Whether Weather

For the past 2 weeks or so...the sun has been scorching my fragile skin everytime i walk out from my apartment. I've got quite a decent tan since then, thanks to that. Most of the people here enjoyed the sun, as they don't get much of it like what we used to back home. I would welcome a nice tan too but not the extreme heat.

Since yesterday, the weather has turned bad...or rather different, I'd say. It's chilly again. The temperature dropped from 30 over to now which is about slightly above 20. In the morning, its about 22degrees. With the cold wind blowing right at your face...it's a lil cold for a summer's day. Grey clouds are hanging above the sky right now...but no rain just yet. I have my umbrella with me today. Hope I don't have to use it.

The other day when I was walking by the Post Office. I saw a Chinese couple on a bicycle with their young daughter. As they cycle pass me, the daugther pointed at me and said to her dad in Mandarin, 'Papa look! Chinese people!'. I was rather surprised...its not a rare thing to see chinese on the streets...i see them all the time...but why such commotion? I guess it's not just the natives here who thinks we're somewhat 'different'.

I found another chinese restaurant last night. This is the 6th chinese restaurant I've been to here...and the best so far. Though it's not as good as those back home, but it'll do...for now. A least something different...than the usual pastas and pizzas. There's a Indian shop which sells Tandoori too...but they dont do eat-in. Maybe someday I'll go get something for a take-away. Life is just so dull without variety.


The clouds from this morning

Streets were empty as usual

This is 8:30am

No morning rush hour here

Simple meal - Happy meal

Yesterday during lunch, I went over to Chinatown (China street more like it). There are couple of Chinese shops here selling Chinese(imported) goods. I bought some instant noodles for 50cents per pack. Good deal huh? :P

Went to PAM(something like TOPS or Cold Storage) in the evening and got myself some 'add-ons' for my instant noodle dinner. Only 70cents for a pack of bacon. Good deal too! ;)

Rushed back to my apartment with the groceries, heated up my stove and started cooking. Though its just a simple meal...but somehow I was kinda excited...and contented, after that. With the limited choices that I have here for dinner...an instant noodle meal is a saviour.

Nissin-Curry, Vege, Fried Egg and Bacon

Milano - Italy's Fashion Capital

There's nothing much to do in Milan except shop...shop...and shop. Clothings, accessories and stuff...from famous labels to cheap printed tees. This is a pretty good spot to shop. Streets are wide with spacious walkways, cozy cafes are spread across the street on every corner or so. A paradise for shoppers. Classy one too.

Most of the designer labels are not on sale. For the rest of the 'mid-class' labels...you can get a pretty good discount on their range of clothes, both for men and women. I managed to get a pair of jeans and shirt from quite a well known label for only €35. Had a cuppa at Gucci Cafe (can't afford Gucci, so might as well have a cup of coffee instead...not cheap though...5euro for a cappucino) and then Burger King for dinner before I head back to Venice.


The Duomo-under restoration

Prada

LV

Cucci and Gucci Cafe

Covered shopping with a touch of Renaissance

Milan's Shopping 'Mall'

Map of Milan

These are the stuff I got from Milan < €50

Life's ever changing journey

It's been a month now. Somehow days seems to have outgrown me. I'm homesick. Europe though...in most people's eyes...it's somewhere they'd like to be...somewhere far away from home for asians like myself. I came here with that feeling too...full of anticipation...full of curiosity...and all sorts of mixed feelings abound me.

After a month, I seem to have grown weary of all these and more. Life wasn't as interesting...though I have no regrets coming over here...I just wished that this trip wouldnt be a long one. I'm looking forward to spend more time back home...or at least somewhere in Asia...where I wont be stared at on the streets like an alien...though it's quite common to see others like us on the streets anyway. I wonder if they too were studied by these foreign eyes...probing our very detail...looking for a third arm that we've mysteriously tucked behind our backs perhaps?

I havent been able to write much lately...at least I haven't been writing like what I used to...I think. Perhaps its due to my busy weekend trips or maybe its because I've grown weary of writing too. I don't know.

Tonight I have some time to spend, I've just paid 2.95euro for an hour of internet access at my lobby...so I might as well spend some time...trying to actually write something here.

It's the weekend again. Almost 12am now...as i wrote these lines. In 8 hours...I'm leaving for my 4th weekend trip. This time...to Milan...Italy's fashion capital. I'm still kinda tired from last week's Rome. I guess I better spend more time resting...instead of goin places...part of the reason, I decided to take it easy this week...goin to Milan for a daytrip...then i can rest on Sunday. Hopefully I'll start next week...rejuvenated.

It's 6am now in Malaysia...guess everyone would still be asleep back home. On a Saturday morning...I am just wondering if it's a cold morning or perhaps a warm one...will it rain today? or is the weather good?

Roma - The Vatican Capital

A midnight 'InterContinental' (IC) runs from Venice to Rome, I board this with a sleeping deck ticket. One which costs me about €105 for a return trip. A pretty expensive ticket I'd say.

I arrived at the Roma Tiburtina station just at the outskirts of this roman capital at dawn. Catching the Metro Line B (Rome's Subway) to the city took 15mins or so. This is a big city.

My first stop...the 'country' within Rome...Vatican.

Piazza San Pietro...is by far much larger than what I've expected. The two fountains and Bernini's obelisk in between...its truly amazing. This place is huge. At the heat of the summer, these two fountains did served to cool me down a little even by just looking at it. Summer is not a good time to come visit. At least not for those who hates the heat.

Saint Peter's Basillica. The ascension on those narrow winding stairs were tiring but it's all worth it when you get to the top. You can catch a glimpse of the Vatican City and much of the piazza below from here. The descent though, almost took my life.

Then came the Colosseo (Colosseum). Through these recent years, there have been quite a number of box offices that made their names illustrating this grand structure. I was rather disappointed when I got in...there wasn't much to see on the inside. Rubbles, dirt...and restoration work everywhere.

The Pantheon. The oldest standing building on earth. Dedicated to the Pagan gods and goddesses is one of my favourite. An EYE on the roof, a perfect sphere in a rectangular...it's truly awesome.

I signed up for a night excursion and visited The Trevi fountain, The Fountain of Four Rivers and The Roman Forum. For €21, it was a very informative tour. I did not finish my Angels and Demons before, I had it saved for this trip. Now, I can finish the whole book with a better 'view' on things.

Rome is fascinating but packed with tourists and kinda messy. A lil too hot on the down side too. Again, I can only choose a few pics to post. Too many of them.




Piazza San Pietro





Saint Peter's




Colosseo

Fountain of Four Rivers

Pantheon

The Forum

Verona - Juliet of Romeo

A mere two hours journey from Venice by train. The guide i borrowed from a friend only took 3 pages to describe this town...so you know roughly how much attention you would wanna pay to this town. A day trip would be sufficient.

A small bustling town. This place has nothing that strikes my fancy except for the fact that it was the town which Shakespeare's greatest love story took place.

I got off the train at slightly past 11. Went opposite the 'stazione' to the bus company's office to get my bus ticket (Yes, in most parts of Italy...you have to buy your bus ticket at the 'Tabacchi'-tabacco dealer, the bus company's counter or your hotel reception, before you board. They usually don't sell you tickets on the bus).

A huge banner was hung to the left of the counter. A city tour. For €15, a tour bus will take you across this small town to those famous spots around the city with an english speaking guide. With the summer heat (Yes, its really summer now...it's now 32degrees at noon) and the potential headache of locating those hotspots around the town on a foreign map...this is a pretty good deal.

The bus whizzes through the narrow streets of the town. Stopping only for a short while at significant places for us tourists to snap our pictures then moving on to the next.


The 1.5 hour city tour ride

Breathtaking view from a hill

The Green Wall

Lay your mark on Juliet's walls

Juliet has a video guide of her house

The crowd outside Juliet's

Posing with Juliet

Juliet's famous balcony looks...ordinary

Where Juliet slept

Juliet's Living Hall

Write an email to Juliet

The bazaar at the centre of town

Venezia - Festa del Redentore

Last Saturday was the 3rd Saturday in the month of July...thats when the Venetian celebrates this event with colourful display of fireworks.

One hour of non-stop display of spectacular fireworks. Pausing only for a few seconds each round to make room for storms of applause from thousands of spectators who gathered around and on the 'Canal Grande'. This is truly a sight to behold. It's all worth the 4-hour long wait. I had arrived at Venice by bus as early as 5pm. As I took my time strolling the winding streets of Venice, shopping...and window shopping along the way...I took the liberty of sampling their local kebab and treat myself to yet another gelato.

By 7pm, I've got myself a pretty nifty spot by the banks overlooking the river where the fireworks will take place. One thing about this spot which I do not quite like is the huge crane right by the side, which blocks most of my view. But at 7pm, most of the good spots have already been taken up. By 9pm...there wasn't any room for anyone to squeeze in at all. On the river there were hundreds if not thousands of boats and gondolas anchored, waiting for the show to start at 11:30pm.

Old folks preparing for the party on their boat.

The snacks
..the red wine
..the cola
..the long wait

The crowd at 7:30pm

The crowd at 9:30pm

The crane.