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    Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

  1. Europe: Swept away to Zurich!

    Thursday, 22 August 2013

     Packing our bags, we left the train station of Santa Lucia in beautiful Venice to depart for a place known for high standards of living - Zurich. A plane ride would be possible too, but we decided to take the train, as it would take a scenic route through the Alps to our destination. Besides, it wasn't all that convenient to get to the airport from Venice so we took the train! 

    Tickets were booked online, Trenitalia from Venice to Milan and changing to a Swiss train from Milan to Zurich. The total train ride was about 7 hours so be ready for a long ride! But you can be sure to enjoy a great view when you pass into the borders of Switzerland.

    Cool sign =D 

    For our hotel choice we decided on Easyhotel as it was one of the more reliable and cheaper options. However, it is a far cry from the one we stayed in Earl's Court London as it was relatively larger! Cleanliness was of course top notch so do give it a try! Besides, it is also within walking distance to the public transport system in Zurich.
    Not so spick and span after we moved our stuff around


    Hunting for dinner, we went into town to take a walk in the highly wealthy city where you really see banks all over the place. Prices of food are pretty exorbitant too, so we decided to grab a bite at the supermarket. The selection is pretty decent and we got vegetarian friendly choices too! The supermarket is known as COOP over there.

    What can be a more wonderful than waking up to... A TRIP TO THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY! Yeaps, to get our favourite snack and more gifts for family and friends, we popped by the Lindt Chocolate factory!
    Our bountiful harvest from Lindt =) 
    For lunch, we decided on a nice pasta joint known as Hot Pasta. For a reasonable price you get to enjoy extremely wonderful pasta! Gnocchi and Raviolis were absolutely awesome! Whilst not the cheapest dining option compared to what we have in Singapore, it's considered decent as most of the clientele at Hot Pasta come from the universities so do pop by to give them a try!
    We got soup to pamper ourselves too!
    The impeccable timings and cleanliness of the Swiss transport system puts many countries to shame. We thoroughly enjoyed our journey to Uetliberg, one of the peaks in Zurich where we could enjoy some nice scenery! In order to enjoy their public transport, be sure to purchase the Zurich card which costs 40 CHF.
    Me and my very own SBB Train! <3
    In order to get to Uetliberg, we walked to Bahnofquai HB where we took the S10 all the way to Uetliberg. Although the journey was long, it is rare to see a train/tram that goes all the way up into the peaks!

    Kerwyn was suuuuper disappointed as we passed the cloud layer and didn't see any snow. He kept complaining that reviews on Uetliberg just two weeks before showed a winter wonderland and all we saw was melting snow! So don't be 100% sure of snow even though you visit in the middle of winter!
    Although I was really disappointed with the lack of snow, the views more than made up for it. It is amazing to drink in the sights of the distant Alps, although one can be expected to be constantly whipped by wintery winds. Of attractions, there is an observation tower which is free to access. There is a planetary trail which is 8 km long and leads to a cable car station further down the ridge. As we were feeling really cold and sunlight was dwindling, we decided to stay and watch the sunset instead.
    And we were rewarded with a nice egg yolk!
    For dinner, we had to have our fill of Hot Pasta once again! Their dinner menu changes so you can try different dishes at night! (At slightly different prices too)
    As Zurich was a really expensive place to dwell in, we only stayed 2 nights. Once again, it was really simple to get to the airport. We took the bus to Zurich Central where we caught Tram 10 directly to the airport. No worries about delays here as punctuality is a given in Zurich! Time is money after all!

     When we got to the airport, we spotted something which was rarely seen in Zurich! It's also my favourite place because of my favourite... 
    SWISS ROSTI! Healthier tasting one though!
    Sprungli chocolates to fill our craving while waiting for our flight


    So finally, our Europe trip has come to a close. Sheena went for her immersion course in Ireland while I returned to Singapore. Europe is absolutely lovely place to go to, and just observing the culture and rich histories can be so much fun. I would definitely return to Europe given the chance, and look forward to opportunities which can get me to Eastern Europe too!

    One of the things to do as a couple is to travel together. No one else but the two of us really brought us closer. A better understanding of one another and how we perform and react under stresses. Although we spent some time far from each other during my programme in Ireland, we grew far stronger together through this trip and it will form a beautiful part of our memories! To all our readers, thanks for following our Europe trip and do check back for more updates on the life of Doublehellos!





    Kerwyn & Sheena said hello at 17:54 | Labels: , , | 0 comments |

  2. Waking up really early because I booked the wrong train timing, we took the Roman metro from station Republica to station Termini where we took Trenitalia from Rome to Venice. Their tickets can be booked on their homepage for as low as 39 Euros if you book it early. As we managed to get a hotel on the island side of Venice, we were headed for S.Lucia station.

    We had a bit of trouble locating hotel Abbazia as in was in a small alley that was immediately to the left of the Termini. 
     
    It's nicely tucked away and it's pretty quiet and peaceful. It was under renovations during our stay, so it should be newer for future visitors! 
    Lunch wasn't a problem as cafes with reasonable food are in the vicinity of the S.Lucia station, which is also within walking distance of our hotel Abbazia. The vaporetto stop 1 was the most common route that ran up and down the Grand Canal. In order to take this vaporetto for an unlimited amount of times, be sure to go to the train station at Santa Lucia, and look for a tourist booth at the right side. You can purchase a Rolling Venice card which entitles you to many perks as long as you are 14 - 29 years of age.

    Our vaporetto (water bus) has arrived!
    It's really nice to enjoy the ride along the Grand Canal in the wintery weather although it might get really cold at night. It's interesting to see how the buildings are so close to the water! All along, Kerwyn kept explaining on how the people who founded Venice built their houses on the lagoon. All I know is that it's really beautiful!


     Spotted my dad's company's outlet! Such a small world haha
    Gondolas waiting for their gondoliers and customers!
     The famous Rialto bridge! Together with Campo San Margherita it was our sightseeing place for the day. Venice has no road vehicles, so you either make your way around on foot or on water buses! All we can tell you is get lost! Literally, since a map doesn't help much, just ask your way around to either St Mark's Square or the train station and you will be fine!
     Breathtaking sunset view from Rialto Bridge and a gondola in the foreground

    Before we returned to our hotel to conclude our day, we popped by the famous and beautiful St Mark's Square before heading to some random restaurant for our dinner. The prices are the highest around St Mark's, and if you are the kind to people watch it would be pretty worth it as you get to bask in the atmosphere while people watching.

    A wonderful dinner with our favourite Moscato in a random restaurant once again. Just look at menus and feel free to pick and choose whatever suits you!


    We wake to a bright and early tour of St Mark's Square and the Doge Palace! Meanwhile, lovely gondolas bobbing!

    Secret Itineraries is a tour which brings you into the Doge Palace, sort of their center of administration and parliament in the old times. Try booking it in advance here. They have tours in English so no worries. If you are interested in history, this tour will amaze you. If not, well you could at least visit the cell of the famous Casanova.

     After our tour, we vaporetto'ed around looking for lunch!
     and we found it!

     Sheena has been looking forward to a gondola ride down the canals of Venice, so since this is a mini-honeymoon trip, why not take it once in a lifetime right? It is pretty pricey with official prices set here. There are official stations around which you can bargain slightly, but if you go to the quieter canals you could probably get a better price. Since Sheena gets seasick easily we got a shorter trip for cheaper! 
    Whilst it was lovely to ride in a gondola, it can be considered as a once in a lifetime luxury experience as there is nothing extremely special about it except probably for the company you get - that is whoever is riding with you. Do give it a try if you have some spare cash, but don't fret about missing it!


    Gondola prices also rise as the sun sets so be sure to catch it early before the sky turns too dark! That concludes our second night in the lovely town in Venice with a gondola ride to wrap up the day!


    Waking up early again to catch the limited daylight, we encounter a huge fog on our trip to Murano, the famed outlying island for glass blowing. We were worried about the ferry's handling but it seems the watermen know the waters really well.

    Murano isn't much too look at nowadays, especially during non-peak seasons. Whilst some traditional glass blowers still operate in Murano, don't expect every store to be open. Perhaps if you are lucky you could catch the peak periods where there is more activity, but for us we just walked around and looked for some gifts for our parents.

    A memorable lunch by the riverside as it was well into lunchtime. The ferry trip does take quite a while (30++ mins) so do plan your journey! 

    Our next stop was Burano, where the name might not ring a bell, but the famous multi-coloured facade of houses would definitely register something. Those that you see on Nippon paint ads in the past. It was a tad disappointing when we got there though. The time was well about 3 pm and the daylight wasn't lasting much longer, and those houses with their old paint don't look as striking as they do in pictures we see. 

    In conclusion, if you have time like us, there isn't any harm in popping down by Murano and Burano. But if you have only two days to spare, feel free to give this island hopping experience a miss.


    Back on the main island of Venice we settled down for a nice dinner before popping by a drinks stall to grab a Moscato once again to enjoy back in the confines of our room. 
    Venice is a beautiful place, and our advice is not to rush things through as the only way to enjoy Venice is a relaxed one! 

    Next up, we will be going to the banking capital - Zurich!





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