happy steps

Continued from Berlin day tour: Alexanderplatz and nearby points of interest

The Altes Museum (Old Museum)

The Museumsinsel (Museum Island) in Berlin is a group of notable museums - Altes Museum (Old Museum), Neues Museum (New Museum) which will be re-opening in 2009, Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), Pergamon Museum and the Bode Museum formerly known as the Kaiser Friedrich Museum - situated in the Spreeinsel (Spree Island) in the Berlin-Mitte district. This tourist destination is easily accessible by subway via the Alexanderplatz station and is just within walking distance along the Unter Den Linden Avenue when you’re coming from the Marienkirche.

A closer look at the façade of the Altes Museum

The Museum Island complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 and some of the buildings are currently undergoing renovation thus we were not able to tour the whole of it.

The façade of the Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery) amidst ongoing restoration of the complex.

For museum lovers or those who are fond of learning more about art, culture and history, the Museum Island is a must-visit. The museum buildings are just within walking distance from each other and it’s best to allot at least a day in visiting all of them since going through museums usually takes time.

Next stop: Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)

(Continued from Old Town Square, Prague: Tyn Cathedral, Old Town Hall and nearby buildings)

It was already midnight when we arrived at the Old Town Square in Prague and I thought we would be greeted with empty streets and deserted cobblestone walkways, but I was wrong. Even at such late hour, there were still tourists hanging around at the square. Most of them were on their way home, while some were already drunk with pivo (Czech for beer) and starting to get noisy in the sidewalks.

The Ministry of Economy building, the Goltz Kynsky Palace, the House at the Bell and the Jan Hus Memorial at the center of the square.

At night, the Tyn Cathedral looked even more beautiful yet somewhat intimidating.

The evening atmosphere at the Old Town Square has a different charm of its own, where devoid of the bright sun, one can have another look at the beautiful buildings which flaunt an interesting play of shadows and varied lighting.

The Old Town Hall Tower with the astronomical clock looked like a building out of a fairy tale. I can almost see Rapunzel letting down her long hair from the window.

The street lamps with their yellow colored glow add to the fascinating and historical character of the buildings.

We rested for a while at one of the benches beside the Old Town Hall Tower while enjoying this view in front of us.

Walking along the Old Town that evening, it felt like I was in a dream save by the loud singing of the Czech national anthem by some drunken guys across the street.

One of Prague’s must-see attractions is the Old Town Square which tourists can find within walking distance from the Charles Bridge.

Going to the Old Town Square, tourists are greeted with buildings lined up at the sides and the Tyn Cathedral straight ahead.

The varied architectural styles of the buildings in the square make it an open-air museum featuring the Gothic styled Tyn Cathedral with its pointed spires, the Gothic façade of the House of the Stone Bell, the nearby St. Nicholas Church with its Baroque dome and other buildings.

The Old Town Hall with the Kriz House (pink building) adjacent to it.

The Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall’s tower provides brief entertainment to tourists with its “Walk of the Apostles” mini-show every hour.

Another view of the Town Hall Tower.

The House at the Bell (right) and the Goltz Kynsky Palace where the National Gallery is housed.

The Ministry of Economy building.

St. Nicholas Church

At the center of the square is the Jan Hus Memorial made of bronze by Czech sculptor Ladislav Saloun.

The Jan Hus memorial is a favorite place for tired tourists with its benches around where one can sit back and enjoy the great view of the surrounding buildings.

To be continued

Our first stop at the Berlin-Mitte disctrict was Alexanderplatz, a public square and a major transport center in Berlin where the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock), the Fernsehturm (TV Tower), Park Inn Berlin and other buildings are located.

The World Time Clock and the Park Inn Berlin

The Fernsehturm (TV Tower) and the Bahnhof Alexanderplatz (Alexanderplatz station)

The TV Tower is a familiar structure of the Berlin-Mitte skyline and can be seen along the Unter Den Linden Boulevard and other neighboring areas.

The Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall)

Near Alexanderplatz, is the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) where the governing mayor holds office. This renaissance-styled red brick building built in the mid-18th century was heavily damaged during the World War II and subsequently reconstructed according to the original plans during the 1950s.

Few steps from the town hall is the Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) and the Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain). I will be posting about Marienkirche and its interior in a separate post later.

The Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church)

Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain)

The huge circular Neptunbrunnen with a height of about 10 meters highlights Neptune at the center, the god of the sea according to Roman mythology (known as Poseidon in Greek mythology). Around him are four women representing Germany’s four main rivers.

Are we tired yet? Still so many points of interest lined up! Okay, off we go walking again…

Next stop: Museumsinsel (Museum Island) and Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral).

After the mid-noon Mass at the St. Albert Magnus Church in Berlin, we headed off to the Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) since it’s within the same district of Charlottenburg. The Charlottenburg Palace, built in the 17th century, is Berlin’s largest palace. We brought with us lots of food (yup, we’re not just travel bugs but pacmans as well) in the car and had a picnic at one of the benches in the palace grounds.

At the Charlottenburg Palace gate

A closer view of the palace dome

A statue inside the palace grounds

For a fee, tourists can get inside the Old Palace where there are many rooms with intricate details of architectural styles; while behind the palace is a large garden. At the right wing is a souvenir shop where you can find Charlottenburg Palace keepsakes and Berlin souvenirs and other trip essentials such as Berlin travel guides and photography books. We decided not to go inside and explore more of the palace since we had other tourist attractions lined up in our day tour itinerary and it was already past noon.

Next stop: Alexanderplatz

Not only is Berlin known for its historical significance but it is also one of Europe’s top tourist destinations along with Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Athens, Venice and other popular cities for travel bugs. Thus, a day tour in Berlin, being the capital of Germany and its largest city, was added to our travel itinerary in Europe considering that ours was a Schengen Visa and it was good to make the most of it by traveling to nearby Schengen states. And why wouldn’t we take time to visit Berlin when it is just about three hours travel from Prague?

Berlin is best enjoyed not just for a day though, but for those who haven’t got the luxury of time, a walking tour around the Berlin-Mitte (center) district would be sufficient since most of the main tourist attractions are concentrated here.

Below are some of the major points of interest to visit in the Berlin-Mitte district:
Alexanderplatz
Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall)
Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church)
Neptunbrunnen (Neptune Fountain)
Museumsinsel (Museum Island)
Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
Unter Den Linden Boulevard
Zeughaus (Old Arsenal) which houses the German Historical Museum
Neue Wache (New Guard House) war memorial
Staatsoper (Berlin State Opera)
Sankt-Hedwigs-Kathedrale (St. Hedwig’s Cathedral)
Humboldt University
Bebelplatz
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), shown in the above photo
Reichstag building

Other points of interest we’ve visited outside the Berlin-Mitte district: Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace) as our first stop located at the Charlottenburg district and Checkpoint Charlie (via subway) in the Friedrichstadt suburb.

Note: Photos and details of each point of interest to follow in separate posts.

One can never get enough of Europe. It’s just few months after our family vacation in this dreamy continent and Mom was already talking about going there again. LOL. I can just dream about it for now though, like her I am also wishing of visiting more European cities, famous ones such as London, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Florence.

Madrid

As the capital of Spain, this city is a blend of medieval and contemporary architecture. Its rich history of royalty and Christianity offers many interesting buildings, cathedrals and museums for tourists to visit. I’m fond of visiting museums, so the Museo del Prado would be on my must-visit list in Madrid. This museum highlights a lot of art masterpieces from the geniuses of Goya, Rubens, Botticelli, Caravaggio and other Spanish and European artists. For those who would like to party, Madrid has a thriving nightlife to enjoy with friends. Other tourist attractions are the Palacio Real or the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, El Retiro and lots more. There are many Hotels Madrid Norte and other accommodations for visitors to choose from.

Lisbon

Another European city to dream about is Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. The Gulbenkian Museum is definitely on my list since it highlights works by well-known masters such as Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet (my favorite), and more. The St. George’s Castle or Castelo de Sao Jorge would be a nice place to hang out, it offers a picturesque view of the city and river since it is situated on a hill. The neighborhood of Belem is where famous historical monuments are such as the Torre de Belém or the Belem Tower, the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Cultural Center and other attractions. Travel bugs can book early for hotels in Lisbon to get the best deal for an accommodation.

Florence

I missed this place when I went to Italy before, thus I’m still dreaming about visiting it someday. Who wouldn’t wish about stepping on a place where Renaissance was born, where famous artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and other Renaissance masters originated. Florence is a province picturesquely set in mountains and hills. Tourist attractions include the beautiful Duomo di Firenze with its huge Rennaissance dome, Giotto’s Tower, Palazzo Vecchio and many more historical buildings and monuments, churches, museums and palaces. A beautiful place such as this is an attraction for couples and they have many choices of romantic hotels in Florence to choose from.

Amsterdam

This city has one of Europe’s busiest airline hubs, the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. For instance, from Manila, this was our first entry point in the Schengen territory before we transferred to Prague. Too bad, my stay was just limited within the airport lounge and I was wishing I was staying in one of those Amsterdam hotels or even had few hours outside to go around Amsterdam, being the capital of The Netherlands. The city centre has a concentric canal ring, and consisting of 90 islands and 400 bridges linking them. Tourist attractions include museums featuring modern architecture, Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and more. Amsterdam is famous for its windmills which can be viewed at Molen van Sloten and De Gooyer.

These are just some of the European cities I wish to visit someday. And since the year-end holidays are almost here, it’s best to plan your trip months ahead. Check out available worldwide hotel bookings and flight reservations in the web. Getting a good travel deal means more savings which you could use for extra trip expenses such as souvenir shopping or dining out.

Photo credits: Wikitravel

Recently, big sis and I have been chatting about the coming holidays and their family’s trip itinerary in the Philippines. They’ll be spending few days at Boracay, a tropical paradise situated at the tip of the Panay Island and world-famous for its white sand and clear blue waters.

They already reserved a room at the Boracay Beach Club located beside the White Beach at Station 1. Browsing through their website, I am sure it will be a nice hotel for them.

Photo credits: Boracay Beach Club

Ohana. This Hawaiian word caught my eye as I glanced over one of the Hawaiian-inspired condominium brochures lying on the table.

I asked mom if she knows what it means, and she said, “Yes, it means family.” I told her it also reminded me of the movie ‘Lilo and Stitch’ where the phrase “Ohana means family” is always mentioned. It also sparked a sudden interest about Hawaii. After all, my aunt who’s based in Maui would always send us through the mail some big wall calendars with photos of Hawaii’s best landscapes and views.

And who wouldn’t dream of Hawaii vacations? It’s an island paradise, not only for the locals but for its visitors as well. Some of the major islands in Hawaii include Oahu, Maui and Kauai. The beaches, volcanoes, lush forests and other tropical landscapes in the Hawaiian Islands are indeed scenic spots for the nature lover. For the adventurous, there are many exciting things to do as well like surfing, mountain biking, hiking or diving.

For travel bugs who would like a taste of Hawaiian vacation, they can browse on airfare, hotel and other travel deals at Cruise and Vacation Packages, an online travel resource for cruise and vacation information including the latest updates on travel deals and discounts. The site provides a simple online booking process with airfare discounts for numerous worldwide tourist destinations such as Hawaii, Caribbean, Florida, Colorado, and Mexico including Europe, Latin America, Pacific, USA and Asia.

Photo credits: Julius Silver (www.foto-julius.at)

Situated in the Lappi district, Sammallahdenmaki is an important Scandinavian Bronze Age burial site and included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999. Thanks to our GPS navigator, we finally arrived at the site (though with a bit of confusion about the road directions) after our tour of Old Rauma. From the highway, we turned right to a winding road with both sides thickly covered by tall trees. What’s interesting about Sammallahdenmaki are the very ancient burial cairns (piles of stones) which date back to 1,500 to 500 BC.

The entrance sign to the burial site with estimated distances to two important cairns: Kirkonlaattia (The Church Floor) at 170 meters ahead, and the Huilun pitka raunion (The Long Ruin of Huilu) after 870 meters.

Want to hike few meters more? By the way, bicycles are not allowed here, and one should be careful to keep away from the slippery moss.

We immediately noticed the beds of light green moss covering most of the ground including the rocks.

A closer view of the moss-covered ground.

Those piles of stones seem to look ordinary yet they’re one of the ancient burial cairns.

Visitors are not allowed to step on top of the burial cairns which are considered sacred.

This crooked tree caught my attention. I wonder how it grew in shape like this?

It was such a serene and quiet atmosphere at Sammallahdenmaki, a place perfect for a retreat… and even if we were on an ancient burial site, it didn’t feel spooky at all; instead it was an afternoon where we experienced the tranquility of nature.

The skyline of Downtown Miami (in Florida) as seen from MacArthur Causeway bridge

Acknowledged as the ‘Sunshine State’ in the US for having a subtropical climate, Florida is a popular haven for tourists from colder places during the winter season. Aside from its beaches, this state is also best known for its famous theme parks particularly Disney World and the Universal Studios.

If you’re traveling to Florida for a holiday and would like to have a ‘home away from home’ ambiance, it’s good to consider vacation rentals for your accommodation. Vacation rentals by owner are usually less expensive since you deal with the owner directly. Vacation homes are usually well-kept and maintained and got all your favorite kitchen and dining appliances and utensils, from microwave oven to dishwasher and even a blender!

Families looking for Florida rentals can browse for properties online at Vacation Home Rentals (vacationhomerentals.com) such as a four-bedroom French villa in Clermont with easy access to shopping, dining, and recreation activities. Within the property is a pool, a playground and park, basketball and tennis courts. Few miles away are hiking, golf, fishing, horseback riding and more outdoor activities to be enjoyed.

For golf enthusiasts, there’s a Naples Florida vacation condo rental where they can enjoy a scenic view of the fairway and the lake from their rooms. All properties featured at Vacation Home Rentals are complete with description such as the number of bedrooms and allowed guests, rental rates and availability, with a photo gallery, list of available appliances, nearby outdoor activities including rental policies and other important rental information.

Photo credits: Marc Averette (5/17/2008)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Miami_skyline_20080517.jpg)

As Spain’s second largest city, Barcelona (capital of Catalonia) is one of Europe’s top tourist destinations, being a previous host to the 1992 Summer Olympics and famous for its historical buildings with distinctive architecture as shown by the works of Antoni Gaudi. Noteworthy is the unfinished Sagrada Familia originally designed by Gaudi which has been attracting millions of tourists since 2004.

Barcelona is also rich in festivals and events such as the Festes de Gracia every August to celebrated the Feast of the Assumption, the Sant Jordi which is similar to Valentines Day, and its main annual festival Festes de la Merce which features live concerts and shows, fireworks displays and more.

Some places to visit in Barcelona are the Placa d’Espanya, La Rambla, churches and cathedrals such as the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, and Sant Pau del Camp, the Montjuic Castle and lots more.

When it comes to accommodation, there are many Barcelona hotels for tourists to choose from. For those who are traveling on a limited budget and looking for cheap hotels, Destinia.com is an online catalogue of hotels worldwide. The default search results are listed according to the lowest rate. You can then filter out the results according to price range, category (1-star to 5-stars), meal options, amenities and other preferences.

Photo credits: pragueconnection.net (Barcelona, December 2006)

Castles, churches and other historical buildings are usually on my top travel destinations. Aside from being interested with the architecture of the building and the exterior details, going inside can be even more breathtaking. For instance the interiors of the cathedrals such as the St. Vitus Cathedral and the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul at the Vysehrad Castle are elaborately done, with the detailed chapels at the sides decorated with statues or paintings and other interesting artifacts. Not to miss are the beautiful hanging lamps and chandeliers which provide a subdued mood.

Chandelier inside the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle

Hanging lamps provide a quiet mood for contemplation at the church of Sts. Peter and Paul at the Vysehrad Castle

Chandeliers and other stylish lighting fixtures lend an artistic touch to a room, aside from providing mood lighting. They’re even considered as art centerpieces to hotels and some homes. Finding one for your home can’t be that easy though since they should complement the room’s look.
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The 2008 Summer Olympics would undoubtedly keep the swarms of tourists and visitors in Beijing busy. I doubt if they would take extra time to drop by some tourist attractions in this notable and historic city of China. For me, it would be just some virtual travel for now but who knows I would be there in my future trips. After all, my big bro is working in Guangdong Province so I guess I won’t have a problem when it comes to touring around China. That’s the travel bug in me dreaming again! 

Here are some of the tourist attractions in Beijing that I wish to visit someday:

1. Forbidden City - a UNESCO World Heritage site, which served as the Chinese imperial palace and home of the Emperor and his family during the Ming and Qing Dynasty. It would be nice to tour around its courts, walls, gates, gardens and other surroundings and drop by the Palace Museum where ancient artifacts and other collections are kept.

photo by ehnmark

2. Great Wall of China - one of China’s famous landmarks and another UNESCO World Heritage site. A section of the wall can be accessed at Badaling, northwest of Beijing.

photo by ehnmark

3. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – referred to as Nantang or the South Cathedral, the oldest Catholic Church in Beijing.

photo of the Cathedral interior from wikipedia

4. Temple of Heaven - another must-see for me, since it is described as a “masterpiece of architecture and landscape design” being chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998.

photo by ehnmark

5. Summer Palace - another UNESCO World Heritage site, with scenic parks, gardens and lakes.

photo by Asten

These are just few of the places to visit in Beijing, with its many historic buildings, temples, churches, parks, gardens, shopping and business districts.

Yesterday, we headed off to Kutná Hora, a town about few hours travel from Prague and with its historical town center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site together with the Church of St. Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec.

We stopped first at the famous Cemetery Chapel with Ossuary (a place to keep the bones of the dead) which was built during the late 14th century. The unique interior of the cemetery chapel contrasts its simple exterior design. Inside the chapel, you can see bones intricately made into a massive chandelier, as wall moldings and other decorations. These bones were estimated to come from the 40,000 people who died during the epidemic in the 14th century and during the Hussite wars early in the 15th century.

Inside the Ossuary, tourists inspecting the details of the bone decorations

One of the Baroque candelabras (candle holders) at the middle of the chapel, decorated with skulls and with an angel sitting on top

The intricate arrangement of skulls and bones as ceiling decorations

The main altar

The Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms with the pyramid of bones behind

The simple chapel exterior

Stepping inside gave me a bit of a creepy feeling especially seeing the piles of bones, though I can’t help but admire the creativity of the artist, Czech wood carver František Rint, with the skeletal art work and arrangement particularly the elaborate Schwarzenberg coat-of-arms.

It’s simply fascinating to gaze up at a tall building or structure, just like seeing a high mountain from below. One can feel a sense of achievement after conquering its height by climbing up and finally standing on its peak. With high buildings such as the CN Tower in Toronto, a trip in the elevator is all it takes.
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Other than seeing breathtaking natural landscapes and going to beach resorts, there are other options for tourists to enjoy their trip. It really depends on one’s preferences and interests. For the sports lover, the beaches and mountains are great outdoor experiences. And what about the movie buffs? I bet they would enjoy touring around and visiting the sites where some popular movies were filmed. This is one of the New York City attractions that movie enthusiasts would definitely love to experience. They can ride onboard the CitySights double decker bus and visit the apartment used in Friends, the Cosby townhouse, the restaurant in the movie Spiderman, locations from The Interpreter, Rescue Me, The Apprentice and many more movies and shows.

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My European vacation dream is still very much alive. Hmmm… aside from visiting my big sis and cutie sis in Finland and Prague respectively, I am also thinking of hopping by to other nearby countries such as France. This country is known not just for fashion and romance but for having interesting architecture and beautiful landscapes as well.

Tourist attractions in France include the world famous Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Arc De Triomphe, Centre Pompidou… and so much more! Continue reading »

Its summer in New Zealand now so better take this opportunity to travel there while
it’s still warm and sunny. Serviced apartments in New Zealand are great alternatives to hotels to suit your budget. Cheaperthanhotels NZ offers last minute deals on accommodation throughout the country. Your family can stay in one of New Zealand hotels located in any city like Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown or Christchurch.

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London has many interesting places to visit especially for those with an eye for arts and entertainment. You can go straight to the City of Westminster and find there the West End of London. The main theatre district of London is located in West End. If you appreciate architectural design, most of the privately owned theatres in “Theatreland” are built using Victorian or Edwardian design incorporating palatial neo-Classical, Victorian, or Romanesque facades and decorated with lavish interiors.

Watching a musical is one of the main tourist activities in West End. Les Misérables tops the longest running musical in the history of West End. West End also shows new hit musicals such as Billy Elliot, The Producers and Mary Poppins.

One of the famous streets in the City of Westminster is Piccadilly. This major street in London stretching from Hyde Park Corner to Piccadilly Circus is also the location of Royal Academy of Arts, among others. From Hyde Park Corner you can reach Hyde Park, one of the largest parks in central London and one of the Royal Parks of London noted for its Speakers’ Corner, an area where public speaking is allowed. Continue reading »

One of the places in Europe which I want to visit again is Italy with its beautiful architecture and romantic ambiance. Don’t you just wish you’re on a European holiday and staying in one of those luxurious Italy hotels with your loved ones? My training companions and I stayed in Milan and were housed in fully-furnished rooms at walking distance to shops and stores. Thus we would usually tour around a bit after our classes.
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Torre de Belém, Portugal

One of the places to visit in Europe is Portugal attracting over 12.8 million tourists worldwide with most of them coming from the UK, Spain and Germany. Hmmm…not much from Asia, huh? Maybe because we’re too far from Europe and it really needs longer vacation period for trips to places such as this to make the most of your time and budget.
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