#church of vaduz

[surelookbutnothingtoseehere]

[kirukkals]

Winter 2022 - Germany & more!

We had been wanting a holiday, a white christmas holiday and we got one. An unexpected work-related trip to Germany, and we grabbed the chance.

December 1st, 2022.

We boarded the Turkish airlines in Dubai and landed in Zurich. This was our second time in Switzerland, and our previous trip was in 2015 with our friend's family. We had been longing to come back. We didn't cover Zurich then, so ya, same country, but new city and this time during winter ! COLD! REALLY COLD! Ok, so it is not just Switzerland again. Our agenda was completely different. Read on…

A few days earlier...

Venkat calls mid day from work to tell me he has a business meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, during the 1st week of December. And as expected, my reaction was, yeaahhh.. I'm packing up.

We had been planning Germany for the past 4 years, and somehow it kept getting delayed - visa renewal, then we booked on a Russian airline for March 2020 & covid travel ban happened. When everything opened up, we didn't expect the Ukraine war, and Russian airlines were banned over EU airspace, so our Germany trip was far-fetched. Finally, it looked like it was time.

And I have to say, we were indeed very lucky to get a schengen visa appointment on such short notice. We quickly booked our tickets to the cheapest available option, which was Zurich, readied our papers for the visa process, and prayed a lot. It was all in a matter of 7 days, and when we received the visa sticker on our passport, we could already see snow.

We planned Switzerland & Germany, maybe the Netherlands if time permits. We never thought we would end up doing 7 countries in Europe in 13 days !

We decided to use the trains only for this trip, no self driving. Just mid the same year, we did a cross country drive in the Balkans. That goes in another blog for another day. So, let me stick to these 13 days now. We got a blast of a deal on the 10 day Global train pass over Black Friday sale, which can be used for most Schengen countries.

December 1st, 2022.

Zurich, Switzerland - Country 1.

We landed around 10.15 am. in Zurich. We were welcome to a 5 degree celsius kind of weather straight from a 25 degree in Dubai. As we stepped out of the airport to the train station, we realised the 2 layer clothing that we had would not be sufficient for the days to come. We took a train to our hotel Ibis. This is a really, really expensive country, and a triple room always costs more. A few years back, we had decided no more IBIS Budget, the room is always so small and the bathrooms… omg! Not again ! It was a transparent glass door for the shower with a translucent patch exactly where needed, not an inch higher or an inch lower. Separate toilet with proper door, but no lock. That is ok, but glass door for bath, and we travel with our girl (always!) She is 12 now! So, we pulled out the bedspread and hung it along the height of the door, creating the cover we needed, the first thing that we did after landing in Switzerland !!!

Evening, we went for a stroll to Lindenhof, and it ended up to be a hike, actually. The view from the top was spectacular. Being winter, no crowds at all. It was around 8 to 10 degrees celsius. And this time, we were prepared with jackets, gloves, snow boots, and all ready to take on the winter. So we assumed.

December 2nd, 2022.

Vaduz, Liechtenstein - Country 2.

Day 2, we decided to visit one of the smallest countries in the world, Liechtenstein. From Zurich, we took a train to Sargans and from there a bus to Vaduz, about 1.5 hrs for the total trip. Vaduz is one of the most beautiful, picture perfect little towns I would say. The castle towers over the entire place. The Prince of the country still lives there (lucky him!!), so the castle is not open for tourists. We just walked around the main town area for a few hours - castle, church, shops - beautiful & calm place. Definitely one of the richest in the world. We bought the smallest magnet to identify with the size of the country. We treated ourselves to a nice cup of Srilankan chai in the evening.

Evening we headed back to Zurich, to the Rapperswil, where the Christmas Market was put up. What a contrast to the calm Vaduz, it was buzzing with activity and lights, people laughing & drinking all the way! Zurich Lake is huge, and sunset was such a beautiful sight to watch! Temperature always starts to drop drastically after 5 p.m., and all around us, people are either smoking or holding a beer mug! We were the ones drinking hot chocolate and standing in front of the fireplace for some warmth.

Overall, it was a brilliant start to a much wanted vacation.

December 3rd, 2022.

Frankfurt, Germany - Country 3.

Here we come, Germany, finally ! Took the train from Zurich, about 4 hrs. As we entered Germany, the landscape changed visibly. You may call I am biased towards Switzerland, yes, I am, but still, I didn't find any beauty in the German landscape, not just yet. Just factories, lots of them, and more crowds everywhere.

Frankfurt, especially near the main station, where we stayed, was so crowded. You can see all kinds of people, immigrants, office goers, students, all busy running around, the place is not so clean, seemingly shady street corners, such a contrast from the neighbouring Switzerland, which was so neat, posh & calm. Frankfurt is a bustling business centre. We stayed in a place called Hotel Apollo, which had a big room, decent accommodation. The best part near where we stayed was Hotel Saravana Bhavan! What a blessing! And the train station connectivity helped us move around. We spent 6 nights in this place.

Christmas Markets in Germany are definitely quite famous and rightly so. It was ten, twenty, thirty times bigger than what we saw in Zurich! It was like a whole city in itself. The old town area was lit up in the evening, and the place was crowded like a music concert party ! We had to push through every street, like how we used to do in Ranganathan street, T.nagar during Diwali times! All Chennaiits can relate to this ! We had the famous kinderpunsch drink, tried the chocolates and pastries, so many small stalls, all handmade dolls, arty stuff and all so beautiful ! We walked and walked and that was the only day we were out late in the night I guess, for a long time despite the freezing cold ! (Temperature was 4 degrees or even less)

December 4th, 2022.

Black Forest, Germany.

My great friend from TCS days, Sara, lives in Germany. We met as a family in Baden-Baden and they took us for a drive to the Black Forest area. First, to the world famous cuckoo clocks in Triberg. What an amazing collection ! All handmade, authentic & beautiful wood art, 1000+ cuckoo clocks! Cost ranges from 50 Euros to over 1000 Euros! And yes, of course, we bought one for our home and to this day, our cuckoo coos beautifully, every hour.

We then went to the Triberg waterfalls and then the lake. Such a beautiful day, the weather was perfect, still very cold, but we did cope quite well. And we also managed to find an Indian restaurant, Rangoli, to have hot food in the middle of nowhere! An entire day spent with friends in such a lovely setting, is definitely unforgettable. Thanks to Sara & Mani for that !

December 5th, 2022.

Luxembourg - Country 4.

This country is a hidden beauty amidst Germany, Belgium & France. It takes about 5 hrs one way to reach from Frankfurt. We started early, so we could spend about 5 to 6 hrs in Luxembourg. All public transport is free here, people look cheerful & wealthy, yet another rich, well developed and maintained country. We walked to the main square, Grand palace, Notre-Dame, Christmas themes all around. We just had time to go to the town center where the mini Christmas market was warming up to welcome the crowds for the evening. We didn’t really have any agenda or particular places to cover, so we relaxed to take in the beautiful scenery around us.

Trams were crowded with university students in the evening, I in fact got left behind while boarding one, didn't have any money or mobile with me, but got into the next one quickly & I knew the stop to get down. Well, my husband's plan of leaving me behind didn't really work, haha! What a lovely place anyways to be left behind!

December 6th, 2022.

Brussels, Belgium - Country 5.

We boarded the train from Frankfurt morning, about 3 hrs to Brussels. Beautiful blue skies, amazing weather, (by this time, 7 or 8 degrees was actually pleasant for us), We indulged in Belgian chocolates, a must do thing. What a huge town square, architecture was especially notable in these buildings !!! Columns & Pillars in the Grand Palace were particularly intricate. Old style European architecture was all around, and we actually like such places. We visited the chocolate factory, but really, not worth all that hype. Think of it now, maybe we visited to escape the cold outside. Cadbury chocolate factory in the UK was actually much better and fun for kids & adults.

Unlike Luxembourg, Brussels was quite crowded and a big city, too. And yes, the most famous Mannekin Pis in Brussels! The story is that a little boy saved the city from dangerous fire by pissing on it. And so, there is this bronze statue in the city center, which shows a naked little boy pissing and creating a fountain. This is being decorated all through the year, some even worship, thousands of tourists visit to take pics, we did too. And the entire city had souvenirs showcasing this Mannekin Pis. So, later in the day, we headed back to Frankfurt after a stroll in the park.

December 7th, 2022.

Frankfurt, Germany.

Oh yes, I did tell you all that Venkat had a conference, it was today ! So, here comes our Mom & Girl day out. We went to the Christmas Market again and got some little cute stuff for the upcoming dad’s birthday. We strolled by the lake side, went to Eiserner Steg, the Iron Footbridge. And what is the obsession about hanging those lovelocks in the European bridges?!! Every place we have been to, we have seen this! May all the love flourish! We were just out a few hours without our man, it actually does get boring after a while.

December 8th, 2022.

Cologne, Germany.

Day 2 of the conference, but thankfully it got over soon. We could visit Cologne, and the most popular Cathedral there. If Frankfurt was crowded, Cologne looked nothing less, we visited in the evening, and the place was lit up totally. The Cathedral with its Gothic Architecture, alongside the Rhine River and the bridge, looks majestic in the evening lights. We were basking in the glory of the train journeys by now. All trains were neat and clean, had a coffee shop and ran nearly on time. Using the rail pass was a breeze.

December 9th, 2022.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - Country 6.

If Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is a very huge and busy train station, Amsterdam Central is equally big and very impressive. Of course, I like Switzerland trains and stations better, but Amsterdam follows closely. About 4.5 hrs from Frankfurt and we checked into Hotel Koopermoolen. The entire trip being train journeys and mostly exploring the city center by foot, we made sure all our accommodation was very near to the main station. We headed out immediately after dropping our bags, and I have to tell you, we felt the real cold from here actually. We had headed up north from Zurich. Temperature was around 4 degrees at noon! We started wearing layered clothing, woollen, 2 jackets, gloves, scarves, exposing only our eyes!

Amsterdam is known as the “Venice of the North'' and rightly so. The city center, the picturesque canals and those vibrant buildings all around, it has a definite charm. We walked to the Anne Frank house, unfortunately, didn’t know we had to book in advance, didn’t expect such a big queue there, all slots were fully booked for the next 2 days. We had to settle looking from just outside. Having read the Anne Frank Diary, it was disappointing not to visit the house, maybe some other time. And the Netherlands is definitely worth visiting more than once.

With Christmas around the corner, nightlife was extremely radiant and festive. My cousin Pavi & family live in Amsterdam. We met them for dinner, and they took us to a lovely Indian restaurant, Pind Punjabi. Food was yumm and we all needed the hot food and the warm indoors. Thank you Pavi & Karthik!

December 10th, 2022.

Zaanse Schans, Netherlands.

What is a visit to the Netherlands worth without seeing the windmills?! I have always wondered if those windmills will look really like the ones I have read in books about. The countryside, toy town look is what all those illustrations show. We went to Zaanse Schans along with our cousin's family.

What a cold, foggy morning it was ! About 1 degree, it also started snowing lightly. This place recreates the look of an 18th/19th century village. It is a residential area, though so many tourists visit all around the year, there is a sense of calm and peace. And after a few kms walk, we could see the first of the windmills, the fans of which cut through the thick fog. What a sight ! I don’t know what attracts me to those wooden mills, but true to the stories i have read, I was indeed taken back in time. The walk across the bridge on the river Zaan while it was snowing was magical. Then we saw those colourful wooden mills, all in a row, and most of them were still running. They are used for making chocolates now, house a restaurant or coffee shop and sell souvenirs. This place is a must visit for all those going to the Netherlands.

We had a train to catch at 3 pm to go to Hamburg, so had to say bye to my cousins as well as the mesmerising Zaanse Schans.

December 11th, 2022.

Hamburg, Germany.

We reached Hamburg the previous night, around 8 pm. Stayed at Hotel Novum for a night. And this hotel was actually very good, bang on the road, right opposite the station and a spacious room too. Went to Hotel Saravana Bhavan for dinner. What a blessing that we found this place nearby wherever we went on this trip. Now, the prime reason we had been planning to visit Germany for many years was actually for this - to visit the famous Hamburg Model Railroad museum. Not many are aware of this, but here is one of the largest miniature railroad museums in the world. Model railroading is a popular hobby in Europe, US & Canada, and because we follow it too, this was a must visit place on our list. To give a brief, modellers collect model trains, build a landscape for the trains to pass through, all in reduced scale. The landscape can be imagined or recreate some city or village as a miniature model.

Morning we quickly got ready and headed out to the museum. We have to book tickets in advance and book our time slots too. Definitely the place kept up to its name and fame. Various regions around the world have been recreated on a small scale. And once into that magic, one won’t realise it is a miniature world. If the Switzerland snow mountain is the theme, it includes the scenery, the train tracks all around the mountains, people hiking, all the snow games, the lights changing to show day & night set up and so on. What precise details !!! Lots to learn from every model that was there. I won’t delve more here, we spent more than half a day there, and worth every minute.

Caught an evening train to Munich, long journey, about 6 hrs. Reached our hotel, Amba, around midnight.

December 12th, 2022.

Innsbruck, Austria.

As I mentioned earlier, when we started this journey, we thought we would go to Switzerland, Germany and maybe the Netherlands. After getting the Global train pass, from Frankfurt we quickly did the neighbouring countries. Nothing planned ahead. But this last day plan of visiting Austria came all of a sudden, and we thought, why not! Was debating whether to take Munich to Innsbruck train or to take Munich to Salzburg train. And Innsbruck it was, all for the good.

It had been snowing heavily last night, and we stepped on thick snow mid day as we got out of the train. Weather was minus 9 degrees, it was freezing and sunny at the same time. The sight of snow capped mountains with the scattered clouds across the bright blue skies stays in the memory even today. Entire city center was neatly planned, roads parallel & perpendicular, all leading to the mountains. Amazing landscapes, we had a much deserving hot lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant, Masala, roamed around more till we could no longer stand the cold. We headed back to Munich later in the evening.

December 13th, 2022.

Munich, Germany.

Our last day for this trip, we had our flight in the afternoon to Dubai. In Munich, it was Marienplatz, the town centre and the architecture is known for its centuries old buildings. Lots of history to be explored, but as tourists, time flies in Europe, we always never get enough.

At the airport, we had another no boarding episode. After covid times, this is becoming quite too often, at least for us! Turkish airlines most likely overbooked passengers, they wouldn’t admit that, would they?! We thought our web check-in was complete, they just said you cannot board, please go to the ticketing office, which was right opposite. There, they requested if we are ok to take the Emirates, direct flight to Dubai instead of Turkey layover. Oh yes, that is an upgrade and definitely a bonus for us after a lovely 13-day trip. So took the ever so comfortable Emirates and landed in Dubai the same night.

More magnets were added to our fridge and more European memories !

As we look back now, it’s amazing to realise how well the Schengen states are connected. We travelled 7 countries, 3300 km, hopped on and off 36 trains, and did not feel tired. In fact, it has only left us wanting more.

[stocklivemarket]

If you are thinking of traveling to Vaduz, Liechtenstein, you are in the right place. Located in the European country of Liechtenstein, Vaduz is the capital of the country. Located in the west of the country, on the Swiss border, the city was founded along the Rhine River. The first place the Liechtenstein family conquered before founding this country bearing their name was the county of Vaduz. Therefore, the spiritual value of the city in the country is great. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQMNwsa8n34[/embed] Where Is Vaduz? Let us share with you some of the things you need to know when traveling to Vaduz. Located in the European country of Liechtenstein, Vaduz is the capital of the country. Located in the west of the country, on the Swiss border, the city was founded along the Rhine River. When To Go To Vaduz? In the city of Vaduz, where the oceanic climate is dominant, summers are warm and winters are cold.The hottest month of the year is July, and the highest temperature is 25 degrees, while the lowest is 14 degrees. The coldest month of the year is January. The highest air temperature is 3 degrees, the lowest air temperature is -3 degrees. Summer is the best time to go to the city. Best Places To Visit In Vaduz Although Vaduz attracts attention with all its cuteness and historical texture, you do not have a chance to wander around the city for more than 2 hours because it is quite small. The Liechtensteiniches Museum, Kunst museum and postal museum in the center of this small city may be of interest. Schloss Vaduz The symbol of the city and perhaps the country is Schloss Vaduz, in which the prince still lives. This is a castle. Located on the slopes of the Alps behind the city, this magnificent structure overlooks the whole country. It is possible to go as far as the castle, but you cannot go inside because it is the house of the prince. You will already see the 'Private Property' sign at the door. On August 15, when the country's national holiday is celebrated, fireworks displays are held here, and the prince even offers wine to his visitors on this day. The castle was built in the 12th century. Destroyed by a fire as a result of the Battle of Schwaben in 1499, the castle was rebuilt during this period. It was built to have a 360-degree view and allow the gunners to shoot at any point. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push(); The castle, which has been the property of the prince since 1712, has been home to the prince and his family since 1938. Today, Prince of Liechtenstein II. Vaduz Castle, the residence of Hans Adam, is closed to the public. It is only opened to the public on 15 August, the national holiday of Liechtenstein, and on this day the prince invites all the people of the country to the palace. Vaduz Cathedral Vaduz Cathedral, or Cathedral of St. Florin (German: St. Florinskirche in Vaduz or Kathedrale St. Florin) is a Neo-Gothic church located in the city of Vaduz. Vaduz is also the center of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Normally a town church status, the church gained the title of cathedral in 1997. It was built in 1874 by Friedrich von Schmidt on the foundations of a medieval church. His patron saint is Florinus of Remus (Florin), a saint known to have lived in the Vinschgau valley in the 9th century. . The Vaduz Archdiocese was declared by Pope John Paul II on December 2, 1997. In the previous period, the country of Liechtenstein was a subunit of the Swiss Diocese. With the official ceremony held on December 12, 1997, the proclamation of the archdiocese was celebrated and the Vaduz church, which was the town church until then, took the title of cathedral. Prince Franz Joseph II and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek were buried in this cathedral in 1989. Elisabeth von Gutmann is among the important people buried here. Liechtenstein Art Museum Liechtenstein Art Museum is a public art museum located in Vaduz. The museum building

was completed in November 2000 by Swiss architects Meinrad Morger, Christian Kerez, Heinrich Degelo. In addition to international modern art works, national art works of Liechtenstein are also exhibited in the museum. In 1968 Liechtenstein received 10 paintings as gifts. The following year, the Liechtenstein State Art Collection was established. This collection has expanded. Liechtenstein Art Museum, as it stands today, was established with private contributions. The Liechtenstein and Vaduz city governments started the construction of the museum. The museum was announced as a Millennium gift in the country, and the museum was officially opened on 12 November 2000. Artists whose work is in the museum's collection include Richard Artschwager, Bill Bollinger, Donald Judd, Gary Kuehn, Fabian Marcaccio, Steven Parrino, David Reed, Richard Serra, Keith Sonnier and Jessica Stockholder. Other Places To Visit In Vaduz Augstenberg Spitz Alpspitz Galinakopf Gorfion Transportation In Vaduz When you travel to Vaduz, you should also know how to get there. Vaduz is a very small city of 17.3 square kilometers. Therefore, it will not be very difficult to visit the city center and even its surroundings on foot. Even by car, it will take you 30 minutes to travel from start to finish. Vaduz Cuisine Your trip to Vaduz continues, if you can't decide what to eat, then it's time to talk about what to eat in Vaduz. Liechtenstein's cuisine has German and Swiss influences. Their most famous dish is “Käsknöpfle mit Apfelmus”, a pasta with melted cheese served with apple sauce. Another popular dish is “Ribel”, a cornstarch-based dish that is usually served with milk, coffee with milk or sour cheese. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push(); Pancakes called "Tatsch/Kratzete" are also famous. Liechtenstein has more than 100 wineries. Very serious levels and very high quality wine production is carried out in the country. The most famous wines are those made from locally grown Pinot Noir and Müller-Thurgau grapes. Popular restaurants Old Castle Inn Torkel Adler Vaduz. Tip: In Liechtenstein, if you are satisfied with the service, it would be appropriate to leave 10% of the total account as a tip. Shopping In Vaduz Wouldn't you like to beautify your Vaduz trip with shopping? Gifts you can buy from Liechtenstein for your loved ones can be Swiss made watches and chocolates, handmade porcelain puppets, delicious Liechtenstein wine, Swiss army knife, handmade fountain pen, trinkets, Liechtenstein stamps, ceramics, glass, wood and porcelain, decorative products and textiles. There are many souvenir shops in the city where such products are sold. Vaduz Nightlife Nightlife in Vaduz, which is a small city, is not very active. There are several pubs and bars in the city center. When you travel to Vaduz, do not leave without tasting the nightlife! Vaduz Festivals Opera Festival (March-April-May) Film Festival (July) Liechtenstein National Day Celebrations (August 15) Vaduz Public Holidays New Year (January 1) Epiphany Feast Of The Blessed Virgin Mary St. Joseph's Day Monday Before Easter Labor Day (May 1) Hz. 40th Day Of The Ascension Of Jesus Pentecost Catholic Feast Liechtenstein National Day (August 15) All Saints' Day Christmas (25-26 December) Useful Information For Vaduz Emergency Help: 112 Fire: 118 Police: 117

[liechtensteinprincelyfamily]

Prince Wenzel's christening, 1995

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#vaduz #liechtenstein #kirche #church #kunstimöffentlichenraum #vaduzcathedral (at Vaduz, Liechtenstein) https://www.instagram.com/p/CY50ZkGIPn8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[frankfurt-limousines]

Lichtenstein-Vaduz #lichtenstein #vaduz #kathedralestflorin #church #architecture #buildingexterior #builtstructure #building #placeofworship #sky #tree #religion #belief #spirituality #plant #nature #kirche #city #day #cloudsky #spire #outdoors #clock (hier: Kathedrale St. Florin) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF9glOIhLnm/?igshid=12qdvli1glpy6

[nyame-adi]

So the flavour of the month(year and forever because I just love this place) is still Switzerland and in continuation from last weeks post here are:

10 things I wish I knew before I moved to Switzerland

You do not have to carry the whole of the UK in your suitcase

Moving to a new country, you would want to prepare to make your transition as smooth as possible in real african nature  my mum had it in her mind that it is smartest thing to get me to clear out the shelves in Argos, Lidl, Ikea and Tesco- basically everywhere that would take our money! – Guys I went to this country with 4 suitcases a blender, a sandwich maker( I DIDNT EVEN LIKE SANDWICHES LIKE THAT TO CARRY ONE) cutlery, vaccum packed pillows and plenty packs of Maggie cube, the list extends,  but it was too much.Now, I’m not knocking being prepared for a big move and sometimes it is much cheaper to bulk buy, but I learnt the hard way…. you need to be reasonable with the lists you make. I made a list based of what I would need for university but in reality I  realised when my tenure ended(the hard way) that I packed wayyyyy too much. This included some things  I never used(not proud to say it) – coming home was misson impossible, getting on 2 trains with a journey of a duration of 2h30 from Lucerne to Zurich, navigating the airport before catching a flight to the UK with +4 suitcases BY MYSELF.Lesson:  You do not need to carry a sandwich maker unless you really like sandwiches otherwise then do you. okay well the main lesson is be kind to yourself and let the things you don’t need go.

Take ALL your seasonings with you

If you like flavour – just to do it, thank me later because the seasoning game in switzerland is WEAK, sorry not sorry. As someone who loves food and cooking I remember struggling to find common jerk seasoning – alternatively amazon is the plug for all your tropical sun seasonings – have no fear amazon is here. I did hear from my aunt that if you’re in Zurich you will be able to get supermalt, african seasonings and food items in and around Stauffacherstrasse, tram stop Helvetiaplatz, been there once or twice and there’s a nice little community of africans there.Lesson:  Jollof without Maggie/stock cube is not Jollof.

Time is your friend

I think that goes for everything – take time and settle into your environment because its not going anywhere, in my previous post  I mentioned I took quite a while to settle into my environment (which is normal) but rushing the process or feeling bad for not adjusting is not going to help anything if anything it really kills the vibe.Lesson:  Take time, Enjoy the View and settle in.

Almost everything closes on a Sunday – Don’t eat all your snack on Saturday

Self explanatory really, do all your shopping in the week and leave sunday for Church and chilling less commercialism enhancing the quality of life.Lesson:  Get Organised! Leave that packet of popcorn for tomorrow, you will not die. HA BA!

Make friends

NO ONE IS SAYING GO AND CARRY THE WHOLE NEIGBOURHOOD ON YOUR HEAD. BUT no interaction is done with only one person (As in yo, yourself and you). I’m an introvert so I can easily get aorund by being locked in a cocoon and coming out when I feel like it which is usually NEVER! Nothing good comes from being in a foreign land alone.Proverbs 13:20 : Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.Lesson: It easier to get around if you know people who can direct you accuratey and with love. No man is an Island and sometimes you can be your own companion of fools.

Home is where YOU make it

Get comfortable – HI HELLO WAKE UP, this is where you are at now! looking back at what WAS home will rob you from what is NOW home, focusing too much on where you want to be will steal todays joy. Buy that lamp you wanted! Create that chill corner! Do what you got to do. The worst thing for me was being somewhere I called home that didn’t feel like…home because I chose to blame my environment for not being like what I knew.Lesson: Get settled girl, take responsibility for your HOME – rest your roots and ease them out when it is time to bounce.

Stienhofstrasse outside my window

Stienhofstrasse accomodation

Stienhofstrasse

Should have been #1 – Your faith will keep you

Its easy to be very anixous when you are away from home and I can’t lie I did and still do sometimes fall into the trap. If you’re like me you’d think youself into oblivion and if you do not CHECK. YOUR. SELF. You’ll just spin into a web of fears. Take it easy! Foh Ril! this is a good time to get grounded and cling on to God replace those thought’s with His wisdom and knowledge all packed into His divine word.

What if i get lost on my walk? What if someone kidnaps me? What if i run out of money? What if i get ill? Who will care for me? What if i don’t make friends?

Lesson: Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Stay humbled and find peace, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.                             

This is your passport in (to Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein)

Switzerland is beautiful nestled between other picturesque countries. Unlike the UK it is more feasible to access these places without having to do too much. Infact some countries do not even require getting on a plane to get there.

ZURICH TO MUNICH: 370 KM ; 3h30 on cars; 3h45 by Flixbus; 4hrs by train; 50 mins -1hr by flight

ZURICH to LYON: 419 KM; 4h51 by car; 5h by train; 1hr-1h30 by flight

ZURICH TO COMO: 235 KM; 2h51 by car; 3h by train; 55min flight to Milan and 40 min train journey

ZURICH TO VADUZ: 109 KM ;1h5-1h30 by care; 2h40 train; no flights …Lesson : This leads me to the next point.

Day trips for the win

Need a say more? I used to get so bored staring out my window wishing I could do more with my time. Its not until I took my first trip to Bellinzona that I realised that THIS DAY TRIP THING IS A SHOUT! All it requires is a little planning so you don’t miss your bus or train back home and this can be done pretty easily – when I had last visited Switzerland I took a day trip which took me through the North of Switzerland up until Stein Am Rhein( boardering Germany) and back to Zurich – We had multiple stops and our tour guide provided us with many a dead joke, jkjk, she brought the vibes and told us many a story paired with a couple history lessons –  I booked the day trip on the day  (early morning of course) at the ticket office in Carparkplatz Sihlquai 2 minuets from Zurich Central Station.

Lesson: Can’t put a price on the experience

No experience is too expensive

Especially if it will infrom your understanding of the world today.

So there you have it 10 things I wish I knew before I moved to Switzerland.

      10 things I wish I knew – Switzerland So the flavour of the month(year and forever because I just love this place) is still Switzerland and in continuation from last weeks post here are:

[european-royalties]

Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein died earlier at the age of 81. She had been hospitalised since Wednesday after suffering a stroke. Her family was with her when she passed away in the hospital in Grabs and the announcement stated that Princess passed away peacefully and with great trust in God after receiving the holy sacraments. Church bells rang across the small principality between 8.15 and 8.30 P.M. The 81-year-old Princess was the wife of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II. Their son, Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, has been regent of Liechtenstein since 2004. Marie and Hans-Adam have a total of four children together and they also have 15 grandchildren. Liechtenstein bars women from inheriting the throne and so their only daughter Tatjana is not in the line of succession. Marie was born on 14 April 1940 in Prague as the fourth of seven children of Count Ferdinand Carl Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau and his wife Countess Henriette, née Countess of Ledebur-Wicheln. Her engagement to the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein – her second cousin once removed – was announced in 1965. They were married on 30 July 1967 at St. Florin’s in Vaduz. © @royal.central #LiechtensteinRoyalFamily #LiechtensteinRoyals #PrincessMarie #PrinceHansAdam #Monarchy #EuropeanRoyalties https://www.instagram.com/p/CS8WZl7Fw9M/?utm_medium=tumblr

[silentambassadors]

Ruhe in Frieden, Hildegard of Bingen.  A Benedictine abbess, as well as a writer, mystic, philosopher, philologist, all ’round polymath, and one of only four female Doctors of the Church, St. Hildegard wrote, composed, invented languages, had visions, and founded the German study of scientific natural history.  She died on this date in 1179 at the age of 81.

Stamp details: Stamp on top: Issued on: August 9, 1979 From: Bonn, West Germany MC #1018

Middle stamp: Issued on: April 16, 1998 From: Berlin, Germany MC #1981

Stamp on bottom: Issued on: March 7, 1983 From: Vaduz, Liechtenstein MC #817

[amarnathpallathsblog]

Saturday Page --- Amarnath

(Travelogue - Leaf 2)

It was in 2007 that my wife and I had the chance to be in the smallest two countries in the world of the less than 200 total countries that exist as of now.

As we dropped down the tourist bus it was drizzling and as we were advised to carry our umbrellas we took shelter and walked around Vatican. From the return of the popes from Avignon in 1377, they have generally resided within what is now Vatican City. To be the smallest country Vatican is with an area of 0.44 square kilometers. We walked around St. Peters Square and what impressed me were the gigantic pillars that had the majestic look. The architecture is worth details.

An Absolute elective monarchy in which the head of Roman Catholic Church is the dominant power that oversees the smallest country. It is the Pope who exercises principal legislative, executive and judicial power over the State of Vatican City. Vatican City is one of the few recognized independent states that have not become a member of the United Nations.

Number of permanent residents is as small a number less than 1000 but the floating population on a normal day exceeds much higher.

The sixth smallest country in the world we visited is Liechtenstein on 8 May 2007. Land area is 160 square kM. This country remained under Frankish hegemony until the empire was divided. Territory was under East Francia and continued to be owned by dynasties.

Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east and north are borders of Liechtenstein. It is Europe's fourth-smallest country, with an area of just over 160 square kM and a population of about 40,000 people. Its capital is Vaduz. It is also the smallest country to border two countries. Economically, Liechtenstein has one of the highest GDP per person in the world. It was once known as a billionaire tax haven.

We both had our passports stamped with entry stamp as a memory. The round trip across the sixth smallest country made me think BIG!

In terms of area, India stands the seventh of the largest countries in the world and to visit these two small countries, I considered a privilege.

What we want to see is what we see. Seeing places is like understanding how small the individual is.

[parasholidays]

Looking for Summer Holiday in Europe? Get Best Ideas from Here!

If you love travelling and want to discover new places, people, culture, cities, cuisines and even about yourself then Europe must be in your dream destination list. It has everything to offer from historic monuments in Greece to popular landmarks in Paris to beautiful snow capped mountains in Switzerland to world class shopping in London, whatever your taste is, you can get the best opportunity to head towards Summer Holiday in Europe. You can choose from following packages at www.parasholidays.in.

Paris with Swiss

The most significant countries of Europe Group tours include Switzerland and Paris. The trip starts from Paris where the best things in life are bountiful. You can visit Palace of Versailles and feel inspired by the grandiose showcasing hall after hall. The Eiffel Tower is the major highlight of this happening city. Having a romantic dinner at the top of tower and majestic views of the entire city Paris and followed by a scenic cruise on the River Seine is the most magical things to do in Paris. Disneyland Paris and the celebrated night show, Le Lido are two favorite things of every traveler. Then visit Zurich where the charm of the Alps will capture you. You can head to Mt. Titlis for a splendid cable car ride, and see popular Titlis Rotair and take in amazing views of alpine glaciers and waterfalls and with snow rides would be cherry on the cake. You can go to the city of Lucerne where you can see its popular wooden bridges, and do shopping till you drop at quaint boutiques before heading to the admirable Rhine Falls. The towns of Interlaken and Bern make the Swiss Paris tour extraordinary in many ways.

Duration: 6 nights/7 days

Eastern Europe

Europe holiday Packages is perfect for culture enthusiasts who are curious to explore every nook and corner of a destination including cities including Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Brno, Cesky Krumlov and Karlovy Vary Prague.  Starting at Budapest, along with a visit to the Gresham Palace, a city tour will take you to buda, Heroes Square and other historical monuments. Your next stop will be Bratislava, where you can see the best of the region including St martin church, Grassalkovich etc. In Vienna, you can explore the city centre at leisure and the next day, take a brno tour. Proceed to see the exciting Prague including a visit to the Royal Palace, Old town square, Charles bridge and a lot more to make your trip memorable one.

Duration: 7 nights/8 days

Amsterdam Paris Swiss

Want a romantic getaway? Then the Europe travel packages include the most romantic cities in the world including Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland. You will surely reignite the passion as Paris is always a great idea. The city tour will take you to the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Disneyland and the list is never ending. Your holiday have the second level of the Eiffel Tower from where you can capture breathtaking sights. A romantic cruise is the best way to end your romantic day. Switzerland the city in everyone’s bucket list will include the visit to Lucerne, Interlaken and Engel berg. These days would be the best days of your life. Starting from Lion Monument, Champel Bridge to Jungfraujoch, Mount Titles’ nothing is left behind. Amsterdam will offer you panoramic city tour, Madurodam, The Hague beach will complete your trip on a happy note.

Duration: 8 nights/9 days

UK with Scotland

Families that plan trip together stay together! Make memories during Europe group tour packages in Manchester, Windermere, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London where you will take a tour to sites like Lake District tour, Glasgow city tour, Edinburgh Castle, Glencoe Highland tour, more. London is next on the itinerary where you can go on city tour along with Madame Tussaud and London Eye. A must-not-miss destination of Europe, thus start planning for this summer.

Duration: 8 nights/9 days

Affordable Europe

The Ultimate Europe Group tours from India include these cites London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hague, Paris, Titisee, Zurich, Vaduz, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Vatican City, Venice, Rome, Pisa, Milan and your trip is incomplete without visiting the specialties of these cities. From beginning to London Bridge Madame Tussaud’s wax museum should be listed. The next destination is splendid Brussels city with the visit to Grand Palace & Manneken Pis Statue, Art Deco Building of Golden Era. The favorite of whole Europe is Paris for its awe inspiring tour covering Arc de Triomphe, Trocadero, The Louvre (outside), Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower (2nd Level), Disneyland, River Seine Cruise, Lido displayed all in one city. Switzerland the heaven on Earth includes visit to Lucerne, Interlaken and Engel berg. This would definitely be a treat to your senses. Similarly the cities of Austria will amaze you through Innsbruck City Tour, Golden Roof, Imperial Palace & Imperial Church and Swarovski's Crystal Museum. Fall in love with the city of Italy by going to Venice, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Rome and this country would surprise you at every tourist attraction. 

Duration: 14 nights/15 days

So just start planning for your summer trip before it is too late!

Source- https://www.parasholidays.in/blog/summer-holiday-in-europe/

[worldstreetjournal]

Liechtenstein - Vaduz the Capital

From Austria to Liechtenstein

I made a short day trip stopover in Liechtenstein (itinerary), the tiny principality wedged between Austria and Switzerland. It was an early morning train, so I bought breakfast at the train restaurant, but only the hot chocolate was good. Austrian trains were the cleanest and most comfortable trains I experienced in Europe so far. The train slowly passed by Austrian towns and briefly into Germany, before I alighted at the border town of Feldkirch to take a bus into Liechtestein. I was happy that an opportunity arose to pass by Liechtenstein as I thought of all the European countries, Liechtenstein seemed to have a lot in common with Singapore. 

Things that Liechtenstein and Singapore seemed to have in common: - Small - Expensive to live in - Political stability - Open to trade - Developed finance industry

Turns out, Liechtenstein was way smaller than Singapore than I thought. At 160 km2, it is much tinier than Singapore which has aggressively reclaimed its way to over 700km2. Everything in the capital of Vaduz also seemed really miniature, from its tiny castle to the church. Much of Liechtenstein is also covered in mountains and the nature remains pristine in most places, unlike Singapore’s urban jungle landscape of skyscrapers. It also seems to be really expensive to live in Liechtenstein. I had an kebab for around 10 euros, which is a price unheard of for a kebab up to that point!

Information center, must stop for maps and souvenirs

Vaduz Castle

Liechtenstein is now a constitutional heredity monarchy, with the prince as head of state and state administration by the government. Vaduz is the capital of Liechtenstein, and it is a latin name dating back to the time when Romans ruled the area. The main sight in Vaduz is the Vaduz Castle, which is around 700 years old and is not open to visiting as the royal family is still living in it. There are some museums in Vaduz as well, such as a modern art museum and a postage museum that houses important documents from Liechtenstein’s history.

Beside the museums and information center are the government buildings of Liechtenstein. The parliament buildings are next to its cathedral, built in a neo-gothic style. Vaduz on a whole was generally very small, and I think it was only a 15-20 minute walk from one end to the other. A rare beautiful winter day was not to be wasted indoors in a museum, hence I opted for a hike from Vaduz to Triesenberg after a short stroll around Vaduz.

[lexieanimetravel]

2019 was a blissful and abundant year for us. Traveling is like conquering and unlocking a new skill for geeks like us. I’m very happy to introduce you to the best places in Europe that we’ve visited for the whole year of 2019.

Now, the question is, where did we go? What did we discover? Honestly? We have discovered the real rare gem of Europe, and I know it’s not over yet. There are still thousands of places to unlock.

Enfin, (finally) I’ve chosen 22 places from all of the places that we’ve toured in revisited in 2019. Some of them are not yet posted here in the blog, but anyway, here is your chance to know more about our travel adventure in the prior year.

Among all the best places in Europe that we’ve visited, we have revisited France and Germany mostly. Followed by Austria and last but not least, we have also visited new countries, like Slovenia, Liechtenstein, and Monaco. 

Top 22 Füssen Germany

Getting to Füssen Germany was not really on our original plan while visiting the Bavaria area of Germany. One day while searching online, I remember the day when we pass through the town of Füssen on our way to our hotel. So I’ve decided to give it a try, and there is it the magic happens.

Though it was only a few hours of visit, we had a really great time here and fully enjoyed the quick excursion. So I considered it as one of the best places in Europe.

Füssen lies just in the north of the Austrian border. It’s most proud of its Gothic castle, Hohes Schloss, and houses a regional art museum. Its museum of St. Mang’s abbey showcases Füssen’s violin, and lute-making industry.

Read more about adventure in Füssen Germany, the romantic Bavarian town.

Top 21 Bonn Germany 

Bonn is the place that I would put on the best places in Europe in the top 21. We’ve visited Bonn in spring, the best part of it was the exposition of Beethoven statues at the center of the city, and it was quite impressive.

Another thing that I’ve enjoyed while visiting Bonn was the convenience of wandering its city center on foot.

Bonn can be found in western Germany, resting in the Rhine river. It’s known for the central Beethoven House, a memorial and museum honoring the composer’s birthplace.

In its environs are Bonn Minster, a church with a Romanesque cloister and Gothic elements, the pink-and-gold Altes Rathaus, or old city hall, and Poppelsdorf Palace housing a mineralogical museum. To the south is Haus der Geschichte with post-WWII history exhibits.

Top 20 Amsterdam the Netherlands

On our top 20, I’ve chosen Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. I’ve visited this beautiful city with a friend. It was super exciting since there were only two of us traveling. Traveling to Amsterdam was the third time for me and 5th time in Holland. I would definitely put it on my list of best places in Europe.

Amsterdam is known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age.

Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. This city has a lot of Cycling enthusiasts, it is actually one of the city’s main transportation since it has a numerous number of cycling paths.

Top 19 Koblenz Germany

Visiting Koblenz was our first time the same as Bonn, strolling in this city was a never-ending story of shopping spree. The center was considerably an enjoyable place to tour.

Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine, where it is joined by the Moselle. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its name originates from the Latin confluentes, meaning the confluence of the two rivers.

Some of the interesting places to see are the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz Cable Car, Forum Confluentes, the Old Castle (Alte Burg), Stolzenfels Castle, The Basilica of St. Castor, Ludwig Museum, and many more. 

Top 18 Hohenschwangau Castle

Continuing our list of best places in Europe, next in line is the Hohenschwangau Castle. This castle is pretty less popular than Neuschwanstein. Well, at first I haven’t heard anything about this castle. But when I started to browse more details of the Schwangau area, Hohenschwangau Castle is one of its top tourist sites.

Hohenschwangau village settled in the southeastern state of Bavaria. Known for the Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired Walt Disney. On the other hand, there’s the neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau Castle. It is the summer residence of King Ludwig II, with ornately furnished staterooms.

Both of these castles are built for 19th-century Bavarian kings. Read more about our travel adventure in Hohenschwangau Castle. 

Top 17 Sélestat, France

Sélestat has become one of my favorite towns in Alsace, France. It has the most expected highlights, especially its most looking forward storks living allover its town.

It’s our first time visiting Sélestat as well. We had so much fun enjoying the view of the stork with their huge nest on top of the buildings and houses in the center of the town. You can read our adventure in Sélestat, the land of Storks.

Sélestat is a commune in the north-east region of France. An administrative division of the Bas-Rhin department. The town lies on the Ill river, between the largest communes of Alsace, Strasbourg, and Mulhouse, 17 kilometers from the Rhine and the German border.

Top 16 Stolzenfels Castle

Proceeding on our next best places in Europe list is the Stolzenfels Castle. A very charming castle, located near Koblenz on the left bank of the Rhine in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Stolzenfels Castle is a former medieval fortress castle, turned into a palace. It was gifted to the Prussian Crown prince Frederick William in 1823. We visited this castle, and it was absolutely stunning! Some features of this castle resemble the castles of my favorites series, the Game of Thrones.

I would definitely recommend this place when visiting Koblenz, though the castle guided tour was quick, I still love the fact that they let us stroll in the interior part of the castle. It was amazing!

Top 15 Obernai, France

Moving on, we have Obernai in Alsace, France. From our Alsace trip, Obernai is one of those towns that we have visited. It wasn’t actually our plan to visit here, but since the wine tasting place was located in this town, thus, we’ve decided to do a quick tour here.

Obernai is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It occupies the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.

Some of the top places to visit are Old six-bucket well (1579), Clocktower (Kappelturm), Wheat Market (Halle aux Blés), Romanesque house in the Rue des Pélerins, Old Synagogue, and many more.

Discover more about the charming beauty of Obernai, Alsace. 

Top 14 Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque

From our recent travel to Southern France, we went to faire un tour (visit) in a special place Notre-Dame of Sénanque Abbey, located near the village of Gordes in Vaucluse Provence. 

This place is commonly known for its remarkable lavender fields. However, we went here after the lavender season. There weren’t lavender anymore, but it doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to visit here. 

Since the 12th century, the Abbey of Sénanque is one of the purest examples of the primitive Cistercian architecture. The Abbey shelters a community of Cistercian monks who lived according to the rule of Saint Benedict.

Guided tours (in French) are also available in the Abbey. I recommend you to proceed to the Bibliothèque of the Abbey. You’ll surely enjoy your time there, reading some of the rarest books.  

Top 13 Vaduz Liechtenstein 

Vaduz Liechtenstein would be on our top 13 on the list of best places in Europe to visit. Since I was telling about a lot of first times, visiting the new unlock country Liechtenstein, Vaduz (capital city) has left a remarkable memory for our 2019 travel escapade.

We drove to Vaduz from our visit to Bavaria and got a one day tour in its capital city. The most interesting part is that, seeing those strange car plate numbers with the letter (FL) representing its country. Which was also my first time seeing it.

Vaduz sits on the Rhine River near the Swiss border. One of its beautiful places to look up to is its Vaduz Castle dates back to the 12th century and is a royal family residence. Other places that you should check out are the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein displays modern art and the National Museum (houses archaeological and cultural artifacts)

Check out Things to do in Liechtenstein, Travel Guide for first-time visitors.

Top 12 Fontaine-de-Vaucluse

Occupying the spot of top 12 is Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. From our recent family visit, we went to explore a new town in France, and it was this small with a very unique atmosphere town called Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. 

It is a perfect place to stroll with the family overlooking the rocky mountains surrounding the town. Don’t forget its picturesque scenery, and as well as it’s magnificent spring with crystal clear freshwater.

The name Vaucluse comes from the Latin phrase vallis clausa or closed valley. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse (“spring of Vaucluse”) is built around the Fontaine de Vaucluse, a spring in a valley at the foot of the Vaucluse Mountains, between Saumane and Lagnes, not far from L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. It is named after the spring, the source of the River Sorgue.

I would, without a doubt, recommend this small town. Though I haven’t posted anything about this travel adventure that we had, I promise to share it with you as soon as I can. More information about our whole experience will be out really soon. 

Top 11 Salzburg Austria

In our top 11 best places in Europe is Salzburg Austria. Once again, a new city to add our visited list, so I’m so proud of our achievements as travelers. Salzburg has been on my list to visit, and finally, this wishlist came true in 2019.

On our European road trip, we conquered 2 countries Austria and Slovenia. We stayed in a hotel near the border of Austria and Germany. Salzburg was really pretty, a lot of beautiful places to visit, for me, it’s like a small Paris.

Salzburg features views of the Eastern Alps. The city is divided by the Salzach River, with medieval and baroque buildings of the pedestrian Altstadt (Old City) on its left bank, facing the 19th-century Neustadt (New City) on its right. It is also known for it is the birthplace of famed composer Mozart.

Top 10 Monte Carlo Monaco

Down to our top 10 best places in Europe is Monte Carlo in Monaco. For the very first time, we vanquished more than 1,200 kilometers of a drive from Brussels to Monaco. Passing all the Péage (toll) places in France to Monaco, I wouldn’t say how much we paid (lol) but, it’s part of the adventure.

I remember before watching the Monte Carlo movie of Selena Gomez and, now, I’m here. It was such a pleasure to be able to visit this extravagant city.

One thing that I didn’t expect though was, the fact that it wasn’t that expensive as I have thought it would be. I know Monte Carlo is an expensive city, and Monaco is a prominent rich country. But in terms of prices, It wasn’t that expensive as when we were in Switzerland.

I would surely recommend visiting Monte Carlo. You’ll be enchanted by its beautiful sites like Monaco Cathedral, Napoleon Museum, Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and many more. 

Top 9 Gordes Vaucluse

Looking at the photo, you’ll probably think that it’s from Greece or Italy or Spain but No! It’s from Gordes Vaucluse, France. This magical town is located in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.

The residents here are known as Gordiens. Have you heard about it before? I’m sure it’s your first time to hear it. It sounds like a greek or ancient name of heroes, right?

The territory of Gordes occupies some of the group of mountains and hills (Les Monts de Vaucluse) part in the valley of the Calavon (a local river) also called the Luberon Valley.

Wandering in this small town, made me feel like visiting Malta. It has that Game of Thrones vibe. From its narrow cobbled streets, ancient atmosphere, and the castle presence, it makes it more like a feeling to be part of the GOT series.

Top 8 Colmar Alsace

Meanwhile, after scrolling all the list of best places in Europe that we have visited, I have decided to add Colmar on the top 8. I would admit that Colmar has a different charm on me compared to other Alsatian towns. I really love our small excursion, and the gingerbread houses make me feel happy or in a good mood.

Colmar lies in the Grand Est region of northeastern France, near the border with Germany. Its old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings.

Some places to check out are the Eglise Saint-Martin church, which stands on central Place de la Cathédrale. There’s Dominican Church, Synagogue of Colmar, and, of course, the Petit Venice which is very popular.

Read more about our adventure in this ravishing town of Colmar (France’s Little Venice) 

Top 7 Village des Bories

Village des Bories, one of my favorite places, personally I find it very interesting. Its historical museum features a centuries-old village with some 28 stone structures. For history lovers like me, it’s a bonus to get to know about the ancient way of living in Europe.

Before being known as the Village des Bories, this village was 270 meters above sea level near Gordes was called Les Cabanes. Without a cemetery and church, this village is typical of temporary settlements in Mediterranean countries.

I will soon share with you our experience wandering in this extraordinary ancient village. And of course, I’ll spill some travel guides and tips for your future visit.

Top 6 Ljubljana Slovenia

Discovering a new country is like opening a present or unboxing a new product. Well, that’s how I describe that feeling. On our 7th spot is Ljubljana, Slovenia. As you all know, it’s our first time to visit this country. 2nd spot on our list of the longest city that we have reached by car apart from Monaco, up to 1,100 kilometers drive from Brussels.

Arriving at Ljubljana was so exciting, it is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is known for its university population and green spaces, including expansive Tivoli Park.

Ljubljana has many museums, including the National Museum of Slovenia (displaying historic exhibitions) and the Museum of Modern Art, home to 20th-century Slovene paintings and sculptures.

Top 5 Linderhof Palace

One of the memorable travel experiences that I had in 2019 is my visit to Linderhof Palace in Ettal, Germany. Although my hubby and I visited in early summer. The place was still filled with snow, and it was freezing. I did enjoy our tour in this marvelous Palace.

Since you all know that I’m a huge fan of history, visiting a castle or palace would make me feel happy. Knowing about what history has left us, it just so amazing to learn and discover what have other people made or achieved back then.

Linderhof Palace is King Ludwig II’s 19th-century palace with ostentatious, mirror & chandelier-filled interiors. It’s considered as a replica of the Chateau de Versailles from King Louis XIV.

Read more about our adventure in this Royal Villa of the Bavarian King. 

Top 4 Versailles Palace

Landing on the top 4 list of best places in Europe is the Versailles Palace. From our last topic, about Linderhof Palace, I would place Versailles in front of it. Simply, because we visited the Chateau de Versailles on my Birthday. Who would not forget it right?

We visited this enormous property of the King Lous XIV. The Palace of Versailles was the principal royal residence of France from 1682 until the start of the French Revolution in 1789.

It is located in the department of Yvelines, in the region of Île-de-France, about 20 kilometers southwest of the center of Paris.

The palace is now a historical monument and UNESCO World Heritage site, notable especially for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, and the royal apartments (Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon), and the vast gardens of Versailles with fountains, canals, and geometric flower beds and groves, laid out by André le Nôtre.

Top 3 Neuschwanstein Castle

Lining up in our list of Castles and Palaces, here’s another Castle that we visited in 2019. Neuschwanstein Castle has exceptionally caught my attention and made my little princess dream came true. Every little girl’s dream is to live in a castle and wait for its prince charming to come to the rescue.

And for that, I’m very lucky to visit the fairytale look inspired Walt Disney castle of Sleeping Beauty with my prince charming (my hubby). I feel so lucky to experience and learn a lot of things about the life history of the king of Bavaria (King Ludwig II, the “Mad King” or “Swan King.”) and all the sad stories about his death.

The castle is absolutely stunning inside and out. Ideal for photographers and Instagram posters, this place is just so magical and unreal. Check out our Travel Guide to Neuschwanstein Castle to know more about the details of our tour as well. 

Top 2 Hallstatt Austria

We are almost at the top of the of our best places to visit in Europe. On our second spot is no other than Hallstatt, Austria. A small picturesque village that inspired the movie Frozen. Did you ever know that? I have no idea either, but I did know it just after my visit to this pretty little fantasy land.

Hallstatt settles on Lake Hallstatt’s western shore in Austria’s mountainous Salzkammergut region. It features a funicular railway connects to Salzwelten, an ancient salt mine with a subterranean salt lake, and Skywalk Hallstatt viewing platform.

It has also a trail that leads to the Echern Valley glacier garden with glacial potholes and Waldbachstrub Waterfall. Hallstatt is a UNESCO heritage site and an important Austrian tourist attraction.

Top 1 Eguisheim Alsace

Finally, (Enfin) we are down to our top 1 best places in Europe, of course, according to our travel summary 2019. Eguisheim was one of our last destinations in December (Christmas Season) in Alsace, France. I totally fell in love with this village. It’s just so unique and rare from all other towns that I’ve traveled.

I would unquestionably go back here over and over again if I could. This Gingerbread village just captured my heart and soul. For me, it’s like the world of Narnia, or should I say, the world of Faerieland from Maleficent.

Eguisheim has its own out of the world charm. This medieval village in France’s Alsace highlights its narrow, concentric streets of its old town with many preserved half-timbered houses.

Its central Château Saint-Léon is a centuries-old castle. On the other hand, its Southwest at Husseren-les-Châteaux is the ruins of the Three Castles of Eguisheim, which date from the Middle Ages.

What do you think of our Top 22 Best Places in Europe? Let me know what you think. And if you like to know more details about our visit to Eguisheim, check out the Magical World of Christmas Markets in Alsace.  

Top 22 Best Places in Europe

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Top 22 Best Places in Europe – Travel Summary 2019 2019 was a blissful and abundant year for us. Traveling is like conquering and unlocking a new skill for geeks like us.

[biofunmy]

This Cross-Country Hike Took 5 Days. That’s Going the Long Way.

I stood on the edge of the border town in the shadow of a 12th-century castle high on a hill. I was sandwiched between the craggy peaks of 7,600-foot mountains in front of me, and 7,200-foot peaks behind me. The only sounds I heard were birds chirping. The rural village road I was standing on had nary a car.

What a great day to start a cross-country trek.

Telling friends beforehand, I couldn’t help suppress a sheepish smile. What country are you hiking across? they asked.

Liechtenstein.

O. K., Europe’s fourth-smallest country — behind Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino — is only 17 miles long and nine miles wide. It is one cattle farm bigger than Staten Island. You can drive its length in 25 minutes. A middle-aged person with a long-expired gym membership could walk across it in two days.

However, I wasn’t just walking across a country. I was walking across history.

This year marks Liechtenstein’s 300-year anniversary, and it is using its tricentennial to reintroduce itself to the world. As part of its yearlong festivities, the principality created a 46.6-mile trail traversing the country, crisscrossing through all 11 of its towns — count ‘em, 11 — partly on village roads but mostly on twisting and mountainous trails.

It’s called the Liechtenstein Trail and I was the country’s first guinea pig.

By the end of this month, trekkers will be able to download an app that shepherds them along the route and also describes 133 points of interest. When trekkers point their cellphones at one of these 133 spots, augmented reality will help them visualize how it appeared in history or why it is notable.

“Many people have only vague clichés about our small country,” Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, wrote in an email. “I hope that the anniversary will help the world get to know Liechtenstein better.”

Every summer, Prince Alois, 50, the eldest son of Prince Hans-Adam II, and the rest of the royal family give a party for the local townspeople at Vaduz Castle, the family’s official residence. Another party began Jan. 23, the date in 1719 when the communities of Vaduz and Schellenberg were purchased by Hans-Adam I and combined into the principality of Liechtenstein.

This is heady stuff for the population of 38,000. Wedged between Switzerland and Austria like a linchpin, Liechtenstein has no airport or military. It has two train stations, one hospital, one TV station and one radio station.

“Historically, this is the most important event in my life,” said Leander Schädler, 61, a Liechtensteiner historian and hiking guide, referring to the tricentennial.

Previously, Liechtenstein was best known for colorful postage stamps and for being a tax haven, until the country abolished its banking secrecy laws in 2009.

Less known are its 250 miles of hiking trails. I divided my trek into five days. I’m an experienced hiker, and I’ve backpacked trails from the Himalayas to the Andes. But I’ve never experienced hikes with such variety as Liechtenstein: mountains, forests, towns, farms, rivers — sometimes all in the same day.

Despite the trail having 1.24 miles (about 2,000 meters) in elevation gain, it’s intended for hikers at all levels of ability and experience. Trekkers who get tired can stop at the next town they come to and catch a public bus back to their hotel, as my girlfriend, Marina Pascucci, did on both of the two days she joined me. Nothing in Liechtenstein is far away from anything else.

Our base was the Hotel Turna in Malbun, Liechtenstein’s lone ski resort. It’s located in Liechtenstein’s southeast corner, only a 20-minute bus ride uphill from the capital of Vaduz. It’s well worth the trip for the mountain setting alone. The hotel features an outdoor hot tub, a sauna, steam room and indoor pool. The restaurant has a beautiful outdoor dining area with views of the ski lift and surrounding mountains. So did our room’s balcony. In October, the off season, the room was a relatively inexpensive 150 euros (or about $170) a night.

The Liechtenstein Trail officially opens May 26 when the app is scheduled to be ready. I, however, marched off feeling a bit naked using trail maps and my cellphone’s iffy GPS. On sunny October days in the high 60s, here’s what I found:

Day 1 — Balzers-Triesen-Triesenberg: 8.7 miles, 1,970 feet elevation gain, 5 hours, 15 minutes.

Marina and I took a bus from the hotel to Balzers and met Mr. Schädler on the banks of the Rhine. The first point of interest is the 12th-century Gutenberg castle, which Balzers bought from Austria in 1824 and eventually turned into a museum.

Balzers has bright white fences, vine-covered houses, a plethora of maple trees and a small creek. We walked on quiet streets then followed the Rhine until Triesen, Vaduz’s “suburb” to the south.

We headed east and steeply uphill. The trail to Triesenberg reaches an elevation of 2,952 feet and then passes beautiful green meadows; the dairy cows wear clanging bells. We turned onto a dirt service road that is conveniently blocked for all but foot traffic and mountain bikers.

We passed a small farm where alpacas and llamas grazed near an odd self-service souvenir shack selling everything from cheese to alpaca wool. You leave money in an open cash register overflowing with cash. Yes, Liechtensteiners are a law-abiding lot.

Between cuts in the trees one can see spectacular views of the Swiss Alps, including Sardona, imposing in its 10,000-foot splendor. Below are the tile roofs of Balzers and Thiesen peppering the landscape. Park benches are strategically placed at each vista overlooking this lightly trodden land.

All day we saw only five people, all joggers. We took a bus back to our hotel.

Day 2 — Triesenberg-Vaduz-Schaan: 9.3 miles, 1,970 feet elevation gain, 7 hours.

Triesenberg, the town at the highest elevation in Liechtenstein, rests on a mountain with brightly painted houses sporting vegetable gardens, private vineyards and flower boxes with purple, white and pink flowers.

Martin Knopfel, 44, a Liechtenstein native and hiker who designed the 46.6-mile anniversary course for Marketing Liechtenstein, a government agency, joined us on Day 2. The trail on this leg was mostly downhill but was no less beautiful. The main road snaking up from the valley has lookouts where I could see Triesen, church steeples, the Rhine and the Swiss Alps beyond.

The path descends steeply in the forest and past little farmhouses until we came across the day’s first point of interest: a rock. It looks ordinary, five meters long and four and a half meters wide (about 16 by 15 feet). However, it is 400 million years old, left over from a prehistoric glacier.

Farther along in the forest, the leaves had turned to yellow, orange, green and red. It isn’t Vermont, but add the view below of Vaduz and the Swiss town of Buchs and it would be hard to find a better view of fall colors in Europe.

We descended into a clearing, and there, looming before us, was Vaduz Castle. If a 12th-century castle can be unassuming, this one is. We passed the castle and dropped into downtown Vaduz, a small-town capital with a pedestrian mall lined with restaurants and shops that basically close down every night at 8.

I asked one of the locals what they do at night, and he said, “Go to Austria.”

However quiet it is at night, Vaduz also has the most points of interests of any town in the country. On the main road we walked by the Kunstmuseum, known for its modern and contemporary art, the Postal Museum, National Museum and yellow brick Parliament building.

We eventually climbed back into the forest and descended into Schaan, Liechtenstein’s largest city with 6,300 people. We stopped near the bus stop for a well-deserved beer. After two days of ascending nearly 4,000 feet, my legs felt the first signs of fatigue.

“I have journalists and they say, ‘Oh, I’m a hiker and all physical and we should go on all the tracks,’” Mr. Knopfel said. “Then they say, ‘Oh, I didn’t think Liechtenstein was so big.’

Day 3 — Schaan-Planken-Eschen: 10.6 miles, 820 feet elevation gain, 6 hours.

Mr. Schädler picked me up at the hotel and we drove to Schaan. He and I descended from the forest in Planken, a town of postcard-perfect houses that is, coincidentally, home to Hanni and Andreas Wenzel, the brother and sister skiers who won six of Liechtenstein’s 10 Winter Olympic medals from 1976 to 1984.

Day 3 also brought us face-to-face with one of the most important sites on the list of the 133 points of interest. In Planken, we came across the stone ruins of one of the four Roman villas, dating from 150 A.D., that had been constructed in what is now Liechtenstein. You could still see a large opening that had been the entrance to the villa and a smaller one that served a thermal bath complete with under-floor heating.

We continued onto mercifully flat ground into Eschen where Mr. Schädler left me at a bus stop. He said goodbye, and the navigation for the final two days would be up to my maps and my GPS.

I was on my own.

Day 4 — Eschen-Gamprin-Ruggell-Schellenberg: 11.2 miles, 1,640 feet elevation climb, 5.5 hours.

I hiked the steep, quiet residential streets of the otherwise industrial town of Eschen for an hour, not the best way to start the longest hike of the week. However, the sun was just coming up on a panorama of mountains, and that gave me an early second wind.

I dipped down into Gamprin, a tiny town on the Rhine, and followed the river into Ruggell.

From Ruggell, I walked across expansive farmland before ascending through a 100-foot canopy into a clearing. Here I saw Schellenberg’s claim to fame: the remains of another Roman villa, complete with a stone oven and views over Ruggell, the Rhine and the Swiss Alps.

One notable thing about the Liechtenstein Trail is that you don’t have to pack a lunch if you don’t want to. I mostly did, to cut costs, but with 11 towns along the path, you can drop your pack in any of them and sit down in a restaurant.

The classic Liechtensteiner eatery is Wirthschaft zum Lowen in Schellenberg. “Wirthschaft” means “restaurant” in Liechtenstein’s Alemannic dialect, which sounds like Swiss German but with the singsong sound of two “Fargo” actors speaking Norwegian. Lowen features the classic Liechtenstein dish, kasknopfle, a big pile of short noodles covered in two cheeses and shaved fried onions.

Day 5 — Schellenberg-Mauren: 6.8 miles, 820 feet elevation gain, 6 hours.

Rising early, I made my way to a point high above Schellenberg. At 9 a.m., as I climbed through farmland, a sea of clouds settled under the mountain peaks beyond. A velvet blanket formed the perfect backdrop for the small farmhouses in the fields.

I began double-timing it to the Austrian-Liechtenstein border and the trail’s end. However, my GPS failed me. I couldn’t match the GPS instructions with the maps I was carrying, and I had to ask directions in Mauren three times and backtrack twice. When I finally made it through a huge green field and across the week’s lone busy road, and then back into a forest, I couldn’t find the wooded trail I was looking for.

Fearing I’d miss my flight out of Zurich that night, I called Mr. Knopfel, who set me straight. However, I still took the wrong exit from the forest and when I reached the border, I was on the Austrian side.

So I ventured the 50 feet back into Liechtenstein, turned and snapped a photo of the border sign. I had reached the end of my cross-country expedition. Happy Birthday, Liechtenstein. You’ve aged quite gracefully!

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[thearbourist]

The DWR Friday Choral Interlude - Rheinberger's Stabat Mater

The DWR Friday Choral Interlude – Rheinberger’s Stabat Mater

Just saw the upcoming repertoire for next semester. Can’t wait to sing this one. 🙂

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein, showed exceptional musical talent at an early age. When only seven years old, he was already serving as organist of the Vaduz parish church, and his…

[daysoutwithbex]

12 months of 2017

12 live shows seen 11 months of living in my little flat 10 kg of Nutella eaten 9 new albums bought 8 months of being in a fabulous choir 7 books read 6 holidays 5 kg of chocolates brought back from Zurich 4 afternoon teas 3 new countries visited 2 outdoor cinema trips 1 hell of a year.

It’s my annual round up of the year. Why? Because it seems I like to dwell on the past a lot; but I’m slowly learning that that is not always a bad thing, it’s how you look at and learn from the past that’s important. However, this year has been remarkably better than 2016, despite my brain telling me on most days that it’s a terrible day, week or month. Looking back, it hasn’t been half bad. I have rocks for friends.

As with every January, I celebrated my birthday with friends and lots of food. There was snow on my birthday - and everyone knows how I feel about snow. I’m quite vocal about it! However, trying to drive back from a meal in Mold was not as fun as one would anticipate in snow. But we had had a lovely meal and an amazing waffle, so not much could go wrong after that.

February was a month of celebrations too. A trip to Iceland where we saw the Northern Lights, albeit very briefly, LOTS of snow, a day in the Blue Lagoon, round trip to Gullfoss waterfall and a flat completion date set. My first concert of 2017 was in Iceland too, in the beautiful Harpa music hall. First of far too many (some might say!). All in the first four days of the month. Surely a good omen. My search for the best waffle, or at least one that beats Leeds markets ones, came to an end with a little van outside the  Hallgrímskirkja church. The bar has risen! The last day of the holiday was World Nutella Day, so it was only appropriate to have a Nutella hot chocolate and take pictures of Nutella with some Nutella!

I’ve always had a ‘thing’ about the 10th of the month, as quite a bit seems to have happened on the 10th of a few months over the last few years. 2017 was no exception, when after six months of waiting, I FINALLY got the keys for my new flat that I could call my own. No more sleepovers and begging for a sofa/bed! And the dog could live there too, where she well and truly rules the roost! I got to decorate (my decorating goes as far as pinning pictures up on the wall) exactly how I wanted to and don’t have to worry about blu tack marks or having to fill in holes from nails or screws (which I always do very professionally, I might add)! Also, I finally had space for a music room which was essential.

We won’t get in to the Six Nations!

My first theatre show of the year was Grease in March. It was also an excuse for a catch up, more food and the most amazing cakes and cheesecake I have ever eaten. I started making marmalade, purely because I could, and had jars of the stuff for months. Luckily that fad didn’t last long and space in my fridge was once more. I started looking after plants and they are still alive; bar one. They are cacti and require minimal attention, but they are hanging on in there and growing well!

I started reading the most inspiring of the books I read this year; “Mad Girl” by Bryony Gordon. It’s an insightful and honest account of living with mental illness. It’s reassuring, honest and witty and makes anyone realise that there is no such thing as normal. It’s far too easy to compare life to everyone else’s and think that you are not “normal”. I’m not normal anyway, and by everyone else’s (I shouldn’t tar everyone with the same brush - a lot of people’s) standards, I would get sod all done if I was!

In April, I bought Nutella a fluorescent raincoat, and she was not a happy bunny! I think she instinctively knew that she looked a bit silly, but there was no way the flat was smelling of wet dog, so silly she may look! Brad Paisley released his best album to date and I have a prized autographed edition to add to my collection. Another theatre show in Manchester at the Palace Theatre to watch Wonderland. An obligatory afternoon tea date in the Townhouse Hotel too made a lovely day.

My favourite new creation was a volcano pizza, which I encouraged and made Dad make beginning of May. I also took advantage of my youthful appearance when the election came around and canvassers needed to speak to the homeowner. Seeing as “my parents are at work” and they assumed I was “at school”, I couldn’t help them, so I had a lovely quiet evening! After a lot of planning, I finally got to show up as a belated birthday present for Emerlee in Gran Canaria (whether she liked it or not; sorry!), but I think Adam and I did well to keep it quite for so long. I also got a little bit of sun and a lot of sunburn including a permanent hand print shaped burn on my leg to prove that I had been there - still visible! To finish off the month, another theatre show; Sister Act, but this time, in Llandudno.

June was the eventful Ikea-trip day, when I bought ready assembled shelves because they were so much cheaper, but didn’t factor in that my flat is significantly smaller than a bloomin’ showroom! Luckily, with four heads thinking, there is always a solution and they live happily ever after in the music room and will never ever leave! I bought the dog some stylish Converse - again, she hates them, but I have some beautiful pictures! I also had a meltdown and a right rant at the Guardian, which was entertaining to say the least. Nothing resolved, but I won’t regret not speaking up, at least?!

As with most months gone by, July brought a new show; Annie in Piccadilly Theatre, London with Miranda Hart starring. Literally nothing that could go wrong there! Also managed to squeeze a couple of visits to Criccieth, and shamefully haven’t been back since. I got to celebrate a special birthday and celebrated World Chocolate Day - of course. I also met Prince Charles at work. As you do.

Then August was here, and it was great! It started with Friends Fest. What’s not to love there? And the following day I set of to Zurich, where I had the most amazing holiday and also got to have a quick trip over to Vaduz, Liechtenstein. Ate far too much cheese and chocolate and came home with no less than 5kg of chocolates.

There was a couple of visits to the outdoor cinema, first to see Moana with my “adoptive family”! - I have never ever laughed so much in a film that isn’t a comedy, but everyone was wearing earmuffs, so it was fine! Then we went to see Fantastic Beasts and I made the major error of taking the dog. A nuisance to say the least. She tried to pull to eat people’s pizzas, wouldn’t stop whining and ate the people next to us’s packet of turkey slices. One woman looked Nutella in the eye and ‘shushed’, which didn’t make a blind bit of difference BECAUSE SHE’S A DOG. She’s staying home next year. The dog, not the woman.

I took another trip to Manchester to see Maddie & Tae in the Ritz, and they were fantastic. Though the countdown to their next album is killing me! I finished off the month in Hickory’s and a stomach full.

Mam and Dad went on holiday in September so I had two dogs under my supervision, and I got to go ten pin bowling with John. We celebrated his 22nd birthday and had a lot of food, again! We managed to escape the escape rooms in Chester with barely seconds to spare (I’m sure TMO would say we did not succeed!) I also went to a jungle birthday party, ate a lot of cake and had a lot of fun. We even had a karaoke session in the car, though I think the whole of North Wales would have heard the speakers and Little Mix booming - I was not in charge of the music, I hasten to add!

The boring part of the month was buying a new fridge freezer and in October it was delivered. Being an adult is great. Back to what I live for - I saw Little Big Town in Bristol on the 3rd and Lady Antebellum, with Kelsea Ballerini opening in Manchester on the 4th of October. I caught a guitar pick at LBT which is now sitting pretty with my Lady Antebllum and Band Perry picks, and I managed to high five Charles Kelley of Lady A when he was walking through the crowds. October was off to a fantastic start.

The next trip, a couple of weeks later was with choir down to London. I obviously took advantage of the situation and made a weekend of it. I saw Les Mis, Wicked and Lion King in succession. Also this month, one of my neighbours tried to give a fish away.

My final concert of the year was in November when I went back down to Bristol to see Maren Morris. A quick look in the Bristol markets to get some churros was mandatory too. The next concert we go to and don’t get to the front to lean on the security bar will be a massive disappointment, as I genuinely cannot remember the last concert I was not with perfect view with not a head in front of me! I finished off the month the same way I started December - with choir. Two very different, but very fun gatherings. Both involving food, so that is always a winner for me.

There was a lot of snow for a short period of time, but I am proud to say that Nutella is just as excited as me about it, although I did not care for her whining and longing stares out the window at the flurrying outside. We had a fabulous time at Robert’s 50th surprise, which was pulled off spectacularly. But we won’t speak of what happened after!

Pentatonix did another Christmas special, and it is the only thing that makes me feel Christmassy ever! Which leads on nicely to my spur of the moment holiday arrangement. I am far too excited to be going to see Kirstie Maldonado, of Pentatonix, on Broadway in March. I will cry.

I managed to nail next year’s Christmas card picture, so you can all wait with baited breath for next year’s masterpiece!

The final few weeks of the year, I caught up with my favourite family, ate a lot, laughed a lot and will be watching closing out the year watching The Greatest Showman tomorrow.

Looking back, especially at the good times, is always nice. As part of a management programme, a recommendation I’ve been given is to take a photo a day of anything that makes me smile, so I’m going to try and see how it goes and if it makes a difference. Keeping a diary didn’t last very long this year, but a heck of a lot of pictures has built this essay and a half!

Now I’m off to plan my Copenhagen and New York trips as they’ll soon be here.

If you’ve read this far, bravo! And a forewarning, a photo a day in 2018 means you’re all in trouble!

Life in lyrics: “It doesn't matter if your days are long, It doesn't matter if your night's gone wrong, Just grab your hands and stomp your feet and sing it” (Sing, Pentatonix)