.: Milan :.

After babbling about Europe for so long I don't think I still have stories to tell ... Honestly Milan was a bit disappointing. The city was dirty, a lot of walls were covered with graffiti, and the people were not very friendly. I was hoping that the fashion capital of the world means that people were walking around in high fashion. I didn't see swanky Italian girls but saw tons of Filipino pilgrims instead. Duomo Cathedral, however, was breathtaking. We visited the underground crypt of the bishop Borromeo, saw the jewel-encrusted crowns he used to wear and the diamond+gold cross used for mass in the good ol' day... then we went to the Vittorio Emanuelle for high-brand shops...(Prada + Gucci + Salvatore... and of course, the french fave LV) Across from the Cathedral we can find tons of casual local brands, smaller churches. On one of the bakeries I found these miniature fruit & cactus... made from glazed marzipan. Fancy, eh? One thing I cannot get enough of are the gelatos from street vendors... Must try the lemon one, verrry fresh and tasty!

.: Monte-Carlo :.

Welcome to Monte-Carlo! (The real one, not the one in Vegas... although it's veeerry similar) Again, didn't get the chance to explore, at all. Our hotel was soo secluded and far from the busy area. To get into the main casino we have to wear a formal dress and shoes (no flats, sandals, or crocs allowed) Men must wear a formal suit (no linen blazers...). If we're shorts-wearing tourist, there's a second casino for our amusement, with only €10 entrance fee (if I'm not mistaken...) Lamborghinis and Ferraris zoom the streets, I think the cheapest car I saw was a BMW 5 series... We passed some roads used for Grand Prix, buildings were built into the hills, all of them look glamorous and exclusive. Parks and gardens are abundant, and in the entrance of the park, you can see (or smell) a designated doggie-toilet.... indicated by the sign below:

.: South of France :.

everytime we got a 'toilet stop' we shopped,
and this time I got a nice instant coffee and lavender-flavored nougat

Am a bit tired after getting up in the morning & standing up for hours for my friends' wedding (yay, you made it guys! Congrats! No way out now!), and cannot think of anything else to say about Eurotrip... to be honest the southern part of France that I visited are all beautiful! I got the chance to stop by at Avignon, a walled city with beauiful ancient ruins (and terrible chinese food) There's a certain scent lingered all around southern France and I have no idea what the smell is but it's very particular. St Tropez was so impressive beyond words. The sea was clear blue, people were gorgeous, and my hotel was awesome!! The shops were expensive tho... :( (even one fridge magnet cost €8!!)

L-R : very interesting door handle, St Tropez, painted walls in Avignon,
St Tropez' shops & cafés

available in *almost* every street corners!

.: Lyon Snappies :.

Although I have than a thousand pictures of this trip I still feel they're not enough! :D Europe is too beautiful, and how I feel it such a pity that we were rushing from one city to another instead of lingering in a particular historical area. But then again I was probably the only one who's interested in historical facts... :p When we got into Lyon it was a sunday night around 7pm, although the sun had not set yet but it was raining (again) so the pictures came out murky ... Stores are closed on sundays and to my disappointment there was a huge, 3 stories bookstore near our hotel. I was hoping I can take a peek on their design books (at least take a look at the images since I don't know any French). Our hotel was situated in between of the two rivers (Rhône and Saône), right next to the place Bellecour. I got a chance to explore a bit and gotten so far to their old town (of course that's where the LV store is...) Pretty but a bit cold, not warm like Strasbourg.

L-R clockwise: I'd loove a grown-up version of this cardigan! (Burberry);
can't believe I actually like a pair of LV shoes... ;
and yes, it is a hat not a nest... although I bet some birds can get fooled...

meat something with tasty mashed potato, puff pastry with mushroom soup
from a small restaurant in Colmar

.: Strasbourg :.

The name may sounds German-ish but it's actually located in French (well, I didn't know that before!) This city now occupied my top 10 list of favorite place to visit. It's so pretty, classical and modern at the same time. Fancy shops mixed with souvenir shops fill the Place Kléber, farmer's market by the river offering fresh fishes-fruits-flowers, and there's also the Cathedral of Our Lady with an astronomical clock inside it. To satisfy the mad Indo shoppers: LV, Galeries Lafayette and Hugo Boss has branches here... The trams are super fancy, bullet-train style, glides smoothly on the streets, so unlike SF's muni :p We only got several hours to explore the city due to our hotel's ultimate soft beds... The minute I climbed into it I didn't want to get up (I personally think Strasbourg's Sofitel's beds beat Westin's heavenly beds) They were on sale for several thousands € only! Maybe one day I can go back ... *sigh*

can you see the thick bedding? It's one of the comfiest bed I've ever slept on!!

.: Rothenburg ob der Tauber :.

Part of the Romantische Straße, I found this town very surreal and charming. When you walked in through one of its gates, it's like you walked into an amusement park area or into a Pinocchio movie set... :p It's so well-preserved, the shopkeepers were very friendly and helpful, and the buildings are just beautiful. All bakeries sold the Schneeball/snow ball pictured below. The outside is flavored glazes (lemon, strawberry, chocolate and powdered sugar), the inside is crispy, almost like Indonesian cheese stick. I bought the lemon flavored one so it's a bit sweet, sour and salty. It's obviously a touristy town so souvenir shops filled both sides of the cobbled main street. Lots of charming B&B, small cafés, and churches. We had pork knuckle (I bet it's from a very oversize pig) + very sticky potato-lookalike and alcohol-free beer (taste just the same!) with neapolitan ice cream as dessert.

.: along the Rhine :.

We cruised along the Rhine from Boppard to Koblenz in the southwestern part of Germany. Was cloudy that day (refer to the photos...) and sooo romantic.

.: sleepless in Frankfurt :.

L-R clockwise on the picture above: the building, the lobby/waiting/lounging area,
the stair leading up to a wine cellar, and the entrance to the (very good) restaurant.

I got the chance to stay at Frankfurt's Radisson SAS and I think the design is very good; the exterior and the interior design was done tastefully. It has the upbeat, contemporary style that follows the trend but still keep the classical-modern feeling. (phew, my fancy art education paid off! I can finally make a statement that my non-designer peer won't understand!) The sun set very late ( around 9.30 pm) so we can sit outside until late at night sipping either tea or tasty cocktail (depends on your drinking buddy... if it's your mom, well, you know which beverage...)

L-R clockwise: fancy reception, bedroom with berber-carpet headboard,
lobby/lounge seating area.

.: Köln

1st row L-R: Gare du Nord, Paris - food in TGV
2nd row L-R : interesting fresco in Köln Cathedral - Almond Pretzel

We took the TGV-Thalys line from Paris to Köln on the 2nd day. I think Gare du Nord is the equivalent to Grand Central Station or Union Station in the states and there are several train lines including the famed Eurostar (from Paris to London). There were lots of gypsies in the station and we were warned to really, really keep watchful eyes on our purses and wallets because the Gypsy pickpockets work in team, very discreet and fast. At first I was a bit nauseous in the train because unlike the Eurostar, the TGV is dirty and the toilet was just unbelievably horrendous. It took us 4 hrs from Paris to Köln with two main stops in Brussel and Aachen. Along the way I can see small towns, charming farmhouses, lakes and rivers, vineyards (yes, Germany has vineyards too).
I've been to the Köln Cathedral before but still charmed by it. I think wikipedia can explain it better than me ;D What I found interesting is, within several steps from almost all major churches in Europe, you can almost always find major shopping area. And for sure you can find at least one Louis Vuitton store within a short walk from the church... a whole other religion there... :D

.: The Last Time I Saw Paris :.

Technically I only spent a few hours in Paris... was very disappointed for that. I did get the chance to walk up and down and across Champs-Élysées, browse the many cafés, people-watching. Boy the French ladies do know how to dress! It was raining that day but that did not stop them from looking fancy with their trench coats, boots and scarves. Me on the other hand, was bloated after 19hrs of flight, my hair took a life of its own, and I smelled like the interior of an airplane. Smart cars dominate the city, people here is not as snobbish as I remembered, and the buildings were too beautiful to be put in words. The term 'French do it better' seems accurate when it comes to romance, because I saw couples old and young snuggling on the street, accordion players serenading pedestrians... I promised myself that one day I'll be back to explore this city. :)

.: eurotrip!!! :.

Gorgeous St Tropez
*image from HarbourIsland.co.za*

Woohoo! Tonight I'll be on my way to Europe! Not sure about my itineraries but the old schedule stated that I'll go to St Tropez for sure! So excited!! I don't have the body nor the appropriate attire for St Tropez' beaches but who cares! I need to practice my French now :D

.: out of place :.

It's ironic that this place that I call 'home' does not feel homey at all. I feel that I cannot fit in here; I'm such an outcast. Here, being different is not a good thing. Girls love to have matching outfits, hairdos, and accessories with their girlfriends. I'm about 15kg overweight than average girls here. There's no such thing as individuality and privacy for sure. On top of the social issues, the weather disagree with me. Everytime I go back to Indo, my allergies resurface. I've been sneezing like crazy, my skin is itchy, and I have mosquito bites allover my legs. Is it wrong to miss SanFran now? :(