It was a great 2012 year with lots of changes and opportunities. Midyear, I nearly became a housewife or a yoga teacher but things took a change.Instead, i got promoted to handle a challenging projected which only survived 4 months 20 days ( it was announced one day before the doomsday prediction 21-12-12).
Overall, it has a been a blessed year and i will recap my personal/travel accomplishments of year 2012 by months.
Jan- It was our 3rd anni month & we had a small celebrations at the tastings room.We visited the underwater world, butterfly and insect kingdom in Singapore. Both these events were done through a good groupon deal purchase. Had BBQ @ whitewater with hubby's colleagues and it was CNY.
Feb- After 6 years, i revisited HK for 4D3N ( it was a blessing as hubby had a long stay in HK). It was a short but wonderful trip & i managed to visited the Lantau Buddha island this time=).
Back in Singapore, we watched The Wicked on the 25-02-12 with Jo and her friend. It was my first show in MBS and it was great!
March- Nothing happened???!!! I did not have any photos on this month, probably, it was just a silent month.
April- My bday & it was celebrated in Bali. This was our 2nd visit to Bali & this time round, we stayed in Seminyak. It was a fun trip( despite of the lousy accommodation) and while visiting the silversmith, hubby made a pair of earrings for me.
May- We decided to make good use of our groupon purchase ( bought in year 2011) and visited Langkawi for 3D2N. The silkair flight was splendid and because of my dear hubby's colleague,we sat first class! We made a tedious climb to Telaga Tujuh which was worthwhile & visited Dataran Lang, paddy field museum, Gallery Perdana & had lots of splendid food.
June- My turning point month- filled with excitement on my job prospect. I decided to take up a yoga teacher course which costed me SGD4500. It was a great course and i made lots of friends.I am now much better in Yoga, but have not started teaching Yoga as a career. I was promoted to a new position and took up a challenging project. It was unexpected but God was/is in control.- see Dec for more info.
July- Hubby's bday month! My dream to visit Alaska got fulfilled this month as hubby had a long stay in LA-ANC. It was great getaway for me ( to take a break from my job trauma) & i revisited LA. I am so proud to be my hubby's tour guide for this trip! We met Gerard at ANC and had breakfast together.
It was the best trip of the year after what i went through in the month of May-June.
Back in Singapore, we visited Punggol Promenade.
August- Flew to Italy for almost 3 months on my new project with another engineer. It was a great reunion between my old colleagues & I. Words could not describe how glad i was meeting them again after 7 years!
Hubby managed to fly into Italy end of August and we did a tour around the north of Italy. Places which we covered were Venice, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Monaco,Milan, Lake como(Bellagio) and we had a great dinner at Montevecchia. To top this off, we even watched a match at San Siro Stadium.
On a side note, i also revisited Bergamo, Verona, Largo di Garda & Monza Park with my colleague.This time round, i actually enjoyed sitting down having a long and lengthy lunch/ dinner instead of hopping around (unlike in year 2005 when budget was superb tight).
September- still in Italy. I did a wine tour with my colleagues at Franciacorta. Visited also Genoa, Lake maggiore, Torino and joined the potato festival on the 15th Sept.I revisited Milan to shop for my family=)
October- Visited Dublin with hubby!!! (Fortunately, his flight changed and he flew into Dublin to meet me).
God is gracious=). I persuaded my hubby to visit Rome ( it was weird that he did not visit Rome previously in August, and this was a great short trip). Had my last trip to Monza with my colleague before heading back to Singapore.
Back in singapore - visited Gardens by the bay with hubby!
Nov- Flew to Boise, Idaho for my project & it was a short but sweet 1 month trip.I visited Boise city and did some shopping on the 1st week. 2nd week - managed to visit Portland with the rest of the project teammates. 3rd week - watched the BRONCOS & did cycling up the tablerock cross. 4th week- it was thanksgiving week! Drove up to Utah and down to LV. It was really great to revisit LV and we managed to catch 2 shows- Le Reve ( wonderful !) & a stand-up comedian show.
Dec- Back to Singapore! Bought and set up my first Xmas tree with hubby! Project was good until it was announced that it will be axed. I am back to square one in my job and all my engineers are relocated to another group. Had a great time with hubby - dined at Sushiairways, The cajun kings and just yesterday, chengdu sichuan restaurant. This month, we watched the Hobbit & life of Pi=)
Today, I prayed for good health, prosperity and peace for all in this new 2013 year.
God is gracious and kind. I am thankful for his guidance and He will lead me on another adventurous & fruitful 2013 year.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thanksgiving @ Utah & LV
It was my last weekend in Boise, Idaho but the most exciting! I decided to follow the group to Utah & LV though it was a long drive. My other options were to either visit NY ( which turned out to be a disaster as the host was so irresponsible and i had to pay a penalty of SGD150 to cancel my air ticket),Virginia or San Francisco.
We departed at 6am on Thanksgiving day itself and reached Utah around noon time.Lunch was at a dim sum restaurant.All the shopping malls were closed and hence,we decided to bring the newbies to visit Utah Capitol building and did a city view at the Ensign Peak.Thereafter, we checked into a superb nice mid range motel - Hampton inn to nap for the day and gear up for the Black Friday shopping which started at 10pm.
First place on the list for shopping was Walmart since we arrived at Tanger outlet earlier than expected.It was pretty cold at the Park city as it snowed the previous week.We were lucky that it did not snow and spent approximately 3 hours at Tanger outlet before heading to Best buy. At 3am, we were finally in the cozy bed zzzz. The next day, we got up at 9am to feast on the breakfast buffet before heading to Macy's / the gateway for another round of shopping.
At noon, we embarked to LV where we arrived at around 730pm and had dinner at Capitol Seafood restaurant. Thereafter, we started walking down the whole stretch of LV boulevard. It was a superbly long walk and we were exhausted by the time we reached our hotel. It was 3am. The next morning, we left to the souvenir shop at 10am before feasting at a lunch buffet at the Cosmopolitan hotel.
I had 6 servings and was too tired to move...but it was shopping time!We spent 3 hours shopping at the premium outlet before heading to our Le Reve show at 7pm in Wynn Hotel. It was the best show i have seen so far & worth every penny! After this, we walked AGAIN to the Tropicana hotel to watch the laugh factory. It was worth the SGD25 as it woke 2/3 of us from our sleepy mode.
We reached Boise at 10pm after having our lunch at Gossip ( Utah) and breakfast at another dimsum restaurant in LV. Overall, it was a long, exhaustive but great trip!
We departed at 6am on Thanksgiving day itself and reached Utah around noon time.Lunch was at a dim sum restaurant.All the shopping malls were closed and hence,we decided to bring the newbies to visit Utah Capitol building and did a city view at the Ensign Peak.Thereafter, we checked into a superb nice mid range motel - Hampton inn to nap for the day and gear up for the Black Friday shopping which started at 10pm.
First place on the list for shopping was Walmart since we arrived at Tanger outlet earlier than expected.It was pretty cold at the Park city as it snowed the previous week.We were lucky that it did not snow and spent approximately 3 hours at Tanger outlet before heading to Best buy. At 3am, we were finally in the cozy bed zzzz. The next day, we got up at 9am to feast on the breakfast buffet before heading to Macy's / the gateway for another round of shopping.
At noon, we embarked to LV where we arrived at around 730pm and had dinner at Capitol Seafood restaurant. Thereafter, we started walking down the whole stretch of LV boulevard. It was a superbly long walk and we were exhausted by the time we reached our hotel. It was 3am. The next morning, we left to the souvenir shop at 10am before feasting at a lunch buffet at the Cosmopolitan hotel.
I had 6 servings and was too tired to move...but it was shopping time!We spent 3 hours shopping at the premium outlet before heading to our Le Reve show at 7pm in Wynn Hotel. It was the best show i have seen so far & worth every penny! After this, we walked AGAIN to the Tropicana hotel to watch the laugh factory. It was worth the SGD25 as it woke 2/3 of us from our sleepy mode.
We reached Boise at 10pm after having our lunch at Gossip ( Utah) and breakfast at another dimsum restaurant in LV. Overall, it was a long, exhaustive but great trip!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Broncos + biking
This weekend was spent in Boise town & i had lots of fun!
On Sat, my friend & i went to watch the Boise state vs Colorado state football match on the blue turf Boise stadium. It was a chilly and rainy noon but the great score of 42-14 made the day! We had fun taking photos with the Buster Bronco before making our way to the North End.After the match(we left half way tru the match),we visited the newly opened Whole Foods Market and dropped by Walgreen to get some supplements.
In the evening, it was time for movie marathon! We bought tickets to watch the twilight ( part 2 & finale) - very overwhelming and superb ending+ the Sky fall ( there will be a sequel to it). It was midnight when we completed the 2 movies at Edwards 21 cinema.
The next day, i went for a biking trip with another group of friends.We rented the mountain bike for USD25 (4 hrs) and covered part of the Boise River Greenbelt before heading to the table rock cross.
It was a very tedious uphill ride but we made it. After taking some snapshots, we went down using the dirt road. It was the first time for me and thus, pretty scary.I actually made it alive to tell this story=D.Amazingly, we were back on time to return the bike!
Although we were superbly exhausted, we decided to drop by Mongolian BBQ to nurse our hungry stomach.It was my first time in this restaurant and i was amazed by the way the chef cooked our food.I discovered that this place was where the Big Bang Theory takeaway dinner boxes originated from...
On Sat, my friend & i went to watch the Boise state vs Colorado state football match on the blue turf Boise stadium. It was a chilly and rainy noon but the great score of 42-14 made the day! We had fun taking photos with the Buster Bronco before making our way to the North End.After the match(we left half way tru the match),we visited the newly opened Whole Foods Market and dropped by Walgreen to get some supplements.
In the evening, it was time for movie marathon! We bought tickets to watch the twilight ( part 2 & finale) - very overwhelming and superb ending+ the Sky fall ( there will be a sequel to it). It was midnight when we completed the 2 movies at Edwards 21 cinema.
The next day, i went for a biking trip with another group of friends.We rented the mountain bike for USD25 (4 hrs) and covered part of the Boise River Greenbelt before heading to the table rock cross.
It was a very tedious uphill ride but we made it. After taking some snapshots, we went down using the dirt road. It was the first time for me and thus, pretty scary.I actually made it alive to tell this story=D.Amazingly, we were back on time to return the bike!
Although we were superbly exhausted, we decided to drop by Mongolian BBQ to nurse our hungry stomach.It was my first time in this restaurant and i was amazed by the way the chef cooked our food.I discovered that this place was where the Big Bang Theory takeaway dinner boxes originated from...
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Portland - a city of roses?
Last weekend,a group of us headed to Portland.We departed after work and it took us slightly more than 7 hrs to reach the Day's Inn Hotel in Oregon.It was snowing heavily(near the mountain valley) which slowed us quite abit.
Fortunately,all 3 cars reached Portland safely and we knocked off immediately.The next day,we had breakfast at the Inn before heading to old Chinatown.We walked around old Chinatown and it looked pretty deserted like zombieland!!We walked to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park en route to the Saturday Portland Market.There were lots of geese everywhere just like in Boise.We passed the minute Oregon Maritime Musuem.
After that, we split into 2 groups.Some of us headed to the Woodburn outlet while the rest went to visit the Powell's bookstore, the Rose garden & the Grotto.I joined the shopping group as the roses were not in season & i was more interested in e-books.On top of that,it is tax free in Oregon!
We spent almost half a day there, and the guys were so engrossed in shopping that they forgot about the agreed lunch date!I tried calling both of them but to no avail.Hence,i decided to wander around and started visiting each shop.The other group joined us in the evening.
Dinner at Salty's was great though costly.I had the local fish- stealhead and it was beautifully prepared.I also ordered a glass of wine and clam chowder soup as appetizer.After dinner,we headed to Bailey's taproom in town.The guys had a great time trying all the beer flavors.Surprisingly,the bar in Oregon closed before midnight!
The next day,we had breakfast at Bijou cafe and some of us went to queue for the voodoo doughnut.We headed to the Wahkeena fall and did part of the trail(70%).It was really cold and windy but the view was worth it.
Thereafter,we headed back to Boise.
Fortunately,all 3 cars reached Portland safely and we knocked off immediately.The next day,we had breakfast at the Inn before heading to old Chinatown.We walked around old Chinatown and it looked pretty deserted like zombieland!!We walked to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park en route to the Saturday Portland Market.There were lots of geese everywhere just like in Boise.We passed the minute Oregon Maritime Musuem.
After that, we split into 2 groups.Some of us headed to the Woodburn outlet while the rest went to visit the Powell's bookstore, the Rose garden & the Grotto.I joined the shopping group as the roses were not in season & i was more interested in e-books.On top of that,it is tax free in Oregon!
We spent almost half a day there, and the guys were so engrossed in shopping that they forgot about the agreed lunch date!I tried calling both of them but to no avail.Hence,i decided to wander around and started visiting each shop.The other group joined us in the evening.
Dinner at Salty's was great though costly.I had the local fish- stealhead and it was beautifully prepared.I also ordered a glass of wine and clam chowder soup as appetizer.After dinner,we headed to Bailey's taproom in town.The guys had a great time trying all the beer flavors.Surprisingly,the bar in Oregon closed before midnight!
The next day,we had breakfast at Bijou cafe and some of us went to queue for the voodoo doughnut.We headed to the Wahkeena fall and did part of the trail(70%).It was really cold and windy but the view was worth it.
Thereafter,we headed back to Boise.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Boise town
It's been sometime since I have updated this blog.I have crossed to another part of the world since 1 week ago.This time round, I have arrived to a remote place known as the potato land- Boise.
The first thing which I noticed when I arrived at my apartment were the autumn leaves covering the street sides.It was and still is an amazing sight!
Initially,I was quite apprehensive as to how boring Boise would be, but i was proven wrong by my team mates.For my first Friday night, we went pub hopping and were rejected by 3 pubs as some of us did not bring the right ID. Nonetheless, it was good fun with great dancing and drinking.
On my first weekend, I visited the Boise town with some of the teammates already here. Boise is indeed a small town but there is still much to see.There are lots of parks and also gardens to chill out. We visited Julia Davis park, Ann Morrison park, Idaho historical museum, the rose garden, Boise depot and also the Idaho Capitol building.After that,we hanged out at the Boise Towne mall and ate at the cheesecake factory.
The damage to the mall visit was manageable as it was a winter shopping session.
That's about it for my Boise update and do look out for more updates!
The first thing which I noticed when I arrived at my apartment were the autumn leaves covering the street sides.It was and still is an amazing sight!
Initially,I was quite apprehensive as to how boring Boise would be, but i was proven wrong by my team mates.For my first Friday night, we went pub hopping and were rejected by 3 pubs as some of us did not bring the right ID. Nonetheless, it was good fun with great dancing and drinking.
On my first weekend, I visited the Boise town with some of the teammates already here. Boise is indeed a small town but there is still much to see.There are lots of parks and also gardens to chill out. We visited Julia Davis park, Ann Morrison park, Idaho historical museum, the rose garden, Boise depot and also the Idaho Capitol building.After that,we hanged out at the Boise Towne mall and ate at the cheesecake factory.
The damage to the mall visit was manageable as it was a winter shopping session.
That's about it for my Boise update and do look out for more updates!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Monza central
This weekend was my last week in Italy! It has been a great ~ 3 months,especially during the summer period.We decided to visit Monza since the previous 2 times we visited, it was during summer time where 99% of the shops are closed.
We reached Monza central at around 1030am to catch the famous sat. morning market in Monza.It was a typical morning market where everything was sold including clothings,flowers, cooked food,veggies,etc.
On the way to the market, we stumbled upon 3 bakeries! And i was telling my italian colleague that there were no fresh bakeries in Monza!We grabbed some" fresh" buns before heading to the market.
None of us bought anything as we are leaving Italy soon.But there were great bargains in the market.However, I did some shopping at the shopping street and was persuaded to buy a pair of thermal earmuffs.
Thereafter,we walked around abit in Monza before dropping by fish & wine for lunch.It was a hilarious lunch as the owners did not speak english and we had to depend on the customers to explain to us how the ordering works.
This place was supposed to be serving great fresh seafood but the food was OK only.The wine that came alone was really good though.
This marks the end of my short stint in Monza this year...
We reached Monza central at around 1030am to catch the famous sat. morning market in Monza.It was a typical morning market where everything was sold including clothings,flowers, cooked food,veggies,etc.
On the way to the market, we stumbled upon 3 bakeries! And i was telling my italian colleague that there were no fresh bakeries in Monza!We grabbed some" fresh" buns before heading to the market.
None of us bought anything as we are leaving Italy soon.But there were great bargains in the market.However, I did some shopping at the shopping street and was persuaded to buy a pair of thermal earmuffs.
Thereafter,we walked around abit in Monza before dropping by fish & wine for lunch.It was a hilarious lunch as the owners did not speak english and we had to depend on the customers to explain to us how the ordering works.
This place was supposed to be serving great fresh seafood but the food was OK only.The wine that came alone was really good though.
This marks the end of my short stint in Monza this year...
Friday, October 12, 2012
Roma
This was my 2nd visit to Rome but this time round,i am my hubby's tour guide!We reached Rome in the noon and was eager to check into the hotel.However, due to an unexpected requirement of must have passport as ID for check-in, it prolonged our check-in.(In other places in italy which we went previously,there was requirement of needing a passport as ID for check-in).
After settling the mess,we took the super rickety old elevator up to L5 to dump our luggage.Our first destination was Trevi Fountain as at 3pm we booked a Colosseum tour.The tour was very informative and we were told to remember that Amphitheater Flavin is the real name of Colosseum.At the end of the 40min tour,we took some great pictures before heading to the Palatine hill to see ruins and thereafter, the roman forum to see more ruins. It would have been great to have a tour guide(but we did not get one).Hence, we walked aimlessly & took random photos everywhere.
There after, we walked to the church where the mouth of truth was located.There was a long queue outside the church, and i was so grateful that we managed to reach our turn for some snap shots.
We visited the spanish steps which was in the heart of the city with lots of branded shops!( shopping street!).There were no eatery places nearby so we decided to walk to HRC for a hearty dinner.
On the 2nd day & our last day in Rome, we took a cab to the vatican city.Again,we heeded the trip advisor reviews and pre-booked the tickets to skip the queue!(very worth it).After the visiting the sistine chapel,we headed to the St Peter's Basilica. It was a tough climb compared to the Pisa tower due to the steep and narrow stairs.We took some great pictures before heading down to St Peter's Basilica itself.
We also visited the PO to post some postcards from there.
After that,we headed to Navona Square and had lunch there before heading to our last destination,Pantheon.We dropped by Trevi fountain again before embarking on our return journey to Milan.
After settling the mess,we took the super rickety old elevator up to L5 to dump our luggage.Our first destination was Trevi Fountain as at 3pm we booked a Colosseum tour.The tour was very informative and we were told to remember that Amphitheater Flavin is the real name of Colosseum.At the end of the 40min tour,we took some great pictures before heading to the Palatine hill to see ruins and thereafter, the roman forum to see more ruins. It would have been great to have a tour guide(but we did not get one).Hence, we walked aimlessly & took random photos everywhere.
There after, we walked to the church where the mouth of truth was located.There was a long queue outside the church, and i was so grateful that we managed to reach our turn for some snap shots.
We visited the spanish steps which was in the heart of the city with lots of branded shops!( shopping street!).There were no eatery places nearby so we decided to walk to HRC for a hearty dinner.
On the 2nd day & our last day in Rome, we took a cab to the vatican city.Again,we heeded the trip advisor reviews and pre-booked the tickets to skip the queue!(very worth it).After the visiting the sistine chapel,we headed to the St Peter's Basilica. It was a tough climb compared to the Pisa tower due to the steep and narrow stairs.We took some great pictures before heading down to St Peter's Basilica itself.
We also visited the PO to post some postcards from there.
After that,we headed to Navona Square and had lunch there before heading to our last destination,Pantheon.We dropped by Trevi fountain again before embarking on our return journey to Milan.
Ireland-Dublin & Cork
It is amazing that i stay put in Italy for the past ~3 months. This is not typical of me... but it also meant that i have explored most of the cities/towns in Northen Italy.
Last week,however,i visited Dublin & it was great for me that my hubby(last min) could join me from Amsterdam.It was a breeze fly to Dublin from Bergamo airport.I reached Dublin nearing midnight but the trip started off great as my hubby was standing in front of the B&B waiting to receive me=).
On the 1st day,we took the Cork & Blarney castle rail trip.It was a long trip down to Cork(~3 hrs) but it was good for my hubby who slept everytime he could find a seat.Our first stop is at Blarney castle and both of us managed to kiss the stone.The view inside the castle and also its surroundings were great.The weather was chilly but fortunately,there was no rain.
We lunched at a nearby restaurant before continuing the trip with the rest of the group to Cobh.On the way to Cobh town, we stopped at an old church cemetery.Thereafter,we stopped by St patrick's church(pardon me if i got the name wrong) and also had a good view of the port where Titanic last departed.The Cobh musuem was informative and i got to understand Ireland's history in less than an hr.After that, we headed back to Dublin.We dined at the maples before hitting the sack.
On the 2nd day, we visited the Guiness storehouse 1st thing in the morning to get drunk and walk=)It was a self-guided tour and at the last part of the tour, there were ladies teaching us how to serve our own beer.After this, we visited the Gaol and managed to get on the next guided tour.It was chilly inside the prison and we got a feel of how it is to be jailed with no hint of sunlight.
After this, we visited the glasnevin cemetary where we managed again to join the last tour.We had a good dosage of Ireland's history after all the tours.And so,we decided that we should get a good dose of Irish pub along temple bar after visiting the trinity college.
After walking through the temple bar and the city area,we ended up at the Brazen head to get a new dosage of Ireland's storytelling and beer.The dinner was great along with wonderful companies all the way from Atlanta.The food served was great and so were the Irish songs & the folklore stories.This dinner marked the end of our 2nd day in Dublin.
On our last day,we decided to visit old Jameson's distillery and get drunk before making our way to HRC & Dublin castle.This time round, we missed the tour for the dublin castle(the next tour was too late for us).Hence,we decided to lunch at crackbird before making our way to the airport.
The flight back to Milan was delayed for an hour but we got back soundly & was busy getting ready for our next day trip to Rome!
Last week,however,i visited Dublin & it was great for me that my hubby(last min) could join me from Amsterdam.It was a breeze fly to Dublin from Bergamo airport.I reached Dublin nearing midnight but the trip started off great as my hubby was standing in front of the B&B waiting to receive me=).
On the 1st day,we took the Cork & Blarney castle rail trip.It was a long trip down to Cork(~3 hrs) but it was good for my hubby who slept everytime he could find a seat.Our first stop is at Blarney castle and both of us managed to kiss the stone.The view inside the castle and also its surroundings were great.The weather was chilly but fortunately,there was no rain.
We lunched at a nearby restaurant before continuing the trip with the rest of the group to Cobh.On the way to Cobh town, we stopped at an old church cemetery.Thereafter,we stopped by St patrick's church(pardon me if i got the name wrong) and also had a good view of the port where Titanic last departed.The Cobh musuem was informative and i got to understand Ireland's history in less than an hr.After that, we headed back to Dublin.We dined at the maples before hitting the sack.
On the 2nd day, we visited the Guiness storehouse 1st thing in the morning to get drunk and walk=)It was a self-guided tour and at the last part of the tour, there were ladies teaching us how to serve our own beer.After this, we visited the Gaol and managed to get on the next guided tour.It was chilly inside the prison and we got a feel of how it is to be jailed with no hint of sunlight.
After this, we visited the glasnevin cemetary where we managed again to join the last tour.We had a good dosage of Ireland's history after all the tours.And so,we decided that we should get a good dose of Irish pub along temple bar after visiting the trinity college.
After walking through the temple bar and the city area,we ended up at the Brazen head to get a new dosage of Ireland's storytelling and beer.The dinner was great along with wonderful companies all the way from Atlanta.The food served was great and so were the Irish songs & the folklore stories.This dinner marked the end of our 2nd day in Dublin.
On our last day,we decided to visit old Jameson's distillery and get drunk before making our way to HRC & Dublin castle.This time round, we missed the tour for the dublin castle(the next tour was too late for us).Hence,we decided to lunch at crackbird before making our way to the airport.
The flight back to Milan was delayed for an hour but we got back soundly & was busy getting ready for our next day trip to Rome!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Il Mosnel, Franciacorta
Last weekend,it was wine tasting weekend in Franciacorta.There are alot of vineyards in Italy,but the specialty of this place is, it produces sparkling white wine in the same way as champagne.
I booked a tour for 3 of us and this time,we left our abode as early as going to work(on a weekend!).There was a massive jam on the highway which stretched for ~6km.However,we managed to reach 3 minutes late at il Mosnel.
It was not a sunny day and the rain was pouring even as we walked to the various cellars for the tour. We had a half an hour informative tour on how the sparkling wine was made and proceeded to our wine tasting table where local products with various hams are also provided.The guys had a fun time finishing the whole bottle (almost),and also asked for 2nd servings for the side dishes.
We waited till noon to have our lunch there. It was a great lunch using local products.The appetizers were great along with the first and 2nd dishes. The food and company were great except that the waiting time in between the dishes were pretty long ~ 30 min.
The lunch included another bottle of sparkling white wine but most of us did not touch it.(it did not cross our mind to ask the lady to not open it and we could have brought it back unopened).
Dessert and expresso were great too.After lunch,we bought some bottles of wines before heading to Franciacorta outlet which had great discounts.Unfortunately,we only have 1 hour to spend there before heading back.All of us bought sthg( Edwin-5euro of sandals,Massimo-a pack of cigarretes, me- a sisley cardigan).What a fruitful trip.....
All of us made it back safe and sound despite the wine drinking...
i think the long wait during lunch really helped & for the record,the lunch was ~ 3 hours long!!
I booked a tour for 3 of us and this time,we left our abode as early as going to work(on a weekend!).There was a massive jam on the highway which stretched for ~6km.However,we managed to reach 3 minutes late at il Mosnel.
It was not a sunny day and the rain was pouring even as we walked to the various cellars for the tour. We had a half an hour informative tour on how the sparkling wine was made and proceeded to our wine tasting table where local products with various hams are also provided.The guys had a fun time finishing the whole bottle (almost),and also asked for 2nd servings for the side dishes.
We waited till noon to have our lunch there. It was a great lunch using local products.The appetizers were great along with the first and 2nd dishes. The food and company were great except that the waiting time in between the dishes were pretty long ~ 30 min.
The lunch included another bottle of sparkling white wine but most of us did not touch it.(it did not cross our mind to ask the lady to not open it and we could have brought it back unopened).
Dessert and expresso were great too.After lunch,we bought some bottles of wines before heading to Franciacorta outlet which had great discounts.Unfortunately,we only have 1 hour to spend there before heading back.All of us bought sthg( Edwin-5euro of sandals,Massimo-a pack of cigarretes, me- a sisley cardigan).What a fruitful trip.....
All of us made it back safe and sound despite the wine drinking...
i think the long wait during lunch really helped & for the record,the lunch was ~ 3 hours long!!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Via MonteNapoleone
The fashion street in Milan is via MonteNapoleone!
It took me 1.5 months to find out as i was too lazy to do so after visiting The Mall outlet in Florence, Vicolungo in Turin and Saravella in Genoa.Since it was Milan fashion week last week,I decided to ask my Italian colleague & revisit the street after 7 yrs.
This street is ~10 mins walking distance from Milan Duomo. It was deserted on a sunday morning but the crowd started to dribble in after noon. Along both sides of the street are branded shops, e.g Prada, LV, Gucci, etc.There is a nice caffe down the corner if you need a break from the shopping.
For me, i would prefer to shop down the streets near the duomo where there are more affordable items=D
The hefty price of euro 560 for a blouse in Prada blew me off(literally!) The sandals cost euro290 & i was thinking if i were to buy it, will i be a slave to the sandal? Maybe not, if it was a gift...
or if i was given a million to shop/day.
There is a ciocolatti shop just a few doors away from La Rinascente which has a superb long queue. Apparently,the gelato there is great & i will try it next time!La Rinascente is equivalent to Takashimaya, Paragon and Ion orchard in Singapore.It housed lots of brands but with limited choices.However, it saves your time as almost every brand is available.
That's all for the shopping tips in Milan! Do drop by Duomo for a rest after a tiresome shopping day.
It took me 1.5 months to find out as i was too lazy to do so after visiting The Mall outlet in Florence, Vicolungo in Turin and Saravella in Genoa.Since it was Milan fashion week last week,I decided to ask my Italian colleague & revisit the street after 7 yrs.
This street is ~10 mins walking distance from Milan Duomo. It was deserted on a sunday morning but the crowd started to dribble in after noon. Along both sides of the street are branded shops, e.g Prada, LV, Gucci, etc.There is a nice caffe down the corner if you need a break from the shopping.
For me, i would prefer to shop down the streets near the duomo where there are more affordable items=D
The hefty price of euro 560 for a blouse in Prada blew me off(literally!) The sandals cost euro290 & i was thinking if i were to buy it, will i be a slave to the sandal? Maybe not, if it was a gift...
or if i was given a million to shop/day.
There is a ciocolatti shop just a few doors away from La Rinascente which has a superb long queue. Apparently,the gelato there is great & i will try it next time!La Rinascente is equivalent to Takashimaya, Paragon and Ion orchard in Singapore.It housed lots of brands but with limited choices.However, it saves your time as almost every brand is available.
That's all for the shopping tips in Milan! Do drop by Duomo for a rest after a tiresome shopping day.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Turin, the town of Gianduja
Turin, was the last city which i chose to visit.My travel partner and i set off at around 10am and we reached Turin at around 1130am.This time round, unlike the past few trips, we did NOT get lost. We actually managed to find a parking spot at Piazza Castello which cost us a bomb.
The day was colder compared to the past few weeks,and i decided to don my jacket which i bought here in Italy.(yes, i was unprepared for the cold weather in Italy).First,we visited the information centre to get an idea of where all the chocolates shops and of course,other touristic areas are situated.
I found out the chocolate pass was obsolete (too bad for choc. lovers) but there are choc. factory trips which you would need to book ahead. I also managed to find the location of Barratti e Milano which was listed as one of the top choc. location in trip advisor.
First, we visit the famous Piazza Castello and snapped some photos of kids playing near the fountains.Then, we headed to the famous Palazzo Reale.There were some sculptures exhibited outside and we were clueless about the nature of this exhibit.I was even approached by a lady who spoke in italian asking me what were the meaning of these sculptures.
To our surprise, there was a wedding couple taking wedding shots at the Palazza Reale!(We actually encountered another 2 wedding couples at both Isola Pescatoria and Genoa!)
We did not to visit any museums in Turin even the Egyptian musuem which is known to be the 3rd largest in the world due to time constraints & lack of interest.We did visit Il Duomo,Porte Palatine which had a soccer ball stuck to one of the arches,Palazzo Madama and one of the wonder Basilicas.
If you are lucky, you might be able to visit the day market. We walked around the day market for awhile before heading to back to Piazza Castello.
And, it was lunch time! We had our 1st unconventional lunch which was basically pastries and Affogato at Barratti.It is definitely the cafe to sit down and enjoy the affogato( there is a wide variety of affogato on the menu) and of course, some Gianduja chocolate.
We had too much of ice cream in 2 hours, that i swore that i would not eat ice cream for at least 1 week.
After the sinful lunch,we decided to visit the Mole Antonelliana which is the symbol of Turin.It was a wonderful ride up to the Mole(definitely worth the 45 min queue) and we managed to get some views of the National Cinema Museum on the way up.
This mole was built in the 1853 like a synagogue and is the highest stone building until a few years ago in europe ( 167.50m).
The view was breathtaking except that it could be better without the barb wires and the haze. We managed to get some shots albeit 80% of the photos were focused on our faces.
There after, we decided to head back but before that, we dropped by Barratti e Milano to grab some Gianduja for a dear friend (Oreno guy- who treated us dinner the other day).
The day was colder compared to the past few weeks,and i decided to don my jacket which i bought here in Italy.(yes, i was unprepared for the cold weather in Italy).First,we visited the information centre to get an idea of where all the chocolates shops and of course,other touristic areas are situated.
I found out the chocolate pass was obsolete (too bad for choc. lovers) but there are choc. factory trips which you would need to book ahead. I also managed to find the location of Barratti e Milano which was listed as one of the top choc. location in trip advisor.
First, we visit the famous Piazza Castello and snapped some photos of kids playing near the fountains.Then, we headed to the famous Palazzo Reale.There were some sculptures exhibited outside and we were clueless about the nature of this exhibit.I was even approached by a lady who spoke in italian asking me what were the meaning of these sculptures.
To our surprise, there was a wedding couple taking wedding shots at the Palazza Reale!(We actually encountered another 2 wedding couples at both Isola Pescatoria and Genoa!)
We did not to visit any museums in Turin even the Egyptian musuem which is known to be the 3rd largest in the world due to time constraints & lack of interest.We did visit Il Duomo,Porte Palatine which had a soccer ball stuck to one of the arches,Palazzo Madama and one of the wonder Basilicas.
If you are lucky, you might be able to visit the day market. We walked around the day market for awhile before heading to back to Piazza Castello.
And, it was lunch time! We had our 1st unconventional lunch which was basically pastries and Affogato at Barratti.It is definitely the cafe to sit down and enjoy the affogato( there is a wide variety of affogato on the menu) and of course, some Gianduja chocolate.
We had too much of ice cream in 2 hours, that i swore that i would not eat ice cream for at least 1 week.
After the sinful lunch,we decided to visit the Mole Antonelliana which is the symbol of Turin.It was a wonderful ride up to the Mole(definitely worth the 45 min queue) and we managed to get some views of the National Cinema Museum on the way up.
This mole was built in the 1853 like a synagogue and is the highest stone building until a few years ago in europe ( 167.50m).
The view was breathtaking except that it could be better without the barb wires and the haze. We managed to get some shots albeit 80% of the photos were focused on our faces.
There after, we decided to head back but before that, we dropped by Barratti e Milano to grab some Gianduja for a dear friend (Oreno guy- who treated us dinner the other day).
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Lago Maggiore e Oreno
Autumn has started in Monza since early september and there will always be at least 1 day/ week which is wet. Today is particularly wet as the rain started to pour since morning.
I found myself getting lazier by the day, trying to drag my body out of the bed. Not that the bed is comfy, i think the idea of going to work is becoming a routine which i dread.
However, everytime when i think of lunch, i would immediately get myself washed up=D. Did i mention that lunch is the top reason why i love going to work everyday! I am even thinking of just going to work for lunch on the day i fly off to singapore.
Today, i shall do on a review on the places which i visited last week.
Lake Maggiore,is one of the 3 big lakes in italy besides lake como & lake garda.These 3 lakes are different( scenery, style, structure) due to its location.
There are 3 Borromean islands in Lake Maggiore, namely, isola bella, isola pescatoria e isola madre. These 3 islands have different themes.
For this trip, i have decided to visit only 2/3 islands as my travel partner usually gets up late in the morning which leaves us to only 4-5 hours to visit the place.Isola bella and isola pescatoria were chosen as they were the nearest to the Stressa town and also because, they are of interest to me.Link to the great town:http://www.visitstresa.com/Isola_Bella.htm
Isola bella- it has a beautiful garden and palace which is well maintained (Hence, a ticket of 13 euro per person is required).
This place is wonderful, especially at the section where one of the mansion was built with pebble stones from the floor to the wall including the ceiling. They are so well done with intricate designs.There are a mini zoo in the palace, a mini garden with a mini maze.They housed the bookshop and the coffee shop in the 2 small towers in the building.In the garden, they have herbs/ plants introduced.I actually got to see the osmanthus plant which i drink occasionally in singapore. It smelt really good.
Isola Pescatoria-also known as the fisherman village, is actually just a small island where all the restaurants are gathered. It is just a 5 min ferry trip from isola bella.There is a wide variety of restuarants available.Do remember to try the Risotto as it is a signature dish in Lake Maggiore.We spent around 3-4 hours in both islands and decided to skip Baverno town which was supposed to be our last stop before we head back to Stressa where we boarded the ferry.Reason being, first Baverno town needs a few hours to explore and i would like to visit the potato festival at oreno where my colleagues will be there.
Oreno- this is the first time i heard of this potato festival ( never heard of it in 2005). It is actually famous as potato was a staple food in Oreno town. There were local folks dressed up in costumes and paraded across the streets. Lots of stalls were lined up on both sides of the streets (similar to flea markets).
My colleague,Marco was so kind that he even treated us dinner at his "supposedly" restaurant. We did not know that at first, else we would not have order so much of food. Yes, by nature, both of us eat alot & i mean a lot! We ordered a main dish each, 2 side dishes and also a dessert each. In addition, we also ordered 2 cups of italian beer. I felt so awkward when Marco said"no need to pay, it is a gift!!" My jaw dropped....
Why you would ask?
1st, there was a long queue to the restaurant (when i mean long, there were like 50 + ppl queuing) & yes, we skipped the queue!
2nd,since it was a festival, both my travel partner and i decided to try as much of the food as possible and we were busy calculating how much to pay for the bill.
3rd,Marco recognized me from afar at Oreno even though i have not met him before. He said he saw 2 lost sheep, that's why he thought it must be me! He guided us around oreno place ,showing us the whole area before bringing us to his restaurant.
I have not seen such kindness for a long long time and it came from a stranger. It must have been a sign from the Almighty that things are going to be great from that day onwards.
I found myself getting lazier by the day, trying to drag my body out of the bed. Not that the bed is comfy, i think the idea of going to work is becoming a routine which i dread.
However, everytime when i think of lunch, i would immediately get myself washed up=D. Did i mention that lunch is the top reason why i love going to work everyday! I am even thinking of just going to work for lunch on the day i fly off to singapore.
Today, i shall do on a review on the places which i visited last week.
Lake Maggiore,is one of the 3 big lakes in italy besides lake como & lake garda.These 3 lakes are different( scenery, style, structure) due to its location.
There are 3 Borromean islands in Lake Maggiore, namely, isola bella, isola pescatoria e isola madre. These 3 islands have different themes.
For this trip, i have decided to visit only 2/3 islands as my travel partner usually gets up late in the morning which leaves us to only 4-5 hours to visit the place.Isola bella and isola pescatoria were chosen as they were the nearest to the Stressa town and also because, they are of interest to me.Link to the great town:http://www.visitstresa.com/Isola_Bella.htm
Isola bella- it has a beautiful garden and palace which is well maintained (Hence, a ticket of 13 euro per person is required).
This place is wonderful, especially at the section where one of the mansion was built with pebble stones from the floor to the wall including the ceiling. They are so well done with intricate designs.There are a mini zoo in the palace, a mini garden with a mini maze.They housed the bookshop and the coffee shop in the 2 small towers in the building.In the garden, they have herbs/ plants introduced.I actually got to see the osmanthus plant which i drink occasionally in singapore. It smelt really good.
Isola Pescatoria-also known as the fisherman village, is actually just a small island where all the restaurants are gathered. It is just a 5 min ferry trip from isola bella.There is a wide variety of restuarants available.Do remember to try the Risotto as it is a signature dish in Lake Maggiore.We spent around 3-4 hours in both islands and decided to skip Baverno town which was supposed to be our last stop before we head back to Stressa where we boarded the ferry.Reason being, first Baverno town needs a few hours to explore and i would like to visit the potato festival at oreno where my colleagues will be there.
Oreno- this is the first time i heard of this potato festival ( never heard of it in 2005). It is actually famous as potato was a staple food in Oreno town. There were local folks dressed up in costumes and paraded across the streets. Lots of stalls were lined up on both sides of the streets (similar to flea markets).
My colleague,Marco was so kind that he even treated us dinner at his "supposedly" restaurant. We did not know that at first, else we would not have order so much of food. Yes, by nature, both of us eat alot & i mean a lot! We ordered a main dish each, 2 side dishes and also a dessert each. In addition, we also ordered 2 cups of italian beer. I felt so awkward when Marco said"no need to pay, it is a gift!!" My jaw dropped....
Why you would ask?
1st, there was a long queue to the restaurant (when i mean long, there were like 50 + ppl queuing) & yes, we skipped the queue!
2nd,since it was a festival, both my travel partner and i decided to try as much of the food as possible and we were busy calculating how much to pay for the bill.
3rd,Marco recognized me from afar at Oreno even though i have not met him before. He said he saw 2 lost sheep, that's why he thought it must be me! He guided us around oreno place ,showing us the whole area before bringing us to his restaurant.
I have not seen such kindness for a long long time and it came from a stranger. It must have been a sign from the Almighty that things are going to be great from that day onwards.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Bucket list
It is september 2012, and i am glad to announce that i have managed to fulfill some if not all of my travel wishlist for year 2012!
1. Anchorage (tick)- it was a short but lovely trip which i managed to do it while my hubby was there.The Alaska wildlife was great & i have to mention that shopping was great!
2. LA( tick again)- This was a ++ trip for me on top of the Anchorage trip.This time round in LA, I actually introduced my hubby to places which he has never been to before e.g. Griffith observatory and yeah, we actually took the time to visit the pink hot dog (the queue was indeed long but worth every bit of it) and also the haunted house ( for those who watch this tv series, it was cool to visit the house).
3.Italy (tick)- I have always wished my hubby would be able to experience the Italian life and this year, we managed to accomplish it. It was a 7 day trip for him which includes Venice, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Monaco, Bellagio, Milan (including last supper & san siro stadium!) & finally, Monza where F1 just took place from the 5th-7th september.For me,i got to visit new places like Nice, Monaca , last supper in Milan & my first tour in a football stadium with him!
4. Revisit Italy( tick)- i have always wanted to revisit my ex- italian colleagues and after 7 years, i am back again in the same place where i started my travelling journey.
This is the place where i will always miss the free lunch.
Time to head back to see my italian teacher and try to do finish some of the homework he gave...
1. Anchorage (tick)- it was a short but lovely trip which i managed to do it while my hubby was there.The Alaska wildlife was great & i have to mention that shopping was great!
2. LA( tick again)- This was a ++ trip for me on top of the Anchorage trip.This time round in LA, I actually introduced my hubby to places which he has never been to before e.g. Griffith observatory and yeah, we actually took the time to visit the pink hot dog (the queue was indeed long but worth every bit of it) and also the haunted house ( for those who watch this tv series, it was cool to visit the house).
3.Italy (tick)- I have always wished my hubby would be able to experience the Italian life and this year, we managed to accomplish it. It was a 7 day trip for him which includes Venice, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Monaco, Bellagio, Milan (including last supper & san siro stadium!) & finally, Monza where F1 just took place from the 5th-7th september.For me,i got to visit new places like Nice, Monaca , last supper in Milan & my first tour in a football stadium with him!
4. Revisit Italy( tick)- i have always wanted to revisit my ex- italian colleagues and after 7 years, i am back again in the same place where i started my travelling journey.
This is the place where i will always miss the free lunch.
Time to head back to see my italian teacher and try to do finish some of the homework he gave...
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