Ten-odd Days
traipsing to see the world, our way
Category: Europe
Mysterious Meteora: A Photo Gallery
Our drive to Meteora was eventful, to say the least. In the previous post on Meteora, it was mentioned that we were stopped and booked for speeding. In my defence, it was a new expressway that had practically no vehicles for kilometres at a… Continue Reading “Mysterious Meteora: A Photo Gallery”
In Love with Mysterious Meteora
I’m not able to pinpoint when my fascination with Meteora began, but it would be about right to say that I’ve been wanting to see this mysterious place for myself for the longest time. Especially after two ditched plans to come to Greece. Meteora… Continue Reading “In Love with Mysterious Meteora”
Delphi, the Centre of the World
As considered by ancient Greeks, that is. According to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus released two eagles in opposite directions of east and west, and the place where they met again – Delphi – was denoted to be the centre of the known world, the… Continue Reading “Delphi, the Centre of the World”
Turkish Delights: A Photo Gallery
This being a typical package tour, a lot of activities were packed into the few days we had in Turkey. Regrettably, some of these places weren’t properly document with our camera, considering how languid I was midway into the trip. Some of the more interesting sights and scenes have been selected to be highlighted in this picture gallery.
Ankara vs Istanbul
It’s a common misnomer to think that Istanbul is the capital of this country bridging Asia and Europe. Incidentally, it is Istanbul that straddles between these two continents. It is also Istanbul that has a long history of being the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire but no, it’s not the capital during modern times. Ankara is.
Of Cotton Castle and Fairy Chimneys
Pamukkale, meaning ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish, is a town in southwestern Turkey most well-known for its mineral rich thermal waters that slowly trickle down cotton-white travertine terraces. The most pervasive image of Pamukkale most people would have has to be white terraces with numerous mini craters filled with sky blue water.
The Ancient City of Ephesus
Ephesus (near Selçuk in modern day Turkey) was an important ancient landmark. Especially with respect to Christianity, since it was mentioned several times in the Bible. Even the tenth book of the New Testament was a letter from Paul dedicated to Ephesian Christians. Given its significance, it was fortuitous then, that after traversing from the Istanbul Airport to the western coast of Turkey adjacent to the Aegean Sea, our first stop was to the House of the Virgin Mary.
My Inexplicably Strange Encounter in Fátima
Our schedule started early in the day, as typical of most guided tours. It didn’t matter that I was sufficiently under the weather to have taken a slow day, or skipped some locations if we were vacationing on our own. A guided tour meant… Continue Reading “My Inexplicably Strange Encounter in Fátima”
The Confusing Existence of Gibraltar
Onward to the rock fortress of Gibraltar! It’s really confusing, because while being located on the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, of Spain, it is under British control. What? Yes, that was my reaction too. In essence, Gibraltar is one of the fourteen remaining British Overseas Territories, remnants of the British Empire.
The Pink Palace Alhambra
And the day has finally arrived! We are finally visiting La Alhambra, the location I consider to be my personal highlight of this trip. While this palace and fortress complex is perhaps not as well-known as Sagrada Familia the iconic landmark of Spain, it can most certainly hold its own with its colourful history, evident from being the second most visited tourist attraction of the country.
To Granada, the Moorish Jewel of Spain
Now, Guadix is one curious town, being one of the oldest human settlements in Spain dating all the way back to the Stone Age. While it lies at an elevation of over 900 metres, most of its inhabitants live underground in cave houses. This is because in general, Andalusians are rather fond of living underground as a means to escape the summer heat, given the semi-arid climate of the region.
Spain’s 3rd Largest City, Valencia
The old town of Peníscola comprises a confusing maze of narrow winding cobbled stone streets with the castle located at the highest point of the town, at 64 square metres above mean sea level. It was built by the Knights of the Templar in the late 13th century, and since then it had undergone several minor alterations.
Of Camp Nou & Port Vell
Having had a total of two days in Barcelona, we decided to break away from the group to explore Camp Nou and the city by our own on the second day. Though not avid fans of Futbol Club Barcelona, the soccer-loving mister felt a compelling need to pay a visit to legendary Camp Nou since we were in the very city.
Barcelona, The City of Counts
Mention this city located on the North-Eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula facing the Mediterranean Sea, and several images come to mind: the Port of Barcelona, La Rambla and Camp Nou. After a short and uneventful transit at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, we landed at Barcelona El Prat Airport on a cloudy, balmy day.
10 Things About Switzerland
Switzerland’s official name is Swiss Confederation (Confoederatio Helvetica in Latin) hence explaining its official abbreviation CH. It is a land-locked country in Western Europe bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria & Liechtenstein to the east.
Luggage Choice for Long Trips
Black and Navy Blue are passé, at least for luggage, they are. Opt for brighter, unique colours if you could, to easily identify your luggage on the belt. It also cuts down on the risks of someone mistakenly taking your luggage for their own (it has happened to my family twice, both times with the same generic Samsonite Black cabin luggage). That is unless you are making business trips and cannot afford being seen in the company of luggage in a ‘zany’ colour.
Epilogue – Europe Honeymoon
Expectations were feverishly high because it was after all (pricey!) Europe and well… our honeymoon. The honeymoon. One may travel to many places in his entire lifetime and promptly forget about some of these places several moons later, but nobody forgets the honeymoon. As luck would have it, our honeymoon turned out to be nothing short of perfect. The itinerary was unsurpassed, the tour leader unrivalled, and the company unparalleled.
The ‘Motleys’
Since we had very little time in London after flying in from Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, we broke from the group after checking into our hotel in Knightsbridge. While the group went visiting the usual touristy places like Trafalgar Square, London Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the likes, we headed straight for Old Bond Street and Oxford Street. If these two streets reek of a shopping haven to you, you are quite right.
Of The Keukenhof & Canals
Contrary to popular belief, not all women are partial to flowers. I am one such exception. Apart from two white flowers – tiger lilies and white cymbidiums – no other flower, however resplendently packaged in a bouquet, catches my eyes. We were therefore expectedly not looking… Continue Reading “Of The Keukenhof & Canals”
Paris The City of Lights
Somehow within the waking hours, we covered most of the famous sights in Paris and then some: we saw the Luxor Obelisk at Place de la Concorde, took pictures in front of Ritz Paris, came up close and personal with Arc de Triomphe, strolled along Avenue des Champs-Élysées and scaled The Eiffel Tower. On top of that, we somehow till found time to visit Château de Versailles, Musée du Louvre and sit through a 10-course French dinner.
Heart of the Alps, Switzerland
The Chapel Bridge crossing the Reuss River, a short jaunt from our hotel, is the oldest wooden-covered bridge in Europe. The current bridge standing in Lucerne is however, not the original constructed in 1333 as much of the bridge was destroyed in a fire in 1993. The Swiss wasted no time in rebuilding the bridge since it is a major tourist attraction and is easily the most photographed monument in the country.
Playground of the Rich & Famous
Our next destination brought us to the French Riviera (French: Côte d’Azur), the southeast Mediterranean coastline off France. Due to its hot summers and mild winters, the French Riviera started out as a playground and vacation spot for European aristocrats who would temporarily move southwards to eschew the cold, bitter winters in the north. Now, the region has become a fashionable tourist destination, especially for the rich and famous.
The Romance & Fashion Capitals
Venice (Italian: Venezia), a city in northern Italy proverbial for tourism, goes by several other names including “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges” and “The Floating City”. However, none of these monikers befits this Italian stunner more than “The Romance Capital”. Indeed, many who have visited Venice left deeply stirred within, intrigued by romantic charm of this breathtaking city on water. Us included, without a doubt.
First Encounter with The ‘Boot’
We landed at Rome Fiumicino Airport on a special day – 8 Apr 2005, incidentally late Pope John Paul II’s day of funeral. Rome (Italian: Roma) was swarmed with multitudes of pilgrims whom, together with numerous heads of state and dignitaries, were making their way to Vatican City to pay their last respects to a much-loved and well-respected leader of the worldwide Catholic Church.
One half of Ten-odd Days - the planning, writing and photo-taking half.
Ten-odd Days 