World’s Greatest at the World’s Smallest – Vatican City

This is the last stop of our Europe Tour. Last but a very important stop – at the world’s smallest country/city state – Vatican City. We will be heading back to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.

We moved to a new hotel just meters outside the St Peter’s Square. We stayed in a very grand hotel, St Peter XI Temporary Room. Elkan loves this hotel. He said this is the best hotel we stayed in Europe. It is spacious and he likes his bed. At the hotel, Elkan discovered a new “Magic Door”. It is an old lift. He was having so much fun operating it.

There is no word I can use to describe the greatness and wonders I saw inside Vatican City. It defies impossibilities and it reminds the world the glorious master creations of man and God.

Saint Peter’s Basilica is truly legendary. For the first 5 minutes inside the church, I was speechless by its magnitude, magnificent interiors and grandeur. So was Elkan. He was quiet, looking around for one rare time! No photo, no word can define this experience. There aren’t many manmade places and wonders on Earth that can match up to its greatness. The Saint Peter’s Basilica defines breathtaking. It is so powerful and overwhelming. I felt so tiny and humbled in its presence. It stands today as one of the world’s largest, holiest and most beautiful churches.

Sistine Chapel (inside the Vatican Museum) is  the official site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new Pope is selected. Millions of tourists arrive each year to awe at its most famous ceiling painting, Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. The colours, the shadows and the perspective make the painting comes alive and 3-dimensional, it is simply amazing.

We spent our last night hunting for Chinese food (as per Elkan’s request) and we explored the back alleys on the other side of the Vatican City. It was gloomy and drizzling the entire day but the greatness of Vatican brighten our day and night. What a great place to end our tour!

This is it. Signing off from our little Europe adventure. Goodbye. Addio. Au revoir. 

Back to the Birthplace of Civilisation – Rome

All roads begin and lead to Rome. We are finally back to the place where our adventure started 10 days ago – Rome. Our 12-day tour is coming to an end. We save the best for last. To me, Rome is more than just the capital city of Italy, it deserves to be the Capital of the Modern World. I saw Rome in London and Paris but never vice versa. Rome is the building blocks of today’s cities. It is the birthplace of modern civilisation – the origin of Alphabet, social laws, religion, concept of democracy, literature, theatre, arts, road system, architectural, medical tools, concrete, cement, aqueducts, arena sports, Caesarean-birth and the Pope!. Without Rome, the world we know today would be a very different one.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. We want to experience and visit the marvels of Rome. There could never be a better spot but to park ourselves right in the heart of Rome – where its power reigned 2,500 years ago – right beside the Colosseum! Our hotel overlooked the Roman Forum, the Forum of Augustus, the Forum and Markets of Trajan, the Capitoline and its museums. The hotel owner was kind enough to offer us a room with a window view of the Colosseum. We were lucky to eat, sleep and live beside this magnificent 1,932-year-old structure – day and night!

We are overwhelmed by the Italians’ friendliness and great hospitality. The hotel manager was very kind and she spent 20 minutes showing us where to go and what to visit. I always judge a society/country by the way the drivers drive on the roads. The Italian impressed me! For more than a couple of times, when crossing the roads, the Italian drivers slowed down and gestured us to cross the road even though we weren’t on the zebra crossings. (For the record, all drivers stopped 100% at all zebra crossings.) This is incredible! Another observation is the size of their cars. We saw many Italian drive very very small cars (it could be the narrow alleys). It is just so comical to see the way they park their small minis along the roads. I wondered how the car is going to get out!

Rome is an easy city to navigate on foot. (Make sure you have a map and a good walking-shoes. Be prepared to walk a lot!) From the spectacular ancient ruins to the buzzing city piazzas to the grandeur of churches and museums, there are so much to explore and awe. It is not easy to get lost even if you don’t understand Italian, there are lots of signs everywhere to guide you to the famous destinations. And there are a lot of Italian policemen on the road, you can’t miss one. Simply just ask your way around.

We walked a lot in Rome – covering more 15km a day. We spent 2 days visiting the old and new venues of Rome – the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna, the Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II and the Campo dei Fiori.

Thanks to my friend Jaslyn, we visited one very unique attraction. She led us to a very creepy place – the Santa Maria della Concezione, where it showcases 4,000 human bones. This is a very famous underground crypt with the over 4,000 human remains whose individual bones were painstakingly arranged in ornamental designs of macabre art. The Ossuary Crypt was quite an eye-opener. Felicia and Elkan freaked out as I didn’t warned them about this place beforehand. The security guard forbid photography – I managed to shoot some with my iphone. It is worth a visit if you are ever in Rome.

There are also many interesting shopping streets (Piazza Navona and Via del Corso) and shops. However, look beyond the main Via del Corso street and go into the side lanes. Just like Venice, all the gems are hidden within the narrow streets. I found an unique carpentry shop selling handmade Pinocchio and other wood crafts. I can’t resist the wooden temptation and I bought 3 wooden swords. After days of (wallet-less) searching, Felicia finally found and bought her new Italian-leather wallet! And for Elkan, he was sick of the cheesy western food. He managed to spot a Chinese restaurant and he dragged us in! (Yes, he had lots and lots of rice!)

Night falls, Rome sets into another different charm. I enjoyed the colourful night lights at the back lanes. We saw so many street stalls / artists / cafes. There are so much things to see and buy, our old folks will enjoy this! I told Felicia that this is one place where my mum and Auntie Amy will certainly like. Rome is just so charming in an old way. Felicia, Elkan and I love Rome so much that we wished we have more time to explore this magnificent city. Borrowing Julius Caesar’s famous line “I came. I saw. I conquered.” Certainly, Rome wasn’t built (to see or conquer) in a day or two. This won’t be our last trip for sure.

The City of Love – Venice (Updated)

All 3 of us fell in love with Venice the second we saw the City of Water at the horizon. It was so mesmerizingly beautiful that it erased the 15-hour-overnight-train fatigue and our gloomy Paris experience instantly. Like a magic spell, it put the smiles and warmth back into our heart and refilled our minds with indescribable happiness. When we were on the boat towards San Marco, I saw the smiles and excitements on Felicia and Elkan’s face. At that moment, I knew we were in a very special place.

These big words aren’t overstatements or exaggeration. Birthplace and home of the great explorer Marco Polo, Times named Venice as one of the most romantic cities in the world. The New York Times described it as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man”. For those who are looking for a romantic getaway, I would strongly suggest Venice over Paris. It is not difficult to understand why.

The entire city is listed as a World Heritage Site. Venice is sited on a group of 117 small islands separated by canals and connected by over 400 bridges. Shaped like a fish, there is no car or even bicycle in the city. This is the largest car-free zone and possibly the 2nd richest city in Europe. To get around in the city, there are the private-&-very expensive water taxis, public ferries (traghetti & vaporetti) and the classical gondolas. Due to the absence of motorized vehicles, the mood of the city is very calm and relaxing. We stayed in a very nice hotel, Hotel Flora (recommended by Lonely Planet). The location is simply fantastic – right in the heart of San Marco and close to all the key attractions and branded outlets. The decor of the hotel and its courtyard are covered with vines and greens.

Venice is ideal for travelers of all ages – from kids to young love couples and to old family groups. The magic of Venice lies within its massive network of alleys. It is more than just taking a gondola down the narrow water passage. It is about getting lost, walking along the narrow cobbled lanes. There are so much to see, explore and discover – churches, museums, glass-blowing workshop, gelato parlors, masks galleries, leather goods shops, art galleries, cafes, leaning towers (yes, lots of leaning buildings) and the ravishing buildings. It is a very colourful city with distinctive characters and styles. Lost? Don’t worry, the Venetians are very warm, friendly and helpful. There are many young Chinese retail shop staffs – clearly, the Venetians are well-prepared to welcome the cash-strapped Chinese visitors.

Venice is a great place for photographers. Every corner is a photo opportunity. Thanks to the iconic buildings and mishmash of styles, colours & textures – every photo turns out like an oil painting. The smooth and calm reflections made the canals so enchanting. The city changes colour at different time of the day. Warm orangeish at dawn and pinkish at sunset. At night, the streets lit up with festive lightings – it is just so romantic and beautiful.

Unfortunately, the city is disappearing soon. According to NBC news, Venice is now sinking 5 times faster than thought at an alarming rate of 2mm/year. It is also tilting 1-2mm eastwards to the ocean. The tilt is so obvious to the naked eyes that you can see it. With the threat of rising sea level, 70% of the city suffered its worst flood on 11th Nov (merely 30 days ago). It must be devastating for the locals. Scientists have warned of recurring floods. This is going to be a new sad reality for the Venetians.

We were fortunate to avoid the recent flood. Felicia, Elkan and I truly enjoyed our stay in Venice. We spent 2 days walking and exploring the lanes. I have so much to capture on film. Felicia was so intrigued by the local crafts and arts. Elkan, he was in his own make-believe world – chasing pigeons and jumping over bridges. For once, Elkan didn’t grumble about the long walk. Surprisingly, he didn’t ask for our iPAD or iPhone. It’s one truly enjoyable trip for the family.

When it was time to leave Venice this morning, we felt a little sad. Surely, we will come back again to enjoy its wonder before it disappears. For one spur of moment, I seriously considered to relocate here – since my Fengshui master says I should be near water at all times! Thanks to its mythical and magical charms, Venice is the by far the most beautiful city I have been. And the one place where all 3 of us will remember and miss for a long long time.

Bang! And we arrived in Europe!

Surprise to many, this is the first Christmas vacation without the traditional companionship of our extended “family” – Tracy, Harshad, Kalinda or Lionnel. Due to our little disagreement in this year’s travel destination, we decided to go our own separate ways.  Felicia, Elkan and I head out to Europe while Harshad, Tracy and Kelly head for Bhutan (earth’s happiest kingdom). Europe has always been one of my top travel destinations since 2007. I am so glad that we finally made it this year. (At least, if the world really did end in Dec 2012, there will be one less regret to ponder about.)

We took red-eye to Rome and Tracy was very kind to escort us to our gate! I was very touched by her gesture and company! While waiting for our flight, I managed to take a photo with the work I created on the last day of its promotion. (Hahah…I am so proud to pose in front of the concourse shop! The security guard thought I was a weird tourist posing with the bottles.)

It took us a total of 22 hours and a few heart-attack moments to fly from Hong Kong to Rome and to London. We suffered 2 very unpleasant flights. Our flight to Rome was a terrifying one. 15 minutes before landing, there was a bright blinding orange spark inside the cabin, followed by a loud bang. The spark came from the wing. Passengers on board were whispering “what was that?”. Seconds later, a big lightning strike near the plane. I feared for the worst. Thankfully, we landed safe and sound  – this goes down as my worst flight ever.

Blame it on my kiasuism, I booked our next flight to London with a 5-hour gap. We parked ourselves at a cafe – no wifi, 3G. We were restless and bored. I went to the post office to send out a couple of postcards to my dear pals in Hong Kong. (It was more expensive to send postcards (€12) versus signing up for a 1-day €10 wifi package! No wonder not many write postcard these days.)

Our next flight to London was just as bad as the first one. It was a small plane and there were a lot roller-coaster moments due to the severe turbulence. The worst was the landing. The pilot failed the first landing and we had to attempt a second one. We were heading down too fast and the pilot made a steep climb. When flying over the Alps, Felicia took this stunning photo (below). At least, there is one beautiful moment on board.

The good news for me is there will be no more air travel from now till 17th Dec. For the next 10 days, we will be on the road (taxi, foot and rail) from London to Paris to Venice and to Rome. This will be one very exciting Europe trip for my wife and kid and I can’t wait to share more photos and stories here with my family and friends back home!