vBloga collection of my notes and thoughts…

This was one of those ‘where can we go with our air miles?’ trip. It was the Spring Bank Holiday, and the options were fairly limited. We ended up picking Stavanger. Unbeknown to me, it was also Whit Sunday, a national holiday in Norway. This meant the town was very quiet, with some businesses working reduced hours, or not at all. Fortunately, the ferries and buses to Preikestolen were still operating.

Preikestolen, also known as Pulpit Rock, is the primary reason we chosed Stavanger. It is a steep cliff, rising 604 m above the Lysefjorden. We completed the round trip from Preikestolen Fjellstue, the starting point of the hike, in around 5 hrs; including the time we spent taking photos, and our picnic in the rain.

The trail is mostly a steady climb, with several flat sections along the way. The path is in good condition, and reasonably well marked. It would be difficult to get lost with the ant line of hikers, all heading the same way. Though, this can sometimes result in a bit of a queue, especially in the narrower sections. If you would like to avoid the traffic, starting earlier in the day should help. Care is required at the top of the cliffs, as there are no safety barriers to spoil the natural beauty of the site.

The scenery was gorgeous. Even though the weather wasn’t on our side, it was still an enjoyable experience. It was raining on and off, and we found ourselves in and above the clouds at times. Every now and then, we were treated to clear skies, and fantastic views of the surrounding valleys, and fjord. The cool fresh mountain air was a treat. The experience would definitely have been better if the weather was nicer. However, if you can’t wait for fine weather, it’s still worth chancing it.

I learned of Antoni Gaudí while visiting Barcelona last year. A highly admired architect, his works are both beautiful and functional. For instance, when designing the interior patio for Casa Batlló, he accounted for the loss of natural light towards the lower floors by making the windows progressively larger, and using wall tiles of lighter tones. The end result is rooms that are well lit by natural light on all floors, and a wall that appears evenly coloured.

We originally only planned to visit Casa Batlló, and Sagrada Familia; but having seen them, we decided to visit Park Güell as well. We didn’t get to visit La Pedrera that time, but did see it from the outside. All these places are within easy reach in Barcelona, and should not be missed.

We saw these cute postcards in Stanley Market, Hong Kong earlier this year. They cost HKD 25 each. While not exactly a travel postcard, it is a nice option for the more crafty recipients. The idea is that you send them the postcard. When they receive it, they can peel off the printed fabric, cut out the shapes, and sew them together. It took me several hours, over the past few evenings, to put the cow together. Admittedly, it is easier than I expected.

Most modern day visitors to London will tell you that the London Bridge is nowhere near falling down, and that it is solid, sturdy, and plain. However, the bridge actually has a very long and interesting history.

One evening, while in Agia Napa recently, we dined at the Sage Restaurant. It was a lovely restaurant with nice food and atmosphere. The front of house is managed by a very friendly maître d’hôtel, who seemed to know all the people around. Just before we left, after realising that we were from London, he sang London Bridge is falling down and told us a little story about the bridge—that the old London Bridge was bought by an American and is now in the United States.

At the time, we weren’t sure whether he was joking. Nevertheless, it piqued my interest. A quick research on the internet revealed that it is true. The old London Bridge was close to falling down, and was eventually replaced in 1831 with the new London Bridge as we know it today. The old London Bridge was sold, dismantled, shipped, and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where it still stands today.