Ten-odd Days
traipsing to see the world, our way
Category: 2005 Our Honeymoon
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 