The Best of Lisbon

FISH, FISH AND MORE.......FISH.

HILLS, HILLS AND MORE HILLS.

I guess Lisbon can be summed up into hills and fish (very fresh fish and usually grilled fish). You know I'm not a fish person but surprise surprise, I ate grilled fish every day when I was in Lisbon! It's fresh and only around Euro 9 to 11. Green wine is also a Portugal signature - which is not green at all, refers to wine that has not yet matured/ completed fermentation. If you have not heard Fado music or Portugese guitar (12-string), you cannot say you have been to Portugal. The streets are so narrow, a mixture of tiles and cobblestone, and so hilly. Of course, I musn't forget Portguese egg tarts and the best are at Belem (need to queue). There are also many scenic and historic sites that open my eyes to your country. Thank you! Obrigado.

Cabo da Roca (Europe's western-most point). It is the first time I was surrounded by so much clouds I couldn't see the sea.

Belem - Jeronimos Monastery. The architecture of that time is really impressive.

Cristo Reis monument - it overlooks Lisbon city. Go for lunch at Ponto Final; you will not regret the sea view.

Overview of Lisbon city

Sintra is also a must-go - Pena Palace is beautiful.

20 August 2016 - Post Poland and Baltic States

Was writing down my thoughts on the flight from Tallinn to Munich -

This marks the end of my trip with Wenyun. Krakow, Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn - the Baltic States or North Europe (they don't call the baltic states east europe. I wonder)? The trip has been amazing and enriching so far and I think I enjoyed myself more than I expected. A lot more insights into this part of the world definitely and also sort of a self-discovery, especially with the company of Wenyun. Thanks to him that I don't have to worry about my luggage and finding directions. We definitely have different interests and priorities but I'm glad to have his company for the past > 2 weeks. Long bus rides are not fun and they are uncomfortable; I felt so terrible during and after the 8hr ride from Warsaw to Vilnius. We discovered that Lux Express Special buses are by far the most comfortable and they have plenty of leg room. I like the food in these cities eg. beetroot soup, cabbage/mushroom dumplings with cream (periogi) in Poland; potatoes and bread in the Baltic States; the beers are awesome too and just judging them by the price, they are way way much affordable compared to Singapore's. I like it that these cities have a lot of history behind them and the people or their grandfather or grandmother have stories to tell and these show in their architecture, attitude towards life and culture. I learn not to be offended if they always appear stern and do not smile (because of the perpetual cold) and that it's okay. The bog day trip two days ago left a deep impression on me. I like the guide (Chris, from traveller.ee) and his dark humour. So far the local guides we came across had dark humour, maybe it reflects their dark past?

Happy re-independence day to Estonia! To 25 years of your re-independence!

Krakow Old Town

Warsaw Old Town

View of Vilnius Old Town

Vilnius Curonian Spit

Riga art nouveau architecture

Lithuania Siauliai Hill of Crosses

Tallinn near Lahemma National Park

Tallinn Lahemma National Park Viru Bog

Krakow Old Town and the Jewish Quarter

We will be staying 5 days in Krakow and are staying at Westerplatte St. which is within walking distance to Old Town (where most of the sights are) and the main train station Rynek Glowny. The Old Town square is huge and many people sit in the alfresco restaurants and cafes since it is summer. Beer is cheap, ice cream is cheap, food generally is cheap except for some touristy restaurant places. Beer in supermarket is 2+pln and that in the restaurant is 8pln (1 SGD = 3 pln). Pretzel on the street is 1.5pln and ice cream is 2.8pln. The Old Town is pretty much nice from any angle (nice architecture). I find the ladies here very confident of themselves and they are quite well-dressed. There are very few Asians here. For the past 2 days we have joined the Free Walking Tour for Krakow Old Town and the Jewish Quarter and the guides are rather knowledgeable including history. They also give out a very useful map at the end of the trip. We also visited the St. Mary's church and the Schindler's Factory. Will be doing Auschwitz and Salt Mine the following days.

Must-see:
- St. Mary's Church. It is a gothic church; very beautiful in my opinion. Go a quarter before 12nn to witness the opening of the altar. Every hour, the guard at the top of the tower will blow the trumpet
- try delicious ice cream at Starowislna St and expect long queue. The coffee flavour is good. 1 scoop is only 2.8pln
- try traditional polish food including pierogi (boiled stuffed dumplings. popular fillings are potato and cottage cheese, mushrooms and cabbage and pork), soups (eg. beetroot soup or other soup and sometimes it is served with sour cream on top), potato pancake etc so many more I havent tried!

3 Aug

Es regnet. Ich bin jetzt im Frankfurt und ich werde nach Krakow fliegen. Die Flugzeit ist eine Uhr fünf Minuten. Die neue Wörter habe ich gelernt:
- abfälle = disposal (cigarette)
- für Ihre Sicherheit = for your safety
- angenehmen = pleasant
- Damen und Herren = Ladies and gentlemen

Mein Urlaub fängt jetzt an.

3 months' break

I'll be starting my Europe travel next week. It's been a while since I took a long long break and I am looking forward to the trip. Will post pics here as often as I can..

Seoul & Jeju Dec 2015

This post is out-dated. Went with my mum, sis and bro-in-law. I prefer Jeju to Seoul for the nature and the sea side apartment we stayed at had a really good sea view. The guide/driver Mr Kim arranged our itinerary and meals really well. Although the sea side apartment is an hour away from the city, it provided a good respite for us holidayers. I would highly recommend staying 3-4 nights in Jeju, the apartment and Mr Kim. There was not much shopping to do in Seoul in December except for skincare and cosmetics.

Tips:
- this is the Jeju apartment with sea view https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/6148331?checkin=28-12-2015&checkout=31-12-2015&guests=4&s=UfwooIQx
- must-see sights in Jeju: the mysterious road, Seongsan Ilchubong (hike up), Cafe Bomnal at Handam Beach (very pretty cafe by the beach), eat black pork, eat fresh seafood eg. live abalone in hotpot, Jeongba waterfall (there are 3 waterfalls there but you dont have to hike or walk too far to reach Jeongba waterfall), teddy bear museum (there is more than one), take a walk in their local market eg. Olle market, visit the Manjanggul lava cave and hear the story about the Jeju female divers and why Jeju guys don't work
- in Seoul we stayed at the Yeungdongpo area which is opposite the Times Square Mall and near to train station
- in Seoul, must try fried chicken with beer, roadside tents (they sell almost the same stuff), korean bbq, the host pointed out that E-Mart is where the locals shop rather than Lotte Mart (more expensive), try ginseng chicken (there's one famous restaurant near the palace) and bingsu and don't buy cosmetics from Myeongdong (cater to the China tourists), if you are going to the Lotte Dutyfree make sure you plan it in the morning to avoid hordes of China tourists and visit the live seafood market and try the live octopus (apparently the like of korean young ladies) if you dare.

Yogyakarta & Borobudur Jun 2016

A short but satisfying trip. I find everything great apart from the spooky hotel room. Borobudur was indeed mesmerising; the immense size of the temple and the endless sculptures... It was very worth it to stay at the Manohara Hotel which has a connecting entrance to Borobudur and comes with unlimited number of visits to the UNESCO-listed temple.

Tips:
- in Yogyakarta, stay at the Malioboro area which is close to the shopping mall and market. Perhaps you can try the Ibis Hotel as it has a direct link to the mall. We stayed at the Pyrenees Hotel
- food in Yogyakarta is generally sweet. Try the "gudeg" - chicken cooked with jackfruit
- Wanderlust Cafe is a good chill-out place that offers good drinks and food
- the Batik Restaurant opposite Pyrenees Hotel has a friendly backpackers' vibe and is pocket-friendly
- the drive from Yogyakarta to Borobudur is 1.5hrs and costs between 250,000 and 350,000 IDR
- the drive from Yogyakarta to the airport is 0.5hrs and costs between 100,000 and 250,000 IDR
- stay for a night at the Manohara Hotel in Borobudur. It is more expensive but you can save time and the hassle of finding tours to bring you to Borobudur. You can explore Borobudur upon arrival in the late afternoon and join the sunrise tour the following morning. Walk up the hill for a bird eye's view of Borobudur