Day 16: Paris – Versailles

Château de Versailles (Palace of Versailles), home of the royal family of France just before the revolution, it is an hour's train ride from Paris and we were prepared with tickets purchase online but unfortunately we were not prepared... ...FOR THIS!!! Omg, the line snaked through the whole courtyard, amd this is the line for …

Day 15: Paris – A Stroll Down Seine

Thought we'd just have a leisurely day in Paris today. So we headed towards the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden), since it's Saturday, there are many people playing various sports in the gardens, jogging, tennis, boxing and even saw a guy with some cutlasses. Yes, there are also people doing Taichi, not Asian people, surprisingly. …

Switzerland: Do’s and Don’ts

DO plan your budget carefully!! Switzerland uses Swiss Francs (CHF) unlike the rest of Europe and things are VERY EXPENSIVE here! CHF is about 1:1 to EUR but an average dinner could cost you CHF40 while taking the train downtown could cost around CHF7 for one way! DO take advantage of free services, for example, …

Day 14: Lausanne – From the Olympic City to the Romantic City

With half a day left before our train to Paris, we make our way to Lausanne. A 30mins ride on a local train costed a whopping CHF7!! Prices here are even more ridiculous than Sydney, Switzerland would be like heaven on earth if it wasn't for the outrageous transportation prices, but maybe everyone travels by …

Day 13: West Switzerland – Road Trip!

You know that saying "slept like a log"? Well I finally know what that feels like, to sleep somewhere in complete darkness and complete silence. I just want to say I can sleep in most adverse environments, I've been sleeping in the living room in Hong Kong for 5 years, there's always a light from …

Day 12: Venice – Wow, Much Doge, So Palace

Having over half a day left in Venice, we headed towards the REALLY touristy side of Venice across the Great Canal, namely Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square) and Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). Buongiorno Venezia! 🙋 A bit of an omnious day... of ARMAGEDDON. Just kidding, lol. I don't even know what church this is …

Italy: Do’s and Don’ts

DO be VERY careful with your wallets and mobile phones especially in popular tourist places of Rome such as Colosseum and Trevi Fountains. Bag zippers are known to mysteriously open in crowds. DO wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees if you plan on visiting any churches and the dress code for churches here …

Day 11: Venice – City of Water

Waking up to the sound of church bells, we took an early train and zipped away from artistic Florence and headed for Venice (hometown of Franky in One Piece! 😎) on the train in the morning. Basically Venice is miltiple islands linked to mainland by one long road/railway, of course there are plenty of outlying …

Day 10: Florence – I Feel So Cultured!

Leaving bustling Rome behind, we continue our journey up north to the center of European arts: Florence. Unfortunately because we arrived on a Monday, that means all the major museums are closed so we'll have to miss out in Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's The Birth of Venus for this time, but that means more time …

Day 9: Rome – Gladiators sans Russell Crowe

Headed for Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran's Basilica) in the morning, it is the oldest of the four major basilicas of Rome and houses a collection of impressive towering sculptures of the apostles. Going into this building makes you feel like a hobbit, it's like the Cosco of basilicas. I don't …