Monthly Archives: March 2018

Chapter Wanderlust: Siena

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I have always been intrigued by Siena since knowing about it! A fan shaped central square? Game on! In fact there are many worthy sights in Italy, one of the most cultural place on earth. Simply being on the UNESCO World Heritage list proves that Siena is worthy of a visit. I was thankful to have pretty good weather during the time that I was in Siena, at least for the first day! Located in central Italy, Siena is well connected to the rest of the country via Florence! Siena is famous for a couple of things, the fan shaped piazza, red roofs and much walking!

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Chapter Wanderlust: Trattoria I Barberi

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The Tuscany region in Italy is famous for its renaissance arts and architecture as well as the lush olive groves and vineyard especially in the region of Chianti! With such background and natural resources it is with no doubt that the culinary scene in the area is awesome as well! Trattoria I Barberi, located in the heart of Siena, is one of the most acclaimed restaurant in the city as well. It is priced for serving up authentic Tuscany cuisine with great servings and price point. Tuscan cuisine strives on simple cooking, usually just done with olive oil and the freshest ingredients. Fast and simple fancy food. They use the freshest seasonal ingredients daily to add on to their regular menu. During the time that I was there, nov, the seasonal items are Truffles and Porcini mushrooms!

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Chapter Wanderlust: I Tetti di Siena

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After spending the weekend in Rome, I was off to to Siena. An UNESCO World Heritage City in the heart of Italy lush Tuscany Region! The little medieval brick city famed for the red roof is a popular place for its cuisine, arts and medieval landscape! Numerous tourists come here to view the amazing shell shaped town square, Piazza del Campo. It is a city that you should never missed when travelling in central Italy! My bus ride to Siena took about 3 hours which is around the same time as the train, but at a much lower price! The train station is around a 20 mins walk to the city centre although it is pretty steep, a bus would be recommended, costing only 1.20 Euros. Siena is also a popular place for the Palio horse race, which happens twice a year!

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Chapter Wanderlust: Bus Travels in Europe – Which Bus Operators is better?

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In comparison to train travels which we have know how effective and easy that are, bus travels serves up as a comparable option but at a better price. Bus travels have been getting more and more common these days and sometimes, they are not much longer than taking a train. Bus do also, gets you right in the heart of the city, usually the bus stops are just next to the trains stations. With the upcoming of huge bus companies with vast networks in the recent years. I would like to share how great and how good bus routes are in fact! Taking the bus around Europe have definitely gotten more easy with the prevalence of companies such as Flixbus, Regiojet and Leo Express. In fact, the set up of Regiojet, aka Student Agency is a Czech company that was started out by university students to have the ability to access cheap transportation. In fact it is now one of the largest travel companies linking up routes around Czech Republic. It even have plans to operate train routes. I used the bus for some of my travels, especially Flixbus and Regiojet and would like to do a little sharing on the offering.

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Chapter Wanderlust: Rome

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All Roads Lead To Rome

I guess that everyones wants to see the eternal city at least once in their life. Rome is the sparkling gem of Italy and the Roman Empire in the past. With more than 3000 years of historical roots and knowledge there is much that lies in place rather than just the sights itself. Each rock and building are all a part of something greater! From the iconic Colosseum to the 18th Century Trevi Fountain! There is something for everyone and I am very thankful that we still get to witness this glorious city today! In terms of cities in Italy, I find Rome and Florence to be one of the most gorgeous ones. Florence is a little more medieval however Rome is much more grand, imperialistic. I would say that Rome is a mixture between Vienna and Florence. For any first time visitor to Europe, I would say that Rome is definitely a must visit! Yea it is touristy and common, but nonetheless, it is that magical!

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Chapter Wanderlust: Ristorante Calabasico

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While I have not heard about this restaurant prior to my travels, while doing my research, I found Ristorante Calabasico while doing my planning. It was perfect since I was looking for a place that is near the Vatican City. Ristorante Calabasico is only around the corner, roughly a 5 mins walk away. Feeling famished after walking around for almost the whole morning, the distance that we have covered was also pretty amazing, from the Colosseum till the Vatican. We decided to come here for lunch after leaving the Vatican!

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Chapter Wanderlust: Vatican City

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A Country within a City? Vatican is the answer to this question. In fact it is the smallest country in the world, smaller than Singapore! While we always called it the Vatican City. It is in fact not a city but a country! It is located within the permits of the city of Rome. With only 44 hectares in size and a population of only 1000 people, it is the smallest country in the world. In fact I would say it is also one of the most crowded place in the world with the influx of tourists to see renowned sites like the St Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum. It can also be said as the country of the holy see with the pope being the leader. There is a very interesting fact for the Vatican City in terms of its economy. A country economy is of dependence on sale of tourist mementos and museum admissions, you have it, Vatican City! Never underestimate the power of travelling.

 

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