missing delft...: August 2005

Eurotrip 3 Day 33 . Berlin

Today we spent 1 hr waiting to go into the Reichstag, the German Parliament House, to tour the dome that was designed by Norman Foster.

Then we went to Jean Nouvel's Galleries Lafayette. By this time I was feeling a little sad that my tour was coming to an end...

I went back to get my stuff in the evening and headed for the airport to take a flight to Masstricht.

I reached Masstricht at 2100, but there were no buses to the train station still 2200. So by the time I got to the train station, it was already about 2230 and the train bound for Eindhoven, from where I was supposed to change another train to get to Delft, was not due till 2250. So by the time I reached Eindhoven, it was already 0010. I had also forgotten that trains were not 24hr operative except for the Ranstad area! O no...so I had to stay the night in Eindhoven as I had missed the last train at 0000hrs.

I spent the night at a 3 star hotel cos the hostel was not open for checking in ... especially at 0100 in the morning. I had not had dinner so I went to the club street to get a bratworst for 3.5 euro...man expensive...high cost of living are back again...

could've spent another day in Berlin with the extra spent on lodging at Eindhoven...well that's life...what an end to my tour...

Reichstag dome interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Foster's dome for the Reichstag

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Lift interior of Reichstag(Parliament House)

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Jean Nouvel's Galleries Lafayette interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 32 . Berlin

German Historic Museum interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Museum of Murdered Jews of Europe interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Mies van der Rohe New National Gallery exterior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Hans Scharoun's National Library interior stairs

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Hans Scharoun's National Library light detail

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Frank Gehry's DZ Bank

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

IM Pei's German Historic Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Hans Scharoun's National Library

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Mies van der Rohe New National Gallery interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Today we went to the various embassies, then to the area around the Sony Centre where Mies van de Rohe's National Gallery, Hans Scharoun's Berlin Philharmonic and his library are. Then we went to Frank Gehry's DZ Bank and IM Pei's German Historic Museum.

Nordic Embassy interior

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 31 . Berlin

Today we (Raimund and I, as Adu other plans) essentially went to the Jewish Museum and the Sony Centre after that.

Sketch of the entrance to Jewish Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Exterior of Jewish Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

First intersection in interior of Jewish Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Art Installation at Jewish Museum. Many iron disks which one can step on.

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

View from the Steps to Nowhere at Jewish Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sony Centre in the evening

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 30 . Athens - Berlin

Today, we went to the National Archeological Museum.

At night we took the flight to Berlin. We were informed of the Heliot Cyprus Airline plane crash over Greece this morning and were apprehensive of our flight. But we were taking EasyJet, so it was better.

When we reached the Youth Hostel in Berlin, it was already almost one in the morning. Our roommates were already fast asleep, a far cry from the ones we saw at Mykonos on Saturday.

Bronze Age sword and ornamentation, National Archeological Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

er...should've paid more attention to the name...at National Archeological Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Bronze statue at National Archeological Museum

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 29 . Mykonos, Greece

Today I stayed in the room while the rest went to sunbathe and swim at Paradise Beach. This island is really a party island...last night, at 2 am people were still getting prepared to go party, and the music from the disco could be heard from our rooms...partly because we were merely about thirty meters from the event.

When they returned, Yizhen and Raimund had been stung by jellyfish and Adu had this thumb cut by a protruding rock. Good thing I stayed indoors...haha...

In the afternoon, we, Adu Raimund and I, left Mykonos for Athens, leaving Lily and Yizhen to stay for another night at Mykonos. We had to do this as we were told that the ferry from Mykonos to Athens is always late so if we were to go back to Athens to take a connecting flight to Berling tomorrow, we most likely would not make it. Lily and Yizhen were not going to Berling with us, so they stayed behind.

We reached Athens at around 2300 and it took us another hour to get to our hostel. The ferry we took was from a small company so they had to dock at a remote area, leaving us to take a bus to the train station.

At the hostel, we shared our room with a Malaysian guy who was working and travelling in UK, but who had come over for some travelling.

Raimund's jellyfished butt

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Yizhen's jellyfished knee

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 28 . Mykonos, Greece

Beach view

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Typical church tower

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Alfresco pub area at Little Venice in the day

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

When we arrived at Mykonos island, we were not greeted by a crowd of hotellers...we were supposed to be picked up by a bus to our hostel or hotel, but none were in sight save for a mini bus that read 'campsite'...anyway, after a call, they came to pick us up...wait a minute...wasn't that the bus that we had seen? er...we booked at a resort...not a campsite...maybe they just shared the bus...

Little did we know that it was a campsite that we had booked...a resort alright...a campsite resort...we were next to the beach no doubt, but our 'rooms' were actually safari tent like things...and they were charging us 54 euros for 3 beds per night! On the internet we had booked a 3 bed room...they were pushing it a little too far...never stay at Paradise Beach Resort.

Anyway we slept for a few hours after checking in at noon since our ferry ride was in the morning. The room was like a sauna...we were sweating like pigs when we woke up...

We then took a bus to the city area and explored...

We at last came across the restaurant that the guide book recommended. Good calamari...good fish...good octopus pasta...reasonable service...nice albatrosses and kittens close by to entertain us...

At night, we went to the Little Venice for drinks cause the girls wanted to see how it was like to be in a gay nightlife district...they were pretty disappointed as we didnt see many...or so we thought...

Typical balconies

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Nice textured wall

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Not so typical facade. Normally better maintained

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Typical street crossings

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

One of the beloved albatrosses

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Typical church

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Eurotrip 3 Day 27 . Santorini, Greece

Today we did more sunbathing...although it would be more accurate to say that they did the sunbathing while I just sat in the shade...I was feeling kinda bad...was feeling a bout of flu coming upon me...so had to take care...

Dinner was at the restaurant across from the hostel...I had lamb with rice...not bad...

Tonight we were to transit to Mykonos, another Greek island further north, closer to the Greek mainland. We didn't get onto the ferry till almost 3 in the morning, even though it was scheduled to arrive at 1am...

Eurotrip 3 Day 26 . Santorini, Greece

After sun bathing at the Black Beach, Santorini

After sun bathing at the Black Beach, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Today we just lounged around the Black Beach sunbathing and swimming...and at night we went to walk around Fira, the centre...where we had dinner...I had pasta in cream sauce...no more kebabs for me...we also tried to find car rentals but in vain...all fully booked except for the really expensive ones...

Eurotrip 3 Day 25 . Santorini, Greece

Playing cards even while standing...sigh...

Playing cards even while standing...sigh...
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 3, Santorini

Sunset at Oia 3, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 6, Santorini

Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 5, Santorini

Sunset at Oia 5, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 4, Santorini

Sunset at Oia 4, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 2, Santorini

Sunset at Oia 2, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Sunset at Oia 1, Santorini

Sunset at Oia 1, Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini 2

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini 2
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini

View from ferry from Athens to Santorini
Originally uploaded by chlum79.

Today we left for Santorini early in the morning...we had gotten VIP tickets for Blue Star Ferries for 50 euros because the other seats were full...the moment we got out of the train station we could see the ferry...which is more than I can say for the less established ferries...gotta take a bus to some remote area...

The trip to Santorini was quite uneventful as we spent most of the time either sleeping or playing cards or reading...the ferry was huge, but it was still a little shaky because the sea was very rough.

Upon reaching Santorini, we were greeted by a lot of locals trying to promote their hostels or hotels...we had booked beds earlier so we were promptly escorted to the bus which took us to our hostel...

Our beds were 8 euros each, cheap isn't it? But our room had 30 other beds, was underground, and when we entered the room, we were greeted with a strong smell of sea water, dried sweat and ammonia, not to mention the mattresses were moist to the touch...eeww...well 8 euros...

As soon as we had checked in, we headed for Oia to see the famous sunset. The buses were almost always full, and we had to wrestle our way onto the bus to and from Oia...terrible...best to rent a car...but don't do it at Fira, the centre, do it at the rental shops at the outskirt towns...Perrisa or whatever...cos otherwise cars are normally unavailable...bikes are aplenty though, but the four wheelers are also pretty hot...so whatever it is, try to get private transport asap when you reach the island...

Dinner was kebab again...my sore throat was beginning to hurt...