Day Trip to Venice

Ah, Venice! I thought I would never set my foot in that place. And I did! And I am happy!

This year is our summer Euro trip. I didn't plan for any US trip because we haven't visited Europe for sometime. Hubby allowed me and our daughter to go on our mother-daughter bonding trip to visit relatives in Milan and experience a road trip to see Venice. We were so excited to finally see the much talked about place in the planet. It didn't disappoint!

Venice is located in the region of Veneto, Italy.  It is approximately 3 hours drive from Milan (with pit stops) and even the drive to Venice was full of rolling hills with vineyards, beautiful villas, vistas of green trees, and clear blue sky. It was like seeing all the beautiful pictures I have only seen in travel magazines come to life right before my eyes. Breath taking!

We spent 4 hours in Venice. We even got lost in the winding alleys that looked the same to the newbies. But we weren't nervous. It was fun getting lost in a place filled with history, culture and romance!

I had wonderful time watching the gondolas pass underneath the bridge were we stood. We were even lucky to watch a singing gondolier! The place is simply captivating. I and my daughter were mesmerized.

Souvenir hunting was superb! There were plenty of shops to check out. They were pricey but we managed to buy a few.

A visit in Venice wouldn't be complete without eating the famous tiramisu gelato which is a fave of my daughter.

It was a bit difficult to walk towards noon time. The scorching heat made it impossible to enjoy the view. So we rested for a while in Piazza San Marco and watched other people pass by and the pigeons. Yes, there were still plenty of pigeons.

Some of the architectural structures around Piazza San Marco was being refurbished so we weren't able to get a decent shot of the famous buildings. It's okay. We still had plenty of snaps taken around the place.

We wrapped the whole Venezia trip around past 4 as we need to head back to Milan before it got dark.

Will we visit the place again? Definitely but not during summer. Perhaps, when it's a bit cold because I love the cold weather.

La Dolce Vita!

The La Rambla in Barcelona

Barcelona is a beautiful city in Spain. It is the first time I have visited this cosmopolitan city in Spain with my daughter. I am glad we took the short Euro summer trip this year.  A bit hot but fun!

I chose Barcelona over Madrid because I wanted to visit Montserrat since it is in Catalonia. So, while the intention was to visit the Monserrat Monastery, why not tour Barcelona as well so I would be hitting 2 birds with 1 stone.

There are plenty of things to do and see in Barcelona alone. Fortunately, I chose to stay near the Plaça Catalunya area where famous tourist spots are walking distance from our hotel. One of the nearby attractions is the La Rambla.

La Rambla is a long stretch of tree-lined pedestrian street with plenty of shops, hotels, kiosks, and establishments to see. It is around 1.2 kilometres long. It borders the Barri Gothic and the El Raval areas in Catalunya.

You can also find the famous La Boqueria here. It is their open market selling fresh fruits, candies, beverages like Spain's famous Sangria, and of course, the very sumptuous chorizo in many shapes, sizes, and forms!

We're lucky to have seen many things in this place. It is worth visiting when you are in Barcelona. Be mindful though of your belongings because there are plenty of pickpockets in the area due to the influx of tourists who easily fall prey to these petty crimes.

Here are some pictures I have taken in La Ramble. Do include it in your itinerary when visiting Barcelona.

Plenty of souvenir shops and food kiosks can be found in the whole stretch of La Rambla.

This is a church along La Rambla.

The many variety of merchandise found in La Boqueria. My daughter and I loved the fresh fruits!

Salve and Hola Summer Trip

The travel bug has bitten once again and I have been very busy with work to finish so I can go on leave this coming Friday without any pending stuff to think of.

Yup, my daughter and I are off to Milan, Italy and Barcelona, Spain for a whole week. I have surprised my daughter about this trip because she thought we wouldn't be going anymore since she exchanged the Euro trip of 2016 to an 18th birthday debutante ball instead. Well, I don't think I can let this opportunity pass. I want to give this Euro trip to her, albeit, we are visiting only 2 countries this time due to my lack of leave credits. I would have loved to venture on other countries from East to West. Maybe next year.

We're staying in Milan for 4 days and will fly to Barcelona on the 15th of June via EasyJet. I wanted to go by rail but there are plenty of stops, changes and we won't be able to sleep within the 16 hours or so train ride.

I booked a not-so-fancy hotel near Plaça Catalunya. It's the last stop if we will ride the Aerobus from El Prat Airport in Barcelona. It's also walking distance to most notable tourist attractions in the area so it's a good place to start.

We'll be visiting Montserrat too and I'm mapping out our directions and budget as I plan to travel on our own so we can experience the train ride and the cable car ride towards the mountain top where the Monastery is and the Black Virgin of Montserrat's figure can be seen.

The weather is not as inviting anymore because it's hot. I don't like summer weather but hey, I plan to lose weight so maybe a lot of sunshine, perspiration and walking can do the trick.

So, I won't be blogging much again. I know I've been quiet lately. I haven't even posted much of the tours I have taken in Amsterdam and here's another one coming. Allow me to take it all in and will definitely share pics and posts about Barcelona. It's the 2nd time we are visiting Milan and we will be staying in my hubby's cousins' place. Hope to see the Milan Expo 2015 and Venice this time around. :)

Full Day Tour at Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium

My recent vacation in Amsterdam, The Netherlands also gave me the opportunity to visit Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium for a full day tour in a luxury double decker coach. I have arranged the tours through City Discovery for €75 per person.

I booked the full day tour after my friend and I got our Schengen visas because I wasn't sure whether the rate is refundable or not. I didn't check.

So, when we arrived in Amsterdam, I exchanged the confirmed and paid voucher at the Lindbergh Tours at Damrak near the Amsterdam Central Station. I think Lindbergh is a very famous tour operator there because the other tours I have booked from Viator were also referred to Lindbergh. The tours were really great too.

On March 28, my friend and I went to the Lindbergh Tours to meet our tour guide for the tour along with the other members of the group going to Belgium for a full day trip. The call time was 9:00 a.m. and we left around 9:30 a.m. sharp. Our bus was a luxurious double-decker bus and our tour guide was Pieter. He was really amazing, funny and very knowledgeable who spoke really good English.

(Nice mural)

Antwerp

Grand Market Square

Well, the whole tour was great except for the rain but that didn't dampen my spirit. We first arrived at Antwerp and was only there for less than an hour. I felt the tour was too short and I wasn't even able to buy souvenirs.

Statue of Brabo

Legend has it, Antwerp got its name from Antwerpen, meaning hand werpen, in English, to throw a hand. Our tourist guide told us the story about how the name Antwerp (or Antwerpen) came about. There was a giant named Antigoon who lived near the river named Scheldt.  He would collect or rather, impose a toll to those who wish to cross the river. And if they refuse, he would severe one of the hands and throw it on the river. Then, the giant was slain by a young man named Brabo who also cut the giant's hand and threw on the river. Thus, the name Antwerpen came to be.

Cathedral of Our Lady

I went inside the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp in the town square. My friend and I did some posing and took some snaps around the area. It was a very quiet day maybe because of the rain but the town square wasn't crowded.

Brussels

Atomium

The next stop was a quick photo op in Atomium. I wanted to walk towards the Atomium but our tour was only 15 mins. allocation for that area as a photo op session only. I wasn't able to see the Mini-Europe. I will be back and next time, I will stay in Brussels!

Grand Palace and Town Hall

The next leg of the tour was in Brussels Town Square. I am so amazed by the architecture of the buildings around the area. I think, all of Europe's town squares have similar look and feel. It also looked like the town square in Munich, Germany.

We stayed longer in Brussels. I think it was more than 2 hours of roaming and soaking in the precious culture, arts, history and the whole experience.

Mannekin Pis

Pieter also took us to the Mannekin Pis (Little Man). It is the famous statue in Brussels of a little boy peeing. I thought it was a big statue but it was small and you'd miss it if you didn't know where to look. Right beside the Mannekin Pis is a very nice chocolatier called Mannekin Pis Belgian Chocolate.... My friend and I bought some nice truffles for €18 (6 boxes). It was a special promo given to our tour group from Amsterdam. In fairness, it was really crowded and I almost walked out because of some annoying "foreigners" who were haggling beyond "reason." But, it was just right that I took home a real Belgian chocolate. So, I bought and tasted it and it was the creamiest truffle I have ever eaten in my life. You should visit that place.

A stone's throw away is the Leonidas and right at the town square is the famous Godiva. I didn't buy anything from the 2 famous brands because the price might be hefty.

Cathedral of Sts. Michael and Gudule

This very ornate church is near the Brussels town square, approx. 2 blocks away. It hs a nice park in front and.

Royal Palace of Brussels

This is not where the royal family stay. It is actually the official palace of the King of Belgium. Whenever I see an architecture like this, it always remind me of the buildings in Paris. I am sure that this design is typical in Europe.

Cinquantenaire Park and Auto World and the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History

After the tour, we drove to a place that almost look like the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. It was a cross between the one in Berlin and in Paris. In both ends of the arc are the Auto World and the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History. We didn't go down in this place. It was just a drive-by kind for photo op while inside the tour bus.

NATO Headquarters

Brussels is the host of the NATO Headquarters. It looked like a fancy airport to me but was unable to take a picture as I was in awe and seeing the numerous flags adorning the building's premises is a giveaway that it was NATO.

We just passed by NATO HQ as we headed to the expressway leading back to Amsterdam.


We got back around 8:30 p.m. but was pleasantly surprised that there were still plenty of people in the street. It was weekend so we didn't know that Amsterdam was crowded that time.

I will recommend a side trip to Belgium if you are visiting Amsterdam. Although you have to spare a day for it because it's a full day tour. It's worth the time and money and you get to see another country bordering Netherlands.

If you are planning to visit Belgium soon, you may check out great hotel deals here in my site. Search for hotels and rates here:

 

Amsterdam Tours

When my family and I go for trips abroad, we tend to skip booking for tours and discover the places of interest ourselves. It's more fun that way and you'll never know what other interesting finds you'll have along the way.

This time, I am traveling with my buddy and since we are two ladies who are traveling to Amsterdam for the first time, it is a wise decision to use the services of a tour operator.

I booked our Amsterdam and Brussels tour in two tour operators that I trust: Viator and City Discovery.

I have done booking with Viator in the past for my mom's airport shuttle service in Bangkok and I asked my mom about the service. Viator did not disappoint at all in terms of customer service and punctuality. So, I decided to try them again and this time, for our tours in Amsterdam. I used City Discovery for our Brussels tour because they have a very good programme for the full-day tour in Brussels with a side trip to Antwerp too. At least, the Antwerp trip was a very pleasant addition to our already packed itinerary.

I will post the reviews when we're all done and will also tell you about the rates of each tours I have booked so the next time you visit Amsterdam, you know where to avail land arrangements in terms of tours, cruises, etc.

My buddy and I really saved hard for this trip to happen and we're just few days away from actually setting our feet in Amsterdam. I have always dreamt of seeing those magnificent windmills, the dikes, the fields of beautiful tulips (which happens to be my favourite flower!), the lovely architecture around Netherlands and of course, those canals that also make Amsterdam very famous.

Well, I hope it's already 26 March because that mean's we're off to Netherlands! It's going to be one busy vacation in terms of touring the places of interest there. No shopping for me because Amsterdam is an expensive place to visit. I'd stick to buying few souvenirs and cheese. As long as we have tours, photo ops in famous places and a relaxing time in the hotel of our choice then I'm happy.

Dreaming of a Euro Trip For My Birthday

It's not everyday that I get to give myself something I really, really, really love. More often than not, I always end up sacrificing what could make me happy for the benefit of those I love. I have just been pondering lately why I cannot, even just once, give in to my simple pleasure which is to travel, travel and travel some more. And so, after much consternation and an approval from hubby (There, I did it again. I just can't find myself deciding what I think I will be happy about without feeling guilty and asking permission from my boss - my hubby. I just always have to put my hubby and daughter in the equation when decision making rolls in... even in travels), I am, together with my close pal of 15 years who is likewise, celebrating the same birth month as I am, will embark on our Euro Trip for 2015!

I hope this one is just not a plan. I have already made hotel bookings as early as now because April is a high season due to spring time.  We have not finalized the itinerary yet but we already made our budgets and we are both sticklers for following budgets. We're talking about not-so-fancy hotels but it should be in the city centre, inclusion of tours, Eurorail ride (oh, this one is something I haven't tried while visiting other countries in Europe few years ago and I really want to sit in even the cheapest coach available just to get a good view of the splendor of Europe), daily expenses like food and local transportation fares and flights.

We're both thinking of maximizing the week-long leave we have already blocked for 2015 so we can enjoy 3 countries within that time frame. Which countries? One is definitely Netherlands. I have been going on and off with the plans to travel to Netherlands since 2 years ago. It was supposed to be a birthday gift last year and the year before that but I always find myself traveling somewhere else the last minute. This time, I have already laid the plans, plotted the dates on my calendar on when to do this and that and there are plenty of other logistics to note of, like my expiring residence visa here in the UAE which I have to renew first before I can apply for a Schengen visa. The other 2 countries might be Belgium and France again since they are the closest, or Denmark and Germany on the east. I have to consider the strict budget again when I choose which destinations. I have been to both France and Germany but my friend hasn't. So, we'll come to know around January. However, the hotels in Eastern Europe is a lot cheaper than the ones in the west and northern part so we are considering a flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to either Prague, Warsaw and Budapest rather than via rail to save time.

I'll finalize the itinerary around January to see if there are changes in the rates of hotels in all those countries. My friend doesn't mind if I take the rein on the planning thing since this was supposed to be a trip by myself. Knowing myself, I don't think I'll jump on the opportunity to travel alone because even if there are monopods available so I can take a snapshot of myself, I don't think it's fun to be alone in Europe or anywhere else for that matter. Nope, I'm not a lone traveler and I prefer to enjoy the experience with my family or friends.

So, I hope this dream of a Euro Trip this spring in 2015 will materialize. I'm 90% ready! I'm just waiting for the appropriate time to actually go and apply for a Schengen. I'm excited!!!