My recent rendezvous!

Madurodam, Den Haag, Netherlands:

Land of the miniatures! Left to right: Downsized Dam Square, and clock towers in Amsterdam.

Zaanse Schans, Zaandam, Netherlands:


Village of Windmills, Cheese farms, traditional 17th and 18th century houses.

O'Porto, Portugal:
This was my second trip to Porto and the first for Naf!


Clockwise (from top left): At the Ribeira with the wineries across the Douro River, Naf and I shopping, view of the buildings (mostly churches) from the Church on the hill, and Naf at the church on the hill overlooking the Douro River.

Lisboa, Portugal:




Clockwise (from top left): Lisbon city centre, old houses in narrow streets, view from the top of St. George's Castle, Naf at St. George's Castle, the beautiful coastline of Cascais, the cliffs of Cascais.

Barcelona, Spain:


Clockwise (from top left): One of the many talented buskers on the main La Ramblas street, a square with countless restos and bars - all selling the popular Paella dish, an artist who did all those pieces with only SPRAY PAINT - amazing isn't it? The renowned Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi, another busker, and a busy busy Catalan street!

Palma de Mallorca, Spain:
With temperatures no less than 23-25 degrees, and the white sandy beaches with blue blue waters, this was paradise!



Clockwise (from top left): The airport looked like a resort in the Caribbean or something with the Palm trees all over, the view from the plane, the not-so-crowded beach, white sand with blue waters and the little hut-like umbrellas to chillax under, and the oh-so-breathtaking sunsets. BEAUTIFUL! By far, the best place to relax and unwind, and even retire!

SOLD!

I just sold my bike that i loved so dearly.

On a brighter note, i sold it for more than it was worth! Here's the story:

I bought 2 bikes for €95 - one for €40 (which got stolen); and the other one for €55 (which i just sold). And i sold it for €70! Good, huh? So technically, my bike usage here in Amsterdam, for the duration of 6 whole months, costs only 25euros!!

And i have to say, the bikes were really a blessing. Sometimes you just don't wanna walk, especially if it's raining. And just thinking about walking out the long never-ending street of mine is dreadful. So it has been a joy having the bicycles around. However, it's gonna make me poor if i rely on the public transportation - buses, trams, etc. A bus ride costs a flat fee of €2.60 (that's SGD$5). What a rip-off! But my time here is short and i guess i could do more walking to absorb as much of the city as i possibly can before i go home.

Bye bye bicycle.

hiatus

apologies for the inactivity for the last 2 weeks or so.

Just so you know, the first week since my last entry, i had guests over from Singapore.

The second week, we were all city-hopping; from Porto to Lisbon, to Barcelona and to Palma de Mallorca. What can i say? Portugal and Spain were exciting countries to be in. They all had their share of entertainment and beautiful sights.

Once my sister leaves, i will have ample time to update the blog with photos too. :)