Excited for my First Travel this Year in Europe

Hello March! I am finally back here! I am always a busy body and I hope I have more time to give you some updates. I would love too but sometimes, my time would just not allow. The third month of the year 2014 is greeting me with a smile on its face. I am doing the same  inspite not knowing what March would bring for me.

My escapades will actually start soon. The other day, I received my travel confirmation. This is will be my first travel for this year. It was a quite a very cheap trip considering all what is included in this holiday package.  This was booked last year in November. If you book it earlier, you will have a 200 Euros discount. Imagine that! Transportation, accommodation, trips to different places and foods are included in this package. I am indeed a happy traveler when I avail of  cheap trips.

The Zeus Statue in Plaza or Piazza Sangoria in Florence, Italy. I visited this lovely city last year.

Here is the itinerary of this travel;

First Day: Bus trip from Regensburg Germany to Rimini, Italy.

Second Day:  Trip to San Marino and Santaarcangelo di Romagna.

Third Day: Trip to the Lagoon City of  Venice. My fifth visit here but still I haven't have enough of Venice. I simply love this beautiful  city.

Fourth Day: Free or rest day. Planning to go to Ravenna.

Fifth Day: Visit to the historic cities of Assisi and Perugia.

Sixth Day: Trip to the Rennaisance City of Florence. This will be my second visit in this city.

Seventh Day: Free or Rest Day. Planning to Visit Ancona or Bologna.

Eight Day: Back to Germany. Home sweet home!

I am already starting to research especially the famous sights  and  things to do when  visiting these places.  I am happy to travel again this year! Hoping for more travels to come soon!

I Love the Colorful Autumn in Europe!

Europe is having autumn season at the moment. Did you already turn back your clocks or watches one hour earlier?  I already did it yesterday because it was the day  when we need to change our time one hour earlier. 

The weather might not be so friendly during autumn season but I still love it!  Sometimes, the sky is gray  and sometimes it keeps on raining. Thanks Goodness, we had a lovely weather the past days. Today,  I heard over the news that some parts of Europe were even experiencing storm especially last night in England.

A bridge in our place and the colorful surroundings during autumn time in  Bavaria, Germany.

The colorful surroundings wherein the leaves of the trees turn from green to orange, yellow, brown, red, pink and other colors simply make it beautiful!

Walking way and the  foliage during autumn.

I remember a friend from the US who said that they are also having  fall season in their area. Yes, our US and Canadian  friends  call  Autumn season as Fall season. This is the time of the  year when summer is over. Autumn is the transition  from summer into  winter. During this time, the days are getting shorter and the nights  longer.

For some people, autumn is a the beginning of melancholy. I guess, this is  because the sun seldom shines. I am happy that the sun was shining the past days and still hoping to shine in the coming days.

There is only one thing I can say, no matter what time  of the year  it is, we must savour each day of it and live life to the fullest!

Cheers and have a wonderful autumn or fall season to all who are experiencing it at the moment!

Find a Job, Go Back to School or Continue Traveling?

This is sometimes confusing! If you are attending school, your time to travel is already limited. If you go to work, it is the same. You might have the money but you don't have the time to travel.

If you travel, it can be a very luxurious hobby! I am not really a luxurious person but traveling has been my passion, I guess since I was born! lolz! 

View of Budapest, Hungary from Gellert Hill during my first visit in summer 2011.

Now,  the question is?? Am I going back to school or continue being a work at home individual and continue to explore planet earth and travel anytime anywhere when finances are available? If I go back to the university, I might need some college book rentals or buy some. If I continue to travel, I will surely continue my hobby which is collecting travel books.

My  Bachelors Degree in Commerce majoring in Accounting is nothing to the place where I am living now. Sometimes, it is quite depressing and thanks Goodness I am still alive and kicking!

This is one of the things that bothers me the past weeks...going back to school, to work or to continue doing what I am doing at the moment! Truly confusing!  Any help out there? Thanks in advance!

I  am also sharing an image from Budapest during my first visit to Hungary's capital city last August 2011. I visited it again last June 2012.

Backed from Our Baltic Cruise Trip

Thanks God for another safe trip! And yes, I am finally backed from our recent trip in the Baltic region. I am actually back over a week ago but I was just busy with many things both online and offline. It was a combination of bus and cruise trip. It was so far a good one visiting cities in four countries including Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg and Helsinki.

We spent 6 nights in a ship, 4 nights in Princess Anastasia (St. Peters Line) and 2 nights in Stena line. It was not really a luxury cruise like what I had in Scandinavia last spring of this year. Despite of that, I am still very grateful to experience those places.

Boats along the shores of Stockholm during our cruise. © http://myeurotravelandadventures.blogspot.com

It was raining when we arrived in Stockholm. We don't have the chance to go walking in the city center due to limited time. I believed it was the fault of the bus company who picked-up us late. We only had a tour with the bus and the tour guide was telling us many things about the city. On our 6th day, we also had a mini-cruise in Stockholm.

The reception of  Princess Anatasia (St. Peters Line) where we had  4 overnights.

After Stockholm, we visited Tallinn. There are a lot of things to see in this city and a half-day sightseeing is not enough to experience all. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is ranked as a global city and has been listed among the top 10 digital cities in the world. The city was a European Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku in Finland. I am glad that once in my life I stepped on the ground of Tallinn. Who knows one day, I can visit it again and maybe this time, a longer visit to Estonia's capital.

Tower Gates in Tallinn. © http://myeurotravelandadventures.blogspot.com

We have to say goodbye to Tallinn, to proceed with our next destination, the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. There is only one things I can say, so far as of now, I can say that for me St. Petersburg is the most beautiful city I experience in this world. I have been to many cities in over 30 countries but I find St. Petersburg the most beautiful one. I wish I can stay there for a week or two to see and experience everything. If someone will sponsor my trip, I can probably do it again. lolz!

The next city we visited was Helsinki. Finland's capital and largest city is also very interesting. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. I love especially the Senate's Square where you can find the Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, main building of the University of Helsinki, and Sederholm house (Sederholmin talo), oldest building of central Helsinki dating from 1757. The statue of Alexander II is also located at the center of this square. I had a great time walking along the harbour of Helsinki. That time there was market going on where you can find many products and items in different stalls and kiosks.

On the 6th day, we arrived again in Stockholm where we had a mini-cruise. After that, our bus drove us to Trelleborg where our next ferrycruise was waiting, the Stena line who will bring us back to Germany.

I conclude that trip was not really a perfect one since I did not really experience a perfect trip but I am verxy thankful that I had the chance to visit many cities and countries like in Baltic region and Scandinavia.

European Jazz Festivals- Where To Experience It

Many jazz aficionados do not know that there are many jazz festivals taking place each year, in various European countries and towns. They are well-organized events that attract some of the best talents in the business.

The following are some of the best and most popular European live jazz festivals showcased
across the region:

Vilnius Jazz Festival, Lithuania

Vilnius is a town situated in Lithuania and it started a jazz festival back in 1988. The first reason for starting this festival was an act of rebellion against the former Soviet Union. It was a way for Lithuania to show its differences with the Soviet Union. Even though this festival has political roots, it has grown to become an astounding jazz festival, attracting talent from all over the world. It is known for its highly creative and ambitious talents, stretching musical improvisation to its limits. This festival is ultimately linked to the growth of a distinctive style of jazz known as Vilnius jazz.

The Cathedral  of Vilnius. Taken during our visit last September 2012.

Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf, Austria

This jazz festival was started in 1980 in the town of Nickelsdorf which is located near the border of Hungary. Ever since this festival started it has attracted the top talents from America, Europe and Japan, making it a virtual Mecca for improvised jazz music. This place can be described as a small village and the festival takes place outdoors. It is organized by the Nickelsdorf Jazz Gallery. Some of these jazz musicians might got their exceptional seymour duncan at musicians friend. Who knows?


Varna Jazz Festival, Bulgaria

This festival was started in 1992 and it happens in Varna, which is a small city located in Bulgaria near the Black Sea. It is the largest Jazz festival in Bulgaria and it attracts talent mostly from around Europe. It takes place for 3 days and it is held in the courtyard of the Archeological museum. The director of this festival is a gentleman by the name of Anatoly Vapirov, who is also an accomplished saxophonist.

Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon, Austria

This town is located in Austria, near the Czech border. This jazz festival started in 1986 and has managed to become a highly acclaimed European Jazz festival. The focus of this festival is improvisation, at the same time this festival is also known for so called hybrid music. This would be jazz fused with other forms of music. The primary concerts are done at the Jazzatelier Ulrichsberg building, however there are other venues showcasing special music projects.

A Lovely Day in Limone sul Garda, Italy

How's everyone? I hope you are  all doing great! I can't complain with my life at the moment. Besides, there is nothing to complain especially if we are happy and contented with our lives. In short, I am doing  great  and I am so thankful about it.

It was indeed a lovely day in Limone, Italy. The weather was sunny with a temperature of 24-28 degree Celcius. It was indeed a perfect day for sightseeing.

Boats in Limone,  Lake  Garda, Italy. I love the scenery in this part of the world!

Historical buildings in Limone sul Garda during our recent  visit in Italy.

From Riva del Garda,  we took the public  boat transportation  going to Limone. I would say, it was like a mini cruise in Lake Garda, also known in German as Gardasee. I had fun walking  in this fun and truly enjoyed the scenes around.

Here are some  information about this town:

Limone sul Garda is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (northern Italy), on the shore of Lake Garda.
It has an abundance of cafes, restaurants and shops selling all manner of souvenirs, food and clothing, and the streets in summer are thronged with tourists.
The town was popular with writers such as Goethe, Ibsen and Lawrence, and more recently was used for filming parts of the James Bond film Quantum of Solace.
Despite the presence of famous cultivations of lemons (the meaning of the city's name in Italian), the town's name is probably derived from the ancient lemos (elm) or limes (Latin: boundary, referring to the communes of Brescia and the Bishopric of Trento). In 1863-1905 the denomination was Limone San Giovanni.

Visit to Sforza Castle in Milan, Italy

Hello Milan! That was only a day trip to Milan and might not enough to experience everything but at least I had experienced some of its sights. Milan was one of the cities included in  the itinerary during my 5-days trip  to Italy and Switzerland  last March.

It was a bus trip and  I am very contented about it. Since  our bus parked near Sforza  Castle, also known as  Castello Sforzesco in Italian, I decided  to go around  inside the castle compound. We arrived there at around 11:00 in the morning. We were given 2-hours to go around the city that day before the official tour guide  showed us some of the most important sights in Milan.

Enjoyed looking some of the images I took during my travel to this   city.

I remember Alhambra in Granada, Spain with this  architecture of   Sforza  Castle.

 The original construction on the site began in the 14th century. In 1450, Francesco Sforza began reconstruction of the castle, and it was further modified by later generations. A number of the rooms originally had elaborate internal decoration - the best known of these being the Sala Delle Asse, which contains ceiling paintings by Leonardo da Vinci.

After the French victory in the 1515 Battle of Marignano, the defeated Massimiliano Sforza, his Swiss mercenaries, and the cardinal-bishop of Sion retreated into the Castello Sforzesco. However, King Francis I of France followed them into Milan, and his sappers placed mines under the castle's foundations, whereupon the defenders capitulated.

The fountain in front of entrance of Sforza Castle. There was a wedding picture taking when I was there last March 2013. caption

The Beautiful Town of Budva, Montenegro

 It is a month now since my  trip to the Balkan Peninsula or Southeast Europe. One of the places we visited was Budva.  It is a coastal in Montenegro and considered to be its centre of tourism.  It is the central part of Montenegrin coast, called "Budvanska Rivijera". It has developed around a small peninsula, on which the old town is situated.

A statue of a lady near our 4 star hotel Avala in Budva, Montenegro. You can also see the Old City of Budva in  the background.

Budva is famous for  its for its diverse nightlife, sandy beaches,  and examples of Mediterranean architecture.

According to our tour guide, Budva is a historical city and is 3,500 years old. No wonder it is considered as  one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic sea coast. There is also a legend  that Jelena, our tour guide explained to us. Here it is;

A legend recounts that Budva was founded by Cadmus the Phoenician, a hero exiled out of Thebes, Greece, finding a shelter in this place for him and his wife, Harmonia. Two other civilizations also left innumerable traces: the Greek and the Roman (then named Butua). Upon the fall of the Roman empire and its division into east and west, the defensive barrier which separated the two powers happened to run across this area, subsequently making a lasting impact on the history and culture of this town. In the Middle Ages, Budva was reigned by a succession of Doclean kings, as well as Serbian and Zetan aristocrats. 

View of Budva as we were on top of the hill on our way  to Cetinje, another city in Montenegro. Our tour guide gave us the chance to step down the bus to have a good view of the breath-taking  scenery and take some pictures.

I believed I am very lucky to visit this town. I traveled with the group of the the most-traveled people in this planet. We stayed in a beautiful 4-star hotel in Avala, located just near the beach. I could say that trip I had in Southeast Europe last month was all worth it considering the many places and countries I experienced.

Visited Three Countries in 5 Days

Hello everyone! Too many  things  in my mind to share but sometimes my busy schedules  both online and offline are just limited! Sometimes facebooking also steals my time..haha! Anyway,  I  am always glad to get  updates from  my family, relatives  and friends worldwide thru facebook. That is fine though!

I am finally back  here! I hope everyone had a  wonderful  celebration  of Easter. I am glad to have a  nice one, spending some time with family and love ones. Even thought  I really miss  home so badly, I am hoping to have a vacation to my home country soon!

So what happened last month?  I can say the month of March was a blast for me. I visited four countries that time including Ireland, Switzerland, Italy and Liechtenstein.

Let me  give you a brief summary of my travels but only to these 3 countries  in 5 days which means I am excluding Ireland and will share a separate post for it.

March 7, 2013, Day 1-   It was a bus trip and the picked-up places was in Regensburg, Germany. From there, we drove to our first stop in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. We had a two hour sightseeing in the capital city of the principality of Liechtenstein.

The Horse Statue in front of Vaduz' City Hall.  You can also see the Castle in Vaduz on top of the hill. © http://myeurotravelandadventures.blogspot.com

March 8, 2013, Day 2-  From our hotel in Baveno, Italy, our next destinations were in Stresa and Lake Orta, visíting  Orta San Giulio. These are small towns in Italy  but  they are also worth to see,  considering its historical significance.

March 9, 2013, Day 3- For me, this is so far  the highlight of  this 5-day trip. We visited Milan, Italy and this was also the reason why I booked this trip, to see and experience  the fashion capital of Italy and maybe of the whole of Europe. That  day trip in Milan was not enough to see everything but I am happy to meet once again my schoolmate whom I did not see for over 20 years.

Piazza Grande in Locarno. It is the heart of the city center and also the major shopping area. 

March 10, 2013, Day 4-   We headed to Switzerland this day and visited Ascona and Locarno, both are located along Lake Maggiore. It is the second largest lake in Italy and largest lake of the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. Lake Maggiore is the most westerly of the three great prealpine lakes of Italy, it extends for about 70 km between Locarno and Arona.

The beautiful Cathedral  of St. Gallen, Switzerland. © http://myeurotravelandadventures.blogspot.com

March 11, 2013, Day 5- The trip is almost over. On our way back home to Germany, we had a short stop-over in Sankt  Gallen or St. Gall.  It is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century.  It is a nice city  and I am glad to experience it despite the very short 2-hour visit.

Had Fun With Friends in El Escorial, Spain

I read this saying somewhere this week. It says something like this, "Travel is the only thing you can buy that will make you rich". I was struck by it and I believed I never made a mistake when I go traveling. This is one thing that makes me really happy and I have  a passion for it.  I feel  glad and contented everytime I visit a new place. It seems that it is adding days to my life.  Of course,  I  only travel  when time and finances are available. For me, this saying is indeed true! First, you will be rich with the many travel experiences you gather. Second, I find it very interesting to know the life and culture of  people in a certain  place or country.  I am very  thankful of  the many chances  and opportunities  given to me  when talking about travelling.

I guess,  it is time to begin my main topic.  I miss my friends from Spain especially in Madrid. I met good and nice people  there during my three weeks visit last year. One day, I and some of my friends decided to visit El Escorial.  Some of them already  work and live in Madrid for many years but haven't been to El Escorial yet. They were so happy when I mentioned that I want to go to this monastery. Two of my friends went with me there.

Since we already decided to go late in the afternoon  that day, the El Escorial sightseeing tour already ended. The gate going inside the  monastery where you can buy  entrance tickets  was already closed. We ended up  going around on its exterior. Even though, I  did not see its interior, I was still happy when that trip ended.

These are some pictures taken during our trip last   March 2012 to El Escorial.

The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial,  known for short as The El Escorial.

The Courtyard of the King and the Basilica.

 Here is a bit information about El Escorial:

• It is a historical residence  of the King of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
• Juan Bautista de Toledo is the architect  in the design of El Escorial.
• On November 2, 1984, UNESCO declared The Royal Site of San Lorenzo of El Escorial a World Heritage Site.
• Originally a property of the Hieronymite monks, it is now a monastery of the Order of Saint Augustine.
•   The Escorial comprises two architectural complexes of great historical and cultural significance: the royal monastery itself and La Granjilla de La Fresneda, a royal hunting lodge and monastic retreat about five kilometres away.

Visit to Riga, the Capital of Latvia

I still can't imagine that a day trip in this big city is not  really enough to see the place. It is not really a day trip but I can say a half-day sightseeing. That was quite a long drive from Klaipeda, Lithuania going to Riga, the capital city of Latvia. We had a bus trip there  and it took us quite a long time to reach  Riga due to many stop-overs  and the  highways and roads are not really good compared to other European countries like in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium or France.

The House of Blackheads in Riga's Town Square.. Taken during our visit last September 2012.

From Klaipeda, we also had a quick sightseeing in the Hills of Crosses near Siauliai.  This is not really a hill but due to the many kinds of crosses and other religious figures there, I  believed, it formed as a hill. Thus, the name Hill of Crosses. That was really  an interesting place.

In short, we arrived in Riga  very late in the afternoon and it was raining. Our tour guide who grew up in Lithuania told the bus driver  the route to go so that  she can partially introduced to us Riga. After almost an hour of going around the city with the bus, we proceeded to our hotel. We had an overnight in Maritim Hotel in Riga. If I am not mistaken this is the biggest convention hotel in the city.

The next morning, we had a sightseeing by foot and probably it only lasted for  around 3 hours. Not really enough to see the whole city.  The most important thing is, I had seen some of its sights. Among the few are  Livu Square, House of Blackheads, Statue of Roland, St. Peter's Church, Museum of the Occupation of Riga (but not inside), Riga Castle, Riga Cathedral and some other more.

That was only a short visit but at least I am happy to be there!

Livu  Square in Riga, Latvia. I was there!

The Statue in front of the Alcazar of Segovia

I visited Segovia once. I was in Madrid that time and made a day-trip to Segovia.  I boarded the Renfe, a fast train in Spain. If you arrive at the train station of Segovia, you still need to take the bus going to the Old Town . I guess it will take around 15 minutes for the ride. 

There were many tourists visiting this historical  city of Segovia when I was there.  The bus where I rode was  full .  That was quite an adventure for me when I was there because I was alone. I don't have any idea where to go exactly and what sights to see. Good to know that near the aqueduct of Segovia, the tourist  office can be found. I went there immediately and ask for a plan for sights to see. 

That was  quite a short visit in Segovia but at least I had seen it once in my life. 

The Alcazar of Segovia during my visit last March 2012.

 I had a walk around the Old City including the Alcazar of Segovia, the royal palace located on top of a rock between the rivers Eresma and Clamores, is documented for the first time in 1122, although it may exist in earlier time

Monument located in front of the Alcazar of Segovia.

Words encrypted  on the  monument  above.

"A LOS CAPITANES DE ARTILLERIA D. LUIS DAOIZ D.  PEDRO VELARDE LA NACION ESPANOLA."

I translated  these words using google and it  means:  
"TO MASTERS OF ARTILLERY D. Daoiz LUIS D. Pedro Velarde THE SPANISH NATION. "

Fasching, carnival Season is Almost Over in Germany

I was watching a TV program awhile ago  and found out that the famous carnival in Rio de  Janiero in Brazil is almost over as well. It is the same in Germany.  Today is called Faschingsdienstag  or Shrove Tuesday. It means that Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday) is about to come, thus ending the Faschingszeit or carnival time.

I already witnessed a lot of carnival celebrations  in  particularly in Bavaria, Germany. It is not really as big as in Cologne, Mainz or Dusseldorf but they are  all worth-seeing.

Here are some of the images I took in one of the Faschingszug or carnival parade in Bavaria.

A group with their colorful costumes during the carnival parade in Hemau last 2012.

The Dragon during the Chinese Fasching or carnival in  Dietfurt.

Germans wearing Chinese  carnival costumes  in Dietfurt.

Photos of the Day- Fasching in Germany

It is Fasching time in Germany!  It is also  known  as Karneval, Fastnacht  or Fastnet  and in English it is simply called Carnival.  This festival usually begins each year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m. and finishes on Ash Wednesday with the main festivities happening around Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) which is considered to be the "fifth season of the year".

I had witnessed a lot of carnival celebrations especially in the Bavarian region of Germany. I love especially watching the Festzug or festival parade. There you can find various costumes of the different groups who participates the carnival parade.

During the carnival season, you can also watch various shows and programs on German televisions who are kidding and making fun of politicians.  There are still other activities like dancing, singing  and shouting especially  during the street carnivals.

Cologne, Mainz  and Düsseldorf are some of the  famous cities in Germany that celebrates  carnival.

I took some photographs of the Fasching in Dietfurt, a town in Bavaria, Germany last year.

Ladies are dancing during the Festzug or festival  parade  during the Fasching in Dietfurt.

This group had  unique costumes during the carnival parade.

This group was so funny. I had fun watching them.

Weekend Trip to Basel and Strasbourg

My hand carry luggage is finally packed. We will be having a weekend trip to two countries, Switzerland and France.  This is the best time of the year to visit Christmas markets in Europe.  One more sleep  and we will be visiting Basel,  Riquewihr and Strasbourg. At the same time we will also have some sightseeing in these places.

This will be my  second visit in Strasbourg, first time in Riquewihr and Basel. I have been to Switzerland  for around three times and this time I will be visiting another city, Basel. I will be going with some friends.  I know for sure, this trip will be interesting and full of fun again.

Buildings along the Ill River that flows in Strasbourg.  My first visit there was in December 2010.

The famous Christmas market  in Strasbourg  is scattered around the city. One is located around  Strasbourg Cathedral.

 Here are some information about  these places:

Strasbourg- the capital city of the Alsace region in France. It is  famous for its beautiful historical centre - the Grande Île - which was the first city centre to be classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Riquewihr- A town in Alsace  which is popular for tourists. It is famous for its  historical architecture.

Basel- A city in Switzerland, is the third most populous city in the country. It is known for its medieval town. Basel is also rich in architecture old and new, with a Romanesque Münster (cathedral), a Renaissance Rathaus (town hall), and various examples of high quality contemporary architecture.

I will share more travel experiences when I come back from these places.

Pinay-German Blogger Visited Vancouver, Canada

It seems that my internet connection has been acting weird since two weeks ago. We are actually planning to change our internet provider but everyone is just busy with a  lot of things right now. I hope we can take care of it before the end of the month.

Anyway, I am just sharing some images from our  trip to Vancouver, Canada. It happened almost three months ago.  I and my  friend from Seattle, Washington  drove  there one weekend. It took us  over three hours to reach Vancouver considering the traffic, the line at the border security control and the finding of our hotel. I admired my friend for  her courage in driving there. Imagine we did not use any  navigator but still we did able to find our destination.

There are a lot of unforgettable  experiences we had there and I just wish that I had more time to share all of it. For now, just enjoy watching these snapshots I took during our visit last September 2012.

View of  Vancouver from Stanley Park.

View of Vancouver city  from the Top of  Vancouver Look-up.

The Golden October in Europe

It is finally autumn in Europe! Autumn is the time of the year when the weather gets chilly. This is also the time when skies turn grey because sunshine is nowhere to be found. Autumn also tells that summer is gone and the cold winter is approaching. Some people turn inward during this time because their modes are affected physically and emotionally.

But autumn has its own beauty! This is the best time of the year when you can see the beautiful and colorful autumn foliage. The leaves of the trees are turning to red, orange, yellow, gold, pink and so on and so forth..I love to see the surroundings during this time!

Here are some autumn snapshots  for you to see! Such a beauty of nature!

Happy To Visit Vilnius, Lithuania

I finally visited the Baltic States! One of the countries we went to  was Lithuania.  One of the cities  we visited in this country is its capital city, Vilnius.  It is the largest city in Lithuania and the second  largest city  in the Baltic States after Riga. And yes, we also visited Riga during that Baltic trip.

I have a lot of  travel stories  to tell  during our trip there but   I am still not having enough energy to share it. I guess I am still having a jetlag. That trip to the Baltic was quite tiresome for me because I just came back from  a month vacation  from  the United States.  I only have two days rest and proceeded to the  Baltic  region which  was  quite tiresome for me.

I am just sharing these photos below which were taken in Vilnius. Sorry folks, I am not done uploading my travel images yet. More to come soon.

Lastly I wouldsay  that despite that tiresome trip, I am very happy and contented to visit  some parts of the Baltic Regions.

The Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Lithuania.

An original cathedral was built here in 1251. In 1387 a Gothic style cathedral was built. Now it is a classical style cathedral build by the project of Laurynas Gucevicius. The most beautiful part of the Cathedral, the baroque chapel of St. Casimir, was built in 1623–1636. The crypt shows a cross section of Vilnius through the ages, well worth seeing.

A Night at Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas

I am still in Las Vegas! Some more days and I will be backed to Europe.  Touring and sightseeing around can be tiresome sometimes.  This is also the reason why I was not able to update my  blogs from time to time. Las Vegas weather is still very hot but very better compared to my first days here last August.

I  just want to share some images from this city. After some escapades we had that night we proceeded to Fremont Street Experience. This pedestrian mall is one of the most famous  attractions in downtown Las Vegas. We strolled from one end to the other end of this pedestrian mall. On its one end,  a group of live band were still playing. We also entered some casinos for personal needs. I guess you know what I mean.  I remembered one friend who played casino and won some bucks.

There are shops and stores, casinos and restaurants you can find in Fremont Street Experience or FSE. One of the famous sight is the barrel vault canopy which  is 90 ft (27 m) high at the peak and four blocks, or approximately 1,500 ft (460 m), in length.

It was so far a fun-filled evening we had during our visit in this area of Las Vegas.

The famous barrel vault canopy in Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas.

Visit to Vancouver, Canada

I had a wonderful time visiting the city of  Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Before anything else, I would like to thank my dear friend Ate Thelma  and family for everything especially for touring me around and for the accommodation. You are such  a great host.

Vancouver is around three hours drive from where she live near Seattle, Washington. She is truly a courageous woman driving  to this Canadian City. It was only a two-day visit in Vancouver but we did saw a lot of sights in this city. One of my wishes came true especially in going up to Vancouver Look-up.

We went first to Stanley Park  and an hour sightseeing is not really enough to see everything in this area. After that, we went to the downtown part, went up to Vancouver, Look-up, Chinatown, Gastown, Canada Place and other  sights of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Look-up Tower. You can also see the sign that you are entering the historic town of Gastown. We were also there.

Vancouver is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit.

At the Canada Place. You can find a lot of tourist roaming around in this area.

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.