Antwerp

Day trip from Brussels to Diamond city. They even sell diamonds at the train station. Feeling a little churched-out at this point, so I decided to visit a quaint little museum called Museum Plantin-Moretus. It chronicles the rise of Antwerp’s biggest and most important printing press and publishing house over a few hundred years. Everything is remarkably well-preserved in this house - The printing press machinery, type-setting equipment, library archives, and books on display. the first ever 5-language bible (16th century) (see pic below) and other liturgical works, world atlases, musical scores, etc. The bonus for me was coming across a 16th century town map of Lancaster!

Blast into the past – I love the smell of old books – maybe that’s why I’m still resisting e-books, reading just doesn’t feel the same when you’re holding a computer in your hand.

Brussels

Say Belgium and the following comes to mind: Jean-Claude Van Damme, beers, moules, frites, waffles with ice-cream and of course chocolates! Frites to belgians is like rice to chinese. Everywhere i go, there's a fries shop! I wonder how Belgians survive on these unhealthy foods!

Beautiful market square in Brussels

The zwanzeur spirit, or local unique humour- quirky comic strip frescos adorn the walls and even the electricity boxes along the street are decorated!

Bruges

Beau is in Brussels for the ASEM and I conveniently tag along to see the country. More accurately, it was my excuse for the whole Europe vacation, and not only do I arrive before him (to visit Paris with Shaheen), I also extend my vacation to visit more pals in London – ha!

Beau had only one free day and we took a train to Bruges, a picturesque UNESCO world heritage site with canals and several well-preserved historical monuments.

After walking through the entire town, we took a welcome respite in the form of a fun boat ride that winded through the canals and under a number of old bridges– it’s the closest we got to a guided tour of the buildings.

Paris

First stop of my Europe vacation and I have to admit I was so excited about this trip – so excited I didn’t sleep much on the red-eye flight because I have been looking forward to having a long break from work. The last time I was on this continent was when I backpacked here in 2006, where I mostly spent my time in Spain, Scandinavia and Poland. I feel really comfortable here, with the weather, the food, etc. and can get by with my pidgin French/ Spanish. Contrary to the steoreotype, Parisians are not rude at all, but in fact very polite and genial.

My first visit to the City of Lights was in the summer of 2000. It was hot and muggy and I was a poor student then. Still, I remember being wowed by the city’s architecture and sensuality. Fast forward 10 years later, Paris is still as beautiful as ever, and even more so in autumn. Perhaps I’m a lot more mellowed out now and I don’t feel the burning desire anymore to check off 20 different attractions each day, but just to enjoy the mood and atmosphere of the city at a more leisurely pace.

Still, Sha and I made good pace exploring Paris and its marvelous monuments (mostly by foot!), the river Seine, and soaking in the café culture. She and I last met in 2006 (in Andalucia), and we had 4 years worth of catching up to do over our long walks, desserts and coffee.

Remembering Auschwitz

Given all the major historical events we have seen in the 20th century, i find it ironic and terribly depressing that we still have wars, genocides, and atrocities being committed to this very day.

It has been more than 60 years since the end of World War 2. The fact that the disastrous outcome of WW1 where millions of people perished, and countries went bankrupt trying to outdo each other by building more sophisticated killing machines didn't seem to do anything to stop us from starting another war. And then some.

To what cause? It all boils down to the fight for power, resources, race, religion, the fight for supremacy over the rest of humankind. By the looks of it, history does not seem to have taught us anything.

Could we have avoided the genocides and mass murders in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Sarejevo? I think so. Was the Iraq war really necessary? Not really. As if hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, famines and droughts aren't enough for us to donate our time, money and effort to. As if there isn't already enough disease, poverty and despair in the world to keep us busy.

I suppose one can argue that it is precisely because there are limited esources in the world, that is why people, governments, countries are going to war and killing each other for it. However, it seems to me we are creating more problems than solving them.

Why do we need to divert already scarce resources to feed poor little kids in Lebanon and the Gaza strip, or patch up buildings and roads in war-torn countries? Or spend money repairing water pipes if they weren't bombed in the first place? Why couldn't we spend the money on sending poor African kids to school instead so they wouldn't be toting guns on the street? Or try and find a cure for cancer?

Its a bleak world, it is.

Tallinn in pictures

Bye-Bye Finland!

The bar was FULL at 10am on the cruise ferry to Tallinn. And no, they weren't having coffee.


Alexander Nevski cathedral

Town Hall Square - previously used as markets/ execution grounds. Now you can stroll around and enjoy that continental cafe ambience. Tallinn was first mentioned in the records in the year 1154.

From this in 1991...

...to this in 2006. Estonia, especially Tallinn has progressed on so rapidly from its ex-Soviet past in just 15 years. Nobody has to walk into a shop with a coupon to queue up for their rations anymore. Supermarkets shelves are abundant with food. This Viru Shopping mall offers the latest European brand name fashion labels, cosmetics, perfumes, electronics, and gourmet restaurants.

At the Kadriog park - wooded area with gardens, fountains, museums and the Kadriog Palace. This area is also home to the President of Estonia.

View of the old town - i had to climb the equivalent of a stair-case marathon to get to this! you can see the towers and parts of the old town wall on the right.

5 completely random facts about Estonia

My education in the skool of life continues in Tallinn, capital of Estonia.

1) WIFI

Tallinn is so advanced it offers free wifi at several cafes, restaurants, hotels and even petrol stations. Yep. I have seen the future and it is in Tallinn. You can get a car wash and check your emails at the same time. Soon, you'd be able to go ride a bicycle or go to the supermart to shop for groceries AND surf the internet. Now if only i have a darn laptop! At the airport, it had, you guessed it -free WIFI but no internet terminals. Grrrrr...

2) Toilet signs. (take note especially if you are visiting Estonia)

Male/female toilet signs are denoted by triangles on the doors. A triangle pointing upwards refers to female restrooms. And a triangle pointing downwards refers to male restrooms. Guess how i found out.

3) Beverages

The Estonian word for "Cheers" is "Terviseks!" and you have to look your beer-mates in the eye when you say it. It is forbidden to drink alcohol in public places, e.g. in the park. You may be fined 600 EEK (1 euro is about 15.6 Estonian Kroons) if caught. Hide well.

4) Storage space

Estonia has a teeny population of 1.4m people spread out in a land area of about 45,000 square km. (Ok, about 400,000 live in Tallinn alone) Compare that with Singapore, which has 3 times the number of people squished in only 680 square km of space.

5) Transport options from Helsinki to Tallinn/ Buffets

Tallinn is only 82km across the Baltic sea from Helsinki. It is 3.5hrs by ferry, or 18 mins by helicopter. However, i heard that there was a helicopter mishap just a few months ago so it isn't a terribly popular choice at the moment. I took the ferry simply because, you know, i wanted the scenic route and definitely not because there was one of those ubiquitious breakfast buffets offered for only 9 euros. Frankly, I don't see how the helicopter company can compete and counter that offer - i mean, how much can one eat in 18 mins?

Helsinki, Finland

My already-long list of "Places for return visits" is growing and i am adding Helsinki to it.

After stepping off the boat from Stockholm, i headed straight for the city centre to explore. It is a nice and cool temperature of 13 degrees celcius. I thought it would be impossible to perspire in this weather but a 1km walk with my rucksack from the ferry terminal to the city centre soon proved me wrong!

Me in front of Kamppi, a shopping mall built on top of the central bus station.

Uspenski Cathedral - Finland was once under the control of Sweden and after the war of 1808-1809, was ceded to Russia. here, you can see traces of Russian-style architecture - like the "onion domes" of this Orthodox cathedral. Unfortunately, a Russian visa takes 12 weeks to apply so i would probably have to wait for some other time to go.

At the Senate Square - The Helsinki cathedral, statue of of Tsar Alexandar II (with a bird perched on his head), and 4 other statues underneath him representing Law, Peace, Light and Work. This square is where Helsinki citizens usher in the new year.

Rudolph swimming in a cheesy bowl of soup! So it is true that Finns eat reindeer meat and it is a normal everyday affair. They also have it stocked in supermarkets frozen or canned. There was also canned bear meat for sale. Costs about 7 or 8 euros - definitely more upmarket than tuna then.

Actually, Helsinki is pretty cosmopolitan in its tastes. There are plenty of Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Greek, and Turkish restaurants around, and they are always crowded!

Street march on a Saturday afternoon. The ASEM (Asia-Europe) summit is taking place in Helsinki right now, and all the big wigs, like the Japanese and Korean prime ministers are in town. Protesters have timed a demonstration to coincide with the event. It is an all-in-one protest. Anti-war, anti-capitalism, anti-EU, anti-NATO, and even "Free Burma" causes were promoted. It was quite peaceful in the afternoon, but the riot police soon had some action as it turned a little violent later, as i saw on the evening news.

3 days in Stockholm

Another top-notch city with lots to see and do. I really want to come back here again some other time, as with Copenhagen.

Boats lined up at the marina. There are lots of islands in the archipelago just outside of Stockholm you can sail to.

Royal Palace - where the King and Queen of Sweden receives visitors.

Colourful old houses in the Gamla Stan (Old town)



A viking ship - the ultimate souvenir. If not for space constraints in my rucksack, i would have bought this!

Full moon in Stockholm. Notice how beautiful those big yellow cranes look in the moonlight! :-)

Another day, another cruise. This one took me all the way to Helsinki, Finland. These overnight cruises are popular with locals (Swedes and Finns) as cheap weekend getaways. Think huge floating casinos, bars, and duty-free shops with aisles chocked full of duty-free alcohol, cigarettes, perfumes and cosmetics. It is all designed to make you Spend! Spend! Spend! Resistance is futile.

Malmö, Sweden

It is amazing what TV can do to you. I remember watching a Discovery Channel programme on "Mega Structures" and one particular episode featured the trials and tribulations of building the "Turning Torso", designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It is about 180 metres high and comprises of 9 big "cubes" all twisting to look like, well the turning torso of a human. It was by no means easy to construct and took about 4 years to complete - after several delays of course. But i think winning a few engineering and design awards makes up for it.

So, a few months later, i find myself trudging in the rain in the city of Malmö to locate this building and take about 20 photos of it from all angles.

Everything is slanted at an angle, even the windows.

It was well worth the effort.

I don´t remember much else of Malmö, to be honest. It was very rainy and i had to abandon my plans to cycle around the southern coast and head straight to Denmark instead!

Denmark

In Denmark, i visited Odense, a small city in Funen island, and Copenhagen -the capital city.

Do you remember reading fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen like "The Little Mermaid", "The Princess and the Pea", and many others? I definitely have fond memories of my mum reading these stories to me when i was a kid! This celebrated writer had his books translated into several languages all over the world. HC Andersen was born and raised in Odense until he decided to leave for Copenhagen on his own to explore a career in theatre and the arts. He was also a gifted artist. I went there to visit the HC Andersen Haus that detailed his life story. They have a whole library full of his books in various languages, and also on audio.

Odense - statue of HC Andersen - the famous fairy tale writer

In Copenhagen - crowds throng the streets along the canals and Nyhavn here is the start-point for boat tours.

View of the sound between Denmark and Sweden from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

As previously mentioned (several times), Scandinavia is extremely expensive and the supermarket is my best friend for economising. I usually pack sandwiches and snacks with me when i go out. The weather was pretty good in Denmark so i sat outside most of the time to have my picnic lunches! This way, i can save my money for sightseeing. And Coffee. And Cake. Mmmmm...

Mackeral salat, sandwich buns and banana from supermarket = 24 DKK

Coffee and chocolate cake = 20 DKK

Thats about 6 Euros in total.

Tivoli - an amusement park smack in the city of Copenhagen. It is more than 100 years old and has a variety of amusement/ thrill rides, games, stage shows. This is one of the several restaurants within the park.

Forget about Ikea. The Design Museum and cafe in Copenhagen showcases the cream of modern Danish design - style, form and functionality! So cool it hurts. It makes you want to buy everything in its shop - from furniture, glass ware, to home accessories to travel gear.

Bergen and the western fjords

I realise i am way behind my postings but better late than never. Norway is incredibly scenic and i took many photos along my train and even bus journeys as it meandered through the mountains and valleys between Bergen and Oslo. These are some of the photos i took from the cruise excursion.

Kjosfossen falls - free fall of 305 feet.

The tiny village of Flåm, where i took a ferry through Aurlandsfjorden and Sognefjorden - see photos below.

Bergen, Norway

Made it to Bergen yesterday, after my Glasgow airport fiasco (which i'll save for another day) and meeting up with Helena. I met her 3 months ago while travelling around Vietnam and now i'm crashing at her place while exploring the city. It's great to have her show me around her city and avoid all (well, most) of the tourist traps :-)

Bergen is very beautiful and picturesque, framed by the sea and mountains. Helena and i took the funicular train up to Mt FlØyen today to get a great view of the city, and then a nice walk down through the woods. The air is crisp, fresh and smells of alpine - and no, its not the same scent as your car air-fresheners, funnily enough.

I'm going on a fjord tour tomorrow - another place awarded as a UN World Heritage site-can't wait.
Photos to follow soon.

For now, i'm trying to get by on my budget traveller's budget but my credit card is feeling the heat from all that constant swiping. It is a phenomenally expensive country and i can't seem to pay for anything without getting a heart attack each time.

Internet for 45 minutes - 50 kroners (about 6 euros)
Single bus trip around Bergen - 30 kroners (about 4 euros)
(Very very simple) vegetarian indian food in Oslo - 65 kroners (8 euros)
One day Royal Fjord Tour - 945 kroners (120 euros)

ch-chingggggg!! ch-chinggggg!

i keep imagining my friendly UOB bank is going to call me soon to tell me i've busted my limit. Better switch off my phone.

Musings on a tuesday afternoon

Back in the familiar city of Edinburgh. Enjoying the sunshine here, and as you know, they don't get much of it here so i'm enjoying the last days of summer here before i set foot in chilly scandinavia! I've always liked Edinburgh and visited several times as a student. It's been 5 years since i've set foot here. Flashback to Aug 2001 - i was a fresh, young enthusiastic just-out-of-school student and came here with my family after my uni graduation ceromony (Has it really been that long?!).

Now... i'm oldER, and hopefully wiser and.. i don't qualify for any more student discounts (@%$^&~) !On the bright side, having also just turned a year older recently (ouch), it also means i'm one step nearer to receiving pensioner rebates. One can only hope i still have the same health and vigour visit museums and mountains when i am 60.

I'm taking the opportunity to relax, recharge and get organised in Edinburgh before i start my round of scandinavian travels.

For the next 3 weeks, i'll be visiting bits of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Estonia. I am now relishing the thought of being on the road alone again. Of the 3 weeks i had spent in Spain, nearly 2.5 weeks were in the company of friends. Thankfully, our time spent together went well and we still remain friends. You know how some people go on vacation as friends but come back as enemies! Don't get me wrong, it has been great catching up and having a laugh with them but perhaps i have gotten too used to being on my own and having my "space".

As a solo traveller, i am being free to choose where i want to go and things i want to do without having to come to a mutual consensus. I take more initiative to meet and interact with locals, which i think is an integral part of getting to know a country better! I have also met some fellow travellers along the way who i now count amongst my good friends. And if i felt anti-social, all the better that no-one would have to suffer me.

When you are travelling as a pair or in a group, it is easy to stick to one another and not have to make new friends because you don't have to.

Anyhow, just a year ago, i would not have contemplated travelling alone because the prospects of dealing with solitude would be more than i can handle. How would i cope being alone ALL the time?! Would i end up talking to imaginary friends i.e. voices in my head?! Would i be a lost, pathetic-looking, nerve-wrecked tourist buckling under the weight of her giant rucksack while sussing out directions to her hostel?! Danger would lurk in every street corner, preying on my fears and insecurities of getting lost, or mugged or worse! Would my family have to suffer the consequences of my (mis)adventures? Paranoid thoughts along those lines surfaced on a regular basis before i made my decision to quit my job to go travelling solo.

In the end, it was a case of bravado and convincing myself nobody was going to stop me from living life the way i want to. No regrets, Yet.

Overall, it has been such a liberating experience stepping out of my comfort zone and overcoming (some, if not all) my fears. I didn't think i would enjoy constant solitude for such extended periods of time to the point i would actually miss it! Ha! Whats next? Bungee jumping and sky-diving!

Before i congratulate myself too soon, i should probably add that i can still get nervous about being alone.

There were occasions where i felt in need of a real conversation with my friends and not the box-standard FAQ of "Where are you from, how long have you been here, where are you going next" chat with fellow hostel-mates. I don't think they would listen to my whingeing or put up with my nonsense like my friends would! There have also been instances where i felt it would have been safer to be travelling in a group and i missed out because i was on my own but fortunately, these have been few and far between.

Been doing some thinking about what i want to do after my round-the-world tour. Initially, i thought taking 7 months off to do some travelling seems like a great solution to, you know, "get it out of my system". I'm halfway through now and it seems like i can't get enough of my big adventure :-) so i think it might be unlikely i will get rid of my wanderlust in the short term. However, i am sure when i get home, my bank statement will be a timely kick in the arse for me to go out there and find work.

So, here are my options for January 2007

1) Get a job, start saving up money, and be content with watching Discovery Travel channel in the meantime

2) Go back to school in Sept 2007, but get a job while applying for a graduate course.

You get the drift. There is simply no escape with having to get a job.

[to be continued]

Barcelona

Spent a fun 5 days traipsing around Barcelona with Karina and Annnah, my ex-workmates. I'll definitely go back again. It is such a vibrant, exciting city with eclectic architecture and style, great food (i'm Singaporean after all) and of course a great nightlife :-)


Casa Batllo - one of several surreal creations by Gaudi in Barcelona - pure genius! I'll definitely be back for more.



Even mannequins need raincoats. A rainy spell has arrived, a much welcome respite for me, if not for the rest of the city. I have had enough of steamy hot weather. Time for some cold and crisp fresh air please!!!

Sunday is bullfight day in Spain. Posters like these are plastered all over town and the Plaza del Toros. It is also shown live on TV and any bar worth its salt will be screening it because the local men are all glued to the adrenaline and excitement of the bullfight!

Spaniards definitely have a sense of humour. Notice the pair of white legs sticking out on the left side.

Trainscapes

Cows and shrubs on the way from Madrid to Zaragoza

Glorious sunshine and fantastic beach near Taragona, on route to Barcelona.

Toledo -ancient Roman outpost just outside of Madrid. It was taken from a toy train! (see below)