The sun was up real early for daytime hours are longer during spring/summer time. After a not too good sleep the night before (partly also because we slept at around 7.30pm when the restaurants around the hotel were filled diners), we woke up early to begin our first trip to St Gallen. As it was still way before breakfast time, we took a walk around Zurich Old Town which is near our hotel.
The quiet street was a contrast to the night's crowd.
My favourite hobby in Switzerland....duck feeding :)
Taking a shot in front of our hotel, Platzhirsch. A small boutique hotel which just started its operations 2 months ago. Staff were very friendly & have allowed us to deposit our luggage while we walk around town before the check-in time. It has a reasonably-sized room with LCD-screen TV with cable channels. Bathroom is a little small but is common in Europe hotels. Toilet is shared by about 4 other rooms & is located outside. Not much inconveniences since we woke up quite early. But if you're a light sleeper, hotels in Old Town may not be suitable as it can get quite 'happening' at night.
Yup, I didn't know Zurich has such an exciting night life. I thought it's all peaceful & quiet by night time since shops close early :)
Drinking the cold spring water from the fountain. Ahhh....so refreshing :)
No matter which angle you take, the photos somehow turn out to be postcard perfect.
I somehow always look weird in most of Uncle Tan's candid shots so this is a decent 'candid shot' of me :p
The weather was terribly dry. Fortunately, Uncle Tan brought a lip balm over. It tasted good - olive & lemon. But it resembled more like the green tea biscuit Mr Bean used to sell.
Time to go back for breakfast @ 7am.
Breakfast was reasonably good. There were 3-4 choices of bread. Croissant is good!! Ultra crispy & light unlike the ones I've tasted which sometimes tends to be a little oily. Eat it with the jam & butter or ham & salami or Brie or Raclette cheese (this cheese is a bit too overpowering for me). The usual coffee/tea, fruit juices and must try their yogurt & muesli. Absolutely refreshingly delicious and not to mention, healthy too =)
After 2 years of yearning...we're finally back in Zurich!
The familiar crisp cool air, the sound of cow bells, church chimes, passing trains & the smell of alpine trees & blooms. The thought of visiting old friends excites us too =)
The familiar alps view from the plane.
Uncle Tan and I smiled uncontrollably in unison as we stepped out of the plane, taking our first breath of cool crisp air. Almost like how it was 2 years ago. But...well, less cold this time......
Looks like we've brought the S'pore sun here.
Apparently Spring this year happens to be surprisingly warmer than expected. But somehow the Swiss love it and said it's hard to get such good weather. A year ago, it was raining throughout May and just a week ago, it had rained too. Hmm....not exactly what we'd have expected. We're here to escape from the heat wave in Sg afterall.......
Went to visit Uncle Tan's colleagues (and to shop there @ the same time). Spent quite a bit of time there as they treated us to coffee at the cafe there.
Seems that there are more people now @ Sihlcity.
They also gave us a tour round the office and guess what we saw......
Shiokadoodoo!!!
They have all the popular soccer teams & the players' faces are attached to each figurine! So cool!!
Took a stroll @ one of Uncle Tan's favourite site near his office. Didn't manage to walk any further due to the hot weather. So......off to Bahnhof Strasse to shop for a while before we went back to our former residence to reminisce the good old times.
Oooh....H&M!!! But was a little disappointed with this season's selection. Had to buy some basic pieces due to the warmer weather... ;p
For the purpose of remembering the dates for the vacation, I've adjusted the post date to coincide with the actual dates of the various trips made.
We dropped at the wrong bus stop on our way back. Uncle Tan lor...pressed the bell the moment he saw the petrol kiosk which was the wrong one. It was a good thing that I agreed to go back earlier than to catch the last bus.
Not knowing how long more to walk and in which direction, we sought help from someone who happened to be talking to his friend. We were lucky to meet the helpful man who decided to bring us there in his car and we showed him the photo we took of our hotel's key bearing the hotel's name. Too long to remember and don't even know how to pronounce :p
Fortunately, he stayed near Treviso which was on-route to our hotel. So we do see helpful and nice Italians too :)
And he had been to Singapore too...only the airport while in transit to Bali ;p And he was full or praise for the airport. Now I know why so much effort is spent on our airport...partly to impress those in transit and hopefully make them visit the small city of ours on their next trip.
This is front of the Villa hotel which we stayed.
And this is the villa's garden with a nice gazebo.
As the TV in the room we were supposed to stay was not working, we've decided to switch to a smaller room and even had a cable programmes! But...although many channels, they are mostly in Italian or German...geeze...
This is the mask I've brought. Reminds me of one HK show "女杀手" ;p
Was tempted to buy more but reminded myself that it might end up collecting dust instead and not many people love masks...Uncle Tan for one. He's the sort who doesn't like or rather, afraid, of stuff that can 'come alive' like dolls, figurines, those masks with faces etc......
The next day, we only explored around the villa instead of going to Maestrae as Uncle Tan is worried we might not be in time to catch our flight since the bus timing here is quite irregular...sigh...that's him...
We took some shots of the ducks that were kept in a small cage in the villa's garden. They were very noisy but when I tried to make a different animal sound, they went quiet...I had fun making the different noises to get them confused keke ;p
It was so cute seeing the ducks following behind the person who is going to feed them at the pond.
Saw this vending machine selling Durex condoms. Reminds me of this TV ad tagline "Anywhere, anytime" ;p
The apartments here are mostly terrace houses. I wonder if this is one of the rich man's area since there are many villas here owned by rich Italians.
The acorns here are much shorter and rounder as compared to Zurich's.
The classic shot of a dog "瞄-ing"a cat ;p
Speaking of dogs, we heard more barkings here than in Switz. The Swiss keep them as pets - to shower them with love, good food, regular walks etc. The Italians keep them as watchdogs - to bark at strangers. We had been 'warned' by several dogs guarding the terrace houses as we walked pass them. I had a shock when I tried to seek some shade from one of the houses whilst waiting for Uncle Tan to take pictures. There were also "Beware of dogs" signages at the front gates as well.
We passed by a kindergarten. But there were no kids in there. Summer break?
Here we are at the Marco Polo airport. Not a big airport and shops are limited. There are more shops in Zurich airport. Of course, our Changi Airport is like a "mini shopping paradise" amongst the other airports.
The airport is just next to the sea. It has a pretty short runway thou so the poor plane had to break pretty sharply when we arrived.
CiaoVenice...
The picture on the left is one of the nearby islands. The one on the right is a picture taken in space, showing the shape of Venezia, which resembles the shape of a fish.
Each time we travel out of Zurich, we will miss Zurich. Not sure why... Upon reaching Switzerland, we were welcomed by the stunning view of the alps, they are so close to the skies. It was one of the few places where you could see land way before the plane descends.
"And I think to myself...what a wonderful world..."
Whenever I fly, I always marvelled by the fact that I'm high up in the air, close to the clouds. If there's a heaven, am I halfway there? It's a captivating experience (minus the ascending and descending moments).
A thought came drifting to my mind. Perhaps there's someone up here with uncountable hands, each carrying a plane to ensure its safe journey. As for those freaky plane accidents, maybe because there are way too many planes for the One to have enough hands to cope.
As much as I enjoy travelling, but the pollution left by the planes somewhat makes me feel a little guilty...ok me and my green talk again...
This was the small plane we took and we had to take a shuttle bus back to the airport which was a mere short distance away. The descend was a little jerky, not sure if it was due to the wind and I felt a little sick for a while...
A little surprise...
On the plane, Uncle Tan handed me a little pouch. In it, was a pair of Murano glass earrings!
I kept asking him when he bought it for he was with me most of the time except the toilet break he took at Venice and the time he went off to buy mineral water at the airport. But I half suspect he got it at the airport given the pouch and the guarantee cert.
I thought it was so sweet of him and this time, I refrain myself from nagging at him for spending. Must learn to accept gifts from hubby graciously at times hehe ;p
Tips:
1. There are 2 airports in Venice - Marco Polo and Treviso. Choose Marco Polo if there's a choice as it's nearer to the island.
2. Avoid weekends if you can. Crowded Venice is no fun, especially with the heat. Air tix price is cheaper too.
3. The airport has very stringent checks. Go earlier if you can as there might be traffic jams and the Q for the security checks might be long especially if it's a weekend. Luckily for us, we went back on a weekday, so it was quite alright.
4. Remember to take out anything that's metal, including your belt. Uncle Tan had to 'strip' at the customs for he couldn't pass through the Ultra Metal Detector without it beeping. Strangely, nothing happened to him at Zurich side though it was the same belt.
To think the airport security though Uncle Tan was trying to be funny and grabbed him back to the Q to go through the detector again. They have little patience I must say and not too polite. Poor Uncle Tan...
But it was darn funny watching him going through the detector a few times, with his confused look and removing his belt and other stuff ;p I couldn't stop laughing when he was finally cleared. And that scene still tickles me whenever I recall...oh gosh, bad wife! Bad wife! ;D
5. Bus timings are less frequent. Usually half an hour but depends on traffic conditions. Over here, better flag for the bus for they might not stop, or sometimes they choose not to stop... Their bus stop is just a tiny shelter without any seats.
Generally, it was a nice experience even though we had our little grumbles on the rudeness of the people, the unfriendly barking dogs, the inconveniences of the transport, the heat, the run down hotel, the cost...hahaha....
Time to make our way back. So it's through the bridges and canals we go.
This place somewhat reminds us of Thailand ;>
Couldn't stand anymore, gelato please! It cost€1.50 for a scoop at shops near San Marco and Grand Canal and it's €0.30 cheaper elsewhere. Over here, you can see people eating gelato everywhere and it's cheaper and more popular than ice-cream.
I finally succumb to my temptation and bought a mask...ok ok, it will come in useful when there's a costume party...IF there's ever be one... ;p
I love these masks but more meant for admiring purpose when you know how much they cost.
More masks...
These tiny figurines are all made of glass.
Time seems to stand still for a while...
Even thou Venice's beauty is echoed by many visitors, it somewhat exudes a melancholic feel...perhaps partly because of the very old buildings...
In fact, if there's a construction going on, you might even smell the unwelcoming stench from the canals. That's the not-so-romantic aspect :p
The Rialto Bridge
There are only 3 bridges that are linked to the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) is one of them. It is the oldest bridge and probably the most famous in the city.
Overlooking the Grand Canal
If you can, avoid coming here during Aug for it's their summer holidays and bearing in mind the very hot weather...
Chilli bouquet for your chilli padi girlfriend? You could see lots of ornaments & accessories made from the Murano glass.
I was a little disappointed when I couldn't get a pair of Murano glass earrings there for I thought I could get it later at other shops which are less crowded. But I couldn't find the one that I like...
We were on the other side of the Grand Canal, so we should be almost reaching to the bus station at Piazza Roma.
Imagine staying here with all the apartments so close to each other.
Finally one sign to indicate our destination.
It's quite fun to walk through the narrow back alleys, but it was kinda tiring thou...
Tired from all the walking, Ah Kin decided to rest and soak her feet in the waters of Venice...hehehe ;p
Oooh...the water is cold!! The result of the few months of Zurich sun. Thou limited sunshine, it's enough to make an odd tan on my feet with 3 different shades :)
Actually this building is already slanted, I don't suppose you think Uncle Tan has That strength to make it go 'sing-ngeh' :p
I began to appreciate Zurich's weather a little more for the sun here is pretty 'ferocious'.
Tips:
1. Pay a bit more to stay on the island itself instead of the mainland as the last bus from Venice to the mainland is at 9pm. Besides, Maestre isn't as exciting. Uncle Tan didn't want to risk taking the last bus as it was rather messy at the bus station with time schedules that look Greek to us. Uncle Tan had to bear with the bus driver's nonchalance when he asked for the timing of the departure. Cabs are fine if you have spare cash. Apparently, €35 seems to be the standard fee. Still, it's good practice that you check with the driver on the estimated cost before you board the cab. To save you the trouble of any discrepancies later.
This is the view we've missed.
2. Buy your bus tickets at the tobacco shops or the bus station at Venice island. It's slightly cheaper than buying directly from the bus-driver and saves you the unpleasant facial expression on the driver's face, especially when you ask him to repeat the amount you need to pay.
3. Wear good shoes, bring shades and put sunblock if you're going there in summer.
Taking a shot in front of our hotel, Platzhirsch. A small boutique hotel which just started its operations 2 months ago. Staff were very friendly & have allowed us to deposit our luggage while we walk around town before the check-in time. It has a reasonably-sized room with LCD-screen TV with cable channels. Bathroom is a little small but is common in Europe hotels. Toilet is shared by about 4 other rooms & is located outside. Not much inconveniences since we woke up quite early. But if you're a light sleeper, hotels in Old Town may not be suitable as it can get quite 'happening' at night. 
Drinking the cold spring water from the fountain. Ahhh....so refreshing :) 
Breakfast was reasonably good. There were 3-4 choices of bread. Croissant is good!! Ultra crispy & light unlike the ones I've tasted which sometimes tends to be a little oily. Eat it with the jam & butter or ham & salami or Brie or Raclette cheese (this cheese is a bit too overpowering for me). The usual coffee/tea, fruit juices and must try their yogurt & muesli. Absolutely refreshingly delicious and not to mention, healthy too =)
Taking a shot in front of our hotel, Platzhirsch. A small boutique hotel which just started its operations 2 months ago. Staff were very friendly & have allowed us to deposit our luggage while we walk around town before the check-in time. It has a reasonably-sized room with LCD-screen TV with cable channels. Bathroom is a little small but is common in Europe hotels. Toilet is shared by about 4 other rooms & is located outside. Not much inconveniences since we woke up quite early. But if you're a light sleeper, hotels in Old Town may not be suitable as it can get quite 'happening' at night. 
Drinking the cold spring water from the fountain. Ahhh....so refreshing :) 
Breakfast was reasonably good. There were 3-4 choices of bread. Croissant is good!! Ultra crispy & light unlike the ones I've tasted which sometimes tends to be a little oily. Eat it with the jam & butter or ham & salami or Brie or Raclette cheese (this cheese is a bit too overpowering for me). The usual coffee/tea, fruit juices and must try their yogurt & muesli. Absolutely refreshingly delicious and not to mention, healthy too =)
