- i feel like a kuih lapis
you know, we take a lot of things for granted. i always knew that travelling teaches me about the things i take for granted. and i come back loving every bit of my life even more.
today, i want to talk about malaysian weather.
i love Malaysian weather.
being in europe near winter season is fun. it’s fun because i know it’s temporary. if i lived here, i would go crazy.
in malaysia, we hardly check the weather forecast - whether it rains, whether its windy, whether its hot - doesn’t really affect us.
here - i have to follow the weather forecast very closely. if it rains, the temperature drops several degrees. if it’s windy, the temperature drops even lower. if it snows, if if if. you get my drift. you have to dress according to how cold it gets.
in malaysia, when i want to go out, i just change my shirt, change my pants, and i am good to go.
here. when i want to go out. i have to - wear thermals. wear leggings. wear woolen socks. wear jeans. wear long sleeves. wear a shirt. wear a sweater. drap the scarf. pull on the woolen head warmer. don on the coat. stuff my hands into the gloves. carry an extra pullover and maybe ear muffs. THEN GO.
IT TAKES TOO BLOODY LONG!!!
i feel like a kuih lapis. i feel like bak chang. i feel like a ketumpat. i feel like a mini michelin. i feel like a walking marshmallow. i feel…..well you get the drift.
PLEASE PEOPLE. when you go out today, just wearing a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans, please appreciate it. because it is a glorious thing, to be able to go out, with JUST a tshirt and jeans. GLORIOUS!!!
- ahoy from prague
these european countries are funny. like in italy - ciao means hi, ciao means bye. now in prague - ahoy means hi, ahoy means bye. haha!
anyway. its my last night in prague. i have ditched their world famous czech beer for some absolutely divine hot vino (hot wine). it is….mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. it smells of gingerbread, i think cinnamon, and raisins. its just phenomenal. if i could bring back just one thing from europe, it would be this - hot vino. oh wait….italian macchiato is really good too….hmm. no no - hot vino.
i have a cup right next to me now. and i am dashing across the street in nothing but sweaters to get me another cup later. it is below zero degrees outside. it’s crazy to be out there with nothing but sweaters.
i walked leisurely to the castle this morning. reached there sharp at noon. very lucky coincidence as the changing of guards take place every hour on the hour, and noon is the most elaborate one. i witnessed it, then strolled around the compounds before deciding to head back to the bridge - didn’t really feel like exploring the castle.
i am whimsical like that sometimes. that’s why it’s fun, for me, to travel alone. mind you - this solo endeavour is not for everyone. it takes guts, courage and determination. you have to be very comfortable being alone, and doing things alone, and getting lost alone.
after the castle, i meandered through the cobblestoned alleys and just enjoyed going nowhere. somehow or rather, i ended up at charles bridge again. and from there instinct took over - i headed towards the christmas fair at the old quarters, again.
funny how habits can form when i’ve only been here for three days.
today, i ate some super waffles (it is called that), more of that yummy sausage, chocolate covered banana, hot grog, and of course - hot vino. hot grog is vodka plus something else, i can’t read czech. didn’t fancy it too much. hot vino on the other hand, so divine………
after the christmas fair, i walked to mucha museum to enjoy some of his art. i like his art. soft, feminine, curves and flowers and pastels. always centered on females. i love his thematic drawings - the four flowers, the four time of day, the four stars.
that’s all i did today. i walked charles bridge several times, hoping to come across the street jazz band i heard on the first day. they call themselves No Problem Jazz. and certainly - their music is infectiously happy.
oh! how can i forget! before i walked to the castle i went to the john lennon wall! it’s a stretch of graffiti wall. graffiti is big in europe. anyway, this wall is a john lennon inspired wall. today - it is so much. it holds messages of peace, love, hope. the original lennon graffiti is buried under new messages. will show pics when i get back to malaysia. i myself wrote two messages, and while i was there, i saw passerbys who stopped, inspired, to make their mark and jot down. while gazing at the wall, my soul kept singing….you may say…i’m a dreamer….but i’m not the only one…. and the wall proves that.
i have spent all my czech crowns and change some hungarian forint. am all set to leave tomorrow. i will be in budapest by afternoon, gonna have a nice long train ride. very excited about that as i love train rides.
am popping out for another hot vino. ahoy for now!
- having fun doing nothing in prague
i had a great day in prague doing nothing. woke up slowly, took a huge breakfast. then strolled charles bridge again. the street vendors were absent, so the bridge was relatively quiet. wandered around aimlessly then stumbled onto a christmas fair. red tents and christmas decos, horses with carriages, blacksmith and coals hammering on irons like they did back in the old days. roasted chestnuts, steaming hot chocolate, christmas decos, etc.
i drank some hot mead - fermented honey. supposedly the drink of the gods. very delicious, kept me warm too as it was two degrees outside today. i then tried a local bread (cant remember the name, will name this properly soon) which was baked over coal and dusted with cinnamon sugar, almond, vanilla. yummy! crispy on the outside, soft and yeasty on the inside. just delicious.
walked about the square and took in the sight. also looked at the astronomical clock chime. twice. then i treated myself to a cup of hot vino - hot wine. yummmmmmmmmmmmmm. definitely having more of those tomorrow, gotta keep myself warm.
walked the bridge again and saw some crew filming a period film. they transformed an entire area into an old market, something right out of oliver twist/my fair lady. i stood there for the longest time watching them film, snapping pictures.
then i got hungry again. walked back to the xmas fair and got me some good ol hot dog. YUMMY. washed that down with famous czech beer. YUMMIER.
took a slow stroll home. suddenly realised i was surrounded by armed guards. i think some pretty important officials were strolling on the charles bridge, not sure who. there were police escorts, some uniformed guards, very official looking people, etc etc.
am checking out the castle area tomorrow. and maybe i’ll head back to the xmas fair and try me some grog. all in all, a very lovely day in prague doing absolutely nothing!
- prague
arrived here in the afternoon. i have a lovely room - an attic with wooden beams and wooden floors. i am twenty seconds away from charles bridge. after checking in and unpacking, i took a slow stroll. in fact, that’s all i did today - i walked charles bridge and i climbed its tower for a better view of the bridge and prague.
the light changes very quickly here. when i arrived, everything was gray. then suddenly a golden hue fell across the bridge. and just as quickly, a slight fog shrouded the statues, tinging it with mystery.
charles bridge is lovely to walk. photographers showcased their talents, painters sold their works, trinkets, earings. i sat down for the longest time watching the light change, and listening to a street band playing jazz folk upbeat numbers. they certainly drew the crowds in.
prague is cold too - 4 degrees in the noon, 2 at about 4pm. freezing at night.
i think i’m going to let prague surprise me. i have packed my days with lists of things to see and places to go in florence, tuscany, rome and barcelona. i need a change of pace. i want something different. i am ready for surprises.
for prague, i will just walk the streets and see whatever comes my way. no plans. no itineraries. just me, my eyes and my curiosity as guide.
- leaving barcelona
when cnn says it will rain, then my friend, it will rain. today, i found out, that the rain in spain doesn’t fall mainly on the plains. it also falls on me.
however, that didn’t deter me from doing a lot of things, since it’s my last day in spain. i took a brisk walk among the rain in spain to the Palau de la Music Catalana. entrance fee includes a guided tour - i had to wait a while for the english one to start so i took a slow breakfast in their cafe while writing out postcards (which i never got to send because i can’t seem to purchase stamps…). This concert hall is breathtaking. I had goosebumps again and again just being inside there….it was so…beautiful. The architect, Lluis Domenech, who is also a modernista like Gaudi, was obsessed with natural light. The entire building was glass and glass and glass. It was like being in a crystal ball. So beautiful. No pictures was allowed though, however, you are able to see the centerpiece if you google, which looks like a drop of sun dipping into the concert hall.
After that inspiring visit, I walked to check out the Palau Guell, another Gaudi building. However, the roof, which was the centerpiece of this building, was closed. I did enjoy a video presentation of the building.
i also dashed into the Santa Maria del Mar for shelter as the rain got too heavy for a while. the church is gorgeous, gothic and immense. i stared at the stained glass walls, the semi dark interior. all of a sudden, i heard “here comes the bride”. i looked at the church entrance and true enough, saw a bride walking slowly towards the altar! what good timing, i was shielding from the rain and ended up attending a spanish wedding in such a beautiful church.
My next stop was another Gaudi must - the La Pedrera. Again, I was lucky - no queue. When I left the queue at the entrance was almost snaking to the main road. The exhibition inside this building had a lot of information about Gaudi, his works, the man, his inspiration. I must write about him one day and how genius he is, and how he takes all his inspiration from the book of nature.
I travelled around Barcelona via their official tourist bus - it was a hop on hop off thing, which really helped me see everything I wanted to at my own pace. After La Pedrera, I just took a leisurely ride around the city as I have done all that I set out to do and see.
Reached La Rambla a little before 6pm and I dashed off to catch a Magic Show.
and that, was how my last day at barcelona unfolded.
tomorrow - prague! woo hoo! stay tuned :)
- i love barcelona!
today was a great day. i really felt like alice wandering in wonderland. so many wows packed into one day :
la sagrada familia
staggering experience. gaudi is truly a man beyond his time, an ambitious achiever, a true artist. this is a man who paid homage to god, with god’s creation in mind. his inspiration is nature. his last masterpiece is truly an absolute masterpiece, every inch of it. i was blown away and am SO in awe with the church.hospital de la santa creu i sant pau
from the church i took a slow walk to this hospital. again, the architecture is so alive! and full of wonderment. quirky crosses, beautiful stained glass windows, tiled roofs with so many vibrant colours. it was right out of some fantasy movie!park guell
a park filled with miscellaneous gaudi works including his famous lizard, and a museum of his house. it was a nice stroll and i certainly enjoyed gazing at his work. gaudi likes fluent flowing designs as he said there are no straight lines in nature.tapas and sangria
i stopped for a quick bite. had some lovely tapas - pineapple and ham, mushrooms. yummy. washed it down with some lovely sangria. i was good to go and ready for another gaudi goodie.casa batllo
if la sagrada familia didn’t convince me of this man’s genius, casa batllo definitely hammered that nail in. gosh…….what a masterpiece! this guy is such a genius lunatic to be able to even envision a building so ALIVE. the whole apartment had a very aquatic feel….the blue hues, the “flowing” walls and ceilings as if underwater, the white skeletal rooms that felt as if we were in the belly of a whale….what an experience. gaudi totally blew me away. this is architecture orgasm.la rambla
by this time it was already dark. i took a slow stroll through la rambla and soaked up the atmosphere, stopping by very quickly at merkat de la boqueira for some freshly squeezed fruit juice. the streets were alive with performers, human statues, bands. a guy playing drums with buckets (and damn good at it too). even saw an mtv being filmed. i walked towards the picasso museum as it closes the latest at 8pm. figured i will end my day with some artistic contemplation. on my way there i saw el rei de la magia shop….it was a family establishment and they train magicians. i was going to visit their museum tomorrow as they have a magic show every saturday. out of curiousity i entered their shop….it was like stepping back into time. the wooden shelves were packed with all sorts of magic stuff and just so…mysterious. there was a curtain, and every customer stepped behind the curtain to do their business transaction. at first i thought it was a tarot reading session, or some fortune telling thing going on…then i realised, that’s how they sell their magic wares! behind curtains! for magicians to test their goods, woooo….mysterious….hehe. am all set for their magic show tomorrow, the lady said i was in for some good magic, funny magic she says. am excited!walked and contemplated on some early picasso art. i really prefer his earlier sketches before it got insanely abstract.
so that’s my day! tomorrow - more museums, and more gaudi! woo hoo!
- first afternoon in barcelona
barcelona rocks! walked the entire stretch of la rambla and absolutely loved it. There were bird sellers, beautiful flower stalls, artists, street performers, magicians.
Saw one magician that made his ciggy hover. The ciggy did somersault in the air and he slowly manipulated it back into his mouth. Coooooolll. Hehe. I hope i can find more time to hang out in la rambla again.
Also saw a guy with a football manipulating it like a pro. It was awesome. Many of these street performers dress up and do their little act. Some pretend to be statues and if you drop a coin into their box or hat or nag, they start to animate.
visited st joseph market. Very very interesting. also hecked out an erotica museum which showcased erotic art from different cultures, like japanese, chinese, indian, western, etc etc.
Am visiting la sagrada familia tomorrow, woo hoo! Can’t wait! That’s actually the sole reason why i’m here, to see anton gaudi’s masterpiece.
Till tomorrow!
- hola from barcelona!
just a quick one to say hola! Am safe and sound in barcelona! The queue at the airport was crazy and i just barely made it, even had horror thoughts of the desperate measures i have to take if i missed the flight!
But here i am! All checked in at my hostal that has free wifi (woo hoo!) with sheets smelling of softener, mmmmm. Sure tidur nyenyak.
Am off to do some exploring!
- italy - a summary
The things that i really enjoyed experiencing - streets of sienna, gazing at Michaelangelo’s David, florence’s impressive duomo, eating in the various trattorias with nadine, getting lost in florence, sistine chapel, st peter’s basilica, the Colosseum, the pantheon, trevi fountain. Cafe macchiato! Trying to speak italiano, hehe.
The things i dont like - how difficult it is to find a toilet. The curt behaviours of italian people - this really dampened my experience. I hope spanish people know how to smile….
Till tomorrow! Arrivederci!
- Last day in rome
I was one of the first few people in the Colosseum today. It was astounding, to be there almost alone, in the early morning, imagining, imagining. Gladiators. Exotic animals. The fight, the blood. The instinct for survival that permeated the air then, is probably thicker than the walls of the Colosseum today.
In less than an hour, the crowd poured in, the queue at the entrance already snaking around this ancient monument.
I’ve been really lucky so far. In rome - the vatican city, vatican museum, Colosseum; in florence - the galleria uffizi, the galleria dell accademia. All famed to have long queues to get in. Like hour long queues. however, each of the places i barely had to queue. Benefits of travelling without a tour i suppose. Or just good timing.
Anyway. After the Colosseum, i strolled palantino for a bit then headed towards spagna to check out the spanish steps. Lazed there for abit, then took a slow stroll towards the pantheon. It appeared without warning, and took my breath away. Truly, the streets of rome houses many surprises and hidden gems. Just an astounding place to walkabout.
From the pantheon i headed towards piazza navona, a square where artists and musicians flock. True enough, the sounds of a saxophone guided me to the piazza. Then a guitarist, slowly plucking out Sting’s Fragile. Made me misty. I sat by the fountain, and in the company of pigeons, listened to his solo renditions. Bubbles floating all over the square from a guy selling bubble makers. Artists smoking from pipes. Cafes spilling into the street and probably a pickpocket or two among us.
The guitarist stopped playing and packed his guitar. I too, decided to continue my walk. It was my last day in rome! I walked a bit slower, and looked at the trinkets and souvenirs. Vespa keychains, the godfather tshirts, pinnochio pencils, rosaries. Bought a nutella flavoured gelato. The italians are crazy about nutella. Nutella crepes, nutella waffles, nutella croissant. Nutella this nutella that.
My last stop was trevi fountain, where i sat to finish my nutella gelato. It was the mother of all fountains, HUGE! And crowded. Sat there for quite a bit, people watching and just passing time.
Am heading to barcelona tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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