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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.
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.
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.
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
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. :)
Gorgeous St Tropez
*image from HarbourIsland.co.za*
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? :(
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.
