iezwSi4A9-DB3tqj6Ej9rGx-wFvaVHfsuIfms7Ums8RZHxazNpOZgdMoR_Ii7J39P-66uqPfAC_UPk3EZJX8P0Mb4M91wBM1W-v_C/s400/DSC_3496.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Linderhof Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUbhbVMvYUKrqkfuohyGb3FcaLX0GycYdyC4yFUU3TgPSYl4pdD2lW66IxpSi8Ir6bMWF6GqOLCAl0fWm09r3LHmwvWWp0RjJ2SSkdN_a416z62r03NseL0uRTQDC3yfxAGd2/s1600/DSC_3499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUbhbVMvYUKrqkfuohyGb3FcaLX0GycYdyC4yFUU3TgPSYl4pdD2lW66IxpSi8Ir6bMWF6GqOLCAl0fWm09r3LHmwvWWp0RjJ2SSkdN_a416z62r03NseL0uRTQDC3yfxAGd2/s400/DSC_3499.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up close</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkGb81ZoGXDL7THpwKDcmp2NQS2ymap3MdFEPYr1rPe5MGaPZPWtNhbJ2lCXZzbtdTyTPkUNIdSOs-7d7Oc6n97YfIUFs_X_i0wM_6cS8YK_PXom8-76pyMwL1lWUXmI885ZE/s1600/DSC_3501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkGb81ZoGXDL7THpwKDcmp2NQS2ymap3MdFEPYr1rPe5MGaPZPWtNhbJ2lCXZzbtdTyTPkUNIdSOs-7d7Oc6n97YfIUFs_X_i0wM_6cS8YK_PXom8-76pyMwL1lWUXmI885ZE/s400/DSC_3501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden at the back of the Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_ib73kkvm0r4RsFUJo0987n29FxRNzQDPOSrwuswOwUwLwQFyK52gJ5LvbARt7avlKqJB_oKS7YxgvO1uZy4AntCTIsbXH0FfQ8qE9VsENF11b74AogqcRP_PuIbBbcMbVpQ/s1600/DSC_3512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_ib73kkvm0r4RsFUJo0987n29FxRNzQDPOSrwuswOwUwLwQFyK52gJ5LvbARt7avlKqJB_oKS7YxgvO1uZy4AntCTIsbXH0FfQ8qE9VsENF11b74AogqcRP_PuIbBbcMbVpQ/s400/DSC_3512.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden where the fountain only sprouts water every 30 mins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08_Vyziu3gQ2_yb-kWYIFdX-kIuWsAKlYL4xYQ-pGv1tmkczumq5YSKErQHj-DrG5CH036ppQ9zV6HzJMDqPwvSP_uxEGGqs8dPf4r1zlcrt1cjqVXEDErl3UgCROXrtoWom-/s1600/DSC_3539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08_Vyziu3gQ2_yb-kWYIFdX-kIuWsAKlYL4xYQ-pGv1tmkczumq5YSKErQHj-DrG5CH036ppQ9zV6HzJMDqPwvSP_uxEGGqs8dPf4r1zlcrt1cjqVXEDErl3UgCROXrtoWom-/s400/DSC_3539.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The only photo of me all day! </span></span></span></td></tr>
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Unfortunately tourists are not allowed to take interior photos, but I can tell you it is the most decorated and opulent castle I have seen (not the largest, but King Ludwig fits in a lot into a small space). The Hall of Mirrors was particularly impressive, giving the optical illusion of a never-ending avenue. You can also see the lonely life he lived, as he built everything in the castle purposely for one person. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Second Stop: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Oberammergau</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">An adorable little German town where they put on the Passion play every ten years. (First performed in 1654!) The town is also famous for wood carvings, painted houses - frescoes in Bavarian theme. I really enjoyed our short stopover here, mainly because I had no expectations of this place. Its an adorable little town, I had a great Gelato there too :)</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aAFZE3i8PYtzKLb5JtPWzhvCRgULkIIdfMvD5TpSTLwPVotCW319labYWkhKWzVF8r_4e6VgAjt1WnNfWQHbaFoN8dr73aoNlk-8qny1NMowyQrEecbJXcKvVhWzWNRNR-xU/s1600/DSC_3559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aAFZE3i8PYtzKLb5JtPWzhvCRgULkIIdfMvD5TpSTLwPVotCW319labYWkhKWzVF8r_4e6VgAjt1WnNfWQHbaFoN8dr73aoNlk-8qny1NMowyQrEecbJXcKvVhWzWNRNR-xU/s400/DSC_3559.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Typical Bavarian scenery that day with the fab weather</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ctJaOpJ8jtmPW8TmIyKdBfx99fIsvm2XAsEcEgVNXLbpDvia7dcDefn9moEdNSE1PAqWa2VofQGOv5jBt7T1Qyt_dIIEJL_dgZTGgqg4m2AzEwkwzxu3Fblt9r2x8M19A9t/s1600/DSC_3561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ctJaOpJ8jtmPW8TmIyKdBfx99fIsvm2XAsEcEgVNXLbpDvia7dcDefn9moEdNSE1PAqWa2VofQGOv5jBt7T1Qyt_dIIEJL_dgZTGgqg4m2AzEwkwzxu3Fblt9r2x8M19A9t/s400/DSC_3561.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frescoes on House (my bad photo capture)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp2wlIffR3RV5nvM0cpFVeK6XLkPy_L6ztKD5ULhsTEOI9BcVVZgYRaNgsabQnqJXANTwZJY4vqzaBdgcYKd21iPYlkZZ7_5TwQefpHdYkTcG02FCtBUYoTfCOaT0yFgk2ute/s1600/DSC_3587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp2wlIffR3RV5nvM0cpFVeK6XLkPy_L6ztKD5ULhsTEOI9BcVVZgYRaNgsabQnqJXANTwZJY4vqzaBdgcYKd21iPYlkZZ7_5TwQefpHdYkTcG02FCtBUYoTfCOaT0yFgk2ute/s400/DSC_3587.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They really like these frescoes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFFHpfNaLA18lbyJZWcqKcLmKGdzCBV6I5bSls94YvpKQb4Tgqp1pzR_Fc5SaVTI1Ob1FC6l4URhoPaPQWsaX3J-HSPJ_q20NAf0NnxORUB7hUZMjAhEz-hZ2p1zDAx23AphW/s1600/DSC_3568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFFHpfNaLA18lbyJZWcqKcLmKGdzCBV6I5bSls94YvpKQb4Tgqp1pzR_Fc5SaVTI1Ob1FC6l4URhoPaPQWsaX3J-HSPJ_q20NAf0NnxORUB7hUZMjAhEz-hZ2p1zDAx23AphW/s400/DSC_3568.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many cute items to buy in Oberammergau</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f0h2YZSTcHn-jRs4N85zb1dluOVB2uMucyQ_kWCc7lqJ7NBOEGVdZ-jMWOdEMkk1-LAKCPnaK5op1CoQ28gCF549lkn4tS06zemO_36Gk-3_DQtHc9FQQXh5a78qMxQjqZPV/s1600/DSC_3582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f0h2YZSTcHn-jRs4N85zb1dluOVB2uMucyQ_kWCc7lqJ7NBOEGVdZ-jMWOdEMkk1-LAKCPnaK5op1CoQ28gCF549lkn4tS06zemO_36Gk-3_DQtHc9FQQXh5a78qMxQjqZPV/s400/DSC_3582.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humpty-dumpty is also in town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M3KFOenNP4ho83wttw6uAsYa2OtVsTi8e4rKYSMCzPrSHh8rY9ti9mXGs3FoZVcrynXonpr0KeqHXv44_4nL1ZjPM7sS3WwqDDAYBTcXBxtvG3fiGAv0T2lYdH1LzvdmxN6D/s1600/DSC_3592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M3KFOenNP4ho83wttw6uAsYa2OtVsTi8e4rKYSMCzPrSHh8rY9ti9mXGs3FoZVcrynXonpr0KeqHXv44_4nL1ZjPM7sS3WwqDDAYBTcXBxtvG3fiGAv0T2lYdH1LzvdmxN6D/s400/DSC_3592.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely town!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyyyUi90g7Xl6k5_A9SPtAvUZRjKz7miYaflTzfu1MSFmrWfA9ofDp_80ho3B4UDvsa32kEubWd62h_QxCjPHUXJqmVxsh2kxc399SkP_pus6IsUWAQuBGsyNXhLTaqcH6hCH/s1600/DSC_3588+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyyyUi90g7Xl6k5_A9SPtAvUZRjKz7miYaflTzfu1MSFmrWfA9ofDp_80ho3B4UDvsa32kEubWd62h_QxCjPHUXJqmVxsh2kxc399SkP_pus6IsUWAQuBGsyNXhLTaqcH6hCH/s400/DSC_3588+%25281%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passion play...just missed it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJkLFSk7goj8nykkCEPxF-WN9l28L0avLdXUs6GEg53DWJOWINWf17pJfzQu4MymYGCiET773bHPUroPpXn95OqBYYDGl_oklNVOlkHYRpqpff9MbwPsLZC7IW0ZtoPHrHMJK/s1600/DSC_3601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJkLFSk7goj8nykkCEPxF-WN9l28L0avLdXUs6GEg53DWJOWINWf17pJfzQu4MymYGCiET773bHPUroPpXn95OqBYYDGl_oklNVOlkHYRpqpff9MbwPsLZC7IW0ZtoPHrHMJK/s400/DSC_3601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theatre where the play is staged</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQucZBGB3kokowkA7K81RgeisZT0CHAifJ27j9_7j1fHaahf4aLJKwmS7RcDpdJwFtfLD-tenWnLP71GlTHQeHOAs2A4un-7EmcHE1B5KpC55tHLDx8uzQMwwVxaOaeOGAFVe/s1600/DSC_3600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQucZBGB3kokowkA7K81RgeisZT0CHAifJ27j9_7j1fHaahf4aLJKwmS7RcDpdJwFtfLD-tenWnLP71GlTHQeHOAs2A4un-7EmcHE1B5KpC55tHLDx8uzQMwwVxaOaeOGAFVe/s400/DSC_3600.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vow</td></tr>
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<div>
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Third & Final Stop: <i>Neuschwanstein Castle</i></div>
<div>
I have to say, the pictures seen from postcards and books is far more impressive than the Castle up close. I suppose it is one of those sights best seen from afar. I was hoping the tour included a stop somewhere to take a great scenic shot of the castle, however, that was not part of the deal! What I did enjoy about the tour was the long walk up to the castle. I took so many photos of just trees. The view from above is also pretty amazing, even when visibility is bad. Again, the Castle interior tour didn't allow photos, and the tour is run like a factory production line (good or bad? neither really), but it is still worth joining the guided tour. It is apparent that King Ludwig never finished his dream castle, and it appears that he did live in dreams. He definitely made sure his architect kept up with his imagination!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8FJ8NunYvMW1GK-F1MGqcmkwSLewSsU8_fainakwmaHsUD2EspBmjumQ7owWIb-Gv8QYPAsy87CCF88Z2pslroTCkF1XfKP2SSdugeuO9-E02zzumUmsJ8r4w9Fg8hs_TY7O/s1600/DSC_3634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8FJ8NunYvMW1GK-F1MGqcmkwSLewSsU8_fainakwmaHsUD2EspBmjumQ7owWIb-Gv8QYPAsy87CCF88Z2pslroTCkF1XfKP2SSdugeuO9-E02zzumUmsJ8r4w9Fg8hs_TY7O/s400/DSC_3634.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First sighting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71K_viZZ6xM1pOBd58h02_bAMMDtxrvgMf8qUBfXPGb_-tg8afOVohTUtW2bESfSY47leqfZIm_zQ7ecT0sy5lxgco3o9AEpm3Wq3g-XQRck3fHJfo8IGwlT9nafpP826zSnm/s1600/DSC_3639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71K_viZZ6xM1pOBd58h02_bAMMDtxrvgMf8qUBfXPGb_-tg8afOVohTUtW2bESfSY47leqfZIm_zQ7ecT0sy5lxgco3o9AEpm3Wq3g-XQRck3fHJfo8IGwlT9nafpP826zSnm/s400/DSC_3639.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle with scenery...the weather wasn't so lovely by this stage of the day<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lD4O_i0-efVJTExghR8AtuGzneZ4VGjitpVR7QeNoSJdXl6Ly3wPxJXVbdSnMDgCr1xX0C18eFFjge-wXON01I7-Nm_5dHE9HMMzIJ-C3XFRuJpILsFJ8KW4AdtSmn-9TWua/s1600/DSC_3637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8lD4O_i0-efVJTExghR8AtuGzneZ4VGjitpVR7QeNoSJdXl6Ly3wPxJXVbdSnMDgCr1xX0C18eFFjge-wXON01I7-Nm_5dHE9HMMzIJ-C3XFRuJpILsFJ8KW4AdtSmn-9TWua/s400/DSC_3637.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoyed a German meal @ Hotel Muller before walking up to the castle<br />
Best mash ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3LjEoimHaSrxSyElYaCPrPd58SJMS9eXwhgMgs_08EK-tZk3gIntiiH_uTgc3pkkS9Yh79QR_Fcu5J8CyepYPX6JpS3nB7eBaM3fAC7AQyC6Q4jxxaVX5qJ8eXRZW_PIy-H_/s1600/DSC_3654+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3LjEoimHaSrxSyElYaCPrPd58SJMS9eXwhgMgs_08EK-tZk3gIntiiH_uTgc3pkkS9Yh79QR_Fcu5J8CyepYPX6JpS3nB7eBaM3fAC7AQyC6Q4jxxaVX5qJ8eXRZW_PIy-H_/s400/DSC_3654+%25281%2529.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love autumn colours!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfZbe16yKYnfvG2I6wFVlD0DYR9nWbm2M6F9RzmwWwwCiyKl5gBAikXzy8HA7IljHZo5TJFV2DCbCqZUoo-ICQUl7P5CKKdaWEgLtNITzUXndY5FI29H52KqTehyX-Z5p21cs/s1600/DSC_3655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfZbe16yKYnfvG2I6wFVlD0DYR9nWbm2M6F9RzmwWwwCiyKl5gBAikXzy8HA7IljHZo5TJFV2DCbCqZUoo-ICQUl7P5CKKdaWEgLtNITzUXndY5FI29H52KqTehyX-Z5p21cs/s400/DSC_3655.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree size in comparison to people</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEqhAQfrrz8RMqaRsC9PS6b8YiYryI2u1SUoZK2DtRcgT2v3yoatNHxrMPGQaeAqAcGVsc7WbAmyBh6gJMPKmlqomBnfMVanoo4EGctDwKU1SUJcZYN8c_8-JFap2I12XosHG/s1600/DSC_3680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEqhAQfrrz8RMqaRsC9PS6b8YiYryI2u1SUoZK2DtRcgT2v3yoatNHxrMPGQaeAqAcGVsc7WbAmyBh6gJMPKmlqomBnfMVanoo4EGctDwKU1SUJcZYN8c_8-JFap2I12XosHG/s400/DSC_3680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The castle with an 'antique' look</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMfORDRU0VN5WXrYgyvwD_zhDmuY0qO8q_W6ipFXFoWPP_tZJKNejxt7gT-KpoXihS8ZaVVnP6Wedauyw9-WOKriVRGixdkDtWycweYsQZF1Vgl1vXzgIOTl1VeEXPUeg6qEU/s1600/DSC_3674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMfORDRU0VN5WXrYgyvwD_zhDmuY0qO8q_W6ipFXFoWPP_tZJKNejxt7gT-KpoXihS8ZaVVnP6Wedauyw9-WOKriVRGixdkDtWycweYsQZF1Vgl1vXzgIOTl1VeEXPUeg6qEU/s400/DSC_3674.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from above...looks like something from a fairy tale to me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KDtKUF0mJLGFegtNrbLcTMllinjeiiIJT5doHJNc3vqtnQRXohCDihz7hLBNNcPQRm6zoMfcx8GsoXJ2UMPgPUwQjPHrse_RkViRHrj5GMIzU2s0CcpBjsNF3n7vexPR4_gF/s1600/DSC_3724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KDtKUF0mJLGFegtNrbLcTMllinjeiiIJT5doHJNc3vqtnQRXohCDihz7hLBNNcPQRm6zoMfcx8GsoXJ2UMPgPUwQjPHrse_RkViRHrj5GMIzU2s0CcpBjsNF3n7vexPR4_gF/s400/DSC_3724.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle on closer observation</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloGJSvpbFcInVcNxqfAT9LB7XZv36-FXFSqtQrfc7_hTkgRx1hixlYS0geUKObc1WWrsKjaTK6YH7bjZUfpf2RGJ39FwUOUoFuffL-8UOG8hyiWuRO0W_oEoPU1MnT2lrtl6/s1600/DSC_3692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYloGJSvpbFcInVcNxqfAT9LB7XZv36-FXFSqtQrfc7_hTkgRx1hixlYS0geUKObc1WWrsKjaTK6YH7bjZUfpf2RGJ39FwUOUoFuffL-8UOG8hyiWuRO0W_oEoPU1MnT2lrtl6/s400/DSC_3692.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQH9got9jYDY_RiFe6TANmvCth9Di9oqDNGTIxPrmEN5axecwjc53_ysM90ZbzWQ2nmHJlQ0jVf8XjUpccMqgp-znOMXI7e6SEfOuRqZ7pHkZkoDbxFW-mIFz4l9OmqqBWeh0/s1600/DSC_3752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQH9got9jYDY_RiFe6TANmvCth9Di9oqDNGTIxPrmEN5axecwjc53_ysM90ZbzWQ2nmHJlQ0jVf8XjUpccMqgp-znOMXI7e6SEfOuRqZ7pHkZkoDbxFW-mIFz4l9OmqqBWeh0/s400/DSC_3752.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's also a lake nearby. <br />
One could hardly see the otherside by late afternoon</td></tr>
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After the tour, I actually met up with my good friend Sue (from Sydney) & her German friends for dinner. We were meant to do the Castles tour together somehow (it was hard to coordinate), but that didn't work out, and we probably just missed each other whilst at Neuschwanstein. It was awesome meeting up with Sue as it was a completely unplanned catch up (no one really plans to catch up in Munich!), and I hadn't seen her since she left Sydney in March. We enjoyed a delightful Italian meal in a cosy, warm little Italian place. She's been up to some awesome travels this year to, which you can read about here: <a href="http://destinations2010.blogspot.com/">http://destinations2010.blogspot.com/</a>. Since our catch up was just like any other good session in Sydney, we forgot to take a photo of our meeting in Munich!! Regretting it now indeed, but as long as we knew we met up. It's all good.</div>
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So that was how my 2010 European holiday concluded. We left Munich airport around midday the next day to go on that long long flight back to Singapore. I left Munich rather impressed with the city, and was glad to see Bavaria welcome and farewell me with clear blue skies :) I don't think I can convey in words how happy I was to see those sunny days. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The impressive Munich airport. Farewell!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-55253823983878183552010-11-20T01:44:00.001+11:002012-09-07T15:01:19.417+10:004 Oct - 5 Oct | City of a Hundred Spires | Prague, Czech Republic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The magical lure of old-Bohemia draws millions of tourists each year to see these lands, often topping peoples ‘must see’ destination lists. The train ride from Vienna to Prague was another scenic, colourful and romantic one, which was in stark contrast to the flat and lacklustre countryside on the Vienna-Budapest journey. I will stress again that the beauty of rail travel is just witnessing the gorgeous scenery passing by, something that is lost in the modern age of air travel.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWegP1eP-jpj3S0i62K0l6JfzvUuJ4ZaBQmfUo0zEj9Y6ouToT8IgE-mTAZrGWIbaIDFEM9SBwfv_sX3JEBIsBJwKzXClu9ra6p-0iepGc_J5jT8KobpTuOrzGcsj2tQi_SGqQ/s1600/DSC_0294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWegP1eP-jpj3S0i62K0l6JfzvUuJ4ZaBQmfUo0zEj9Y6ouToT8IgE-mTAZrGWIbaIDFEM9SBwfv_sX3JEBIsBJwKzXClu9ra6p-0iepGc_J5jT8KobpTuOrzGcsj2tQi_SGqQ/s400/DSC_0294.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prague Castle in a distance...</td></tr>
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This was my second visit to Prague. <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com/2008/06/revival-day-25-28-prague.html">Four years ago </a>Prague left a good impression on me. A city where one can still imagine how Bohemian life may have been, old castles, churches and cobbled stone paths. Second time round I have to say, the glamour and magic had diminished slightly, so it was time to ‘discover’ Prague again by getting lost in those old cobble-street alleys (and thankfully, we did). Last time we took a guided tour of the city, this time we had our own itinerary. One cannot go to Prague and not revisit Prague Castle & Charles Bridge. So that is exactly what we did, both by day and by night.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prague Castle & Charles Bridge <br />
(if only I had a blue sky day!)</td></tr>
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Charles Bridge is definitely the most densely populated touristy part of the city, but at least this time we were onlookers to a bridal photo-shoot. Behaving exactly as paparazzi tourists do, I made sure I captured a photo of the newlyweds. Once we passed Charles Bridge, we were onto giving ourselves a good workout by walking all the way up to Prague Castle. The parents may have complained the walk was too long and steep, but I think they were secretly proud of actually completing the walk to the top, as the views above were amazing! Perhaps a bit museum-ed out from the Vienna visit, we didn’t really check out the Prague Castle museum, preferring to wonder around the castle grounds and eventually walking down to the main town.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo shoot!! The crowds weren't moving for a while, this is why!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entertainer on Charles Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfToZu6CxKuv4lAG-S3kDlTDN6gNb4Pm2AR0IkUlqMKFWpNi9ScDX_teKICPrGshui9A4McSEimpF-m5Poki8TbaAos0mVlDxjozPAnodxB9zDw_uyE88rIGnYF1EMe_4gcxg/s1600/DSC_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAfToZu6CxKuv4lAG-S3kDlTDN6gNb4Pm2AR0IkUlqMKFWpNi9ScDX_teKICPrGshui9A4McSEimpF-m5Poki8TbaAos0mVlDxjozPAnodxB9zDw_uyE88rIGnYF1EMe_4gcxg/s400/DSC_0343.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Exiting Charles Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qJ8vjj4CW3A4p3u_84spC8fCsBXd5iKWHkR6xzf0ZNYXdm86225eBqG3wJZu8PlWXw6Z5lOdU0aqwvu1HE8H0MQ7kETFRgGg6skqxQQSmtu9NfsmpdLrEq5obxlSDQfODicC/s1600/DSC_0370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qJ8vjj4CW3A4p3u_84spC8fCsBXd5iKWHkR6xzf0ZNYXdm86225eBqG3wJZu8PlWXw6Z5lOdU0aqwvu1HE8H0MQ7kETFRgGg6skqxQQSmtu9NfsmpdLrEq5obxlSDQfODicC/s400/DSC_0370.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Old streets and buildings on the way to Prague Castle<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A steep climb up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Prague City from the Castle! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbG5W_y0VYyoPgBzvkCXH7yIgBq9vnKuIaShkziMztBqJShwwXde9kI23BND2hKUbF9OdAiB33V6fDqKVDmrYTN9Lu_8E6Imv5ypPvQm240nBHHy6jOFMRfPkpjDjCJiIvgND3/s1600/DSC_0390+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbG5W_y0VYyoPgBzvkCXH7yIgBq9vnKuIaShkziMztBqJShwwXde9kI23BND2hKUbF9OdAiB33V6fDqKVDmrYTN9Lu_8E6Imv5ypPvQm240nBHHy6jOFMRfPkpjDjCJiIvgND3/s400/DSC_0390+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One side of St Vitus Church<br />
This is the building everyone sees from a distance aka Prague Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYztDosTRauBgU6V23wltBucFGthAF3yhSfUg2rxoRsbfivSH4JVd4Q_tlAp7m3z88NLOn9IPhJahLlusU8j_bfoNvM6QhHhRJCv1jo0lXi_Wu0LIUsTfudqGs-XCVUnxYsuX/s400/DSC_0395.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church spires</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gScm1wAwKSRKvGnbg2aTTJtGT518N00hjAe2Q8XL3qdGtXdVYiDXOwbBV9_pAryRL4lv7SA8gi52AKxXcjsE6kXjMYAvo7CigiTxH7TLRkeZY859x6q31bKtisv7ZtlhMGg4/s1600/DSC_0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0gScm1wAwKSRKvGnbg2aTTJtGT518N00hjAe2Q8XL3qdGtXdVYiDXOwbBV9_pAryRL4lv7SA8gi52AKxXcjsE6kXjMYAvo7CigiTxH7TLRkeZY859x6q31bKtisv7ZtlhMGg4/s400/DSC_0386.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">St Vitus Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk8z7KSgizbD-FCEdyvTCfymg_e1fLNqKUnoqW2KfT3-f36ruByty_j0bEcXWjIF3vb1CyDRySJkrBugweWDDCxMLzOhZSQLc8OUFonQ7m2XwrIo7ou5Ggk0MEkdOOdYC8C2k/s1600/IMG_5526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk8z7KSgizbD-FCEdyvTCfymg_e1fLNqKUnoqW2KfT3-f36ruByty_j0bEcXWjIF3vb1CyDRySJkrBugweWDDCxMLzOhZSQLc8OUFonQ7m2XwrIo7ou5Ggk0MEkdOOdYC8C2k/s400/IMG_5526.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum & Me on the descent from Prague Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnMS_GcI-Y_PrnqgrouwT5ZE7jzKiv-PJ8ms0RCGuN-9AbxGbXXDy5UsfsLU5p6KteyHnODVVWYiZ6zpDzUSm9_m9VUbmQmigJzdfGhchNZ0ZjBPJITIxCn2w8da_qXyODVn6/s1600/DSC_0431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnMS_GcI-Y_PrnqgrouwT5ZE7jzKiv-PJ8ms0RCGuN-9AbxGbXXDy5UsfsLU5p6KteyHnODVVWYiZ6zpDzUSm9_m9VUbmQmigJzdfGhchNZ0ZjBPJITIxCn2w8da_qXyODVn6/s400/DSC_0431.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Back on street level. Tram & Castle in the same pic!</td></tr>
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Did I see anything differently this time in Prague? I can’t really say I did, I just took more time to appreciate all the historical sites and 4 years later, I have a fancier camera to take better photos (even though we were still experiencing October grey skies!). I’m sure there is much more to see in this land of Bohemia, but it will have to a trip in the future. There were plans to check out jazz bars and classical concerts, but maybe it is just me, Prague just has a bit too many tourists now, then again, whose fault is that?<br />
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The types of photos I didn't get to take my last trip here:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I definitely didn't see Gloria Jeans last trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marionette puppets as souvenirs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Prague bag anyone??</td></tr>
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And some of my arty photo attempts:<br />
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And of course my favourite night shots!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-74048955217927463032010-11-16T22:56:00.000+11:002012-09-07T15:00:34.682+10:001 Oct - 2 Oct | Grand City of Lights | Budapest, Hungary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Budapest was once a great Romantic City of Eastern Europe, and the remnants of that period in history are obvious. Unlike Vienna where it still is the cultural heartbeat of Central Europe, Budapest appears to be lost in its hey day. That is until you see Budapest light up gloriously at night.</div>
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We stayed at the elegant <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1861">Le Meridien Hotel </a>where we were served by the most welcoming staff all trip. Luckily for us the hotel had a special Friday night Hungarian folk dance performance coupled by an excellent buffet dinner meal. I really wish I had more space to stomach ALL the fantastic desserts. (Yes, greedy!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG-OgzkdnSDR50tttEF_8F0aOeJiW8Pk0hnCDKd3_8cNiTvKUvtkBzwYZegdzMquaD8gjJf873jPeNRcGSilDBWdtpZmGb0MyQVkkOd65vDvDNomu0WM3n-Kl4fNcIlA_QVSB/s1600/DSC_0702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimG-OgzkdnSDR50tttEF_8F0aOeJiW8Pk0hnCDKd3_8cNiTvKUvtkBzwYZegdzMquaD8gjJf873jPeNRcGSilDBWdtpZmGb0MyQVkkOd65vDvDNomu0WM3n-Kl4fNcIlA_QVSB/s400/DSC_0702.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elegant Le Meridien Hotel Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr0N0zNNgCetIU_TiXmdC1zrtVRumiI-h0kBfmocfhqmm1fnB_4DCv4W6J8thSX_tc-2y9NnjfQhwnTggfoo6GjWrmxcNcEfeZBNnhl1v7PTQj4NTBWIs0_NS4AHqpoG0d_FU/s1600/DSC_0833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr0N0zNNgCetIU_TiXmdC1zrtVRumiI-h0kBfmocfhqmm1fnB_4DCv4W6J8thSX_tc-2y9NnjfQhwnTggfoo6GjWrmxcNcEfeZBNnhl1v7PTQj4NTBWIs0_NS4AHqpoG0d_FU/s400/DSC_0833.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungarian quartet that entertained us all evening</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkDp1xR50xTUUDwgAaG4BxnUfInD4QFjneAWPlIolYOWORBv-u_L61HSZGCOmiJbrXP6UMLJaSwTD2_YD357G3yImdG8vwZJ9dQyJULWcWByBrh33sgQ6Wf4tL8hA6XXY65zr/s1600/DSC_0835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkDp1xR50xTUUDwgAaG4BxnUfInD4QFjneAWPlIolYOWORBv-u_L61HSZGCOmiJbrXP6UMLJaSwTD2_YD357G3yImdG8vwZJ9dQyJULWcWByBrh33sgQ6Wf4tL8hA6XXY65zr/s400/DSC_0835.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the chandeliers and lights at the hotel restaurant!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBzHfNPqEtNAGdlWXEDJ13wxDsEwQzTGQnspR05U89vtekCDRb2elq0-exGoGIVP0JmLOpKukv-RXs6n_jjMDzxR282Mhy0hO2tME1BW52dNEvt2kImdG4Kd-fvvatLwwygNn/s1600/IMG_5264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBzHfNPqEtNAGdlWXEDJ13wxDsEwQzTGQnspR05U89vtekCDRb2elq0-exGoGIVP0JmLOpKukv-RXs6n_jjMDzxR282Mhy0hO2tME1BW52dNEvt2kImdG4Kd-fvvatLwwygNn/s400/IMG_5264.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family at the hotel dinner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDRLUsKoa0TjuY_9N-zQ-lc0mtg0p-RbX1MXcJ6_f0x0sWUFM_cwxNFnlQ3S2uq6eq2HCK5Z1T6NKVUAC0PNAdbnOqtUJUf4PmCxXvCjXmEHj2JYa0Wa-cJeKYd9-x2N39ptA/s1600/DSC_0846+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDRLUsKoa0TjuY_9N-zQ-lc0mtg0p-RbX1MXcJ6_f0x0sWUFM_cwxNFnlQ3S2uq6eq2HCK5Z1T6NKVUAC0PNAdbnOqtUJUf4PmCxXvCjXmEHj2JYa0Wa-cJeKYd9-x2N39ptA/s400/DSC_0846+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungarian dance performers ready to go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_KV5s7OMyKPduZkBhNBx_lJqX_zSYgbKt08Q0kq93O6EjD-AjEC19xs5CzjL_dzgQhu2yJPSPSQf3qQK-CSd5l9Gbicp7ohXJKPfxtwPrHQv3gX1O0YgZapEq5sx0gEYOJoq/s1600/DSC_0850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_KV5s7OMyKPduZkBhNBx_lJqX_zSYgbKt08Q0kq93O6EjD-AjEC19xs5CzjL_dzgQhu2yJPSPSQf3qQK-CSd5l9Gbicp7ohXJKPfxtwPrHQv3gX1O0YgZapEq5sx0gEYOJoq/s400/DSC_0850.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancers twirling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznX_cSOKCxgfBzxhGMqBfGuA455Bv1q3CW8rjkMmqOzJjcZ4KO6zCgbszq-bPZNmGxZYCrkGXQWd_b8uOe-bU9Haxt9twNMO5fuDZ3NJtM0ivfoHbMShF_2ll3t5FIz08gpJO/s1600/DSC_0853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznX_cSOKCxgfBzxhGMqBfGuA455Bv1q3CW8rjkMmqOzJjcZ4KO6zCgbszq-bPZNmGxZYCrkGXQWd_b8uOe-bU9Haxt9twNMO5fuDZ3NJtM0ivfoHbMShF_2ll3t5FIz08gpJO/s400/DSC_0853.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of my many plates</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkTmtbI3-oZ14Md_5PqVdTG1_l2PT1aBGXKN48S8otC-3Qepa0J9fSwNeN0RXphlOaWkpMvxdK1qroRDnVQcYaUfan2wC9jfa-J_r96GCh4-ue51LEpfhoUxekvbrAOExjma4/s1600/DSC_0859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkTmtbI3-oZ14Md_5PqVdTG1_l2PT1aBGXKN48S8otC-3Qepa0J9fSwNeN0RXphlOaWkpMvxdK1qroRDnVQcYaUfan2wC9jfa-J_r96GCh4-ue51LEpfhoUxekvbrAOExjma4/s400/DSC_0859.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert plate with all the layered cakes. YUM!</td></tr>
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As we were only in Budapest for 2 nights, we did what the usual tourists do, try to cover all the major sights as quickly as possible. On day 1 we saw St Stephen's Basilica just metres away from the hotel and walked further along the Danube river to see Budapest Parliament, perhaps Budapest's most iconic building. Since we only started our sightseeing after lunch, we couldn't fit many more sights in! The next day we wanted to maximise our time by purchasing tix for the hop-on/hop-off bus + night cruise. It is perhaps the most efficient way to see a city, albeit you end up with a bunch of blurry photos if you don't happen to 'hop-off'. We only 'hopped off' at the Castle District to have a wonder around the old-style Buda side of town. It is rich in history and old buildings, and gives you a commanding view of the Pest side of the Danube river. Unfortunately we were not blessed with gorgeous weather and everything just looked a bit grey and dull. Sun sun...I missed the sun and blue skies dearly in Budapest!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdatpUj20sx5s1bXVCsKCR2ft63Rf5zpEhigls9FXCcD4KBCY-qhar_0aD8jz0KOt0DJb07QoQCPglE_RnJvPvmmOyAnh2privz_lJxrbwGmH6RM0mzXxTWrD_aopE2v9sVLn/s1600/DSC_0765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdatpUj20sx5s1bXVCsKCR2ft63Rf5zpEhigls9FXCcD4KBCY-qhar_0aD8jz0KOt0DJb07QoQCPglE_RnJvPvmmOyAnh2privz_lJxrbwGmH6RM0mzXxTWrD_aopE2v9sVLn/s400/DSC_0765.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament close up (expand photo to see the detail)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgSxcJuLfHiYgK0IpFGVQp4rDZJ4NwCvoKx5Prr_q1Eix8t7xWMtkUpl452PjveN_PYb_MpMlHGKB_vakYU1rwJsjj6QEwFk2bVSUv5HKlauKwwHUzM4EHi8JWRebH2T12n14/s1600/DSC_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgSxcJuLfHiYgK0IpFGVQp4rDZJ4NwCvoKx5Prr_q1Eix8t7xWMtkUpl452PjveN_PYb_MpMlHGKB_vakYU1rwJsjj6QEwFk2bVSUv5HKlauKwwHUzM4EHi8JWRebH2T12n14/s400/DSC_0786.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budapest Four Seasons Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxh2uIZa8K2lKJq-pC3bIt-Rnot9OTxuH5COm5dKJ3dIvUOCEKbdgUco6rZCfTSAqv4FXrrd96t-mU9WBmIamd3OOJH2TMYoavYbPLYSZUq9Xyru9PZMCQCGhW5mAgVwQhkMZ/s1600/DSC_0804+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxh2uIZa8K2lKJq-pC3bIt-Rnot9OTxuH5COm5dKJ3dIvUOCEKbdgUco6rZCfTSAqv4FXrrd96t-mU9WBmIamd3OOJH2TMYoavYbPLYSZUq9Xyru9PZMCQCGhW5mAgVwQhkMZ/s400/DSC_0804+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We decided to have a peek inside. It is stunning! <br />
The Four Seasons group bought the Art Noveaux Gresham Palace landmark <br />
and transformed it into a world leading hotel.<br />
Located right in front of the chain bridge on the Pest side, I'd love to stay here one day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bcYy1iOy8QR3mVzkVPCauWTPQu0L9DLyQeKGXSAkw2QbkypOgA7Xso2Na_zRM1xwVNDeo086SFtV2aTb2B_05X7cKDRZi1LeNuBsNUQdxLn8-Z_BpwZAfYOBt9bKTazYJGbh/s1600/IMG_5423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bcYy1iOy8QR3mVzkVPCauWTPQu0L9DLyQeKGXSAkw2QbkypOgA7Xso2Na_zRM1xwVNDeo086SFtV2aTb2B_05X7cKDRZi1LeNuBsNUQdxLn8-Z_BpwZAfYOBt9bKTazYJGbh/s400/IMG_5423.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Synagogue, Budapest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-eBmcHTsYnGXWmXcxpvdhTT0gESuXflZwfL1C92zGo_o5tADLHA3e1AX29knLkM8jS5jLeuuXY7O3eyTKeGvDC5EU8jilndom03WxAYtDaBOatKrjMSrDLdBaRorfMmOCKXH/s1600/IMG_5308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-eBmcHTsYnGXWmXcxpvdhTT0gESuXflZwfL1C92zGo_o5tADLHA3e1AX29knLkM8jS5jLeuuXY7O3eyTKeGvDC5EU8jilndom03WxAYtDaBOatKrjMSrDLdBaRorfMmOCKXH/s400/IMG_5308.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Heroes Square</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4tiyjnA39rwAmfLjXfP0v-FLMyRaAOk-t2br5oQ73TgPzkZq0W3Vh50c4x2wYhE7ymuNy6mcos9VjSmp6mdT_n8hP3gqbS7rXl9fVqcgzuCZFRGsNdnoj9RNepAtWwyRzgB/s1600/DSC_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4tiyjnA39rwAmfLjXfP0v-FLMyRaAOk-t2br5oQ73TgPzkZq0W3Vh50c4x2wYhE7ymuNy6mcos9VjSmp6mdT_n8hP3gqbS7rXl9fVqcgzuCZFRGsNdnoj9RNepAtWwyRzgB/s400/DSC_1003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Matthias Church in the old castle district</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHmxUrzndHmZs-hBOZcAuYC5_PwmaL9eJvewojugz6N4w-z69ge4Cj-JBhlbx0dT5Q1B8t9-ScMVrUfENcYrAHsgdziMu9GRFhtKp76FfS0K8DVWYlF7yV9yh5yNMJkL_gy6c/s1600/DSC_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHmxUrzndHmZs-hBOZcAuYC5_PwmaL9eJvewojugz6N4w-z69ge4Cj-JBhlbx0dT5Q1B8t9-ScMVrUfENcYrAHsgdziMu9GRFhtKp76FfS0K8DVWYlF7yV9yh5yNMJkL_gy6c/s400/DSC_0045.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the church. Quite a contrast to all the other church interiors we saw in Austria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaLhTQgpsZmLEFnA97qxzv4q7_hiOwFCwblA4M0n_OLoXALSwM0kTWgrPmJ6ZtRqqog0xmvY1KVS6meS8WvTleyeIRAFLAQhd6Fsvjgny85kvaR9pNuygVFl3lGMqpVJyk0ak/s1600/DSC_0102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtfJ1ZfoMOXSP8Up-S0Oc3elWkBUzVXVRj5v2qy6EY-uJjV_BdXq3nXTvbQamqjiKh7C1RDrh6DGR8V5i7rXrOgvePt-IZusXTigaDq3lou2JsDWYW0LpWv6igJCCTYn5RIlG/s1600/DSC_0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtfJ1ZfoMOXSP8Up-S0Oc3elWkBUzVXVRj5v2qy6EY-uJjV_BdXq3nXTvbQamqjiKh7C1RDrh6DGR8V5i7rXrOgvePt-IZusXTigaDq3lou2JsDWYW0LpWv6igJCCTYn5RIlG/s400/DSC_0008.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fisherman's Bastion. <br />
We enjoyed our lunch here overlooking the Danube and view of Pest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM-_aI-cSsDn2rW54CNLl6j5uonzvIWfc1IqgapCkGm6owJQRlVfu86uN-9nejztZAoC-zlTLXAm7dD14vC5GeMehD4pqaqJjYWAgSZ3KKA1wD75fq-033Se39oGTTUqJM6aa/s1600/DSC_0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM-_aI-cSsDn2rW54CNLl6j5uonzvIWfc1IqgapCkGm6owJQRlVfu86uN-9nejztZAoC-zlTLXAm7dD14vC5GeMehD4pqaqJjYWAgSZ3KKA1wD75fq-033Se39oGTTUqJM6aa/s400/DSC_0020.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evidence that I really was at Budapest!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0P9Y8NTUdpQB6KmjmqsdA8eVDK9diWPrIrEo7w3d5a-GMa85NVXqmpcpYA3NOba2ZWovGHsT7-6sLEE4Pc7Wq4a3VZH3hLC7sP74f8Qj7WJW0hDB4Qzo3PtaevFXEhepr_7YS/s1600/DSC_0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0P9Y8NTUdpQB6KmjmqsdA8eVDK9diWPrIrEo7w3d5a-GMa85NVXqmpcpYA3NOba2ZWovGHsT7-6sLEE4Pc7Wq4a3VZH3hLC7sP74f8Qj7WJW0hDB4Qzo3PtaevFXEhepr_7YS/s400/DSC_0010.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budapest Parliament from Buda side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJQiB-lVeYTIbsLIb1zn2Ogib4MQCzfFdGSsv4ccmEWghRUxqHHOHrPS5DxpOiRkraGfWGSSdL7M0kGrrlgejJV6E1oU5Q8fOTHU0_pS9qp38IzgsbVtSllzR7OyAkFLJkcZf/s1600/DSC_0100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJQiB-lVeYTIbsLIb1zn2Ogib4MQCzfFdGSsv4ccmEWghRUxqHHOHrPS5DxpOiRkraGfWGSSdL7M0kGrrlgejJV6E1oU5Q8fOTHU0_pS9qp38IzgsbVtSllzR7OyAkFLJkcZf/s400/DSC_0100.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungarian Souvenirs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaLhTQgpsZmLEFnA97qxzv4q7_hiOwFCwblA4M0n_OLoXALSwM0kTWgrPmJ6ZtRqqog0xmvY1KVS6meS8WvTleyeIRAFLAQhd6Fsvjgny85kvaR9pNuygVFl3lGMqpVJyk0ak/s1600/DSC_0102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaLhTQgpsZmLEFnA97qxzv4q7_hiOwFCwblA4M0n_OLoXALSwM0kTWgrPmJ6ZtRqqog0xmvY1KVS6meS8WvTleyeIRAFLAQhd6Fsvjgny85kvaR9pNuygVFl3lGMqpVJyk0ak/s400/DSC_0102.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Pest from the Citadel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkK2B2KwhsEoONer4BOxh5F_Izk-gMdCw6vDMcP26cd4HniJXy_ntJvSQtJA97p_5DQSHBzID7hVmJQFGDhJWrOYadbQniRAava3nRY-6z2c71aFfbzxIJC2rQs8q5geCLAWG/s1600/DSC_0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkK2B2KwhsEoONer4BOxh5F_Izk-gMdCw6vDMcP26cd4HniJXy_ntJvSQtJA97p_5DQSHBzID7hVmJQFGDhJWrOYadbQniRAava3nRY-6z2c71aFfbzxIJC2rQs8q5geCLAWG/s400/DSC_0111.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberation Monument</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4tiyjnA39rwAmfLjXfP0v-FLMyRaAOk-t2br5oQ73TgPzkZq0W3Vh50c4x2wYhE7ymuNy6mcos9VjSmp6mdT_n8hP3gqbS7rXl9fVqcgzuCZFRGsNdnoj9RNepAtWwyRzgB/s1600/DSC_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_364357145"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4tiyjnA39rwAmfLjXfP0v-FLMyRaAOk-t2br5oQ73TgPzkZq0W3Vh50c4x2wYhE7ymuNy6mcos9VjSmp6mdT_n8hP3gqbS7rXl9fVqcgzuCZFRGsNdnoj9RNepAtWwyRzgB/s1600/DSC_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_364357146"></span></a><br />
The sun may not have shone brightly during the day, but Budapest would have to be one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in the world by night. I was captivated by the lights along the Danube River. It was almost as if all the restoration required to bring this city back to its former glory were masked away by the beauty of the night. This city has some impressive grand architectural sights such as Buda Castle and Parliament House as the main landmarks to draw in the mass of tourists. I think I had some of the best photographic fun of the holiday in Budapest :) So less words and more photos.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy8Wh90Kyolo5kSGUYLPesWMhlVytHS1o5S42cLf2lJ4mrDhKPlOuApOJ7IK5wjvRnBLhkxnBHJy-Me_yu8V7Q2CX1gG5GdjuREE0IDmLHi9EKO3406u-lvouzRF7NnMuUpzB/s1600/DSC_0884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfy8Wh90Kyolo5kSGUYLPesWMhlVytHS1o5S42cLf2lJ4mrDhKPlOuApOJ7IK5wjvRnBLhkxnBHJy-Me_yu8V7Q2CX1gG5GdjuREE0IDmLHi9EKO3406u-lvouzRF7NnMuUpzB/s640/DSC_0884.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Stephen's Basilica by Night (B&W shot)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5swTlDV9yQe_9wlSzYpXjQ4ArrAlPzJCnZA3YY6-S4t77TDyFLzmoKK4ktnrarj_tVFoZ2XWacabTQhtAteax91O59Ldwttqy6in892DxfG_MxFoXi5unMMlkRheEIbAS0djD/s1600/DSC_0140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5swTlDV9yQe_9wlSzYpXjQ4ArrAlPzJCnZA3YY6-S4t77TDyFLzmoKK4ktnrarj_tVFoZ2XWacabTQhtAteax91O59Ldwttqy6in892DxfG_MxFoXi5unMMlkRheEIbAS0djD/s400/DSC_0140.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Bridge by Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv91AC4EVsr_nXMT470LnSjUEHuvr6tKYBb3yp9fJe00tmsaYw8eDLEa3uz85qGy7ZkaDu1oBdH4ZQnCcL7ROcEtbCwBxk023uVzZqzwuDzf123kVDusZrXpZPNHNszSF4CUA/s1600/DSC_0179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifv91AC4EVsr_nXMT470LnSjUEHuvr6tKYBb3yp9fJe00tmsaYw8eDLEa3uz85qGy7ZkaDu1oBdH4ZQnCcL7ROcEtbCwBxk023uVzZqzwuDzf123kVDusZrXpZPNHNszSF4CUA/s400/DSC_0179.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous <a href="http://www.gellertbath.com/">Gillert Bath & Spa</a> by Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGSycKPVgABGpUttA_9AZBaw2Uu9PTs9G7JpX_xoV61kUvRtJitI6pe0D49ma4rl-xx80dxjkjxFzBGCWHNwONsQG6r5zxqYTWCsHENXuRPtY_mlR-6DppaxV3htNywOp3ewJ/s1600/DSC_0893+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGSycKPVgABGpUttA_9AZBaw2Uu9PTs9G7JpX_xoV61kUvRtJitI6pe0D49ma4rl-xx80dxjkjxFzBGCWHNwONsQG6r5zxqYTWCsHENXuRPtY_mlR-6DppaxV3htNywOp3ewJ/s400/DSC_0893+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chain bridge from Pest side with Buda Castle in the background</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DxcZGrOwlFydTTly9w5NBrXvu69mC4FTTlwU1y8wDV209FJDHLgpXryeSeYBIKIzuWFwHz1Kwr4X7FNg1wUhcx7-LvV5P8FXxNVcvnLdnosOuadKIhIvAEFyibTMUKFcbgMN/s1600/DSC_0899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DxcZGrOwlFydTTly9w5NBrXvu69mC4FTTlwU1y8wDV209FJDHLgpXryeSeYBIKIzuWFwHz1Kwr4X7FNg1wUhcx7-LvV5P8FXxNVcvnLdnosOuadKIhIvAEFyibTMUKFcbgMN/s400/DSC_0899.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Matthias Church by Night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhinkZKBwquKfQ0l_GBRWV1BVSlYhZCu3lHZw_iYZQUyVeGX_ra0kFeCMYYz1NI2Dmswz83p5JlcFhv-UQz7-JtRrcH538SIMhG6MY3RucGFmZGZjv36ODiRip3qi4ajAI27Y/s1600/DSC_0958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhinkZKBwquKfQ0l_GBRWV1BVSlYhZCu3lHZw_iYZQUyVeGX_ra0kFeCMYYz1NI2Dmswz83p5JlcFhv-UQz7-JtRrcH538SIMhG6MY3RucGFmZGZjv36ODiRip3qi4ajAI27Y/s400/DSC_0958.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buda Castle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtgjNHLVWEXxSY_lSH4GmKXGSv7k6KHM3GQbrXWvI8Q-3fFGVrn0DLaLCKX0Zpgc4zl6khtryc7M6_plZBw2eSpM53dCI6KFPE2h4zsNwzeG5FVxEVtf_XV38NhfwEhOOGpfk/s1600/DSC_0936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtgjNHLVWEXxSY_lSH4GmKXGSv7k6KHM3GQbrXWvI8Q-3fFGVrn0DLaLCKX0Zpgc4zl6khtryc7M6_plZBw2eSpM53dCI6KFPE2h4zsNwzeG5FVxEVtf_XV38NhfwEhOOGpfk/s400/DSC_0936.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chain bridge from Buda Side</td></tr>
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I think I did ok for hand-held night photography :)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05052964290710892724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34778724.post-31158697758645645582010-11-04T00:54:00.000+11:002012-09-07T15:01:07.011+10:0028 Sep - 30 Sep | Wien Take 3 | Vienna, Austria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some people only visit a city once, especially if they have to travel more than 20 hours to get there. Well this was my <em>third</em> visit to Vienna! It is now ranked as highly as Paris as my most frequented overseas destination outside of Asia. I've always been fond of Vienna. It has a certain charm, elegance and beauty surrounding it. It was afterall, the capital of the Habsburg Empire that ruled over vast parts of Europe for centuries. It's not a mega city on the scale of London or Tokyo, but it is a city that certainly offers everything those big cities offer as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasnK8mSXSlhdq-nso080Im0QOQNztbyJaaQLyNduJFPaXN6iWWHKxdywNDib1p4aapiXtjtu2bLYhugQYQCxtNReWo_Xk78WGXqQjzQKz3ufMW2doKflLbnSyAPu0e6DLLJ2s/s1600/DSC_3239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasnK8mSXSlhdq-nso080Im0QOQNztbyJaaQLyNduJFPaXN6iWWHKxdywNDib1p4aapiXtjtu2bLYhugQYQCxtNReWo_Xk78WGXqQjzQKz3ufMW2doKflLbnSyAPu0e6DLLJ2s/s400/DSC_3239.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wet Viennese day...interesting lamp post though! Pinocchio?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRhuW2rUojKNggusUPdf53o2Db26_rTpiVVcIRTjt4GWMM034jC7Cnc53odLhZICCkQvfeGUXUkAKOXelZKC3ZNYHRtRwWmXPHk6XI6xHXtUzDRET4QHV9gU57O9IKr9p2-AB/s1600/DSC_3375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRhuW2rUojKNggusUPdf53o2Db26_rTpiVVcIRTjt4GWMM034jC7Cnc53odLhZICCkQvfeGUXUkAKOXelZKC3ZNYHRtRwWmXPHk6XI6xHXtUzDRET4QHV9gU57O9IKr9p2-AB/s400/DSC_3375.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Bristol - A classic hotel that we stayed at.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0v-YYsbgBZmfn-oEXVu-ekVXY_hRKPcHIpDI_UatBcru5oUDrDQ98YxbqSx_1CbkHmyMW0uefi08V2wJcee0k53bYaPJyYtyjabrw3VyhUZP4UDwXysyc2wkZszbpJQy9m0X/s1600/DSC_0399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0v-YYsbgBZmfn-oEXVu-ekVXY_hRKPcHIpDI_UatBcru5oUDrDQ98YxbqSx_1CbkHmyMW0uefi08V2wJcee0k53bYaPJyYtyjabrw3VyhUZP4UDwXysyc2wkZszbpJQy9m0X/s400/DSC_0399.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna State Opera House by Night. Just brilliant!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPZUvLB_c4o09t1rex9U2EmwY89xnep6KFLFmsg4rHILRnjiYw_9f3jB1ipwt1j9z25u73_kYLlwuSv24NZvToIBlGbehHz8P1LSSdkFRQxbQGJVibVS6jh5CICo40oIH9rhL/s1600/DSC_0414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPZUvLB_c4o09t1rex9U2EmwY89xnep6KFLFmsg4rHILRnjiYw_9f3jB1ipwt1j9z25u73_kYLlwuSv24NZvToIBlGbehHz8P1LSSdkFRQxbQGJVibVS6jh5CICo40oIH9rhL/s400/DSC_0414.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna Concert House (I think)</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>So what does one do on their 3rd visit? In my case, it was almost a repeat of the<a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com/2006/12/day-24-25-viennese-waltz.html"> 2nd visit</a>. I could have left my parents when we visited Hofburg Palace/Schonbrunn Palace/Kunsthistorisches Museum, but it's just easier to travel as a group rather than individuals. My parents loved the Sisi Museum exhibition just as I had anticipated, and viewing an exhibition again was not actually that boring. I had forgotten so much of what I had seen last time (it was a very long holiday in 06), so it felt like I was seeing things for the first time again! Same can be said with the Schonbrunn Palace Tour - it seriously felt like I was there looking at the palace interiors for the first time. Amazing. Kunsthistorisches Museum definitely felt larger than the first visit!! I must have skipped parts of the museum last time?! It's just mind moggling to see <strong><em>so many</em></strong> pieces of art from all periods of history located here. My mum didn't enjoy Kunsthistorisches Museum as much as I thought she may have; and I am attributing that to our 8-hour long day of walking! (Note to self: We are not machines and cannot possibly cover 1 palace and 2 museums in a day without getting blisters or feeling exhausted!!!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.hofburg-wien.at/en"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><u>Hofburg Palace</u></span></b></a></div>
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<i>Items from the Imperial Silver Collection </i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-R0B9MBAs20klvUG6h6SKEbFYxP_eu1ZTK7iILdVLGeokQ9TbpmL2e0_bPZTY_5K3ohhhoDdX89iUDTyc9dsx4suy737OVqQOr3J8RlHDCS7PuG-8ZHoXWByhJNmTGU6eoH2/s1600/DSC_3216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-R0B9MBAs20klvUG6h6SKEbFYxP_eu1ZTK7iILdVLGeokQ9TbpmL2e0_bPZTY_5K3ohhhoDdX89iUDTyc9dsx4suy737OVqQOr3J8RlHDCS7PuG-8ZHoXWByhJNmTGU6eoH2/s400/DSC_3216.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candleholders & fruit platter holdings from Viennese courts (lots of gold!)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_BU77KBqiukGE19UGiPTIuz0mDSLze4xVBnUgVXp7akoPsnqahb0i2SoanvjnLgs11qsMSPeO4QWLU2aNndxW_DvvmHTOquNZllXWoliud_qz0MnPW3stuA6g5xcsoaAL1F2/s1600/DSC_3198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_BU77KBqiukGE19UGiPTIuz0mDSLze4xVBnUgVXp7akoPsnqahb0i2SoanvjnLgs11qsMSPeO4QWLU2aNndxW_DvvmHTOquNZllXWoliud_qz0MnPW3stuA6g5xcsoaAL1F2/s400/DSC_3198.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the silverware were so meticulously displayed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jFw7xrn89clq5GKhiFQRYl1Wy0GKqWDsBppDo09QQvxIzNFFz0P6FIcdCdKHpu6mq1p0SpmMD0sbYxWVAcKvIHBPW9EVjjMznU-At_JiiHUSGu9n8RDqUs6mW_c4PU4qHCBM/s1600/DSC_3207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jFw7xrn89clq5GKhiFQRYl1Wy0GKqWDsBppDo09QQvxIzNFFz0P6FIcdCdKHpu6mq1p0SpmMD0sbYxWVAcKvIHBPW9EVjjMznU-At_JiiHUSGu9n8RDqUs6mW_c4PU4qHCBM/s400/DSC_3207.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Viennese courts really did have some fine items...love the use of green here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13gimXjyYYnvE7Y0VYsIKjTo6EWZHSqMS4lxIXi6pyJvtZzttqrr7cXr9WCFYO_FuTV4WUZJzj1xLdfiXNgkNZA8mY-xF4nJ-qpdCHemxSoEPWB21rVxK8dtt1tPQf8rKG_7c/s1600/DSC_3208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13gimXjyYYnvE7Y0VYsIKjTo6EWZHSqMS4lxIXi6pyJvtZzttqrr7cXr9WCFYO_FuTV4WUZJzj1xLdfiXNgkNZA8mY-xF4nJ-qpdCHemxSoEPWB21rVxK8dtt1tPQf8rKG_7c/s400/DSC_3208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napkin folding can be quite an art form</td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/">Schonbrunn Palace</a></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXh8e3czrhyphenhyphenJt4vyGtVJJVegZWAEqkQNJunLNm0EecDVyONXlsAVA-XmWxx4B1xlD3Kz-V9Pah5MWFjKj8kMjMqmyxKYGm14LWVRds-uYzrVFBTWsbsVYzHaeSP4x8IQEBc7-C/s1600/DSC_0599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXh8e3czrhyphenhyphenJt4vyGtVJJVegZWAEqkQNJunLNm0EecDVyONXlsAVA-XmWxx4B1xlD3Kz-V9Pah5MWFjKj8kMjMqmyxKYGm14LWVRds-uYzrVFBTWsbsVYzHaeSP4x8IQEBc7-C/s400/DSC_0599.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5JnUV56zjjAjzTp3Nk1Y_BeqlD7WmxBNTZfLC1GmdmgSaCDlL3gD0Bzshn-CsqNBRvJre0P_hazehGakOMitsqgtq9n54Zusvqdpr6Qv7JmM3nGJeBeVoP4k3oskvoEySXW/s1600/DSC_0509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-5JnUV56zjjAjzTp3Nk1Y_BeqlD7WmxBNTZfLC1GmdmgSaCDlL3gD0Bzshn-CsqNBRvJre0P_hazehGakOMitsqgtq9n54Zusvqdpr6Qv7JmM3nGJeBeVoP4k3oskvoEySXW/s400/DSC_0509.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least this time round I got a photo with Schonbrunn :) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhdGRGferrMo5N1FrudG_RttYMatVTaFPw-GbYG8JoUfzlGVxhotDQXsbyxYpY9m3P86w4cB_hSSYoOwLdAaCnH52WxYvGaPkzQGTouqc6WlvVCiYKwXs-AKsOq-ydGbTPNPt/s1600/DSC_0556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhdGRGferrMo5N1FrudG_RttYMatVTaFPw-GbYG8JoUfzlGVxhotDQXsbyxYpY9m3P86w4cB_hSSYoOwLdAaCnH52WxYvGaPkzQGTouqc6WlvVCiYKwXs-AKsOq-ydGbTPNPt/s400/DSC_0556.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloriette</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp3BtHTBPYiPM3PNMmAAbDXQ-MO9eG-J0Suc4aX9qowZSnvfeAGMBPHiQI5G-FhNLe-40HFPcDzxJLauf2Dzr-aSH0XX-tQXkAI6mCEle2RQHQdILSWnEEFkbTJ9kmWWieJoQ/s1600/DSC_0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp3BtHTBPYiPM3PNMmAAbDXQ-MO9eG-J0Suc4aX9qowZSnvfeAGMBPHiQI5G-FhNLe-40HFPcDzxJLauf2Dzr-aSH0XX-tQXkAI6mCEle2RQHQdILSWnEEFkbTJ9kmWWieJoQ/s400/DSC_0589.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace gardens</td></tr>
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We ate some of the <strong>best cakes</strong> this trip at <a href="http://www.landtmann.at/">Cafe Landtmann</a> @ Schonbrunn Palace grounds. Cafe Landtmann is also located in Vienna City Centre. I love Viennese cakes!!<br />
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If you read my <a href="http://rachtravel.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-29-30-back-to-vienna.html">last Vienna post</a>, you would have noticed I really wanted to visit <em>A</em> musuem within the <a href="http://www.austria.info/au/culture-arts/museum-quarter-vienna-1310039.html">Museum Quarter</a> grounds. This time round I made sure we were not in Vienna on a Tuesday so I could check out the exhibitions. As my guidebook recommended the <a href="http://www.leopoldmuseum.org/index_en.html">Leopold Museum</a> - which houses a large collection of Austrian modern art (Schiele, Klimt, Kokoschka), I decided to check it out with mum. We were fortunate to see a special exhibition <em>Cézanne - Picasso - Giacometti, ...Masterpieces from the Fondation Beyeler</em>. It was not a large exhibition, but just enough to get a flavour of the art movement. Next it was an uncharacterically quick browse through the museum because I thought I lost my mum half way through the rest of the museum walk!! So instead of focusing on the art I covered the four floors in the museum at least three times, only to see my mum walk out of the museum happily unaware her daughter was frantically looking for her. Luckily the museum wasn't too big despite being over 4 floors. I just didn't pay attention to the last level or so of art...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cezanne</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klimt</td></tr>
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We probably should have gone back to the hotel for rest after that episode, but since it was a Thursday evening and museums are open to late, what did we decide to do? Go to <a href="http://www.khm.at/en/kunsthistorisches-museum">Kunsthistorisches Museum</a>!! In hindsight, probably not the best idea since it takes about 3 hours to get through properly. However, you become dillusional when on holidays and feel like you can conquer the world. We tried conquering Ancient Egyptian, Roman & Greek Antiquities. I think we actually did quite well with that. But we really pushed it when we tried to conquer European art - Spanish, Flemmish & Germanic styles...we failed to complete it, sad to say, but we were proud of our efforts. One palace and two museums in one day...that was quite a record!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian Antiquities</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The never-ending walls & rooms of European Masterpieces</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very classy restaurant inside Kunsthistorisches</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can tell from the pic we left the museum pretty late!</td></tr>
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What we all did differently this time was join a day tour to <a href="http://www.viennaticketonline.com/?cid=1,17,374">Wachau Valley/Danube River Cruise</a>. Vienna Sightseeing does a fantastic job of organising tours, so if you are time poor, these tours are great. As the coach drove out of Vienna city, the weather started turning a worrying grey; and once we were on the Danube cruise, it started raining. Not good! So we kept praying for a change of weather and thankfully the morning showers eventually cleared up and the sun shone brilliantly over Wachau valley. The clearer weather definitely made our visit to Melk Abbey so much more enjoyable. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the cruise + an old castle (or something!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wachau Valley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">View from Melk Abbey</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.stiftmelk.at/englisch/index.html">Melk Abbey,</a> a Benedictine Abbey built in the Baroque style is absolutely worth a visit if you are in Austria/Vienna. It is a world reknown destination for a few reasons I will list below: (strictly my opinions only)</div>
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<ol>
<li>It is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Austria</li>
<li>The history of the abbey is longstanding. It was founded in 1089</li>
<li>The architecture of this place is just stunning. All in the opulence and beauty of the decorative Baroque style</li>
<li>It has an amazing library - Not that we were able to read any of the books, the library has secret doors just like the movies! (Not really, they have secret doors for another purpose which I can't remember now)</li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNUYTQGNYYTXeLl-xY6WJlrm6jldRSCo5b4UMCDzeBjLiBOPbo9MMB9RCeURXJCI8LZNBdwRbJvk6Q2TzlT2YQdqGZcFRg5-eHfEf7PFa4nrnuCsD7rqg4OIuKyLQy62aGz-4/s1600/DSC_0249-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNUYTQGNYYTXeLl-xY6WJlrm6jldRSCo5b4UMCDzeBjLiBOPbo9MMB9RCeURXJCI8LZNBdwRbJvk6Q2TzlT2YQdqGZcFRg5-eHfEf7PFa4nrnuCsD7rqg4OIuKyLQy62aGz-4/s400/DSC_0249-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mum inside the Abbey grounds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x_BExUpARGOYv6zP68qHRnlzxIo5KxD8LY5y5H8jFpVi1kuyK9_9P9WejfUX6VzehVcbb4-ctLnG1IHBdTu01awJEYfy9tOyq5vhGmSGJFywemzr_GqFb6Q6cJhzSj8eya9h/s1600/DSC_0325-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0x_BExUpARGOYv6zP68qHRnlzxIo5KxD8LY5y5H8jFpVi1kuyK9_9P9WejfUX6VzehVcbb4-ctLnG1IHBdTu01awJEYfy9tOyq5vhGmSGJFywemzr_GqFb6Q6cJhzSj8eya9h/s400/DSC_0325-1.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melk Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP0xUprF4O1jQH9LdM5s3MKvlvrZICgxx7nyGtBVMS_-QdSparlkCQSzETY8d2YjQV44GCN2oNfOAUOEf6exZzLcDYa9XH7ChcvgU2DzKxiAyWpagQqx3up3pTuY7JY4c6Ppv/s1600/DSC_0336-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP0xUprF4O1jQH9LdM5s3MKvlvrZICgxx7nyGtBVMS_-QdSparlkCQSzETY8d2YjQV44GCN2oNfOAUOEf6exZzLcDYa9XH7ChcvgU2DzKxiAyWpagQqx3up3pTuY7JY4c6Ppv/s400/DSC_0336-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library inside the Abbey...very cool I thought</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpwmqALfdN-_nU1q8YOPZFL8PIv03ISd371tUZY6Z9gV68e5ChrV4zbK6dbKkB47zwavybUNC2Hxz5TRkNYx0ZVx25a3PsB2coDcpnFv1x9bV5G8zwkxqtwWkkZ31L5PMRld6/s1600/DSC_0364-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpwmqALfdN-_nU1q8YOPZFL8PIv03ISd371tUZY6Z9gV68e5ChrV4zbK6dbKkB47zwavybUNC2Hxz5TRkNYx0ZVx25a3PsB2coDcpnFv1x9bV5G8zwkxqtwWkkZ31L5PMRld6/s400/DSC_0364-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the brightest & ornamental baroque churches I've ever been to!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZEIydeh3aePT0rBD5zs8embG5mhFSIZr69iytNGMudJzgPndGFZO_A6RpDQcKXSRxV9lltJwdWiaulwOJ9BItnJHJI5dse5EZtYNtfMKJcR9E5jLIqvVCurKuDXLQ1CvC0od/s1600/DSC_0296-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZEIydeh3aePT0rBD5zs8embG5mhFSIZr69iytNGMudJzgPndGFZO_A6RpDQcKXSRxV9lltJwdWiaulwOJ9BItnJHJI5dse5EZtYNtfMKJcR9E5jLIqvVCurKuDXLQ1CvC0od/s400/DSC_0296-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of abbey from the outside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJe5biSCqdcxlM18Np-FYr_iEqRbgTKcARE23AYJlnVBAuNKicX5IBQyP-3jEu8M7SqK3uZGEMBT20RDlJ3NF2mT02hjcsSMp-6ZPKnTe9E8sqHefL7nzPoFOK1nu3Dp7ynfA/s1600/DSC_0374-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJe5biSCqdcxlM18Np-FYr_iEqRbgTKcARE23AYJlnVBAuNKicX5IBQyP-3jEu8M7SqK3uZGEMBT20RDlJ3NF2mT02hjcsSMp-6ZPKnTe9E8sqHefL7nzPoFOK1nu3Dp7ynfA/s400/DSC_0374-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenery on the drive back to Vienna</td></tr>
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In total we enjoyed 3.5 wonderful days in Vienna + surrounds. A bit of the old and a bit of the new. We actually came back to Vienna (Oct 3) after our 2-day Budapest trip which I will update in the next post. I originally planned to do my European shopping in Vienna city after Budapest, but we came back on a Sunday where all shops are shut! I soon (defintion blurry depending if you ask me or the parents) got over my annoyance (annoyed because I actually <em>knew</em> that shops would close on Sunday but forgot about it) and decided to do the last remaining touristy things I could do given the grey, gloomy skies. We browsed more of the Vienna city streets, ate more cakes, enjoyed more coffee and ate a Weiner Würstel. We walked around Stadtpark (not for very long as it was cold), as mum and I had to settle a disagreement about the main statue in the park! She thought Mozart, I thought Strauss, of course I won! We also checked out the interior of Stephansdom (St Stephen's Cathedral), a Vienna landmark and built in the gothic style. I think by that stage we were slightly church-ed out though. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9X5g8x5RIvDmhk-n3iDi2GrxfJsZAj-jqJseqG7yg0OQbrtOCDuntYDiHMhbUmzzbueu4c4BBpj4zwWkTGgWDD_1-r2qpl5sl6mWXeGIfeJoSrojroHZh_Iw04HbpvoZl2Zt/s1600/DSC_0208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9X5g8x5RIvDmhk-n3iDi2GrxfJsZAj-jqJseqG7yg0OQbrtOCDuntYDiHMhbUmzzbueu4c4BBpj4zwWkTGgWDD_1-r2qpl5sl6mWXeGIfeJoSrojroHZh_Iw04HbpvoZl2Zt/s400/DSC_0208.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street food in classy Wein!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hKe-QbLyhzHNLqcolRa4NclFBjQKGouhNGP1l69l186nvX1cAsge5mwiWwi8hypA3idsdv-xGtqGZdWy7shqU5A_olw1ImYoohsnzrac0NJDE8sddNCtP0gBJNo9Y9SNGq45/s1600/DSC_0209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6hKe-QbLyhzHNLqcolRa4NclFBjQKGouhNGP1l69l186nvX1cAsge5mwiWwi8hypA3idsdv-xGtqGZdWy7shqU5A_olw1ImYoohsnzrac0NJDE8sddNCtP0gBJNo9Y9SNGq45/s400/DSC_0209.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was delicious :D</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxHw8M_pOSA9WRemQIAB9JVfSJm0ougIIKqz8GVDTga5eJorAKIfkYCsrM09Ao1lxJ4EzAVPTurPajMwSuQHAVExCHB22UhnpK-zDqbrlbzqg6p4JYQHt-IZAyg13ZAW6mAD1/s1600/DSC_0224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxHw8M_pOSA9WRemQIAB9JVfSJm0ougIIKqz8GVDTga5eJorAKIfkYCsrM09Ao1lxJ4EzAVPTurPajMwSuQHAVExCHB22UhnpK-zDqbrlbzqg6p4JYQHt-IZAyg13ZAW6mAD1/s400/DSC_0224.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cakes galore!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHp6x-lp0j8mZOYLeqoCf7rmfwBHFQ1g3-42hFFRjHDLkI6fYZq334Sq-VaixZUXqhrpfAsZwAwMWANw2FqFNCjVOgFyhctdf0aFrY3lR6nxtpxIUeqgu3TcaUQQgRt1VKa4W/s1600/DSC_0233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHp6x-lp0j8mZOYLeqoCf7rmfwBHFQ1g3-42hFFRjHDLkI6fYZq334Sq-VaixZUXqhrpfAsZwAwMWANw2FqFNCjVOgFyhctdf0aFrY3lR6nxtpxIUeqgu3TcaUQQgRt1VKa4W/s400/DSC_0233.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved the shop signs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyM-2rVt29QeHQMuR-Ls48GNEVdaXIbd0pFSeyx9r1MaEEJbulsTX5ukDckyAfu_L51I3GJv0b0e4nnB9qlF0Qn3wCQ9hN5Xs7eSNZavbjV2xb47XKISLRvzmIqMloWG9a5mp/s1600/DSC_0232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyM-2rVt29QeHQMuR-Ls48GNEVdaXIbd0pFSeyx9r1MaEEJbulsTX5ukDckyAfu_L51I3GJv0b0e4nnB9qlF0Qn3wCQ9hN5Xs7eSNZavbjV2xb47XKISLRvzmIqMloWG9a5mp/s400/DSC_0232.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chanel style window shopping</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3V7NmoKA58KVuKJyFOasTsyT8p9ZyVbHCBKRgBEVlFMiXdxFuKQ1kxvvQYwl21iU4SapRhMVWEOQz4Wlwy5Y1REPNkgRK5_BnoQ-zYwBcifJRp5I_zP6HSUt1G4oRpeiL5cl/s1600/DSC_0213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3V7NmoKA58KVuKJyFOasTsyT8p9ZyVbHCBKRgBEVlFMiXdxFuKQ1kxvvQYwl21iU4SapRhMVWEOQz4Wlwy5Y1REPNkgRK5_BnoQ-zYwBcifJRp5I_zP6HSUt1G4oRpeiL5cl/s400/DSC_0213.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of Stephansdom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V_J0MgOMI_XBqlg55cJtsu_LBEU9k5_-lpf-lLnRMVEMp_W690VuAXkm5DkeQ9FG2W5Tf2jqGg-0VoQj_UdBibPZ5eW9X61EItB_502JBIeAIA7F3LUWIGPZQkgczN23HJdj/s1600/DSC_0200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V_J0MgOMI_XBqlg55cJtsu_LBEU9k5_-lpf-lLnRMVEMp_W690VuAXkm5DkeQ9FG2W5Tf2jqGg-0VoQj_UdBibPZ5eW9X61EItB_502JBIeAIA7F3LUWIGPZQkgczN23HJdj/s400/DSC_0200.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Stephansdom</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qlh5XKC6F9JkNQhh1vtzuNtC9qOJAttFXmeRVAMdjmDTU4hyBt7uWH8QAQvHQV7zB12x7S9tIaFMsevc8FWvQ8xNcdjECw4d-6rkA1AMYKsfw4OwOKjDdmWu_i4sYdq6QuTe/s1600/DSC_0239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qlh5XKC6F9JkNQhh1vtzuNtC9qOJAttFXmeRVAMdjmDTU4hyBt7uWH8QAQvHQV7zB12x7S9tIaFMsevc8FWvQ8xNcdjECw4d-6rkA1AMYKsfw4OwOKjDdmWu_i4sYdq6QuTe/s400/DSC_0239.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never paid attention to the tiles on St Stephen's until I took this photo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvBZibfFbmAi-YJmBI4O7SGaLlsNPN3sWDaljfRbShJZ7rfG_-GWC0cX4mAHrGLjhcPKAjzfM685v0nTaaRrkgGwzJbLWVp5Y40829ZtCG8f_vHa8Mpv7dFvhr1l9UuYZtmKl/s1600/DSC_0245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvBZibfFbmAi-YJmBI4O7SGaLlsNPN3sWDaljfRbShJZ7rfG_-GWC0cX4mAHrGLjhcPKAjzfM685v0nTaaRrkgGwzJbLWVp5Y40829ZtCG8f_vHa8Mpv7dFvhr1l9UuYZtmKl/s400/DSC_0245.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Strauss Statue @ Stadtpark</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vPX97uzhA6Kjzi2v8CLG6qvXA-01fiUp6d44fSuc3FVIlRh6dLHot7DcH9BcP59STdSpmSJVdDIh_jlKSw6AcaQIJcpQLh0nN6F5l2ltMkJFOAFas5MkwxBCPWsH0CX0_WtR/s1600/DSC_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vPX97uzhA6Kjzi2v8CLG6qvXA-01fiUp6d44fSuc3FVIlRh6dLHot7DcH9BcP59STdSpmSJVdDIh_jlKSw6AcaQIJcpQLh0nN6F5l2ltMkJFOAFas5MkwxBCPWsH0CX0_WtR/s400/DSC_0261.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stadtpark</td></tr>
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Next time I am in Vienna, I will be aiming to visit Belvedere Palace as a top priority! If I wasn't with mum and Dad this time, I probably would have skipped Hofburg and gone to Belvedere. At least I have a reason to visit Vienna for the 4th time in the future :)</div>
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