vingt deux: Montmarte, Paris

#22: Montmarte, Paris

This neighbourhood is my favourite place in Paris after the Eiffel Region. I had previously written about it when I first visited Paris back in 2008. So much has changed over the years. It used to be a neighbourhood that was relatively dangerous, lots of immigrants and for the less well-off. Daylight robbery was not something unusual and swarms of black French people would walk up to you to try to sell you stuff. However, it is also one of the most artistic places. After 6 years, I would say that security is much better these days but still, never take anything for granted.

You see loads of people lying on the grass patches, be it summer or winter and music being played. At the corner of the church, Sacre Couer, you see a lot of street artists doing all sorts of painting. I would say that they are rather expensive but some of the art works are really awesome! I also think that the Sacre Couer is way more splendid than Notre Dame, be it the exterior or interior.

After visiting the neighbourhood, we then headed to Champs Elysees. Having been to Paris a few times, I learnt for the first time that Galleries La Fayette and Printemps are both closed on Sundays! I thought Sunday is the best time for shopping, ain't it? A little disappointed but then there's always London! 

Au revoir, La France! 

vingt et un: Theme park - Disneyland Paris

#21: Disneyland Paris

Apologies for the lack of update for the past week due to multiple personal commitments. I will double up this week!

After Lyon, I took a train to Paris, one of my most loved cities in the world. Several friends of mine who went to Paris all came back telling me negative experiences about the city, such as its filthy and smelly underground stations, beggars along the streets, snobbish Parisans, etc. Truth to be told, Paris is one city that I have spent a lot of time in every time I visit but I only have praises for the city. Perhaps when they have been to Germany, then they will find the Parisans less annoying.

No doubt Paris does not have the history of Rome, rather its beauty lies in her modern architecture instead. The Eiffel tower, the Louvre, Sacre Coeur, etc. I do not speak in defence of Paris because I love France but then I just do not find it as lousy as what people proclaim it to be. Perhaps my sub-conscious love for the city since young made me like every bit of Paris. There's a saying, only Paris can match the beauty of Rome. Indeed.

Well, unlike my visit to Manchester whereby I have an objective, I visit Paris every time I go to Europe because I like the place. I can spend hours sitting in front of the Eiffel and watch the lights sparkle every hour, people bustling from one place to another, couples taking multiple we-fies and shots right below the Eiffel etc. However, this time round, I went to Paris for a reason and that is to go to Paris disneyland!

I am a big fan of theme parks, from Universal Studios to Dreamworld in Australia, Disneyland in HK, Japan, US, etc., Six Flags, Lotte World and Everland in Korea etc. Like mentioned in the previous post, perhaps it is due to my childhood experiences of dad bringing us to Uncle Ringo's funfair. That aside, I enjoy the magical feeling and thrill I get in a theme park.

Disneyland is totally different from all the others mentioned above. It gives one a magical feeling whereby you see the fantasies of your childhood come alive. Yes Mickey Mouse is a mutated mouse with only 4 fingers (lol!) but it is just so awesome to stand in front of the disney castle and see the fireworks lit up at night. I have been to 4 Disneyland theme parks thus far - HK, Japan, LA, and Paris and my last stop will be Disneyland Florida, the first Disneyland theme park. Despite seeing the same rides, characters, etc. I am really looking forward to it. :) I guess I will never get sick of Disneyland. One of my favourite rides in Disneyland is the Hollywood tower of terror (basically a drop)! I also had a different Space Mountain experience in Paris as compared to the ones in other disneyland theme parks. However, this is the first time that I went on rides alone because my friends were too afraid to take those rides. I must say that taking rides alone is quite boring because there is no one to scream on the ride with you and share the after-thoughts together. So, go to a theme park with the right company, that is very important! Nevertheless, I thank my friends for visiting with me because I was the one who suggested going, not knowing that they aren't thrill rides goers. I had postponed the visit to Paris Disneyland the last two times because I did not have the right company. God knows it is the same this time round. It is just meant to be.

As for the other theme parks, I visit because I love to take all the roller coasters, G-force, Viking, etc. I did not manage to do the Superman ride and the T-express in Movie world in Australia and Everland in Korea respectively due to maintenance so Battlestar Galactica and Six Flags in SF are the best ones that I have taken so far.

 Disney Castle!

Mickey riding a reindeer because it's Christmas! 

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. This is one ride that always seem to have some technical issues. We did not manage to take this ride when I visited the LA disneyland with 2 of my buddies. Fortunately, I was able to do so in Paris after waiting for almost 3 hours. In between, I headed to Space Mountain! 

A different Space Mountain experience - still dark and all inside but you get to be ejected to Space, seeing the people outside. See the circular structure on the right? That's where the cart will pass through at high speed! 

 My favourite ride - Hollywood Tower of Terror. I secretly recorded a video. You can hear the screams and some of the sights but quality isn't that great. 

It's going to be a little loud so please turn down the volume! This is just part 1! There's part 2 but I did not record it anymore.

Pirates of the Caribbean - only thrill ride that the two other girls took with me. I was the only one who bothered to pose for the camera! 

Because of fatigue, we decided to head back before the fireworks at 10pm. So, I guess I will just have to visit another day to catch the fireworks! :)

vingt: Bonjour, Marseille et Lyon

#20: Marseille and Lyon

France is the European country with the largest number of immigrants - mainly Muslims who hail from its ex-colonies in North Africa. I once read an article in Nat Geo about how Marseille is considered the most unique city in France because it has the highest number of French of various descent. People in Marseille are no fashionistas like the Parisans, rather they are unique in how the population mingle despite the differences in their roots and culture. When I was planning this Europe trip, I did some research on Marseille and apparently safety was a concern. I had wanted to spend two days or so in the city but instead did a one day tour on advice from a friend who visited last Summer.

Indeed, Marseille's port was so different from those that I have seen in Nice, Monaco, Ville-France and I really enjoyed my time in Marseille. The city centre is much bigger than I expected but I mostly walked on foot. While trying to get to Notre Dame, I kinda got lost while walking up the mountain. Usually, I will simply continue my adventures but because of the numerous cautions I receive about how I should be more careful in this city, I aborted my plan and took a bus back to the city centre. The bus driver was kind enough to give me a free ride.

Above: There was a ferris wheel in every of the French city I visited this season. Perhaps it is part of their Christmas market set up.

Marseille port (pictures below)

Below: Notre Dame church at the top of the hill across the port

Waters that lead a ship from the inner port to the Mediterranean waters 

[Below]: I kinda like such touristic trams that bring people around the city. It always give off a feeling of "time-travelling" somehow.

[Below]: I came across one museum that provided free entry. The deco was amazing and it was a nice place to chill out after walking for 2-3 hours in the city. Unfortunately, all exhibits were in French and I could not understand. But I really wish Singapore would have more of such hangout places. We may not have a long history but we are celebrating 50 years of independence this year! 50 years is not long, not even a lifetime but neither is it so short that we have nothing to showcase. Perhaps it is time for me to check out some of the museums in Singapore before I lose my freedom.

My very next stop in France was Lyon. I have heard much about the city while on exchange from my French neighbour and France is a country that I have always loved since young. It is not because of the romance associated with the nation but rather the language and the people's obsession and pride of their own country that attract me. Lyon is famous for a few things - Bouchon restaurants, silk weaving industry, traboules, and murals. It is truly one city that has so much culture to offer and traditions continued from their ancestors. 

On this trip of mine, I came across countless Roman ruins, amphitheatres, etc. and each one of them fascinates me as much as the previous one. It is amazing how good the Roman's engineering skills were back then to be able to build their city in similar fashion everywhere in Europe. 

Ancient Roman city of Lugdunum. 

Below: Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere - Cathedrals are one of the many structures which I have grown pretty sick of after having visited so many during my trips in Europe. However, this particular one still amazes me. Too pretty....

 

Below: When going downhill. This is the longest staircase that I have ever encountered in my entire life (beside the Great Wall of China) - counted close to 1,000 steps. 

Below: Love all these random fountains that I come across in the city. Usually I sit around and people watch. I met a French lady who could speak Chinese while taking a break from all the walking. How interesting! Place de Jacobins (Left), Bartholdi fountain in Place de Terreaux (Right)

The Lyon City Hall. Lyon was much more chilly than Nice and Marseille and I had to seek shelter from the strong winds in the evening in the City Hall. I hanged around the lobby area and picked up a French magazine, trying to recall as many French words as possible. 

Below: Ferris Wheel in action - main square in Lyon - Place Bellecour. Here you find plenty of restaurants, a tourist information centre and Mcdonald's for FREE WIFI! :)

The city is divided by two rivers - Saone and Rhone. I stayed in Vieux-Lyon (old town of Lyon) and everyday I walked miles to cross the Saone River via the various foot bridges to get to the city centre of Lyon. I also walked further down to the Rhone river (much less impressive compared to Saone Rive) which leads one to the business district in Lyon. 

Below: View from the Fourviere Hill. The first river is Saone river. Where you see two tall structures is the area of Lyon after one crosses the Rhone river. Honestly, I find those two tall buildings an eyesore that destroys the beautiful landscape of the city. Oh well, economic growth and development. 

 

Red Foot bridge (think it's called Pont Neuf) right in front of the Palace of Justice, yet another amazing structure. 

 

Isn't this amazing? Palais de Justice!

Mural painting. Painted on the walls. The lady at the tourist information told me there is another one with images of fruits and vegetables but I did not manage to find it. 

Basically, Bouchon are small family owned restaurants and it is unique to Lyon. Lyonnais love meat - pork and beef but unfortunately I am not a big fan of pork. Hence I decided to go for mussels in one of the Buchons. The food was good and the ambience was great. The only problem was the language as usual since they hardly use English.

Traboules are a type of passageway associated with Lyon but they can also be found in some other cities in France. They were originally used by silk manufacturers and other merchants to transport their goods in sheltered conditions. Water could also be delivered from the rivers to the households or factories through the construction of such traboules. I had planned to hunt for these traboules on my second day in Lyon and little did I know that I was staying right in a traboule since I was living in the Old Town. It was when I saw some tourists taking photos inside the building while making my way out to the city on my second morning in Lyon that I realised that I was staying inside one. 

I went to the La Croix Rousse quarter in Lyon on the second day but I was not at a good vantage point to take photos. La Croix Rousse is the quarter heavily marked by the silk industry as Lyon was the centre for silk manufacture in Europe in the olden times. There are still silk manufacturing activities ongoing these days but it has dwindled significantly owing to costs considerations. The La Croix Rousse quarter is characterised by reddish-brown roofs with chimneys. Yeah right, CHIMNEYS! Something that I associate with fairy tales.

On a concluding note, having travelled so much in the last few years, I have not been fascinated by a city for a long long time. I am more inclined towards nature these days. However, Lyon is one city that was mesmerising for me and I strongly recommend any travel enthusiast to visit. The people are also very helpful and you get a different feel from Paris altogether. I feel that people often label the French as snobbish and anti-English my experiences in France speak otherwise. They have been very hospitable towards me in my three visits to five different cities. in the country You cannot fault them for not being willing to communicate with you in English even though they comprehend the language. After all, French is their official language so it does not make sense for them to have to accommodate the tourists and speak English. Try going to South America or Russia and no one will speak a single word of English to you either. Likewise, the French do not go to America or UK and expect people to speak French to them. I guess we are just too used to English being the lingua franca and expect people to be able to understand it.

On my next trip to France, I shall visit Bordeaux and Mont Blanc! Au revoir, La France! 

31 things to say for a month - Day 27: The Pursuit of Happiness

Day 27: Happiness at different stages of your life

This post is an interlude of my previous posts on my Europe trip. I have wanted to write on this topic for the longest time ever since 2013 but somehow it got saved as a draft and was never published. I am currently reading a book titled, "The Pursuit of Happiness - an economy of well-being" by Carol Graham and had so much insights that I wanted to revive my discussion on this topic.

Carol Graham mentioned two types of happiness - Benthamite sense and Aristotelian sense. Jeremy Bentham's concept of welfare was hedonic utility: maxmising the contentment and pleasure of the greatest number of individuals as they experienced their lives. Aristotle thought of happiness as eudaimonia, a Greek word that combined two concepts: "eu" meaning well-being or abundance, and "daimon" meaning the power controlling an individual's destiny. [Source: Carol Graham]. In simple terms, the former is associated with contentment in day-to-day living whereas the latter looks at the opportunities available to lead a fulfilling life.

For a certain period of time, I did feel very upset with what was going on in my life and how I felt I seem to be drifting away from my long-term goals and what I had EXPECTED myself to achieve. Though I had a lot of leisure time to engage in activities that I enjoy - sports, music, watching dramas, reading, etc. and I had sufficient income to support myself on a daily basis, I did not experience an improvement in my well-being. Sometimes, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling frustrated and upset about what I had done to my life. Neither money nor leisure kept me happy which was odd since economics has taught me that both are key sources of utility that keep people going. It was after my adventures to Europe that I returned with a fresh perspective of life and figured out my next step in life and two months after the new year has begun, I can be very sure that I have been putting my time to good use.

So after reading this book, I have a better sense of the source of my unhappiness or happiness. In the book, the author cited empirical data of how people's happiness or well-being level is a U-shaped function of age. That's why people love to reminisce about their childhood and when they enter retirement, they are also happier. For me, I guess is because I emphasise more on Benthamite sense of happiness as a child/ teenager whereby my needs were pretty simple - food, sleep and fun. However, as I age, I start to focus on searching for a meaning in life. Someone told me that I should ignore my ideals about life and just think about making as much money as I can while I still have the energy and capability. I replied the person with certainty that even if I have loads of money, I will not be truly happy. At that point in time, I had not figure out the reason but after reading this book, I guess I have found the answer.

It was mentioned in the book that there are many causes behind why certain people emphasise Aristotelian sense of happiness (like I do). It could be due to personality, upbringing, personal experiences, agency and capability, etc. People without agency are more likely to be contented with a decent lifestyle on a day to day basis and do not think so much about whether they had led a fulfilling life in their lifetime. There is no right or wrong as to which sense of happiness is more superior since our circumstances could also pretty much shape our ability to search for a particular sense of happiness. So the book mentioned the happiness irony of the "happy peasant vs frustrated achievers". I think a few months ago, I was at the stage of my life whereby I truly felt like a frustrated achiever and that was my main source of unhappiness. Knowing the cause of your own unhappiness is key to helping you overcome your frustrations, IMO. So I cannot ask for a more appropriate timing for this book to appear.

At a certain juncture in my teaching career, I did wonder why I do not foresee myself teaching for the rest of my life though I really enjoy the interaction with the youths and seeing them make progress in their studies and academics. Besides graduate school, I really do not know from where had I found the courage to quit my job and chose to be unemployed instead. I took a pay cut switching to another sector but at no point in my life had I been so sure that teaching is not the route for me for the rest of my life. I guess the joy and satisfaction from teaching is one of Benthemite sense to me and they are unable to fill me in the long term. I dream dreams and I want to accomplish them in order to truly lead a fulfilling life and I am sure I have the ability and determination to realise them if I continue to be steadfast in my pursuits and not give up in the face of setbacks along the way.

2015, you have been a fantastic year thus far and please continue to be! Rather, I will make it happen!

Dix-neuf: French Rivera

#19: Nice, Eze Village and Monaco

After the freezing climate in Iceland, I headed south to the warmer Mediterranean. My first stop was Nice, a place which I have wanted to visit for the longest time but often put it off because I thought it would be more suitable to visit during Summer. Nevertheless, I am not really a beach person so I decided to visit during the off-season this time round. A smaller crowd also meant cheaper accommodation. From Nice, I explored the nearby village of Eze and then Monaco. I would love to go to Cannes (where the famous film festival is held annually) as well and other parts of the French Rivera but I had wanted to go to Marseille so I decided to skip Cannes.

Left to Right (Top): (1) Main plaza in Nice, so nicely lit. (2) Train station in Nice - I like all the train stations in France because they are all so artistic that one will never imagine it to be a train station. (3) Port in Nice - pales in comparison to the port in Marseille but seeing all the yacht and boats docked in the harbour is such a pleasant sight.

Left to Right (Bottom): (1) As usual, I rented a bike and cycle along the coast, enjoying the breeze and the constant roaring of jet engines. (3) Apparently, Nice is one of the few places that you can see the plane take off by the coast. I have had the experience of being so up close with planes at Changi Airport when I cycled along that one road next to Changi Airport's runway. I used to go there with one of my best friends to watch planes take off and land late at night. (2) The main beach of Nice. The clouds look fake in the pictures but there was absolutely no filter. Oh well, nature.

Eze Village

Eze Village - Hundreds of houses on top of the mountains and one has to walk thousand over steps to get up. There was a garden right at the top of the village and I had a hard time finding my way up. There were no clear directions or signs so I simply took one of the routes. When I hit a dead end, I would then go back to the previous crossroad and take the alternative route. It took me about 45 minutes to get right up to the top. Looking down from the garden and across the horizon (pictures above).

Monaco - where the rich and famous reside

Facts about Monaco: The people speak French but it is not a city in France. It is an independent state and I seriously wonder what drives its economy. No agriculture of any sort due to its limited land space (probably smaller than Singapore). Key industries are Casino and Sports - I believe everyone must have heard of the Monte Carlo casino. It is home of the F1 race and many tennis players reside in Monte Carlo as well. You see quite a number of sports cars. It reminds me of Hong Kong whereby you see high-rise buildings being so densely packed.

I met a Korean lady who was travelling and we then explored Monaco together. It was fun walking aimlessly in the city and taking pictures of anything that amused us. There was a marathon ongoing at the port and also a funfair. It brought back a lot of my childhood memories when my dad would bring us to funfairs. We were too young to take those thrill rides so we went for the kiddy ones like Ferris Wheel, flying elephant, etc while Dad would go for the roller coasters, X-ride, etc. Now that I have grown up, our roles have definitely switched. In addition, my brother, cousin and I would then try to create our own funfair back at granny's place - we set up games station and played the games that we set up on our own. :)

Korean names are really difficult to remember so despite the lady telling me her name, I had cleanly forgotten it. Lol! However,  it was good having to meet her because she could speak English quite fluently and through her, I got to learn so much more about Korea. Over the years, I have made about 4 different group of Korean friends while on my travels and every single one of them warmly invited me to visit Korea and promised to show me around. However, I am not a big fan of Korea - nothing really interests me and so have been putting off my visitation.

A long overdue trip to the Holy Land Part IV

Day 5: Why the name, Holy Land? 

This was a day whereby we traced the footsteps of religion, be it Judaism or Christianity or the Moslem faith. We first arrived at Mount Olives (holy mountain claimed by the Jews, Christians and also Moslems), overlooking Mount Scopus and listened to the stories of Judaism. 

Judaism: 

• Abraham is the Father of all Jews and he was the first to believe in the existence of a one and only God. To test Abraham's fait, God asked him to kill his own son Isaac at an altar at Mountain of Moriah. Although Abraham loved his son a lot, he loved God even more so he brought Isaac to Mountain of Moriah. When he was about to slit Isaac's throat, an angel appeared and saved Isaac. In return of his faith in God, God promised Abraham to give his descendants a land of their own because they would be enslaved in a foreign nation for 400 years. Isaac's son, Jacob, had 12 sons and they are the 12 tribes of Israel in ancient times. 
• For 400 years, the Jews were enslaved by the Egyptian pharaohs. Eventually, Moses was commissioned by God to take the lead to bring His people to the promised land. 
• Initially, the pharaoh refused and oppressed the people of Israel even more. There came the cycle of ten plagues in Egypt and after the final plague - death of the firstborn, the Egyptians agreed to let the children of Israel leave. However, they went back on their word after Moses set off and sent their chariots and army after them. It was at the Red Sea that God delivered the parting of the Red Sea such that Moses and his followers were led to safety but the Egyptian armies were drowned. 
• They then arrived at the holy mountain, Mount Sinai, whereby God delivered the ten commandments. 
• The reason why circumcision is done by the Jews is because of the events of Abraham and Isaac. Circumcision is the idea of mankind cutting a flesh on their body and giving it to God. 
• On Mount Olives, we see Mount Scopus where all Jewish tombs are placed. All the tombs face Temple Mount (in the Old City in Jerusalem) and it is believed that the dead should have their feet pointing towards Temple Mount. The day the Messiah arrives, the dead will be resurrected and will all walk towards Temple Mount. Our guide has a very interesting way to put it across - some people may have been dead for thousands or hundreds of years and back in those days, there were no GPS. So long as their feet point towards Temple Mount, the moment they are resurrected, they just have to walk straight and not have to figure out their way. :) However, during the 19 years between 1948 and 1967 when the Jordanians were in control of East Jerusalem and the area of Mount Olives, a lot of the tombs were destroyed. Perhaps (I am not sure either), the Israelis felt that they had to take back whatever that belonged to their ancestors. 
• Apparently, before the Second Temple Mount was destroyed, the Jews simply buried dead bodies underneath the soil. However, in order to save space, they started to bury them in boxes i.e. coffins. They are not supposed to burn the corpse because if you do, the dead cannot be resurrected. 
• It is believed that the Messiah will enter the old city via Gate 8. Unfortunately, this area is under Palestinian control and the Moslems built their tombs in front of Gate 8. It is such insensitivity that has brought decades if not centuries of wars between the various religions, I guess. 
• To know about Temple Mount, stay tuned for tomorrow's post! 

#Fun fact: The word 'carat' to describe diamonds is derived from the carob tree, tree of the poor people. Each carob fruit weighs 0.2g and if you say the diamond is of 0.5 carat, it means it weighs 0.1g. Interesting!

From mount olives, we also saw the various churches that are of significance to the Christians and subsequently walked the Via Dolorosa. 

Christianity: 

• Garden of Gethsemane: After Jesus and his disciples had their last supper, he brought his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane on Mount Olives and sat in the garden to pray. But at times, his disciples would fall asleep. Lol! Anyway, I cannot remember the story well but it should be something along these lines - Jesus felt his body weakening so he prayed to have his body strengthened to endure whatever that was coming next. Jesus sat on a rock and while he was praying, he perspired and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Subsequently, Judas (one of his disciples) brought the Roman soldiers to Jesus. 

• Church of Dominus Flevit: Shaped like a teardrop, it is said that Jesus had foreseen the destruction of Temple Mount and wept. Indeed, through the windows in the Church, you have a splendid view of today's Dome of the Rock, ancient times' Temple Mount. 

• Church of St. Stephen: He was stoned to death because he was the first to believe in Christianity in the olden days. 

• Via Dolorosa (14 stations that Jesus passed by upon his arrest till his crucification): Apparently, the 14 stations were not written in the bible but it was a tradition started by the Franciscans. Nevertheless, so many of the things that we do today are due to traditions from the past. Rationale and logic need not always be the backbone of why we do certain things. Just live life and enjoy life. 
• Station 1: Jesus was condemned to death at this Courtyard of the Roman Fortress. 
• Station 2: Chapels of the Condemnation and Flagellation - Jesus was led into the hall called the Praetorium and was clothed in purple, plaited a crown of thorns and picked up the cross for the first time. The chapel had decorations of the thorns. 
• Station 3: At a corner on El-Wad Road (Polish chapel), Jesus falls under the Cross for the first time. 
• Station 4: Mary stood at the roadside and saw Jesus carrying the Cross. She was shocked and fell to the ground. In this little Armenian Catholic chapel today, her grief and sadness are remembered. 
• Station 5: Simon, a passer-by, helped Jesus to carry the cross as Jesus was about to carry the cross uphill next. 
• Station 6: As Jesus was carrying the cross uphill, a lady by the name of Veronica, who saw it from her home, came to Him and helped wipe the sweat from Jesus's face. It was said that Jesus's face was printed on the cloth that was used to wipe His face and Veronica who was down with a sickness miraculously recovered after she touched Jesus. 
• Station 7: Jesus fell to the ground the second time at this spot when He was leaving the city through a gate. Tradition tells us that His death notice was posted here and hence, the Christian name for the site: "Judgment Gate". 
• Station 8: Some of the Jewish people felt sorry for Jesus when He passed them by. However, it is said that Jesus felt the opposite because he know that their city was going to be destroyed soon. 
• Station 9: Jesus finally left the city and was outside of the city walls. Marked by a Roman column, Jesus fell to the ground for the third time. 
• Station 10: Jesus was stripped of His garments at this spot. It is now part of the Church of Holy Sepulchre -  a church built by Constantine of the Byzantine Empire. We could only see the windows of the church. 
• Station 11: Jesus was nailed to the cross on the ground. 
• Station 12: This Greek altar stands over the Rock of Calvary. The cross which Jesus was nailed to, was put in an upright position at this very spot. Why this spot? Crucification is the harshest punishment during the Roman times and it is usually carried out on the hills. The site of Jesus's crucification is also a hill in ancient times until the Byzantine Emperor, Constantine, built the church. Therefore, this was actually a spot on a hill. 
• Station 13: Here, Jesus was taken down from the cross and today, a statue of Virgin Mary is placed as a remembrance that Mary stood there to see Jesus being taken off the cross. 
• Station 14: They placed Jesus's body on a stone, washed it and wrapped it in a clean, linen cloth and laid it in a tomb. Apparently, it is said that because Jesus was hanged on a Friday afternoon (since Thursday evening was Passover holiday and Jesus and His disciples spent time in the Garden of Gethsemane), he was not supposed to be buried during this time of the day. A guy had given up his own tomb to Jesus in a burial chamber but they had to do it quick. It was Joseph, a disciple of Jesus, who went to ask for Jesus's body and had it buried.
• Before we know it, when the people returned on Sunday, they realised that Jesus's body was gone and that He had resurrected!
• Room of the Last Supper where Jesus broke bread and offered wine to his disciples, saying to take a part of Him with them, bread like His flesh and wine as His blood and that He will sacrifice Himself to redeem the sins of mankind. The Moslems are the ones who are holding the keys to the Church (including the Holy Sepulchre) because there are many different sects in Christianity and each fights over the rights to the church. So the Moslems took over and there, they built a minaret that points towards Mecca. Funny how things iron out in Jerusalem. In any case, most of us would have seen or heard about the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci done in 1496. Our guide told us that the painting was done based on the European perspective and that it is not what the Last Supper would have looked like because Jesus dined with his disciples on the floor, not while sitting around a table. During the Last Supper, Jesus also spoke of his disciples, of which one (Judas) will betray him and another will deny him 3 times (Peter). 

• It is also said that 49 days after His death, a fire broke out in this very room and people heard a lot of echoes. Subsequently, it allowed them to speak many different languages or tongues so that they could spread the word of God all over the world. Then came the joke of the Jerusalem Syndrome whereby one who has visited these sites would start to hallucinate and think that they are the disciples of Jesus or Jesus Himself and start sprouting weird things or speak in unknown languages. 
• Dormition Abbey (Lutheran Church of the Redeemer): A German church which was believed to be where Mary resided after Jesus died. Mary is said to have ascended to Heaven while sleeping. 
• King David's Tomb: Said to be but not necessarily. 

Fun fact: The old city's walls are all made of limestones thus there is a regulation in Jerusalem that all buildings in the city must have its exterior being built using limestones. This explains why all the buildings in Jerusalem have the same color. Perhaps this is what makes the city beautiful as well! :) 

We also went to the Western (a.k.a. Wailing) Wall on this very day but I guess I will leave it to tomorrow to blog about this, together with Temple Mount and the thousands of years of history of Israel. And the footsteps shall continue…. 

SIRAP YLLANIF.PARIS FINALLY.

Before the CNY gets in the way, I just wanna put on my last blog entry on my EUROPA trip.

<<>>

I have compiled the 5 days of journey together and hope everyone love the pictures and stories!

Paris day 1-19/20 June 2008

My arrival in Paris was an unfashionable one and definitely a disastrous one. My flight from Barcelona touched down in Paris Beauvais Airport at 2130 hours and I was supposed to spend the night at the airport once again because I couldn't get a room at the hostel for that night. God knows the airport is closed from 11pm-6am which means I have to get a room somewhere for that night.

Paris from the sky

Hotels near the airport were either fully-booked or way too highly priced thus I decide to try my luck in the city itself. The bus terminal where the shuttle bus from the airport arrived at was a horrendous one. Right opposite it were luxurious hotels and shopping malls but the bus terminal itself looked like some unwanted garage. Sigh. I had no idea where I was to go so I stood there for like 10-15 minutes pondering. What was I trying to do?

Then came along this really nice French lady and she told me I could try my luck at some motels near her place at Bastille. So together with one of her friend who was visiting, we hopped on to a cab and when we finally arrived at Bastille, I realise hotels within 150metres from where I alighted were all fully occupied. Ended up, I took another cab to the hostel and try my luck. As mentioned, it was fully booked and guess what, the receptionist was nice enough to let me spend the night inside the internet cafe. haha... So that's why I mentioned in my previous post I had a rough time. Fortunately, the couches in the internet cafe were really comfy and that saved my "night". :) But that's definitely better than being stranded on the streets yeah. haha...

Day 1- I embarked on the Paris Walking tour once again. I met this North America girl whom I deeply admire. She left home from America and came all the way to Paris herself and will be staying here for a month. Reason? To pick up a 3rd language-French. I assumed her parents must be some filthy rich boss or prominent figures in their hometown. According to her, she had to pick up French because it was necessary for her to communicate with her parents' business associates. WOW~ If my parents are wiling to sponsor me to France to pick up french, I honestly don't care much about the duration. Even if it's just for two weeks, I will be more than satisfied. hahaha... But that will always be a DREAM...

Starting point-St Michael's Fountain

We covered the Louvre, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Napoleon's Tomb, Les Invalides, Opera Garnier, Champs-Elysees, Musee d'Orsay, Pont Neuf etc. There were a lot of interesting stories along the way, about the Kings of France, war, Napoleon etc.

Random Paris buildings.

Notre Dame in the far.

Cloudy skies of Paris yet its beauty is never diminished.

Part of the Seine River
Language Control Centre of Paris - for French of course where they have all these French linguists who invent new French words for every new English vocabulary invented. :) I know it's the Art Bridge where you see a display of the aesthetic, artistic and musical side of Paris. :) Famous tourist bridge. :)
The renowned Museum de Louvre - ex Palace, where Mona Lisa is housed.

First one goes like this: King Henry 13th or 14th (I can't rmb the sequence) was a party KING. He had tons of concubines and there was this once when he held a party to celebrate some grand occasions. All the princes, royalties and his friends who came were overdose with his precious alcohol and guess what? When everyone was dead drunk, he got artists to paint their faces and make them into sculptures. After which, he had them decorated on a bridge, which is today's Pont Neuf! I don't know the extent of the truth of this story but it sounded logical and those faces were all happy ones. But I don't deny they look hilarious as well because there were so much variations.

Pont Neuf

Henry 13th/14th - Can't remember the number. :(

Facial expressions on the bridge.

Their MRT Entrance Sign :) So cute! You wouldn't know it's a train station.

Their train entrance - It was specially designed to celebrate the Millenium year, 2000.

Their famous theatre, if I'd remember it correctly, it used to be a theatre only for the royalties.

On the left is a cafe and according to hearsay stories, this was the cafe where the French Revolution was executed e.g discussions and plans.

Second: Adolf Hitler. When he took control of Paris, he went to Les Invalides and wanted to take a look at Napoleon's Tomb. However, the tomb is placed in such a way that when you enter the dome and look at the Napoleon tomb, you are actually looking downwards and indirectly bowing to Napoleon. Proud and arrogant as he was, Hitler refused to do it the usual manner. So what he did was to get one of his assistant to place mirrors so that he could look at the reflection of Napoleon's Tomb in the mirror Upright. However, a trip on one of his assistant's feet caused him to nearly fall and in the process of balancing himself, he held on to the podium and bowed to Napoleon. What a JOKE! All the hassle and trouble caused and yet he still could not avoid the fate of bowing to Napoleon! hahaha...

Les Invalides

Nearing the most expensive street of Paris- Not Champs Elysees though.

I love crossroads and junctions like these. Makes me ponder. I guess that's one of the things I miss about Europe. :)

Yes! This is the most expensive street in Paris.!

Chocolates going at range from 50 EUR-300 EUR! Who eats such expensive chocolates? Lingerie goes from 100EUR onwards; Suits, Jackets are all nearing the prize of a Louis Vuitton.

Third: Hitler was a big fan of Paris so when he took control of Paris, he was elated. However, he was also a possessive character. When he knew he was about to lose the war, he relayed instructions to his most important right-hand man, the guy who implemented the gas-chambers and tortured the Jews, imprison them, bombed all other parts of Europe cruelly, that should Hitler feel the war is lost, this right-hand man will have to blow Paris up and level it. Being a loyal servant of Hitler, this guy did everything as told. He set up cannons in Paris, bought in lots of gunfire and was in preparation of blowing Paris up anytime. Indeed, when the instructions from Hitler came, cannons were fired and everyone thought that would be the end of this lovely city. God knows, this smart guy had all the cannons placed in Paris but pointed to the outskirts of Paris. Fires that were created in the city itself were in areas that were near to rivers such that the fires were kept under control. Thus, when the Allied Powers came into the city, everything was kept intact.

A park outside the Louvre. I guess it used to be a park for the royalties. Enormously HUGE! Musee d'Orsay in the far end!

A closer look of Musee d'Orsay-It used to be a train station. :) I guess the loveliest train station in Paris as well.

More of the park. Honestly, I enjoyed the weather on my first day in Paris. Cool and cloudy yet not a single drop of rain fell. :)

I forgot why I took this photo but I just wanna show the lavendars I guess! :)

Honestly, I might hate this guy for his cruelty to the Jews and Europeans generally but I give him credit for keeping Paris intact. If not for him, the world's most recognised monument, the Eiffel Tower, would no longer be in existence. Mona Lisa would have been burnt to ashes. All the stories about the grandeur of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Montmarte would only be nothing but hearsay. Thinking about it, what made him want to keep this city intact? His French girl? The French Wine?

After the walking tour, it was almost 3 pm and thus I strolled down Champs Elysees, admiring the orchards of trees, cafes, shopping malls, branded goods store that line the streets. Simply IMPRESSIVE! The LV Store in Paris is 5-storeys high and it sparkles at night! Seeing the crowd inside the store is simply astonishing! People stream out of the store with big shopping bags as though they were shopping in a grocery store! All my life, it has been my dream to be there in Paris to see this astonishing designer brand store. I checked out the items AG relayed me to buy and meanwhile, looked for something suitable for myselF? hehe...

Here's where my first sight of the Eiffel was captured. :)

Look at the mesmerising surroundings of the Eiffel. If you were to plant an Eiffel somewhere in Singapore, it definitely ain't gonna be as magnificent because the high-rise buildings do not complement it at all! That's why it is found in Paris. :)

That's the victory column in Paris. Remember this column. There's a story about it!

Who doesn't love Elysees? I love this place!

This is down Champs Elysees. Is the govt going to mimick this place by doing the same to Orchard Road? Since they are widening the pedestrian pathway and planting more trees as well?
Can you see Arc de Triomphe in the far end? Apparently, the Arc de Triomphe and the Victory column which we saw just now lies on a straight line and is adjacent to each other. During WWII, a French soldier was able to successfully shoot down the German Tanks at the column from Arc De Triomphe because he knew the exact distance between the two monument. That partly contributed to the Allied Forces' victory because they were able to be equipped with rifles and tanks to shoot down the German troops from such a far distance and took them by surprise!

View From the victory column to the Arc de Triomphe

From Arc de Triomphe, the victory column is nowhere in sight!! hahaha... A pair of palaces which are now Art Museums - Grand Palace and Petite Palace. :)

After all the eye-opening branded goods store, I headed to see the Arc de Triomphe and honesty, that plaque is simply amazing! I realise I am very much into sculptures. though not professional and the carvings at Arc de Triomphe really captivated my attention! I just can't help but take a second look at it all the time. Nevertheless, getting to the base of the plaque is very much of a chore!!! The roundabout at Arc de Triomphe consists of 9 wide lanes and if you ever try jay-walking, I assure you you'll be dead meat.! The only way is by the underpass and you'll have to bear with the heat, long waiting time of the traffic lights etc but of course, the beauty of the plaque is worth all the hassle and effort to me! :)

When you are a skilful player, when you are charismatic, when you brought success to your club, when you are about to win the Ballon D'or, you gotta be the centre of attraction - Welcome to CRISTIANO RONALDO's POSTER! :))

Al Fresco Dining? Tell everyone you are a VEGETABLE HEAD and you will be sitting there. :)) But I wouldn't mind being one just for the experience. :))

Oh well well well, how could I miss this out? My all-time favourite brand!

Even the walls are decorated in my favourite Damier Canvas Print :)

However, I have to say Paris brought me both unforgettable experiences in a positive and negative way! A passer-by whom I stopped to take a photo for me dropped my camera when returning it to me and after that accidental drop, my camera lens started to play tricks on me!!! The lens seem to have lose focus thus all the images that came out were blurry. There were a lot of mixed emotions, panic, disappointment, unjust, anger etc.

A series of the Arc de Triomphe! Lovely isn't it?

Yeah, the destructive photo that caused my camera to malfunction subsequently!

I hope the video works! :))

Don't every try jay-walking! You will never get across!! 9 lanes wide!

An eiffel out of nowhere! Lol!

This policeman is damn cute! His hair is ash in colour!!! Naturally ashed! Oh poor young fellow with ageing hair... lol!

Finally, my last stop for the day was the Louvre Museum! Apparently, there's free entrance for students on every Friday after 6 p.m so the Singaporean guy that I met in Morocco suggested I headed there that evening to take advantage of the free entrance. He was actually very nice to message me the meeting place and time etc. I got caught up with the photo-taking and unfortunately, I was late. After traveling by myself for so long, it should have felt extremely satisfying to meet a friend along the way but it turned out otherwise. Somehow, I didn't enjoy the Louvre as much when he was in my company than when he left with his friends. He had introduced two other friends of his who are also NUS students studying at the same institute as him to me but somehow our personalities just didn't click. Maybe it's their nationality or rather because we just exchanged a quick hi-bye.

What do you see from afar?

Here comes the trademark Pyramids of Paris. :) Designed by an ABC in America. What a joke!

Brandenburg Gate look alike - requested by Napolean :)A 360deg view of the Louvre!

The Berlin Bradenburg gate look-alike! See the Victoria goddess and chariots on top? hahaa.!

Pyramids from opposite the streets!
Inside the glass pyramids? What's the world like inside?

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That's what everyone's after for in the Louvre isn't it? For that precious smile? But CJ and I had a good discussion. We doubt that it's the real mona lisa that is being put on display.!

Napolean's Chambers!

Although he has been to the Louvre a million times since he has been in Paris for a year already, he was nice enough to walk me through the stuff that I wanna see. The drawback was that we kept exchanging conversations along the way and that kind of impeded my visit in the museum. He invited me to join them for dinner but I didn't go ahead. Somehow I had been traveling alone for so long and was more or less used to the freedom I got out of it. Also, I wanted to spend the night at the Eiffel that's why I politely rejected his offer. I think he understands where I am coming from too because I ain't acquainted with his friends either. So we parted ways at around dinner time. That was probably the start of my real tour of the Louvre since I could now explore the museum freely, looking through the art pieces according to my own pace.

More of Napolean's Ideal Palace.

Waiting Room for guests.

Dining Room to host his guests and of course for his own meals.

That's the bedroom!Why pink? No IDEA!

And the view of the Palace Inner courtyard from his room! Splendid.

The view from inside the pyramid.!

Obelisk of Luxor. Originally in the temple of Thebes. It's an amazing structure honestly.

2nd chance I caught sight of the Eiffel in the day!

I just took this for fun LOL!

The sky did not darkened till almost 11 pm but I was already at the Eiffel by 9p.m. I was hesitant about climbing the tower that day so I decided to come back the following day. Instead, I just sat on the bridge just below the Eiffel and spend my time writing postcards to my friends back in Singapore. Thoughts flooded my mind as I reflected on my life, my dreams, my pursuance etc.. Everything seems so much like a dream at that instance because I was conscious that I was just a week away from reality. However, I just wanted to embrace whatever that stood before me. If you received my postcard from Paris, it's definitely one that entailed dreams, aspirations, contentment and happiness. It wasn't just my own emotions but also my wishes for the other party. I felt that I was delivering a gift that came deep from my heart, maybe a little corner that I would never peep at if I weren't experiencing so much joy..Nevertheless, I found myself struggling for words to write on the cards. I wanted to pen something that would capture this very moment in my life and have it shared and kept in the hands and memory of someone who would be able to comprehend my intentions. When he or she receives the postcard in Singapore, he or she would be able to picture himself or herself in the shoes of mine, in the place he or she has been dreaming off all his life, being indulged and pampered in the way he or she fancies. I was hoping that some day when I am old, when my memory starts to fail, that person would be able to relate to me his or her feelings when he or she received the card and also remind me of this blissfulness that was short-lived.

Before the sky got dark and I see the Eiffel light up and sparkle for the first time in my life!

I walked all the way from Champs de Mars till the Eiffel before getting across the Seine River and heading to the Republic House. Along the journey, I see myself turning back to take another look at the Eiffel tower every now and then. What a Dream Come True...

And the 3rd time the Eiffel sparkled!

MORE OF EIFFEL PLEASE>>>