Oct 10, 2009 12:00 AMBerlin (DE) - the inflammation of the cornea
So, as I suspected, I had an eye infection, or the inflammation of the cornea. I felt it on Friday afternoon, but on Saturday it was more than obvious it was it. And I am not talking about the grain of sand feeling under the eye lid. I am talking a full blown intolerance of light. Even the slight flicker of a candle was unbearable! This meant that Saturday was effectively written off for me. I had stay indoors until it got completely dark outside and I still needed sunglasses to shield myself from the street lights, and, what more important and painful, the cars' headlights.
I got to Simon Dach Strasse, full of bars and restaurants and lounges, and I stopped at the Himmelreich. And never left it until my eye felt like it was going to explode!
So, that was the only thing I did in Berlin on Saturday. How ironic that I was hoping to see the lights of the city - a show that Berlin put this year. Basically illuminating the prominent sights with magic lights. So I heard. I could not see it, obviously.
Oct 09, 2009 12:00 AMBerlin (DE) - Ryanair's fanfares of obsession
Although I arrived in Berlin 15 minutes late, Ryanair still insisted to play their fanfares of the on-time arrival. Hmm... It was not hilarious. It was pathetic! Well, what can one say? Should I write a letter of complaint? Should I inform the CAA, or the competition? Or the press maybe?
Anyway, I took a taxi (I could not wait for the non-coming 171 bus) to the centre, and was impressed with the new motorway that now connects the Berlin Shoenefeld (aka Berlin Brandenburg International in the making) airport with the city centre and the other city motorways, one of which leads to the other, still yet to be closed airport called Tegel. And I am hearing from the locals that although the BBI is due to open in 2012, the rail link with the centre is not going to be ready for another four years, or so. That is so unlike Germany. So disappointing! But the city is almost broke. The few businesses and scarce industry based in Berlin, do not pay enough taxes to fund all that transformation of the Germany's capital.
There was not much for me to do other than go clubbing. It was late. Too late for dinners. Too early for breakfasts. Just about time for clubbing. :)
Oct 04, 2009 12:00 AMLake Como (IT) - on the way back
Got up late. Well, if 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday is early, then I got up early. I agreed to be up by 9 a.m. to see some of the guest off as they were trickling out and started to leave for their home countries, the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Poland, England and a few other places.
I had to leave for London, at about 2:30 p.m., so on the way to Bergamo, I stopped in Bellagio for a short stroll and window shopping. My lady friend managed to acquire a green belt made from real crocodile skin with a gold platted buckle, the one she always wanted and could not find for ages... (sic!)
I was actually surprised that shops were open on Sunday. I expected them to be closed, but hey, life is not easy... hehe.
Oct 03, 2009 12:00 AMComo (IT) - a day of relax
The day after wedding, a group of us (a party of 12) took three cars and travelled from Lezzeno to Como for some wandering, shopping, and lunch... The original plan was to go Switzerland for some high volume shopping, but we just could not be bothered. It was simply too far, it would involve crossing the lake, etc.
Como was at its best. It was busy and people, mainly Italians, wandered about, shopped and ate at the restaurants and cafes around the old town. It was a good day. Lots of laughs, teasing, pasta and wine.
In the evening, we met with the newlyweds in Bellagio for dinner at the Silvio restaurant, which served fresh fish. Actually, the owner himself, Silvio, was taking our order and the food was delicious.
Oct 02, 2009 12:00 AMLake Como (IT) - two headed swan and the wedding
When I took a stroll at the lake in the morning, I met a couple of swans. They were very curious and walked up to me very close. I do not think I had been to so close to a wild swan before. When I later looked at the shots I took of them, one of the pictures looked like a swan with two heads.
Weather today was even better. It was clear and fresh. It was my third time at the lake, and for the first time, I could see mountains at the other side of the lake so clearly. Or at all, really.
The wedding went well, the cocktails were great and the party was superb. The food was plentiful and wine was fantastic.
Oct 01, 2009 12:00 AMLake Como (IT) - nice weather
To my great satisfaction, weather at the lake is great. Few clouds travel on the blue sky, it is warm and the breeze is gentle and refreshing. The surface of the lake was almost still, broken occasionally by a passing vessel, a small fishing boat, a speedboat with one of the riches aboard, the fast passenger ferry or the slow car ferry.
A trip from Lezzeno to Varenna for a church rehearsal was great. There was enough time for ice-cream (the best ice-cream in the universe) and cocktails on the terrace of the about-to-be-wed couple. It was a good day.
Sep 30, 2009 12:00 AMLake Como (IT) - on my way now
This trip has at least four lake destinations for me. The main one will be Lezzeno, closely followed by Varenna and Fiumelatte, and of course Bellagio, which links Lezzeno side with the Varenna side. I will be staying at the Hotel Aurora in Lezzeno, but will definitely venture to the old part of Varenna for the ice-cream. I will be busy with wedding arrangements, but a side trip or two to places where I have not been would be in order for sure. Also, I have plans to visit one of Italy's best restaurants in the vicinity, which is in the mountains.
Ryanair should live up to its reputation for punctuality, so I could grab the car from Hertz and reach Lezzeno by midnight. Well, we will see.
Sep 29, 2009 12:00 AMLake Como (IT) - I am coming again
The time has finally come for Como again. My first time at the lake was about a year ago. I am excited to see the trees turning again. The weather forecast is promising. With plenty of sunshine and temperatures over 20C, I could hardly ask for more.
My trip has a purpose, though. I am attending a wedding of my friends. I am a little nervous, as I will be reading in the church, have to agree music with the band and will take pictures. But that is not until Friday. So the entire Wednesday night, Thursday and then Saturday and Sunday morning is going to be free, or free-ish. This time, I will have a car, so maybe I will go somewhere new and unexplored. I already have something planned for Saturday.
Sep 13, 2009 12:00 AMStockholm (SE) - actually rather small
For some reason, I thought that Stockholm was going to be huge and visiting it over the weekend was going to be mission impossible. But it turned out that the city was compact. Well, all those sights that ought to be visited were concentrated in a relatively small area, all accessible by foot or a short boat ride.
The old town, concentrated on the Gamla Stan island, and a few nearby islets (Helgeandsholmen, Riddarholmen, Skeppsholmen, Kastellholmen), retained its auntenticity by keeping to the cobble stones, avoiding modern structures, and fixing discrete nighttime lighting in the old lanterns. The Stortorget, an old square complete with medieval merchant houses, and the old Börsen (Stock Exchange), the Västerlånggatan, Stora Nygatan, Järntorget, Köpmantorget, Köpmangatan, and Österlånggatan pedestrianised lanes and squares were great for wandering, eating, drinking, and shopping. Stora Nygatan, pedestrianised cobblestone alley had a number of cosy cafes, bars and restaurants.
I also liked the eastern side of Gamla Stan, the Skeppsbrokajen, a paved waterfront were various vessels moored, few bars offered drinks and a view of the tall ship Vandrarhem af Chapman, and the dramatic northern ramparts of the Södermalm could be admired.
The obvious sight in the royal city was obviously the Royal Palace. It was built in the 1600s and has over 600 rooms. Its form was simple and the building was regularly square. Still, it was imposing and vast, and it dominated the Gamla Stan island. It housed, typically, the Crown Jewels. I managed to catch part of the Changing of the Guard, and was surprised to see that the guards were all female, most of whom were rather developed in years. Also I was shocked that the Royal Family had to spend so much on so many oversized uniforms!
Stockholm's Stadshuset (City Hall) on Kungsholmen island, was not only a matchless landmark, with its massive square tower, but a lovely spot by the water, where the Nobel Prize is awarded on an annual basis, except the Nobel Peace Prize of course. As it is handed out personally by Norway's monarch at their palace in Oslo.
On Riddarholmen island, the Riddarholmskyrkan was the church where the graves of Sweden's monarchs had been placed for over 500 years. The Stadshuset was best photographed from the western shores of the island.
When I got the Ryanair ticket to the so called Stockholm Skavsta airport, which in fact is over 100km from Stockholm, and found out that the coach to the city would take 1h 20 minutes, I realised that this was not going to be convenient at all. The coach was €10 one way, and waited 40 minutes for the air passengers before departing. It was such a waste of time, considering that I landed at 21:20 and it was going to take until midnight to reach my hotel. However, considering that I paid just £5 for the flight, I should hardly be complaining. Of course, I could find a couple of more inconveniences, like the metro blue line did not operate from the Central Terminal in the city, so I had to change the lines, and then the train did not even stop at my station at all, so I was forced to continue to the next station and ended up taking a taxi, which set me back SEK110! Yet, I will keep quiet and will look on the bright side of life.
The capital of Sweden retained much from its Medieval and Renaissance past. The collection of different styles in architecture wonderfully married one to another in this refreshing Scandinavian way made a great impact on me. Brightly painted facades of centuries old buildings, narrow lanes, cobblestone squares, and this fresh, sea-scented air almost hypnotised me.
But one thing shocked me. Right by the impressive and imposing royal palace/castle, a colony of blue plastic toilets stood, ruining what might have been the city's most attractive sight. But they were there for a purpose. It was the city annual half-marathon run. So thousands of runners arrived from 40 or so nations to break their sweat and raise their heartbeat. Oh, and their time taken, too.
At the time, when they finished, weather changed dramatically, and the grey heavy clouds that kept gathering all afternoon, eventually produced some light rain, which washed the pavements and cobblestone alleys, which reflected the lanterns which were switched on for the night.
