[Greece] The Island of Corfu

In Greek, Corfu Island is called Kerkyra.

It is located at the Northwest of Greece, while Mykonos and Santorini are at the Southeast.

Because it is so close to the heel of Italy, you could see much Italian influences on the Island.

There are many English, Russian and Italian tourists.

For once, I could count the amount of Asian tourists I saw on this trip with my 10 fingers.

The direct flight from London to Corfu is approximately two hours and 50 minutes.

I departed from Gatwick with my medium-sized backpack for a three-day and three-night trip.

Thanks to it being the summer, I managed to fit four outfits, two bikinis and all my toiletries in that backpack!

Truly travelling light!

[Greece] Foods of Corfu

Once again, I have skipped my June holiday blog and came straight to writing about Corfu.

First thing's first, I have to write about the food!

When I go on beach holidays, I usually don't gain weight because of all the walking and (some) swimming.

The first morning, we had breakfast in this beautiful hotel restaurant that cannot look any more like a painting!

[France] The Little City of Colmar

Welcome to my post on Colmar!

After my insistence on visiting this city, my two friends have agreed to come with me.  I think one of them just don't really care or know where she is going lol.

Once again, I must confess the pick of Colmar is because of some photos I've seen online couple years ago.  What could be a better way to pick your vacation spot right?

(Seriously, just look at how gorgeous this place is!)

[France] Strasbourg - Part 2

One of the best part about being on vacation in a foreign city is that nobody knows you.

(Except your travel companions obviously.)

 

You can sing freely while walking down the streets, laugh loudly, take constant selfies and pose as tourist-like as you want!

 

The second half of my day at Strasbourg was like that.

A Look Inside Kenwood House

Located a 20-minute walk from the Hampstead tube station, the Kenwood House is a stunning estate with breathtaking garden and grounds.

I love walking down nature "tunnels" like this.

It's when I can sort of feel like a princess yoif you know what I mean.

Hampstead Heath Beyond My Imagination

Hampstead was one of the top places on my London to-go list.

It's about an hour transit from home.

On a Saturday morning, I woke up at 8am, full of energy but nowhere to burn.

It was a perfect sign I should stroll around London before my evening plans.

You know, to burn some of my excessive energy off.

 

(I miss Artizia!  They really should consider expanding to London.)

A Tate Modern Dining Experience

The highest level of Tate Modern is home to the Level 6 Restaurant.

Every time I come up here for the cafe or restaurant, it is usually packed.

Today we managed to wait about 30 minutes (they give you a buzzer) at the cafe area and got a pretty good table at the restaurant for late lunch.

Happily Museum Overload

I know it's the weekend and sleeping in is totally acceptable.

But, I just can't, knowing there are so much to do in London!

9:45am - Met up with a friend on hunt for delicious doughnuts together.

Check St. John Bakery out! 

[Germany] Courtyard Marriott

I am very picky when it comes to accommodations, especially when travelling solo.

Safety is my number one priority.  Then comes cleanliness.

In some European cities, a decent hotel room isn't that much more expensive than a private room in a hostel.

This time in Cologne, I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott.

[Germany] Heerstraße's Cherry Blossoms

Weibo, Chinese Twitter, has a gazillion photos of beautiful places.

The exactly locations of these photos are rarely marked.

 Finding Heerstraße (pronounced Heerstrasse) was not an easy task, but I did!

This place is so beautiful it's almost unreal!

(I forgot to breathe for the longest time while I stood at the entrance to Heerstraße.)

[Germany] The Cologne Cathedral & Beethoven's Birthplace

Before I dive into the cherry blossoms, here are some attractions that are beautiful year-round.

It takes about one hour to fly from London to the Cologne Bonn Airport.

(I later realize the airport is named so because it's located in between the two cities.)

Cologne, or Köln, is the fourth largest city in Germany.

One of the city's most famous attractions is precisely the Cologne Cathedral, Köln Dom.

British Library, St. Pancras & King's Cross (Blimey, Harry Potter?!)

Last November, I announced that I will be relocating to London.

Actually at that point, I wasn't even sure if my visa application would be approved.

I just assumed it would. 

Sometimes I think courage and risk-taking are only divided by a fine line.

Since then, it has been 4.5 months.

I've told my mom I feel only bliss and luckiness in life now.

For today's blog, I want to introduce you to the St. Pancras/King's Cross area - starting with the British Library.

The Perfect Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

How are you spending yours?

I spent mine at Regent's Park.

The choice was quite random since I hadn't visited any parks in London except for Greenwich Park.

(For some reason, I don't really see Greenwich Park as an official tourist park.)

One of the famous feature of Regent's Park is The Open Air Theatre.

It's not yet opened, but the first play looks to be in May.

Whitstable: My Love for the Seaside

Whitstable is to the East of London, about a two-hours train ride.

If you love oysters, this is the town for you!

It was yet another rainy day.

Having lived in England for almost four months now, rain doesn't affect my plans.

Anne Boleyn's Childhood Residence: Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII.

Apparently fiercely pursued by the King to the extent he went against the Pope's wishes and annulled his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

The story didn't end well though.

She was beheaded by him in the end, three years after their marriage.

On a brighter note, her childhood home, Hever Castle, is a beauty.

Brighton Part 2: Exploring the City

Once I got off the train, the city centre is just a 5-minute walk.

Brighton is a small town.

All the attractions, such as the Clock Tower, The Lanes, Brighton Dome, Royal Pavilion, are pretty much all within 20-minute walk.

Brighton Part 1: A Seaside City

About 86km away from London (SE England), I travelled to the seaside city of Brighton one Sunday.

The Brighton Pavilion was the main reason I decided to visit. 

One of the Pavilion's most famous residence was George, Prince of Wales.
(No, not the little Prince George - he is the Prince of Cambridge.)

Now that I've done this extremely brief Royal introduction, I feel a lack of knowledge on the topic of the British Royals.

Rotterdam Part 3: The City

 I finally get to show you the actual city of Rotterdam!

 

When I got off the plane, I already felt that it was much colder than London.

The temperatrures are about the same, but definitely not the wind chill.

 

Neverthless, the cold was all forgotten (kind of) when I saw this amazing view! 

(A view from the Euromast, which I'll talk more about in a bit.)

Rotterdam Part 2: Cube Houses

Cube Houses, or Kubuswoningen in Dutch, are built based on "living as an urban roof."

Basically, the house represents a tree and all the houses together, a forest/a village. 

Pretty cool huh?  Now let me take you for a tour inside one of the houses!

Rotterdam Part 1: Markthal

My first trip since moving to Europe is to Rotterdam!

A little about this city before I go on...

1. Rotterdam is a city of the Netherlands.

2. It has the largest port in Europe.

3. It has one of the best universities in the world: Erasmus University.

4. It is about 75km south of Amsterdam.

 

It is difficult to fit all that I have seen in Rotterdam into one blog entry, so I will split them up.

 

First on: Markthal (Market Hall)