回到家中，真的有一種"還是覺得你最好"的感覺。歐洲雖美，要生活，還是這裏（或者香港）好。另外一種體會，就是正所謂 "大國崛起" ， 很多旅遊景點都有中文翻譯，或者是中國人售貨員，在街上已經很少人把我們錯認為日本人，那是好事；但同時間，中國人（特別是大陸團的）還是有很多陋習還沒改變，像隨時隨地大聲喧嘩。當然我會體諒他們可能是沒有受過文明的洗禮，但在外國人看來，也許我們只是野蠻的暴發戶。。。
以後有機會，我會再多寫一點旅途感想。
Showing posts with label Europe Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe Travel. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 14 of 15 (Windsor Castle, London)
We are going to visit the Windsor Castle, before we head to the airport for our return flight.
I'm surprised that the residency of the Royal family is opened to the public (even though only part of it is opened), but anyway, after viewing the Chateau de Versailles, I would consider Windsor Castle not as "grand". To me it is a huge mansion, but I would not prefer to live there. We have also seen the march of the solider(?) at Windsor.
That concludes our 15 days tour. We are on the way to the airport now...
Since my Mom got me a Priority pass for the airport lounge, I was hoping that we can get in and have some snack. After some searching I found the place but the receptionists are just mean. Some how our cards have problem and authorization fails. Then instead of helping us to sort out the problem with the card, they simply did nothing. Not even let me to use their phone to make a local call to the help center. I should really file a complain to the head office.
I'm surprised that the residency of the Royal family is opened to the public (even though only part of it is opened), but anyway, after viewing the Chateau de Versailles, I would consider Windsor Castle not as "grand". To me it is a huge mansion, but I would not prefer to live there. We have also seen the march of the solider(?) at Windsor.
That concludes our 15 days tour. We are on the way to the airport now...
Since my Mom got me a Priority pass for the airport lounge, I was hoping that we can get in and have some snack. After some searching I found the place but the receptionists are just mean. Some how our cards have problem and authorization fails. Then instead of helping us to sort out the problem with the card, they simply did nothing. Not even let me to use their phone to make a local call to the help center. I should really file a complain to the head office.
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| Europe Trip Day 14 |
My first Europe trip - Day 13 of 15 (London)
We got up very early today since we are going to catch the 10am flight to London.
And it turned out to be a very good decision to get up early. There are just lots of food in the breakfast buffet to choose from, even smoke salmon!
Finally, we are in London! The tour bus is once again older. The driver is a younger but drive super fast. He almost went through a red light!
Today we are touring around the city. The first stop is Chinatown and we are having dim sum lunch in 泉章居. The London Chinatown is not large but very crowded. The Vancouver Chinatown here was once like that, but not any more...
The food is not bad, but price is the same as Vancouver, just that the price tag is in Pounds...
After lunch, we are going to the Royal British Museum. We got a local tour guide lady as well. However, she is no comparison to the Paris one. She even recommended us to buy some pain relief cream in a Chinatown pharmacy. And the same cream (at least with the same name) I saw in a supermarket later on, is selling 1/3 of the prize! Still, I like her translation of the Royal British Museum as 賊竇博物館, which is quite true!
I have seen the real mummy (the inside as well), Greek statues and treasures from around the globe. I can totally imagine that the British Emperor is so powerful at its time. At one point I was thinking if the British didn't take the Chinese treasures they may still get destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Perhaps it's a good thing that the treasures here are being taken good care?
After the museum tour, we continue with the city tour. Took pictures in Westminster Abby, Tower Bridge and the Buckingham Palace.
We had dinner in 泉章居 once again. After a few days of "no comment" Chinese food, finally we can enjoy some decent dishes.
And it turned out to be a very good decision to get up early. There are just lots of food in the breakfast buffet to choose from, even smoke salmon!
Finally, we are in London! The tour bus is once again older. The driver is a younger but drive super fast. He almost went through a red light!
Today we are touring around the city. The first stop is Chinatown and we are having dim sum lunch in 泉章居. The London Chinatown is not large but very crowded. The Vancouver Chinatown here was once like that, but not any more...
The food is not bad, but price is the same as Vancouver, just that the price tag is in Pounds...
After lunch, we are going to the Royal British Museum. We got a local tour guide lady as well. However, she is no comparison to the Paris one. She even recommended us to buy some pain relief cream in a Chinatown pharmacy. And the same cream (at least with the same name) I saw in a supermarket later on, is selling 1/3 of the prize! Still, I like her translation of the Royal British Museum as 賊竇博物館, which is quite true!
I have seen the real mummy (the inside as well), Greek statues and treasures from around the globe. I can totally imagine that the British Emperor is so powerful at its time. At one point I was thinking if the British didn't take the Chinese treasures they may still get destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Perhaps it's a good thing that the treasures here are being taken good care?
After the museum tour, we continue with the city tour. Took pictures in Westminster Abby, Tower Bridge and the Buckingham Palace.
We had dinner in 泉章居 once again. After a few days of "no comment" Chinese food, finally we can enjoy some decent dishes.
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| Europe Trip Day 13 |
My first Europe trip - Day 12 of 15 (Holland)
We are once again going to a cooler region. And we are going to see wind mills today!
Our first stop today is still in Belgium, a place where Napoleon was finally defeated. I kinda remember battle of Waterloo but didn't notice that Waterloo is in Belgium. I even thought that it's some where in France at that time! Napoleon statue is standing lonely near the parking lot, the word "Napoleon" is even broken, whereas the mound of earth, the Lion's Hillock, is high up on the plateau. We went inside the visitor center for a while and then leave for our next stop.
On the way to Holland, there are lots of milk cattle farm, the scenery is exactly like the packaging box on the 子母牛奶!
First we passed by some modern windmill (for generating electricity). And after 2 or 3 hours drive, we arrive at a place called zaanse schans. Zaanse schans has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and houses.
We finally have a taste of authenticated Dutch pancakes! It's like pizza to me! Very greasy though but still yummy!
We had a walk around the village, had a tour of the cheese factory, and of course, a tour of the wooden clog shoe manufacturer. We saw the old machinery and a demo of how the shoes are made. I wish I can stay longer in the gift shop...many wooden shoes to choose from!
Depart from the windmill village, we are going to Amsterdam. First we are having a boat cruise along the canal. The cool breeze makes the tour very relaxing and I can easily fall asleep...We also pass the house where Anne Frank (the author of the Diary of Anne Frank) was hidden during the war time. This book is actually one of the few text books that I am quite interested in within my high school ages. However, I can't recall she's actually hidden in Amsterdam until she's caught. I always thought that she got caught in Austria or Germany.
We arrived at a diamond factory after got off the boat. Once again, the receptionists are all Chinese...mainly Cantonese speaking but also with Mandarin speaking staff. We are presented how the diamond is cut and the machinery. Also, she just put different sizes of diamond on the table and let us know the price...Of course...the main purpose is to sell diamond...But I guess they have wasted their time then, since we are not mainland Chinese tour that bought a lot jewelery.
Chinatown is usually situated in a rather "messy" area and there is no exception here. It's just very close to the "red light district". Finally, I have seen sexy ladies standing as the window display model. The "red light district" is about 2 to 3 blocks and we quickly walked by. But after we walk around the places, we are missing one guy!!! Did he get "attracted" by one of the ladies?? After 5 minutes of the scheduled time...the tour guide also started to get worried and went back to look for him...Finally he's found and he said that he got lost...did he spend too much time looking at the "girls" and then miss us?
Seems like there are quite a lot of Chinese immigrant here. The Chinatown is rather large and there are quite some Chinese restaurants. But I guess our tour doesn't spare too much budget in this place...our dinner is even worse than the one yesterday....
Although I'm not too thrilled about the food here...I just LOVE the hotel (by the airport). It's new, modern, and the most important of all, free wi-fi!!!
Our first stop today is still in Belgium, a place where Napoleon was finally defeated. I kinda remember battle of Waterloo but didn't notice that Waterloo is in Belgium. I even thought that it's some where in France at that time! Napoleon statue is standing lonely near the parking lot, the word "Napoleon" is even broken, whereas the mound of earth, the Lion's Hillock, is high up on the plateau. We went inside the visitor center for a while and then leave for our next stop.
On the way to Holland, there are lots of milk cattle farm, the scenery is exactly like the packaging box on the 子母牛奶!
First we passed by some modern windmill (for generating electricity). And after 2 or 3 hours drive, we arrive at a place called zaanse schans. Zaanse schans has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and houses.
We finally have a taste of authenticated Dutch pancakes! It's like pizza to me! Very greasy though but still yummy!
We had a walk around the village, had a tour of the cheese factory, and of course, a tour of the wooden clog shoe manufacturer. We saw the old machinery and a demo of how the shoes are made. I wish I can stay longer in the gift shop...many wooden shoes to choose from!
Depart from the windmill village, we are going to Amsterdam. First we are having a boat cruise along the canal. The cool breeze makes the tour very relaxing and I can easily fall asleep...We also pass the house where Anne Frank (the author of the Diary of Anne Frank) was hidden during the war time. This book is actually one of the few text books that I am quite interested in within my high school ages. However, I can't recall she's actually hidden in Amsterdam until she's caught. I always thought that she got caught in Austria or Germany.
We arrived at a diamond factory after got off the boat. Once again, the receptionists are all Chinese...mainly Cantonese speaking but also with Mandarin speaking staff. We are presented how the diamond is cut and the machinery. Also, she just put different sizes of diamond on the table and let us know the price...Of course...the main purpose is to sell diamond...But I guess they have wasted their time then, since we are not mainland Chinese tour that bought a lot jewelery.
Chinatown is usually situated in a rather "messy" area and there is no exception here. It's just very close to the "red light district". Finally, I have seen sexy ladies standing as the window display model. The "red light district" is about 2 to 3 blocks and we quickly walked by. But after we walk around the places, we are missing one guy!!! Did he get "attracted" by one of the ladies?? After 5 minutes of the scheduled time...the tour guide also started to get worried and went back to look for him...Finally he's found and he said that he got lost...did he spend too much time looking at the "girls" and then miss us?
Seems like there are quite a lot of Chinese immigrant here. The Chinatown is rather large and there are quite some Chinese restaurants. But I guess our tour doesn't spare too much budget in this place...our dinner is even worse than the one yesterday....
Although I'm not too thrilled about the food here...I just LOVE the hotel (by the airport). It's new, modern, and the most important of all, free wi-fi!!!
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| Europe Trip Day 12 |
My first Europe trip - Day 11 of 15 (Belgium)
We are leaving Paris and going to Belgium today.
First we are going to Brugge and I haven't even heard of this place before. But it's almost like Venice, there are quite a few caneals among the city. The old city with lots of medieval building is also pretty well maintained. There are carriage ride but just need to beware of the "horse shxx" on the ground...
Since we prefer more time for pictures and perhaps visit go inside the churches, we want to have quick lunch. End up we went to the counter part of "MacDonald" and had the most expensive fast food lunch in my life...The burger is small but still $3 or $4 euro each...oh well.
We did went inside the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It's actually quite dark inside and we didn't stay too long. On the way back to the tour bus, there is a street of clothing store but too bad...not enough time to shop there...even the H&M there has more stylish clothing...
After that, we are going to Brussels to see the "little man pee" statue.
The name says it all: it's small, and it pee!
It's so small but at least there are 30 or 40 people try to get around the statue for pictures and also, maybe there is some special festival going on, there is free beer given to the people passing by. I got one too. But I had a feeling that there is some "special taste"....
Lots of chocolate stores, lots of mainland Chinese tourists...and yeah...I didn't get any chocolate here, I bought a small bag but the taste is just so-so. Besides chocolate, the other famous Belgium food is waffle! Can't wait to get one but to me, it's a bit too sweet and too "sticky" in texture. I guess I still prefer the French crepe...
Dinner is once again Chinese food and it's just....no comments...
However, the good thing with Chinese food...at least there a lot of veggies dishes(coz veggie are relatively cheaper than meat).
First we are going to Brugge and I haven't even heard of this place before. But it's almost like Venice, there are quite a few caneals among the city. The old city with lots of medieval building is also pretty well maintained. There are carriage ride but just need to beware of the "horse shxx" on the ground...
Since we prefer more time for pictures and perhaps visit go inside the churches, we want to have quick lunch. End up we went to the counter part of "MacDonald" and had the most expensive fast food lunch in my life...The burger is small but still $3 or $4 euro each...oh well.
We did went inside the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It's actually quite dark inside and we didn't stay too long. On the way back to the tour bus, there is a street of clothing store but too bad...not enough time to shop there...even the H&M there has more stylish clothing...
After that, we are going to Brussels to see the "little man pee" statue.
The name says it all: it's small, and it pee!
It's so small but at least there are 30 or 40 people try to get around the statue for pictures and also, maybe there is some special festival going on, there is free beer given to the people passing by. I got one too. But I had a feeling that there is some "special taste"....
Lots of chocolate stores, lots of mainland Chinese tourists...and yeah...I didn't get any chocolate here, I bought a small bag but the taste is just so-so. Besides chocolate, the other famous Belgium food is waffle! Can't wait to get one but to me, it's a bit too sweet and too "sticky" in texture. I guess I still prefer the French crepe...
Dinner is once again Chinese food and it's just....no comments...
However, the good thing with Chinese food...at least there a lot of veggies dishes(coz veggie are relatively cheaper than meat).
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| Europe Trip Day 11 |
My first Europe trip - Day 10 of 15 (Paris)
Our schedule is pretty tight today: we are visiting Chateau de Versailles, Louvre and also Moulin Rouge.
We start the morning with lots of vitamin C :) There is a juice extractor in the breakfast lounge! So we can't wait to make a fresh orange juice. Seriously, it's quite wasteful to make a small glass of orange juice but not consume the orange itself. It takes 3 oranges to make a glass!
Chateau de Versailles is just huge and grand. You can see golden colour everywhere. The hall of mirror, the water fountain in the garden are both magnificent. However, both the king's and queen's bedroom are quite small, especially the bed. It's definitely smaller than king's size!
There is also a modern art exhibition held inside the chateau, featuring sculptures from Jeff Koons. I just can't understand, a historic building with modern art? A total mismatch!
We had another local tour guide for the Louvre tour. I had no expectation at all, since I had problem understanding his commentary. Maybe he's from other parts of Canton that his Cantonese is some how different from what I can understand!
To my surprise, the other lady local tour guide is just great! She speaks super fast but very clear. Both her Cantonese and Mandarin are excellent and very precise. She picks a few popular drawing and sculpture and explain to us in detail. I just wish I had her as the tour guide for 1 week so that I can fully "examine" every single art pieces!
Finally...shopping time!
We arrived in the Printemps department stores and we are greeted by the Cantonese receptionist! We were given some coupons and were told that we can get instant tax return at the counter here. And of course, the staff are all Cantonese/Mandarin speaking so that our tour, and other Chinese tour, feel comfortable shopping here. Yeah, I can certainly experience the buying power of Chinese now (particularly from mainland China).
I also visit the Galeries Lafayette, as Henry showed me pictures of this department store from his last business trip (yeah he just visited 30 minutes before closing, after he got off work).
Finally, I got myself a nice wallet from Printemps (to go with my new bag...haahaa).
Dinner is all inclusive except tonight, which we are paying on our own. We are going to have sea food feast!
The crab is not too large but it's full of 蟹羔 inside! There are raw oyster, cocktail shrimp, and field snail (they looks raw though). But seriously, I still prefer the Chinese style cooking. Since I don't really like raw oyster (I don't like oyster in general), and I am afraid of the 'raw' snail, so we just leave it and the other tour member took our portion too. yeah, why waste; however, he got sick for almost the rest of the tour....I don't think it's food poisoning, rather may be overate of seafood and got sick.
Most of our tour members paid $120 to watch the Moulin Rough show. But for us, our cash is running out and can't really afford the $120 Euro/person for the show. So we give up...maybe next time then...
Finally, our bus is back and I am so glad! The driver even wash the whole bus both inside and outside. Feel so great especially after being in an old smelly bus...
However, I do feel sorry for the driver because as he back up on the street to drop us off to the hotel, the tour bus hit the flower planter and damage the bumper...the flower planter is very low so can't blame the driver who can't see it...still...I considered him as a very good driver and so as the rest of the tour members. Can tell from the tip he got...
We start the morning with lots of vitamin C :) There is a juice extractor in the breakfast lounge! So we can't wait to make a fresh orange juice. Seriously, it's quite wasteful to make a small glass of orange juice but not consume the orange itself. It takes 3 oranges to make a glass!
Chateau de Versailles is just huge and grand. You can see golden colour everywhere. The hall of mirror, the water fountain in the garden are both magnificent. However, both the king's and queen's bedroom are quite small, especially the bed. It's definitely smaller than king's size!
There is also a modern art exhibition held inside the chateau, featuring sculptures from Jeff Koons. I just can't understand, a historic building with modern art? A total mismatch!
We had another local tour guide for the Louvre tour. I had no expectation at all, since I had problem understanding his commentary. Maybe he's from other parts of Canton that his Cantonese is some how different from what I can understand!
To my surprise, the other lady local tour guide is just great! She speaks super fast but very clear. Both her Cantonese and Mandarin are excellent and very precise. She picks a few popular drawing and sculpture and explain to us in detail. I just wish I had her as the tour guide for 1 week so that I can fully "examine" every single art pieces!
Finally...shopping time!
We arrived in the Printemps department stores and we are greeted by the Cantonese receptionist! We were given some coupons and were told that we can get instant tax return at the counter here. And of course, the staff are all Cantonese/Mandarin speaking so that our tour, and other Chinese tour, feel comfortable shopping here. Yeah, I can certainly experience the buying power of Chinese now (particularly from mainland China).
I also visit the Galeries Lafayette, as Henry showed me pictures of this department store from his last business trip (yeah he just visited 30 minutes before closing, after he got off work).
Finally, I got myself a nice wallet from Printemps (to go with my new bag...haahaa).
Dinner is all inclusive except tonight, which we are paying on our own. We are going to have sea food feast!
The crab is not too large but it's full of 蟹羔 inside! There are raw oyster, cocktail shrimp, and field snail (they looks raw though). But seriously, I still prefer the Chinese style cooking. Since I don't really like raw oyster (I don't like oyster in general), and I am afraid of the 'raw' snail, so we just leave it and the other tour member took our portion too. yeah, why waste; however, he got sick for almost the rest of the tour....I don't think it's food poisoning, rather may be overate of seafood and got sick.
Most of our tour members paid $120 to watch the Moulin Rough show. But for us, our cash is running out and can't really afford the $120 Euro/person for the show. So we give up...maybe next time then...
Finally, our bus is back and I am so glad! The driver even wash the whole bus both inside and outside. Feel so great especially after being in an old smelly bus...
However, I do feel sorry for the driver because as he back up on the street to drop us off to the hotel, the tour bus hit the flower planter and damage the bumper...the flower planter is very low so can't blame the driver who can't see it...still...I considered him as a very good driver and so as the rest of the tour members. Can tell from the tip he got...
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| Europe Trip Day 10 |
My first Europe trip - Day 9 of 15 (Cannes, Paris)
We are in Cannes, with warm sunshine, blue sky and nice beach.
I'm imagining I'm the celebrities, walking down the red carpet during the film festival...
From Cannes, we took the TGV train to Paris. In the train station, we saw a "suspect" that constantly look around other people. We all grab our bags very closely.
Unfortunately he is in the same cart as ours. Since I'm the "24" fan, I remembered there's a scene the terrorist carried a suicide bomb and he just looks exactly like this person. That make us not willing to fall asleep during the whole 5 hour journey.
Finally we arrived Paris safely...
Paris
Since our tour bus is still on the way to Paris (10 hours drive from Cannes to Paris but 5 hours by train), we took another bus in Paris. This bus is no comparison to our original one. So old, smelly and I can't hear the local tour guide when I sat at the back because the engine is so loud.
We are driving around Paris city and see the Eiffel Tower, Arch of Triumph etc.
After dinner, we got up to the Eiffel Tower. The good thing with tour is that, we didn't need to go through the lineup which other people are going. I would estimate at least 1 hour to get ticket and 1 hour to take the elevator up the tower if we were going by ourselves.
The view is just spectacular.
Coming down from Eiffel Tower, we are going to a boat cruise along River Seine. We passed a few different bridges and saw the buildings along the river. The cruise is great but would be even better if we don't know that there's a man just jump into the river to commit suicide and died around same time we were cruising around. No wonder there are so many police as we got off the boat.
I'm imagining I'm the celebrities, walking down the red carpet during the film festival...
From Cannes, we took the TGV train to Paris. In the train station, we saw a "suspect" that constantly look around other people. We all grab our bags very closely.
Unfortunately he is in the same cart as ours. Since I'm the "24" fan, I remembered there's a scene the terrorist carried a suicide bomb and he just looks exactly like this person. That make us not willing to fall asleep during the whole 5 hour journey.
Finally we arrived Paris safely...
Paris
Since our tour bus is still on the way to Paris (10 hours drive from Cannes to Paris but 5 hours by train), we took another bus in Paris. This bus is no comparison to our original one. So old, smelly and I can't hear the local tour guide when I sat at the back because the engine is so loud.
We are driving around Paris city and see the Eiffel Tower, Arch of Triumph etc.
After dinner, we got up to the Eiffel Tower. The good thing with tour is that, we didn't need to go through the lineup which other people are going. I would estimate at least 1 hour to get ticket and 1 hour to take the elevator up the tower if we were going by ourselves.
The view is just spectacular.
Coming down from Eiffel Tower, we are going to a boat cruise along River Seine. We passed a few different bridges and saw the buildings along the river. The cruise is great but would be even better if we don't know that there's a man just jump into the river to commit suicide and died around same time we were cruising around. No wonder there are so many police as we got off the boat.
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| Europe Trip Day 9 |
My first Europe trip - Day 8 of 15 (Monaco, Nice)
We continue our tour in the warm moderate climate zone. Monaco is the next stop.
The highway is along the see coast and make me think of the sea to sky highway here in Vancouver. But of course, with a nicer view. The deep blue ocean plus the little houses resemble Greece. As the tour bus approach Monaco, the traffic gets busier.
The architecture is great and well maintained. Of course, Monaco is a wealthy place to able to spent money to keep everything in a decent condition. Many super cars on the street and many brand name boutique. So, there's another chance for me to accomplish my "mission". The staff of the LV store is completely different from the Milan store. They are so friendly and patient. Even though I don't appear to be the "big customer" that will buy tons of bags. The sales lady who served me is still very patient and with a smile on her face. Although I was planning to get the bag in the France LV store, I finally got mine here. Price-wise is the same as other French store (Monte Carlo is physically located in France). The sales lady even escort me out of the store when I left. Such a nice service that I totally didn't expect. Other tour members also did purchase there. This is the store that deserve lots of business!
The Monte Carlo casino is such "high class" that first, there's a paid admission $10 euro plus dress code. So we just take pictures outside.
The traffic is still busy and turns out that we are too late for the perfume factory tour in Nice, I'm so disappointed.
It's not difficult to understand why Nice (Southern France) is a popular place for tourist. The moderate weather, deep blue ocean of the Mediterranean and fine sand beaches all appeal to tourists.
We had dinner just across the beach. I feel like I'm in White Rock. The dinner is relatively small portion (ok for me but not for guys I guess). One of the tour members said he had to head out and search for food after settle in the hotel.
After dinner we had a short walk along the beach and then head back to the hotel in Cannes.
The highway is along the see coast and make me think of the sea to sky highway here in Vancouver. But of course, with a nicer view. The deep blue ocean plus the little houses resemble Greece. As the tour bus approach Monaco, the traffic gets busier.
The architecture is great and well maintained. Of course, Monaco is a wealthy place to able to spent money to keep everything in a decent condition. Many super cars on the street and many brand name boutique. So, there's another chance for me to accomplish my "mission". The staff of the LV store is completely different from the Milan store. They are so friendly and patient. Even though I don't appear to be the "big customer" that will buy tons of bags. The sales lady who served me is still very patient and with a smile on her face. Although I was planning to get the bag in the France LV store, I finally got mine here. Price-wise is the same as other French store (Monte Carlo is physically located in France). The sales lady even escort me out of the store when I left. Such a nice service that I totally didn't expect. Other tour members also did purchase there. This is the store that deserve lots of business!
The Monte Carlo casino is such "high class" that first, there's a paid admission $10 euro plus dress code. So we just take pictures outside.
The traffic is still busy and turns out that we are too late for the perfume factory tour in Nice, I'm so disappointed.
It's not difficult to understand why Nice (Southern France) is a popular place for tourist. The moderate weather, deep blue ocean of the Mediterranean and fine sand beaches all appeal to tourists.
We had dinner just across the beach. I feel like I'm in White Rock. The dinner is relatively small portion (ok for me but not for guys I guess). One of the tour members said he had to head out and search for food after settle in the hotel.
After dinner we had a short walk along the beach and then head back to the hotel in Cannes.
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| Europe Trip Day 8 |
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 7 of 15 (Switzerland, Italy)
Mt. Titlis - Switzerland
After viewing the Lion Monument, we are onto the highlight of the trip today: Mt. Titlis. Not going to any snow mountain in Switzerland is like never been to Switzerland. I am looking forward to this place, and I'm not disappointed at all.
First we took one cable car (the Ocean Park type) up to the mid level. Along the foot hill, there are some cattle farm and you can actually hear the bell tie around the neck. The sound of the bell is so calm and relaxing. After a while, we transferred to another larger cable car (Grouse mountain type). And finally, we were inside a 360 degree self spinning cable car to get the full view of the mountain ranges.
The weather is cloudy in the early morning, but once we get closer to the top, we pass through the fog and cloud already, there comes the blue sky and snow mountain caps. The view is so spectacular that it almost feels like another world up here.
After getting off the cable car, obviously there's another tour from mainland China that talked SUPER LOUD. At that time I am so ashamed to be Chinese...But the ironic thing is, I saw 劉嘉玲 poster in the cable car station, Gigi Leung's picture at the ticket office and even Chinese anthem to choose inside the glacier cave. And of course, Chinese sales in the watch stores...
There is a store that I can dress up in Swiss traditional clothing and take pictures. So at the end we spent about half an hour there. After that we had an expensive lunch (but not much food), and went out to take some pictures. It's very windy outside but the view is just like heaven!
On top of the mountain there is a glacier cave. Different colour lighting make it a great place for photograph. But most likely you need to be familiar with your own camera setting since it requires special mode to shoot the colourful lights, as it's quite dark inside.
I bought a few of those cattle bell since I really like the sound...
After a few days of gloomy weather, we are back to Italy, where I would expect warmer climate and also more sunshine.
Milan (Italy)
Milan is the town of fashion, the place for major fashion shows. And you can tell from how the people dress as well. Definitely more stylish than other parts of Italy I have been to.
The famous Milan Cathedral is also different from the rest I have seen. Very sophisticated. I'm also thrilled to come here, because it's the first place that I have been to (within this tour) with an LV store. Yeah I'm not TOO crazy about brand name but knowing that the price is much cheaper to get an LV in Europe than the rest of the world, it becomes my mission to get one bag in the tour. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is certainly one of the best looking shopping malls I have seen. However, I had my worst experienced there. Since it's the first time to come to LV store in the tour, we (with a few other people in the tour) quickly would like to check out the price of the ones we like. First, the one and only one staff is busy helping other customers, which I can understand. So I was patiently waiting. After 15 minutes (our time is so precious since we only get like 45mins in this place), she's still busy, and we don't get even one eye contact. OK, then I try to grab a bag by the window shelf and check out the price. Then I got warning by the cold security guard right away. "This bag is for display only" and do not touch...All LV stores that I have been to, there is no such rules! Also, ever since then, I can feel that his eyes never left me! It's like I'm going to steal the bag. I can't believe it happens here, if not in France. I have heard that LV sales in France is not as friendly because LV is such an popular brand that they got "too many" customers. Anyway, even the Prada store next to it is friendly and I can at least look at the bag without an issue. Too bad then, this particular LV store here did not deserve my business, so as my other tour members. And of course, my shopping mood is a bit disturbed as well.
I thought that I would be cheered up by the 4 (or even 4.5) star hotel that we are staying tonight. This is the most grand hotel in the tour. There are 4 lift as well. Finally we don't have to line up so long to get to our hotel room. Lots of business people; however, I was still disappointed, because a person rather kept talking on the cell phone but did not even try to push the OPEN button in the lift when he saw us with a few luggages. Yeah, not only Chinese without manner.
To me, Milan now officially on the bottom of my re-visit list.
After viewing the Lion Monument, we are onto the highlight of the trip today: Mt. Titlis. Not going to any snow mountain in Switzerland is like never been to Switzerland. I am looking forward to this place, and I'm not disappointed at all.
First we took one cable car (the Ocean Park type) up to the mid level. Along the foot hill, there are some cattle farm and you can actually hear the bell tie around the neck. The sound of the bell is so calm and relaxing. After a while, we transferred to another larger cable car (Grouse mountain type). And finally, we were inside a 360 degree self spinning cable car to get the full view of the mountain ranges.
The weather is cloudy in the early morning, but once we get closer to the top, we pass through the fog and cloud already, there comes the blue sky and snow mountain caps. The view is so spectacular that it almost feels like another world up here.
After getting off the cable car, obviously there's another tour from mainland China that talked SUPER LOUD. At that time I am so ashamed to be Chinese...But the ironic thing is, I saw 劉嘉玲 poster in the cable car station, Gigi Leung's picture at the ticket office and even Chinese anthem to choose inside the glacier cave. And of course, Chinese sales in the watch stores...
There is a store that I can dress up in Swiss traditional clothing and take pictures. So at the end we spent about half an hour there. After that we had an expensive lunch (but not much food), and went out to take some pictures. It's very windy outside but the view is just like heaven!
On top of the mountain there is a glacier cave. Different colour lighting make it a great place for photograph. But most likely you need to be familiar with your own camera setting since it requires special mode to shoot the colourful lights, as it's quite dark inside.
I bought a few of those cattle bell since I really like the sound...
After a few days of gloomy weather, we are back to Italy, where I would expect warmer climate and also more sunshine.
Milan (Italy)
Milan is the town of fashion, the place for major fashion shows. And you can tell from how the people dress as well. Definitely more stylish than other parts of Italy I have been to.
The famous Milan Cathedral is also different from the rest I have seen. Very sophisticated. I'm also thrilled to come here, because it's the first place that I have been to (within this tour) with an LV store. Yeah I'm not TOO crazy about brand name but knowing that the price is much cheaper to get an LV in Europe than the rest of the world, it becomes my mission to get one bag in the tour. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is certainly one of the best looking shopping malls I have seen. However, I had my worst experienced there. Since it's the first time to come to LV store in the tour, we (with a few other people in the tour) quickly would like to check out the price of the ones we like. First, the one and only one staff is busy helping other customers, which I can understand. So I was patiently waiting. After 15 minutes (our time is so precious since we only get like 45mins in this place), she's still busy, and we don't get even one eye contact. OK, then I try to grab a bag by the window shelf and check out the price. Then I got warning by the cold security guard right away. "This bag is for display only" and do not touch...All LV stores that I have been to, there is no such rules! Also, ever since then, I can feel that his eyes never left me! It's like I'm going to steal the bag. I can't believe it happens here, if not in France. I have heard that LV sales in France is not as friendly because LV is such an popular brand that they got "too many" customers. Anyway, even the Prada store next to it is friendly and I can at least look at the bag without an issue. Too bad then, this particular LV store here did not deserve my business, so as my other tour members. And of course, my shopping mood is a bit disturbed as well.
I thought that I would be cheered up by the 4 (or even 4.5) star hotel that we are staying tonight. This is the most grand hotel in the tour. There are 4 lift as well. Finally we don't have to line up so long to get to our hotel room. Lots of business people; however, I was still disappointed, because a person rather kept talking on the cell phone but did not even try to push the OPEN button in the lift when he saw us with a few luggages. Yeah, not only Chinese without manner.
To me, Milan now officially on the bottom of my re-visit list.
 |
| Europe Trip Day 7 |
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 6 of 15 (Germany, Switzerland)
Schloss Neuschwanstein (New Swan Stone Place/Castle), Germany
I was excited because it's the first time to visit a castle. In my impression (which comes from travel TV program), castle is huge, mysterious, with historic character, even haunted (horror stories?).
But this castle that I'm visiting, is completely different from my impression.
We started the tour in a foggy day. The castle is on the hill, so we need to transfer to a smaller shuttle bus to take us to the mid way. After that, we still need to hike (very steep slope) about 20 minutes before we get to the castle. Suddenly I had a feeling of 重陽節, since I would also "hike" uphill to the cemetery in a foggy weather to pay a visit to my ancestors.
Although the inspiration counterpart, the Sleeping Beauty Castle, situated in the Disneyland, a place filled with joy and laughter, the authenticated New Swan Castle is on the other hand standing lonely on the top of the hill, overlooking the city Fussen in South Western part of Germany. It's the palace of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, although he only lived there for about a year. Until his death, the castle is not yet finished constructing. The castle also is also served as a homage to Richard Wagner, a famous opera composer at that time.
We had a guided tour inside the castle, but too bad we aren't allowed to take pictures inside. The mosaic floor in the Throne room is magnificent and took 2 years to complete. The bedroom of the King even contain a running water faucet in the shape of swan. Water comes from a small stream 200 m away from the castle.
While I was lining up for the washroom, there is a Japanese middle-age lady in front of me. She asked, "Are you Japanese?" WOW! Do I look like Japanese? And we also chit-chat a little bit. They join tour to Germany and Switzerland for 8 days and I guess this is the same tour I have met in Fussen. She also travelled quite a lot. Last year she's been to Europe or some other places I can't recall now. Her English is actually quite good. It's the 2nd time that I met Japanese middle age lady, who speaks good English. When I travel to Japan 2 years ago, I have asked a few different young people but none of them could understand/speak English. And finally we met an middle age lady that points us the right direction. Since then I had a feeling that middle age Japanese lady can speak good English. And today in Germany, same applies!
Since we can't get a clear view of the whole castle in a foggy day, we ended up buying quite a few postcards and mouse pad with the castle view.
For more details of the castle, refer to the Wiki page.
After the castle visit, we had lunch in a motel on the way to Switzerland. There I had my first beer in Germany. It tastes great! Even though I don't really like beer.
Lucerne, Switzerland
We arrived Lucerne in the late afternoon. First we are going to a boat cruise around Lake Lucerne. I was a little bit regret that I paid extra for the boat cruise plus losing the time to go shopping. The cruise is relaxing but the view is not as spectacular as I expect. There are a lot of watch shops along the shore. There are at least one or more Chinese sales representatives. And of course there are more Chinese tour as well. I didn't get much chance to go shopping, but at least mission accomplished: I got a Patak Phillip catalogue for my Dad! In the end I bought some souvenir and chocolate (that's what the most famous in Switzerland).
The hotel we stayed is also heritage building but very well preserved, unlike Fussen. The hotel lobby is very stylish. And there is even a Hong Kong flag outside the building! It must be a popular hotel for Hong Kong tourists.
We decided to head out for a walk after dinner in the hotel. We were told that it's relatively safe in Switzerland (even at night time). And it's true. We never met a person that you want to stay away on the street. We just feel so safe even walking at night. We took some pictures of the shoreline, the chapel bridge and had a walk inside the railway station.
Our hotel room is nice and spacious, the only thing I would criticize is that the shower is rather weak.
I was excited because it's the first time to visit a castle. In my impression (which comes from travel TV program), castle is huge, mysterious, with historic character, even haunted (horror stories?).
But this castle that I'm visiting, is completely different from my impression.
We started the tour in a foggy day. The castle is on the hill, so we need to transfer to a smaller shuttle bus to take us to the mid way. After that, we still need to hike (very steep slope) about 20 minutes before we get to the castle. Suddenly I had a feeling of 重陽節, since I would also "hike" uphill to the cemetery in a foggy weather to pay a visit to my ancestors.
Although the inspiration counterpart, the Sleeping Beauty Castle, situated in the Disneyland, a place filled with joy and laughter, the authenticated New Swan Castle is on the other hand standing lonely on the top of the hill, overlooking the city Fussen in South Western part of Germany. It's the palace of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, although he only lived there for about a year. Until his death, the castle is not yet finished constructing. The castle also is also served as a homage to Richard Wagner, a famous opera composer at that time.
We had a guided tour inside the castle, but too bad we aren't allowed to take pictures inside. The mosaic floor in the Throne room is magnificent and took 2 years to complete. The bedroom of the King even contain a running water faucet in the shape of swan. Water comes from a small stream 200 m away from the castle.
While I was lining up for the washroom, there is a Japanese middle-age lady in front of me. She asked, "Are you Japanese?" WOW! Do I look like Japanese? And we also chit-chat a little bit. They join tour to Germany and Switzerland for 8 days and I guess this is the same tour I have met in Fussen. She also travelled quite a lot. Last year she's been to Europe or some other places I can't recall now. Her English is actually quite good. It's the 2nd time that I met Japanese middle age lady, who speaks good English. When I travel to Japan 2 years ago, I have asked a few different young people but none of them could understand/speak English. And finally we met an middle age lady that points us the right direction. Since then I had a feeling that middle age Japanese lady can speak good English. And today in Germany, same applies!
Since we can't get a clear view of the whole castle in a foggy day, we ended up buying quite a few postcards and mouse pad with the castle view.
For more details of the castle, refer to the Wiki page.
After the castle visit, we had lunch in a motel on the way to Switzerland. There I had my first beer in Germany. It tastes great! Even though I don't really like beer.
Lucerne, Switzerland
We arrived Lucerne in the late afternoon. First we are going to a boat cruise around Lake Lucerne. I was a little bit regret that I paid extra for the boat cruise plus losing the time to go shopping. The cruise is relaxing but the view is not as spectacular as I expect. There are a lot of watch shops along the shore. There are at least one or more Chinese sales representatives. And of course there are more Chinese tour as well. I didn't get much chance to go shopping, but at least mission accomplished: I got a Patak Phillip catalogue for my Dad! In the end I bought some souvenir and chocolate (that's what the most famous in Switzerland).
The hotel we stayed is also heritage building but very well preserved, unlike Fussen. The hotel lobby is very stylish. And there is even a Hong Kong flag outside the building! It must be a popular hotel for Hong Kong tourists.
We decided to head out for a walk after dinner in the hotel. We were told that it's relatively safe in Switzerland (even at night time). And it's true. We never met a person that you want to stay away on the street. We just feel so safe even walking at night. We took some pictures of the shoreline, the chapel bridge and had a walk inside the railway station.
Our hotel room is nice and spacious, the only thing I would criticize is that the shower is rather weak.
 |
| Europe Trip Day 6 |
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 5 of 15 (Austria, Germany)
Since we "wasted" 2 hours on the traffic jam yesterday, we are going back to visit one viewpoint in Salzberg: the Mirabell Garden.
Mirabell Garden
It gains its popularity because an old movie "The Sound of Music" has a famous shot here.
The garden itself has a few fountains and lots of blooming flowers. Not breath taking but a nice place.
Berchtesgaden salt mine
Next, we are crossing Germany border, onto a small town of Berchtesgaden to visit a salt mine. At first I think that salt mine is nothing really special but I was wrong. It turns out to be a remarkable place of our trip.
First, we are provided the worker's suit to put on top of our clothes. Then we are riding on pit train to go inside the mine. After the train ride, we walked through the tunnel and see a few of the early machinery for mining salt. There are also 3D model explaining the structure of the mine.
There is also an education zone which explains about the salt structure and usage, different display of rock salt and the microscopic view of the salt molecules.
Now the fun part begins. There is a smooth-polished wooden rail that goes down about 4 stories high. That's how the miners in the old days go down the mine, just slide down! The person in back wraps his or her arms around the person in front and then pushes off to slide 50-100 feet down the slide deeper into the mine. That's much more exciting than roller coaster. I have to scream at the end.
Next there is a boat ride across an underground salt lake. When we first walked into the room it looked like the boat was floating above the floor because the water was so clear.
During the ride there is music and lighting show. What an incredible trip!
There is another shorter slide and then we go back to the train, which lead us to the elevator. Then we go up the ground level. The exit of the mine leads us to the souvenir shop. And as usual, there is no time for shopping...
Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Next, we are back to Austria: Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
If you expect to see the history of the Swarovski family, or how to make crystal, this is not the place. It's indeed like a contemporary art exhibition. You may not like it, but since it's included in the tour, I won't complain. Especially, I was longing to go to the member lounge. Yeah I got a free drink/snack there plus a free gift from the lounge. There is also a large store. The admission ticket also worth $2 euro of any store purchase.
We are back to Germany once again, to a small town Fussen.
We walked around the small town, saw a few well-preserved medieval buildings. And then back to the hotel for dinner. Going to have 德國鹹豬手 as dinner. yeah!
Our hotel is also an heritage building. A building with history. And that means, it's old and especially our room, we got the smallest (as seen from the floor plan), and oldest. I can't even open the luggage because there is no room after the double bed. Bathroom is small. In fact I was waken up at 5am never can fall asleep. Just imagine, the hotel reception on the ground floor actually closed (no light) after 10pm. We were given a key of the front entrance as we come back after 10pm. On a heritage building, an old room.... I just can't help myself sleep peacefully...However, the next day, I took a peak at the other room (where the other Japanese tour stays) in the newer section. It's totally difference. Newer reno with nice decor. So maybe I"m just the unlucky one to get the worst room.
The dinner is good, huge 德國鹹豬手 and I can't even finish it. Beer (750ml) sells for $4 extra but I don't think I can finish. After dinner a few other tour members and us decided to head out for a walk. With all the medieval surroundings, I feel like walking in the past.
Mirabell Garden
It gains its popularity because an old movie "The Sound of Music" has a famous shot here.
The garden itself has a few fountains and lots of blooming flowers. Not breath taking but a nice place.
Berchtesgaden salt mine
Next, we are crossing Germany border, onto a small town of Berchtesgaden to visit a salt mine. At first I think that salt mine is nothing really special but I was wrong. It turns out to be a remarkable place of our trip.
First, we are provided the worker's suit to put on top of our clothes. Then we are riding on pit train to go inside the mine. After the train ride, we walked through the tunnel and see a few of the early machinery for mining salt. There are also 3D model explaining the structure of the mine.
There is also an education zone which explains about the salt structure and usage, different display of rock salt and the microscopic view of the salt molecules.
Now the fun part begins. There is a smooth-polished wooden rail that goes down about 4 stories high. That's how the miners in the old days go down the mine, just slide down! The person in back wraps his or her arms around the person in front and then pushes off to slide 50-100 feet down the slide deeper into the mine. That's much more exciting than roller coaster. I have to scream at the end.
Next there is a boat ride across an underground salt lake. When we first walked into the room it looked like the boat was floating above the floor because the water was so clear.
During the ride there is music and lighting show. What an incredible trip!
There is another shorter slide and then we go back to the train, which lead us to the elevator. Then we go up the ground level. The exit of the mine leads us to the souvenir shop. And as usual, there is no time for shopping...
 |
| Europe Trip Day 5 - Part 1 |
Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Next, we are back to Austria: Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
If you expect to see the history of the Swarovski family, or how to make crystal, this is not the place. It's indeed like a contemporary art exhibition. You may not like it, but since it's included in the tour, I won't complain. Especially, I was longing to go to the member lounge. Yeah I got a free drink/snack there plus a free gift from the lounge. There is also a large store. The admission ticket also worth $2 euro of any store purchase.
We are back to Germany once again, to a small town Fussen.
We walked around the small town, saw a few well-preserved medieval buildings. And then back to the hotel for dinner. Going to have 德國鹹豬手 as dinner. yeah!
Our hotel is also an heritage building. A building with history. And that means, it's old and especially our room, we got the smallest (as seen from the floor plan), and oldest. I can't even open the luggage because there is no room after the double bed. Bathroom is small. In fact I was waken up at 5am never can fall asleep. Just imagine, the hotel reception on the ground floor actually closed (no light) after 10pm. We were given a key of the front entrance as we come back after 10pm. On a heritage building, an old room.... I just can't help myself sleep peacefully...However, the next day, I took a peak at the other room (where the other Japanese tour stays) in the newer section. It's totally difference. Newer reno with nice decor. So maybe I"m just the unlucky one to get the worst room.
The dinner is good, huge 德國鹹豬手 and I can't even finish it. Beer (750ml) sells for $4 extra but I don't think I can finish. After dinner a few other tour members and us decided to head out for a walk. With all the medieval surroundings, I feel like walking in the past.
 |
| Europe Trip Day 5 - Part 2 |
Saturday, October 4, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 4 of 15 (Austria: Salzburg)
We finally are able to escape from the hot weather of Italy. It's foggy, cloudy and cool as we approach Austria.
We had lunch in Autogrill again, but this time in Austria. This Autogrill is much bigger, with more food choices and bigger shop. However, the people (both the staff and customer) seems that they did not understand English as much as Italian. So my lunch turn out to be $20Euro but very small portion.
After lunch, we are going to Salzburg. Should be another 2-3 hours drive.
However, after about half an hour, nightmare starts. Traffic jam!
We are almost completely stuck. Can't see the head of the queue.
Some people get off their car, run to the side of the highway. I almost want to do that too if I'm a guy.
I thought there is some road accident but turn out it's the road construction. One lane is closed and there a traffic light to regulate traffic. Green light is on for 1 minute or 2 then 3 minutes red light. But the frustrating thing is, there is NO crew working on the highway at all, so why still use this light to stop the traffic! End up we are stuck on the highway for 5 hours!!! By the time we get to Salzburg, stores are about to close.
We just walk by the birthplace of Mozart, and the old street with many shops. Getreidegasse (also known as Grain Lane) is a busy shopping street in the Old Town section of Salzburg.
As we enter Salzburg, the feeling is so different from Italy. In Italy everything (especially traffic) looks so chaos. Architecture is great but worn down. Traffic is messy, people in general is not as friendly. Graffiti can be seen every where. But Austria is different, the buildings are well maintained. Very clean city. Even the people I met in Autogrill seems more friendly and helpful.
I would definitely say Austria is on top of my re-visit list.
Surprisingly, the Chinese food we had for dinner tonight is good. Much better than the one we had in Italy. Amaze that there is decent Chinese food in Austria too.
I also want to mention the hotel. It's the best so far! Modern, clean and on the 10th floor with view! The breakfast room is even on the 15th floor with the whole view of the city and nice choice of food. It's also quite close to the railway station. Hotel Europa (Rainerstrasse 31 A-5021 Salzburg) I'll remember that!
We had lunch in Autogrill again, but this time in Austria. This Autogrill is much bigger, with more food choices and bigger shop. However, the people (both the staff and customer) seems that they did not understand English as much as Italian. So my lunch turn out to be $20Euro but very small portion.
After lunch, we are going to Salzburg. Should be another 2-3 hours drive.
However, after about half an hour, nightmare starts. Traffic jam!
We are almost completely stuck. Can't see the head of the queue.
Some people get off their car, run to the side of the highway. I almost want to do that too if I'm a guy.
I thought there is some road accident but turn out it's the road construction. One lane is closed and there a traffic light to regulate traffic. Green light is on for 1 minute or 2 then 3 minutes red light. But the frustrating thing is, there is NO crew working on the highway at all, so why still use this light to stop the traffic! End up we are stuck on the highway for 5 hours!!! By the time we get to Salzburg, stores are about to close.
We just walk by the birthplace of Mozart, and the old street with many shops. Getreidegasse (also known as Grain Lane) is a busy shopping street in the Old Town section of Salzburg.
As we enter Salzburg, the feeling is so different from Italy. In Italy everything (especially traffic) looks so chaos. Architecture is great but worn down. Traffic is messy, people in general is not as friendly. Graffiti can be seen every where. But Austria is different, the buildings are well maintained. Very clean city. Even the people I met in Autogrill seems more friendly and helpful.
I would definitely say Austria is on top of my re-visit list.
Surprisingly, the Chinese food we had for dinner tonight is good. Much better than the one we had in Italy. Amaze that there is decent Chinese food in Austria too.
I also want to mention the hotel. It's the best so far! Modern, clean and on the 10th floor with view! The breakfast room is even on the 15th floor with the whole view of the city and nice choice of food. It's also quite close to the railway station. Hotel Europa (Rainerstrasse 31 A-5021 Salzburg) I'll remember that!
 |
| Europe Trip Day 4 |
Friday, October 3, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 3 of 15 (Italy: Venice)
Venezia
Still suffering from the hot weather, I was hoping the water surrounded city Venice would be cooler. I was wrong.
It's especially hot around noon time, when we got off the "water taxi". Just by walking from the station to St. Mark's Square (about 10 mins walk), I was all soaked.
The landmark include the St Mark's Basilica and the tall clock tower, looked so familiar. Because they are the "real" version of the one I have seen in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and Macau.
St. Mark's Square is filled with millions of pigeon. The tour guide already reminded us that there would be people trying to hand you some corn to feed the pigeon. But if you take it, you would be asked to pay. I was standing still and wait for Henry to take a shot of me and the clock tower, the hawker tries so hard to give me those corn and block my way take the picture!
And of course, he finally gave up.
After a while, the sky started to turn dull and guess what, thunderstorm follows. The rain is so heavily that people all rush back to the covered hallway for shelter. I was a bit worried that I can't take the gondola ride due to the heavy rain. Luckily after a while, rains stop and the air is much cooler now.
The gondola ride does not amaze me any more since I have taken two times already. The person who ride our gondola kept talking to the next "rider" and he didn't even "sing", unlike the one in Las Vegas or Macau. However, the "boat" itself is more pretty, but it's not electric!
After the gondola ride we went to visit a glass factory. There is demo on how to "blow" glass and it's not an easy task! It's extremely hot to work besides the oven. It's quite tempting to purchase the glass product just that they are really expensive...
Dinner is nothing fantastic as well. But it's my first time to try the octopus sauce (with spaghetti). It's not bad.
The hotel tonight is nothing special either. We didn't even take picture...
Still suffering from the hot weather, I was hoping the water surrounded city Venice would be cooler. I was wrong.
It's especially hot around noon time, when we got off the "water taxi". Just by walking from the station to St. Mark's Square (about 10 mins walk), I was all soaked.
The landmark include the St Mark's Basilica and the tall clock tower, looked so familiar. Because they are the "real" version of the one I have seen in the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas and Macau.
St. Mark's Square is filled with millions of pigeon. The tour guide already reminded us that there would be people trying to hand you some corn to feed the pigeon. But if you take it, you would be asked to pay. I was standing still and wait for Henry to take a shot of me and the clock tower, the hawker tries so hard to give me those corn and block my way take the picture!
And of course, he finally gave up.
After a while, the sky started to turn dull and guess what, thunderstorm follows. The rain is so heavily that people all rush back to the covered hallway for shelter. I was a bit worried that I can't take the gondola ride due to the heavy rain. Luckily after a while, rains stop and the air is much cooler now.
The gondola ride does not amaze me any more since I have taken two times already. The person who ride our gondola kept talking to the next "rider" and he didn't even "sing", unlike the one in Las Vegas or Macau. However, the "boat" itself is more pretty, but it's not electric!
After the gondola ride we went to visit a glass factory. There is demo on how to "blow" glass and it's not an easy task! It's extremely hot to work besides the oven. It's quite tempting to purchase the glass product just that they are really expensive...
Dinner is nothing fantastic as well. But it's my first time to try the octopus sauce (with spaghetti). It's not bad.
The hotel tonight is nothing special either. We didn't even take picture...
 |
| Europe Trip Day 3 |
Thursday, October 2, 2008
My first Europe trip - Day 2 of 15 (Italy: Florence, Pisa)
Florence
Turns out that Florence (I would prefer to call it with the proper name "Firenze")is my favourite Italian city. A medieval city full of architecture and arts. And of course, with many shops (especially leather shops). It's definitely on my re-visit list...
Pisa
I may want to revisit Pisa too, just because I really regret that we got not time to go up the leaning tower...
Hotel
The hotel is better tha last night. Brighter and cleaner bathroom. However, there is no shower curtain but a plastic panel which only covers 1/4 of the bath tub. What's the point? I end up need to wipe the whole bathroom floor after shower. And guess what, I need to do that almost 1/3 of the time during the whole trip. Most of the hotel bathroom has this half panel that stops no water!
Turns out that Florence (I would prefer to call it with the proper name "Firenze")is my favourite Italian city. A medieval city full of architecture and arts. And of course, with many shops (especially leather shops). It's definitely on my re-visit list...
Pisa
I may want to revisit Pisa too, just because I really regret that we got not time to go up the leaning tower...
Hotel
The hotel is better tha last night. Brighter and cleaner bathroom. However, there is no shower curtain but a plastic panel which only covers 1/4 of the bath tub. What's the point? I end up need to wipe the whole bathroom floor after shower. And guess what, I need to do that almost 1/3 of the time during the whole trip. Most of the hotel bathroom has this half panel that stops no water!
 |
| Europe Trip Day 2 |
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My first Europe Trip - Day 1 of 15 (Italy: Rome, Vatican)
To be exact this is not my first landing on the European continent. It was my business trip back in 2004, to Cambridge UK. And I have spared half an hour in London.
That aside, I considered this is my first true travel experience in Europe.
I have joined a 15-day tour hosted by Charming Holidays. The first stop is Rome, Italy.
Flight
Some people may prefer connection flight rather than direct. I guess not me. First we fly to Toronto, which the tour pick up other tour members, and then we go on to Rome.
The flight to Toronto is actually quite enjoyable. We flew on a new Boeing 777, with touch screen in front of each of us. There is also colourful ambient lighting. I heard this is to ease the jet lag? Although there is no "free" food/drink on board, the nice entertainment system (with new movies and different TV shows) make it up.
As the inter-continental flight is comfy and nice; the international flight to Rome should be even better? Also with 777? or at least a 747? That's my wishful thinking. Too bad we are all thrown into "hell" (compare to the Boeing 777) afterward. The plane to Rome is so dated, which looks like it has been in service for more than 20 years and will be broken any time. I was even worried if it's safe to complete a 9 hour journey.
After 5 hours flight to Toronto, 3 hours waiting for connection, and 9 hours flight to Rome, we are finally there.
Rome
Really tired (because it's already mid-night in my own time zone), we landed on Rome international airport. Right away we can sense the warm air.
The airport is not as modern/new as I thought, it looks like our inter-continental airport before renovation. It's rather dated.
We didn't wait too long for the luggage. Still we are stuck in the airport for some time due to missing luggage from our tour guide. Once the automatic door opens, I can sense the true air of Rome. It's HOT! So quickly I have changed to a short-sleeve t-shirt.
Our first stop is LUNCH. We have lunch in a Chinese Restaurant. Surprisingly the BBQ Chicken and duck are not bad. It actually exceeds my expectations. (i.e. but I do lower my expectation in the first place. You know...we are talking about Chinese Food in Europe...)
After lunch we are onto the first tourist attraction: Vatican.
Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica (that's indeed the first time I know the word "Basilica" for Church...) is truly magnificent. Numerous painting and sculpture. Every inch of the Basilica is filled with detail thoughts.
Too bad we are in rush (as always, we are with a tour). We didn't have chance to visit other building in Vatican. That means no chance for souvenir...
Back to our tour bus, we are going to the Colosseum. On the way we have passed by some other great buildings. Too bad I can't recall the names now...
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is so much more shinning in pictures than in real. In real it's just the remain of the once powerful Roman Empire. Much of the outside granite wall has been taken away to build the St. Peter's Basilica. Numerous holes remain. Together with the decayed Roman Forum (which is just besides it), the Colosseum is not a spectacular site. In the old days, it is the site for gladiatorial games (not sure what it is? Rent the movie Gladiator...) where numerous people and animals died in it. I'm glad that we are not around here at night...
There are some booth operated by African immigrants (as the tour guide mentions), selling souvenir. I'm lucky enough to visit that particular booth.
"Is this set of postcard $1 Euro?" I pointed to a set of 5 postcard, with the 1Euro sign next to it.
"One Euro for five? You should go back to China ....."
OK...I get it now.
Trevi Fountain
Anyway, next stop is the another famous tourist attraction: the "make a wish fountain" (that's what I called it). Trevi Fountain is the proper name.
It's so crowded that we aren't able to take a pictures without other people around. In the end, I do toss a coin.
There is a short walk to where we got off the bus to the fountain. On the way, I started to "hunt" for bottle water. My impression is that water is very expensive in Europe. Beer is much cheaper than water. So I found a corner store selling 0.75L for $0.5Euro I quickly stock up 2 bottle.
And there is another incident related to water. Stay tune...
Finally, we are done with the view point. Heading back for dinner. This time, the dinner is rather disappointing...
Hotel
I have indeed lower my expectation regarding hotel. My impression is that European hotel is tiny, dated yet pricey. Well, SEEMS that this is not the case. The hotel reception area is modern (which gives me a false hope that the room would be nice). The room is actually spacious (comparable to our Holiday Inn). The bathroom is small, with no bath tub only shower stand. But the decor is really dated and the bathroom has a little bit of stain. At least, the bedding seems ok clean. What I don't understand is that the bathroom is already small, why still put a "toilet-like feature that used for washing"? What a waste of space!
I don't feel any jet lag, because I'm already super tired...
This is the end of my Day 1.
Pictures here:
That aside, I considered this is my first true travel experience in Europe.
I have joined a 15-day tour hosted by Charming Holidays. The first stop is Rome, Italy.
Flight
Some people may prefer connection flight rather than direct. I guess not me. First we fly to Toronto, which the tour pick up other tour members, and then we go on to Rome.
The flight to Toronto is actually quite enjoyable. We flew on a new Boeing 777, with touch screen in front of each of us. There is also colourful ambient lighting. I heard this is to ease the jet lag? Although there is no "free" food/drink on board, the nice entertainment system (with new movies and different TV shows) make it up.
As the inter-continental flight is comfy and nice; the international flight to Rome should be even better? Also with 777? or at least a 747? That's my wishful thinking. Too bad we are all thrown into "hell" (compare to the Boeing 777) afterward. The plane to Rome is so dated, which looks like it has been in service for more than 20 years and will be broken any time. I was even worried if it's safe to complete a 9 hour journey.
After 5 hours flight to Toronto, 3 hours waiting for connection, and 9 hours flight to Rome, we are finally there.
Rome
Really tired (because it's already mid-night in my own time zone), we landed on Rome international airport. Right away we can sense the warm air.
The airport is not as modern/new as I thought, it looks like our inter-continental airport before renovation. It's rather dated.
We didn't wait too long for the luggage. Still we are stuck in the airport for some time due to missing luggage from our tour guide. Once the automatic door opens, I can sense the true air of Rome. It's HOT! So quickly I have changed to a short-sleeve t-shirt.
Our first stop is LUNCH. We have lunch in a Chinese Restaurant. Surprisingly the BBQ Chicken and duck are not bad. It actually exceeds my expectations. (i.e. but I do lower my expectation in the first place. You know...we are talking about Chinese Food in Europe...)
After lunch we are onto the first tourist attraction: Vatican.
Vatican
St. Peter's Basilica (that's indeed the first time I know the word "Basilica" for Church...) is truly magnificent. Numerous painting and sculpture. Every inch of the Basilica is filled with detail thoughts.
Too bad we are in rush (as always, we are with a tour). We didn't have chance to visit other building in Vatican. That means no chance for souvenir...
Back to our tour bus, we are going to the Colosseum. On the way we have passed by some other great buildings. Too bad I can't recall the names now...
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is so much more shinning in pictures than in real. In real it's just the remain of the once powerful Roman Empire. Much of the outside granite wall has been taken away to build the St. Peter's Basilica. Numerous holes remain. Together with the decayed Roman Forum (which is just besides it), the Colosseum is not a spectacular site. In the old days, it is the site for gladiatorial games (not sure what it is? Rent the movie Gladiator...) where numerous people and animals died in it. I'm glad that we are not around here at night...
There are some booth operated by African immigrants (as the tour guide mentions), selling souvenir. I'm lucky enough to visit that particular booth.
"Is this set of postcard $1 Euro?" I pointed to a set of 5 postcard, with the 1Euro sign next to it.
"One Euro for five? You should go back to China ....."
OK...I get it now.
Trevi Fountain
Anyway, next stop is the another famous tourist attraction: the "make a wish fountain" (that's what I called it). Trevi Fountain is the proper name.
It's so crowded that we aren't able to take a pictures without other people around. In the end, I do toss a coin.
There is a short walk to where we got off the bus to the fountain. On the way, I started to "hunt" for bottle water. My impression is that water is very expensive in Europe. Beer is much cheaper than water. So I found a corner store selling 0.75L for $0.5Euro I quickly stock up 2 bottle.
And there is another incident related to water. Stay tune...
Finally, we are done with the view point. Heading back for dinner. This time, the dinner is rather disappointing...
Hotel
I have indeed lower my expectation regarding hotel. My impression is that European hotel is tiny, dated yet pricey. Well, SEEMS that this is not the case. The hotel reception area is modern (which gives me a false hope that the room would be nice). The room is actually spacious (comparable to our Holiday Inn). The bathroom is small, with no bath tub only shower stand. But the decor is really dated and the bathroom has a little bit of stain. At least, the bedding seems ok clean. What I don't understand is that the bathroom is already small, why still put a "toilet-like feature that used for washing"? What a waste of space!
I don't feel any jet lag, because I'm already super tired...
This is the end of my Day 1.
Pictures here:
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| Europe Trip Day 1 |
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