Sweet, Sweet Switzerland

Going to that mountain over there, from the picture above! The sceneries was so beautiful that it kept me wondering how would it feel like to live here in this peaceful country, imagining that I could feel the fresh breeze, listen to the calm sound of the river and looking at the mountain as I'm waking up to this. Just for once at least, I want to live in this country life. Honestly it's nice to be in a place where there's no signal, you get to observe the beauty that surrounds you.

It took 30 minutes by cable car and 15 minutes by the circle ones, boy do we felt as if we're in one of the fight scenes in Kingsman II inside a spinning cable car! As we arrived at the mountain, it was pretty crowded and it bothered me so I convinced my sister to hike to the top and we were so proud of ourselves that we actually made it even though it got harder to breathe, no regrets because "Life's A Climb" and the view was worth it. 

On our way up.

The top of Mount Titlis! As if it's us against
the world!

On our way down.

After all the hike and the snow, we headed down to Luzern, it is one mesmerizing city because its surrounded by the view of the lake with a little peek of Mount Pilatus below. There are sunny old squares, intriguin churches and wooden bridge. I've read that this city is packed with history because of its location between Protestant Northern Europe and Catholic Italy.

A Day in Frankfurt

As usual, took a group tour pictures everytime we're in the centre of the town before we all split up.  Frankfurt aim main, the place for us to go sightseeing and killing our time today. My sister and I strolled around the town and there were so many rich collections of museums, historic buildings and lively art. It wasn't that crowded but there were a lot of people chilling, the frankfurters were drinking beers, wine and rum on the sidewalk cafes since it was the perfect place for a weekend break.

There was this one moment where I looked up to see how interesting the building was, especially their colors. Then this really tall tower of a gothic church caught my eye from afar and I forced my sister to give me the company so that I can look closely and take a little peek inside (just so you know I have this strong obsession with romanesque architecture). The name of the cathedral is Saint Bartholomew.

You can tell a lot from the looks of it, that the cathedral had an associated role as the religious counterpart in the history of Frankfurt.

Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Amsterdam.

If you had seen my post before, how I spent the morning until noon in Brussels, I spent the rest of the day visiting Zaanse Schans, Netherlands. The area was full of wooden house, mills, barns and workshop which made the 18th and 19th centuries brought back to life. Known as a very famous tourist attractions especially because of their Holland windmills and traditional Dutch life at the historical shipyard. What makes it perfect was the weather, sun's out and still having the wind passed by.

When the clocks strikes 8, that's our cue to go to our new hotel and luckily when we arrived, it located around this peaceful neighbourhood. As the sun sets, my sister and I took a little golden-hour shot. It was so lovely because the sun fades away in so long.

Mornings in Volendam, we were being told by our tour leader to get up earlier this time because we're going to go to the most "a-must" tourist thing which is being photographed in a traditional Dutch costumes. As we walked through the town, people seems like they're really living, especially the ones whose house just across the river. This town is also known as Holland's most famous fishing village, with a harbour full of old fishing ships.

Their Kibbeling (codfish) is THAT good! Ate twice of this
with my tour leader.

Colorful wooden houses in Volendam

Next destination is like going to another part of the world, seeing how beautiful the Earth is!It's one of the largest flower gardens, "Festivals of Tulips" or "Tulips Heaven" is what they called. Hard to believe that there's actually over 7 million different kinds of flowers planted annually in the park which covers an area of 32 hectares. People are either having a picnic, reading, talking, or just lie down on the grass. The colors of the flowers looked so surreal, as if it were painted.

Then off we go after a 3 hours well-spent observing pretty flowers bloom, God bless Spring. Our last stop before going back to the hotel is Amsterdam, and shopped a little through the afternoon since they were so many temptation of clothes. Strolled around and realized that there were so many cyclists here! The canalside walk made the day a lot better and some people couldn't get enough of the canals that they actually live on one. Half an hour before we have to go back to our tour bus, my sister and I decided to sip some coffee in the Van Gogh Cafe next to Lovers canal cruise. Oh Amsterdam, you beauty.

Luxembourg, then Brussels for a day.

They say that Luxembourg is among the safest countries, and also includes as one of the most relaxed cities in the world.

Another day, another lovely sunny weather with a little breeze, just like I expect it would be. Firstly, we visited the "Eternal Flame" in the National Monument of Solidarity which dedicated to those who lost their lives in World War II and there was this small chapel which represent the victims of the war behind it. Behind the small chapel was this beautiful view of houses and how their colors combined.
Made a pit stop at Luxembourg Railway Station, I don't know if it's just me but when I look from afar I really thought it was some kind of church.

Inside the Luxembourg Railway Station

After 3 until 4 hours strolling around the lovely city of Luxembourg, we're off to Brussels which would take about 3 hours. Passed by the famous Atomium, took a few shots during the golden hour. There were lovely coloured trees planted in sequence along the streets that stole my attention, and got even prettier how the sunlight touches the leaves. Then 30 minutes until we arrived in our hotel. Just so you know, here in Europe, it gets darker way late at night which is at 9-10pm and it's always nice to watch the sun goes down in a long hours.

Atomium

A field or a park is one of my source of happiness, I suddenly got hyped that we had this field located across our hotel as our tour bus stopped. As you can see in the picture, I looked so happy and that was taken by my sister before I dropped my jacket and ran all over the field, feeling like a free bird, then I twirled, then I lied down. Looking at the sky, looking how blue it is and how the sun's about to sleep for the moon to take over. I love feeling the grass on my feet and the fresh air. I was alone but I didn't feel like I was because there's trees that gives me company. All I did was just breathe, feeling grateful that I get to live, feeling happy. I know that these things are so simple, but it matters! Oh, how beautiful it is when you are in the world.

Brussels!

Another place means another Roman-Catholic church! This one really caught my eye, it was the most beautiful one so far that I went inside alone.

Minutes after passing the church, we had to walk a few blocks to enter the centre of the Grand Place. The buildings are just to die for, they took care of it really well, I accidentally separated weith my mom and sister for a while because I was too focused seeing where out tour leader is heading. We went to see the Mannneken Pis, a sculpture of a naked little boy urinating in a fountain's basin, it's a must-see because it's the best-known of the people of Brussels.

Grand Palace

They say that Brussels are for the chocolate
lovers, and this was indeed the best waffle I've
ever tasted so far.

Everard't Serclaes

The picture above is known as Everard't Serclaes Monument. He was a hero who save Brussels in 1356, but then he was murdered by the Lord of Gaasbeek. There's a saying that if we rub the statue on the arm, we can make a wish, no wonder why there's so many people making a line for this as I passed by. That's all for Brussels, til my next post when we spent the whole afternoon in Zaanse Schans.

A City Like No Other

An Europe Getaway for my mom and sister, and I, the three of us with a group tour. Transit to BKK for 4 hours then waited for 6 hours in the airport, got on the plane again and headed to Paris which is a 12 hours flight. You can't imagined how numb my bum was. Feels like you wanna crack all of your bones in your body, but it's worth the pain. At last, we arrived at 7.00 o'clock in the morning. Bonjour, Paris! The first place we visited was the La Valle Village, it was the heaven for all the shopaholics out there.

Had Vesuvio pizza and rose champagne for lunch!
Bon Appetit!

After hours of shopping, we made a short stop to Disneyland Paris. We're allowed to go inside it but sadly we didn't have much time to come  so we went to shop from the merchandise store and took pictures instead. Then away we went to the hotel which almost took almost an hour until we arrive. It's not like the grand ones located in the city, but I didnt mind at all. Why stay in a five-star hotels when you're planning to go out the whole day?

oI pinched myself a few times when I woke up the next morning because knowing that we're going to the Eiffel Tower according to the tour schedule. Inside the tour bus during on our way to the city, I looked around and realized that I was the youngest. All i saw (mostly) was parents in their 40-70s and it made me felt grateful than ever to have this once-in-a-lifetime at this young age.
"La Vie En Rose" by Louis Armstrong was playing in my mind as I saw the Eiffel Tower from afar and it looks so shiny and as beautiful as I imagined that it felt surreal when our bus stopped and I got to looked at it from below. It was like a dream without having my eyes shut. The weather was so lovely, just so you know it's Spring! The sun was out the whole day but there's still a bit of a breeze.

 

The famous church that I've been watching through thiDisney movies (The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame), is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Fun fact: this church has the longest and richest of histories out of all the famous monuments in Paris since it was already built in the Middle Ages. Entering the church, seeing the stained glass and how gothic it is mesmerized me so much I can't even describe it. I don't know if it's just me, but I suddenly imagining how people actually built this church years ago and still durable until now. This is what I love about Paris, is how the people really take care of the old buildings so well that it looks like as if it had just been built.

Inside the Cathedral

Just a few blocks from the Notre-Dame, my sister and I walked  to Shakespares and Company bookstores. It is known as 'the city light books' and was from a scene in Midnight in Paris where Gil just walked across it, and that's when I notice about how my sister wanted to go there so badly. For a book lover and a writer like she is, it's a-must! As I go inside, it felt like as if its Paris in the 20s, it was so traditional, the bookshelves made of woods, there's mostly old books and a few grunge pictures from scenes of old movies were being taped on the wall. Honestly, we weren't allowed to take pictures but I spot a few took some shots, so I sneakily did too.

Aggie the Cat (who likes to read)

The Poetry Stairs

My sister and I walked around the corners, passed the Seine River, spotted a hidden Jazz club (but of course, it opens in the late night), and admiring paintings, sketches on the sidewalks. Oh Paris! I can't stop loving you more and more throughout the day.

To our next stop: Jardin Du Luxembourg. It's this huge dreamy garden, created in the beginning of 1612 and was the widow of King Henry IV of France. Everyone is literally sun-bathing, around the fountain, on the grass, literally everywhere! Which made me wanted to do the same but what can I say, you can't do whatever you wish for when you're on a tour. Passed through all the rosebeds and gardens, to the Louvre we went, but that doesn't mean went inside it because we didn't have the time. I got really sad because I wanted to see the paintings so badly especially La Gioconda, another name for Mona Lisa, known as the most famous painting in the world.

une journée parfaite en effet

And of course, red lipsticks are for the French

To end the day, we rode this petit train to Montmartre. It's this big hill known as the highest point in the city where you can see the whole Paris and where Sacre-Coeur is located. It's a Roman Catholic church which dedicated to the heart of Jesus. Around the church, the place was filled by sidewalks cafes, hidden galleries and surrounded by Parisian artists drawing potraits.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

It was such a long day and we finally went back to our hotel, I had to admit I felt pretty unsatisfied because of the fact we didn't have time to enter museums and art galleries which was the ones I was looking forward to the most. I'll be back hopefully, Paris. je t'aime à chaque battement de mon cœur!