Prague was huge! I'd say this on the scale that there are alot of architectural buildings in this big city. A visit to the castle is a must with a climb up the cathedral tower to get a fantastic view of the city! Do not just buy the cheapest ticket with the one that only provides entrance to the Golden Lane... There is nothing much there except for a row of souvenir shops! However there is this one unique shop selling bookmarks with metal figurines held together with a thin leather strap that i didn't see sold anywhere else in Prague. If you're arriving from the airport, I'd say check out Preciosa's crystal jewellery and Blue's glassware there first for comparisons later with shops in Prague. I saw a better range at the airport and the prices are lower (tax-free).
Other top notch high elevation views are from the Charles bridge towers and the Town Hall Tower (the one with the astrological clock on it). The tower of Charles bridge on the old town side gives a spectacular view of the castle and the bridge itself.
Aug 05, 2005 12:00 AMCesky Krumlov for 2 days
When you reach, you will feel an immediate air of a slower pace of life in this small town.. Everywhere in this town has cobble stoned roads and there is no commercial, international eateries or stores here (except for Bata). The town can probably be explored in half a day, but it's a good to spend at least overnight if you plan to make a relaxing pit stop here. Do visit the antique shops here, i think they are better than the ones in Prague. And the locals love to take a boat down the river, it's fun to watch them manage the fast downstream parts of it! Go up the tower to get a nice overview of the town.
Aug 02, 2005 12:00 AMSalzburg for 3 days
Salzburg was much more beautiful than I imagined. The city's landscape is very picturesque, with the river followed by the buildings of the old town and the white Hohensalzburg fortress at the very top of the hill. Classical music plays on the modern pedestrian bridge, and I must say the performers on the street are top notch! Watch out for the violin player(s) that play Spring from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the glass chimes player and others! Truly quite a classical city... Even the shopping street Getreiderstrasse looks charming with its ornate store signs (even macdonald's has one too!). There are also many through paths between Getraiderstrasse and its parallel roads. If you have time to spare, explore the walkpaths on Mönschberg. There are spectacular views of the city, castle and also the mountains.
Aug 01, 2005 12:00 AMCologne for a few hours
The view from the top of Köln Dom was magnificent, even though it was all fenced up! The climb up was really taxing, and when you've think you're near to the top, you're not! There are 2 sets of staircases to climb to the very top. Dodging people coming from the opposite direction will become your acquired skill after that trip up. The city also has a great view from across the river. The shopping street is also extensive.
Jul 27, 2005 12:00 AMA free day in Maastricht
We had a break from the continuous last minute music rehearsals in Wijlre and had entire free day at Maastricht! It was quite a city I must say! There was numerous historical sights but also there was a major shopping area, so it has a broader appeal.
It has potential to become a good city to visit for tourists, but there are just not enough info for this city on the web in English. And also there's not official tourism site on this city online too..
The river also provided a good place to hangout and rest. Do reserve more time here in this city as going from one place to another is best done on foot. There wasn't a tram or metro system here but all the more you can see along the way!
Jul 23, 2005 12:00 AMLimburg for a week! WMC in Kerkrade!
WMC was a literally a blast for me! Mus'art Wind Orchestra from Singapore garnered a Gold award level with 85.42 points in the 2nd division.
My group stayed in Hotel Beukenhorst in Wittem and I can only sing praises about this charming Hotel-Restaurant run by Marie and Urs. The whole group loved the stay there!
We practised in Wielderholes in Wijlre.
Really hoping to return for this same event four years later!
Jul 05, 2005 12:00 AMTrip to Incheon, South Korea for work
A trip for a couple of days on Incheon island. The Incheon International Airport is built in this island. It's an hour away from Seoul, South Korea's capital. It's remarkable that this island was formerly smaller islands joined together by reclaimed land. There's nothing interesting here for sightseeing, but there are 2 hotels.
Mar 07, 2005 12:00 AMParis and Dijon (WOC 2005) trip
Paris really proved to be a cultural & historical overload for me. There are a lot of museums there! And the biggest of them (and oldest) - the Louvre, proved that it cannot be covered in one day. There is so much history in the city itself as indicated by the different buildings and monuments.
Dijon, although much smaller than Paris, has also well kept buildings in Burgundian style. You'd still see original timber framed houses that was built centuries ago on the streets there.
Jun 19, 2004 12:00 AMHoliday in Melbourne, Australia
A quick getaway holiday to Melbourne, Australia. Stayed at Kingsgate Hotel.. It was a really good price for AUD70 per night for single occupancy during their promotional period. Plus it's near to the Spencer Street Bus Station if you're travelling by the airport bus transfer service. Anyway I didn't stay in the hotel room most of the time except to sleep.... It was a windy winter and it was freezing! It was a first time for me to experience such cold weather. Four days for me there didn't let me cover the places I had planned to go...
Apr 23, 2004 12:00 AMTrip to Florida, US
A business trip to Florida US for two weeks. Places visited during this time was Tampa, Clearwater and Orlando. Time in Orlando was spent during the recreational weekends. Two major theme parks are situated there, Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios. Within these parks alone there are different places to visit. However due to time constraints, I had only visited the Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure. Pictured here is the roller coaster within that park.
