TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Hello people, I am in Sintra, Portugal right now, a UNESCO world heritage village having a short relaxing weekend holiday. Away from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam, and also from Lisbon. Lisbon was nice but for this trip I prefer the village-y feel, the nature and the tranquil surroundings around me. Lisbon touchdown The KLM pilot went too fast with the landing and the plane was swaying sideways, we bumped hard on the runway. I managed to take pictures of Lisbon from the plane. Me in Rossio square in Lisbon, Portugal. Not the best foto (looking a bit smug haha) I got but I didn't have many fotos taken with me on it in Lisbon. Beautiful Sintra My hotel in Sintra is really nice. It is facing the valley and the historical center with the old buildings and houses, and the castle ruins on top of the mountain as my view (sometimes I only see a blanket of mist hovering above the tip of the mountain). I think I have chosen a perfect place to unwind. I really need this f...

Since its Q4, the most stressful time for every sales and business professional, I am grounding myself from traveling long distance. My friend, Blondine is dying to take a week holiday in NYC or Cuba as originally planned. I’d love to really. I mean I would have booked the ticket now, pronto!, but I’m a responsible corporate slave so I have changed plans and have been looking at nearby destinations for a nice long weekend instead. The problem right now is I can’t make a decision, and I want to fly out next weekend already. I’ve checked Cotswolds in the UK, Carcassonne in the south of France, Valencia in Spain, Venice in Italy, Andorra, even Paris. All except Paris I’d love to spend more days than just a long weekend. I have a luxurious problem okay but I need to make a decision this weekend. I want some culture, some nature and some relaxation. Sigh... .

After my Oslo trip, I think I hit the wall. Big time. It’s like a brick that hit me hard on the head and I lay there unconscious on the floor for a time. Unlike my other travels where I totally get hyperactive and ecstatic to work on my fotos and spend time daydreaming and rekindling all the travel experiences in my head, Oslo gave me this thick wall of complacence, and utter nothingness. It was as if I had a withdrawal. Maybe because I wasn’t so charmed at the city at all? As Dutchman put it with sarcasm, Oslo is a “uitgegroiede dorp”, which means a big or developed village. The city is relatively small per metropolitan standards but quite compact. It’s just about Amsterdam Centrum only except that the city center of Amsterdam has a different appeal. Eerily crammed with dark crooked houses and lined with romantic medieval canals whilst holding up this down to earth alternative jive, carefree yet mysterious. Of course plus 250,000 more people. Amsterdam will always be my favorite ci...

I'm having some blogging withdrawals lately. I don't know but I am just not in the mood to blog. Maybe I am just tired from work. Not sure really when I'm going to have my blogging mojo back. .

Last weekend was a busy one for me. Saturday went shopping with Blondine in Amsterdam. Had coffee at the Americain Hotel—those huge period leather armchairs in the restaurant right by the front windows are so comfy, had lunch in Caffe PC in PC Hooftstraat, then after shopping had high tea and some drinks at MoMo Restaurant, Bar and Lounge—oh, their lemon pie is really yummy, highly recommended, more like a dessert thing than a snack. I made sure to buy a gift for brother-in-law for his birthday celebration the next day. His birthday gift request, a kitchen apron. You know, in Dutch culture it’s normal to tell close friends and relatives attending your little celebration your birthday present wish list. The Dutch are practical folks, they want to give something that the celebrant actually can use. These Dutchies obviously don’t have a weakness for surprises! The Maarten Maartenshuis built circa 1901 is a small castle in the Kaapse Bossen in Doorn. The manor can be rented for events and...