Yes! I am still scrapbooking.... albeit a little behind in everything.
I have yet to sort my photos, so can't really develop them for my pages.
Before I forget everything, I have to journal them down here... in this little blog of mine.
Sat, 29 Dec - Flight to Paris CDG via SIN
Sun, 30 Dec - Arrival in Paris
Mon, 31 Dec - Paris, Eiffel Tower Countdown
Tues, 1 Jan - Paris to Dijon, Overnight in Dijon
Wed, 2 Jan - Dijon to Lyon, Overnight in Lyon
Thurs, 3 Jan - Lyon to Nice, Lunch in Marseille
Fri, 4 Jan - Nice & Monte Carlo
Sat, 5 Jan - Nice to Arle, Cannes
Sun, 6 Jan - Avignon (Palace of Papals), Pont du Gard
Mon, 7 Jan - Arles, Nimes, Overnight in Carcasonne
Tues, 8 Jan - Carcasonne to Dordogne, Overnight in Dordogne
Wed, 9 Jan - Visit to Font du Gaume, Overnight in Loire Valley
Thurs, 10 Jan - Visit to Chateau de Chenonceau, back to Paris
Fri, 11 Jan - Paris
Sat, 12 Jan - Paris
Sun, 13 Jan - Flight back to KUL, via Amsterdam
Yeah. Yeah. Seems hectic with so many cities/towns covered. But because we rented our own car, we could adjust the schedule however we want, up to a certain extent... as I had pre-booked all our hotels. I didn't want to end up in a city with no place to stay. At least we didn't have to wake up at 6.00 AM! That's the normal wake-up call for most packaged tours.
More details about France....
Showing posts with label Travels and Outings - Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travels and Outings - Europe. Show all posts
Monday, February 11, 2013
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Who is Moving to Helsinki???
Errr... NOT us.
Surprised?
Yes?
Especially since I went all the way to Helsinki to have a look-see. I was telling H that luckily the decision came towards the end of my trip (Wed, 2nd March), when there was only 2 days left. Otherwise, I really don't know what to do with so many days in Helsinki. Can't exactly be a tourist everyday, especially when I am not a museum person.I had actually spent the first week checking out the markets, Asian grocery stores, department stores, book shops etc to check out how much things costs, what is the variety etc.
I have to say that Helsinki is a very livable city, if you don't mind the cold winters (Brrrr... ). How else would the country be ranked the best in the world in the 2010 Newsweek survey based on health, economic dynamism, education, political environment and quality of life? It is also the second most stable country in the world. Read more about Finland at Wikipedia's page.
Remember my worries about moving there and the language? Well, really no need to worry!! Besides, everyone speaks English. The moment you hesistate, people will speak English to you. H was saying that this taxi driver of his, an Argentinian married to a Finnish girl was complaining that he has been there for over 5 years and yet he can't speak Finnish as everybody speaks English to him. The only thing I have to say is that you do need to learn to read - so that KNOW about discounts on magazines that is only printed in Finnish!
Asian grocery stores? NO problemo.
There are many around the Hakaniemi Metro Station. Right at the station, there's a kind of Pakistani/Indian grocery store (donno the name)- basmati rice, Thai Jasmine rice and some Chinese and Thai sauces amongst the halal items. Then there's Aseanic Trading on Kolmas Linja. This shop was recommended by the Thai owner of a Thai Food Stall. True enough, it was very well-stocked.... even more than some Jakarta supermarkets. There's even the dried lotus leaf for hor-yeep-fann and dried leaves for bak-chang. Kepoh Nomadic Mom struck up a conversation with the cashier - a Malaysian lady married to a Finn. Her bosses are all Malaysians, and according to her, there are about 300-400 Malaysians in Finland (very few!), and funnily she asked if I was planning to open a restaurant in Helsinki. Not far away, there is another Asian grocery store called Vii Voan stocking all the Vietnamese goodies amongst other things. And on the same road, there are two more Indian grocery stores. I'm told by the Malaysian lady that there is another one around the area....but I didn't check that one out. So between these 5 shops, you can actually buy all your Asian groceries to cook up a storm or perhaps a banquet!
The prices ? I thought they were quite reasonable..... probably because Jakarta is notorious for expensive imported items.
If you wanna eat Asian, you probably need to cook because we went to a Chinese restaurant in town and it really sucked. Big Time. Not to mention expensive. Our Euro 11 Fried noodle was really really sad. Even my son can fry better noodles.
How about English books? No problem too... And there's also the imported magazines... But then these days, don't really need to buy physical books when you can just download onto the iPad.
Departmental stores? Stockmann just has about everything though some things are kinda pricey. But there are more affordable ones lah... but I don't remember their names.
One thing I notice about Finland is that their household items and furniture is really really nice. You would probably think Scandinavian design. Actually, Finland is not Scandinavian. It is actually a Nordic country. Because we live sooooooooooooooo far from this place, we don't really know about their brands such as Pentik, Marimekko etc. But I have to say that they are lovely lovey lovey.
Transportation in Helsinki is great... Buses, Trams and Metro all run on time. Got around on my own okay. Not probs. But of course if you really move there, probably get a 4WD???
The only thing that deters people is the cost of living. Housing especially.... scarily high. Not to mention the tax. Read that it can be 60%!!! Wariow!
So where are we moving to?
Well, that deserves to have its own blog post!
Surprised?
Yes?
Especially since I went all the way to Helsinki to have a look-see. I was telling H that luckily the decision came towards the end of my trip (Wed, 2nd March), when there was only 2 days left. Otherwise, I really don't know what to do with so many days in Helsinki. Can't exactly be a tourist everyday, especially when I am not a museum person.I had actually spent the first week checking out the markets, Asian grocery stores, department stores, book shops etc to check out how much things costs, what is the variety etc.
I have to say that Helsinki is a very livable city, if you don't mind the cold winters (Brrrr... ). How else would the country be ranked the best in the world in the 2010 Newsweek survey based on health, economic dynamism, education, political environment and quality of life? It is also the second most stable country in the world. Read more about Finland at Wikipedia's page.
Remember my worries about moving there and the language? Well, really no need to worry!! Besides, everyone speaks English. The moment you hesistate, people will speak English to you. H was saying that this taxi driver of his, an Argentinian married to a Finnish girl was complaining that he has been there for over 5 years and yet he can't speak Finnish as everybody speaks English to him. The only thing I have to say is that you do need to learn to read - so that KNOW about discounts on magazines that is only printed in Finnish!
Asian grocery stores? NO problemo.
There are many around the Hakaniemi Metro Station. Right at the station, there's a kind of Pakistani/Indian grocery store (donno the name)- basmati rice, Thai Jasmine rice and some Chinese and Thai sauces amongst the halal items. Then there's Aseanic Trading on Kolmas Linja. This shop was recommended by the Thai owner of a Thai Food Stall. True enough, it was very well-stocked.... even more than some Jakarta supermarkets. There's even the dried lotus leaf for hor-yeep-fann and dried leaves for bak-chang. Kepoh Nomadic Mom struck up a conversation with the cashier - a Malaysian lady married to a Finn. Her bosses are all Malaysians, and according to her, there are about 300-400 Malaysians in Finland (very few!), and funnily she asked if I was planning to open a restaurant in Helsinki. Not far away, there is another Asian grocery store called Vii Voan stocking all the Vietnamese goodies amongst other things. And on the same road, there are two more Indian grocery stores. I'm told by the Malaysian lady that there is another one around the area....but I didn't check that one out. So between these 5 shops, you can actually buy all your Asian groceries to cook up a storm or perhaps a banquet!
The prices ? I thought they were quite reasonable..... probably because Jakarta is notorious for expensive imported items.
If you wanna eat Asian, you probably need to cook because we went to a Chinese restaurant in town and it really sucked. Big Time. Not to mention expensive. Our Euro 11 Fried noodle was really really sad. Even my son can fry better noodles.
How about English books? No problem too... And there's also the imported magazines... But then these days, don't really need to buy physical books when you can just download onto the iPad.
Departmental stores? Stockmann just has about everything though some things are kinda pricey. But there are more affordable ones lah... but I don't remember their names.
One thing I notice about Finland is that their household items and furniture is really really nice. You would probably think Scandinavian design. Actually, Finland is not Scandinavian. It is actually a Nordic country. Because we live sooooooooooooooo far from this place, we don't really know about their brands such as Pentik, Marimekko etc. But I have to say that they are lovely lovey lovey.
Transportation in Helsinki is great... Buses, Trams and Metro all run on time. Got around on my own okay. Not probs. But of course if you really move there, probably get a 4WD???
The only thing that deters people is the cost of living. Housing especially.... scarily high. Not to mention the tax. Read that it can be 60%!!! Wariow!
So where are we moving to?
Well, that deserves to have its own blog post!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Random Photos of Helsinki...
Considering that I stayed in Helsinki for a total of 8 nights (19 Feb - 25 Feb and 2 Mar - 4 Mar), I didn't take as many photos compared to the 2 nights in Salzburg or the 3 nights in Munich. That is primarily because it was FREAKING COLD.... like waaaaaaay below freezing (-18 deg C!!) whereas the temperature at Salzburg and Munich was warmer at about 3-5 deg C. And to fiddle with my DSLR, I had to remove my gloves and that is certainly NO fun. Thus the lesser number of photos...
Anyway, the photos in this post are not in any geographical order.
We stayed at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel on Mikonkatu, right in the center of the city. Very convenient for me to wander around the city on my own.
Naked Lady Statue...wonder if she is freezing???
Wood Carving in the Park... Sweet!
Statue of Alexandra ?? of Russia at Senate Square
Anyway, the photos in this post are not in any geographical order.
We stayed at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel on Mikonkatu, right in the center of the city. Very convenient for me to wander around the city on my own.
A snowy view of the Park beside Radisson Blu Plaza
Naked Lady Statue...wonder if she is freezing???
Wood Carving in the Park... Sweet!
Frozen Baltic Sea - seen from Kauppatori
If cold enough, ice roads are open to the islands
During warmer months, Flower stalls surround this fountain
(this is near Kauppatori)
Statue of Alexandra ?? of Russia at Senate Square
Government Palace
(I think)
Helsinki Cathedral
Big Square in front of the Central Railway Station
Ateneum Art Museum
Some Music Theater near the Hotel
Helsinki Cathedral
Big Square in front of the Central Railway Station
Ateneum Art Museum
Some Music Theater near the Hotel
Check out this 'STUCK' Boat
Taken near the Kauppatori
Me and my BIG handbag
Me and my BIG handbag
Frozen Tortoise??
Where is the Park Bench?
Statue in the Park at The Explanadi
Where is the Park Bench?
There it is!!!
Hard at Work to remove the Tonnes of Snow!
Restaurant in the Park by the Esplanadi
Restaurant in the Park by the Esplanadi
(cannot remember the name)
Inside the Restaurant.... 
But actually, they are not...
Walkway by the Park, Esplanadi
Statues at the Esplanadi Park... They look like they are touching..
Statues at the Esplanadi Park... They look like they are touching..
But actually, they are not...
That's it. So few, yeah? Plus I forgot to load the battery into my DSLR when I went to Tallinn, Estonia. So no photos from there. Bleah...
Monday, March 14, 2011
Helsinki's Old Market Hall
Many of Helsinki's markets are Indoors as outside temperatures can be waaaaaaay below freezing. The first week I was in Helsinki, the temperatures were -20 deg Celsius to about -10 deg Celsius. This is certainly not very pleasant. Read about my BRAIN FREEZE episodes here.
As I have a penchant of visiting markets in foreign cities, I headed out to Kauppatori - an open market square. But it was waaaaaaaay too cold and I think there were only 2 or 3 stalls in the market square. But you can't really tell that they were stalls as it was hidden beneath covered tents. When I peeked into one of them, it was a stall selling fresh fish. I am told in warmer weather, especially summer, the whole place will be hustling and bustling with flower stalls etc etc.
I guessed in this below-freezing weather, enclosed indoor market makes sense!
The following photos are taken at the Old Market Hall near to the Kauppatori.
As I have a penchant of visiting markets in foreign cities, I headed out to Kauppatori - an open market square. But it was waaaaaaaay too cold and I think there were only 2 or 3 stalls in the market square. But you can't really tell that they were stalls as it was hidden beneath covered tents. When I peeked into one of them, it was a stall selling fresh fish. I am told in warmer weather, especially summer, the whole place will be hustling and bustling with flower stalls etc etc.
I guessed in this below-freezing weather, enclosed indoor market makes sense!
The following photos are taken at the Old Market Hall near to the Kauppatori.
Corridor along the Old Market Hall,
Cheese Stall
Pork Stall
Vege Stall
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Two Nights in Salzburg, Austria...
As mentioned here and here, we flew into Munich from Helsinki on the 25th of Feb and took a regional train to Salzburg. We stayed two nights at the 4* Crown Plaza - The Pitter at a rate of USD 99/nite booked through Priceline's Name Your Own Price. What's more? We were upgraded to a Junior Suite. I checked the rate online and a Junior Suite is Euros 135/nite. That's like a discount of USD 100/nite. Wah! D@mn happy lor!
Salzburg is such a pretty city, and it's listing on UNESCO's World Heritage Site is indeed worthy.
Read up more on theis beautiful city here.
We were very lucky as the weather was good with clear blue skies...
What did we do here?
Sight-see. Eat. Drink.
Here are some of my photos...
Salzburg is such a pretty city, and it's listing on UNESCO's World Heritage Site is indeed worthy.
Read up more on theis beautiful city here.
We were very lucky as the weather was good with clear blue skies...
What did we do here?
Sight-see. Eat. Drink.
Here are some of my photos...
Festung Hohensalzburg
Walked up. Almost died...as the cable car is NON-operational in winter!
View of Salzburg from Festung Hohensalzburg
Getreidegasse
One of Salzburg's Oldest Streets
Christmas in Salzburg
Year-Round Xmas Shop
Mozart's Birthplace on Getreidegasse
Mirabell Palace
Meeting Place for The Sound of Music TOUR
Mirabell Gardens
Maria and the Children were singing Do-Re-Mi all over these gardens
Hellbrunn Palac
e
The Sound of Music Gazebo
Beautiful Views 
The Mondsee Cathedral
Wedding Scene in the Movie (not actual...)
We had apple strudel here at Mondsee
Forgot to upload photos of Leopoldskron Palace...where the Terrace and Boating scenes from The Sound of Music were shot. Go to Wikipedia for a picture of it.
After two nights in Salzburg, we took the train back to Munich on Sunday, 27th Feb. Go here for Munich posts.
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