Spain/Portugal day 13

At 10.00am sharp, we left Spain travel to Helsinki via Stockholm. Our plane touch down at 4pm. Flight to Singapore is at 11:35pm(LT) and our tour leader strongly advise us remain at the airport and not to wander out of the airport.

Siao boh?

This tour leader is freaking crazy. Remain in the airport until check in?

Hello, it so happen the “How” family is very adventurous and gung-ho.

Mum, sister and myself tell ourselves die die, must go to the city since we're at Finland. Take this opportunity to see how is Finland all about, tio boh?

(By the way, only us and a couple went out, the rest of the group stay in the airport transits lounge. They all very obedient.)

We went off and check the taxi fare to city and was told that 3 of us would cost 35 Euro ($70). Journey take only 15min.

Siao! So expensive.

After asking around, bus is the best option. Bus costs each person Euro 5.2 ($10.4). Wau lau, more than $10 (Sin) for half hour bus journey. Very expensive.

Reached city area and this is Helsinki, capital of Finland.


(We're on our own, sweet!)


(Behind me was railway railway station)

I noticed this city is very different from the rest of the cities I been in Spain and Portugal. Building are very modern, there's no graffiti anywhere, street are clean and most of the people here understand and speak English.


(There's no Asian people around here)


(As usual, photograph session)




(Yes, it cold)




(We wondered to ourselves, where we should goes next)


(Can see the plce is big. Don't one to lose our way)




(How nice if we have time to travel on the train behind mum and sister)


(I'm been to Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and now Finland. Wooohaa!)




(Oh ya, the some of the people dress very loud. Able to capture one picture only like the gal in front of me.)




(Had our lunch at some fast food restaurant, the cheapest we could find.)

Finland is more expensive than Spain or Portugal.

A McDonald burger, I mean just a burger alone cost EURO 6.50 and that's SGD13.00!!! Kanina.

From drink, food, cigarettes to beer everything is more expensive than Spain.

Going to the toilet cost 1 Euro and that's SGD1.00. Yes.....we pay SGD0.20 for the use of toilet back home, we'll crying as if it is the end of the world liao.

Oh yes, there are food court here no doubt and I saw they have steak too. Check out the price and it cost Euro35.00 (SGD70.00).

**Faint**


(Continue after out walk/tour after lunch)


(Inside the train station)


(Train very advance, not like the train we had from Keppel to JB)














(Molly Malone...we had one back home too)


(As I wander around, I check the price. It is highway robbery here)


(The standard of living is outrageous high)


(Trust me, don't ever come to Finland. The price here are preposterous)


(Hey, found a good deal)


(At 8:30pm, we took bus back to airport. Don't be fool by the bright sun. Sunset here very late.)

Plane took off at 11:35pm (6:35pm-Singapore time) to Singapore via Bangkok. After 3 cities, 24hrs later we landed at Changi airport at 6:30pm (Singapore time)

Home sweet home! Man, I miss my bed.
.

Spain/Portugal day 12

(Do a fast one.....really very late in my blog.
Kanina, been more than 3 months liao)

Slept well last night and for good hotel, breakfast also good.

First stop was Christopher Columbus's monuments and was weather was surprisely cold.


(Street in Madrid, taken in the coach)


(Water fountains stand in a gracious setting with formal gardens & sparkling)


(Madrid monuments, Christopher Columbus's)

Nothing interesting, really. Been seeing monuments and church day in, day out.
Wau lau en.


(Temp today is 16C, cold)

Next stop is the The Royal Palace in Madrid

The Royal Palace in Madrid is actually used (but not owned) by the King of Spain. The Palace was built on the site of a former Alcazar that burned down in 1734, and it took 26 years to complete.

A visitor to the Palace today gets to see 50 of its 2800 rooms.


(Outside the Palace)


(After paying entrance fees one enters the Parade ground.)


(Inside the palace)




(See the green sticker on my shoulder?)


(After paying they given u sticker to paste on yr clothes.)














(While the Palace is impressive in size alone I was really amazed by the broad range of styles used to decorate the rooms. No two rooms appear to have been done in the same manner.)

















Time: Lunch
Food: Suckling pig

They roasted the pig and before they serve, they set fire on the pig. Then using a ceramics plate, they make it into small pieces.

When done, they smash the plate on the floor.
It their traditional way to serve.


(My suckling pig was incredible - the meat was really tender and the crisp roasted skin which cracks when cut and tastes simply delicious. Oh ya, the beer was good too)

I told you guys before that on the first day in Spain I wrote that of the places visited for the next 10 days, there were 2 places I was really impressed which Sagrada Familia was one of them.

Well, the other place is here.
In fact I am freaking impressed!!!

It is the AQUEDUCT!


(Behind me was the aqueduct)



What is aqueduct?

An aqueduct is a man-made channel that is constructed in order to control the flow of water in a city. Aqueducts were originally developed in the Middle East by the Babylonians several thousand years ago as an early form of plumbing.

Aqueducts are famously associated with the Romans, who built several throughout their empire. Most of them were above ground, and were quite architectural in their appearance. The term aqueduct comes from the Latin for "aqua" water.


(The aqueduct was built and been here since Roman times. Yes,...thousands of years)


(I think it was build before Christ and this structure was still standing. Amazing)


(We came, we saw, we touch the wall of aqueduct. U know which hand is mine lah...holding cigarettes)






(It was so long until my eye could no longer see where it end)






(Really impressive. U guys had to come here to sense it yourself.)


(What a experience to be here)












(Of course now the aqueduct is not in use anymore)



After this amazing visit, we walked around the small town.




(Buzzing with life, mainly all is tourists)
















(Mum loves to touch everything she sees..haha)


(After waiting for a few second, I join her - Check it out)


















(Alot of castle around Europe)










(I decided to become kid once again, to climb)












(The ground below was at least 10m high)





The coach brought us back to hotel but on the way we drop off as we want to walk back to our hotel as to see around Madrid as well.






(Typical Madrid restaurant)

This is our last day in Spain, tomorrow we are flying back to Singapore. BTW, going take us 24hrs to reach Singapore
.