Amsterdam - the final stop

arrival into amsterdam once again. this time, from brussels. arrival time 3.25pm (~3 hours later than estimated arrival time due to technical error on the rails). but nonetheless we've safely arrived in amsterdam.

departing from Brussels train station..

on a Thalys train to Amsterdam..

via Antwerpen.

looking about when exiting Amsterdam Centraal Station

Amsterdam Centraal Station

De Bijenkorf @ Dam Square

De Bijenkorf" translates to "The Beehive" and is the BIGGEST departmental store in Amsterdam

The Royal Palace @ Dam Square

Nieuwe Kerk @ Dam Square

Nieuwe Kerk translates to New Church

National Monument @ Dam Square

Bloemenmarkt
The Bloemenmarkt is the world's only floating flower market -- the stalls are technically built on houseboat foundations that line the Singel canal, but they feel fixed.

Bloemenmarkt

Munttoren tower @ Muntplein
Munttoren tower used to be 1 of 3 main medieval city gates!

Rembrandtplein

FEBO
Feed the machine coins and open the slot you want!

Sint Nicolaaskerk
aka Church of St. Nicholas

Bustling Brussels

brussels is unlike the average capital cities of european countries. having come from london and paris, my jaw dropped when i first entered brussels. it is spectacularly ugly! But the locals love it; well.. if they don't, they still live with it. Dun get me wrong, I honestly dun hate brussels and have totally enjoyed it but with regards to photography and the various mismatched adjacent buildings, mmmm...

i must say brusseleirs are also an interesting bunch of people. they speak a wide range of languages and frankly, i couldn't quite work out what language they speak when i first arrived. interestingly, i found out the answer to this was when i was asking for directions. this particular brusseleir told me that he speaks english, french, flemish and dutch. impressive hey? what i didn't know was that most brusseleirs mix their languages when they talk. i wasn't aware this language cocktail was going on in europe! i thought it only existed in singapore/malaysia. well.. i'm wrong.

another quirky thing about brussels is to do with the local beer aka Gueuze beer. they are really sour! u might be in a for treat if u think it isn't that bad. Gueuze gets it unique sour taste from bacteria that only exist in and around brussels. come to think of it, do u reckon i'd still have those unique bacteria colonizing me somewhere since I've travelled to brussels?

The Atomium
Structure of the element iron (Fe) !

Brussels Expo

Grand Place - Grote Markt

Grand Place - Grote Markt

Xmas in Brugge & Gent

brugge aka "venice of the north" is one of europe's best preserved medieval towns. a romantic city of ancient, beautifully preserved buildings, medieval squares and canals criss-crossed by cobbled street, brugge possess enough charm to make the hesitant girlfriend say "yes" to marriage proposal.

warm stone, red roofed houses are reflected in the dark waters of canal, narrow streets lead through splendid grand squares and wind between buildings that have stood there, seemingly unchanged, since medieval times. brugge -romantic and addictive...

gent, on the other hand, is the spiritual citadel of flanders, a university city, the second largest belgain port and major industrial center. the city of gent is lined with cobbled streets and stunning ancient buildings.

London Delayed

due to the heavy snow that blanketed amsterdam, amsterdam airport was forced to shut down and flights delayed. as a result, the connecting flight to london was delayed...

it's now 6.35pm and we've arrived in london. please allow me to play host and show you guys around!

London Eye

London Eye

Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster and the Clock Tower (Big Ben)

Piccadilly Circus

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

London Bridge

Tower of London

Harrods

Wellington Arch

Trafalgar Square