The Spectacular 'Starnberger See' (English: Lake Starnberg)

Lake Starnberg - Located close to Munich and provides a magnificent view of the Alps. Little did we know on the history of Starnberger See sadly because we did not have the chance to talk to the locals since it was already late evening when we got there (left work around 4pm, went over to Timberland outlet and crammed in a short visit to Starnberger See).

Nevertheless, we do not want to leave you wondering about it either! Credits to the Tourist-Board Starnberg Five-Lake Region website, we managed to grab some interesting information on the Lake! :)
"It is a popular destination with young and old alike, renowned not only for its wealth of leisure activities, but also for its Bavarian hospitality. Be it a round-trip on Starnberger See or an exploratory tour along one of the numerous hiking trails – the Starnberg Five-Lake Region enables a wide variety of activities both for holiday-makers and for the local inhabitants."

If time is a constraint, we'd propose to take the train (S-Bahn S6) from Munich to Starnberg. You may take your own sweet time, walk around the lake and get fascinated with the beautiful creation of the Creator. Another option would be getting on boat trips for the lake cruise. A round trip on the boat gives you a new view around the lakes. The most interesting part, you will pass Rose Island and the castles on Lake Starnberg. Especially on Foehn winds (dry and warm winds), you could witness the remarkable scenery of the Alps.

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Sunset. Feeling blessed :)

Crystal clear water. So clean that you could see the rocks and pebbles clearly!

Don't be surprised, these ducks (Mallard) can actually fly! (Read more in Wikipedia)

The boat, operated by Bayerische Seenschifffahrt Company takes you for a lake cruise

 

 

 

Verona, Italy - The Home of Romeo and Juliet

Verona, most known for Romeo and Juliet is a city of which you will not want to miss when you are visiting Italy.

The hotels in the city centre are not really cheap if you have budget constraint. Nevertheless you may find several backpackers' hostels around. We stayed at Hotel Martini, Verona which is just 1.7km away (about 10 minutes by foot) from the main train station (Verona Porta Nuova Railway Station).

Courtesy of: +Google Maps 

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There is also Hotel Piccolo, right next to Hotel Martini. These are among the nearby budget hotels and they are ranging from Euro64 with breakfast. It may sound a little pricey but I believe you would want to have a relaxing moment and some precious time with your family or loved ones hence we'd propose to opt for the budget hotels instead of backpackers' hostels.

Beautiful city of Florence, Italy

Best known as one of the world's most beautiful cities, Florence is very rich in architectural heritage. It is also capital city of Tuscany region. In addition, this nice place close to PISA ( 15 minutes by train from PISA).

Old bridge or Ponte Vecchio is a place should not be missed by tourist during Florence/Firenze visit.

Along this bridge you may find a lot of jewellery and souvenir shops.

Palazzo Vecchio ( Renaissance Architecture )

A huge number of tourists around this area. No entrance fee to enter this building but there is an fee to enter gallery inside this building. 

 

Statues outside Palazzo Vecchio  

Duomo Firenze and Bapistery

Florence Cathedral

Unique Architecture and Arts in Florence

Palazzo Pitti or Pitti Palace is a largest Art gallery in Florence. It is few meters away from Ponte Vecchio

 It is time for shopping. Tourists can get their favorite item like leather handbag,shoes and souvenirs at the Florence market at low price. Besides that, famous outlets available in Florence. The first picture is Fontana del Porcellino. If you want more luck go and find it in Florence. :-)

 Random shots in Florence

Something quite common in Europe but still interesting.

Do not be worried about accommodation.Please find some link for your Hotel booking.

Hotel reservations: Book a hotel in Florence here!

Third Germany's biggest city - Munich

Munich might not be the common preferred holiday destination among non-European tourists but honestly, it has nothing less than other places i.e. London. It is a decent developed city; the third largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg.

For a long stay, it is best to choose an apartment with a small kitchen for your convenience. Derag Livinghotel Max Emanuel is one of the recommended lodging. With free breakfast, DIY laundry service, proper basement parking, and easy access to the train station (S-Bahn Rosenheimer Platz). Nevertheless if you would like to have a much more comfortable stay, Hilton Munich City Hotel or Holiday Inn Munich City Centre would be the best choice. The hotel lobby is attached to an S-Bahn station which is less than 10 minutes from the city center. These hotels are also just a few steps away from Gasteig Cultural Centre and Isar River.

For more selections in hotel booking kindly proceed to: Agoda Munich Hotels :)






Things to do in Munich:
During the Spring season, there will be a Frühling Fest known as Spring Festival at Therensienwiese with lots of fun ride, tents with music and drinking (similar to Oktoberfest). If you do not consume alcoholic drinks, you could also order something else than Bier (for example the typical German "spezi" - a mix of Cola and Fanta).Therensienwiese could be accessed via Metro U4/5.

The town center; Marienplatz should absolutely be visited. Information e.g. maps could be found in the tourist information office or get them here.

It was Champions League Final 2012 ( Bayern Munich vs Chelsea) and there were loads of Bayern supporters around Marienplatz very early in the morning :)

Derag Livinghotel Max Emanuel

The Rathaus, Marienplatz. The heart of Munich <3

Spring is the season of Spargel (Asparagus)

Munich Toy Museum

A glimpse of Munich's Church of Our Lady in between the streets

English Garden

Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival) at Munich's Theresienwiese 

Hohenschwangau Castle (The residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria when he was young. It was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria)

Places to go in Munich:
1. Flohmarkt - A big garage sales with lots of second-hand clothes and plentiful old- stuff
2. Englischer Garten (English Garden) and take a look at the Chinese tower beergarden. On Sunday mornings you have the chance to be entertained with Bavarian live-music
3. Walking along the Isar river
4. Ingolstadt Village - shopping outlet

5. Tegernsee

6. Cassel Neuschwanstein ("Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle")
7. Olympia Park

Email us for more information :)

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa is a symbol of Italy. This miracle building is situated in Pisa which is a city in Tuscany, Italy. You would not want to miss the excitement of experiencing it with your own eyes nevertheless there is always a price to pay. Always there is a long queue upon entering the tower. However if there is limited time, taking some snapshots around the area could bring back some memories for your family and friends. A picture tells a thousand words :)

How to get to the Tower?
It is pretty much convenient to reach the Leaning Tower if you arrive in Pisa by train. From Pisa Central Train Station, you are about 1.5km from the Leaning Tower which is situated in Piazza dei Miracoli. You can either reach the tower by foot or perhaps you would like to get on the bus and save some time :)

Here you can find the map from the train station; Stazione Pisa Centrale, Piazza della Stazione (Pisa Centrale railway station) to the Leaning Tower.


View From Pisa Train Station to the Leaning Tower in a larger map

If you decided to go by bus, do not forget to purchase the return tickets before you leave the train station. Each ticket costs €1.10 to and from the Leaning Tower. The bus that is heading to the Tower is a LAM Rossa bus (Rossa = red). The buses in Pisa are differentiated by colour and not numbers like we normally see in other countries; hence, please look for a red coloured LAM sign on the front of the buses. Once you have reached the bus stop which is known as 'Torre', you are about 10 minutes to the Tower.
Looking for a place to stay in Pisa? You may check the attractive rates here! --> Hotels in Pisa

Italia

You'll need to cross a river to reach the Leaning Tower

Plenty of shops nearby this statue

Market along the street

Long queue at the entrance of the Leaning Tower

Top view of PISA Leaning Tower

Baptistry