Honeymoon at Italy & Austria

Honeymoon Day 1 ~ Kuala Lumpur - Rome (25 Jan 09, 12am)

2009-02-20T17:05:00.001+08:00

I had always envy my friends that get to travel to Europe countries as often as they like and was wondering when will be my turn, when I turn 50 years old after my children started their career? or when when when? Thank God, due to the tremendous blessings from both of our parents, we make it for Italy and Austria for honeymoon from 25 Jan 09 - 2 Feb 09. Wow, that will definitely be a really really awesome trip!! Waiting eagerly and filled with anticipation for the day to come and finally...... when I started to pack my luggage for the 10 days trip, my heart was overjoyed!!!! Wahahahahaha....

Justin's best friend.. .wearing the same couple tshirt.. hahahaha.

At least KLIA still has some CNY mood.... 26 Jan was actually the first day of CNY 2009. I missed it again.......... sigh. Last year I missed it too, went to KK trip with my friends... So, next year I MUST be home....

Excited.... that's why there were loads of pics.. haha.

And finally, we reached Dubai airport after 6 hours of flight... and 3 hours to wait for the next transit.

Dubai Airport

Duty free shop......

Lots of camel....

Posing for the sake of the arabic words of starbucks coffee... =D

The modern way whereby you do not have to get locks to protect your luggages, but use your physical body instead.....

Emirates flight.... he was the champion of movies for the night. Had 4 movies in a row..... whereby I was the champion of sleeping beauty... wahahahaha.

Mc Donalds at Dubai.....

Justin's new friend in Dubai... hehehe.

Mini park....

Waiting for transit for 3 hours and finally it was already sunshine at Dubai at 7am. The next flight will be 8.30am. Mocha and cinnabon for breakfast!!!

Breakfast in aeroplane again ... this trip was also a makan trip!! Yeah....

Finally, we reached Fiumicino Airport after 6 hours of flight again from Dubai to Rome! Fuuhhh...my butt became shapeless after 12 hours of flight and this was the most torturing part in travel. But, it's worth!!!!!!!!!

Honeymoon Day 2 ~ Rome (25 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T14:17:00.000+08:00

St. Peter Square and Basilica
We reached Rome at 12pm and the first place we visited in Rome was St. Peter's Square. Saint Peter's Square (Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal encalve within Rome.

The bus that we used to travel round Rome..

The guards of the square....

This is the view of Rome from the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica. This was not captured by me because I do not have a wide angle lense.... sigh, shall get one soon!!!! If you look at this picture first, you will then know how's the structure like from the St Peter's Square to the city of Rome! Really artistic the Europeans.... amazing!

St. Peter Basilica...officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano. It occupies a "unique position" as one of the holiest sites and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

The open space which lies before the Basilica was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini under the direction of Pope Alexander VII, as an appropriate forecourt, designed "so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his blessing, either from the middle of the façade of the church or from a window in the Vatican Palace".

Lining up to enter the world's largest church, St. Peter Basilica.

With the Italian tour guide... Look at the pictures below and they were all the interior of St. Peter's Basilica. So awesome....can Malaysians craft till this level????

Colosseum
After St. Peter's Square, we moved on to Colosseum or Roman Coliseum (Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Checking out for the sourvenirs first.... before entering the ground of Coloseo...

Originally capable of seating around 80,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

The sunset view of Rome from Colosseum.... this will be my wallpaper for 1 month. Hahaha.... Sunset at Italy was as early as 5pm. Therefore, this Rome trip was quite rush as we had to finished all before the sunset. Otherwise our pics will be in low quality!!!

Trevi Fountain
Next destination was Trevi Fountain, (Italian: Fontana di Trevi).

The fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine, the revivified Aqua Virgo, one of the ancient aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome.

Drinking the pure virgin water...

The fountain is filled with coins, and this was actually a traditional legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Haha... But, I'm not that silly enough to throw my coins inside, better use it for Gelato rite??? Haha....

6pm and it was already dark. Temperature at Rome was still acceptable, approximately 8-10 degrees, you can still go without the really thick winter jacket if you have lots of fat to burn, like me... haha.

First night in Italy and we had chinese food for dinner =.="
Well, we had chinese food for the rest of our days except on the 2nd day, the one and only one Italian dinner. 2 reasons given by the tour guide why Chinese food for dinner:
1) Cheap
2) Fast
Acceptable??? Haha....

The hotel that we stayed in Rome...*took this picture on the next morning because we reached the hotel at night, and my camera's quality was not good enough to capture a nice night view hotel* =D

This was actually the bowl not to pee/poo, but for you to clean *them after your pee/poo.. Hahaha....

Honeymoon Day 3 ~ Rome - Pisa - Florence (26 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T13:58:00.000+08:00

Day 3, 27 January 2009. We left from Rome to Pisa and then to Florence. All lunches were not included in the tour package mainly because lunch time was our travelling time as it took hours to reach the next destination.

Autogrill is one of the famous highway stops in Italy and this will be our lunch place. Thank God the food were always different, otherwise, pengsan again...

Cheese..... my favourite!!!! Maybe because I was born in the year of rat?? hahaha....

Autogrill is just soo nice to shop, just like our mini market in Malaysia, unlike our Petronas/Shell in highways... one round and that's it. Done!!

Leaning Tower of Pisa

We reached Pisa after 3-4 hours of travelling.... unfortunately, it was drizzling quite heavy and we can't afford to get down without an umbrella. No choice, but have to pose with umbrella... sigh. Pisa is the hometown of Galileo Galilei, the famous physician, who carried out his first experiments on the gravity of the Leaning Tower in Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles).

Piazza dei Miracoli or Square of Miracles is recognized as one of the centers of medieval art that attract tourists from all over the world. It dominated by four no less famous edifices as the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry, the Leaning Tower and the Monumental Cemetery. That is why it is known as Square of Miracles.

I would need two hands to push back the Pisa, but I also need another hand to hold the umbrella?? so how?????

Pisa Cathedral

Baptistery of St. John

Piazza Michelangelo, Florence
After visited Pisa, the sky started to dark again when we moved on to Florence, tour of the Tuscany capitol include the hill top Piazza Michelangelo to view the statue of David and take in
breathtaking aerial views of this Renaissance splendour.

Piazza Michelangelo was constructed in the 1890s, beautifully landscaped and lined with copies of Michelangelo’s sculptures.

The statue of King David. David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo, which portray the hero after his victory over Goliath.

Piazza della Signoria

The next stop was at Piazza della Signoria, a walking tour of the trafficless historic city centre. Piazza della Signoria is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city.

The sculptures in front of the Piazza della Signoria.

And this was the mini car that I admire.... really so tiny and if I own this, perhaps I will dare to drive in KL??? Haha...

Piazza Santa Croce
The following stop before we had our Italian dinner! Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) at Piazza Santa Croce.

The Basilica, largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs.

Dinner time!!!! The one and only one Italian Dinner for the whole trip.

Spaghetti Vongole ~ Lala spaghetti. In Italy, spaghetti is the Appetizer... wow, such a heavy appetizer.

Chicken breast in tomato/olive sauce ~ This was the main dish!

Dessert ~ Tiramisu Gelato...... this tasted more like the RM1 nestle ice cream if you call this Gelato... haha

This view was nothing spectacular, for fun while waiting for everyone lining up to get up the bus..

Honeymoon Day 4 ~ Venice (27 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T13:27:00.000+08:00

Time passes so fast and it was already Day 4. Please go slower yea time... will be heading to Venice today, the well known romantic city in Italy.

As usual, we stopped at one of the millions highway restaurants for lunch. From Florence to Venice, there was no Autogrill, so.... RISTOP was the choice.

Spaghetti Vongole.......lala spaghetti.

Fish with mashed potato...

Pork sausage with mushroom... this was superb!!!

Hubby was enjoying his meal.... =D

Leaving to the romantic city.....

In the water bus....

Along the journey to Venice.............

We were reaching soon... real soon.

Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco (often known in English as St Mark's Square), is the principal square of Venice, Italy. St. Mark's Square lies in the heart of Venice and is one the most photographed attractions in the world. The square is defined by arcades on three sides and St. Mark's church on the eastern end.

St. Mark's Church ~ Ornamented with golden facade mosaics, marble and bronze statues, and five domes, this basilica is unlike any other. The exterior of the basilica is divided in three registers: lower, upper, and domes.

Fat fat pigeons.... Feeding the pigeons is one of the popular activities at this square. You can purchase packets of corn from the vendors in the square and take your picture balancing the birds on your arms.

Looking at souvenirs again at Venice, but they were toooo expensive. So, forget bout it.

And we were now leaving on the optional romantic Gondola ride round Venice which cost 15 euro per person or 90 euro per Gondola. Max person is 6. Please get enough 6 person for a gondola ride, otherwise you have to pay for the whole gondola at 90 euro. This ride took bout 20-30 minutes.

Murano is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking.

This is the master/sifu in this glass factory and he actually demonstrated how vase and horse glasses were crafted.

Finally, gelato again... hehe.

This was the Villa that we stayed at Venice...

Honeymoon Day 5 ~ Venice - Verona - Innsbruck (28 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T12:45:00.000+08:00

Day 5, we travelled from Venice to Verona, the last city in Italy that visited and later on we headed to Innsbruck, Austria.

In Verona, walking towards Casa di Giulietta, Juliet's house, the famous love story of Romeo and Juliet.

Public phone to reach Juliet if you have problem with your boy-girl-relationship or love. The dead Juliet might come alive to help you....

The wall filled with love or breakup comments.....

At the courtyard...

Right above us is Juliet's balcony, this is supposedly the very same balcony where the tragic heroine cried out to her Romeo. These days, do not be surprised to see many young girls standing on the balcony, probably dreaming her own dreams.

Statue of Juliet... her right breast is so shiny!

Gelato again.... because it's famous in Italy!!

Well, this was the best Gelato we ever had during our trip in Italy!!! Again, I chose the wrong flavor, raspberry was extremely sour! sigh..

Goodbye Italy, Willkommen Austria!!

Austria is really a beautiful country, and it's just like the 2nd Switzerland I can say. I have always been wanting to go Switzerland because of the mountainous landscape, covered with thick snow, awww... so awesome. And and, guess Austria is already more than enough. So beautiful!!!

The journey to Innsbruck itself was an incredible experience; passing the Dolomites region with its incredible limestone hill towers, ascending the Tyrolean Alps and stopping at this picturesque city nested right below the towering Alps.

Lunch time again.....

Grilled beef cost bout 11euro.

Reaching Innsbruck soon....... It was snowing unlike in Italy!! Thick snow.....

Wow, this was really really beautiful! I love it!!

Stopping for washroom before entering Austria, we were now at the border of Italy and Austria. No immigration, only a pass from the tourist counter will do. Well, do not worry bout this, the bus driver will handle it. Hehe...

This was the first place we visited at Innsbruck, Emperor Maximilian’s Golden Roof.

The night view of Innsbruck city. Austria was extremely cold, almost 0 degrees....

Swarovski umbrella.... cost 25 euro, equivalent to RM125 for one umbrella... O.O

Chinese restaurant for dinner again ...........

The hotel that we stayed for the night in Innsbruck!

Honeymoon Day 6 ~ Innsbruck - Salzburg (29 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T12:21:00.001+08:00

Day 6 ~ Salzburg

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. It is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music, which features famous landmarks in Austria, but focuses mainly on Salzburg.

Leaving from Innsbruck to Salzburg.....

Mirabell Garden & Park at Mirabell Palace

This place was supposed to be very green in the spring or summer, but winter... all white. Therefore, if you would like to visit Austria, I guess the best time is during spring/summer! It will be fantastic! Have you ever wondered where Sound of Music was filmed?? It was at Salzburg.

Festung Hohensalzburg castle (literally "High Salzburg Fortress" in German) , sits on Festungsberg hill with a length of 250 meters and a width of 150 meters, it is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.

St Peter's Cemetery - It serves as the final resting place for many notable personalities, artists, scholars and merchants. Thank God it was winter, otherwise... this might be scary tho....

Getreidegasse

The Getreidegasse is one of the most charming shopping districts in all of Europe. High narrow houses tucked together with elaborate wrought iron and guilded signs are picturesque, and as they appeared in the 17th and 18th centuries. Narrow passageways and colorful courtyards with arcades and flower baskets add to the ambiance and we find many elegant shops selling jewelry, leather goods, perfumes, food, and fashions along the district.

The house of Mozart is also located here, at Getreidegasse.

The dead body of Mozart. We didn't capture much pics of Mozart's house and so on because it is prohibited to take pics, but, we managed to capture this before the guide said NO PICS. Haha...

We had our lunch here, and the food were really really good! Must try ..... how I wish they open this branch in Msia too.

Look at this...awww.

Grilled salmon and prawn.. my favorite.

Prawn in chilli paste..... the seafood here were so fresh and you will want more and more, but control.....

He looked happy with food.. hahaha.

After lunch, free and leisure till evening... which means, time for shopping!! hehe.

Mc Donalds ice cream with brownies, only available in Austria... yummy.

The place we had our dinner.....

Our hotel for the night at Salzburg.....

Gosh, when I blogged this, oh.... I miss the trip sooo much!

Honeymoon Day 7 ~ Salzburg - Vienna (30 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T11:00:00.000+08:00

Day 7, basically in the itinerary from Reliance, there was no activity for today besides travelling all the way from Salzburg to Vienna. Thus, they came out with two optional tours, the extension of Sound of Music and the opera theathre at night. Well, it sounds silly to have another optional tour for the extension sound of music, why they just can't include in yesterday's Sound of Music tour? And, you have to pay 30 euro for this extension tour. And, if you didn't join this tour, you will have NOTHING to do for the whole day, except travelling. Sigh, pay la pay la. Marketing skills huh?

The extended Sound of Music was also at Salzburg.

Wedding Church Mondsee

In Mondsee Cathedral the film wedding between Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as the Baron took place.

Hellbrunn Castle
This hunting castle was built in the early 17th century by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus. In the gardens the glass pavillion was reconstructed for the pleasure of those fans still returning after 30 years.

With the Sound of Music tour guide...

Resting after a long walk ... hahaha.

Sound of Music Gazebo and the setting for the famous "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" song.

Leopoldskron Castle

The front side of the castle was used as the Trapp family home, the children were boating on the Leopoldskron Lake and fell into the water. The Venetian room was copied from the castle and used as the ballroom.

We were actually stepping on a frozen lake. This lake was fabulous in spring time....

Goodbye Salzburg, Willkommen Vienna

Chicken burger

Beef soup

At Vienna's hypermarket...

Hotel Kavalier Vienna and we spent two nights here in Vienna..

Honeymoon Day 8 ~ Vienna, Austria (31 Jan 09)

2009-02-20T10:03:00.001+08:00

Vienna was the last stop for the whole 10 days trip. Gosh, it was coming to an end soon and I just don't feel like going back... huhuhu.

Schonbrunn Palace and Garden

Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna is one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria. The palace and gardens illustrate the tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. We were not allowed to take pictures in the palace, therefore, only outdoor pics of the palace.

The Belvedere ~ the palace at the heart of Vienna, was once the Baroque summer residence of the renowned general and art connoisseur Prince Eugene.

The Palace Gardens starting at the Lower Belvedere, the baroque garden layout unfolds in strict symmetry along a central axis to the prestige building of the Upper Belvedere. The whole concept accords with the French model, stereometrically arranged trees and hedges, sculpture, and fountains and cascades.

Statue of Maria Theresa, archduchess of Austria, Holy Roman Empress; of the great reforming monarchs of the 18th century. She was also known as Mother of Nation.

St. Stephen's Cathedral ~ The most important religious building in Austria's capital.

Night view of the Cathedral...

Free and easy in Vienna town for the whole afternoon....

Chocolates again... so cheap. Haha.

Manner is the best chocolate in Vienna.

Shopping... wo hooo.....

The place we had our dinner...

Justin's Roast Pork Rib

Grilled pork slice.... yummy

Honeymoon Day 9 & 10 ~ Vienna - Kuala Lumpur (1-2 Feb 09)

2009-02-20T09:58:00.000+08:00

Finally, like it or not, it was time to go home..... indeed, this was really a memorable honeymoon, unforgettable and enjoyable. Goodbye Italy and Austria... shall we meet again? Eventhough I didn't throw any coins at Trevi Fountain, but.... still hope my dreams will come true and we shall meet again... sounds so sentimental. Hahahaha....

Ciao~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~