Visit to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome

This is the dream-to-visit of many like I do! I guess I am one of those lucky ones who was able to visit the center of Catholicism, the Vatican City state. It was one of the most memorable trips I had last 2010.

The highlight of our visit to Vatican City was when we went up to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica. As far as I can remember, it was quite a long line going there but with our patience and eagerness to climb to the top of the dome, we did succeeded in doing it. If you are on top of the dome, you can have a breath-taking view of Rome. Be careful if you want to go up there. If you are Claustrophobia or fear of having no escape and being closed in and Acrophobia, the fear of heights, going up to the Basilica's dome might not be suitable for you. You also need to climb around 320 steps to reach the cupola. I am not quite sure if there is an elevator that goes directly to it.

The interior of St. Peter's Basilica by Giovanni Paolo Pannini. I had the chance to be there last summer 2010.

St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica and the Obelisk in the background. I am very happy and contented to be there.

Driving To Prague

I was invited by friends to go with them to Prague, Czech Republic last summer 2011. I did not hesitate to say yes to them because I also want to see the city for the second time. It is around three to four hours drive from where we live in Bavaria, Germany. I can't remember if my friend's husband installed an suv bike rack on their suv's roof. They have a big 8-seater Honda car which is perfect when many persons are travelling.

Since it was already my second visit to Prague, I showed them some of the sights in this city which are accessible by feet. I hope that my friend's mother-in-law had a great time during her Europe vacation. She lives in the United States of America and had some weeks holiday in Europe last summer 2011.

That road trip to Prague is not that stressful anyway since the roads and highways are in good condition. It was a great trip so far.

Cruising in Danube River in Hungary

I always love to turn back time when I travel. Through the travel images I took everytime I go for a trip, it always reminds me of the places I visited. During our trip to Hungary last summer 2011, we had a cruise in Danube River in Hungary. One of the interesting places we passed-by was Esztegom.

It is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there.

That cruise trip was quite a relaxing one while watching the nature around and the places we passed-by.

Esztergom Hungary. The opposite side of the bridge is already the border to Slovakia. I love the cruise we had there last August 2011.

Finally in Madrid Again

Thanks God for my safe trip to Madrid, Spain. I just arrived last Sunday afternoon. My friend met me at Barajas International airport. It was a sunny Sunday. This is one thing I love in Spain, its friendly weather even on winter time. When I left Germany, it was raining on our way to the airport, the opposite weather here in Spain.

After putting my baggage in my friend's house, we just made a quick relax and headed to the main city center in Sol. There we go a bit walking and met other friends. During the night we strolled the streets of Madrid and passed at Plaza de Cibeles.

Here is an image taken in the famous square of Madrid last Sunday night.

The Plaza de Cibeles at night.

The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.

Doha at Night

I had a long stop-over from my flight departing Munich International Airport in Doha last November 2009. My final destination was Philippines. I remembered that one of my co-employees before at the bank is currently working and living in Doha. I contacted her and told her that I want to go out from Doha airport since it was a 6 hours stop-over there.

Somebody want to disagree with that plan being afraid that I might be late for the next flight connection to the Philippines. I still insisted and met my co-banker. As a German citizen, I still need to get a visa in Qatar but I can immediately apply for it in the airport. I guess I paid $20 or $25.00 for the visa. It was not really so bad because I want to use the time instead of just sitting the whole 6 hours waiting in the airport.

one of the restaurants in Souq Waqif during my stop-over in Doha last November 2009.

To make the story short, I met Chinky. She was already waiting for me outside the airport. Her husband was also with her. They drove me a bit around. We also had a dinner at the Asian restaurant in Souq Waqif, a famous market and meeting place in Qatar's capital city. I did not expect that Doha is also a nice city. I had a great time chit-chatting with them since it was around a decade since we did not see each other.

I am thankful to Chinky and her hubby for the time spent with me. I hope to visit that place again in the future.

Tops Sights to Visit in Delhi

If there are a lot of beautiful places to visit in Europe, there are also a lot of exotic and interesting ones in Asia. Let me also tell you this, "One life is not enough to see and to explore all corners of this world. If you have the chance now to see its charm and beauty, grab it because this is only once in a lifetime". This is also the reason why I am always taking my chance to travel especially when time and budget are available.

India is also included in my travel wishlist. It is a vast land ranking the seventh-largest country by geographical area and the second-most populous country in the world. Delhi is one of the cities I wish to visit in India. That is why from time to time, I am searching for cheap flights to Delhi. When I find one including affordable accommodation, I would surely go there immediately.

Akshardham- One of the sights not to miss when visiting Delhi. Also know as as Delhi Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham, it is a Hindu temple known for its Indian and Hindu culture, architecture and spirituality. Akshardham was presented as the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple by Guinness World Book of Records in 2007.

Qutub Minar- known for Indians as Qutb Minar or Qutub in English, it is the tallest minaret in India. It was constructed with red sandstone and marble. It has a soaring tower of 72.5 meters (237.8 ft)and contains 379 stairs to reach the top. It is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Lotus Temple- Also known as Bahia temple, this building is visited by millions of locals and tourists every year. This this gleaming lotus- like marble structure is located on Bahapur Hills in South Delhi. This modern architecture which was completed in 1986 is a must visit for every tourist who comes to Delhi. You can go inside to pray and meditate. Entrance is free.

Lotus Temple in Delhi, India. thanks to my friend Joy for this image.

Red Fort- This is considered to be one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. It is called Red Fort due to the red stone with which it is built. It showcases the very high level of art form and ornamental work combining European, Persian and Indian art works.

Other interesting sights worth to see are India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan,Purana Quila, Humayun's Tomb, Rajghat, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and many many more!

Visit to Weissenburg, Bavaria

How are you doing folks? I hope that everything went out fine to everyone especially during the cold winter days in Europe. The past days were really very cold and until now it is still freezing cold outside. This is the time of the year where I just want to stay at home and do some things in the house which are left for some times. I am really very busy since the first day of February. I don't have much time to go online since there are a lot of things to take care offline.

Anyway, I am sharing an image taken during our visit in Weißenburg or Weissenburg. This was my first trip in 2012. It is a historical town in Bavaria, Germany. There are many ruins left by the Romans there. One of the good example is the remains of the Roman bath in this town.

the Ellinger Tor (gate) in the town of Weisenburg during our visit last Jan. 4, 2012.

View from The Airplane Window

I just selected randomly an image in my picture albums. I landed in this photo which was taken in Munich International Airport. Last December 2011, we boarded Iberia Airways going to Madrid, Spain. It was my first visit to Spain's capital city. For some reason that we never knew, Iberia was late that time. I think almost an hour late. At least we arrived safe to our destination and we also came back home safe with a lot of travel experiences during that 8-days holiday. We visited different places in Spain especially in the Andalusia region. I wish to visit that country in the future.

taken in Munich International airport last December 2011.

View of Salzburg City from Hohensalzburg Castle

The best way of looking around Salzburg is to climb on Hohensalzburg castle. From there, you can have a breathtaking view especially of the Historic Center of the city of Salzburg which also belong to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Last July 2011 was already my third visit to this Austrian city. I find it always interesting would love to come back again and again. I hope you are all having a wonderful start of 2012. Cheers!

view of the historic center of salzburg from one of the fortress' windows. It was during my third visit in Salzburg when I had the chance to go up to the castle.

Salzburg is on the banks of the Salzach River, at the northern boundary of the Alps. The mountains to Salzburg's south contrast with the rolling plains to the north. The closest alpine peak—the 1972 m Untersberg—is only a few kilometres from the city centre. The Altstadt, or "old town", is dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive Festung Hohensalzburg.

Plaza de España in Seville, Spain

Visiting Spain is so far the most highlight of my trips this year. It was another dream come true. One of the places we visited in Spain was Seville, known as Sevilla in Spanish. The Plaza de España or "Spain Square" is one of sights we saw and experienced.

I was amazed by the beauty and the architecture of this square. There was a very memorable experience that happened here. It is better not to say it. If I have the courage later I might share it. It was not really bad just something exciting and shameful..lol! It just happened due to the call of nature. I guess you have an idea now.

Below is an image of this beautiful square in Seville, Spain. I love this place! I love Spain!

1929 Exposition Building at the Plaza, during our visit last Dec. 7, 2011.

It is a plaza located in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville It was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture.

Fort San Pedro, Cebu, Philippines

How I wish I am in the Philippines right now. The reason is, to escape the cold winter time in Europe. It was a wonderful time vacation I had last year in my home country. More on that, it was so far the longest vacation I had, almost three months in the Philippines.

Although I am busy with a project that time, I still managed to have little trips especially in Cebu Province. One of the sights we visited in Cebu City was Fort San Pedro. Called as Fuerza de San Pedro in Spanish, this structure was used a a military defense during the Spanish era in the Philippines. It is located in Plaza Indepedencia, in the Pier Area of Cebu City.

inside the compound of Fort San Pedro. taken during our visit last January 2010.

Fuerza San Pedro, the fort is described as built of stone mortar with a terraplein where guns are mounted. The fort contains the necessary buildings. The largest of these buildings was the "Cuerpo de Guardia" where the personnel that manned the fort lived. Adjacent to it was the "Vivende del Teniente" which was the living quarters of the lieutenant of the Fort. In between the aforementioned buildings is a well. At one corner attached to the walls of the bastion San Miguel (NE) was the "Alamazaros del Rivera" (powder magazine where the fort's supply or arms and gunpowder from Manila were stored).

the main entrance of the Fortress.

A Visit to Landshut, Germany

I am trying to remember the exact date when we visited Landshut. While browsing my images and looking for the date when it was taken, I found out that we visited this city last July 4, 2009. It was a wonderful trip we had because we were able to witness its famous festival called the Landshuter Hochzeit or Landshut Wedding. This festival only takes place every four years. It means that the next festival will take place on July 2013.

Landshut, a city in the state of Bavaria is located in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. It is situated on the banks of Isar River. This city is famous for its Gothic architecture located in its historic city center. Most of it were not destroyed during the World War II attacks.

I want to visit again the next Landshuter Hochzeit festival in 2013.

you can participants of the Landshut Wedding wearing Medieval costumes.

the Church of Saint Martin featuring the world's tallest brick tower.

Dachau Concentration Camp in Bavaria, Germany

This is so far one of the horrible places during the World War II. I had my second visit here last September 2011 to accompany some friends who want to see it. As we were inside the building, I don't know what happened but the hairs on my skin began to stand out. I guess you know what I mean about it. I am not really afraid in going to this place but only to think what horrifying things did happened there during the Nazis regime was really a very sad and tragic part of history.

Dachau concentration camp was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany, located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the medieval town of Dachau.

during my second visit with friends last September 2011.

The Ulu Camii Mosque in Bursa, Turkey

This is one of the beautiful mosques we visited in Turkey. The Ulu Camii Mosque, also called as Bursa Grand Mosque in Bursa, Turkey was built in the Seljuk style. It was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and edificed between 1396 and 1400. The mosque has 20 domes and 2 minarets.

Our tour guide who is a Turkish told us that entrances to most of the Mosques in Turkey are free of charge. He added that sometimes, they charge entrances to Christian people. I never see security or people who are watching the mosque entrance using garretts metal detectors. I heard that some people are afraid when visiting Turkey due to security reason. For me, our trip was quite fine and in order. There were even a lot of tourists especially in Istanbul during our visit there.

One of the minarets of the Ulu Camii Mosque in Bursa. Taken during our visit last September 2011.

Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, which carried many elements from the Seljuk architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by twelve columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. The mosque has two minarets.

the beautiful interior of the mosque. You can find various Calligraphy on the walls.

Another Weekend Trip to Poland and Czech Republic

I should not be going but I cannot say no to friends especially when it is about travel and trips..lol! I will finally be seeing Poland for the second time and will be stepping the soil of Czech Republic for the fifth time. My first visit was last May 2011 in Poland. It was a pottery shopping in its so-called "ceramic city", Boleslawiec. This time I will not go for shopping but more on sightseeing. I also want to see this time the old city or city center of Boleslawiec.

On our second day, we will be visiting Karlovy Vary, known in English as Charles Bath or Karlsbad in German. This is the famous spa town in Czech Republic. I hope we can also stop-by at Marienbad, also known as Mariánské Lázně, also a famous spa town near Karlovy Vary.

I guess that's all for now folks. I am quite sleepy now. I will be waking up very early tomorrow. Praying for our safe and sound trip to these places.

Happy weekend everyone. Stay safe too!

pottery decors in one of the stores we visited in Boleslawiec, Poland last May 2011.

Buffet Dining in Turkey

Vacation is over! I am back to reality again. It was another superb vacation we had especially that we saw a lot of historical ruins in Turkey. One of the things that I miss were the foods being served on the table. Our breakfast and dinner are always buffet. There were a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables salads, Turkish pastries and other delicacies on the tables.

There were dinners that are not included in our holiday package. Sometimes we go to a Turkish restaurant in Kumburgaz, Istanbul. Some of the restaurants along the road were already closed. Sometimes, you can find signs that says used restaurant equipment for sale. Of course this is in Turkish language. I sometimes asked our tour guide about some Turkish terms.

I wish I can go back again in Turkey in the future. The image you see here was taken in our 5-star hotel in Kumburgaz, the Artemis Princess Hotel.

Cruising in Danube- From Spitz to Krems in Austria

It was only some hours cruise trip but a very fascinating and memorable one. I was with a friend Jean during that cruise. After we traveled from Gyor, Hungary to Wachau in Austria, we did had this wonderful cruise. It started in the Spitz, a wine town and ended in Krems, a riverside town in the Danube's Wachau Valley in Austria. These towns are famous tourist spots in Lower Austria.

The landscapes and scenery that we saw around are priceless. It was truly a wonderful trip last August 2011.

Spitz, this is where our cruise started.

Krems is where the cruise ended.

a castle that we passed-by during our trip.

Weekend Trip To Italy

It seems that I was not able to update this blog for some days now. I am finally back and hope to give you more updates. I had a weekend trip to Italy last weekend with friends. It was a nice trip especially after all the shopping and sightseeing we had in some of the cities in Italy.

As we arrived last Saturday, we did some capodimonte shopping first. After that we proceeded to Verona, a city in the Veneto region in northern Italy. We spend the whole day last Sunday in Venice, one of the most visited cities in Italy.

The Bell tower in Saint Mark's Basilica..You can also see the Saint Mark's Basilica in the background at the left side. This is the so-called St. Mark's square or Piazza San Marco.

Verona Arena the famous sight in Verona, Italy.

Welcome to Germany

It's been almost a year now since my friend from the United States visited us. It was her first time in Europe and she wanted to see and explore different countries in this continent. I was quite excited that time when picking her up at Nuremberg airport. It's been a decade since the last time we saw each other. Finally last summer 2010, she finally stepped-on the soil of Germany.

She spent three weeks during her vacation and was able to see seven countries in Europe. I believed she was satisfied during our trip. It was fun, exciting and full of adventure. Anyone wants to go touring with me next time? Just kidding folks.

The arrival/departure information board in Nuremberg International airport last August 2010.

A Visit to Vatican City

It was summer 2010 when I had the chance to visit Rome. Together with Nonna, a friend from the U.S., we also visited Vatican City and landed in St. Peter's Square, the famous square in Vatican. Piazza San Pietro, as it is called in Italian, is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica.

We also had the chance to climb to the cupola of the Basilica. To reach the cupola, one must to climb 320 steps after taking the elevator. People especially the elderly who have ailments and heart problems must be aware of this. We had a great experience as we visited this part of Rome.

St. Peter's Square and the St. Peter's Basilica in the background. taken last August 2010.