Ice Hotel, Sweden

It took 4 hour bus journey from Levi, Finland to Ice Hotel. We decided to take a break from our ski trip to visit Ice Hotel on 27/1/2007. The temp was -23c outside but inside the ice hotel was around -18c.


The rooms for suite in this hotel were design by famous designers and each 14 rooms have their own story to tell but for less expensive room price £230 per night it just very basic bed made from ice top with elk skin - very cold night but people ques to stay at this hotel

Work started on September and this hotel will stay until spring when it melt. The structure and fixture were made from ice and snow. It was amazing. Each year the design will be different.

The northern sky was superb. We try to catch aurora but the luck not on our side but to see the the dusk was a treasure.

Pompei & Amalfi Coast

Day Five - Pompei - as long as I remember I always dream to visit Pompei, my dream didn't come true when I first visited Rome in 1997 but this year after lots of haggling with my husband at last I visited this ruin. Although I looking forward to visit and touch all the ruin building/house but my heart just refused to enter it as I can felt the previous owner soul still there and not happy of the intrusion.



Amalfi Coast- only can be reach by boat/ferry or by road. From Sorrento We took a bus and take 1 and half hour to reach Amalfi and the journey which I enjoy. The road/highway is winding around the steep hill, ravines, curves and lot of sudden hairpins corner. It go up and down the hill/terrace, the view are breathtaking. You will see the bay right below on your right and mountain on your left. The houses/building blend with nature and you'll be suprise to see the house hanging at the ledge of the hill. For the experience, on return back catch a bus that travel in the evening. I did that, the experience it worth a story. Just don't mind the bus driver busy talking with friend all the way or talking on the mobile especially during taking the hairpin corner, they know what they doing.


From the history Amalfi was popular with their paper so it is a good idea to buy some print made from Amalfi paper, it a bit at the expensive side. I did that so why not?


My next trip will be in December to Marbella, Spain and hope to visit Alhambra. So wait for my next journey.

Naples

Day Four - Naples or Napoli to Italian - it is a city of old and new, rundown and unkept. Over all I love this city and the people. Lots of places, monuments, buildings, churches and garden to visit but I cheat (well my excuse is I on crutches therefore walking on hard cobbles bad on my bad knee - I had key hole surgery 6 weeks ago) I took CitySightSeeing bus. Route A took you around the old city. Route B around the hilly and bay of Naples with beautiful view of the sea.

Sorrento

Day Three - Sorrento . It took us nearly 2 hours from Naples. A short bus trip to the train station (buy ticket at Tabbachi as the driver don't sell ticket - cheaper to buy 24 hours ticket that include bus and train)we catched a Circumvesuviana (local train) 80 minutes travelling. We bought a CitySightSeeing excursion. Expensive but worth it.

The bus climb the hilly terrace with breathtaking view of the bay, the sea, the hill, the houses and old churches and also the vine, olive trees and lemon trees


Above is the view taken from the Syrenuse Bar Ristorante - we have our lunch, right in the middle of the town


I love to collect painting either watercolour or oil canvas. I tempted to but one. There are selection of scenery of Sorrento the price around 1,200 to 1,800 euro inc p&p but my husband say no. Why??? If he say it up to you definitely I will buy one.

Tips of a day - if you want to cross the road at zebra crossing in Italy - don't wait for the vehicles to stop for you else you stand there for hours, just walk without care on the road the vehicles will make way to accommodate you. Trust me that what the Italian do.

Capri

Day Two - Capri is an island and very beautiful too. My husband kept saying it remind him of our holiday in Langkawi, Malaysia last May 2008. A ferry from Naples to Capri took 80 minutes.

This view we took from Capri town right at top we took funicular (train)which claimbing the steep hill - journey through the hill is breath taking lemon trees and orange trees left and right with the fruits too, the houses with pagola and beautiful tiles.



Marina Grande

Napoli Holiday

Italy here we come. My Naples holiday started on 16 October 2008. We touch down at the airport around 2.30pm, took a bus to the town centre and the fun began finding Case Cosi Medina 21 Via Sergente Maggiore. If you don't speak Italy it not help at all. Took us about an hour to find the small alley (our street). Below is the view taken from our belcony. Typical view you will see again and again. The alley is very narrow but beware of cars and scooters.



While looking for something to eat for our tea, I discover ice-cream to died for. I can live eating italian ice-cream every day. Mine is chocolate flavour and my husband is pistachio. So friend if you go to Italy look for their ice-cream.

Wilton class

Wilton Cake Decoration - Course 1
I attended a cake decorating class. Once you get hook that it, it was fun especially if you went with friends. The result not as good as professional but being an amateur, the result was not bad.
Second class - iced the cake at home in the class we have to decorate it as a rainbow and the result as below.

Third Class - clown sitting on cup cake. To tell the truth, I not good making clown to date I always have problem (the body always collapse) , it not hard it just me I suppose.

Graduation cake - I have more confident, still remember on our 1st class when Lisa (tutor) told us we going to decorate one of the cake as shown in the course book. My face started dropping and mind kept saying I can't do that. Wa'lah after 4 weeks the result as below.

Jean & Winton

Jean & Winton are my New Zealand mom and dad. I was their daughter for a year in 1987 under AFS. It was good to see them when they came to visit. We had Malaysia dinner at C&R in Bayswater.

Eid Mubarak

We celebrated eid mubarak on 30th September 2008. I prepared the feast a night before lamb rendang, peanut sauce, nasi impit and ketupat palas. Next day after work I cooked kuah lodeh.