Milan or Verona for the last stop in Italy?

We had the choice of going to Verona, where the age-old romantic story of Romeo and Juliet unfolded or to Milan, the modern and chic fashion center of Italy for our last stop before proceeding to Switzerland. We succumbed to our more materialistic side...what's so great about the balcony where Romeo had professed his love for Juliet centuries ago anyway? It had very little meaning to us so, Milano it was.

Bus ride from Venice to Milano...again, the barren fields and farmyards.

Love the blue skies though, the skies are always so blue here in Europe.

An old castle on the hill by the highway.

A small town at the base of a hill with its own church and campanile.

Morning tea break at one of the stopovers on the highway...I couldn't resist taking a shot with this cute huggable bear... :P

Milano is the second largest city in Italy, being the capital of the Province of Milan, which sits on the region of Lombardy. I've heard and read about Milan so many times in fashion magazines that I instinctively felt a thrill before we even arrived at the place. Boutiques and shops sounded like a very good way to go for the shopping maniac in me...all the better if there were nice sights to see as well along the way.

We've rolled in the streets of Milano on a quiet morning - quiet, only because it was the weekend and very few people were working.

A typical sight on the street...people literally 'window-shop' here, peeping from one window to another for new trends.

Many water features such as these as well all around the city.

An overcast morning in Milano.

Our guide cleverly chose the Galleria Vittoro Emanuelle II, which is located at the Piazza Duomo for our shopping spot of the day. This is also where the impressive Duomo di Milano stood with its spires piercing the skies. Duomo di Milano was most certainly quite a sight to behold. It is the third biggest cathedral in the world after all (after St Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville) and is one of the best representation of Gothic architecture in Italy.

Duomo di Milano, a very impressive cathedral in Milan. Hear that sound? That was my jaw dropping... Looks like something out of a fairy tale, so you see, fairy tales DO happen!!!

A clearer picture.

Frontal view of the cathedral.


Dang...can't remember the significance of this statue outside Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II...*sigh*

The equesterian monument in Piazza Duomo.

Galleria Vittoro Emanuelle II, centered in its pallazo-like facade.

An Arc-de-Triumph motif in the Piazza Del Duomo entrance.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks, the Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala, which is one of the world's most famous opera houses. Unfortunately, I do not have any pics of this opera house. :(

Another shot of the cathedral from a different angle.

The arcade passage is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof - a traditional design for arcades in the 19th century.

Outside Rinascenter Shopping Mall.

Finally...something familiar for lunch - Mc D's, which was not quite so cheap here...the most expensive McD meal for two we've ever paid for!

Different design and color - the logo is in black and gold, perhaps to symbolize the prestige of the place...?

Right at the other end is the La Scala theatre.

This shopping arcade houses the most prestigious brands, like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada.

Taking a walk around the Piazza.

Potable water everywhere - nobody would die of thirst here, not the fluid kind anyway.

La Rinascente where we did our shopping. For Burberry lovers, the price here in Italy is strangely cheaper than in London so...this is where you'd want to pick up your merchandises before heading out of Italy.

A side view of the Duomo, with the tall arched windows...very, very pretty!

Final shot before we ended our short tour around Milano.

Granted, there were so many more places that we did not manage to see here in Milano, too many shops that were left unvisited. My advice is to plan more days here if you're a shopping fanatic! Otherwise, you'd leave very unsatisfied, like me. :(

Venice, Italy

"Water, water everywhere, but not quite a drop to drink". This about sums up what I feel about Venice, the city which is world-famous for its canals or waterways. Funnily enough, a bottle of mineral water here costs at least RM 10, so...you get the picture about the second part of that phrase.

Anyhow, Venice is known as one of the most romantic places in the world and I agree whole-heartedly. Located in the north of Italy, it is the capital of the region Veneto. There are about 150 odd canals here in Venice, spanned by 400 over bridges. Quite an amazing tally and just looking at the bird's eye view of Venice in the travel brochure left me agape - it was a maze of buildings and canals and bridges.

We headed out of the Tuscany region...somewhere near Pisa where we put up a night after visiting the Leaning Tower very early in the morning, wanting to make full use of the daylight hours romping around the famous tourist destination. Another amazing but short bus ride.

Spotted a quaint looking church along the way.

Another Autogrill along the highway.

Locating our next destination in the map of Italy - Venice, here we come! :)

And finally, we got close enough to the island to catch a glimpse of the expanse of water. There was some kind of marathon going on during that time. I was surprised to find that most of the runners were middle to old-aged men and women. Italians are very health conscious people!

There...so began our 'water, water everywhere' journey!

Along the highway that led us to the jetty.

Lovely colorful sailboats, dotting the horizon...my favorite view!

A nice shot of the bridge...

And so, we reached the jetty, where a boat would take us to the island. Lots of souvenirs to gape at or buy here...some sexy ones as well!

Those up there were aprons, erm...very creative ones. There were painted face masks, tri-angels, t-shirts, clocks, little ceramic statues and buildings, watches, hats, scarves, etc...you name it, they have it here!

This is the jetty where we waited for a boat to take us to Piazza Saint Marco on the main island.

There were many boats docked here - motorised waterbuses that they called the vaporettis. The main mode of transportation used to be the gondolas, but now they are only used for tourists - mostly for weddings, funerals or other occasions. I personally think they cost too much for any other purposes!

Taking a shot before stepping into the boat. It was a very wonderful ride whereby you'd be able to get a bigger picture of Venice from a distance.

There, this is a very nice pic of Venice from the boat...you could quite easily spot the St Mark's campanile (bell tower), the bulbous domes of St Mark's basilica and the Doges Palace here. Unfortunately, you can't see much of the Bridge of Sighs from this angle.

A better view of the Basilica of St Mark.

I love this shot distant shot of Piazza San Marco.

A different view from the boat.

The Saint Mark's Campanile, which is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. It stands alone in a corner of Piazza St Marco.

The cool air was very refreshing, so I came out to the open air area of the boat to cam-whore a little.

We finally set foot on Venice. :)

The marathon ended here, a spot near to where our boat was docked. Three cheers to those who managed to finish!

Seafood display outside our restaurant of choice. Pretty, isn't it? Unfortunately we were too poor to have a taste of the lobster that cost a hand and a leg. :(

The expresso that costs close to RM 40 per cup! *Barf*

Italian spaghetti Bolognaise...I regret now that I couldn't quite bring myself to try the squid pasta, which is very famous in Venice. I was deterred by our guide, who told us that the dish was inky black, with a very fishy smell and squid eyes rolling and peeping out at whomever dared to eat it. Alas...it would have been quite a life experience I think!

Tiramisu - simply translated into English, it means Lift Me UP! Cute, huh? This one here was fantastic, unlike most of those I had back in Malaysia - dipped in expresso and liquor...I think it was rum.

Ahh..finally a pic of the Bridge of Sighs or in Italian, Ponte Dei Sospiri. There's an interesting story behind how this bridge got its name. It has windows with stone bars and is made of limestones. It spans Rio di Pallazo, connecting the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. Thus, the last view that the prisoners saw before their imprisonment was the view from this bridge. It was said that the convicts would sigh at the final beautiful view of Venice and freedom before being led into their cells, not knowing when they would ever be free again. So there you go...Bridge of Sighs... *sigh*.

This is the beginning of my short term relationship with the pigeons of Venice. They love me...way too much in fact! Well, actually they loved my food more...

A closer view of the Basilica of St Mark, which is an incredible place of worship and declaration of power.

Venice is famous for glass blowing - we managed to catch a show or demonstration on how this is done. Very amazing indeed. I practically gaped as this man pulled that orange lump of thing into a beautiful glass swan in a matter of seconds! Needless to say, these glass ornaments are not at all cheap - very much the contrary in fact!

Expert at work. This guy has half a lifetime long of experience in glass blowing. I salute.

Me in the glass shop, before I realized no cameras were allowed here. *Ooops!*

Taken by a rebellious sod anyhow haha... One of the owners of the shop explaining to us the so called 'promotion' that was ongoing at that time. Yep, promotion alright! Nothing in that shop was less than a few hundred Euros at least - discount or no discount! To be fair, the ornaments were very, very pretty...I would have loved to take home a few if they weren't so fragile and pricey.

Gondolas on a canal. This is the cue for Italian folk music to play in the background and for people to fall head over heels in love! *dreamily sighs* :P

Another shop selling glass ornaments in one of the alleys.

One of the 400 odd bridges in Venice behind me.

A hotel that overlooks the canal. Quite a nice sight from the rooms I'd say, though I was told that usually people would not opt to stay here for the night. Everything closes early here in Venice, and the whole place would be shrouded in silence and darkness before it got too late. Pretty boring if you asked me.

Taking a stroll along the Grand Canal.

Pinocchio! This is where he came from! There are plenty of shops selling souvenirs on the island itself as well. I'd buy more definitely if I had like 8 octopus tentacles instead of my two humanly hands! Masks used for the carnival in Venice are sold here as well, very beautiful, hand-painted ones that immediately calls to mind that movie, The Phantom of the Opera.

My favorite shot of the docked gondolas, the classical mode of transport for Venice.

Ah, yes, my dance with the pigeons continues...

The Saint Mark's Basilica's very unique architecture.

A packet of corn and they attack you like piranhas in air.

The facade of Basilica St Mark. The colorful piece behind me is made of crushed glass, or so I was told.

And back to the pigeon... There were so many, prompting us to take more and more and more pictures!

Meet my new friend! He loves perching on my head.

If you can't beat them, join them! So I did...or tried to.

Alfresco dining at Piazza San Marco, which is the principal square in Venice.

Hmh...this is quite the scenario one usually sees on the big screen...extravagant dining out in the open with a band playing...

Me with the Campanile of St Mark.

A shop selling very nice decor items.

On a bridge spanning a canal.

Waiting for the gondola to pass by.

A gondola.

The Lion of St Mark's - can't recall the significance of it though... :(

The campanile and the other tall structure bearing the symbol of venice...the Lion with wings.

A closer shot of the facade of Basilica San Marco.

Catching the Symbol of Venice by its tail...strange, I would have thought this to be the symbol of Singapore.

The jetty for gondolas.

My favorite shot of the gondolas with Piazza San Marco at the background.

In front of the Doges Palace, waiting for the boat that would take us back to the mainland.

Sunset skies...actually it was not so late, but daylight hours were short, thus the gloominess. It was drizzling slightly by the time we left and getting pretty cold!

Bye bye Venice...

Trying on a face mask. :)

I feel so mysterious suddenly...going for a Masquerade Ball... haha...

There are rumors that Venice is sinking...I don't know how true this is, but I have this to say: Venice, wait for me till I come and fall in love here all over again! ^.^

Florence & Pisa, Italy

Walking around Florence, Italy was quite like taking a virtual flip-through on a European history book - it was so rich and diverse with culture and past that it seemed to emanate from every corners of the city. Almost everything that you set eyes on - the statues and sculptures, the Renaissance buildings, the churches, domes, bridges, fountains and museums all had a story of their own and it could get quite overwhelming if you have not researched first on this city before you take your tour.

If you did not, then you're most likely to miss out on all the features that made Florence or Firenze, as it is locally known one of the most visited places in the world. There's a chance that you probably would not know it even if you're looking at something which is historically significant.

First of all, an introduction on the city: if you did not know, Florence is one of the world heritage sites declared by UNESCO in the early 1980s due to its exceptional cultural heritages. It is the capital of the region Tuscany in Italy, with a high population. Most importantly, it is the birthplace of Italian Renaissance...which is why you'd never be short of interesting things to see while you're here.

Our trip to Florence from Rome started very early in the morning. The bus ride was particularly relaxing and the views outside my window were something like these...most of the time, anyway:

Yes, acres and acres of field and barren land due to the impending winter, with the faded mountains as a backdrop. I found the architecture of the houses here very different from back home. We passed by some castles along the way, quite run down though they were. Interesting enough, this ride.

This was taken during one of the stopovers along the highway, something like our Sg Buloh rest area along the North-South Highway. They had plenty of Autogrills along the way.

Lunchtime - hungry for a steak and icy cold beer - the best combination ever!

That's one of the most expensive steak I've ever eaten - over RM 150 for that piece! And it did not come with fries or salad too! *gulp*

Hmmmhh...juicy piece of meat! Very very delectable.

Okay, okay, enough on the meat...

Now, we were heading towards Piazzale Michaelangelo, where we were guaranteed of a fantastic bird's eye view of the city of Florence. Spotted this cute quad bike along the way. There were quite a few here.

And we finally reached the top of the hill. Piazzale Michaelangelo is just a large parking lot on the edge of a hill, located south from the center of the city. Ahh, yes, the magnificent view which is so characteristic of Tuscany...you see this in posters all the time.

Can you spot the Duomo and campanile (bell tower) in the pic? It is quite prominent in Tuscany's skyline.

Posing with the wonderful view!

There...the statue of the not-so-bashful David de Michaelangelo silhouetted against the sunlight.

A closer shot of the world-famous statue. Artists back then thought the human body was artistic enough so...

Up here at Piazzale Michaelangelo, you could do your souvenir shopping, though I found the price here not quite so competitive compared to shops in the city itself.

There were plenty of street painters or artists, if you will, who did wonderful pieces of art like these...but they were very pricey. Art doesn't come cheap here, unless it is computer printed.

I love this piece on Firenze...but not enough to blow a hole in the pocket purchasing it. :(

Spying the city of Florence from the hilltop.

The backside of the Statue of David with the backdrop of very blue skies and the mountains of Italy - hmmhh, cheeky!

After that, we headed for the city to tour around. This is one of the most famous sights in Florence - the domed cathedral of the city also known as Santa Maria Del Fiore or simply, the Duomo. It consists of Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's Campanile, along with the Baptistry building. What a sight to behold indeed. Such a piece of artwork in itself that one couldn't help but to keep on staring.

The Duomo, which was built a good 600 years ago, is still the largest dome in the world built in brick and mortar, so you're looking at a world record over here.

There seemed to be some ongoing construction here...but that did not dim its allure.

The amazing Gothic-styled sculptures on the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore located at Piazza Del Duomo. I just...gaped...such intricate details indeed! I wonder how long it took to complete this building.

The basilica with Giotto's Campanile (bell tower)

The facade, which is wholly dedicated to the Mother of Christ

Statues outside the Basilica

Ahh...the Golden Gates of Paradise. These are the gates that serve as entrance to the Baptistry of Florence, designed by a bloke called Lorenzo (who was a very famous artist in his time). Coincidentally our guide's name was Lorenzo, that's how the name stuck in the memory. These bronze doors are covered with scenes from the Biblical fables - I can off-hand only remember two of them: Adam & Eve and Noah's Arc. :(

Me with the Golden Gates of Paradise...*knock*knock*

Another shot of the facade

The beautiful Brunelleschi's Duomo

An artistic shot

Hmhh...another bell tower. I can't recall the significance of this building... :( Told you it was overwhelming!

Piazza Della Signoria is the square near the famous Ponte Vecchio or the medieval bridge you often see in travel brochures or articles. There are many interesting things to see here from museums to statues and monuments. It is considered a very enchanting open air museum that accentuates the greatness and power of its civilization.

Alfresco dining at Piazza Della Signoria - lovely, especially in such a weather! Tea break does not come cheap here though!

At the square with the equestrian statue at the back

The statue of Neptune from afar, situated in front of Palazzo Vecchio. It is the symbol of the Florentine's superiority over the sea.

The multitude of jewelry, souvenir and art shops on the Ponte Vecchio (which is by the way pronounced Vekkio) that is held up by stilts. These shops used to be occupied by butchers before. The Ponte Vecchio spans Arno River and is probably one of the most prominent structures in Florence. It is the oldest stone-made arch bridge in the world.

The neighboring bridges spanning Arno River.

The bridges had been swept off by the flood waters of Arno River twice before in history.


There's an interesting story to be told here on this old medieval bridge. It was said that the concept of bankruptcy originated from here. The merchants were known to display their wares on a table or banco in front of their shops in the olden days. If they were in debt and could not pay off their debts, a soldier would come by and break the table. The act of breaking the table is called banco grotto (which translates to broken table), after which business can no longer be carried out by the merchant. This was how the word 'bankruptcy' was first coined.

This is the Uffizi Museum, which houses the works of very prominent artists of the century. We did not go in here however. The queue was far too long, as can be expected all year round!

A human life statue...looks fake enough, doesn't it? I thought so until it suddenly moved and scared the daylights out of me! Plenty of these here.

Another close up shot of the statue of Neptune.

The equestrian statue.

The basilica and campanile from a distance.

After soaking up much of Florence, we headed to Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, where the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa was located. It was quite a long and winding distance away and although I was very excited to finally be able to see for myself the tower, when I finally got there, I felt that it was more of a hype than anything else. It was just a large square with a basilica, a dome and a campanile, as we have seen in Florence.

Of course there were many souvenir shops here that sold very cheap goods but the slanting tower itself was just that - a slanting tower. Imagine the millions of visitors that pour in from every corner of the world to see what was in reality an architecural or constructural flop - the tower was built on a compromised foundation with loose soil. Brought a new meaning to the phrase 'blessing in disguise' - it has to be the greatest celebration of failure ever. Or perhaps the marvel was in the fact that the tower has not collapsed just yet.

The basilica and dome, with the tower at the back.

Granted, the design and sculptures on the building was splendid enough.

Me, looking at the Leaning tower...somehow it wasn't quite what I had expected. :P

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was declared as part of the Piazza Dei Miracoli UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the neighboring cathedral, baptistery and cemetery.

The board explaining the technical data for the tower. It is inclined almost 4 degrees from the vertical.

Final shot of the basilica and duomo before we left.

Glory Beach Resort, Port Dickson

Glory Beach Resort offers luxurious service-apartments and is located right before PD town. There are a few choices for room accomodations here - 2-3 bedroom apartments, Business Class apartments, Penthouse and Suites.

The humble entrance

The reception area

I've personally only been to the 3-bedroom apartment some years back for a friend's party. Although not overly impressive like a hotel, I suppose it is not too bad for a service apartment, and it is ideal for a large gathering/ family vacation since it is convenient enough with a kitchenette that serves the purpose of making your accomodation 'a home away from home'. All apartment units are air conditioned, and standard amenities are provided, such as tea and coffee-making facilities, telephone, fridge and TV.

There are 4 F&B outlets in this resort. The special one in my opinion, would be D'Kokomo Beachside Cafe, famous for its alfresco dining out on the beach. Guests are serenaded by an in-house live band while enjoying the view and enticing cuisines offered by the restaurant. Besides that, there's the Coral Cafe that serves meals throughout the day and Bamboo Pub, where you can chill with your friends over drinks while being entertained by a live band deep into the night. There's also a sunken bar that serves snacks and cocktails/ mocktails by the poolside.

The Coral Cafe post lunch time

Surprisingly, this resort offers many recreational facilities, which I hardly expected. They are such as tennis courts, squash courts, basketball courts, beach volleyball courts, beach soccer patch, kayaking, a gym, steambath and sauna, as well as a BBQ pit for barbeque parties. Of course then, there's also the pool - a very big one, as you can see here.

The poolside with the Sunken bar at the corner

Kayaking facilities


A decorative boat near the poolside

They even offer spa treatments here, although I was personally quite tickled by the spa center building - it's shaped like a tree trunk and is not quite so big as I would have thought a resort spa center should be (it could only fit in a foot reflexology chair and two beds with curtains drawn across each other).

The Spa Center...odd isn't it? Hahaha!

Other additional facilities would be the business center, the convenience store, the souvenir shop and the children's playground.

The convenience shop

If you're looking for somewhere affordable and which gives you a good value for your money, this resort would be a good bet, although it is located quite a distance away from the vacation spots further down south. It is quite near to the town though - probably only a five minutes drive away.

For more activities/ places of interest in PD, click here.

Glory Beach Resort, Port Dickson

Batu 2, Jalan Seremban, Tanjung Gemok,

71000 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Tel: 06-6516888

Corus Paradise Resort, Port Dickson

Another one of the bigger and more popular hotels in Port Dickson would be Corus Paradise Resort. I have quite a history with this hotel as I watched it come into existence from scratch - it is after all located just a distance away from Port Dickson High School, of which I am an alumni. It has undergone quite a bit of changes since.

Corus Paradise Resort from the front

As far as a hotel goes, it is comfortable enough - very airy and spacious. Upon stepping into its threshold, one would be enthralled by the majestic staircase that leads to the reception area overlooking the lagoon and the Straits of Malacca. On a breezy day, you'd be greeted by refreshing gusts of salty wind, which courses through most parts of the lobby and reception area due to the open concept. The waiting lounge overlooks the pool, and I especially love the Thalasso concept present in the architecture and decorations of the hotel (shells, sand, marine animals and water features).

The grand staircase that leads to the reception area, quite an unusual design for a hotel

Spacious surroundings

The lounge opens up to the pool and lagoon, and one could catch glimpses of the Straits of Malacca

There are three F&B outlets here in the hotel. Dickson's Coffee House serves ala carte meals all throughout the day. The Laguna Restaurant on the other hand only dishes out breakfast and meals for special functions at the hotel. The Rhapsody Lounge is more like a pub, serving light snacks and drinks, which one can enjoy while listening to the live band. Besides that, there's a convenience store, WIFI connection at most of the hotel areas, a gymnasium, sauna & steambath, indoor squash courts, outdoor tennis courts, children's playroom and a video games room.

The beach area for alfresco dining/ beach events

For water sports lovers, there are many amusements for you here on the beach and the lagoon. Some of the facilities offered are such as jetski, sea rafting, banana boat rides, beach soccer, beach volleyball, telematches, management games and so forth, so it is quite ideal for company events. For meetings and conferences, there are 6 different rooms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, named after the districts in Negeri Sembilan.

For those who prefer a relaxing day at the spa, there is a spa center at the hotel: the Seri Ratu Traditional Spa, which I have tried and in my opinion, is one of the better Malay traditional spa treatment centers that I have been to thus far. There are many packages to choose from, from massages to lulur treatments and floral baths.

The pool area

The convenience store

A karaoke jukebox room

The rooms, as far as I remember are quite big and tastefully designed. Most of the rooms faces the sea. They offer standard amenities like direct dial telephone, color TV with in-house video channels, radio, hair dryer, tea/coffee-making facilities, a mini bar and even an in-room electronic safe. There's broadband internet connection as well in the room.

Although not as special as the water chalets offered by Avillion or Legend Water Chalets, if you're just looking for a nice place to stay during your trip to PD, this would be a good bet as it is near to the PD town and vacation spots further down south.

For more activities / places of interest in PD, click here.

Corus Paradise from Jalan Pantai Port Dickson

Corus Paradise Resort

3.5 km, Jalan Pantai,71000 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan DK, Malaysia.

Tel: 06-6477600