Positives

Thanks to unbelievably clear streaming, i was able to watch Liverpool crash out of the Carling Cup on Veetle. Why wasn't Starhub broadcasting the match anyway! Of course i'm never happy to see the team get knocked out, i'm not totally upset either. For those who didn't manage to catch the game, let me describe the many positives i saw.

Liverpool changed most of the starting line up, with only Kuyt and Insua remaining from last weekend's win over Utd. Spearing and Plessis played in the middle, and i was rather satisfied with the both of them actually. Spearing obviously fighting for his place. Ngog did well in the first half, showing the potential he has. Degen playing his 5th game for the team showing a willingness to get forward. Younger players showing a willingness to work hard. Happy with the slick passing as well (at times)!

It was the day for long range shooting. Babel, Voronin, Spearing and of course Insua all giving it a go. Spearing's attempts landed in row Z, but most were on target. Insua produced a contender for goal of the month. A swerving dipping volley that stunned the keeper and left him helpless. Insua is really stepping up. He should be encouraged to shoot more =)


Finally, we have the long awaited Alberto Aquilani making his debut. The former Roma man arrived in the summer carrying an ankle injury. The medical team decided to take their time with him, and hopefully his problems are behind him. He came on in the final 13 mins, and though obviously lacking match fitness, showed glimpses of what we can expect from him.

Looking composed on the ball, and showing a range of passing that Liverpool have missed since Alonso left. Something he did made me break into a smile and gave me goose bumps. Receiving the ball inside the Liverpool half, he looked up and delivered a pin point cross field 40m pass to the right, releasing a Liverpool player behind the Arsenal left back. This was something that Alonso used to do all the time. Mascherano must be happy that he won't have to stand in the role of creator any longer. Aquilani also reacted first to a loose ball outside the box to to fire long range, but straight at the keeper. Something i felt was missing recently is Liverpool's lack of confidence. Benayoun and Kuyt, indispensable players, are both rather shy in front of goal. When presented with an opening, they rarely have the confidence to shoot, and the chance usually goes begging. Hopefully occupying the attacking midfielder position will encourage long range efforts, Stevie G style. An athletic bicycle kick that deflected off an Arsenal arm also suggests that the Italian isn't going to shy from goalscoring duties.

Losing to a immensely talented young Arsenal side is no shame. These 18, 19, 20 year olds + a few oldies, played with such confidence and style. If they all stay and develop, it's scary to imagine an Arsenal team in 3 years, minimal money spent. Really hope the Carling Cup goes to Arsenal, so i can say that we lost to the eventual winners =)

350

Athens

Long long looooong break from blogging! Guess i needed a break after returning to Singapore. (not to mention the frustration of uploading photos with an unsually slow internet connection) But i intend to finish documenting my entire SEP experience on this blog.. before perhaps starting a new one.. =)

I'll have to dig deep into my memory simply coz it's been 2 months since i returned! Hopefully i don't miss out too many details!

So the gang flew budget from Barcelona to Athens. A cheap Ryanair flight (as usual) left us having to spend half the night at the airport. We arrived in the middle of the night, rested on some couches, then travelled to our hostel at first light. We stayed just at the foot of the historical Acropolis! In a rather touristy area with many nice shops and restaurants =)

Athens Intro:
Athens, the capital city of Greece has a population of about 3.5 million people. It is surrounded on 3 sides by 3 mountains/hills. In many ways, it is considered the birthplace of Classical Greece and therefore of Western civilization. The city is named after the Goddess Athena and it hosted the 2004 Olympics. =)

The first thing i noticed about Greece is the language. The phrase "It all seems like Greek to me!" suddenly made sense. I felt like i was in a physics class. With familiar symbols like phi, psi, rho, lumda, alpha and pi making up the alphabets. Another thing i love about Athens is that with my Finnish Student card.. i can enter almost ALL the sites for FREE.. i like!

Athens has a really impressive (if limited) metro system. The stations/trains are really clean/fast/efficient. Better than many other metros we've experienced in Europe that's for sure!

Starting with the most famous site.. the Acropolis..

If you like ruins, Athens is for you..

Theatre of Dionysius

The Acropolis was an ancient fortified town on a hill.. (climbing up the hill).. Here is where we saw a random tortoise climbing up the hill with us.. (?@!)

A larger outdoor theatre (modernized and used for concerts etc)

Sweaty but worth it..

Restoration works are always ongoing..

Temple of Athena Nike

The Parthenon!..

By this time (about 11.30am).. the crowds are beginning to stream in.. and of course the sun is killing us on this cloudless (almost) day..

An overview of the city.. notice that the surrounding mountains caused it to be kinda smoggy..

I really don't know what building this is.. even though i like this photo haha..

Oops.. Genga Genga!

These marble columns are amazingly well crafted.. and are huge!

Get out before the (other) tourists come in!

Walking down hill.. towards the..

Ancient Agora.. A garden/space where people used to gather and talk politics/philosophies =) ..

The Temple of Hephaestus.. the most well preserved Greek Temple..

New developmental projects still uncover ruins.. New buildings next to ancient sites..

I love the bustling Greece restaurants/markets..

Not all ancient!

Temple of Olympian Zeus..

Only the ruins are left of course.. a bunch of pillars.

But what i like about this site is that it has a buffer zone of green space.. A large compound with some ruins in the middle.. good for pictures.. =)

I love my mini tripod.. This would make a nice Album Cover if we're a band..

???

Greek beer.. pronounced as ALFA..

Nice meal with really hospitable restaurant people.. i like Souvlakis!

Day out to nearby island of Aegina..

Outside the Port of Athens train station..

Busy streets..

1 1/2 hr journey..

Clear blue waters..

Cramping on a bus..

We got lost for a while.. coz of crazy maps.. but finally arrived at..

the beach! Spent a couple of hrs there.. and then it's time to catch the last ferry back..

on the bus..

The guys trying to act cool while waiting for the ferry..

Nguyen and i in front of a tiny Greek church..

really clear waters..

Jack and his kung fu photography pose..

Scroll up and notice that Toni is wearing Jack's shirt!

Wei Sing showing off her yummy caramelized nuts..

Seagulls following a small fishing vessel..

Cheers!

Yum..

The last day in Athens we visited the National Archeological Museum of Athens..

Toni admiring a bronze sculpture of Poseidon or Zeus.. they're not sure..

300!

There are just so so so many precious relics in Greece.. that they don't have enough space to store them..

Saying bye to the museum!

Happy Birthday to Ri Hao and i! (at a local fastfood restaurant)

We had a group hug and said our goodbyes at a shopping centre.. coz Ri Hao, Wei Sing and i were continuing our journey while the rest were returning to Helsinki.. It has been a wonderful trip thus far.. =)

Looking forward to the next destination.. Thessaloniki!

Barcelona

Met up with the gang at Centric Point Hostel in Barcelona (really good location.. recommended!) I was allocated a separate room by myself coz i made a separate booking. But no prob.. coz i was staying with 3 nice Canadian girls haha..

Went for Tapas dinner immediately..

Centric point was just 1 block away from one of Gaudi's works.. The Casa Batllo..

Barcelona Intro:
Barcelona is Gaudi city! Second largest city in Spain after Madrid. It hosted the 1992 Olympics.. Famous for the works of architect Antoni Gaudi and of course FC Barcelona =)

We spent quite a few days in Barcelona so this post is gonna be quite long.. Started of by taking a walk from Centric Point towards the harbour.. here's what we saw..

Placa Catalunya
A big square where people gather for various reasons.. more than 200000 people came here to see Barcelona beat Man U in the Champions League final (on big screens)!

Barcelona Cathedral

Kids choir outside the Cathedral

Ducks in the Cathedral?

Market along the way

Spices and Tea..

Cheese..

Barri Gothic

An old area of town.. really narrow streets lined with shops.. very local and lively =)

La Rambla

The main shopping area.. Tree lined pedestrian walkways.. super touristy stretch!

They sell animals along the street..

Many interesting buskers.. (too many to feature all of them!)

Give coins to take a photo with them..

Strolling down La Rambla..


Christopher Columbus statue..

I just had to..

Part of the team..

First of many zi pai group shots.. =)

Barcelona Harbour..

Taking a banana break..

Looney Tunes cruise ship..

Buoy asthetics

Shiny facade makes for a good photo opportunity..

These kids are all wearing "Messi 10".. future superstar in the making?

Unknown church along the way.. quiet and nice.. i like!

St Joseph's Market.. off La Rambla


The next day we signed up for the Gaudi Tour! This guy is basically a genius, even though his contemporaries probably felt that he was a nutcase!

Casa Battlo:
Located on Passeig de Gracia. A house that Gaudi restored for this Battlo guy haha. The name basically means House of Battlo.. Gaudi didn't just remodel it.. he made substantial changes to it. Adding a floor, changing both the interiors as well as the exterior. Much of the facade is decorated with broken ceramic arranged into a beautiful mosaic. There are no straight lines in this building.. imagine the rooms having no corners! Notice the bone like supports.. and dragon scale roof. Really striking building.. with a long queue outside as well!

Our Gaudi Tour guide..

La Sagrada Familia:
You can't consider yourself having been to Barcelona if you haven't seen the Sagrada Familia! Meaning the Temple of the Holy Family. Gaudi dedicated the last 15 years of his life to this project. This catholic church is massive.. and has been under contruction since 1882! They are trying to complete it by 2026 to coincide with Gaudi's 100th death anniversary.. =) It has 3 facades.. dedicated to the Birth, Passion and Glory of Christ respectively. After Gaudi's death, architects followed his plans and carried on

Check out Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia for more info!

What La Sagrada Familia is supposed to look like after it is completed!

This facade was done when Gaudi was around.. it looks like it's melting.. so different from the other facades by more recent architects!

Apparently, Gaudi was admiring the progress of the temple.. when he was knocked down by a tram.. he then died a few days later..

Walking along..

Overwhelming support!

Fernando Torres!

Hospital Sant Pau
Heard its really nice but we didn't go in!

Park Guell:
Initially meant to be a private housing estate, this garden complex has been made converted to a public park. Designed by Gaudi.. in fact, Gaudi's own residence is located within the park..

I didn't see Jack when i took the pic.. haha

Cast Iron works.. technique used on La Padrera (more details later!)

Ceramic Mosaic Techniques..

I'm not used to sandy parks haha..

The longest mosaic decorated benches in the world..

Doric Columns..

The Salamander.. the symbol of Barcelona!

A really interesting park featuring Gaudi techniques.. read more here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Guell

Cindy struts along haha..

T-10 card recommended for metro =)

Burger place recommended by Visa (Wei Sing's tutor)!

Heading towards the Olympic Stadium..

Olympic Stadium..

We spent a long long time amusing ourselves with multi shots.. but as u can see.. we suck at this.. haha guys.. pick your favourite!

We left for dinner.. Coming back for the Magic Fountain show later!

The place looks so different at night..

We were treated to a spectacular show.. a different one starts every 1/2 hr.. and we sat through like almost 2 hrs of it.. =)



Amigos para sempre!

Saw thousands of people running through the streets the next morning.. Barcelona Marathon!

I didn't talk about Casa Mila/La Padrera when talking about the Gaudi Tour coz i'm going to go a bit into detail here! We went back to Casa Mila, also known as La Padrera, and went in, instead of seeing it from outside =) It was really really worth it!

Casa Mila / La Padrera:
Gaudi built this place for a rich and flamboyant couple =) I'll talk about the details as i go along..

View from the exterior..

Gaudi drew much of his inspiration from nature. He observed the environment around him with great interest and in this project, he utilised Catenary Arches. He found this arch to be common in nature, adding strength and integrity to a structure. By doing so, he freed up space in the attic, and saved on material costs. The arch also serves to hold up the waving roof top.

Scale model of La Padrera..

By positioning a mirror on a surface and hanging chains or strings from above, he can get an inverted image of how the building will look like. The forms that take shape are thus the most stable and efficient..

He also designed many fittings and items of furniture within the building. These include chairs, beds, door nobs etc..

The most photographed chimneys in the world!

Do the chimneys look like helmets of knights? That is precisely his idea, that the soldiers keep watch and "protect"..

Water tanks, Chimneys and Ventilation vents are all functional and aesthetic at the same time..

Wei Sing just can't open her eyes when the sun shines.. i thought i'll join her.. =)

Security guard falling asleep..

We then took a tour of the interior of the building.. which shows how a typical house in this building would be furnished..

Atrium of Casa Mila

We decided to head to the beach since it was a Sunday.. as recommended by the hotel manager Marco.. (who was kinda freaky).. haha..

La Rambla (on the way to the beach)

Mosaic on the floor..

The weather was really hot.. after an ice cream and lots of walking we finally arrived at the beach! We're not really in beach wear la.. but we just decided to take a look =) And yes we saw many interesting things..

Sand Dog? With a plate for people to put coins..

This guy is only gonna get a sun burnt face..

We found a place to rest.. too much walking.. and Wei Sing fell asleep really soon!

Nguyen and I!

Cindy learning origami from Ri Hao (?!?)

This is the most interesting thing we saw at the beach.. Look at the old man wearing black swimming trunks on the extreme left. Now look closer.. is he really wearing trunks?? Haha.. he is actually totally NUDE! the trunks have been TATTOOed on.. gosh.. haha.. and his privates were hanging out in front obviously. And there an elephant face was tattooed.. his penis is the trunk.. How disturbing..

Barcelona is a really happening city.. lots of passion and energy =) Look out for your belongings though.. a group of people tried to block my way in the metro.. while this girl tried to slip her hand into my sling bag. Fortunately my bag was at my front. I "very lightly" brushed her hand away.. erm.. ok maybe not so light after all.. and shoved my way through the group. My first experience with a pickpocket! I'm just glad that nothing was lost on this trip haha..

Next destination: Athens!
Might have to wait quite a few days for the next post.. kinda tied up with stuff!

Interlaken

This blog entry took me ages! The most difficult part was actually to choose a few from the many amazing pictures i want to share.. =)

The Golden Pass, the train route between Lucerne and Interlaken in Switzerland is considered by many to be the most scenic of train routes. You'll see why!

I spent the entire 3 hour train ride on my feet. I pulled down the windows and pointed the camera outside. I found myself taking a shot every few seconds because the view outside was just so amazing! Photos taken from the train.. Enjoy! =)


Lakes..


Valleys..


Meadows..


Cows..


Lake Brienz



It was as if the journey itself was a huge show.. God displaying a little bit of this majesty.. =)


We checked in at Backpackers Villa.. which i found out afterwards that it is run by Methodists! =)

The journey that i'll be taking up to Jung Frau Joch the next day =)

Interlaken, as the name suggests, is smacked in between 2 lakes, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. The idea is that many small villages near the area grew and grew and basically overlapped, forming 1 small city. Maybe it's summertime here.. but it seems that everyone is having fun here! No one seems to be doing any work.. I certainly don't consider being a paraglider work!

We looked through the brochure.. and something caught my eye.. HANG GLIDING! I persuaded my brother and Edeline to join me in my craziness. Unfortunately Aunty Pris hurt her back.. so she couldn't join us.. she would if she could!!

She was really really sad that she couldn't fly with us..

We waited at the landing zone while my brother was in the first "flight"..

Some paraglider landing..

Perfect weather for flying =)

My brother landing!!

Safe and sound and loving it!

We hopped on the van and they took Edeline and i to the top of this mountain.. (1/2 hr drive up).. and then we got ready!!

While Ed (the one i'm flying with) set up the glider, i took pictures haha..

I helped out a little though..

My ready glider!!

Edeline looks scared!

I like my helmet =)

Pre-flight shot!

A few practice runs and drills.. and we're running off a mountain! The in flight photos were taken with a camera attached to a pole. Ed can fire shots with a remote control that he operates with either his hands or feet!

It was really peaceful and quiet in the air.. amazing amazing amazing.. =)

Woohoo!!

Free beer after the flight hahaha.. to calm our nerves??

Dinner and a slow walk back to the hostel.. getting ready to go up to JungFrau the next day..

The next day in Interlaken, we woke up early in the morning coz the journey up the mountain takes about 2 hrs.. we were praying for good weather.. and thank God.. it was amazing!

The ticket up the mountain wasn't covered in the Swiss Pass and was kinda expensive.. but you don't come to Interlaken without going up Jung Frau! Pictures from the stunning journey up..


We finally arrived!! =)

I was feeling pukish for a while.. the first time i ever felt altitude sickness..

I don't know why they call Jungfraujoch the "Top of Europe" when there are actually taller mountains. Maybe it's because its the highest any normal person can go without doing the hard work yourself! They built a compound up in the mountain, there there is an observatory, weather labs and things for people to see =)

Ice palace.. wasn't as impressive as the one in Kemi, Finland though.. (look back at my Feb Lapland posts)

Switzerland was joint hosts for Euro 08, which Spain won. Fernando Torres scored the winning goal of course =)

We went out into the cold and the view was amazing!

This sign was set in a rock wall.. =) Hallelujah!

Posing on the dog sled..

Conqueror of Jung Frau!

After spending a few hours up in the mountains we headed down..

Panoramic train allows you to see more =)

After returning from JungFrau, I decided to explore Interlaken by myself... i took a walk though the city area and found that many shops were about to close.. But i stumbled upon a footpath next to a stream. I really enjoyed the personal quiet time with God singing and praying =)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.. =)

Aunty Mummy wanted to strap her luggage up.. but ended up strapping it to the chair instead =) hahaha..

And so i said bye to Aunty Mummy, brother and Edeline.. and headed to Zurich Airport.. =) I'm off to Barcelona to meet up with Cindy, Toni, Jack, Nguyen, Wei Sing and Ri Hao..

So next post... Barcelona!

Lucerne

Lucerne intro:
Spelled Luzern in German, Lucerne is first and foremost considered a tourist attraction. It has about 60000 residents.. but i think i saw more tourists there than locals =) The city is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne and near Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi of the Swiss Alps.


Our hotel was located just beside the train station, really convenient location =) Not to mention is was beside this place that does monster sized pita kebabs! A Turkish man runs the place.. (it did not occur to me that i was going to have kebab overload while in Istanbul.. wait for my Istanbul posts!)

Very nice..

I had to help Aunty Mummy finish hers =)

Arch between the train station and the lake..

The Swiss Pass allows me unlimited travel on trains/cruises/metro etc.. so we chose the scenic route to the Swiss Transport Museum..

Taking in the sun..

Clear water from the melting glaciers..

Alighted here.. to visit the Swiss Transport Museum, which features the various forms of transportation. Really cool!

Rims!

Mountain rescue helicopter..

Winged Aircrafts and engines on display..

My brother Damon and sister-in-law Edeline..

Airport security controls!

Rusty submarine.. must be really old..

Mickey Mouse scooter..

Ahoy Captain!

Road signs covering the building..

Swiss Airways..

Trams... =)

and Trains..!

This boy was chewing on a toy dinosaur! But he's a handsome boy.. haha

We just missed the boat back.. so we decided to walk along the lake.. back to the city centre..

Crossing the smaller (but older) Spreuerbrücke or Mill Bridge..

The most famous Landmark in the city is the Chapel Bridge, and the Water Tower next to it. The tower bridge is 204 metres long and was built in 1333. But the bridge we see is actually a really good restoration. In 1993, some guy through a cigarette and burnt the middle portion of the wooden bridge. Many paintings were lost though..

Dinner was at the Rathaus Brewery Restaurant.. brews its own beer =)

My Aunty can drink..

The Reuss river at nite!

Strange sign in the subway..

Having a drink on our balcony =)

The next morning we headed towards the other major sight.. the Lion Monument..

Small market along the river

The Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, commemorates the Swiss Guard who were massacred during the French Revolution. The American writer Mark Twain (1835–1910) praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world". =) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Monument)

Click to enlarge! Some say that if you stare at it enough, the lion seems to be crying.. Or maybe it was just a rainy day la..

Climbed up this tower next in the Glacier Garden to oversee the city..

I had the Swiss Pass so i can enter the Bourbaki Panorama for free.. It is basically a huge 360 degree painting around a round room.

The Train route from Lucerne to Interlaken is known as The Golden Pass.. the most scenic of train routes.. =)

Next destination.. Interlaken! Visit the blog again tomorrow!

Bern

Arrived from Zurich and spent the night at Bern Backpackers.. highly rated from Hostelworld =)


Bern intro:
Bern is the political capital of Switzerland. Even though it is only the 5th most populous city. The official language in Bern is German, though like the rest of Switzerland, people do speak a French as well. The bear is kinda like the symbol of Bern, and you can see bears everywhere.. haha.. I only spent like 1 morning in Bern so all i could do was to walk around the city to take in the major sites..

We had breakfast and went for a little walk around the old city..

We see some bears here below a statue..

On a clear day, it is possible to see the Bernese Alps from this bridge (according to my brother)..

The first thing is noticed about the city is how green it is.. the tall trees.. very nice landscape =)

Bern is built on very uneven ground.. a river loops around the old city..

Cute tiny bike..

Bern's most famous sight.. the Zytglogge (Bernese German for Time Bell), an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets..

Chocolate and pastry shop..

A medieval stretch of road.. Kramgasse.. dotted with fountains every 50 metres of so. At the top of the fountains are mini statues of local folklore heroes..

Einstein lived and worked here as a clerk once! Apparently he worked on his Theory of Special Relativity here.. (now a museum)

I love the flags =)

Dam system to control the flow of water in the river that comes from the melting ice in the mountains.. prevents flooding..

If we zooooom in.. we see more bears!

A 15th century gothic cathedral, the Münster..

Views of the river from a small park behind the Münster..

The Bear Pit.. literally a hole in the ground where there used to be live bears..

A long climb up a steep slope... my brother and i reached the Rose Gardens.. But there weren't any roses??

But at least there is a view =)

Oh ya i haven't introduced my brother to everyone haha.. his name is Wong Liang Yew, Damon. =) do we look alike?

Zurich

I'm finally back in Helsinki after a 21 day long trip around Europe =) Took me a couple of days to process the 2000++ photos.. now i can start blogging hehe

As usual, i'll be blogging chronologically.. city by city =) .. But of course i'll post a separate entry as and when i think something deserves more attention. I hope i can remember the details!!

Here goes.. enjoy the upcoming 10 or so blog entries!

17th May...

I emptied my room that morning.. and with a heavy heart.. locked the door and dropped off the key at the TKY office..

I had to catch the 10am flight to Zurich that morning.. Wei Sing was heading to Paris at 9+.. so we took the same bus to the Lentoasema (airport). We bumped into Lip Hang and Jason.. farewell photos!


After a short flight.. i arrived at Zurich Airport and took a train to the city centre to meet Aunty Mummy, Edeline and my brother.. =) After 4 months!

Zurich intro:
Zurich is NOT the capital of Switzerland! Common mistake there.. even though it is the largest. It has a population of about 1.7 million people. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. (thanks wikipedia!) Somebody commented online that Zurich is pretty.. is you love banks! But i found it to be totally untrue.. as you'll see!

The first thing i realised was that it was DAMN hot!!! It was like 25 degrees when i landed and coming from Helsinki i was sweating like a pig. After meeting up with them, we did our own city tour =)

Zurich Bahnhof

Big and yummy flower pot!

Limmat River cuts through the city.. the pictures turn out really nice coz of the sunshine and blue skies..

The water was so clear.. there are "swimming pools" by the river..

The 2 towers in the background belong to the Grossmünster Church.. the landmark of the city

Aunty Priscilla.. my Aunty Mummy =)

We headed up a small hill, Lindenhof, that used to be the site of a medieval castle.. From the top the view was really nice =)

Lindenhof is now a little park that the public can come and hang out.. there were many old people playing Patong. This game that involves throwing metal balls as near to a smaller metal ball as possible. =)

They also have big chess sets..

Swiss flags everywhere..

St Peter's Church.. has the largest church clock face in the world..

Lots of these small docks along the river.. for the river "taxis" to operate..

Pastries and Sweet stuff shop..

The Grossmünster Church was first built around 820 AD. Going up the towers would supposedly give amazing views of the city..

Across the river from the Grossmünster is the Fraumünster Church.. famous for its stained glass.. Really nice!! They dun allow photographs inside though..

We walked towards the pier.. to go onboard the lake boat tours on Lake Zurich.. on the way we saw...

Boy feeding pigeons..

Little fountains in random corners..

A Tango pavillion? =)

And so we went on a really relaxing lake tour..

We arranged with Tami (my cousin who studies in Switzerland) to meet for dinner.. Interesting how we meet halfway around the world when we seldom meet up even in Singapore =)


The group photo is in my brother's camera! We had a really hearty meal at a place that Wikitravel recommended.. It's a former armoury.. really nice atmosphere.. and of course yummy food!

Yes my beer tasting continues =) .. Cardinal beer (not my favourite)

Recommended restaurant!

Place selling Swiss Cheese

The hostel that my family were staying in was in Bern so i was only in Zurich for 1 day..

Next post.. Bern!

Praise God

Upcoming plans!

17th May - 21st May : Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Interlaken)

21st May - 24th May: Barcelona, Spain

24th May - 27th May: Athens, Greece

28th May - 2nd June: Thessaloniki, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey

2nd June - 4th June: Riga, Latvia

4th June - 5th June: Tampere, Finland

6th June - 8th June: Turku, Finland (Summer Cottage)

8th June - 12th June: Helsinki, Finland

13th June: SINGAPORE


Unlikely to have access to internet until the 8th when i come back to Helsinki..
I'm saying goodbye to JMT 7A 184.. my last night here.... going to sleep now..

Bye!!