Winter trip 2005/2006

Day 25: Porto

2006-05-01T16:24:00.000+08:00

Our last day in Porto.

What a difference a weekend made. The streets burst into life, which was a great contrast from the ghostly quiet city of Porto the day before. Like a busy city, numeorus people rushed back and forth to catch public transportation.

However, a huge fog shrouded the city in the morning. It obscured most of the city skyline, making photo taking a huge headache.

We headed back to Douro River to catch a glimpse of the difference between day and night of the riverfront. We passed through the old district through a series of back lanes once again. However, this time, they didn't looked so threatening during the day.

The only annoying thing was the omni-presence of the fog. It made the whole city looked so dull and its people unfriendly. Don't get me wrong. Portuguese are a bunch of extremely friendly people.

It was only at around 12 noon when the sun started streaming in streaks, peering through the thick fog. Soon, the fog dispersed...

... and Porto was showcased in its splendour. From across the river, the whole city looked anciently beautiful. Being a low season for tourists, there were quite a number of boat operators hawking for business. We were approached to take their river cruise. Unfortunately for them, we were more interested in exploring the river front on foot.

Ponte D. Luis. Trams will move on the top while vehicles will move at the bottom.

Ponte D. Luis is a striking structure over the river but I thought it blended in perfectly well with the ancient skyline.

As we headed back to the hotel for a rest, the receptionist informed us of a free wine tour near the river. Port wine is famous worldwide and it's here in Porto where the wine is brewed. I thought that it would be a great idea to visit a factory and experience first hand, how wine is brewed, right up to the bottling and packaging process. Furthermore, the tour was free.

The only drawback: The factory was situated by the river and we had just returned back from there. =.=

Trudging back to the city from another route, one couldn't help but wonder about the state of the city. Compared to Lisbon and Funchal, Porto seemed pretty much a very poor city. Plasters are peeling off from the walls and missing tiles from the roofs are a common sight. Streets are not that clean and the locals had clothes which reflected the state of their welfare.

However, it was interesting and insightful to explore the back lanes. Since Christmas was just a couple of weeks back, mini dolls of Santa Claus were hung outside the windows. These were a common sight throughout Portugal as well as Spain.

The sign, Barros, greeted us when we entered the factory. A receptionist told us to wait while he called upon his colleague to guide us around the factory. We were suprised to discover that we were the only customers attending this free tour. Kind of like a personal tour.

Trust me, I don't know so much about wines. When the guide introduced the different terminology, I was confused.

Nevertheless, the tour was informative. In the end, I decided to buy a bottle of wine for my friends back in Sweden.

***

I've realised that I've taken a long time to update my travels. At the same time, the entries are getting shorter too. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. But sadly, procrastination often leads to short and dull entries.

Being a long trip, my memories will be the freshest on the first couple of weeks. However, as the days progressed, my enthusiasm will taper off due to the long gruelling trip. Hence, I'll tend to forget the actual events that occurred. I've squeezed every last possible drop of my brain juices to recall. Hoped that all of you have enjoyed reading them.

My travel entries are simply an overall picture of my travels. I've tried to make them as accurate as possible. Preparing for a trip involves tons of work and research. In order to fully enjoy my trip, I've read about the history, heritage as well as the local culture beforehand. To supplement them, I'll grab brochures at tourist information counters.

At least when friends want advice on a travel destination, I can always direct them to my blog. XD

Day 24: Porto

2006-05-01T16:19:00.000+08:00

Gonçalo suggested taking a bus to Porto instead of taking a train since it's much cheaper. Furthermore, the bus will pass through numerous Portuguese villages, which will be insightful.

After bidding Gonçalo farewell, we boarded the bus without delay. By the time we reached Porto, it was around 3pm. Basic tourist instincts prioritised the tourist information as our first stop. Asking for directions to the tourist information wasn't helpful since the locals spoke limited English. That was a great contrast from our experience in Funchal.

I approached a hotel for directions since one would expect them to command a reasonable level of English. However, when we reached the tourist information, to our dismay, it was closed!

Never mind, we thought. We can always get a map from the hostel.

Since we didn't book the hostel in advance, we had to hunt around the city for the best deals. Being the low season, booking in advance was unnecessary. Yee-Chen, our undisputed bargain queen, was appointed the task of searching for the best deals.

After checking around at a few hostels, we managed to get a room for 10 euors per person per night in a hotel. It was the cheapest hotel I had ever stayed in. Considering the fact that the price included a breakfast buffet, it was too cheap to be true.

Ok, but I have to admit that the breakfast buffet was nothing more than bread and croissant. The meal was sweetened up by some diluted fruit juices.

Being the low season, I guessed the hotel won't think twice before letting out a room for such a dirt-cheap price. It's better to earn something than to earn nothing at all!

As night slowly engulfed the wintry night, we left the hotel, eager to explore Porto before it got too dark. Being a Sunday night, the streets were deafening silent. A few people loitered around, reminding us that the city was still alive. Lamps were dimly lit, casting ghostly shadows.

Porto Cathedral

The Porto Cathedral is situated on a high point in the city's oldest district. It dates all the way back to the 12th century. The old faded exterior made the whole place looked neglected. The only thing that made it tingled with life were the orange lights that emanated from within the cathedral. WIth the absence of a single soul around, one would be led to believe that Porto is simply a dead abandoned city. Kinda eerie.

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Everything looks pretty run-down.

Walking down the steps that led to the Douro River, many houses looked dilapidated. Broken windows, fallen tiles and even a collapsed roof, all made up part of the old district streets. One would have guessed that these houses were abandoned, judging from the state of disrepair. In fact, this part of the city is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its long and rich history justified its inclusion but I thought the authorities could do a better job in maintaining the houses.

In one of these lanes, lurked 2 drug addicts whom we were unlucky, or rather, lucky to meet.

It was in one of the back lanes of Porto where we met 2 drug addicts. Relying on the map for directions, we headed in the direction of the river by following the steps which lead us through a labyrinth of streets and back alleys. The girls were already feeling jittery, having to negotiate through the dimly lit streets. However, stated on the map is the tourist route. So I thought it should be pretty safe.

Soon, we were kinda lost. Having the map didn't really help since the whole place was gloomly. We couldn't make out what was on the map.

As we descended on a flight of cobble-stoned stairs, we saw 2 lanky guys bent over in a corner. They were trying to roll some white powder into small strips of paper.

Sensing something amiss, my first instinct was to turn back and take a detour.

"我们走另一条路！" I told the girls.

As soon as we turned back, one of the drug addicts called out, "It's ok. You can take this route. If you want to go to the river, it's faster this way."

We were shocked. The streets might look menacingly unfriendly, the drug addicts were alarmingly friendly.

On a lighter note, without them, we might have been lost. In a sense, we owed them much gratitude.

Upon reaching the river front, the sky was already dark. Turning back to the hotel was a wise option since we didn't wish to land ourselves into serious trouble. The whole city already looked spooky enough.

Day 23: Lisbon

2006-05-01T16:18:00.000+08:00

Santa Justa Elevator costs 1 euro to ascend but somehow we managed to find a secret route which enable us to get to the top for free. Since the observation deck is built against a hill, the top of the tower will be level with the summit of the hill. Hence, one can simply hike up the hill to gain a free entry onto the top deck.

Even Gonçalo doesn't know about this!

The top of the observation deck offered a fantastic view of the city skyline. Most buildings have painted red roofs, which made the whole city sizzled with character.

Convento do Carmo, with its characteristic missing roof.

Convento do Carmo was devastated in the 1755 earthquake and it remained roofless today. Today, the whole place is used as an open air theatre with an orchestra playing there. Sounds cool. I can imagine the evening sun casting long shadows within the compounds while the orchestra is in full swing. Hmm... a truly unique experience.

St Geroge's Castle (left) and Rossio Square (right). Notice the lush canopy within the castle premises.

From our vintage point, it gave us a commanding view of the surroundings, with the castle nicely nestled under the foliage. Under the clear blue skies, Rossio Square is magically awashed in the bright sunshine.

Lisbon enjoys cool and moderate winter days. Here, you can feel the warmth of the sun penetrating through your clothes and impinging on your skin. In Sweden, the sun's presence is betrayed by the freezing temperatures.

Initially, we had planned to visit Sintra, where the National Palace is located. Its unique architecture stands out from the rest of the European palaces and it's hailed as a must-see landmark in Lisbon. However, due to the lack of time, Gonçalo introduced Cascais as part of an impromptu itinerary.

Cascais

Cascais is a rich district as well as a summer getaway. Its fine beaches offered excellent spots for sun bathing as well as surfing. We spent some time watching the mightly Altantic waves crashing against the Portuguese coast.

I've always enjoyed watching the waves. Each wave is unique in its own way. It's interesting to watch them roll across the ocean until they crash onto the coastline with a deafening roar.

Huge spring roll. Gonçalo couldn't comprehend why we were able to use chopstick to eat spring rolls!

As a show of gratitude for Gonçalo for being such a hospitable host, we treated him to a nice dinner in a Chinese restaurant recommended by him. We ordered some sumptuous dishes. It was kinda interesting when he ordered the dishes for us in Portuguese. He communicated with the waitress in the local language but we ordered in Mandarin. Then, the waitress decided to switch to English so as to make everything easier. You don't have to be a perfect master in a language but a linguist is what impresses me the most.

Hot and sour soup was on my menu and I offered Gonçalo my share. It stung his tongue so much that he exclaimed, "How can you drink this?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Nope, I think it's ok for me."

"You are crazy!" came the reply.

Next, came the spring roll. He was amateurish in handling the chopsticks but he could manage it pretty well. However, after a few attempts, he gave up. The spring roll was huge and we had difficulties ourselves, let alone him. He was amazed and watched us in disbelief when we picked up the spring roll without much effort.

However, when the next dish came, he handled the chopsticks pretty well after observing us holding in the proper technique. It was only towards the end of the last few dishes when he decided to switch to spoon and fork.

He realised that he had taken too much time to eat fried rice.

Day 22: Lisbon

2006-05-01T16:17:00.000+08:00

Once again, Gonçalo wasn't available to guide us so we had to explore Lisbon ourselves. There's something good about having a guide. Map reading is unnecessary. Furthermore, Gonçalo is a Portuguese. This means that he'll know the place much better than foreign guides.

However, Gonçalo's absence meant that I was the unofficial tour guide. =.=

We headed straight to the same place for brunch. The owner could recognise us. He acknowledged 谢谢 when we handed him the payment.

"Obrigado!" We signalled back.

In Europe, English is not necessarily the lingua franca. However, a simple gesture in their local language will earn yourself some respect from the locals.

Rossio square

Rossio Square is the heart of Lisbon. From here, all city sights are easily accessible on foot. If I don't remember wrongly, the fountains in the square were gifts from Paris a few hundred years ago.

It was in this square where we met a British who begged us for 2 euros so that he could have a simple meal. He claimed that he came to Portugal to work, but remained unemployed. And his visa had expired ages ago. I could barely believe him. Yes, his accent is unmistakingly British. However, he was foolish enough to be stuck in a foreign land, unemployed with an expired visa. He should have stayed in UK instead.

I brushed him off, dismissing him as a thief.

View of downtown Lisbon from Castelo de São Jorge

Castelo de São Jorge was built on a site of a Roman fort, the highest point in Lisbon. This castle was unique as it had plenty of vegetation in the premises of the castle. One of the Portuguese kings lamented about the lack of foliage in Lisbon so he ordered trees to be planted in the castle itself. This king didn't order the construction of the castle. Its existence dated all the way back to the 2nd century BC. The first king of Portugal, Afonso Henríques, only arrived in Lisbon in the 12th century. From afar, the whole castle seemed to be sheltered nicely under the shade of the interlocking canopies.

Inside Castelo de São Jorge. The 3rd picture above spolit everything. What's with the ass peering around the corner of the moat?

The interior of the castle looked pretty bare and bleak. Most of the castle was extensively rebuilt in the 20th century. At 1.50 euro, we had no qualms. Although the castle is rich in history, the lack of exhibits made everything looked dull.

In one of the backlanes near the confines of the castle

The residents in Lisbon reminded me of Singapore in the older estates, where people still hang their clothes outside to dry. Pretty interesting. Portugal is one of the European countries with a resemblance to Asia. The local gastronomy is a prime example. The tiles are another.

Traditional Portuguese tiles

Traditional Portuguese tiles are common. Some facades are plastered with the tiles, forming a part of the Portuguese culture. In some restaurants and cafes, the tiles decorated the interior beautifully. Somehow, these tiles have transported my memories back to Malaysia. The Portuguese influence in Malacca could be a factor. On top of that, it could be the blue and white definition of the tiles which made everything sizzled with an Asian flavour.

Romanesque cathedral, or Sé

Sé used to be the site of a mosque. When the Christian crusaders arrived, the whole structure was rebuilt and it became the first church in Lisbon.

We wanted a good shot of the church with the tram forming the foreground. Since the tram will emerge from around the corner without warning, we had to wait patiently for the best moment. Even with the camera ready in hand, we missed the shot as the trams moved pretty fast. The picture was probably the 4th take. The first 3 trams produced either blurred pictures or photos with missing trams.

Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a new addition to the urban facelift of Lisbon. The recent MTV Europe Awards was held here in this convention. Everything looked very modernised compared to the downtown area. Up north of the convention, Vasco da Gama Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, spans acorss river Tagus. Standing at the promenade, the end of the bridge is hardly visible.

A shopping complex is located here as well. So you know what to expect when I had 2 girls with me.

Day 21: Lisbon

2006-05-01T16:15:00.000+08:00

Food in Portugal is much cheaper than its European counterparts. Like Singaporeans, they indulge in gastronomy. Pastry shops are abundant. Alfresco dining cafes are plentiful. Due to the price, Portugal was where I was very willing to spend money on food.

We woke up at around 10.30am in the morning. Gosh! That was the latest I had ever woke up during my travels. It was a classic example of "你等我起床我就赖床" mentality.

We started the day by arguing with the hostel about its atrocious conditions. (refer to the previous post on the blog) Despite being defeated honourably, we refused to be distracted with the outcome. The sun was beckoning to us.

Gonçalo introduced us a small cafe right in the middle of Lisbon which offered food at really low prices. After being so numbed to the high costs in Sweden as well as the places I had visited during this trip, I was suprised and delighted by the low prices. I can't recall the actual price but trust me, even with the strictest budget, you can't resist the temptation to reach into your pocket. The food in Portugal is delectably cheap.

A cake and vegetable soup for breakfast. In all, I spent no more than 2.50 euro, I think. Don't be fooled by its portion. It's enough to fill up your stomach.

According to Gonçalo, the soup that we ordered was very spicy. Really? I didn't even notice that!

District of Baixa in Lisbon

In 1755, an earthquake devastated much of downtown Baixa. It emerged from its ashes with a gird-like downtown neatly laid out. Navigation in the district is easy since all streets are laid out at right angles with one another. With our hostel right in the middle of Baixa, eveything is very convenient.

The city was also spruced up in anticipation of Euro 2004. Everything was neat and clean.

Elevador de Santa Justa... it costs 1 euro to get to the top. In fact, during our last day in Lisbon, we discovered a way to get to the top for free.

Elevador de Santa Justa was opened in 1901. Its architect was the same person who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. During that time, Paris was the role model for all major cities around the world. Lisbon aspired to be Paris of Portugal as well. Hence, the Portuguese engaged the services of Eiffel to build this tower in Lisbon. Unfortunately, it's obviously ain't as impressive as the French counterpart. At first glance, this cast-iron structure looked as though it was built from leftover materials from the Eiffel Tower.

Belém: Jerónimos Monastery on the left and the Monument to the Discoveries on the right.

Belém is about half an hour's tram ride from the city centre. The Monument to the Discoveries commemorates the Portuguese greats who set sailed from Lisbon to outlying territories as far as the Philippines. I thought the monument was bombastically chessy though.

Jerónimos monastery is a prime example of the late Gothic Manueline style. Cathedrals in Portugal are somewhat different from those in Europe. Abandoning the "all-churches-are-the-same-in-Europe" mindset, I couldn't deny the fact that Portuguese cathedrals are unique in its own way.

Antiga Confeitaria de Belém

Up next, traditional Portuguese egg tarts!! They are those kinds which you get them in dim sum restaurants. However, they spice up their tarts with white icing and cinnamon powder. Heavenly divine! So reminiscent of the egg tarts in Singapore. According to Gonçalo, the shop that we bought the tarts from was the most popular in Lisbon and held the record of being the oldest.

I can still remember the name of the pastry cafetaria... Antiga Confeitaria de Belém. The name card is still in my hands.

Day 21: Lisbon... prelude

2006-05-01T16:14:00.000+08:00

I shall digress to the hostel in Lisbon which, in my opinion, was my worst European experience.

Do not choose Pensão

New Aljubarrota hostel

in Lisbon!

I had booked the hostel via Hostelworld. The hostel caught my eye due to its excellent location, price and excellent ratings by previous guests.

Italian hostels are notoriously famous for being really bad. Especially the experience in Venice during my travels in the winter of 2004, the accomodation was a nightmare. We hit the jackpot once more when we realised the hostel in Lisbon was managed by an Italian. Prior to that, I had no idea that the hostel was managed by an Italian. The truth hit me hard on the day we arrived.

A long tiring day in Madeira, coupled with the flight to Lisbon, we were looking forward to a comfortable stay to rest our fatigued bodies. The hostel was located on the 4th floor of an old-looking building. With no elevators available, we had to drag our backpacks and luggages. Lights were so dim and it looked absolutely spooky. First impression had been tarnished.

As soon as we trudged to the 3rd staircase landing, something pungent stung my nose. It smelled of sewage. When I looked up, I was shocked to the core...

OMG! The whole wall seemed to be crumbling down at any moment. The plaster had come off, with parts of the wall badly chipped off. It exposed the water pipes, which dangled from shoddily constructed fittings. The internal wooden structure was also exposed, with some parts obviously rotting away due to the leaking pipes. And just in case you are wondering where the window belongs to: it belongs to the toilet. Disgustingly, It serves as a potential vintage point for voyeurs.

Initially, it was also curious as to where the window in the toilet will lead to. After hearing heavy footsteps echoing on the creaky wooden staircase, I peeped outside and realised that it was the staircase which we just ascended from.

The toilet was dirty. The shower curtain was old, dinky and badly stained. It emanated an odour which was repulsively similar to somebody who had accidentally splattered the outer rim of the toilet bowl.

Both the sink and the bath tub were so dreadfully stained that it made me wondered whether the cleaner had done a proper job in maintaining the hygiene.

Upon entering our room, it was a sight to behold. It perforated our sanity. The door was perhaps only 3cm thick. When firmly closed, a gap could be seen clearly, which allowed people to peep inside. No privacy at all.

The room reeked of an odour. It's those kind of smell when you get dry water stains on the carpet in a humid environment.

This old apartment had been converted into a hostel. This was pretty obvious with the beds stacked up not against the wall but against a door. When the girls were sleeping, they were awaken in the morning when the guest next door was taking a shower. Thankfully, the water didn't splatter onto the bed. Even the sink was awfully fitted onto a door.

We were promised a private shower and this was what we got...

What a private shower! Let's give a standing ovation.

Come on! You call that a private shower? Do you think conservative guests even dare to use this? I can't imagine what they'll do if they decided to fit private toilets in the rooms. I don't wish to wake up in the morning to see the girls sitting on the toilet bowl right at the side of my bed.

We were also promised a spectacular view of the castle from our room since it's located on the 4th floor. Guess what we saw?

Well done! Another round of applause.

From our experience, an atmosphere of distrust and disgust has permeated this management. I complained to the manager and I was greeted with disdain. Since we had Gonçalo to assist us, the manager spoke to Gonçalo in Portuguese.

That was the final straw that broke the camel's back. I slammed the manager, "You are so rude and ain't showing me respect.

Then she replied to Gonçalo in Portuguese, "Because you spoke so fast that i couldn't understand you."

She even added that she wasn't obliged to learn English! What the?!?!

In fact, I demanded a refund but the manager refused, emphasising that a 72 hr notice must be given. Since we were staying for 4 nights, there was no way we could argue. In the end, we had to stay for the 4 full nights in anguish agony.

Upon the end of my trip, I gave the hostel the worst possible ratings and submitted them on the internet via Hostelworld. On top of that, I added in distasteful comments which reflected our true experiences.

However, a few days later, a quick check on their website revealed that my comments had been removed. So how was that possible in giving future guests a fair assessment of the property in question? Obviously, that isn't fair when bad comments are removable by the hostel. A quick glance through the website also disclose the fact that there aren't any poor comments.

So for those who wish to visit Lisbon, avoid this hostel at all costs! Once again...

Do not choose Pensão

New Aljubarrota hostel

in Lisbon!

Day 20: Madeira

2006-05-01T16:13:00.000+08:00

This was probably the most enjoyable part of my trip. I've always liked road trips and this was made even more unforgettable by the fact that I was the first Singaporean to drive in Madeira. I think. :p

Our rented Daihatsu. Possibly the worst car I've ever rented.

Our rented car was a 2-door Daihatsu with a pathetic horsepower. I can't exactly remember the capacity but I knew the car gave us donkeypower. 40kmh was the maximum speed it could master when it tackled a 20 degree gradient slope. It managed to hit the 100kmh mark only because the car was cruising down a slope. At flat ground, a 80kmh speed was already impressive.

Possibly the worst car I've ever rented in my life, the only credit that I could give was that it looked small and cute. Being small, parallel parking was easy. Parallel parking had never been so easy before.

Funchal might be small but we spent quite a while trying to find the way to get onto the highway. Signs are not placed in advance and they will pop out near an exit point without warning. Thus, you need to peel your eyes constantly before you miss the turning point.

Yee-Chen, armed with a map, was responsible for navigation. Every time we had to make a turn, she would say, "这里转！"

With 3 to 4 possible exit points in a roundabout or a junction, what's a 这里转? We missed the exit point numerous times because she gave me the 这里转 instruction. I was constantly reminding her to use 左转 or 右转 instead.

When we finally managed to hit the highway, cars were already overtaking us in numbers since our donkeypower couldn't compete with their horsepower.

As we hit the outlying small villages, I was struck by the strikingly familiarity of the houses. The whole place looked as though we had been transported back to Malaysia. A very kampung feel, the people adopt a complete different fashion. Being farmers, it's more practical for them to wear casual instead of tuxedoes.

Parts of Malaysia in Madeira.

Different parts of the island will offer different perspectives. Laurissilva Forest is a large tract of protected forest which occupies approximately 20% of the island. According to Gonçalo, this is the largest protected forest in Europe listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Laurissilva Forest. Reminds me of Hawaii.

The island is small yet the climate varies pretty much. Up in the mountains in Laurissilva Forest, it was cloudy but it was sunny in Funchal when we left the city. Parts of Laurissilva reminded me of Oahu, Hawaii.

Numerous signs were put up, warning drivers of cows. I thought it was a joke and it turned out otherwise when we saw a wild cow occupying one lane of the road. It lazily staring at us when our car passed by.

The road seemed to stretch into infinity on this barren land

The landscape changed once more when we reached the top of the mountain plateau. In fact, temperatures can vary as much as 20 degrees Celsius when you drive from Funchal up to the mountain tops. A tundra landscape beckoned and we were transfixed by the vast landscape.

Lush greenery awaited us as we left the barren mountain plateau. A real significant change.

As soon as we reached the other side of the mountain chain, the scenery altered yet again. This time, we were greeted by lush greenery, which was a welcome relief. The tundra landscape looked too bleak and depressing. I had enough of crazy Swedish weather.

Peaceful landscape. I was wondering if there were occupants in the house. The place looked so isolated that a house in the middle of nowhere was really intriguing.

The road winded to another part of the island which offered another vintage point. There's practically nobody living in these parts of Madeira due to its undulating, mountainous nature. We felt absolutely peaceful and the tranquility serenaded the surroudings.

Inland, the road would snake around the sides of the mountains countless of times. A vertical drop would greet us if I were to veer too much to the side of the road. Being the driver, I couldn't afford to take my eyes off the road to enjoy the scenery. That's the con of being the only driver. Other than that, we would stop by the road side for photos whenever we were presented with the opportunity.

The gloomly side of the Atlantic Ocean.

There's something to do with the leeward side of Madeira and its windward side. The weather can vary a lot in different parts of the island. Skies were very clear in the south. Saved for the swirling clouds up in the mountainous, skies were gloomly in the north.

Traditional houses in Santana.

In Santana, you can find traditional midget houses where the natives used to live in. The houses are small yet cosy enough to accomodate a small family. It comes complete with a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen. The locals are very small in built. In fact, they are smaller in size than an average Asian. In Holland, I felt like a hobbit while here in Madeira, I felt like Gulliver in Lilliput. That's probably why the houses are constructed so small.

Some of these houses are preserved for tourists. Suprisingly enough, some Portuguese still live in these houses.

Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve

Our last stop was Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve. Situated at the eastern peninsula, it also includes the islands of Ilhéu da Cevada and Ilhéu da Ponta de São Lourenço. This is also the only part of the island where you can view the north and south part of the Altantic Ocean at the same time. The north side of the island faces rough ocean erosion, which accounts for its rugged landscape. In the south, the converse is true.

We were almost late in returning the vehicle by the time we reached the airport. An extra day would be charged if we missed the time. Lukily, we were there at the desk just a couple of minutes before the expiration of our rental agreement. All thanks to the staff at Hertz, they gave us the wrong information as to which town to fill up our petrol tank. Petrol is expensive! Although Madeira is a very cheap place, petrol prices are more than 1 euro per litre.

We spent the next couple of hours or so waiting for our flight to Lisbon. Upon arrival, Gonçalo was already at the airport, awaiting to fetch us to our hostel in his friend's car. (Gonçalo left Madeira one day earlier than us.)

Excellent host. He was already a fantastic guide in Madeira. Little did we expect to be driven to our hostel. We really appreciated his warm hospitality.

Then our nightmare began. The hostel was an absolute hell hole which deserved nothing but the most severe condemnation. I shall elaborate more in my next entry.

Day 19: Madeira

2006-05-01T16:12:00.000+08:00

Funchal was awashed in bright sunshine as we left the hostel. When continental Europe was rooted deep in a cold snap, it was fantastically warm in Madeira. In fact, temperatures rose to 23 degrees Celsius!

A typical narrow road in Funchal

Funchal might be small but you can't dismiss it as boring. It seems like the Portuguese have taken an immense liking for shopping so shopping malls and small arcades are everywhere. Streets are lined with various shops, offering the locals and tourists alike with numerous choices.

At the outskirts, small narrow streets offer an insight as to how the locals live. Funchal is built on slopes, against a backdrop of mountains. Coupled with the warm weather, it had been months since we sweated in Europe while trekking up the slopes.

The sight was rewarding when we reached a lookout point.

Funchal from a high point

It was time for lunch by the time we trodded back to the city. Since Asians are almost non-existent on the island, we were suprised to find a Chinese restaurant. Checking the menu unveiled an even more atonishing revelation: they sell Singapore Fried Rice.

What the hell is that? You don't even get it in Singapore. They have Singapore Fried Noodles on the menu too. And that's not even available in Singapore. =.=

Somebody please prove me wrong.

The waiters were Chinese. So that pushed the number of Asians we had met so far to a respectable 5. They were quite suprised to see Asians patronising their restaurant.

Singapore Fried Rice... doesn't look and smell Singlish to me.

Being patriotic (*ah bish*), I ordered Singapore Fried Rice. But hey, a Singaporean eating Singapore Fried Rice. Cannot meh?

It was a lazy and relaxed day as we soaked in the sun. Another lookout point offered us a great view of the harbour. Unfortunately, it was quite polluted and oil slicks were evident as they lined the shore. Nevertheless, most of the waters around Madeira are clear and pristine.

The harbour

We picked up the car from Hertz at 7pm and set off without delay. Since this was my first time driving on the left side of the road, I was extremely cautious.

The good thing is that, the right foot will depress the gas pedal while the brake is still for the left foot. Other than that, everything is reversed.

First, the seat belts. I reached the seat belt on my right shoulder due to my conditioned instinct. Wrong. I reached to my left shoulder immediately.

Since the car was parallel-parked, I had to check my side mirror on my left in order to check for clear traffic. When I tried to flick the switch to the signal, the wipers moved instead. =.=

Keeping in mind to keep to the left side of the road, soon, in a few minutes' time, I got the hang of it. Piece of cake.

Time for 游车河. We drove to the residential areas, hoping to catch a glimpse of the night scene.

The locals are notoriously bad drivers. They drive fast, furious and dangerously. If you think SIngaporeans are bad drivers, man, you don't know what bad drivers are until you come here. Buses can tackle a mountainous corner at 70kmh in the middle of the night. That's freaking fast!

However, if you are lost in Madeira, the locals are more than happy to help you. Wind down the window and approach any for help. Chances are, you'll be promptly assisted with a smile.

There was this time I made a wrong turn into a one-way street. I only realised it when an oncoming vehicle drove in my direction. Another car behind me had also mistakingly followed our car. Since all 3 vehicles were stuck in a narrow street, some locals stepped forward and helped to direct traffic. Singaporeans will probably stand there and watch, hoping a pandemonium will unfold.

Oh yes, every now and then, I'll always turn on the wipers when I actually wanted to signal my intention to turn.

Day 18: Madeira

2006-05-01T16:11:00.000+08:00

Gonçalo couldn't show us around the island since he had to work on this day. So we had to do some explorations ourselves.

Funchal is a compact city, which holds lots of fascinating charm and surprises. The locals were extremely warm and friendly. I thought nobody could beat the Australians in terms of friendliness but the Portuguese on this island, without a doubt, won hands down. Somebody would approach us whenever we seemed lost with a map.

Madeira is the 2nd safest place in Europe after Azores, which belongs to Portugal too. This is the only place during my trip where I could sling my bag on my back without fearing being pick-pocketed.

Although Madeira seems very isolated from the rest of Europe, the quality of living is excellent in Funchal. Wireless internet connections are abundant. There is an even free internet kiosk right in the heart of the city! Roads are well-paved and bus transportations services are well connected. The people are well-dressed, reflecting their comfortable standard of living. The type of cars that they drove meant that they were pretty well-to-do.

The town centre. Near this area, there's a free internet kiosk which is opened for everyone. Each person is entitled to access for an hour. Since it's free, 不用白不用。 After being absent from the connected world for such a long period, it was nice to be back online again.

It was raining the whole morning. So basically, we spent most of the time seeking shelter.

We took a bus to the other side of the city where most hotels are located. As soon as we boarded the bus, once again, we felt like animals in an exhibition. They must be intrigued to see us. You can imagine the rarity of Asians on this island.

The hotels offered excellent views of the sea.

The skies cleared a bit and it was refreshing to see the sunlight streaming in streaks through the clouds. It was even shioker to feel the warmth of the sun after living in freezing Swedish weather for such a long time.

The hotels along the sea front are usually for tourists who can afford the high prices. For its prime location, I don't mind paying extra if I can afford.

Then the idea of renting a car struck us. In order to fully enjoy Madeira, having a car is essential. We had 2 more full days in Madeira and we didn't want to be stuck in Funchal. With so much time at hand, we began our serach for the best bargains.

Although I learnt to drive a manual car, our family car is an automatic car. Hence, I'm not exactly very confident with the former. To make things worse, Madeira is so mountainous that driving a manual car is out of the question. Most cars come with manual transmission since they save fuel and are cheaper as well. This is the same case throughout Europe.

Automatic cars are very limited but we managed to get the cheapest deal for a Daihatsu (I thought it's already extinct!!) at 60 euros including taxes for a 24hr rental. Overall, we spent 4hrs in the afternoon car hunting!

As night fall beckoned, we proceeded to the biggest shopping mall in Funchal. The good thing is that it closes at midnight. In fact, a lot of shopping centres in Portugal closes at midnight. I thought that Singapore should do that too.

Shopping is a girl's forte. So with the 2 girls with me, I had to tag along and unofficially became the "fashion adviser".

All shops were having post Christmas sale but the girls didn't engage in a shopping frenzy, partly due to the fact that they had already done so in Spain. Both Mango and Zara slashed their prices and the temptation was just too great for the girls. In the end, they meekliy surrendered and bought a few clothes.

Ah! Another classic example of Impulsive buying.

We headed back to the hostel at around 10pm. Although the streets were empty, we felt absolutely safe and comfortable. After all, this is the 2nd safest place in Europe.

Being a police in Madeira must be very boring.

Day 17: Madeira

2006-05-01T16:10:00.000+08:00

It might appear that my trip to Portugal was planned in a weird way. Gretel and I had been heading north constantly throughout our trip but I had headed south to Portugal straight after she left. However, a last minute decision to join Yee-Chen, her Taiwanese friend and Gonçalo (who lives on the island of Madeira) in Portugal made me alter my itinerary.

My flight from Copenhagen to Lisbon was at 7am. Thereafter, I had less than 2 hours to catch a connecting flight to Funchal, the capital of Madeira. Since the Danish airport is a mere 20min train ride away, I had planned to catch the 5.10am train. Initially the early timing really baffled me. However, an inquiry at the train station revealed that in the wee hours of the morning, hourly trains are scheduled for the airport.

After bidding Gretel farewell, I left the hotel. Reaching the station at 5am, I realised that it was locked! So how the hell can the trains leave for the airport without the passengers? I was fuming at the misleading information that I had obtained!

I decided to linger around for a while after seeing some people waiting impatiently outside the train station as well. As the clock struck 5.30am, I was already panicking. So I decided to take a bus to the airport since I thought it would be faster instead of waiting for the train station to open its doors.

After doing a quick check around the vincity of the train station, I saw an airport symbol erected at a bus station.

Ok, that's better! I thought.

The timetable stated that the next bus would arrive 5min later. Being paranoid, I asked the bus driver, "Kastrup?" Kastrup is the name of the airport.

He nodded his head.

However, a few minutes into the journey, I was extremely skeptical that I was on the wrong bus when the bus driver picked up ordinary looking Danish and some punks. They didn't have any luggages with them and they don't even looked as if they were heading to the airport.

When I decided to ask the bus driver, he turned back to me and asked, "Are you going to the airport?"

Ah ber then?!?!

"Then you need to take another bus. The bus stop is just on the corner of this street."

Say, I was fuming mad!

It was almost 5.45am and I was stuck in somewhere which I had absolutely no idea! I only knew that I was in the middle of a residential area. Luckily for me, the bus arrived 10min later. After making a turn at a junction, I arrived at the airport. A sense of relief overwhelmed me.

The queue to check in was long and I received my boarding pass 45min before take off. Just in time!

The flight to Lisbon was longer than usual since a fog had enveloped the airport and we were circling the sky for an hour. By the time the plane landed, I had less than an hour to board the plane bound for Funchal. Baggage retrieval was slow and the check in counter wasn't doing my any favours either. By the time I was at the gate, it was less than 20min to departure.

I had a panicky morning to start with but eventually, I arrived duly in Funchal. As soon as I stepped onto the tarmac, boy, it was so warm! It was around freezing point when I left Copenhagen but in Funchal, it was a pleasant 18 degrees Celsius! My winter jacket was roasting me!

***

A short introduction to Madeira before I carry on: It's a Portuguese island, which is nearer to Cameroon than Portugal itself. Imagine how different the island will be if it's controlled by the Africans. It's bigger than SIngapore and it was created by volcanic activities some 15 million years ago. It's an island getaway for Europeans to escape the harsh winter as well as a place for summer sojourn. Most tourists hail from UK and Germany, judging from the numerous English and German translations around the island. There were many British visitors, after discerning from their accent.

However, asians are extremely rare. On the first 2 days, we could only see 3 asians: the 3 of us. The Portuguese would look at us as if we were animals in a zoo. There was even this guy who kept on looking at us with wide-opened eyes and mouthing, "Japanese?"

He could be very worried and thinking, "On no! The Japanese tourists have invaded!"

Say! I could be the first Singaporean on the island!

The islanders spoke excellent English, especially those in Funchal. Besides the British, I thought they were the best English speakers.

The island relied heavily on tourists receipts. Hotels were situated in prime locations along the coastal areas. In fact, a huge population of the island work in hotels.

The climate on the island was perfect. A warm 20 degrees Celsius in the city itself, compared to the freezing hell in Sweden. Boy, I wished I had spent a longer time in Madeira.

Oh yes! Cristiano Ronaldo was born on this island too!

***

As soon as I left the baggage claim, Yee-Chen and her friends were already waiting for me in the arrival hall. (Yee-Chen and her Taiwanese friend had already arrived in Madeira one day earlier.) I thought I could take a rest in the hostel, made a quick lunch before setting off. However, Gonçalo brought us straight to the tour immediately. He rented a car so it made our transportation easier. We headed straight for the western end of the island.

Overlooking the city of Funchal. It's the 4th biggest city in Portugal.

The part of the island where people lead a more traditional way of life. Reminds me of Malaysia.

My first glimpse of the Atlantic ocean. The sea on the north side of Madeira is much rougher than the one in the south.

Porto Moniz: This swimming pool is constructed from the lava bed. The water in the pool is naturally filled up by the ocean which overflows into it.

The weather wasn't doing us any favours and it was raining intermittently. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed our day. It was a perfect getaway from my 2 week plus of city sight-seeing.

Prices on the island are very cheap since they don't pay any taxes. In all my European travels, it's the cheapest place in Europe after Prague. Food is cheap and the portion is big. Somehow, I think that the food is quite Asian-like. Or maybe because the Portuguese controlled parts of Southeast Asia before and they influenced our food.

The island produced their own cola. It's an inferior cousin to Coke but much better than the Eldorado cola produced in Sweden. I tried sword-fish sandwich, which is the island's speciality.

Soon, we headed back to our hostel, a perfect location right in the middle of Funchal.

Day 15 & 16: Copenhagen

2006-05-01T16:09:00.000+08:00

We took a flight to Copenhagen, which offered excellent onboard services. Lunch was served and had chocolates for desserts. Yummy!

Copenhagen isn't as interesting as Stockholm. I'm comparing with the Swedish capital since it lies in the Nordic region. It isn't exactly boring but I can say that the people are more lively than the Swedes.

The town hall in Copenhagen

The outdoor skating rink. Cool!

The wind was biting cold in Copenhagen on both days. Due to that, I didn't really enjoy my stay in the Danish capital. Our hotel room was freezing and cold air was constantly seeping in. Luckily our quilt was warm, we were able to snuggle comfortably.

My impression of the city wasn't exactly very fond probably because it was Gretel's final destination before she headed back to Singapore. As for me, I had another one week's worth of travelling in Portugal.

Prices in Copenhagen are exorbitantly ridiculous. I had the cheapest Burger King meal for 8.50 euros! To think that's the cheapest meal... almost unbelievable. (I quoted in euros as I can't remember the Danish crown equivalent.)

Spend one month in Denmark, go back Singapore in underwear.

Singapore has her own Merlion while Copenhagen has her own Little Mermaid. We trodded to the outskirts of the city in howling wind, only to be greeted by a puny statue. The mermaid was indeed, very little. Such an anti-climax! I refused to take a photo of that.

Actually, I was already mentally prepared, after been told of that by friends who had visited Copenhagen.

Suddenly, I found the cheesy Merlion in Singapore very spectacular.

Generally, I realise that Scandinavian architecture are plain and modest while those in continental Europe are intricate and magnificent. The royal palace is nowhere royal enough to impress me. The only thing that might only excite me is probably seeing the Danish princess. (The Danish princess is an Australian. More specifically, a Tasmanian.)

Day 14: Brussels

2006-05-01T16:08:00.000+08:00

Our final day in Brussels. Frankly speaking, 4 nights in the capital is a bit too long. Tourists usually linger around for 1 to 2 days. We were the exception. But hey! We needed a breather from the hectic travel schedule. On a lighter note, we had 3 full days of chocolates to savour.

Cool!

We selected the last day to buy chocolates since we wanted to keep them as fresh as possible. I burnt a hole in my budget when I bought a few boxes of truffles, a block of milk chocolate and 250g of Leonidas pralines.

Sweet!

Brussels can be covered in an entire day. Since we had so much time in our hands, we spent a considerable amount of hours watching television programs in our hotel. A wide selection of English, French and Dutch programs were available so we never had a dull period.

Day 13: Brugge

2006-05-01T16:07:00.001+08:00

Brugge is perhaps one of the most picturesque, best preserved medieval town in Europe. It's the most visited town in Belgium and is the capital of Flanders.

No, there's nothing to do with Ned Flanders in the Simpsons.

Flanders belongs to one of the three regions of Belgium.

Brugge is a mere one hour train's ride away from Brussels.

I shan't do any introductions in this post. Let the pictures do the talking.

This town is small enough to be covered in an entire day. The number of chocolate shops are not that many compared to Brussels. However, we came across a shop with a sign which wrote...

In order to preserve the quality of our chocolates, customers are advised to enter the shop only when you intend to buy.

What the?!?

How to attract customers like that? No wonder no patronising customers lah!

On the whole, I think Brugge is a quaintly romantic town. Paris is so much over-hyped as being romantic to such an extent that smaller towns are being conveniently ignored.

Day 12: Brussels

2006-05-01T16:07:00.000+08:00

This was my second visit to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. In terms of gastronomy, this was my favourite destination. Prices weren't very steep but rather reasonable, considering the quality.

Things that you shouldn't miss in Brussels: Belgian fries (the French didn't invent them, but I've no idea why it's commonly known as French fries), waffles, pralines and mussels. Mmm... mussels in Brussels. Sounds very rhyme hor.

We spent almost the whole morning doing laundry. As opposed to what was stated on the website, there weren't any laundry facilities in the hotel. So we had to drag our laundry to the nearest laundromat. Instructions were in French and Dutch. However, the machines were of similar model as my hostel in Sweden. So the language barrier wasn't a problem.

Most Belgians spoke excellent English. Only the older generation had problems communicating in English. The only people in the laundromat were an old couple. So when we needed loose change, I waved a 5 euro note and started to gesticulate once more, hoping that I could drive across the message. Luckily, the husband understood us.

"Merci!" That's the only verse that I knew when he retrieved the loose change for me.

The town hall at the Grand Place.

A very old European feel to the Grand Place.

Still at the Grand Place.

The Grand Place is aptly named. In my opinion, the grandeur and splendour of the square is the best in Europe. Coming up a close second is the old town in Prague.

Located around the squares are numerous shops selling chocolates at competitive prices. You can get 6 boxes of Guylian at around 20 euros.

So much, so cheap. Hor lee jia liao buay bang sai!

Exclusive pralines like Godiva and Leonidas are more expensive but they are still much cheaper than Singapore. I can't exactly remember the price difference but I can recall that it's a few times cheaper in Brussels.

There were sooooo many chocolate shops in Brussels that we were spolit for choice. Nevertheless, we visited most shops just to recce for the best and cheapest chocolates. Most shops will offer free samples. However, for some of them who didn't took the initiative to offer us samples, we lingered around longer in order to force them indirectly to give them to us. Haha!

Even for Gretel, who isn't a chocolate lover, she still managed to sample most of the chocolates despite having a sore throat. Not that I didn't take care of her. She insisted on tasting them.

Frankly speaking, one can easily be full on chocolates just by visiting the shops for free samples everyday. Just make sure that the owners don't recognise you.

There was even this shop with a sign which said: 讲华语，好像家的感觉！

What the...?!?

Who can resist not having Belgian waffles too? I bought a melted white chocolate waffle while Gretel bought a white icing waffle and we proceeded to sit outside a shop to savour. It was closed so we didn't think that it would cause any forms of inconvenience. However, it was only when we finished the waffles when we noticed this sign: Please respect our shop. Do not eat waffles outside our shop. Thank you!

Later, we noticed that most stalls around the waffle shop had this sign posted as well. But the signs were so inconspicuously placed that you couldn't blame us for being ignorant.

Since this was my second visit to Brussels, I didn't take a lot of photos. The Grand Place was an exception, as I took some for memory's sake.

At the end of the day, we had a splendid dinner. As promised, dinner was on me since it was Gretel's birthday (a really belated birthday treat, considering her birthday was in November). For 12 euros per person, I had escargot for appetizer, steak as the main meal and something for dessert. Gretel had soup of the day, 1 kg of mussels with fries and also something for dessert. Her something was the same as my something. I just can't remember what we had for dessert. Wine was on the house which I had requested before we chose the restaurant.

Day 11: Luxembourg

2006-05-01T16:06:00.001+08:00

Well, not exactly. We traversed 3 different countries in a single day. Morning: Paris. Afternoon: Luxembourg. Evening: Brussels.

The highlight of the day was a short whirlwind tour of Luxembourg. A short 3 hour visit to be exact. According to a friend of mine who has visited Luxembourg before, it's not worth staying overnight in the city. Furthermore, a quick check on the internet revealed that hostels are very limited and very expensive too.

It might suprise you that Luxembourg is the world's richest country in terms of purchasing power parity. To be precise, Luxembourg city is the capital of Luxembourg. You can imagine how small it is. However, it's still twice as big as Singapore. =.=

It was a mere 3 minute walk from the hotel to Gare de L'Est train station. Superb location, but the hotel's promixity meant that we could feel the vibrations from the trains' rumblings in our hotel room.

The train past through numerous French villages, which Gretel remarked that they were much more romantic than Paris. Can't blame her, given the nightmare that we had experienced a couple of days back.

A few hours later, we arrived in Luxembourg. We unloaded our backpacks into the lockers at the train stations, which were suprisingly cheap. Bearing in mind we had only 3 hours to explore, we began our tour in amazing race style. Last one to check in, will be eliminated. I mean, miss the train.

Frankly speaking, there was nothing much to see in the capital. Initially, I had wanted to stay overnight at this place. Thank god, we didn't. Or else we would be bored to death.

As it turned out, 3 hours was more than enough to see the city. I thought that it was a rather disappointing visit though. I had overestimated my expectations of Luxembourg. But again, gloomly skies could be the contributing factor.

By the time we reached Brussels, it was already 8pm.

Instrcutions to the hotel were very helpful (sarcasm mode off)... The hotel is very easy to find as it is located close to the Grand Place, Central Station and Bourse metro station. If you need further directions, please contact us.

Very helpful hor.

It's like saying: Takashimaya is very easy to find. It's somewhere along Orchard Road.

Wow! I'm impressed!

After alighting at Central Station, we ended up asking for directions in hotels. It was also another excuse to get free maps because in some cities, you need to pay for maps.

The hotel exceeded our expectations. It was cheap, fantastically cosy and comfortable. I didn't know that a cheap hotel could be so comfortable. It was indeed value for money.

Day 10: Paris

2006-05-01T16:06:00.000+08:00

We woke up to a groggy day, after having only slept for 5 hours. The hotel breakfast only lasted until 9.30am, so we had to drag our weary feet from the bed in order to beat the timing. I had no qualms about this hotel but they should at least make an exception and extend the breakfast hours, since some hotel guests like us might have gone for the New Year's countdown.

Initially, we had planned to hit straight back to the hotel room after breakfast in order to catch some more sleep. However, since the free metro services were to last until 12pm, it made better sense to fully utilise the subway in the morning.

The aftermath of the countdown on the night before was evident. Broken bottles lie everywhere. Rubbish were shrewn all over the streets. There was even this man slumped on the pavement, with his backpack still on his shoulders, and sleeping soundly with his chin tucked on his chest.

FIrst stop of the day: Opera House.

The opera house.

The opera house is also the setting for the musical Phantom of the Opera. If you know the plot of the musical, there is supposed to be a subterranean lair just underneath the opera house. We didn't bother to explore the interior as we just had a couple of hours left in the morning before we had to pay for the metro. In order to maximise our tour, we were basically walking very fast. Upon reaching a destination, we snapped a few photos and set off for the next destination.

Most museums are free on the first Sunday of each month, including Louvre. However, it so happened that the first Sunday of January was also the first day of 2006. Bad luck. The museum was closed!

Say, Mona Lisa didn't like me.

Louvre used to be a palace before it was converted into a museum.

It costs 8.50 euros to get into the museum on normal days. Half price tickets are on sale every Friday after 6pm. Mmm... not bad at all. But again, 4 euros just to see Mona Lisa? I rather return to Paris again for the free entry.

The north face of Invalides

Invalides was built by King Louis XIV in honour of the injured soldiers who served him. In essence, it was a hospital. Most notably, the tomb of Napoleon is located here.

The highlight of Paris was, no doubt, the Eiffel Tower!

We managed to reach the Eiffel Tower at around 11.45am, just in time before the free subway rides expired. Despite the fact that it was raining, numerous people still braved the rain in order to get to the top of the tower. There were three (I think) long queues for the elevators, which was of couse faster and more expensive. The 4th remaining shorter queue was reserved for the people who had the stamina to climb 668 steps to the 2nd level. It was cheaper as well.

As mentioned in a couple of posts earlier, the best and cheapest way to get to the summit of the tower is to climb the stairs to the 2nd level, followed by a ride to the top by taking an elevator.

Looking down Champ de Mars.

View of the summit from the 2nd level.

Looking towards Palais de Chaillot.

The queues snaking around at the base of the tower.

The view from the top was awesome. We spent almost 2 hours on the tower. It was definitely a well spent 3.50 euros.

Ah yes! We had our highest MacDonald's meal in the world. That'll probably remained inscribed in my entire lifetime.

No MacDonald's on the tower. We 打包啦！

Day 9: Paris

2006-05-01T16:03:00.000+08:00

It was New Year's eve in Paris and we were looking forward to the countdown with great anticipation... or was it what it was supposed to be? Later in the evening, we would experience what was going to be an absolute nightmare.

***

Chateau de Versailles is undoubtedly the best palace I've ever visited in Europe. Not surprisingly, it is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site. Stunning, glamourous, breathtaking... these are just some of the superlatives which describes the palace.

The front courtyard of the palace.

The fountain behind the palace. Notice that the body of water is frozen over.

The garden behind the palace is huge. If not for the constant freezing wind, we would have explored the entire garden.

Usually, such palaces don't allow photos to be taken. Versailles Palace isn't an exception. However, the problem is, the No photography sign is so inconspicuously put that most tourists basically ignored it. The numerous flashes from the cameras were so overwhelming that the staff were left helpless.

Can't blame anyone. Monkey see monkey do. I restrained myself from taking pictures, choosing instead, to obey the rule. However, after seeing so many of them doing otherwise, I decided to "join in the fun".

A visit to Paris isn't complete without the Eiffel Tower.

Heading back to Paris, we headed for Eiffel Tower straight away. When it was first built for the World's Fair in 1887, it was met with protests, considered to be an eye-sore by the French. It was nearly torn down and eventually saved from demolition.

Without Eiffel Tower, I don't think I'll even visit Paris!

The queues to go up to the tower were very loooooooooooong. There are 2 options available: Take the stairs, which will be obviously cheaper, or to take the elevator to the 3 different platforms. The higher you go, the more you pay.

Tip: The cheapest option to get to the summit is to climb the stairs to the 2nd platform. It costs 3.50 euros if I don't remember wrongly. The public isn't allowed to climb to the top platform for safety reasons. From the 2nd platform, pay an additional 4 euros (I think so) to get to the top. If you want to get to the summit from the ground floor, it will cost you 8.50 euros, I think.

Anyhow, we decided to climb the tower the day after for whatever reasons which I can't remember.

My favourite shot of the tower from Palais de Chaillot

Arc de Triomphe is another well-recognised landmark of Paris. Located at Place de l'Étoile, it must be the most hazardous roundabout in the world, with 12 or 13 roads meeting at this point. No road markers mean that drivers need to be extra cautious. Oh boy, Napolean must be mad to locate his arch at such a crazy place!

I reckon this to be the world's craziest roundabout!

Champs Élysées is one of the most famous streets in the world. The huge Louis Vuitton store is also located here. You can earn yourself some bucks in this store by helping Chinese nationals to buy LV bags. Basically, each tourist is on limited purchase. So there's a limit on the number of bags you can buy. When they have attained their limit, these Chinese nationals are willing to pay you the tax refund if you help them buy. Sweet!

However, I'm here as a tourist, not to earn money.

The whole stretch of boulevard is lined with expensive cafes, cinemas, fashion, high-end shopping and a MacDonald's outlet which we frequented for its free toilet. By the way, free toilets are extremely rare.

Down Champs Élysées with Arc de Triomphe in the distance.

Place de la Concorde is another major square in Paris. The Obelisk of Luxor stands on top on a pedestal, with carvings showing the machineries involved in transporting the monument. Given the technological limitations of that time, it was by no means an easy feat.

The 3000 year old Egyptian obelisk.

***

The metro was free from 5pm onwards on New Year's eve. Trains will run througout the night on selected lines and the free ride was extended all the way til noon the next day. The authorities probably wanted to encourage the public to use the subway instead of jamming up the roads in anticipation of the massive crowd for the New Year's bash. The state of emergency was still enforced throughout France so going for the countdown wasn't exactly a good idea. (In late October, the riots were instigated by the deaths of 2 teenagers in a power station when the police tried to arrest them.)

Shiok! I thought. Not the riots but the free metro.

By 6pm, the whole stretch of Champs-Elysées was brimming with heavy police presence. Too many of them really unsettled my nerves although they were a great deterrence to potential trouble-makers.

Common sense will tell you that the Eiffel Tower will be the best spot for the countdown. With fireworks in the background, everything would be romantically spectacular. Or so I thought.

We reached Trocadéro metro station at 11pm. From here, Palais de Chaillot commanded a great view of the Eiffel Tower. The station was already bursting at its seams as people tried to squeeze for space. We didn't walk, we were being pushed along together with the crowd. Amid the mass of people, sporadic commotions broke out when the police arrested trouble-makers.

We got ourselves an unobstructed view of the tower as people started to gather around us. Luck was with us as the skies were clear. With the tower lighted up, it looked so magical and we were full of expectations and anticipation of what was to come.

A small incident unsettled a couple during the night. As a cute Japanese girl was posing for a shot for his boyfriend, she was instantly surrounded by French punks who wanted to pose for the picture as well. There must be at least 6 or 7 of them. They scattered away when the police stepped in. I could almost see the tears in her eyes as she hugged her boyfriend for comfort.

Too kawaii lah! But I pitied her.

This picture was taken from my first visit to Paris in 2004. Just wanted to show where we stood at Palais de Chaillot.

A few minutes before the end of 2005, small fireworks were set off by different sections of the crowd. Some emitted whistling sounds as they shot up into the night sky. Others crackled brightly, attracting awe from the people.

The only signal to the arrival of 2006 was when the tower burst into a sea of sparkling lights (the tower sparkles on the hour mark every night). Small scattered fireworks were still set off and nothing more.

Gosh! What an anti-climax? Where's the countdown? Where's the HUGE fireworks? What's with the small and puny scattered fireworks?

After lingering around for a few more minutes, we decided to leave since hordes of people were leaving as well. Returning back to Trocadéro metro station was the obvious option since it was the nearest train station to us.

People were shoving and pushing as we trodded back to the station. Come on! When the front isn't moving, pushing from behind doesn't help.

When we were only a few metres away from the metro, there was a sudden surge of people leaving the station. The station was already overloaded and the people were turned away by the police. In response, a group of punks at the back started to push violently, screaming something at the same time. The people in front stumbled forward, threatening to crush the old and the young.

I grabbed Gretel and seeked some breathing space. We managed to squeeze ourselves from the chaos, a safe distance away from the mayhem. Boy, even with police and sirens wailing loudly, there was nothing much the police can do.

As we emerged from the crowd, we could see parents comforting crying children and young ladies crying. Some of the old folks stumbled and fell when the crowd started to push.

If some pranksters were to shout bomb!, I couldn't imagine the catastrophic outcome.

We tried our luck with other train stations, which were closed due to overloading as well. We managed to catch a train at Invalides metro station, only to realise that it had brought us to a stop where the metro lines were closed. So we had to wait for another hour before we could take another train back to our hotel.

A train ride from Trocadéro that usually takes 20 minutes to head back to our hotel took us 3 freaking hours!

Safe in our hotel, we were glad that the nightmare was finally over. We hit the sack between 3 to 4am, absolutely beaten.

Bloody hell! So much for romantic Paris.

Day 8: Paris

2006-05-01T16:02:00.000+08:00

Prelude...

Something avoidable happened in Toledo, just a few hours before my camera was stolen in Madrid.

Gretel requested to have a picture taken with a wall mural. As she passed me the camera, her fingers accidentally hooked the strap and the camera slipped off my hands. The retractable lens was knocked off position. Trying to force the lens back into position was not the option since it might shatter the gear mechanisms inside.

I think it was my fault as I didn't ensure the camera was properly grabbed.

Anyhow, the Canon service centre in Madrid could only afford to finish repairing the camera in a few weeks time, which was obviously out of question.

***

The Canon service centre in Paris was situated in the outer districts. Besides bonjour, we knew nuts about French. Luckily, a French immigrant, who's Thai, managed to help us. Well, he only managed to bridge the language barrier, but he didn't help us any better when he forcibly pulled out the lens, splintering the inner mechanisms as well.

WTF! 越帮越忙！

Now it was the fault of the Canon staff! Who will believe Gretel if she were to bring back to Singapore for repairs then?

Then he added fuel to fire by claiming that the camera wasn't worth fixing since it's a cheap camera. Wah kao! This kind of things also can say!

***

No matter the setback, our itinerary should still carry on. First stop: Montmartre Hill. This is the highest point in Paris, offering a panoramic view of the skyline. Sacre Coeur basilica has the honour of being located at the highest point.

Hordes of scam artistes lingered around the basilica, hoping to deceive tourists with their little "souvenirs".

As if it wasn't bad this morning, our luck ran aground when we met some aggressive scam artistes. As we climbed the stairs to the basilica, we were immediately surrounded, aggressively requesting us to show our hands so that they can tie something. Sensing something amiss, I refused politely and continued walking. I thought Gretel was walking in front of me, since the person in front of me was of similar built to her, wearing a red jacket as well. Bad mistake. It wasn't her.

I turned my head to see one of the scam artistes already tying something to her wrist. As I turned to "rescue" her, another scam artiste approached me and forced me to show him my hand.

"Come on, it's our culture," he said when I refused. "It's for everybody!"

Yah right. I knew what the outcome will be.

Anyway, he managed to tie a string to my wrist, which took no longer than 30 seconds. As he was tying, Gretel came up to me and said, "很贵， 10 欧!"

"You are going to make me pay for this thing right?" I frowned, while trying to withdraw my hand.

"It's our culture, you should respect us," he claimed. As he finished tying the last knot, he continued, "Ok, done. Now, you should give me something please."

I knew it.

"No thanks! You cheated and forced me to pay for this thing? Never!" I refused and walked away.

However, the asshole was very persistent. "Hey!" he tapped by shoulder, "You should pay."

"Please stop pestering me!" I demanded.

"I was asked to pay 50 euros just now," Gretel cut in.

"No way. No. It's too expensive," he defended his scam mates.

"First you forced and cheated me, now you wanted me to pay for this?" I barked.

"No. I didn't force you. It's not cheating. It's our culture so it's for everyone else. We are artistes!"

Yah right! Show me your licence then, I thought.

"Please, stop pestering me or else I'll call the police," I threatened.

"Ok, go ahead, call the police," he challenged me.

"I'll call!" I was testing his patience.

By then, his mate was pulling him back, trying to avoid any further confrontation. However, he forcibly brushed his mate off and approached me once more, "Ok, give me back that!"

"Ok, sure!"

"You aren't very friendly," he said, as he untied the string from my wrist.

"Beacuse you cheated me," I retorted.

"Fuck you!" he replied as he removed the string.

"Thank you!"

What an asshole!

Thinking back, I thought I was very stupid to challenge him. I might get myself hurt or even killed. He and his friends were huge and muscular. I'll definitely lose out in a confrontation. Somehow, a sudden surge of adrenaline urged me to confront them instead of parting with 10 euros.

Gretel wasn't lucky though. She was cheated of 10 euros. This time, it was definitely my fault. I should have protected her instead of letting her fall into the trap. From the episodes that had taken place thus far, I knew she felt very down and depressed. Shit, I hated it when girls cry.

Nonetheless, we proceeded on. As we emerged from the basilica, it was snowing heavily. As we learnt later, a cold front was sweeping across France, dumping tons of snow and creating havoc throughout the country.

It was magical to see Paris shrouded in snow. However, later in the day, it started to rain. Everything became wet and slushy. Things didn't get any better when the wind chilled us to the bones.

The show must go on.

Moulin Rouge... not very impressive.

Contrary to what was seen in the movie, Moulin Rouge wasn't that impressive. Just a windmill that couldn't even rotate. Without the grace of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, I think most people knew nothing about this place before the movie was released.

Temperatures begin to rise as the cold front left, leaving a mix of rain and hail in its wake. Ma jiam like ice-kacang falling from the sky. That's the spire of Sainte Chapelle in the distance.

Notre Dame is one of my favourite religious buildings in Europe. Its Gothic architecture never fails to amaze me. As I've always said, ancient people didn't need to spend time pursuing a degree. Hence, they could afford to spend their entire lives carving intricate and spectcular sculptures for the later generations to admire. On the other hand, great scientists like Einstein and Newton made life more complicated for us by postulating numerous equations and theories.

Hmm... living in the past appears to be a great idea after all!

The cathedral of Notre Dame without the hunched-back

We ended the day by visiting the Eiffel Tower in the evening. No photos of the tower in the evening since the pictures turned out horrible.

From Paris onwards, all photos were taken with the new camera bought in Madrid. If you are observant enough, the pictures for this post have rounded black frames at the corners, producing an impression of viewing through a pinhole.

Cheap camera, bad photos.

Day 7: Madrid

2006-05-01T16:01:00.000+08:00

It was a S$500 lost when my camera was stolen. To think that I quoted the value of the camera at around 70 euros when I reported to the police. I had indeed grossly under-estimated the price of the camera.

Anyhow, I decided to shop for a cheaper camera in Madrid since I thought that it would be more expensive in Paris during the New Year's period. Digital cameras were aplenty but not the normal ones. I was lucky enough when I got a cheap deal at 59 euros.

We arrived in Madrid's airport in the afternoon, where a horde of people, probably union workers, were demonstrating against something. Indeed, this gives tourists a really bad impression if the authorities freely allow such practice to carry on.

A nice rendezvous with Paris will be perfect. It was supposed to be the climax of the trip since Paris is an attractive and most popular destination after London.

Day 6: Toledo

2006-05-01T15:57:00.000+08:00

Toledo was the ancient capital of Spain before it was later moved to present day Madrid. The whole city was built around a natural moat, offering ample natural protection with its vintage point as well. I shall let the pictures do the talking since the main thing, or rather mishap, that happened to me on this day was when my camera was stolen in Madrid.

***

Heading back to Madrid from Toledo, I shoved my camera back into my day pack, thinking that I wouldn't be needing it anyway. As I alighted at Atocha train station in Madrid, I decided to sling my bag on my back. Most of the time, I would sling my bag in front of me. However, it was that few precious moments when the thief struck.

I suspected that the thief was trailing me very closely, just enough for him to open my bag, shuffled through my stuff and scooped my camera away. It takes a professionally trained hand to rummage through the bag without letting a victim suspecting anything.

Before I realised my bag was opened, it was already too late. I made a police report at the train station. To my dismay, nobody spoke English. Thankfully, I was transferred to another department where I made a report via the telephone. At the end, I was told to go to another police station to collect my police report. The report was entirely typed in Spanish though. Hopefully, if I were to claim insurance in Singapore, somebody's available to understand Spanish.

Most of my friends who went to Spain had their bags opened as well. This really gave me a very poor impression of Spain. So are there more thieves than people who roam on the streets, picking on potential targets?

Tough luck.

My advice to all travellers who plan to visit Spain: It pays to be paranoid and vigilant. And always always sling your bag in front of you.

Day 5: Madrid

2006-05-01T15:37:00.000+08:00

Madrid is the highest capital in Europe. Situated at around 600 metres above sea level, it is the seat of the government and home to the Spanish royal family. King Carlos and Queen Sofia are immensely popular. Why is that so?

Freezing rain greeted us when we arrived in Madrid the night before. The train was pretty comfortable as I watched The Incredibles with an incredibly strained neck due to the constant craning. Having watched the animation before, I could still understand the whole movie despite it being dubbed in Spanish.

Puerta del Sol marks the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, which is signified by a plaque engraved with the Kilometre Zero marker.

Puerta del Sol... is this really the geographical centre of Spain?

On New Year's Eve, locals meet in this quadrangle to eat one grape with each strike of the clock. According to tradition, if one is able to finish the twelve grapes before the last stroke, you will be guaranteed good luck in the following months.

Puerta del Sol is flanked by boulevards, with pretty little road signs that enable the illiterate to navigate around.

I can't decipher most pictorial road signs, which isn't exactly very helpful for a lost tourist like me.

After trying very hard to comprehend the pictorial signs, I can't decipher most of them. How useful will it be to the illiterate then? I wondered.

Christmas stalls lined the square as we descended upon Plaza Mayor. In medieval times, this plaza was used for bull-fights and executions.

The murals on the farcade in Plaza Mayor.

La Almudena Cathedral, situated just adjacent to the Royal Palace, took 100 years to be completed. Royal cathedrals tend to be massive, expressing its grandeur and splendour with its lavish interior.

Grand cathedrals in Europe usually took a few hundred years to be completed. This was only finished a few decades back I think.

Palacio Real, also known as the Royal Palace, is one of the best palaces in Europe. It was designed in the style of Versailles, since the King who ordered the construction was French. French architecture (especially Paris) seemed kinda like a role model in which a lot of European cities would like to follow.

The back view of the palace facing the garden.

This palace is among the best in Europe, ranking alongside the greats like Versailles. It contains a few thousand rooms, in which only 50 of them are opened to the public. With so many rooms, won't the King get lost in this labyrinth of maze?

Parque del Retiro is where the locals can take a break from the hustle and bustle of city-life. Since it was winter, most trees were botak. I think they'll make people more depressed rather than relieving work stress.

Fancy a row in the lake in Parque del Retiro?

"If it's cheap to row a boat, I don't mind," remarked my friend.

"Ok, let's check it out. If it's 1 euro. I don't mind," I replied. Somehow, this if-it's-1-euro statement would be stuck on me for the rest of the trip.

I can't recall the exact price but I knew the price was a turn-off.

Next stop: Palacio Comunicaciones.

The police presence in this area was heavy. It's always an assuring sight to see a policeman. However, in any case, too many of them makes me jittery.

Day 4: Barcelona

2006-05-01T15:35:00.000+08:00

A 6-hour train ride from Barcelona to Madrid costs 60.50 euros!! So freaking expensive! Furthermore, we didn't manage to catch the morning train so in the end we had to take an afternoon train.

The beaches in Barcelona were spruced up in anticipation of the 1992 Olympic Games. The waterfront was nicely decorated with modern artistic constructions, spiced up by palm trees swaying in the sea breeze.

And yes, it was my first time seeing the Mediterrean sea.

For the misinformed, Barcelona isn't the capital of Spain. Neither is it the capital of bull-fighting and flamenco (not flamgino). Madrid and Sevilla are the destinations for the interested. Bull-fightings only take place in the warmer months while flamenco dancing are held throughout the year. Unless you have cash to spare, it usually costs a bomb to catch flamenco dancers in action.

Day 3: Barcelona

2006-05-01T15:34:00.000+08:00

The visit for the day was mainly centred on Gaudí's work, the person responsible for La Sagrada Família.

Just a minute's walk away from our hostel is the Casa Milà. For those who are curious about the history, you can read up yourself.

Casa Milà, an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

Casa Batlló takes a skeletal organic form, completely defying straight lines with wavy designs. It looked impressive during the day and ghostly eerie at night.

Casa Batlló during the day Casa Batlló at night

Park Güell is strikingly similar to the one in Sentosa. Or rather, the one in Sentosa has striking resemblance to the Spanish version. It has a rather unique history in the sense that this was actually a failed housing site but nevertheless, managed to draw tons of visitors each year.

Parc Güell: Somehow it reminded me of Sentosa.

It was here in this park that we met an interestingly friendly Spanish old man who introduced us to the various monuments that litter the site. Speaking in Spanish with lots of gesticulation, we managed to decipher what he was trying to bring across.

Despite the language barrier, somehow, both parties were able to understand each other. It wasn't exactly very easy as we relied on numerous hand gestures. However, we still insisted on tagging with the old man as we were confident that he would bring us to interesting places. True to our gut feelings, we were introduced to a lot of fascinating monuments.

In the end, when it was time to part ways, my friend wanted to take a picture with his dog.

"Photo...?" we said, forming a frame with our thumbs and fingers. "Dog...?" we added, pointing at the dog.

Initially he didn't understand. He thought that we wanted him to help us take a photo.

Feeling that there won't be any end to this chicken-talk-to-duck episode, I decided to do something which I felt was universally understandable... "Photo... Woof woof!" pointing and imitating the grunts of a dog.

His face instantly lit up with comprehension.

I thought it was dumb though!

Later in the day, we trekked to the Olympic site, where the Games were held in 1992. Situated adjacent to the site, is the Museu Nacional D'Art de Catalunya in Montjuïc that features Catalan art. Unfortunately, it was closed for the Christmas break but luckily for us, we weren't exactly keen on art.

The museum that houses Catalan art.

Fountains lit up the area during the summer days. As expected, fountains in Europe are usually drained dry in winter.

Day 2: Barcelona

2006-05-01T15:24:00.000+08:00

The Gothic Quarter represents the remains of the Roman city, which exists alongside the city's medieval buildings. Plaça del Rei is the historic centre, with a number of monuments such as cathedrals, chapels and museums.

Unfortunately, the front farcade of the Catedral (yes, it's no spelling error!) is undergoing maintenance, which hid the splendour of the architecture. From pictures in the brochures, it wasn't exactly as impressive as expected though.

The interior of the church didn't impress me. Partly because I've been to so many European churches, cathedrals, basilicas before. Nevertheless, each and every one of them has its own unique history and taste to amaze the visitors. We lingered around the Catedral, which still lies within the Gothic Quarter vincity, and came across this cool looking bridge.

What name ah? Dunno leh!

The Sagrada Familia is the most recognised and visited monument in Barcelona. It's a masterpiece by Antonio Gaudi, which he spent over 40 years of his life on this project. Unfortunately, he never lived to see the completion of the temple when he died in a traffic accident in 1926. What an asshole the driver is!

EVen today, the temple is yet to be completed as it depends entirely on funds from private donations and entrance fees. Furthermore, the construction work calls for different stones to be machined to shapes that are distinctly unique from one another. In addition, stingy people like me, who refused to pay to enter the basilica, ensure that the structure won't be completed anytime soon. In fact, from latest estimates, it was thought that the completion date can be as early as 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. This is partly due to modern techniques that are available now. If construction is carried out based on techniques available during the early 1900s, then it'll take several hundred years.

Different sources will quote the different completed dates. Some state 60 years while I've come across 80 years as well. Man, it's making me confused!

From afar, the temple looked like an alien building. Up close, it looks even more sinister. Its twisted exterior seems to writhe in agony.

Maybe it was Christmas eve. The cranes weren't even cranking! No wonder some people say that the temple will only be completed in the next century lah.

Nevertheless, the building that I'll like to see it finished, is the completion of Sagrada Familia.

Day 1: Barcelona

2006-05-01T15:23:00.000+08:00

We duly arrived at our hostel in the early hostel, drained and lethargic. However, the staff galdly received us and showed us the room straight away.

"You can put down your bags, wash up, take a rest first. Later, I'll check you in." chirped the friendly staff.

"That'll be great!" I replied.

Thumbs-up for the great hospitality!

Situated along Rambla Catalunya, the room offered a good view of the streets below. Most of the time, I'll get a room view of a back alley or the roof top.

Tired we might be, our eagerness motivated us to leave our hostel and begin our exploration immediately. After settling the hostel administration, we headed straight to the tree-lined boulevard of La Ramblas, the histoic centre of Barcelona.

Street performers, colourful shops, tourists and pick-pockets made La Ramblas one of the most interesting streets in Europe. Street performers tried to out-do one another with their creativities, while intriguing the crowds at the same time. Small pet stores and flower stores attracted scores of people, while painters offerred their work pieces to any potential buyers willing to spend.

Some parts of Barcelona (Eixample) are built in a grid-like pattern. Streets might be narrow but they are tidy and easy to navigate around. Since it was the Christmas season, there were quite a number of households and shops hanging cute little Santa Clauses hanging out from the windows.

I also chanced upon a SIngaporean family. along La Ramblas. From the accent, I can be sure that it's Singaporean. Why? Because the dad (presumably) was talking something like this...

"Here, hor, used to be a Chinatown one leh. Then, hor, dunno what happened leh...."

Who else talk like that one? Malaysians maybe?

A huge monument of Colombus stood at the end of La Ramblas. Notice that he's pointing his finger at a particular direction.

To where? I don't know. Ask Mr Colombus.