Unforgettable Barcelona Trip - Day 1

Back in the days while I'm still at UK, Barcelona is one of the places of must go. Since one of my classmate, Elitzza's boyfriend is staying there, it will be the perfect destination for us. It is a very, highly, superly, greatly memorable place as you will see toward the end of our trip. But let's not spoil the surprise ya. 

After lots of planning and preparing, finally we are ready to fly on the 29th of July 2011. It's the end of MA Expo and therefore, we are officially free from courseworks. 

We took the 7.30am Rynnair flight which means we have to be at East Midland Airport by 5am. Damn early. I think I did not sleep the whole night as I'm afraid I will overslept and partly, I'm too excited. Fiola is staying over for the night as it is too early for her to walk up to Victoria Hall alone. Which makes sleeping more impossible. xD

Anyway, the flight is just around an hour. We are landing at Girona, a smaller city outside Barcelona which according to our will-be-tour-guide, a better choice as we can walk around Girona before taking the train into Barcelona. Which was what we did. 

Nothing much to shout about the flight as it's pretty much the same. Budget flight so as expected, tight seating. Very noisy though. Once landed, we took the bus into the city centre and started exploring. 

While in the bus, we passed by many shops and houses which suddenly reminds me of home. The view of the city look so similar to Asia. Too bumpy to snap any photos but imagine the view when you are on older housing area in KL or maybe your hometown, which still have wood for walls and zinc for roof. These scenery made me homesick for a while. 

But not for long though.  

One thing that I love of European country was their cobbled pathway. I love them very much. Although I suppose I wouldn't enjoy it very much if I were wearing high heels. Nevertheless, it is still fun. Since it is a huge change from what we have in Malaysia. 

I M Loving It 

With Xian 

As we walk and walk, we saw something very nice. Well, it's not unusual, but well. It is nice. 

Grafitti on walls 

As we walk, we pass by this canal or river. I forgot. Anyway, it is quite beautiful. Yes I know. The water look muddy to be call beautiful. But look! The scene. 

Yes. Muddy water. 

Riverside Scene 

Ain't that beautiful? I just love the colours. I suppose if the weather is not 30+degrees, I would have stayed there longer. As it is, I just stayed there long enough to snap myself into the scene, took off my jacket (which I wore during the flight) and ciao. 

With Fiola 

Pink building! 

As the weather gets warmer, we get hotter, and it is time for some breakfast. Or rather, brunch. We stroll around the streets to find a decent cafe for food. And we finally settle on one. 

Not only people like people watching but doggie like people watching as well. 

Our Brunch

Seafood Paella 

Since it is not yet meal time, the restaurant was almost deserted. We decided to just order a dish to try out and maybe later on get some other food. This is what we ordered. Seafood Paella. It is rice basically, which was cooked I assumed with more water than usual and baked with the sauce. It's quite delicious but apparently, it is not the best. We tried another one few days later which taste so much better. Of course, it priced differently as well. I don't remember the price of this Paella though, too long ago. xD

After lunch, we continue exploring the city and we choose to walk on smaller streets as it seems more interesting.  

Still, very colourful buildings. Love them so much. I love the design as there isn't much angular structure. Note that even the corner of the building are rounded. Very delicate design. 

These streets are not straight nor are they flat. Some are ascending and it is hell of trouble to walk since we are carrying our backpack stuff. But, it is a nice environment. 

We walked into a shop selling these local snacks. I suppose they are nougats which I don't really like. So since it is not cheap, we bought nothing. This shop is very interesting though as they sell loads of flavours.  

How can I resist taking photo with these doors?! 

There are many these steps around. Not really fun to climb. xD 

We reach the Cathedral de Girona. Looking up, these group of people seems to be so matching. xD 

To get up there, what else? Climb. 

I'm up! Luckily all the guys went off by the time I climbed up..xD 

Spot me? 

Fantastic View 

Dunno why but this view remind me of Macau..xD 

This cathedral is not really that magnificant. I've seen more that I would prefer. But nevertheless, this place is very scenic. I'm guessing that all the buildings are very colourful which combine the large landscape of colours when we look around us. 

Real? Fake? 

Turtle 

Love this

After the cathedral, it is time to leave for our train to Barcelona as it is already the evening. And we are tired.

The train station 

We finally reach Barcelona after about 2 hours. We slept most of the way as the train is very very super comfy and we are really very tired. As you remember, we did not really slept previous night.

Barcelona

Nice window

Reaching Barcelona, the most difficult part will be to look for our hotel. We don't have a map and the passer-by doesn't seem to know the road as well. We spent almost an hour more to find our hotel. Which is located in those smaller streets.. that only a guy in a coffee shop knows.

After putting down our bags, we walk out for dinner. 

 Everything in Barcelona is Gaudi, Gaudi and Gaudi! All thse crooked crooked and weird weird shaped buildings, all are Gaudi!!!

Dinner

Pizza

Spaghetti 

Dessert

Not a satisfying dinner as the taste very bland. Regretted. Anyway, we are really very tired and therefore decided to call it a day. We went back to hotel and slept. It has been a really really long long day. 

TO BE CONTINUE... 

A Day At The Airport

"A Day at the Airport

I am at the Heathrow Terminal 4 waiting for departure tonight at 10pm. It is currently 2o’clock in the afternoon. I had already been sitting here for the past 2 hours. Being alone in the airport waiting for departure is the first time experience for me. Never before had I take a flight on my own before. Not even when I’m leaving home for my studies last year, this time. I am both excited and worry as there is no one to talk to if I need some advice or help. Now, I feel so bored. I do not dare to use my ipod much since I still need that when I get into the plane. Just in case I couldn’t fall asleep. 12 hours of flight without anyone to talk to. Well, everything has the first time anyway.

Being here alone, forces me to be so independent. I had to decide for myself where to go and what to do. It make me feel so proud of myself that I am able to do that. Though, now I am quite worry what will happened when I’m going into the check-in counter with my overweight luggage. I had been estimating that it will cost me about £500 for the extra 10kg+ weight. Oh dear me, that’s really a lot. I don’t know where all the weight goes to. It is about 30kg.

Oh dear dear dear me. I had been digressing had I?

This article was supposed to be about what I had observed during my hours at the airport. Not about my luggage. Okay, crap aside.

First of all, I noticed many people seem to be with a  friend, or better, a group of friends or family. That makes me jealous. I want my family and friends. Okay, I will be meeting them in about..20 hours’ time. So, just be patient. Everyone looks like they are going home after a holiday since most of them here doesn’t seem to be local. I might be wrong, but well, that’s what I’d noticed.

On fairer note, there’s quite a lot of solo traveler as well. And most of them, very smartly, have either a newspaper, a book, a laptop or an iphone with them. Stupid me, do not have a newspaper, neither do I have a book due to the excess luggage I have, and since I had lost my iphone at Barcelona, I’m only left with this laptop I’m writing this article, without any wifi, and therefore I couldn’t connect with the outer world.  Hmm.. Sounds like, I’m not doing too bad as well yea?

Then, I also noted quite a lot of Asian. I’m quite bad at recognizing Chinese, Vietnamise, Thai, Malaysian or whatever it is, unless they speak. However, upon looking at them, I feel that the world had really advanced. Everyone now can be anywhere they want to be. What else can be hidden by anyone? No one can hide anything from anyone anymore. Crapping again am I?

Crap crap and crap, there goes 500words. By repeating the crap word, I have added another three to the amount. Who say it is so hard to write? Writing is the most easier thing to do, provided no one need to grade you for what you have written. Which is why, I suppose, blogging had been such a good fad nowadays. With blogging being so simple and fun, everyone, even people who don’t like to write, will write. Everyone shares and shares about their thoughts, their daily activities and experiences, their jobs, their skills and etc etc.

I think I really can continue to write and write and write. While the initial idea of writing this is to write about my observation of the surrounding, it lead me to crap about other stuff. I can never stick to something. See? I’m digressing again.

Talking about digressing, it is one of the word that I’ve learnt at NTU few months ago and I had keep using it for absolutely everything. This shows that I am a person who really love to digress. But, don’t you think digressing is a pretty nice way to generate ideas? Of course, after you digress, you will have to organize them. I tend to think digressing is something like mind-mapping. Well, you are talking about a certain topic, and then that topic you are talking about makes you think of some other thing. And one thing leads to another. Isn’t that how it should work in mind-mapping? You write the big topic at the middle, and write all kind of words that topic makes you think of. Whether it is good or not, it is what mind-mapping should be. Generating ideas. So, isn’t digressing a kind of ‘idea-generator-method’ as well?

I seem to be finding excuses for my own fault. But, I love to digress. It make me feel like I have been through a walk inside my mind and look at things that I have not yet found that I have inside. It’s really cool actually. Not if this article was to be seen by my teachers. They will be horrified at what I’ve written. Nothing is consistent and grammar errors are here and there. Horrible.  That is why blogging is such a fun for me. I get to write what I want and will not get graded for it. My blog is not that famous and therefore it doesn’t really matter what the content is about. Even if there’s a stranger reading this, I suppose he or she will have to bear with me. Cause I’ve decided that this will be the style of my blog.

Anyway, at the top of my blog, I’ve already stated, ‘Nothing is consistent and so if life’. Well, it is true isn’t it? Nothing is consistent. You can be running at this moment, aimed to run for 5 miles. Suddenly just 10minutes through your run, you met a friend. He began to greet and talk to you. You stop and chat a while. A short chat might lead to you following your friend to a coffee shop where he is heading towards. After another hearty chat and aromatic cappuccino and delicious croissant, you say goodbye to each other and head home. On the way home, you just realized, you have just run for 10minutes. Told ya, nothing is consistent. Never be so sure.

See???

I digress again. Well, I’m loving it.

I guess I have to stop writing as the battery is running low. I can’t have it drained out since I might need it later. So, I will stop now and the next article might hopefully be at KL with me well refreshed without any jet lag.

26^th September 2011 @ 2.48pm @ Heathrow Terminal 4" 

Saying "Goodbyes" and Promising "See You"

Finally it really really really reached the end of my postgraduate course. Got our result and feedback. Final tutorial at our room Maudslay 231b. Pack up stuff at the Expo. Saying goodbyes all around. Taking photos with people I will miss.

1st complete group photo

With the most helpful technician at workshop - Kerry 

With another helpful technician - Mark 

With my supervisor, a great one and a friendly one - Leslie 

With another supervisor, another great and helpful one - Alan 

Gathered for the final time at Orange Tree @ 27th July 2011

Shakes hands, best wishes, thank you, good luck

and that's all done.

=============================================

Packing and packing and packing and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning.....

Going Barcelona Friday morning, 2am +, back on the 3rd.

Need to move to new house on the 3rd, going down London on the 4th

Terribly hectic. 

Wake at 6.30am this morning. 7.15am start to pindah all 7 boxes of 20+kg down to the gate for collection. Then spend the rest of the day packing the left over stuff, cleaning my room, packing for Spain..

Super tired now.

==============================

I think I will miss my room. 

I think I will miss my lecturers.

I think I will miss here. 

===================

HOLIDAY HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED

==============

^_^ 

Beautiful little town - Matlock Bath

*Beware of a MANY photos post!*

I went to Matlock Bath yesterday with few of my classmates. It is about an hour and half train journey from Nottingham. When we google about this town, we did not see much attraction besides the cable car thingy.. And the reason we choose this place for the trip is because:

1. Cheap travel fare - £5.15

2. Near and fast

3. Recommended by Nani

Due to the few facts above, Matlock Bath it is. Not much choice since we can't go far as we don't have much time. Can't spend too much money since all of us are nearly broke.. XD

However, Matlock Bath did not let us down. Although it seems there's not much attraction but this little town really show us what we all expect to see of England. A quaint little town, quiet and pretty. 

This is the train that brought us to Matlock Bath. It is the 1st time I sit such a short train. It's just one carriage. Therefore, no seat reservation, which cause troubles when we were returning. We have to stand as there's not much space left. Horrible.. haha..

My breakfast - Sausage Rolls.. 

Reach! 

This is a little station, quiet and nice. Not like the big town, busy and noisy. XD

We reach around 10am+ so it's not many people and it's nice. 

Right infront of the station is this crossing for Cable Cars. 

See the white gate with the signpost? We all go around that gate and a pair of ladies beside us, just give the gate a little push and go THROUGH the gate. Stupid us, just laugh sheepishly. So embarrassing.. omgawd.. 

And... this bee.. stay at my back... it took 3 people to help get it away..Imagine me.. not knowing what is happening while everyone tried to shooo it off.. And everyone knows I'm terrified of..INSECTS! 

The cable cars bring us up to Height of Abraham where we can view the whole of Matlock 

View from the cable car

It's not a long ride..about 1/3 of Genting cable car. Cost us £10 each. At first, it seems a bit not worth it, but when we reach the top, all of us agree it is worth it. 

The cable cars move 3 by 3 

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Group photo at the look out point

Xian, Me, Fiola 

Nice view of Matlock 

Then, we continue to explore the other part of the Height and then, we saw this!

A peacock!

A real life peacock.. XD

I do sound like a City Girl do I? As if I've never seen a peacock before. 

Well, it's true. Where do we get the chance to see a REAL LIFE peacock at KL? 

Ok, Zoo maybe.. but it's been yearrrsss since I visited the Zoo Negara..XD

Back to the topic.. I digressed. 

We took the tour into the mining cave - just a short about 20minutes tour where the guide bring us in and show us various..minerals, shapes, and how in the olden days miners work inside. It's quite amazing story actually as I've never realised that mining IS THAT hard work.. Where everything is dark and cold, and you have to work with your life at stack. I mean, how many accidents happened inside these places? For a living, those days are real hard. I'm glad to say I don't have to go through that. 

Inside the cave

This is the.. plague that the owner of the mine crave to show the other people that this mine DOES belongs to someone already. Those are the owner initials and date. 1705. According to our guide, each of these person have a responsibility and one of them died when the caves falls..I think if I remembered correctly..XD

When we climb the many stairs out of the cave, this is the view that great us. Oh wow.. We are all..so amazed. 

Me, Jin, Fiola, Xian, Peng

There's a rocky path behind the view above, and we climb up to it. It's very easy, not as hard as the photo shows..XDD

And the view is sooo much more breathtaking.. It's really my first time seeing such great scene.

 And I'm loving it!

Behind us the Matlock

So vast area land England have. 

Just let me know anyone, where can I find such places in Malaysia and I'm going to go there. Never been close to nature before in M'sia.. Should try it when I'm back. Where? 

Lying flat on the grass is so comfortable, the sky is so blue and clear, sun shone lightly, cool breeze blowing softly.

Ignoring the ticklish grass...XD

This is the sky I see when I'm lying on the grass... 

Next, we go down again and reach the tower we seen earlier when we reach on the cable car. It's an lookout tower if I'm not wrong..did not really read the history though.. Was too excited to get into the tower..XD

When I peek at the stairs leading up, I'm a little worry and put off but I'm too excited to get up that I push away my fear and climb! It's so.. steep that we keep shouting out that we were going up so no one will come down, or.. XD

I'm so tiny here..I love it

I'm up! 

See the view? Ain't it worth the trouble?

Going down... XD

PS. SiawCheng... It's not that scary.. The view is really worth it!

Then, we take the cable car down to the town and find some lunch.

All of the shops here are so pretty and delicate. I want to own a shop like this one day.

Fabric shop

Ti-li-ta-la shop -> More of gardens stuff I'm guessing..But it's so pretty..XD

Handmade Chocolates! Resist the urge to go in to get some..haha

All the shops are very well decorated.. Nice

And I suppose ice cream is something popular here since we are seeing ice cream every few minutes..haha

See what I mean of the nice decorations?

Quaint little town ain't it? 

After lunch, we continue to explore the rest of the place and reach the garden.. Don't remember the name but it's not bad looking.. 

Now, purple and pink flowers are everywhere! 

Me! 

Nice??? I always love rivers and this river beside the little shops are so.. mine! XD

How can we miss a group photo at this place? 

And there's this nice little bridge to cross the river.. 

（Peng & Fiola) 

It's only about 3pm by the time we are ready to leave. Since our tickets are open return, we can return anytime we like. (Luckily, since we can't find anything else to do..XD)

Time to go back

Matlock Bath isn't a place if you are looking for excitement, it is for relaxing. 

^_^