Hola Barcelona!

When we have plan to travel, it's hard to choose which country/city to visit and that's always the great travel debate, isn't it? Most often, it's my choice over him and so I decided to add Spain, particularly Barcelona to our list. Spain was our last destination and despite being  tiring, it was in fact, incredible. The beach and city are a rare combination, the architecture, the food, the language, the people and the weather are awesome...Oh I love Barcelona!

ARCHITECTURE

Barcelona is all about architecture, great architectures everywhere. Topping my list is Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia. Built for more than 120 years yet still unfinished and it has been built from donations from people around the world. What makes it more interesting is that the facade of the church symbolizes the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

The Nativity facade which celebrates the birth of Jesus.

The Passion facade, represents the twelve station of the cross.

Glory Facade 

Glory Facade

Glory Facade

and the Glorious facade, which also serves as the main entrance of the church represents the Resurrection of Jesus. 

It really takes the breath of any person who visit it. The amazing details take you to another dimension and both the interior and exterior complexity makes you admire Gaudi more. As expected, thousands of tourist flocked in the church as soon as it opens early in the morning. While there are many architectural marvels with a grand design, the surrounding cranes really detracts the image of the church. 

We also visit another Gaudi's work of art, Park Guell.

This is more like an outdoor museum for me. The art throughout the park is breathtaking, beautiful gardens with interesting plants, amazing views overlooking the city. This is one park that you need to walk slowly to appreciate all it offers.

The colours, curves and textures stands out and every single piece of work is made up of tiny mosaics. The entrance is free and you'll be delighted to hear some entertaining jazz bands  around. 

On our way back to the metro, we saw Arc de Triomf station. Instead of heading back to Plaza Catalunya, we spend some time to walk around the arc. Quite impressive, but not as good and grandeur as the one in Paris. 

PEOPLE, FOOD & LANGUAGE

Our three days in Barcelona were really a positive experience. We were spared from the pickpockets during our stroll in the long avenue of La Rambla, thank God!. I would say that one of the biggest problem of Barcelona is pickpocketing. We were always cautious about our belongings especially our cash, passports, cellphones and cameras. There's a need to be constantly aware of the surrounding and the people around us. But these doesn't stop us from exploring Barcelona, though we have been warned to take extra care while walking around, we also found some good souls out there. There's some people who helps us find our way to the bus stop, metro stations and some even accompany us. 

Language seems not to be a problem at all. It was a surprise that my husband can speak and understands their language. Even if we lose our way, we can easily approach any locals to help us find our way. It's like a music to my ear  every time he speaks spanish!

As we walk around La Rambla, we sat on one good yet affordable fine dining restaurant. Jonathan enjoyed some wonderful Spanish wines.  Of course you have not been to Barcelona unless you try a glass of Sangria and last but not the least, the authentic Spanish Paella. Once in a while, it is good to indulge and experience the taste of their local food.

BEACH and THE CITY

In Barcelona, one can comfortably walk from the city to the beach. It is only our visit to Barcelona that I've learned  "playa" as the spanish word for beach.  I remember during my childhood, we always say "langoy tayo sa aplaya" (which actually means let's swim in the beach). I don't have any idea why my husband was eager to walk in the beach until we stepped on the white sands. 

He is hoping to see some nude girls lying on the sand haha. It's true, Barcelona beach is sometimes called as nude beach especially if you are on the back most part, the Mar Belle. There you can see a small and marked section for "nudists". Our trip is not the right season to see nude girls lying and walking around the shore line. I just told him to come back during  summer haha.

Back to the city, we met some Filipino pilgrims. We sat and talked for a while, sharing our experiences for the day while happily feeding the pigeons. It is good to hear that we have the same itinerary for the next day, a visit  to Montserrat.

MONTSERRAT

Part of our itinerary is going out of the city and visit the Montserrat. It is a 40-km train ride and a cable car ride going up to the monastery. The general knowledge of Montserrat is a home for Black Madonna and a place of worship. However, Montserrat also provide perfect opportunities for climbing and hiking.  They have an unusual shapes and formations and if you try to look closely at the stones, you'll see that they have faces and you can start to imagine what is it look like.

I could go on and on about Barcelona. It is easy to fill every hour of your stay here with interesting sightseeing and very satisfying pleasures. While we did our best to see as much as we could of architectures, parks, and museums, our time was very limited. We did however, leave with fond memories and hope to return again someday. 

My Fab Family

It has been almost five months since I have posted on my blog. Finding time to update my blog seems impossible these days. My mind are occupied with a lot of things and when I think of sitting down to write, something else comes that I need to do first. But the truth is, I miss writing, I miss my blog. 

So many things have happened since my last post.  My mother-in-law turned 70, we went for a family summer vacation, we started one investment and of course I am super busy  with my roller coaster schedule at work.  I am going to try to update my blog with the places we have been and I hope to finish it before our next trip in December, hopefully, if the budget permits haha.

For the meantime, here are a few pictures of my fabulous family. How I wish we can do this often!

Salzburg

Our 2012 trip might be considered to be the trip of a lifetime. I probably won't have another opportunity to have the same budget, paid working leaves and good health condition to do this one more time. We have had our first Europe trip package back in 2011 but for some reason, I am more nervous and anxious as it is a do-it-yourself trip. Covering eight cities in fifteen days needs detailed planning, extremely organized itinerary and flexibility especially when you're travelling on a tight budget. It's like one mistake can create a chain reaction and the rest is over. 

During our planning, I told Jonathan that I want to make our trip unique. I want to visit a city that our friends/relatives might not have been to. That's why we choose Austria.

It's been my dream to visit Salzburg someday. I am a fan of the musical The Sound of Music, the story I grew up with as a kid. It will be my chance to see the stunning and picturesque location where the movie was filmed. We took a day tour via Viator, which offers the best way to see the city especially the countryside which could be harder to access otherwise. 

Our day started visiting the Mirabell Gardens. It is considered as one of Europe's most beautiful baroque garden. The best time to visit is early mornings before the hordes arrive. 

"Doe a dear, a female dear...Ray, a drop of golden sun...Me, a name I call myself..." Who would have not known this famous song? This place is a notable location where Maria and the children were seen dancing around the Statue of Pegasus singing Do-Re-Mi.

I think we have made the right season (Autumn) on visiting Salzburg. There are fewer annoying queues, most of the museums and major landmarks are free from the huge crowds.

One of the scene in the lake where Maria and the kids were coming from a day out. They were riding in a row boat and fell in the freezing water

We were told by our tour guide that The Sound of Music is not well-known to Austrians until the Hollywood stepped in to make a movie of it. So for the meantime, I'll be playing Maria, the lead actress hahaha.

The famous Gazebo, where "Sixteen going on Seventeen" was shot.

behind us is the Wolfgang Lake

Next, we drove to the small town of Mondsee, an hour of travel outside Salzburg.

 This is the church  where Maria and Von Trapp held their wedding.  We spent two hours of free time, enough to have our lunch and to buy some souvenirs. 

One thing I love about countryside is that you have a chance to enjoy the serenity and beauty of the place without being rushed. I feel like a kid, playing and running in an open space without thinking anything. I have never felt more like a tourist than I did here. 

Of course we're not leaving Salzburg without visiting the famous and legendary biergarten, Augustiner Brewery. 

The beer is served in a ceramic mugs. If you run your mug under the cold water of the fountain, it will give in an even better taste. The beer is manually brewed and stored in barrels of different sizes.  

The Salzach River

As with everything else, leaving is a bittersweet. It was fun, it was memorable, one of the places that will get stuck in your head. A place you would definitely tell your friends.

Czech's Jewel - PRAGUE

Why do tourists love Prague? Why everybody is dreaming of visiting it one day?

It is a mystery to me too why so many people rave about Prague, so out of curiosity we decided to visit the capital of Bohemian region and find it for ourselves. 

Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, the Czech’s got their independence last January 01, 1993.  Its capital Prague became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has a history more than a thousand years back and one of the major city that was left undamaged during the WW II and retain much of its ancient character.  Way back 1989, Prague was free of tourists but gone are those days, the city became popular with budget travelers, expatriates and students from all over the world. Nowadays, Prague is the sixth most visited city in Europe with more than three millions visitors yearly.  


There's no better way to explore the city than by foot so we get up early and stroll its maze of cobbled stone streets. Our first stop is the Old Town Square, considered as the heart of Prague. It is situated with wall to wall shops, a busy place packed with tourist (well I think majority of the people walking along the square are tourists), tour groups, cafes/restaurants, horse drawn carriage, people selling different stuff, historic monuments and police, yes  police visibility in every corner.

behind me is the statue of Jan Hus  and the Our Lady before Tyn. 

Adding to the charm of the the Old Town Square is the Astronomical clock. Just like in Bern, the crowds are gathered in center to watch the 12 apostles dancing around while the skeleton turns  the sands timetable which reminds us to just "seize the day".
Walking further you'll find the shopping center of Prague, the Parizska Street all the way to the Jewish Quarter. We did a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter with a guide. We visited several locations and we're very pleased that we've spent some of our limited time there. The old synagogue that contains the record of the Jewish that were killed during the Holocaust were very touching. I took off my gloves and started to take notes all the important   info's that our tour guide has mentioned. 

Right after our emotional tour in the Jewish Quarter, we headed to our next activity, the Vltava River Cruise.

We boarded in a dark tunnel beneath Charles Bridge and proceed right away to the open water. We were served a glass of beer and coffee, then ice cream and cookies (free flow for beer only). 

The boat stopped for a while, we were given some old photos of the same area for us to see the big differences over time. 

The boat also made its way into the narrow waterways under some small bridges and pathways. 

We enjoyed a one hour cruise along Vltava River. I was totally in awe with the scenic views of the most important landmarks of Prague, the Charles Bridge and the Prague's Castle to name a few. It was a relaxing experience after all the walkings we did (almost five hours). The river cruise allows you to see the city in different angle. 

After the cruise, we walked again back to the city for our lunch. Prague is known for its countless and inexpensive restaurants. We have searched some extra ordinary restaurant for a different experience and we have found Pavouka, the Medieval Tavern Restaurant.

 At first, I thought we have made a wrong choice. It was dark going down and seems nobody is inside but wait, there's more....

I was speechless. WOW! 

The atmosphere was amazing, some kind of medieval feeling under the cave that brings back to the old times due to its decorations and lightings. I can say now that we've made a perfect choice. It is certainly a hidden gem that I almost believe to some hearsay that it was a former brothel during the medieval times haha. We had  our first taste of their  traditional food, a five course meal but the taste is not up to what I expected (sgd 120.00 for 2 pax). Well, the write-ups were all true, we're paying for the ambiance, entertainment and experience and not for the food itself.  It is located very close to the old town square, around 3-5 minutes walk. 
We still have a lot of things in our list so we wasted no time and proceed to our next destination, the Prague Castle and Little Quarter.

We're off to climb the hill to Prague Castle. We make it to the top just in time to catch the changing of the guards. 

What makes Prague unique among the other cities of Europe is that you'll find almost all types of architectures here - baroque, medieval, gothic, art nouveau and renaissance. Prague castle is an example of gothic architecture and is the biggest castle complex in the world. We posed for a few pictures and continue to explore the castle where my jaw dropped. Most of the time, that term is only used as a form of speech but my jaw actually dropped and my mouth opened when I saw the tall stone with its interiors and detailed stained glass windows.  Wow, Its truly a real work of art!

While walking, we have come across this "cute padlocks" locked in a fence. According to my research, they call it the Love Locks. There is no concrete explanation about this. Well I guess, it is to express their love together, locked in a promise made together in Prague haha, does it make sense?

The Lennon Wall - simply amazing!. Full of graffiti's, mostly love notes written on the wall.

After exploring the area of the castle, we walk past the street going to the Golden Lane. It is a street full of little house and shops. This time the weather is getting colder and I am not feeling comfortable anymore. Jonathan noticed that my nose is bleeding so we take some rest and find a place to keep me warm for a while.  

We're making our way down to the city. The view  from above  is stunning, almost all covered with orange colour roofs. We're heading to our last stop,  the romantic Charles Bridge.

Due to its extreme popularity, we put it on our last-thing-to-do in Prague but I was wrong. I thought there were less crowd in the late afternoon to evening but it was the other way around. It's almost crowded, full of tourist taking their chance to have a good sight of the Vltava River catching the sunset. Maybe the best time to go and stroll here is when the city is still sleeping, wink.

While Prague has some down sides (language barrier, pick pockets, rude locals) they are not worth mentioning here. Also getting lost in a city that is new to you is just normal and a part of the real fun of travelling. Maybe the only regret I have now is not spending enough time to explore the city BUT it's also good because it gives you a reason to come back......oooppsss in my dreams haha.