Discover Europe 2009-2012

" Only when we learn how to die then we learn how to live "

" To be happy in LIFE, you must learn the difference between what you want Vs need "

"It takes a lot of courage to show your Dreams to someone else"

My Travel Days - My Travel Tales - My Travel Experiences in Europe (2009-2012) 

The Cuckoo's Nest - Oops, since when I found myself a Cuckoo's nest in Europe ? Every Spring season (April-June) for the last four consecutive years (2009-2012), I found myself wandering around in Europe chasing my dreams to see major UNESCO World Heritage sites. This Cuckoo senior citizen or retiree who roamed Europe by buses, ferries or trains for four years, walking and tracking major Old Towns; asking for directions of my Cuckoo's nest (hostels); taking hot showers in the early morning and evening to refresh my tired body; learning to cook in Cockoo's nest kitchens to put a plate on a table or else I will go chirping for food all night long ! Despite all these years of travelling, I am no way near Marco Polo as the World has over 800 UNESCO World Heritage sites for you to explore and see. Keep going, K M Cheng ..... as long as you have the mental, physical & spiritual strength - so keep chasing your wonderful & childhood dreams !

To date, I had visited 33 European countries ( major capital cities) after my retirement in May 2006. Some friends of mine thought that I have gone absolutely cuckoo in travelling !

3/5-16/6/2009 - 45 days

26/4-4/6/2010 - 40 days
27/4-1/6/2011 - 36 days

11/4-12/5/2012 - 31 days

The European countries I visited during 2009-2012 were:
Austria

Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria
Croatia, Czech Republic
Denmark
England, Estonia
Finland, France
Germany, Gibraltar, Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg
Netherlands, Norway
Poland, Portugal
Romania
Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Turkey

Vatican City

The other European countries I have yet to visit are Albania, Andorra, Ireland, North Ireland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Monaco & San Merino, Serbia, Wales. When visiting the Europe continent, I also took the opportunities to visit nearby non-European countries ie Russia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan & Syria (ref:www.km-travel.blogspot.com ). These countries have ancient buildings which are part of their national heritage under the UNESCO banner. 

During the last 4 years, I took lots of pictures and I really enjoyed re-visiting these pictures from time to time. These pictures depict my life in travelling, the travel days, the travel experiences and also gave me the opportunities to gain a better insight of the outside world . 

The Great Book of World Heritage Sites - My travel bible guiding me to chase my dream to see some Great Wonders of the World. Indeed during the last few years of travelling, I had seen at least Seven Wonders of the World 1) Angor Wat, Cambodia 2) Pyramid, Egypt, 3) Taj Mahal, India, 4) Petra, Jordan 5) Acropolis, Greece, 6) Coliseum, Italy & 7) The Great Wall of China . So to KM Cheng, please keep on dreaming as the world has 800 UNESCO sites and more newly listed Wonders of the World for you to conquer ! Finally, it was the matrix of M (motivation) + B (belief) + F (focused) = C (consequence) that help achieved my KPIs ! 

My Travel Buddies: To make my overseas travelling easier, I carry with me a luggage trolley bag (hard casing preferred), a day pack, a pair of Hush Puppies shoes, a National mini rice cooker, 2 cloth hangers, food seasoning (Maggie or Adabi), warm clothing, 4-5 T-shirts and 3 pants, disposal underwear, detergents, toiletries, a small lock, a torchlight etc. The luggage bag should ideally weigh less than 20 kg as it will be easier for you to lift the bag up and down the staircase in hostels or in underground train stations.

Ground Transport: I normally spent 4-6 weeks for each of my trips in Europe. For ground transport, I normally buy a 30 day Eurolines Pass (E$330) which allows pass holders to travel to around 50 capital cities or major cities in Europe. In cities where there are no Eurolines services, I will use alternative company's buses or trains to arrive at the destinations. In countries like the Baltic states or Scandinavian countries, there are fast or normal ferries which offer very competitive prices especially if you travel during the daytime. Most buses in Europe are well maintained and are of 3-4 star rating in terms of passenger comfort and safety. The bus drivers are courteous and have a high sense of professionalism in executing their jobs. Their time management is first class and most buses stick to a tight time table on departures.

Hostels: For accommodations, I stay mainly in youth or backpacker hostels and pick those which are ideally located in major tourist centers or old towns where most of the UNESCO sties are located or easy accessible to public transport like trams, buses or underground tubes. Hostelworld website has a listing of major hostels in the world. You only need to pay a 10% deposit and a small service charge for each online booking. The price of a dorm bed in big cities like Paris, London & Switzerland is around Euro$25-30 per night. In smaller cities, the price of a dorm bed is around E$12-16. Private single or double en-suite rooms are more expensive - 40-50% more. In some hostels, you have to pay for the bed sheets but they allow you to use your sleeping bags. The check-out time of most hostels is around 10.00am and check in is 3.00pm. If you arrive earlier, the hostels provide free luggage storage. If you are a light sleeper, I suggest you book a single private room. Most hostels provide free breakfasts and have kitchens for you to make your own cooking. Most hostels have a common room for guests to chill out and provide free wifi for your internet use. Make sure you have an advance booking for your hostels and notify the hostels by emails at least 24-48 hr in advance in case of cancellation or any modifications to your arrival date. You will be billed for your first night stay if you do not show up.

Bad Experiences: I had two bad experiences (2009 & 2010) in a train and bus station whereby my wallets and day pack were stolen without my knowledge. These incidents happened at the Brussels (Belgium) train station & Warsaw (Poland) bus station. So keep a tight watch on your belongings if you are travelling solo or even in groups. My wife's wallet from her handbag was stolen in Paris while travelling in a Metro train (2012). Other notorious cities are Rome (Italy) and Athens (Greece) if you are in heavy traffic public places.

Food Glorious Food: In travelling, you have ample opportunities to try out the local food. For example, fish & chips in London or Gibraltar; Moroccan food, Italian pizzas, Kebab in middle eastern countries, Swiss or Belgium chocolates, grilled baby veal in Sarajevo, ice cream or steaks or local beer in Paris etc. Frankly, if you invest in taste, your return is delicious !

From Europe with Love: This Love series of colorful T-shirts sold in major tourist or gift shops often attract my attention. Not bad if you are an avid collector of this kind of T-shirts printed with the name of cities you have visited in each country - as this won't cause a dent in your wallets as their prices are very affordable in Euro dollar term ! During my younger days in the 60's, I enjoyed watching this James Bond's spy thriller "From Russia with Love".

Colorful Flowers: Seeing flowers in full bloom during Spring time in Europe tend to make my travel days cheerful. Whenever I see flowers, I like to take some pictures. Likewise, when you meet fellow travelers in your hostels, interacting and exchanging your travel experiences with them, friendship tend to flower naturally and this brighten up your days and make your stay more pleasant.

Bird Watching: As a free & easy type of traveler who travel from one country to another, I am like a bird of passage and whenever I spotted any birds or water birds in the surrounding environment, I would like to take a few pictures on them. You don't have to duck them as their colorful feathers or bodies are so beautiful & lovely to look at. They look cool, carefree & easy going ! Freedom is all they need plus a fresh, green & clean environment. In hostels, you will meet many fellow travelers - birds of a feather flock together ! If you have a bed as your nest, you will sleep well !

Watching sunrise & sunset - When I am travelling in the trains or ships or taking an evening walk near the lakeside or riverfront, I enjoy watching every moment of the sunrise and sunset. When the sun rises or sets, it's time to get up or go to bed with the sun. Every nation has a place under the sun. The sun does not discriminate. Each time when you awake in the morning, you should thank god for it ! In traveling, wherever you go and when the sun sets, it's time to relax and unwind yourself with a jar of UN (United Nation) beer !