We apologise for not wrapping up this blog. Our travels had come to an end a month ago. All E. A. & R are fully satisfied with this trip, although it feels weird to say that the journey has ended, but it actually hasn’t. E continued her journey to Australia and is now back in Cambodia continuing her period of service, while R & A on a struck of gold were given the opportunity to do a one-off freelance project in Athens and Vienna. Now both are back in the UK, hoping to move to London in the very near future.
After Switzerland, we have also visited Venice, Barcelona, Andorra, some went to Paris, Brussels and all met up again in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, and drove into Germany from Duisburg to Hannover, Halle Saale and Berlin. We then flew to Dublin, took a bus up to Omagh, stayed a week and flew back to London from Belfast. Voila!

Our carbon footprints? Yes, don’t ask. 

3 months ago we started this journey with lots of excitement and anticipation – along the way there are so many highlights and learnings from the places we went. Among the three of us we also compiled a list of memorable quotes from the people we met. So much indeed we could write about about our reflections, but as time pressed on we all moved on pretty quickly. Maybe if you meet one of us you could ask us how it did go. And would we advise you to take time off to travel? Definitely a yes.

Thanks for tuning in. 

 

Having German sausages with friends

Oxford Christchurch College

Sitges, Barcelona

E checking out her shoe, Venice

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

A beautiful journey on the train from Austria to Switzerland brought us to the town of Schaffhausen, we passed by Lake Constance (hoping to catch the latest Bond film cast n crew during the shoot- but we were a day too early) and via the magnificent Alps.

Just managed to get some photos up. Would recommend anyone to make this trip!

part of the town

NY lost in swiss

Europe’s biggest

Oh what a night

Ridvan Celebration

At Sound of Music location, with the biggest fan on the left.

Found the famous Tomaselli Cafe!

Yummy desserts at Tomaselli.

We found Settlers of Catan… and Elyssa bought it. (but it only had 7 wheat. hahaha.)

There’s so many major things that had happened around the world recently and while you’re traveling sometimes it felt like you’re in a bubble and not connected or informed enough with what’s going on. Unless of course if you read the news online, bother to find English newspapers at foreign non-English speaking countries, or you know someone locally who has a TV in the home, watch news, or you’re one of those that subscribes to mobile sms breaking news update. I fall under the ‘word-of-mouth’ category who gets my “world news” from people or what Mark Zuckerberg had never expected, from facebook. Eg. “You are invited to join the group ‘help save china’ or ‘protest against burmese regime’”. Is this the cost of traveling and not having a stable stay-put at one place? – that feeling of displacement because you don’t really belong somewhere yet at the same time all these events around the world deeply affect you even if you’re just a single human being? 78,000 people died in one country from one catastrophe definitely had an impact to every atom in the world, what more us, humans. (at this juncture, the lead in a TV drama usually experiences dropping/breaking a glass that signifies bad omen for tragedy in another part of the story :-/).

We’re not anymore living individually as a person, hoping to cut ties with our surrounding. Our naked eyes may not find similarity in our countries, races, cultures, religions, languages, cuisines, public transport systems, favourite football teams… but essentially the invisible string that ties us all is slowly surfacing even clearer, that there is no other means but to accept that oneness of humanity.

While the world is swept by natural disasters, the Bahá’í world too is concerned with the recent incident in Iran. 

What is next?

I was wondering where I would spend my little getting-older-celebration this year as the look of it, our plans never quite turned out exactly how we assumed it would, and thus we never know where we could possibly end up. It was a joy to be able to say that Hallstatt was definitely a delightful surprise, and almost a perfect way to celebrate passing quarterlife… hehehe. I do miss having the big hoohaa party which for several years I never fail to come up with one – especially with music and laughter, and warm companionship of friends and loved ones… they have been very memorable.

This year, is a little different. Away from home, away from the normal routine life setting, and also being in a place I’ve never been to in my life. Some also asked how it feels to celebrate my ‘first birthday as a wife’? That was hilarious. I guess it is a bliss (or at least it has been, to date). My friend said I got lucky because I found someone who ‘can cook and speak mandarin’. (it’s random, but in the context it’s actually quite funny. hehe.) Anyways, this post is especially dedicated to my habibi who tried his very best to make the weekend a tasty, memorable one! ps. how can i forget E. whose presence is also a joy (=laughter) to us. *wink*

   E. made tadik! impressive.

  Brownies made by R.

 

Another long making-breakfast morning. Since Stockholm, we learnt to appreciate our breakfast a lot more. Good breakfast with good bread, cheese, bacon, cheery tomatoes, etc… Hence one can understand why we usually start our day after noon.

  Posing while hiking up the mountain

  Star jump!

 

Star jump in the green suit we have to wear to enter the world’s oldest saltmine. Hallstatt is actually a salt mine town and since 4500 years ago, there has been records of salt mining here. It’s really quite amazing. The visit was 2 hrs long and because it was quite dark in the mine, we didn’t take that many pictures.

 

The yummy apple strudel I had on top of the mountain

  Bliss

  Day out on a boat ride

Thank ya’all for following our posts. More updated pics to come!

So it’s been a little quiet. We ended up in a small little town in the lake district of Austria that was utterly breathtaking. A real getaway it was, no internet, german tv, and a spectacular view. Let the pictures do some talking

With little towns like this on the way, we were on our heels and filled with high expectations.

Boy were we inpressed.. so serene

 

Hanging out at our little dock most of the time. Weather was great.

 

Did a hike to a water falls. Everywhere we went was spectacular

 

More hanging out.

 

There was a restaurant… what do u know? pretty touristic after all, but it was low season, so we were kings of the place.

 

 

since i am waiting for the sun to rise and am the guard to make sure our guest (i feel a little localised here in Vienna) dont miss their flight… here are some pictures of budapest.

The Terror House

highlight for me would have been the bath house.. hot spring swimming pools…!!

This was a lovely photo! Our hosts in Vienna have two very lovely daughters, Gaia and Saloma. The past two days the weather has been hot, sunny and perfect for an outdoor picnic. R. and E. went out to hang out with the family and thus the kids got cozy with them. This was taken with Saloma, the little princess, whose eyes sparkle everytime I see her.

Happy Ridvan!

I know it comes off a bit confusing when it comes to what our route is and where we are. At this very moment, we are chilling in Vienna, soaking in as much sun as we can. Also, hanging out with Sheila, Nazrin and Hani. Tomorrow, the two monkeys and the dog will just take a day off from our holiday (yupp, that’s right), and do nothing but have good breakfast, followed by a Persian lunch with some family friends, then go shopping, and hopefully cook dinner at home. For me, this is bliss. cheers. 

 

Just added pics.

  

In front of Belvedere

  

In the home we stayed, with the angels

 

how swift the days pass by.

buda and pest separated by the Danube river (had to come here to realise this) is a breathtaking city. so much of its history I have been oblivious too.. I am happy to have come and learn a little of the history. The neo-renaissance architecture was very captivating and being the cheapest the country we been in Europe, i must say it was rather nice to walk around and grab a meal a or two when one wishes. Besides getting ripped off after a ‘Hungarian with a touch of Italian under ground cafe-style with live music’ dinner (it was suppose to be half priced but then the extra charges were more then the meal it self), the cities charm lies in its scenic routes to enchanting parks and buildings. We did find a nice place to have dinner (Italian) and I do like my chocolate milkshake which I am gonna get before be leave… ok the gurls wanna leave. pictures will hopefully be coming up.