e a s t e r

My place was super happening this easter -- visitors from Zurich, Switzerland, came over to my humble abode for the 4 days of easter.. Jeff, Bernard and Paul.. Not to mention, a visitor from Stuttgart, Germany, came over for Good Friday too -- Quanhui.. And invited my Leipziger friends, Soon, Raymond and Tom, to travel with us somemore, so you can imagine how bustling my room was haha... Thank goodness it's quite gigantic.. ;)

Yup that's Leipzig in snow! And easter is supposed to be start of Spring hmm... Obviously very confused weather.. My housemates were saying that it must've known that I had missed White Christmas in Germany, so it was snowing just for me haha... Custom-made by God for a sua-ku Singaporean who hasn't seen so much snow before.. =P

Went to visit the Volkerschlachtdenkmal (yes, it's quite a mouthful, that's german for you hee, what fun..).. Looks a bit like some ancient temple though.. =P Surroundings were rather nice and serene.. Don't let the calm waters fool you though, the wind was blustering! I guess it's cos the part containing the water's sunk in, so the wind doesn't really get to it... Lucky thing..

Next up on the itinerary was Cospudener See (i.e. a lake), but guess what? It was sooo on the outskirts of civilisation that the bus does not announce bus stop names and the bus stops practically hide their names.. So we missed our stop and ended up at some ulu terminal.. At least the guys had a good sleep haha.. We got off and walked around and realised that it's actually an old mine..

Plenty of ulu-ness.. With a plant that actually looks like pussy willow! Reminds me of chinese new year sigh... =P

Finally reached Cospudener See! Woot!

Who're those tourists taking photos? Haha..

Group photo! From left: Quanhui, Paul, Bernard, me.. Jeff's the one taking the photo hee..

Went to Dresden the next day... Been there before, during my immersion trip 2 years ago actually, but kinda liked it, and it's quite near Leipzig, so didn't mind showing the guys around there.. Didn't take many photos there though, otherwise I'll get repeats in my collection haha.. Mostly visited the Porcelain and Old Masters' Museums in the Zwinger Palace, which I didn't do that last time.. They're super good lah! If you're the type who's into museums, of course..

Saw this really cool art piece, which I don't remember seeing the last time too.. Like some perspective drawing thingy...

And it comes with this quote even! Is this cool or cool? =P Sorry I'm lazy to translate it (I've had enough of translating lecture notes for the day, thanks), so if you don't understand it, it's time to learn german! Or at least discover the wonders of Babelfish.. ;)

There was even a demonstration against violence in Tibet! They were holding banners and waving flags and holding torches on the steps up to the orangerie.. Thank goodness they didn't mistake us for Chinese nationals and set us on fire..

The next day: Saechsische Schweiz! We woke up to snow but we're mad enough to go ahead with our plans of hiking SS.. It was freezing, especially when you're so busy taking photos that your fingers freeze cos you're not wearing your gloves.. =P It was totally worth it!! Took sooo many photos, all beautiful, but somehow it feels like they just don't do justice to the place.. The whole nature, whiteness, stillness, quiet of the place just envelopes you.. And we're like practically the only souls hiking up there (think everyone else saner waits till summer or just drive up)..

A bridge somewhere at the top already... My goodness, so breathtaking that it's little wonder those chinese poets can look at these kinda scenery and start sprouting poems..

Towards the end of our hike, in the afternoon, the snow was melting already.. So the tracks you see there are actually sloshy mud by then.. We had such 'fun' slushing through it, trying to stay upright especially when going down slopes haha..

More breathtaking views.. This is but a tiny fraction of the photos we all took, of course.. Any more and blogspot would be lacking in memory space haha..

Mountains, snow.. And there was a river even! What more can one ask for...

Group photo at the end of our loooong hike! From left: Soon, me, Lin, Tom, Bernard, Raymond, Jeff, Paul..

Went to buy Kartoffelbrot (aka Potato-bread) for brunch (hadn't tried it for myself, and Raymond was gushing about it so, haha) to let the guys try.. Wanted to get Leipziger Lercher (this cupcake looking thing that's kinda crunchy outside like tart pastry, and has marzipan inside, really delicious) too, but all the bakeries that were still open on Easter Monday unfortunately didn't carry it.. Was glad that the medieval market in front of the Altes Rathaus that opened for Easter was open that day too (you know how all shops are closed in Germany on public hols)..

It even had this 2-man-powered kids' ferris wheel..

Pig roasting!Pig almost all gone! Took this when we came back later in the afternoon for a city tour of Leipzig..

Lastly, gotta pay tribute to the Doner store we patronised on so many of those hungry nights! That's the problem with public holidays and Sundays here, supermarkets are never open! Oh well, at least there's the ubiquitous and relatively affordable Kebab stores! =)

a m s t e r d a m / b e l f a s t

I bought plane tickets for Leipzig-Frankfurt-Amsterdam, but due to the airport strike, my connecting flight from Frankfurt to Amsterdam was cancelled. Was told by the Lufthansa staff that I could either take the next next flight (cos the next flight was fully booked already) which was many hours later, or they could give me a train voucher for a direct ICE to Amsterdam. According to them, the next train leaves at 8.04am and reaches about 11am, but after I arrived at the train station with the train voucher, there was no such train!! Obviously they weren't using the updated train schedules.. -_-''' Anyway I just took the next train at 9.43am then, and had a free 'visit' of Cologne (for about 5 min when the train had a stop there). So that's the photo up there..

I actually SMS-ed my bro-in-law about the screw-up, but think my SIM-card didn't have enough credit, so it never got through. Thank goodness my sis called.. Was wondering whether they'll end up waiting as planned at the Airport instead of the main train station.. Anyway reached only at 1.35pm, so we rushed off to Albert-Heiyn Market (not sure whether I got the spelling right hee) to walk through and have some lunch.

Chocolate stall! Can you spot the naughty chocolates? Didn't notice until my sis pointed them out to me! =P Anyway the market is made up of stalls and stalls, one beside the other, lining the street.. Sadly the Stroop Waffle stall was closed that day..

But there's always the fried bites stall!! Woot!! Never enjoyed oysters so much before! Guess they're really fresh.. Basically deep-fried fish bits or oysters, then you choose the sauce -- garlic or remoulade sort of thing.. Sinful but oh-so-delicious!

Yup and I met Steph who's doing her SEP in Amsterdam too!! That's our first time eating raw herring! Fish so fresh that you can eat it raw.. And this is only 1 of the 2-photo set haha.. She's got the other one with her looking at the camera.. =P

Presenting Steph and her soured face! After eating the pickles that come with the raw herring haha.. Classic!! We went to the Rijksmuseum after that, which was really cool, liked the Rembrandt stuff, they even had the gigantic, famous Night Watch!! Unfortunately due to the earlier flight-screwup, we didn't have time to go to the Van Gogh museum... Went to her place to cook dinner and ate with 2 other fellow Singaporean NUS guys..

Then we cycled to the Red Light District! That's us trying to take a photo there without any of the infamous 'windows' (otherwise the pimps might just beat you up haha)... The 2 of us surveying the standard of the girls but her guy friend just kept going 'ducks! so many ducks!' haha.. Cos there's this tiny river stream running in the middle of the 2 streets.. Hilarious..

Went to Zuiderzee museum the next day.. Lunch: 3 types of fish, oyster bites, fries, fish soup -- totally drool-able!! As one would say in german: total lecker!! Every so often now, I keep thinking of the fish I've had in Amsterdam.. They're really so so fresh, I guess it makes up for the lack of authentic-typical-Dutch food.. The fish that you get in Germany (at least in Leipzig and Stuttgart) is quite pathetic, perhaps cos they're not states near the sea.. Really really enjoyed this meal I had there...

Basically, the museum is made up of old holland houses and shops which they transported all the way there, to recreate an old holland village. Really interesting, but sadly, it was still considered winter, so many shops were closed..

Candid shot in front of a windmill.. As you might have told by now, the weather was rather gloomy and threatening for most part of my trip in Amsterdam, and really windy too.. Part of the nutty weather the whole of Europe is experiencing this year..

My mum and I left for Belfast the next day on an Easyjet flight.. So glad there're budget airlines nowadays!

We met a Malaysian guy who works in Belfast, who was sitting in front of us in the plane.. He helped us with our luggage and even gave us a lift to the bus terminal (where we were supposed to meet my aunt) in his car! Yupz, so that's a photo of my mum, Kenneth (my cousin) and Pat Yi (my aunt) in the bus on the way to my aunt's house.. Had a filling sumptuous dinner of roast pork and naturally sweet carrots and other vege that my uncle cooked..

Went downtown the next day.. That's the Belfast version of the London Eye, but think it's still much smaller, than even the one in Singapore..

That's our sushi lunch from Boots haha.. My mum's choice.. Part of a set meal offer by Boots -- snack (I chose a chocolate brownie) + main dish (sushi/wrap/sandwich) + drink.. We just sat down in the cafe in Boots which was closed that day, to start on our lunch, when a staff came out of the cafe's kitchen with a tray of sandwiches and drinks for customers! So we had some extra food for free! haha...
Main attraction of our Belfast trip -- Marks & Spencers! You won't believe the range of stuff they have there! Really amazing.. There were some really good offers too -- chocolate and clementine cereals for only 10 pence! We just took all of the last 3 boxes haha.. Bought some cookies which were on offer too, and my sis' scones.. Didn't stay out long though, cos my aunt had diarrhea the previous night, so she needed to rest..

Found some pretty flowers along the way.. Beautiful, ain't it? Looks almost like it's glowing hee..

That's my aunt's garden behind her house.. They grow melons etc themselves! I was playing some kind of badminton and baseball with Kenneth in the garden the next day.. and my fingers almost froze off in the cold and wind haha.. Then it was off, back to Amsterdam..

Went to feed the seagulls with bread crumbs the next morning.. When you start flinging the crumbs off the bridge, the seagulls start to swoop around, trying to catch the crumbs in midair! So fun! =P Sophia was so seriously dropping crumbs off the bridge haha.. And there was this super noisy duck that quacked its complaints incessantly haha..

Hyacinths which my mum and sis bought at the Albert-Heiyn Market on the 1st day I arrived, blooming so beautifully! Flowers here are cheaper than in Singapore and so beautiful!

Managed to catch the Stroop Waffle stall at the market! Fresh, piping-hot Stroop Waffles! Caramel oozing out between 2 waffles mmmm... Simply heavenly.. I've seen the commercial kind being sold in supermarkets in Germany, but nothing can beat the fresh stuff, man!

Smoked mackeral! Super big one for just 3 euros! Really really tasty too.. Oh man, just writing this blog entry is making me drool.. =P And was having my last raw herring before leaving Amsterdam..

My mum and sis in her kitchen, where I spent many an evening cooking (or attempting to) under my mum's supervision.. My sis sending me off at the train station! I really must say, it was one whooping trip, especially meeting up and spending time with my family and steph and the good food.. =D

Back to Leipzig! That's the tiny (albeit not as tiny as the one at Karlsruhe-Baden) airport.. I was looking so blur, trying to buy a train ticket back to the city centre, that this American guy approached me and helped me out haha.. He also later helped out an Australian girl who teaches English in Leipzig.. Apparently he works at the Max Planck Institute.. And guess what? I actually bumped into him again in Leipzig a few weeks later! What a small world!

p o t s d a m

Oops, long overdue entry on my trip to Potsdam.. Was too busy preparing for my Amsterdam/Belfast trip and my Barcelona/Rome trip hee.. Anyway, I can't believe that I went shopping with my housemates till 10pm when the salespersons had to chase us out.. Then helped Agnieszka cook some Poland food for dinner! So basically went to bed only at 1am, and somehow managed to force myself up at 5am! Managed to reach the train station 5 min before 6am, which we arranged to meet at, but amazing Mr Raymond's handphone went flat the night before, so its time was wrong and he didn't wake up till I gave him a ring haha.. So we missed the train and took the next one, which lasted longer cos of the various connections, and we even missed our stop! Total screw-up sia.. =P But somehow was a blessing in disguise maybe, cos we didn't know there was a Potsdam Sansoucci train station which is just in front of the Sansoucci park! Finally reached and the photo up there's proof that spring's coming!! =) Pretty little purple flowers in the grass..

Chinesisches Haus.. aka chinese house.. Or rather, their version of what they think is chinese haha.. Sadly it was closed for winter, like some of the stone statues were boarded up with wooden boards for the winter too..

Not everything's played like a guitar, you know..

Nor the violin.. Haha.. Greek or roman looking statues in chinese clothes.. =P

That's the Sansoucci Summer Palace up there! After walking up the looong stairs with levels of plants.. I'm sure it'd look even more impressive with all the flowers up, but unfortutnately I can only be there for winter.. Oh well, better than never.. ;)

After climbing the steps!

That's the king who wanted to be buried with his dogs.. Poor guy only got his burial wish after a long long time..

Doesn't it have a greek feel to it? ;)

Problem with Potsdam is that there's really no other life, shops etc other than the Palace sights.. So went to the only restaurant we could find there -- Movenpick! Prices were a little steep (I'm getting to used to Leipzig east germany prices maybe haha), but food and ambience was good.. That's my veal and Rosti..

And Raymond's liver.. You should've heard him raving about it.. Too bad I'm not a fan of liver..

Artificial ruins! What would they think of next? That bit on the left is under renovation, bah.. =S

Just a cool silhouette photo taken on the way back from the ruins..

There's a windmill too! Can't believe I saw an 'old-type' windmill in Germany even before Amsterdam..

Nice symmetrical gardens.. Super big lalang plants eh?

Reached the Neues Palais (new palace) when the sun was kinda setting, was afraid that it'd be closed.. But luckily it wasn't muahahha..

That's it from the entrance!

Went to Berlin for chinese dinner haha.. It was good stuff sia.. Had a bit of time before our train back to Leipzig, so went to take a look at the Sony Centre.. Apparently Spiderman was filmed here before haha.. Cool yar?