Tromso - northern lights!

5:30 AM

here are photos of the northern lights taken by keejun... they appear green in the pictures, but reli - they're grey when u see them. wish i've got more powerful eyes!




~gone in a moment..

Tromso northern lights trip

5:16 AM

Visited Tromso, Norway, last wkend with a few of the stevenage gals. The week before, it was -20degC there.. but when we arrived, it was 4degC and raining! argh. reli strange how quickly the weather changes!

on the first nite we went straight for the Northern lights tour - paid loads for a reli good guide. it was extremely cloudy (and rainy), so he had to drive us past the Finland border in search of clear skies (and the Northern lights). so we found a patch of clear skies and waited.. and we believe we saw the Northern lights! haha. the activity was low that night.. so u can only see a greyish band of light. it'll appear green when photographed though - the camera catches loads more than the eyes can see! but only the guide's got the professional camera.. so... u can look at his photos here http://www.kskogli.no/aurora/?page_id=25

Tromso itself is a reli small city.. (with extremely nice and helpful, not to mention very gd looking people!)
Tromso city and its surrounding fjords..


view from atop

one of the largest remaining wooden cathedrals..

Jing and I visited the Polaria to see this =>
super duper fat whiskered seal! - it's sooooo round.

the seals kissing!

we then attempted x-country skiing.. it's less fun than down-hill skiing..plus the rain's washed away most of the snow as well.. so it was very slippery and much more difficult to control where u're gg.. (more like slipping on ice instead of skiing reli)

we went on a track ard the pretty lake..


x-country skiing was a nice experience.. but the highlight of the trip was the dog-sledding at night! it was quite scary at first, coz the dogs get all excited when they see you arriving and they all begin howling like mad.. it was a major challenge guiding the sled yourself - the dogs are extremely strong and they dun run.. they CHARGE! it's very dark at night as well, so u can't exactly see where u're going.. u just cling on real tight for dear life and stomp on the brakes everytime u're flying downhill. ooh! and u gotta watch out for overhead tree branches as well! - the huskies run reli close to the trees.. they dun care if u get whacked in the face by a branch or not!

there were 5 huskies pulling each sled with 2 passengers - one in the sled and one standing behind guiding it..apparently, the huskies are grouped according to their running ability (and intelligence!)
the 2 rear white huskies - supposedly the weaker and sillier ones in the group. they'll run and pee and shit at the same time!! hehe. reli cute and adorable though. =)

and the front 2 skinny black huskies that are the strongest and fastest!

after the heart-racing husky-sledding in the snow blizzard, we're "snow-mobiled" to the traditional sami camps - the lavvu tent for a hot sami meal!
in the tent..

we were served hot creamy fish stew + norwegian bread - it was extremely delicious =)

yup.. that's about it! made it back safely to more snow in the uk..

~gone in a moment..

Europe Xmas Trip (Warsaw)

6:39 AM

Warsaw is just a mega city... reli reli mega especially when u've exhausted all your polish zloty on food and gotta walk the entire city due to lack of funds for the bus tour! (and it was snowing the entire time we were walking=P)

THE museum. it's a physics/ science museum i think.. strange how the museums look more magnificent than the castles..

Old town square.. pretty pretty!

love the buildings..


who's that climbing thru my window??

the barbican..

apple crumble thingy..

Polish dumplings!! reli yummy - served with bacon oily sauce, which they call the gravy

various fillings on the inside.. turkey + carrot, spinach + cheese, mushroom + cabbage.. all LOVELY!

in the massive royal garden.. we've got the ducks-on-ice parade!

snowy paths!

frozen lake..

the royal palace (very tiny behind.. too trecherous + lazy to hike up there!)

pretty sight.. a million birds in the evening sky =)

yup..and that's the end of our europe trip! then it's back to UK for the New Year.. (and MORE snow...)
Happy New Year everybody!!

~gone in a moment..

Europe Xmas Trip (Krakow)

5:52 AM

took the overnite train to Krakow after Prague..

Poland's reli different.. much colder, and the place that we visited was reli depressing as well.

There are 3 Auschwitz concentration camps altogether, we visited 2..


the exeution wall..

the HUGE extent of the other concentration camp

death railway..where the weak(woman and children) were marched from the trains straight to the gas chambers..

sleeping conditions.. more than 20 ppl were crammed on each layer!

their "loo" for more than 20, 000 prisoners..

we had a guide whose uncle was one of those executed for helping one of the prisoners who escaped... sigh.. depressing tour, but learnt so so much.

on a lighter note.. Krakow's the only city in Poland that wasn't destroyed/ damaged by bombing during WWII, so most buildings are still intact!

at the old town square..

Church with the statues of the 12 Apostles..

Castle..

Traditional Polish cuisine..
stewed cabbage + minced meat + mushroom sauce

Clockwise: mushroom soup in bread bowl, fisherman soup (it's SWEET?!), Barley soup (it's SALTY!!) - they taste reli... peculiar.. haha. but quite tasty after the initial shock.

cheesey cake + sweet plum/ rum/ fruit base - another strange thingy.

mega chocolte wafer

Jewish market..check out the signature green shop windows! (known locally as hole-in-the-wall)

snow snow everywhere..

Royal road to the "Royal Gate"


lonely statue in the cold..


rite.. that's Krakow! cold and snowy.. 3.5hrs train ride to Warsaw next..

~gone in a moment..

Europe Xmas Trip (Prague)

11:04 PM

Prague is simply the loveliest European country! I love the architecture, the cheeeeeaaaapp food and simply the place!

Museum..

beautiful old town hall..



Tyn Church

the famous archaeological clock


Church in castle town


view of prague city centre from atop the castle

cruise down Prague river..(the river flows from the Alps all the way to Hamburg!)

famous charles bridge behind..

walking across Charles bridge..(it's 500m across!)

amongst the busy crowd..

and then, there's more foood.....
another fat and juicy hot dog!

Tridelnik.. my favourite!!!!!!

Langos! - deep fried dough with loads of cheese and tomato

my piggy gingerbread cookie!

banana and choc crepe

fabulous lunch at a kinky pub!

czech cuisine! - alot alot of MEAT! beef goulash with bavarian dumplings, duck leg, pork NECK, pork KNEE and some other funny dumpling..


yeh i know what u're thinking.. the poor piggy! even it's neck wasn't spared.. tsktsk. if u're a pig, dun be caught in Prague!

~gone in a moment..