Go Travel and See the World

When I went to London last October 2008, I guessed it was also the premier of the movie Casino Royale. I believed most of you know this movie. It is a James Bond film series starred by Daniel Craig. Since I am also a fan of James Bond movies, I also watched this one.

On the other hand, the image you see below is the Casino Royale in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a small hotel in Las Vegas strip and at the same time a casino too. You can see and read it by its name. I like the neon signs in front of it.

Let’s go travel and see part of the world again! This time I am bringing you to one of I am trying to reminisce that quite adventurous and memorable trip we had in Manchester. This city is known by many as the “capital” of the north of England, the second city of the United Kingdom and is home to the UK’s largest airport outside London. Others cities in the north of England like Birmingham and Leeds also claimed to be the capital but Manchester is the one that perfectly fits for the this title. It doesn’t really matter for me as long as I visited this city once in my life.

There was something I can’t forget during our trip to Manchester. From my friend’s home in Northfield, we have to ride a bus going to Birmingham train station. At that time, there was a traffic on the street because it was the beginning of the first day of classes. In short, the bus arrived late in the train station. In other words, the ticket which we bought in advance was already void because we did not catch up the train.

We ran to the nearest coach station where we can ride a bus going Manchester. Of course we paid again for that bus trip but at least we were able to visit Manchester.

The lesson that I learned from this experience. Better go earlier because no train or plane will wait for you. From that time on, I always think of this when I travel. It is better for me to wait than I will be left behind. Goodnight folks. It is time for me to sign-off.

I wish you all a wonderful day or evening!

This is one of the places we visited during our summer trip to Hungary. Szentendre is a small but very interesting riverside town in Pest county, Hungary, near the capital city Budapest. We only around two hours sightseeing here. There was not too much time in going and shopping around. In its city center, you can find a lot of shops selling any kind of goods from curtains, to clothing, souvenirs, food, spices, home decors, accessories and a lot more.

There are still a lot ot see in this town like its museums and galleries. Sad to say our time was limited. At least we were able to have a short sightseeing there.

I just remember our recent trip to Poland last month. We did some pottery shopping and sightseeing in Boleslawiec. It is the so-called “Ceramic City” in Poland and is very famous or its pottery. Since Poland is not using Euro currency, we need a currency converter to know the value of a Euro or a US Dollar to złoty, the monetary unit of Poland. Before our trip, I already researched online about it and my friends were happy to know how much were the values of their pocket money when converted to Polish złoty. In short, that was a very exciting and adventurous trip we had. The girls had fun shopping too!

This was taken in one of the pottery shops we visited in Boleslawiec, Poland.

It is always nice to travel and to see the world. Through travelling, you learn a lot about the people and its culture. More on that, you also discover and see the beauty of a certain place. Most of my friends are thinking that I have a lot of money because I travel from now and then. I am a banker by profession. After leaving my decent job for almost nine years of service at the bank, I joined my husband in Europe. In this continent, my urge for travelling goes bigger and bigger. I simply love to travel and always has a passion for it ever since I was young. I can still remember when my parents used to scold me because I cannot always come home on time after school. Where I was that time? I always stopped-by at a certain place enjoying its scenery.

I am currently jobless and you might be wondering how I can travel without having a job. That is also the reason why I want to share a bit about planning and budgeting for your travel.

Plan It Ahead– When you wish to go for a vacation or trip, you need to always plan it ahead. Planning in advance will surely save you time and money.

various Euro bills.

Travel Budget– When you have a lot of money and you have all the finances you need, budgeting might not be a problem for you. I always save money for my trips. I always see to it that before I book a trip, I already have the money to pay for the cost of the trip. While waiting for the trip, I also slowly set aside something for my pocket money. If you are spending a long vacation, try to consider how much budget you need each day. If you only want to spend $50 a day, then you need $500 for a 10-day holiday. Be sure to always have some extra money with you. You never know when you need some for emergency.

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus during our 10-day vacation in Turkey last September 2011. This ancient city of Ephesus is truly amazing!

Research in advance about the city or country you are visiting– Always remember that not all countries are using the same monetary unit. For example if you are in the European Union, not all EU members are using Euro currency. Some member countries like UK, Hungary, Poland or Denmark, have their own currencies. There are some currency converter sites online that will help you with the conversion. Also get a bit familiar with the place that you will be visiting like knowing its main sights, its people and its culture. You can always browse for various travel websites online to get information about a certain city or country.

These are only some of the many travel tips I can share for now. Feel free to browse this site for more travel tips, posts and images.

Where I get my money for travelling? It will be posted soon! Have fun browsing here!

This place is very accessible to us. Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz is located in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, Germany. It has a lot to offer to its guests and visitors. It is not really a big city but enough to have everything what you need from shopping to dining, auto shops, hardware stores and a lot more.

The image you see below is the beautiful Rathaus or Town Hall in Neumarkt. Did you see the see the big clock on the photo here? It is one of the many features of this Gothic building.

One of the images I took during one of my visits here.

The town hall was built in the late Gothic period (around 1430) and destroyed in 1945, but rebuilt in 1956/57. The town hall was extensively renovated in 1999.

It was so far one of the most adventurous trip I had this year. That trip to Karlovy Vary with friends last October 2011 is very memorable. After our pottery shopping and overnight stay in Boleslawiec, Poland, we drove to Karlovy Vary the next day.

It is called in German as Karlsbad and Charles Bath in English. This city is famous for its hot springs and its colorful and whimsical architecture.. It is located in Bohemia in the western part of Czech Republic. It was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370.

Here are some snapshots taken by my view finder during our visit last October 2, 2011.

the buildings in Karlovy Vary and the Ohře River in the middle.

historical buildings in Karlovy Vary.

The Park Colonnade at the Dvořák Park. This architecture is quite interesting with all those wood carvings it has.

Planning for holidays to Croatia and still don’t know what places or cities to visit? I guess, that is not a big thing to worry about. There are a lot of beautiful places to visit in this Central part of Europe. For your accommodation, there are a lot of affordable villas in Croatia for you to stay. Depending on your taste, budget and needs , you can always find one in Croatia.

Here are some of the interesting places to visit and to experience in this Balkan country.

Zagreb – It is just like saying, that a trip to France without visiting Paris is nothing. This is the same with Croatia. A visit to its capital city, Zagreb is a must because it is the heart of the political, cultural and economic life of the country. Located at the centre of continental Croatia, this Central European city constitutes a meeting between eastern and western Europe.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archaelogical Museum, Mimara Museum, Archbishop’s Palace, Art Pavilion, Parliament Building,Strossmayer’s walkway, Botanical Garden, Stone Gate are among the main sights not to miss.

For women who love skiing, do the so-called Snow Queen Trophy, a Ladies Night Slalom usually held every January.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik – This old city is one of the top international tourist destinations in Dalmatia. Having a nicknamed as “Pearl of the Adriatic”, Dubrovnik is renowned for the beauty of its monuments, its magnificent walls and welcoming atmosphere.

Dubrovnik, Croatia. thanks to my friend Joy for this image.

Don’t miss to visit the Old Town with its Rector’s Palace, Roland’s Column, Sponza Palace, Pile Gate, Placa Stradun and other sights in the area. Being the symbol of Dubrovnik, a walk along its walls will give you great views of the Old Town and the city. The Cathedral and Treasury, Church of St. Blaise, Dominican Monastery, Synagogue and Jewish Museum are also worthy to visit. Spend some times bathing in Banje beach and Lapad beach. Sailing and boat trips are excellent ways to explore nearby islands.

Zadar – This is the historical centre of Dalmatia with its architecture dated back to the Roman times.

A walk around its old town is very much recommended. The Roman Forum is one of its important landmarks. You have to know that the main interest of this city lies in its churches. Among the famous ones are St. Anastasia’s Cathedral, St Donatus’ Church, St. Elijah’s Church, St. Mary’s Church and the churches of St. Chrysogonus and St. Simeon.

Spend a day sunbathing or swimming in its beautiful crystal clear waters.

Split – This is one of the best place to spend a winter vacation in Croatia. A few nicknames are given to the largest city in Dalmatia. It is nicknamed as “The most beautiful city in the world” due to its ideal climate. The modern face of Split presents factories, shipyards and a busy port.

A must see in this city are the Diocletian’s Palace which is now a UNESCO heritage site, Two original Egyptian sphinxes, Archaeological Museum (the oldest in Croatia), the main city promenade Riva and Salona. Sailing is also a famous sport in Split.

Always remember, croatia villas, hostels and hotels are available whenever and wherever you are especially in the top tourist destinations in Croatia.

Are you familiar with the epic poems, Iliad and the Odyssey? You might probably familiar about Trojan War. Let’s say about the Trojan computer virus?

Troy, called in German as Troja or in Latin word as Troia, was a city which is both factual and legendary. It is located in southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida. It is best known for being the focus of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer.

I found our visit to this city last September 2011 very interesting especially after hearing from our tourist guide about Troy. If you don’t have an interest about historical ruins, this place might be boring for you. Since I have interest on history, the visit we had in Troy was a worth one for me.

Troia was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998.

Here are a few travel images I took during our visit.

the Trojan Horse in the entrance of Troy. We don’t have much time to go inside the horse since we were quite short of time. Besides it was raining during our visit.

Metrical evidence from the Iliad and the Odyssey seems to show that the name Ἴλιον (Ilion) formerly began with a digamma: Ϝίλιον (Wilion). This was later supported by the Hittite form Wilusa.

the Sanctuary in Troia.

I will try to share about the story of Iliad and Odyssey in my future posts.

You might be very familiar about the Castle in Disneyland. Don’t you know that the inspiration of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty was the famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany. The castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace commissioned by King Ludwig II, king of the state of Bavaria.

taken during our visit last winter of January 2011.

The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.

a view from the main entrance of the castle.

Oktoberfest, the most famous event in Germany and the world’s largest fair is ending very soon. You still have time to visit it until tomorrow, October 3. I believed millions of liters of beers are consume again during this year’s fair.

I was able to witness this festival three times already. Sad to say, we were not able to go this year due to our vacation in Turkey. I hope to visit it again next year.

Here some snapshots we took from last year’s celebration.

view of Oktoberfest taken as we were riding the Ferris wheel last 2010.

the Bavaria statue in the background.

one of the beer tents in Oktoberfest.

HISTORY

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s meadow”) in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the “Wies’n”.

Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

“The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions. Today, the last day of the festival is the first Sunday in October. In 2006, the Oktoberfest extended two extra days because the first Tuesday, October 3, was a national holiday. Over the past 200 years, Oktoberfest was canceled 24 times due to cholera epidemics and war.”