The Return of Apratz!

Apratz is back from her so-called Bohemian and Mediterranean trip. Internet connection in Dorm is super lousy, so I am not be able to show you more pictures =(. Okay readers, fasten your seatbelt (but not too fast), since I will only demonstrate a flash glimpse.

Prague (Czech Republic)

In my very first impression, Prague seems very mysterious and mystifying. I have no idea about the style of the buildings in Prague (I know that Austria mostly adopts Baroque style, and Italy has mainly the gothic and renaissance style, but not for Prague). But trust me, this is probably my best city after London! Czech’s history sounds bloody, though not as horrid as the London’s Tudor era. Czech Republic in the past became the proof of glory of Hapsburg dynasty in Austria, until they change into communist country before the Velvet Revolution occurred. Nowadays after the so-called commotion they turn into Republic from.

Me and Ian, stepping out the Prague Castle (courtesy of Terri)

Good thing is, everything in Prague is super cheap, especially for food. I always eat extravagant meals in Prague, since the price is almost at the same level as Singapore, but you got the mystic ambience of Eastern Europe feeling!

And I went with super insightful companions, Terri and Ian. Terri is a Law student from NUS and Ian majors in International Relation in London, so I can understand how critical they are. We talked a lot about both the uprising and falling of the socialism idea, Marx the extreme Utopian, the flaws of human-made system, and so on and so forth. This trip is very enriching my inner mind, until so long I can barely talk with people about this kind of issues (since most people will hinder to talk about this matter). I could only remember that the last moment I pay much attention about these was when I joined the English Debating Team in my high school^^.

Bratislava (Slovakia)
Slovakia is one of the countries that mark the fallacy of communism. Perhaps people will be bored when they visited Bratislava, but I agree with Terri that it can be very enlightening for some people.

Small and tranquil town, but very charming (courtesy of Terri)

At the first time I stepped out from Bratislava central station, it brings a heavy reminiscence of Jatinegara Station in Jakarta because it is sooooo similar! The busses remind me of Metromini and the interior of the train resembles me of the economy class train in Indonesia XD.

At night at Danube river (Courtesy of Terri)

Slovakia is even cheaper than Prague and cannot be compared to its neighbor Austria. Good thing is, the place is less touristy so it is very calm and tranquil, unlike in Prague whereby the sights of people are dominated by 25% Japanese and Korean tourists and the rest wears shades and grabs map T_T. I want to see the locals and taste their genuine culture and disincline to see tourists here and there!

Vienna (Austria)
Vienna is the magnificent capital of arts! If you remember Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky. Schubert, et cetera, et cetera, then you must know that they came from Austria (or at least had stayed in Austria). Austria is a student-friendly city –I guess. I watched musical ‘Othello’ in Vienna for just 3.5 Euro =p. I should have gone to Austria for an exchange *grin*.

Vienna the capital city remarks the grandeur of Hapsburg dynasty (with its famous Empress Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette). It seems that the Hapsburg family loves arts and music so much, since musician and artists were always appreciated with great splendor. The whole city is very pretty, after being overwhelmed with gothic (and neo gothic style), now I am fully enchanted with Baroque and Art Noveau!

Compare Klimt's and the one in Elfen Lied's opening, I love BOTH!

Klimt's "The Kiss" (my favourite) and Elfen Lied's

And, have you ever heard about Gustav Klimt? Now I adore him so much after seeing his works. If you watch Elfen Lied anime, then the opening song plagiarized Klimt’s works. But both of them is super pretty, so I won’t blame the maker of Elfen Lied’s opening =p. I love Vienna so much that I can hardly explain by words. I will spoil all of you with pictures in Vienna later on.

Athens (Greece)
I once a Greek mythology freak and still a Saint Seiya die hard fan, so I have gigantic expectation about Greece, but what I can mostly get is RUINS T_T.

I saw the Parthenon in Athens, and I felt like screaming, where is the majesty statue of Athena, the patron of the whole land? I went to Acropolis, and I felt like going berserk, where is the temple of the 12 zodiac as portrayed in Saint Seiya? Where is the temple of Poseidon? Statue of Hades? (I am about to trance).

Anes and I planned to go to one of the island called Mykonos (but I was oversleeping so we didn’t go at the end. I knew Anes was a bit pissed, I am so sorry T_T), instead we went to one of the island called Aegina, which is less touristy but not lessen the prettiness.

And Greece was super hot! It was about 33 Celsius but the sun was damn-strong. I felt dehydrated and almost fainted in Thessaloniki. Now I lose my Copenhagen-fairness and became super tanned though I applied sun-block ointment for every 2 hours T_T.

Anyway I am going to France on the 12th – 19th of June, and my last stop will be Stockholm and Berlin on the 20th – 27th of June. I will be going back to Singapore on the 27th.

Is anybody free on the 28th of June? If yes, please please pick me up from Changi airport, since I don’t feel like taking a cab to go home (and go by MRT instead) but I still need to carry super duper bulky items. I don’t want to have any unnecessary spending afterwards T_T.

28th of June, arriving Singapore on 17.10, British Airways from London Heathrow.

Thanks in advance ^o^.