A month all about U---UK, eUrope, UAE

So I disappeared in the most solid manner for a month to Europe with Mom, Dad, and later with my brother Kiran who joined for the last leg of our trip. No mobile, no internet connection--pure bliss. And I don't remember spending so much time with Mom and Dad---24/7, baby. We're good friends now =p

My first time ever to Europe it was, from July11th to Aug 10th. And I realized what the hoo-ha was all about. It IS a beautiful continent. I left for Europe not at all wanting to go there, I was having lotsa fun in Singapore after all...but it's always good to go on a trip like this..with NO expectations...makes ur trip a whole lot more enjoyable.

Long Long LONG summer days and nights---for someone who loves the sun, I enjoyed the place terribly. The sun sets at 10pm at the earliest!! Bright colours, Happy ppl, Warm, Warm, Warm..makes u want to walk everywhere!

So this is where I went: London,England--Brussels, Belgium--Eindhoven & Amsterdam, The Netherlands--Cologne & Heidelburg, Germany--Zurich, Geneva & Engelberg, Switzerland--Venice,Florence,Roma&Pisa, Italy--Dijon & Paris, France--Leeds, Manchester, England--Pitlochry (The Highlands!) & Edinburgh, Scotland--London again--Dubai, United Arab Emirates--& finally, back into Singapore.

Yeah, I almost died....packing/unpacking..checking in/checking out..sleeping horizontally for only 5hrs, or 6 at the most...i hate sleeping sitting down now..

I did continental Europe on a crazy-ass package tour with Mom and Dad...but for England, Scotland and Dubai, we were thankfully on our own, which let us use our brains a bit more.

But the people definitely made my trip memorable. Europeans are such friendly ppl, as long as u're smiling and are watchful of ur manners =p But at least they say Hello or smile at u when u look at them....unlike some ppl in this country who think u're nuts if u smile at them and say Good Morning.

Anyway, here are the Highlights of my trip, in no particular order:

1. Paris--watching a rollerblading procession go by, right next to the Louvre. about 700 bladers (i'm sure it was more!)..The coolest thing though: POLICEMEN on blades blowing their whistles and stopping vehicle and human traffic off the roads..Now THAT was amazing.

2. Farmlands of Europe---seeing the huge circular bales of hay, all scattered about freshly-cut fields..looking like great balls of cheese

3. The HUGE cows (esp the Swiss cows)...and the few that raised their tails to piss (a whole lot!)

4. Holland--The really really nice Dutch canal-cruise driver with whom I spent a good hour chatting away with. He told me that there were even cycles IN the canals, right at the bottom. There are THAT many cycles in Amsterdam, or Holland for that matter!

5. Switzerland, Mt Titlis--where my Mom touched snow for the first time in her life---never had I seen her more happy!! Plus she's a good aim.. Just ask Dad =p

6. The 70-yr old Indian couple on our package tour--Mr and Mrs Ramniklal. The cutest couple ever! And she's a wicked dancer, mind you. She had even met Gandhi!

7. Becoming my own best friend..Europe is a great place to walk on your own and watch ur thoughts go by.

8. Talking, or trying to talk, with a British accent..and a French accent...and an Italian accent...and a German accent..it's not that hard really...i think I have all the potential of becoming those ppl with 'Airport Accents'. And Talking to the Scots, just for the heck of hearing their accent. =p

9. Dubai--where some guy I had a random chat with said, upon leaving, that 'I have beautiful eyes'..LOL..but it DID make my day =)

10.Dubai--not really a positive highlight...but they have some CRAZY climate going on over there..45degrees celcius..I'm sure it was higher though, felt higher at least...who the hell goes and lives in a desert like that, I'm still figuring out. Also, the amount of GOLD that one can see in Dubai..bloody hell, u'd need shades when u enter them shops!

11. York, England---SHOPPING..need I say more?

12. Having at least 15 people say that I look 14-15 yrs old. I mean, SERIOUSLY..from Day 1 to Day 30, those ppl who bothered to find out how old I was thought I was in Secondary 3. I got into a few places under 'youth or student', of course. And mind you, I had my 22nd Birthday while I was there in Europe (Zurich) .

13. I think I'll end with Highlight #13: Feeding about 50 pigeons at St Marks Square, Venice...and the one pigeon that kept flying back onto my arm =D

14..Okay, one more...the oh-so-many eye-candies in Europe =p My eyes were treated well.

Now that this blogging part is done, I can get back to life. CLOSURE baby.

----Pictures yet to be uploaded..but they will come up soon enough.