How thoughts become destiny

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Updates

Finally I've finished posting everything up. Tired but not as tired as I was during the tour. Holiday-ing is fun but a very very tired experience. There are too much things to see in each city and time is limited as well. Anyway it was a fun trip, with lots of different kind of experience. I would definitely go back to these cities if I have a chance and money next time.

Also, one good news to share. I received my results yesterday. I am really happy because I've got all distinctions and the highest mark for all modules! Hee.. cannot believe it myself when I saw the results! Ya anyway this result is much better than the previous semester and I will get a 500pounds cash prize this semester! Hee.. yea yea yea!

One more update.. I received an offer from Nottingham University to do a Phd there with full funding. I most probably will be taking up this offer and will stay in UK for another 3 years. I will update you guys after i get the final confirmation regarding the intake.

Now that exams are over and results are out. I am fully concentrated on my dissertation that is due end of August. Jia you to myself and everyone out there working hard too!

Spain...

BARCELONA

Finally, we are at our last stop! Barcelona is a nice city. Although it is not as big as Paris and with no world-famour attractions like Eiffel and Pisa, I like the feeling that Barcelona gave me. First impression of Barcelona - 1) the roads are so straight and you can never see the end of the road, and 2) there are too many traffic lights! Haa.. well, that's beside the point of this pretty city.


Most important junction in Barcelona I think.






Near the habour. Do you know when we stand near the edge of the sea and look down, we can see fishes that are at least half a metre long?! And there are lotss and lotss of fishes in the sea even near the habour.

This is La Ramblas. Supposed to be one of the busiest streets in European Union. Has lotss of performing artists on the street - Magicians, Kung Fu, Statue-like figures... lots and lots of variety of performing arts on this street.


Below is a well-known architecture by Antoni Gaudi, the most well-known artist in Barcelona. Lots of architecture and buildings are designed and made by Gaudi.



Gaudi's building and lamp-post at the rooftop.


Another Guadi's work.

Below is the must-see church in Barcelona. Though not started or finished by Gaudi, he has contributed to this famour church architecture and design.

On the streets...

Some shots from the market at Barcelona, off La Ramblas street. Sells all sorts of food, both cooked and uncooked. Been a long time since I last visit a market!

Lots and lots of different kind of prawns!

See the cherries!

One small alley in Barcelona.

Feeding the pigeon while taking a rest at the roadside. Pigeons in Europe are well-fed! People just love to feed them at the road-side.

The last shot, the perhaps the most interesting one. We saw a naked man on the street! Only with his cap and bag, he walked along the streets of Barcelona with "invisible clothes" on! Seek quite a lot of attention and camera flashes from tourists and on-looker. It is hot in Barcelona.. but is it really that hot?!? I am impressed by his courage and confidence though. =P

France...

PARIS

Here we are at the most romantic city. Paris is a big city, and it should be as it is the capital of France. Plus there are quite a lot of tourist attractions in Paris. Some more popular, some are just national monuments and churches that may be found in other parts of Europe. So our first destination is the Louvre Museum! Hee.. that goes without saying!


Outside Louvre Museum. Weather was not fantastic that day so photos didn't turn out to be as nice too. Still, the most important thing is the stay inside the museum. There are just too many too many art works in the Museum and I didn't even have sufficient energy to finish viewing all of them. Walking around Louvre itself is a tedious task (it is so huge!!), let alone viewing and appreciating all the art works. And as expected, only the gallary with our dear Mona Lisa is packed with people. I guess the most important piece of work there is Mona Lisa and most people went into the museum for the sake of her. There are in fact alot more pieces that should be appreciated even more, but well I can't blame them because marketing and publicity has taken effect on them.


The "Inverted" Triangle inside the Museum.


The night view of Louvre Museum.
For the sake of this night view, we waited till 11pm outside the Museum! We were there at about 7pm (after dinner) but the sun set so late that the lights were turned on only at 10.30pm. A long long long wait, but a fruitful one!




I think this is the nicest photo! Hee..

The next icon of Paris - The Eiffel Tower! The tower is a lot bigger than what I expected! A huge architecture and the most important icon of Paris.









We are at the Arc De Triomph! Another icon of Paris that you cannot miss there. It looks small, but it is big! I used to think that cars can pass through the Arc, but apparently I was wrong. This Arc is a gift from a country to France and has lots of beautiful carvings and artwork on it, both interior and exterior.

Random photo shot on the streets...


Below is LaFayette Gallery - The shopping mall in Paris that has got all the famous brands in one building. The people there are more than those I see at the tourist attractions. Especially shops like LV, Gucci, Prada.. They are all packed with Chinese, Japanese and Koreans! But to admit, the branded goods there are really cheap! At least a lot cheaper than what I see in SG!

Italy... ... ...

Third and final destination in Italy: Venice

This is Venice. First impression of it: Oh! Looks like a big Boat Quay in Singapore! Haha.. But of course, it is bigger and Italian-style! I like Venice. Although it is just a small little City in the midst of water, the place gives me a very nice feeling =)




A small "alley" near our hotel. A nice and serene feeling, think it's because of the still water early in the morning.


A silly little thing on the bridge for people to take photo. Although no one was silly enough to take photo with him, I did! Hoho... think I was crazy but it was fun, who cares!


On the very famous bridge in Venice (but I forgot the name of it). But it's the most important tourist attraction in Venice. Hee but look at my hair! Whooo... I like this photo though.


A nice formal photo. Hahaa.. a typical "tour photo".


This is St Marco Square. The next most important place in Venice. Everything is so cramp and small in Venice, the houses.. the streets.. the alleys. But this place is so BIG! Not too obvious from the photo though.. but St Marco square is a very contrasting place in the small and cramp island of Venice. And there are lotss and lotss of pigeons! I think there are thousands... (and i am not joking!)


Hoho.. time for the souvenir-shopping session again but look at my silly face when I saw this fruit stall! Think I was too thirsty and craving for some cold and fresh fruits/drinks that I makes me so excited when I saw all the fruits there. It was really really HOT in Venice! I suspect that it's hotter than in SG! And the UV rays are killing all my skin cells too...


A weird but "i love it" choice on a hot day - Strawberries!.. Haha.. but I just like to eat strawberries. Perhaps a watermelon will be more satisfying that time.


Shopping time... This is a very unique yet typical shop that sells masks in Venice. Venice is famous for its musicals and performing arts, and the mask is one of the most popular souvenir you will find in Venice. They are really really beautiful...


Dinner time! Had a nice dinner by the river watching the sunset. A very lovely time! I love this meal the most out in my tour because the sunset is really beautiful and of course the food is good too. But I think I took lousy photos of the sunset below.

Time in Venice pass very fast and here I am waiting for the flight to Paris while "showing off" my Venice bag. Haha... but this bag looks not so nice after I return home. Perhaps tour time is a lousy time to buy things because people are in a hurry to make decision.

Italy... ...

Second destination in Italy: Florence

Florence city is only one hour train ride away from Pisa. The most important thing to see in Flornence is the Uffizi Gallery. It has one of the world's famour renaissance artists' work, including Michealangelo and Rapheal. And perhaps the most famous work there is the "Birth of Venus".


"The Birth of Venus"


This is the queue to Uffizi Gallery. We waited for about 2 hours before gaining entry to the gallery. Wasted a bit of time, but at least I had the chance to get into Uffizi! Anyway, it wasn't as big as I had expected and perhaps the gallery needs some renovation too. Though Uffizi is great, I still very much prefer the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel in Rome! That was the best I've seen so far!


The scene outside Uffizi. Day in day out, these artists spend most of the time of their life there.

The work of Michealangelo. The famous sculpture - DAVID!

And of course, David and me! Hee...

Finally, on the 3 hour train ride to our next stop - Venice!

Italy...

First destination in Italy: PISA



Arrived at Pisa Central after a 2 hour flight and 1/2 hour train ride. Yeah we reached PISA! But where's the tower? I thought it was very near to the station... But we walked pretty far to finally SEE our destination: THE LEANING TOWER. (But it looks so near on the map!)

THE LEANING TOWER

PISA tower and me of course! (see how tired my face was)

Wished a could hop on this horse ride!

A short short trip at Pisa, just for the sake of the tower because Pisa is a pretty small town with nothing much to see except for the famour tower. Anyway, we were waiting for the train to Florence after a short tour around, fast buying-souvenir session, and a nice Tuscano dinner at Pisa!