Stop 4: Rome, a religious experience

Seen it in movies many times and here we are at the site itself. The Colosseum, where man and beast battle for survival. Very well preserved and a breath-taking sights when you are inside. A spectator view of the battle ground and you sort of get transported to the film, Gladiator. Outside though you are back to reality where over weight modern gladiators peddle their service to satisfy your photo taking urge with the ancient ones and the smell of pizza and hotdog are on sales.






Our experience at the Hard Rock Cafe start rocky indeed when not once but thrice I was told that my orders were run out. The service personnel made a great recovery though later by providing great service and was attentive to all our needs. Should be the best service thus far. The angles playing the drum in the wall mural tickled us as well. :)

Dear loved the mini cars on the Rome roads. These are electric cars which are environmentally friendly and the size is great for congested road. Maybe Singapore should have more of such mini cars and maybe, just maybe the COE will be cut by half as it occupy half the space on the road. Perfect for DINK couple like us.







Rome was also sort of a art appreciation experience for us as well. Loved the sculptures especially. You can see every inch of muscle at work and the facial expressions were so life-like that they are sort of telling a story of the scene you are witnessing. Amazing skills of the ancient craftsmen.





The Trevi Fountain was less than romantic for me mainly due to the peddler selling Polaroid services. Noticed most of these peddlers and food cart operators are Indian, maybe some form of syndicate at work here. Did not toss the coin as with everyone at the fountain. Maybe my mind is still at Barcelona and its sunny beach. haha.





Of course we visited the Vatican even though we are not connected religiously. Glad that we got the local guide whose service is not cheap. However her vivid illustration of the history of the place, the arts and the artists left a deeper impression for the visit. If not we will just be buzzing around aimlessly.

The door you see above is the Holy Door to the Saint Peters Basilica. ‘This is the door of the Lord where the just may enter’. The door is currently closed and will only be re-open by the pope in 2025. According to the guide, all believer who pass through it during the jubilee year will have their sins pardon.




Cannot take photo at the famous Sistine Chapel Wall Mural of the last Judgment and the ceiling mural by Michelangelo. Both took him 3 decades to complete, no mean feat without dedication and the urge to leave a legacy.





Saw this Last Supper depiction on a giant carpet at the Chapel. Gold threads running through it.





The altar with Bernini's baldacchino, remeber to go round the alter and take note of the faces at the pillars. They changes and you may want to ask your guide the story of the alter in relation to Bernini.

The tomb of all previous popes were also amazing in size and sculpturing. Really elaborate and grand in scale.





Rome was a really different experience for dear and me. Spiritually we are not that influence but definitely enjoyed the art, culture and history of the place. Not as dull as I feared. The Chinese food round the corner to our motel kept dear full and happy and Looking forward to exploring the other Italian cities in the future.

Read about a couple driving from north to south of Italy without deliberate planning, very inspiring and maybe me and dear can plan such a unplanned trip one day, across Australia or maybe not as ambitious Malaysia. :P

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Stop 3: Barcelona, Sunny Barcelona

The hotel I had the most anticipation. Chic and Basic. A cool boutique hotel emphasizing on simplicity in service, amenities and decor. Really cool to experience the stay there. Cool welcome pack, door card and the beautiful stairways really make my trip. The corridor even glow in different colors with the changing LEDs.







Love the food in Barcelona. The succulent steak cook to perfection and sprinkled with sea salt was the highlight of dear's food experience. Seafood was fresh and love the paella and squid ink pasta. Managed to find a Japanese ramen store near the hotel. Dear needed her hot soup fix.







In contrast to the cool and collected Parisan, Barcelona reeks of passion and tradition. Witness a traditional festival where locals gathered to set off fire crackers and draped in medieval clothings with fire breathing dragon props.

Also saw a traditional Barcelona dance where people gather in circle, move in unison, tip-toed up and down while all the time raising their hands. May seem boring but I can sense their commitment to the dance and the local tradition. Something I felt is lacking in Singapore where the western culture had well taken over very much every aspect of life.






Sagrada Familia, a marvel for architecture spanning more than 100 years of building and another 100 years maybe to complete the whole work. Stories of the bible can be seen in bits and pieces throughout the design of the church.





Next up Gaudi brilliant work with tiles and vibrant colours. Quite a uphill hike from the bus stop. Park Guell was filled with his unique form of art.



Dear sneaking up a peck on my cheek. Dear was definitely recovering from her cold and thanks to the warmer climate in Barcelona no less.





Popped by Nou Camp but didn't managed to catch a match there. To our delight, found a D.I.Y laundry joint near out hotel which solved our washing problem. First time usage and definitely appreciate the warm drying function which freshen up our clothes.





Loved Barcelona, the weather, the food, the passion of the people and of course the shopping. Shopping here was definitely more affordable compared to the other cities. Grab plenty at Zara and dear is missing shopping there already. Too bad my plan sort of kept our stay to just 3 days. Barcelona, we will be back again. Cheers.

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Paris Adventure

Stayed at the Eiffel Seine, a boutique hotel right at the heart of Paris City, walking distance to the tower itself. Despite the cost, its location was superior although the rooms are a tad small. Got some cough solution for Dear and gladly it worked and soothe her condition slightly.

Immersed ourselves in the romantic charm of the city with all the great architectures and relaxed place of life.


Great way to cover the city would be through the hop-on-hop-off bus for first timers. Really helped us cut the travelling hassle and a quick way to take in all the sights and sounds of the city. Although the chilly air may be a bit too much sometimes at the upper deck :P


At the Arc de Triomphe, two rows of high-end shopping down the road. However we were not that much into the shopping mood. Some Chinese tourists asked us to help up in queuing at the LV store for their bags purchases. Flatly decline them, in a honeymoon here, hello. But it is quite a thing how they are sweeping up the bags even though it still cost thousands of Euros.

Had to catch the Mona Lisa. It was a rather small painting and maybe it is this fact that Leonardo Da Vinci was able to complete it. The rest of his art works were mainly incomplete given his innate curious nature which had him jumping from projects to projects across different disciplines.

The Mona Lisa was well housed in a bullet proof enclosure and visitors need to keep a good distance from it. The painting facing it was however much more stunning. The sheer size of the market scene depiction and the frenzy surrounding the scene can keep you admiring it for a good 20 minutes. Guess it was placed there to keep the crowd occupied if the place if over-packed.


A few work of art that were absolutely captivating in terms of the drama going on and the emotions they stirred. The fury of women well portrayed in the left painting and how your closest could be the very poison that kill you.

The right painting was my favorite and showed the scene of the coronation of Napoleon. He was supposed to be crowned by the highest priest in the land but decided that he is too great and should crown himself.



Louvre Museum's pyramid struture


Food in Paris was good but really quite expensive. Average about 40 Euros for two for each meal and we are not even talking about the 4-5 course meal locals normally have. Tried Escargot for the first time. The herb overpowered the natural taste of the snail, texture was quite similar to shell fish. Not as bad as I thought. Dear had just one and decided to stick to normal dishes.


Traditional pizza with thin crust and very flavorful beef toppings

View from atop the Eiffel Tower. To think Parisian then were protesting against the project thinking it will destroy the essence of the city. A World Expo landmark project which is what people relates to Paris in the first instance. Great human feat considering the technology available then.

Saw a street performer at the Montmartre. Climb up the lamp post and performed good football tricks. A great place for lovers to just chill out with a nice view of the city. Had Japanese sushi with dear at the place.

Read about the tricksters around the area and one take the form of some peddler who will run up to you and tie a red string around your wrist. If they succeed in doing so to you, they will insist on doing a friendship knot for you, at a price of course. So much for "friendship".


Departing Paris with a feeling of old charm and beautiful memories. Wouldn't mind coming back to Paris and explore the rest of France. Less museum the next time and more wine and natural beauty for our next trip.


Click here to enjoy the photo at Paris here