Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts

Friday, June 17, 2016

DOLCE FAR NIENTE

The sweetness of doing nothing - that's what it means. And it actually neatly sums up this Europe trip. But right now, I miss being productive and am sooo glad that I will FINALLY be starting work in prolly less than two weeks' time :D Im gonna do a freakin' analysis and write about my job search process in the past months (in my tangible diary tho) I feel like ultimately, it boils down to tenacity and luck (on top of qualifications, skills & experience) Anyhoo, back to Italy!!

PISA

Visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and you could see all these people making funny poses like attempting to push it straight up (facial expressions on point as well, when in reality they were just 'pushing' air hahaha) And damn many statues in Florence but we didnt get to see 大卫 ?????





FLORENCE









ROME

Vatican City was interesting at least. The insides of St. Peter's Basilica was just WOAH, not so much of a spiritual experience for myself but more like taking in an architectural beauty. We even got to enter through the Holy Door which most of the time is cemented shut and only opened for Jubilee Years (every twenty five years). A special jubilee on the theme of mercy is holding from 8 December 2015 until 20 November 2016, and I think the next time the Holy Door opens would be 2025!

But apparently for the purpose of this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis extended a temporal privilege throughout the world for an ordinary bishop to designate his own Holy Door so that pilgrims don't actually have to travel to Rome. So those are temporary Holy Doors, and there exists a few permanent ones, but we passed through THE Holy Door ok hahaha










Arch of Constantine / Colosseum / Trevi Fountain









So, this marks the end of our Europe trip (: It had been a good ten days of roaming around (esp on our own in London & Paris!!) and for once, I didn't actually have to worry about accommodations or entrance tickets to attractions or how we were gonna get from one place to another etc. HAHA it's just about taking in the sights and snapping away on the phone (even tho we sort of don't-give-a-fuck anymore on the last day coz we got too tired from the walking and shopping and everywhere started to look the same WHAT KINDA LAZY TOURISTS ARE WE LOL) Somemore VAT refund at the airport shagz af TOOOT 

Anw I realized I could be really indecisive when shopping for scents, like I don't trust my sense of smell (which really sucks btw) And Im really glad my Ravenclaw scarf came in handy ^^v Bought it at this Harry Potter exhibition a few years ago! And I need to give credit to Dawn for those photos that are dated; the rest were either taken by adeline or myself (share share uh)


AND LOOK AT THIS PLANE THAT I WAS ON IT'S DAMN COOL

Qatar Airways has got this airplane view mode in their in-flight entertainment system whereby you can view where exactly on earth you are (think they have the cockpit view also, I can't really remember) So, this is me looking outside from the inside HAHAHA does that make any sense ????? Watched Tomorrowland on the flight bound for London, and Gravity on the flight back (: I probably could have watch eight movies with all that time on the plane, but I guess Im more of a listen to songs till I sleep and wake up to eat and go back to sleep kinda person.

And I discovered some really good songs during flights and from mtv channel in hotel rooms (even tho I kept looping My Heart Will Go On & Hymn To The Sea) Im just gonna list them down for memory's sake!

月光爱人 / A Love Before Time - 李玟
Whenever, Wherever - Shakira
Your Eyes - Cook da Books
On écrit sur les murs - Kids United
Chrismas Isn't Christmas 'Til You Get Here - Kylie Minogue 
(It was December, what ya expect hahaha)
Ocean of Night - Editors
Locked Away - R. City ft. Adam Levine
Dreaming of You - Selena
Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel
Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall - Simon & Garfunkel

xx
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Sunday, May 29, 2016

Of canals and boats

VENICE

We took a water taxi in and made our way to St. Mark's Square before snapping away outside St. Mark's Basilica (damn many photo opportunities along the way with canals and bridges and gondolas). For a city built on water and where cars are not allowed, it felt like I could breathe easier while roaming around looking for a lunch spot after a visit to this glass blowing factory. Both of us settled on an eatery that served aglio olio and I remembered getting myself some really nice potatoes from another eatery somewhere. 

More wandering and picture taking after lunch, and ohmygod I SAW SHAWN TOK HAHAHA like just right in front of me :D Got so starstruck I was still letting it sink in while having dinner at Barberino Designer Outlet! He's the winner of Campus Superstar Season 2, in case you didn't already know (but you should know if you're a Singaporean born in the late eighties or early nineties coz more likely than not, you were rooting for him back then)
















BARBERINO DI MUGELLO

It's a shame we didn't experience the extraordinary countrysides of the Tuscany region, but we got ourselves (or in adeline's case, her mom) a Prada wallet at half the price it's selling in Singapore and I found out adeline's actually quite well schooled in these luxury brands NOT BAD FRIEND. 


xx

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Milan / Sirmione

Im finally on to the last country of our trip!! Hahaha, izzit Im really taking my own sweet time to blog????? Anyhoo, plz expect two or three more posts and then I will be done documenting my Europe trip ✌ And I think Im only gonna do up travel posts here from now onwards (and of coz my convocation photos as well), coz my dayre has morphed into a repository of memories, thoughts off tangent and basically inspirations of all sorts! I wanna be constantly inspired, and I get alot of that on dayre (: From the peeps I follow, to the fluid act of creating (yes, writing about whatnots is creation to me HAHA) But Im not giving up on this blog!! I just won't be blogging here as much (however little that already is)

Sooo, back to topic. Italy had defo not been what I expected. In my mind, the country's about passionate people with hearty laughs, a history that goes way back with not only beautiful but meaningful architectures, and pizza pizza more pizzas. But the first city we went to was stressing me out big time. I see myself as being careful with my belongings especially when overseas but my friends, and even Steve, had been warning about pickpockets I made sure to always sling my bag in front!! But even then, I think I stressed myself too much to fully enjoy this country (venice was less stressful tho hahaha but that's for the next post). So, we were at Sforza Castle & Milan Cathedral (really pretty!!) before we head to Sirmione for a short stopover at Rocca Scaligera (the place where I got those lavender stones for my friends HAHA)

MILAN







SIRMIONE










xx