Images, TravelApril 1, 2007 11:20 am

Relaxing in Europe : Northern Europe

 
 
 


 
 

The Nordic land is where the tales of Vikings and Norsk Mythology came from…

Today, it is where you can find some of the most civilized countries in the world..

It is a land blessed with natural beauty and great wealth…

 
 

*      *      *      *      *

 
 
 

the angel
Copenhagen, Denmark
 
 
 

the legendary mermaid
Copenhagen, Denmark
 
 
 

peaceful evening
Oslo, Norway
 
 
 

at the humble palace
Oslo, Norway

 
 
 

reflecting the colorful evening sky
Bergen, Norway

 
 
 

at the old wooden alley
Bergen, Norway

 
 
 

walking under the flags
Stockholm, Sweden

 
 
 

shady part of the town hall
Stockholm, Sweden

 
 
 

drops of snowflake
Gothenburg, Sweden

 
 
 

the swedish color
Gothenburg, Sweden

 
 
 

arrived on time
Helsinki, Finland

 
 
 

the metalic forrest
Helsinki, Finland

 
 
 

the melody of silence
Tampere, Finland

 
 
 

the victor celebrates
Tampere, Finland

 
 
 

Comments (2)
Comfort Living, TravelMarch 25, 2007 10:28 am

The Relaxing Rooms

 
 
 

Doha International Airport

 
 
 
The Relaxing Rooms
 
I stopped at Doha International Airport on my way from Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur.
I saw something interesting. There are special rooms for people to relax at the airport !

[ Prayer room, Quiet room, Smoking room and Toilet ]

 
 
 

prayer room

It looks calm and relaxing.
However, I am not into religious stuff.

 
 
 

quiet room

It is dark and cool.
There are quite a lot of inclined chairs for people to lie down and rest.

 
 
 

smoking room

Smoking makes smokers less tense.
There is a special room for smokers to hang out.
Smoking room looks a bit like sauna chamber where smokers can sit there and relax.
Instead of hot vapour, the room is saturated with smoke.
It might be a nice place for smokers,
but it might not be relaxing for non smokers. *cough*

I wonder who is that girl who touches her butt. yummie….

The toilet or restroom can be relaxing to some people…. well…

 
 
 

Resting

At the end, I choosed to rest at the quiet room while listening to some peaceful songs.
Did I make the right choice?
I am glad I did. :P
 
 
 

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Travel, Food and DrinksFebruary 8, 2007 7:20 am

Relaxing in Europe : Dining in Italy

 
 
 


 
 

although we are familiar with Italian food like pizza and pasta …

the dining culture in Italy remains mysterious and fascinating …

as I go deeper into exploring and revealing the art of Italian eating …

 
 

*      *      *      *      *

 
 
 

pizza

Here’s a pizza that I found in Venice, Italy.
I was surprised that it is very different from the pizza that we normally eat.
The crust is soft and thin !
So it is possible to take a slice of pizza and roll it or fold it sideways or like sandwich
and eat it in a nice and clean manner.

The pizza we normally eat elsewhere has thick and hard crust, which reduces the pleasure of eating.
But this pizza does not give the hassle of hard crust so that you can enjoy the main toppings on it.
Pineapple, salami and ham on a genuine pizza…. priceless !

 
 
 

First course

 
 
 

Second course

 
 
 

First course

 
 
 

Second course

 
 
 

Comments (2)
Images, TravelFebruary 7, 2007 12:29 pm

Relaxing in Europe : Italy

 
 
 


 
 

as I sip a cup of Italian coffee…

the images of Italian streets emerge from my memory….

as I recall….

 
 

*      *      *      *      *

 
 
 

the grand passage of limitless imagination
Milan, Italy
 
 
 

the remains of an ancient city
Milan, Italy
 
 
 

the perfectly straight tower on a hill slope
Pisa, Italy
 
 
 

hmm… or you prefer it this way?
Pisa, Italy

 
 
 

painting the sky with an ancient pillar
Rome, Italy

 
 
 

a portion of an ancient “sports complex”
Rome, Italy

 
 
 

cat paintings in the city of arts
Florence, Italy

 
 
 

have a cone of gelato (Italian “high class” ice cream)
Florence, Italy

 
 
 

walking through the watery city
Venice, Italy

 
 
 

I had a romantic dream
Venice, Italy

 
 
 

Comments (7)
Images, TravelFebruary 3, 2007 6:29 am

Relaxing in Europe : Eastern Europe

 
 
 

the little horse reaches the roof
Bratislava, Slovakia Republic
 
 
 

have a closer look at the castle
Bratislava, Slovakia Republic
 
 
 

the great Danube river splits the city into Buda and Pest
Budapest, Hungary
 
 
 

one of the many mini castles
Budapest, Hungary

 
 
 

experience the magic and mystery
Cracow, Poland

 
 
 

the world’s largest and infamous Nazi concentration camp
Auschwitz, Poland

 
 
 

the golden glory of the past still shines today
Prague, Czech Republic

 
 
 

in the castle of Prague, showing off its glory
Prague, Czech Republic

 
 
 

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Video, TravelJanuary 22, 2007 12:37 pm

Sognefjord, Norway

 
 



 
Some people describe Sognefjord as the spirit of Scandinavia.
This video also features Bergen city

 
 
 
Sognefjord

 
 
I have been to Norway and the scenery is totally breathtaking. Although Norway is a wealthy country, the people are nice and the cities are humble. Oslo and Bergen are beautiful cities that I find pleasant to stay.

One of the greatest things to do in Norway is to explore the Fjords. The most famous fjord is Sognefjord. The 8-hour journey will leave you speechless, where you will cruise through the water valley and admire the true beauty of nature.

here’s another very good video featuring the great fjord. Fjord - Norway

 

The Sognefjord (Sognefjorden) is the second largest fjord in the world after Scoresby Sund on Greenland, and the largest in Norway. Situated in Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway, its mouth is about 72km (45mi) north of Bergen, and it stretches 203km (126mi) inland to the town of Skjolden.

The fjord reaches a maximum depth of 1,308 m below sea level. The greatest depths are found some way inland: near its mouth, the bottom rises abruptly to a sill about 100m below sea level. The average width of the main branch of the Sognefjord is about three miles. Cliffs surrounding the fjord rise almost sheer from the water to heights of 1000m and more.

Boats connect settlements along the fjord and its sidearms. Towns on the fjord and its branches include Balestrand, Gudvangen and Flåm. Gudvangen is situated on Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord particularly noted for its unspoilt nature and dramatic scenery ([1]), and only 300 m across at its narrowest point. From Flåm, the famous Flåmsbana railway climbs 864m up to Myrdal in only 20km - the steepest unassisted railway climb in the world.

The fjord’s beauty and the surpassing magnitude of its landscape has made it very popular among tourists, who power much of the local economy.

source : Wikipedia

 
 
 

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