Europe 2012: A day in Vatican City

DAY 6:

Today we're gonna go to the smallest country in the world.. The Vatican City..

Memulakan hari yg indah with breakfast at this rooftop.. Breakfast free tapik makan biskut kering/ cornflakes cenggitu jek.. At least ade cafe latte yg sedap kan.. 

The we made our way to Barberini Metro stop.. Ujung simpang hotel kitaorg jek (sangat dekat)..

We purchased one way ticket from Barberini to Ottaviano (for St. Peter Basilica stop).

Turun jek train, jalan ke depan sikit dah sampai area St. Peter Basilica.

Cuaca mendung gila hari nih.. So gambar2 semua gloomy jek..

 at belakang tu la St Peter Basilica.. Boleh masuk kalau nak.. Rase nye macam free.. But we gave it a miss and chosed to go to Vatican Museum instead..

 Walking towards the Musei Vaticani

 2 tickets for EUR30 .. We're lucky we went during low season.. so orang tak byk.. Kitaorg tak payah queue langsung.. Memula ingat nak purchase online (have to pay extra EUR4 each).. tapi pikir2 balik, tak payah la.. Kalau queue panjang kitaorang takyah la masuk kan.. Sekali bila sampai langsung tak payah beratur.. We got our tickets and in we go..

 Masuk2 jek ternampak Post Office.. Harus menggelupur nak hantar poskad time tu jugak.. Hehehe.. Setem to Malaysia berharga EUR1.60 utk poskad..

 Gigih mengarang poskad.. Patut nye nak hantar untuk diri sendirik satu tapi dah hantar 4 kat orang takde dah spare untuk diri sendirik.. Huhuhu.. 

 from Vartican with love.. Some of these postcards, kitaorg dah sampai Malaysia pon postcard belom sampai lagik.. Hehehe..

 Lepas tu mase utk menyukat museum.. Byk gambar2.. kitaorg tak belek satu2 pon.. Mana rase nak amik gambar kitaorg amik.. Pehtu terus jalan laju2..

 Ini famous landmark jugak kat Vatican Museum ni..

 Lantai yg cantik..

 Ceilings yg sangatttt cantik.. 

Ceiling dia semua cantik2 dan pelbagai corak.. Kepala aku byk ke atas jek tgk ceiling.. Hehe..

 Ini close up.. Imagine mesti sakit tengkok kan diorang ni melukis zaman dulu..

  Aku paling suka ni.. I think this is way nicer than the Sistine Chapel..

Btw.. Dalam Sistine Chapel takleh amik gambar.. 

 After about 2 hours exploring the museum.. kaki pon dah tak rase.. It's time to go back to Rome city.. 

Nak kuar mesti lalu this spiral staircase.. Korang jgn lupa amik gambar okay..

 Ini salah satu gambar Italian hensem.. Entah2 bukan Italian kot tourist dari tempat lain kan.. Hehehe.. Yg pasti nya.. Byk gile org hensem kat Italy nih.. Kiri kanan depan belakang kadang2 iols tatau nak focus nak tgk yg mana satu *amboi*

Ini pon amik curi2 sebab takut kena marah ngan awek dia.. Hehehhe..

 And when we came back to the city.. kitaorg pegi Piazza Di Spagna or the Spanish Steps..

Kat sini banyak kedai2 branded kiri kanan jalan.. Iols tengok2 jek la.. sebab mmg dah bajet nak shopping kat Florence esok..

 Ini fountain kecik dekat ngan hotel.. Iols slalu top up air kat sini..

 Sebelum balik harus singgah Hard Rock Rome dulu.. Tapi dah tak berapa menarik sbb iols dah ade most of the designs.. Those yg i don't have, no size plak.. *diskriminasi orang temban. Jahat kan*

The remaining of the day was spent jalan2 souvenir shopping dekat area Trevi Fountain jek.. and balik hotel awal sebab nak kena kemas beg.. Esok pagi our train is scheduled at 715 am!

See you in Florence..

Europe 2012: Rome by Segway

Day 5: Afternoon

Tengahari nih kitaorg dah purchased "2 Hours Mini Segway Tour"..

Kitaorang memang suka naik Segway nih..

Cuma sebab dia agak mahal (untuk bajet kitaorg :P).. so tak mampu nak naik byk2 kali..

Sebab kat other major cities macam Paris, Florence, Prague semua pon ade jugak Segway tour..

Tapi based on our planned itenery, the best for us would be to do it in Rome..

Sebab cuaca Rome mmg sgt cantik dan sesuai..

Imagine kena ber-Segway pakai winter coat segala.. Tak koser nyahs..

A few days before we depart from KL.. aku check weather forecast and bila dah confirm tak ujan (as adequate as a weather forecast can be la kan.. Kalau nak ujan jugak tu ketentuan Allah la kan).. Baru kitaorg confirmed booking.. Sebab ni non-refundable.. ujan segala pon segway tour nih jalan jugak..

 Tour start pukul 230 petang.. And tak jauh mana pon dari hotel.. So dalam 1230 tu kitaorg pon gerak pelan2 from hotel..

Sekali dalam 500 meter nak sampai camtuh tengok ade road block!

Diorang nih buat manifesto la plak.. Ishkkk!!

Takde ke hari lain weihhhh.. Menyusahkan orang betul..

Diorang ni mmg suka manifesto.. Tak puas hati skit jek manifesto..

Pening paler polis kat sini kan..

Kebetulan yg hari nih punye it's 3 manifesto yg diorang anjurkan serentak..

So polis tutup banyak gileee jalan..

 Mase nih kitaorg dah nak panic.. Ok tipu.. memang dah panic pon.. Sebab semua jalan yg kitaorg nak de-tour pon polis block jugak.. huhuhuh.. Mase nih dah takde takut dah. (aku slalu kalau tgk perhimpunan ramai2 nih aku cuaks lebey sket).. Tapi mase nih terlampau stress utk takut.. Tambah mengenangkan EUR48 sorang yg dah berbayor tuh weih.. 

Tapi akak assitance navigator jek.. Sebab since I've done most of the planning for our Europe trip.. aku lantik Leman utk execution.. hhhahaha.. Aku tinggal nak push2 dia jek..

"Macam mana nih Husband?"

"Nak ikut jalan mana nih?"

"Cuba you call no. dia nih"

"Alaa.. dah lambat dah nih.. karang tak sempat"  (kasik drama sikit biar dia gelabah extra.. hahaha)

Hahahahha.. Pening Leman melayan bini..

 Sambil Leman stress2 figuring out our alternative ways, aku dok sibuk snap2 gambar.. Masya Allah.. cantik nye Rome nih.. Hehehe..

 Akhir nya setelah berpeluh sebaldi.. Kitaorg sampai gak kat Segway Office tu.. Alhamdulillah..

It turn out that office pon tutup lagik.. Operator tu lambat sebab dia pon sangkut sebab manifesto tuh..

 Lepas dah sign2 segala.. Pakai helmet and off we go.. 

Memang kebetulan rezeki kitaorg.. Dapat private segway tour hari nih.. Sebab takde org lain yg nak join segway tour hari nih.. (Biase nye it will be a group of not more than 8 people la.. Kalau nak private tour, extra byk oo).. Ini kitaorg dapat free upgrade jek la.. 

Mase ni agak cuaks... Sebab kitaorg bukan pernah naik segway bawak pegi pekan.. hahahah.. Paling tidak pusing2 dalam track jek.. Dah la kitaorg 2 org jek.

We were assigned a tour leader.. Nama dia Ferdinando..

So memula Ferdinando ni ajak kitaorg gi prektis dulu.. Kiranye kalau dia puas hati ngan performance kitaorg baru boleh start tour.. Hehehe.. *cuak macam nak amik lesen kereta youols*

Memula dia tak suruh naik pon.. Dia suruh tolak dulu Segway masing2 dari kedai dia sampai la satu kawasan lapang...

Sedang aku dok focus menolak segway aku dengan hati2.. Tetiba Leman panggil.. (Leman ngan Segway dia kat belakang aku)..

"Sayang.. sayang.. tolong I sayang"

Aku pusing belakang, ingatkan dia jatuh ke ape kan..

Ini aku tengok kiri kanan dia dah bergayut awek2 italy.. Grrrrr..

Menaga aku skejap.. hahahahha...

"Jalan jek laa.. You jgn la layan diaorang"

Pehtu aku dgr Leman punye attempt utk menghalau..

"No.. no.. No.. no" 

Hek eleee.. manja gile kot cara kau nak menghalau orang..

Kalau dengan aku mmg dah kena jerkah dah awek2 tuh..

Pehtu aku pon bising2 kat Leman..

"You pon jalan jek laa.. jgn la layan dia.."

"Marah la sikit.. ini manja sangat!"

Bila aku dah bising2 baru awek2 tuh lepas kan dia..

Haiyoooo la laki ai..

Leman cakap tu mesti syndicate.. Sebab diaorang tunjuk kertas kosong jek kat dia sambil cakap2 Italy..

Since kitaorg dah dgr byk sgt horror stories, kitaorg mmg bawak money belt/ pouch sorang satu,..

Leman mmg tak bawak wallet.. Last2 aku pon ditch my wallet dlm luggage beg jek..

So duit kitaorg asing2 kan laa.. Byk nye kat badan la kan.. Pehtu ketepikan la duit kecik sikit utk senang beli barang.. Tapi kalau mase tu Leman bawak wallet.. mmg sadakaullahillazim la jawapnye.. Huhu..

Turned out that we're consider an "expert" at Segway.. woot..woot..

Praktis ke depan, ke belakang, parking, buat 8 (macam nak amik lesen motor youols)..

Tak sampai 10 minit we're off for our tour.. Weee...

Ok horror.. memula tuh aku takut gila terlanggar orang..

Sebab manifesto tu baru abes so bykkkkk gila org berjalan in a group..

Tapi lama2 dah terel la.. *ekshen*

 First stop.. the Colleseum!

Cantik gila kot Colleseum nih.. Ferdinando pon terang2 kan la sikit2.. Plus kitaorg ade pakai alat pendengar tuh kan.. (Owhh.. alat pendengar tuh utk kitaorg received instruction from him waktu tgh "drive".. so takde la dia kena cakap terpekik pekik kan..)

 Tapi aku tak focus pon dgr history lesson and what not.. sebab aku busy amik gambar.. Hehehhe..

 Bila dah puas kat Colleseum.. we move on to this.. This is Palatine Hills (i think! hahahha).. yg pasti cantik kan.. Jauh gak kalau ko nak menapak dari Colleseum tuh noks..

Pehtu dia bawak la pusing2 tengok macam2 la on the way..

At any time kitaorg nak berenti just bagitau kat dia.. (well, kata private tour kan youols :P)

 This is one of the highlight of this tour.. Ferdinando bawak pegi satu bukit nih.. Sampai ujung dia suruh parking..

 Pehtu dia suruh kitaorg intai ikut lubang kunci tuh (kecik jek).. Dia kata ade surprise..

From that small key hole boleh nampak Saint Basilica kat Vatican City..

Jakun skejap kitaorg.. Hehehhe..

Dalam pintu tu mcm ade garden yg membentuk archway..

Ujung tuh nampak atap Saint Basilica (kamera tak canggih dah zoom pon takleh nak capture.. huhuhu)

But for us, that moment was priceless..

And then we continue aku journey..

 Banyak kan traffic.. Mase nih kitaorg dah terer gila so tak takut dah.. hehehe.. 

Kena menyeberang jalan with segway.. Kena lalu jalan sempit..

Kena naik divider.. Kena lompat divider.. Macam2 la aksi..

Siap Leman kat belakang tolong kasik extra instruction..

"You have to bend your knees Sayang"

"I know lah!"

Hish.. Boleh tak dia nak belagak ngan iols.. Padahal iols lagik terer dari dia okay.. hahahah.. *riak ngan suami.. seb baik tak kena panah petir.. huhu*

 Queue panjang gila nak bergambar ngan mende alah nih.. Dolce amende something or another.. Semua posing sepesen.. Harus masuk tgn dalam tuh.. Hehehhe.. Tapi kitaorg tak singgah pon.. Amik gambar dari luar jek.. Kalau tak harus posing yg sama jugak..

  And then we went here.. Ke ini Palatine Hill? Ke nih ruins apetah.. Yang pasti sangatttttt cantik view kat sini.. Ferdinando bawak kitaorg panjat bukit utk dapat view nih.. Sepanjang tour nih.. kitaorg tak jumpa group lain yg buat Segway hari nih.. Semuaorang buat muka jeles jek tgk weols lalu.. Hehehe..

 This is Ferdinando... Baik sangat melayan kitaorg.. Ehem.. sambil asek puji kitaorg terer bawak Segway.. Hehehhe..

Mase nih aku dah rase sejuk.. Sebab sepanjang tour ni kena tiup angin kan..

Sekali bila nak pakai sweater.. Sweater dah tertinggal dalam kedai mase register tadik...

Uwwaaa... Sejukkk okay..

Terpaksa la teruskan perjalanan sambil tegak2 nipple bulu roma! hahahah

 Kat sini pon best... Kawasan lapang gile so senang nak main Segway..

 Sampai satu tahap kitaorg malas dah nak parking Segway.. tangkap gambar pon dari atas Segway jek boleh.. Hehehe..

The last stop was the picture below.. Tapi ni kitaorg dtg balik lepas dah hantar segway balik kedai..

 This is Vittorio building.. It is massive okay..

 Dah letih after one whole day of exploring The Eternal City..

 On the way balik tu boleh sesat plak..

Tapi bagus jugak sebab tetiba terjumpa ngan The Pantheon..

One of the must see kalau datang Rome..

 Inside.. masuk free jek..

 Such unique structure.. Simple tapi impressive kan.. And tiang2 tuh sebenar sangatttt la besar.. Even aku yg besar nih duduk sebelah tiang nampak macam tiang (letrik).. hahahhaha... I mean nampak kecik gile as compared to the tiang.. 

 And on our way back.. We stop by to take more pictures of Trevi Fountain at night.. so cantik!

That conclude our day in Rome.. Till we meet again..

Rome, The Eternal City..

PS: Dah start update pasal Europe nih mcm best plak.. Hehehe.. Padahal tak sedar diri exam is around the corner.. Haihh.. I am indeed too old for exam.. Sob sob sob.. Study sikit.. Malas banyak ok.. Not a good recipe for success! Hauuuu???? 

Europe 2012: When in Rome

DAY 5:

Yesterday evening, we caught our flight to Fiumicino Int Airport, Rome from Schipol Int Airport, Amsterdam..

This time kitaorg naik Easyjet.. Kira diorang nih taraf AA la..

But i have to say, so much more efficient okay.. Maybe sebab diorang dah lama established kot..

Sampai2 airport.. Sebelom Baggage drop tu timbang la bag dulu.. tengok2 terlebih okay..

Kitaorg ade 40 kg utk 2 bag jek.. and Easyjet's policy on handcarry is very strict..

Harus akak gelabah youols.. Tapi seb baik la beg baju pink tuh within limit handcarry..

So bermula la sessi memindah2 barang.. (Sape yg shopping byk sgt kat Amsterdam nih. Pftt! *aku lettew.. Hehehe*)..

Aku ade tgk org kena tahan sebelom naik kapaltebang sbb handcarry dia terlebih had (actually Easyjet kasik ko sukatan bag jek.. Muatan plak, sumbat la sukati korang asalkan beg tu muat sukatan yg diaorang tetapkan).. Kalau kena paksa checkin handluggage mase boarding, merasa kau membayar EUR50.. Sebab tu la kitaorg nekad jek beli 40 kg.. (Harga nak beli baggage allocation is more than the ticket price okay..

Dalam plane pulak.. It must have been the worst flight everrrr...

Seat depan aku aseklah bercumbu-cumbuan.. Korang leh imagine tak sepanjang jalan tuh muka diorang melekat jek (and the flight was 2 hours.. hahahahha).. Aku tgk pon lemas..

Seat belakang aku plak asek tendang2 kerusi.. And the whole flight bising macam pasar malam!

Pening akak youolss.. Sumbat telinga dgn earphone dan cuba bawak2 tido..

Akhirnya sampai gak Fiumicino Airport, Rome..

Mase tuh dah malam dah.. And we were sooooo tired by then..

Since aku byk sgt dgr horror stories pasal Rome, and it was already night time.. Kitaorg mmg dah bajet utk naik taxi jek pegi hotel.. Extra mahal la as compared to naik bus/ train semua kan.. (kalau siang serius boleh di gagahkan lagik.. tapi dah malam kat tempat orang, kim salam jek la jawapnye youols.. Dgn bag berat and arah tujuan tatau lagik kan)..

Bila kuar pintu Airport.. ade org tanye..

"Taxi?"

Kitaorg pon jawap "Yes".. Sambil tunjuk print out for hotel address..

Dia kata "Okay"..

Aku pon tanye la.. "How much"

Bila dia jawap "EUR80" rase nak terberak terus kat situ.. Mahalllll nk mamposs... aku search kat internet patut nye dlm EUR45 jek..

Terus aku ajak Leman masuk balik.. Nih mesti penipu nih kan..

Masuk tanye info kaunter baru jumpa line taxi yg betul.. Baru EUR55 jek..

Driver taxi tu plak bawak masuk jalan tikus segala..

Dah la malam.. Memang scary okay...

Alhamdulillah selamat la sampai jugak..

We stayed at Hotel53 Rome.. 2 stars jugak..

And hotel adelah baya JWW Birch kot.. Huhhuhu..

Memula nak duduk kat Hotel Napolean (ini 4 stars.. tapi harga lebih kurang jek ngan Hotel 53 tu)..

Tapi lepas baca2 review, area Hotel Napolean tuh "seedy/ scary" sket.. since kitaorg punye priority during our travel is safety, biarlah hotel buruk sikit janji safety terjamin kan..

And seriously.. location wise mmg best sgt..

Hotel nih kat area Barberinni..

 Bongiorno Roma.. Starting our morning in Rome.. and it was such a beautiful day.. The weather couldnt have been nicer..

Tak sejuk pon.. Rase mcm aircond jek.. So memang best la sbb tak payah pakai winter jacket kan.. Aku bawak sweater jek tu pon tak pakai sgt..

 From our first glimpse.. Rome was soooooo nice.. it was hard not to fall in love with her.. Exploring alleys..

 It was such a different scenery from  Amsterdam.. Amsterdam pon best gak.. Tapi Rome pon best.. Best dia lain2.. Heheheh..

  

 First stop pagi ni is at the Trevi Fountain.. Kat Rome nih mmg byk fountain.. and most of the fountains are drinkable..

Memula aku cakap kat Leman.. Dia tanak minum...

Dia kata tu HolyWater!

Whattt?? Bukan laaa.. Tu air mineral..(i think).. hehhee..

I told Leman, dia tanak minum sudah.. Pegi la beli mineral water sendirik..

Iols yakin so iols nak minum.. Hahahahha...

Besttt.. Sejuk and sedap jek.. (and free)..

Oh terside track.. Trevi fountain is my faveret.. Mmg la aku ade tgk gambar sebelom pegi.. Tapi bila dah depan mata..

"Woooowwww"

Besar and cantik gila.. The picture don't do it justice..

 Tapi korang tgk la berapa ramai nye manusia kat sini.. Trevi Fountain nih tak jauh dari hotel aku kira walking distance sgt.. Most of the time memang berselirat org macam nih ok..

And No.. I did not do the toss coin thingee.. sebab serious bapak aku tak suka.. Hahahaha.. Baiklah aku masuk tabung simpan utk dtg sini lagik kan.. Hehehe.. 

 Lepas tu jalan2 beli souvenirs.. and aku ajak Leman carik nih..

San Crispino Gelato.. Sbb aku baca dlm internet kata sedap gile..

Dia suh try pistachio and honey flavour.. So i did..

And yes.. personally aku mmg sgt suka and puas hati dgn san crispino nih.. Daaapppppp!!!

Ini sedap berguling2.. Hehehhe..

Sepanjang kat Italy, mmg hari2 aku pekena gelato okay..

Tapi kitaorg terjumpa San Crispino nih pon secara tak sengaja.. So lepas tu nak carik balik mmg tak jumpa la kan.. huhuhuh.. Btk sgt lorong tak ingat lorong yg mana..

 Dah penat shopping and jalan2 kat area nih.. kitaorg nak terkencing plak... (asek la nak terkencing).. hahahha..

So decided utk balik hotel (ni yg best nih hotel kat centre kan).. Sebelah hotel tuh ade tempat jual pizza.. Kat sana mmg trend jual pizza potong and timbang.. hehehe.. Ape yg "halal" tuh semua kitaorg tapau.. mushroom, cheese, ikan bilis etc..

That's how we spent our 1st half of the day..

See you in another post for the 2nd half of the day..

Ciao~