December Getaway Part II- Brugge (Belgium)

Well post our awesome stay in Amsterdam, we headed to Brugge..a very hyped location, recently made popular by the bollywood movie PK (but we had already planned this trip before this movie released)!!...It was a beautiful morning and we were very excited for our next lap, but our excitement was cut short when our car broke down some 5 kms before Brugge in a small scenic town called Damme...
Thankfully we had the ADAC Premium Insurance, and within the next 90 mins our car was towed and we were being transported to our hotel on a trailer. Well, looking my car being towed in the camera, was just heart breaking:(
The next 36 hours, were spent on phone testing our patience with ADAC and Touring.be customer service staff!!.. I don"t want to get into the details here and relive those moments, when we were stranded helpless in a foreign country on a weekend during winters (deadly combo, i tell you)..eventually we got our car back after a week, by making one more trip to brugge and shelling out around 900 Euros..(yeah, it turned out to be that expensive, but all"s well that ends well)...
Despite the dark weather and dull mood, we decided to make the most of the trip and enjoy the place as much as we could....We did meet some really nice people (salesman at the Move Brugge garage, who even dropped us to the city centre; few very friendly locals who helped us navigate our way through the busy city centre and we also enjoyed some free bus rides, as it was the shopping week in Brugge).

Usually I need to spend some time at a place before I decide if I like it or not, if i would like to visit it again or not; but despite the very short time that we had spent int he city, I loved it and would really want to come back again, soon..hopefully in Summers this time!! The strikingly beautifully buildings and canals, makes it a picturesque city that I am looking forward to visiting soon:)

Some memorable moments from this trip:

Belfry tower in the middle of the city centre

Grote Market

Market Square

Picturesque Canals

Minnewater-Lake of Love

The city's buildings and architecture is just marvellous

Minnewater

Belgian pralines...though we didnt have any on this trip..how sad is that!!

beautifully adorned city centre!

December Getaway Part 1- Amsterdam!!

Houses on the banks of canals with a boat parked is a common sight in Amsterdam

Finally, the Christmas holidays are here and this time after living away from my hubby, Anmol for three months(I relocated to Duesseldorf to take up a job in Sept 2014, and currently live 280 kms away from hubby dear ), I was eagerly waiting for the vacations. Just the thought of spending 10 consecutive days with him felt so exciting. And to top it, we had planned our first cross country road trip, covering two countries (that I would be visiting for the first time)- Amsterdam (Holland) and Brugge & Brussels (could not visit it on this trip though!) in Belgium. Excitement, excitement everywhere:)

Anmol already reached Duesseldorf on the 18th Dec and we had started planning and packing (just me..my better half prefers doing it just few hours before the trip, which drives me crazy, so I took the undertaking alone) for the trip.

On 24th morning, I got up at 7, got ready and packed some veg-sandwiches for us and started our journey at 9am.

Amsterdam is around 236 kms away from Duesseldorf and took us around 2.5 hours to reach there (My husband drives more than this every weekend to visit me). The drive was pleasant and though it rained most part of the journey, it was not very tiring (I enjoyed some soothing music along the ride, and Anmol was not stressed too, despite it being his first trip outside Germanz), though he was lamenting that the highways were not as cool as we have in Germany (the speed limit was 120kmph and on some streches 100kmph). We reached our hotel at around 11:40.We stayed at the Best Western Blue Amsterdam , which was slightly outside the main city but well connected to the city centre by bus and tram. The Hotel staff was very friendly and we bought our two day city pass at the hotel and also took the city maps from the receptionist (and she gave us some nice suggestions as well). After resting for a while and grabbing a falafal sandwich for lunch, we headed to our first destination- Zaanse Schans

How to reach Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam:

Zaanse Schans is a stone throw"s away from Amsterdam. We took the bus 391 from the Amsterdam Centraal. The journey takes 40 mins and costs 7 Euros for return trip and drops you right outside zaanse schans.

Train is also an option, and the nearest station is Koog-Zaandijk (from where it is 15 min walk. The train from Amsterdam Central Station takes 17 minutes. 

We left Amsterdam Centraal at around 2.45pm and reached Zaanse Schans at 3.30pm. The moment we entered, a friendly guy asked us to smile and took a candid pic, which later we could buy as a souvenir (smart business idea, but he was good!). 

As soon as we crossed the entrance, we were bowled over by this picturesque location..A small village on the bank of Zaan river with the backdrop of huge wooden windmills, makes for an extraordinarily beautiful sight.
We visited the Cheese factory and tasted some delicious Dutch cheese, I liked pesto gouda the most:)

(Fun fact: Gouda cheese is named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands).

We  headed back to our hotel in Amsterdam at 6pm. It was a great start to the trip!

The next two days we spent touring around the city (using a 48 hours city pass) and visiting some amazing places. There were a lot of FIRSTS for me on this trip, and I would let the pictures do the talking:)

Amsterdam central

View from Amsterdam Central, from where we boarded to bus for Zaanse Schans

On the bus to Zaanse Schans:)

The beautiful view at Zaanse Schans

Inside the cheese factory at zaanse schans

shoe factory at zaanse schans, which got closed by the time we reached 

Beautiful Amsterdam at night! Right outside the central station

Amsterdam Central at Night

The dazzling city, during the festival of light

The Popular Dutch Fries..

Hubby with the jumbo fries-
ME (while deciding which one to buy)- Lets go for small, that would be enough too
Hubby: when you do something, do it right. We will go with Jumbo, nothing less..and with Mayo (paid a euro for just for it, talk about being touristy!)

After 7-8 mins, Hubby: I hate these fries, they are soo soggy now, n there is no salt
ME: I am sick of these now, so I wont have it either
Eventually at the end we had to throw away the jumbo fries.....talk about doing it right!!

private boats..a very common sight in the Amsterdam!

Diamond musuem..well nothing too special, just the too expensive diamonds made me feel so....

Museumplein..behind  Rijksmuseum
After fighting the crowd in front of the logo, my husband testing my patience-after multiple photos i took of him, and after each shot, he used to give me a blank look which screamed "why can"t you take decent pic which could have me (zoomed in) and also the entire logo"...i finally realized that it was better to try a shot from the stairs adjacent the ice rink, and voila!! i got this beautiful shot..and i do have some clicks with my pleased hubby in it as well:)

Houseboats are also very common in Amsterdam

Taken from our canal cruise...it was simply stunning!

7 arches in a row..very pretty:)

Witty!! @ dam square

One of the many stores selling smoke..

Two things that are very symbolic of the Dutch Capital city!

Pretty interesting museum!

The popular Red Light District at Night

Zaanse Schans

Plitvice Lakes National Park- A romantic union with the nature!

On route to our next Croatian destination, Zadar, we visited the Plitivice Lakes, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The lakes are the only natural monument in Croatia to be put on the UNESCO World Heritage list, back in 1979, among the first ones in the entire world!!

We left Zagreb at 7.30am and reached Plitvice at 9.45am. The tickets can be bought at the Autobusni and cost around 184kunas. After reaching Plitvice, we first bought the tickets for the remaining journey to Zadar (ticket counter was right at the bus stop). From there we proceeded to the entrance no.2 where we bought the entrance ticket for the lakes (110 kunas per person) and kept our luggage in the locker ( free of cost). Since we had 5-6 hours, we opted for the route H, which is the most beautiful route which you cover on road train (10-15mins), 5 kms trek on foot, then further bit on small ship (15 mins) and the last 3 kms again on foot, before boarding the road train to reach the entrance again. Depending on the time that one has, one can choose the route. The route that we covered on foot was the most amazing part of the lakes. The image of the turquoise lakes each fed by a sequence of terraced travertine waterfalls is extremely breathtaking. The flora and fauna of the region is also very interesting. The park is very well organized with clearly signposted network of footpaths running alongside the lakes and wooden walkways spanning some of the rapids. There are restaurants and bistro at the entrances and in the middle of the nationalpark, but if you are a vegetarian its better you carry some stuff to add variety, as what we got was just cheese roll and cheese sandwich. We really enjoyed the ice creams though!

The second series of small lakes ( the ones after we were dropped off by the boat) were similar to the first set except the water area of each one was a bit larger and took a bit longer to walk around.As in the first series there were boardwalks that took us over the waterfall areas with the rushing water underneath our feet.. It is difficult to stop clicking pictures but the narrow wooden walkways makes it difficult to take pictures sometimes, but nonethess, we kept it slow as we had time enough and managed to capture some beautiful shots.

The lakes are indeed an unmatched masterpiece of nature unique enough to stick in a visitor's memory for a lifetime. And yes, they look as beautiful and surreal in real as in Pictures:)

Beautiful Croatia- Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes and Zadar

When I had moved to Germany, I had heard about Croatia..all I knew was that it was previously a part of Yugoslavia..Back home in India, Croatia is not really heard of..so i goggled a bit about the country and saw some images and I so wanted to visit it beautiful country..Recently my husband had a conference in the Croatian capital city, Zagreb in July and I got a chance to accompany him and I really had a great time.

Zagreb (30th June- 4th July) We landed in Zagreb at 1.30 pm on 30th June 2013 and it was a historic occasion for the Croatians, as on 1st July 2013 Croatia was going to become a part of the European Union.. After buying the currency (got a good rate of 7.03 on euros, way better than what was given to us by the Reisenbank in Frankfurt, merely 6.03) and Zagreb Card - Five Stars from a shop at the airport we headed out toward the bus stop..The city was all set to celebrate its entry in the EU and as a result the traffic was diverted, making way for the dignitaries from other countries..From the airport a special bus took the passengers to a near by area (as the area around the airport was cordoned off) and from where we boarded the bus for Autobusni Kolodvor (main bus station)..The bus charged 30 kunas and we reached the main bus station in about 35 minutes..Right outside the station, we got our tram to the hotel, but had to disembark because of the traffic diversions..After few minutes of looking around and asking the traffic officials, we managed to reach the taxi station outside Glavni Kolodvor (main train station) and reach our hotel, Villa Antunovac at 3.45 pm..Despite all the confusion and delays what I found was that the people in Zagreb are helpful and the transport system, as I realized in next few days is extremely convenient and smooth. Our studio apartment was extremely nice, well equipped with air conditioner (much needed in the warm July afternoons) clean and close to the main center on the tram line (Mandalicina). We spent the evening roaming around the area and getting to know the neighbourhood. Supermarkets, bakery and pizzeria were also in the vicinity..

Next morning after my husband left for his conference, I was on my own trying to figure out the tram connections (the pulsating blue trams are routed in all directions in Zagreb and once you know the right connections, is a great way to explore the zagreb city) and places to visit and soon i decided to walk till the main square instead of taking the tram, to get a better feel of the place..and I was glad I walked my way till Trg Bana J.Jelacica (main square)..It was roughly 2.5kms from my hotel and on the way I could not miss observing the vibrancy and energy of this city, which was effortlessly reflected in the confident and fashionable demeanor of its people..With fashionable stores on both sides of the lanes, trams zipping through and people rushing around at first gave an impression that the city was extremely fast paced with no time to relax..However this changed as I reached the Trg Bana..it seemed the most happening place in the city with plethora of eateries and Zagrebians and tourists alike sipping their coffee at a leisurely talk..Zagreb also charmed me with its beautiful parks, museums, sculptures..I personally am not a museum person but Zagreb has a lot to offer for everyone´s taste..I started my trip in Zagreb's central square, Trg Jelacica, and walked uphill to the upper town (Gornji Grad) Kaptol, stopping at Dolac, the fruit and vegetable market. Walking a little further, I reached Zagreb's Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose twin spires are visible from afar. Begun in the 13th century, it was reconstructed in the 20th after an earthquake damaged it. Spending some quiet time at the cathedral, I then headed east to Gradac and  Tkalciceva, Zagreb's most colourful street, filled with little cafes and coffee aroma. (Nearby is the Stone Gate containing a shrine of the Virgin Mary that is believed to possess magical powers. It is believed that all the wishes are granted there.

Most museums are in the Lower Town but this neighbourhood has a quirky one, the Museum of Broken Relationships, an innovative concept that displays mementos of failed relationships and the stories that surround them. Its a small museum but really interesting one.

Art lovers won't want to miss the Musueum of Naive Art nearby. Croatia has  a long tradition of Naive Art and all the greats are represented here.

What one can not ignore on the upper town is the St.Marks Church, at St Mark Square, which sports a multi-coloured tile roof constructed in 1880. The rest of the church dates from the 13th century.On the roof, tiles are laid so that they represent the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background) and Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Historic St Mark Square is also the site of the Croatian Sabor or Parliament and the Ban's Palace, now the presidential palace. Finally I spent some time at Strossmartre, a beautiful lane home to painters and musicians. and took the furnicular to the lower town. Also from the lower town, at noon everyday one can see a cannon being fired from the Lotrščak Tower, situated in the upper town. The cannon gives the sign for exact noon for the bell-ringers of the city's churches.

The next day I went to Maksimir Park and Zoo..I took tram No.11 in the direction of Dubec and got off at Bukovacka, the park is right across the street. The Maksimir Park is the largest green space in the city of Zagreb. It is named after Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, the man who was first responsible for establishing the park in 1794. At the time the park was set up it was on the outskirts of the city, today it is part of suburban Zagreb. Maksimir is a sprawling park and very popular with joggers, runners and even cyclists as the park provides a safe and picturesque track. I spent some time relaxing in the park away from the hustle bustle of the city.

Within the park is also another attraction for young families, The Zoo..There are a number of large (lions, bears, panda, jaguar) and small animals, including endangered species. Of particular interest are the feeding sessions; the sea lion feeding time usually draws quite a crowd. Entry fee for the park is 30 Kuna and can be purchased at the zoo entrance. With a Zagreb Card you get a 50% discount. There are some restaurants and ice cream stalls in the premises, making it a great place to relax with the family on a summer day. 

In Zagreb it is possible to be in the centre of the city and enjoy nature at the same time. Whichever way you go, Zagreb will delight you with its beautiful parks. I particularly loved the King Tomislav Square, with its beautiful fountains and gardens. I also visited the Jarun lake and enjoyed my stroll watching the people kayaking and enjoying sports. The lake is in the southwest part of the city between the Sava river and Vrapcak stream and can be reached easily by a tram. The lake is reserved for swimming, kayaking and other forms of leisure and recreational activities.

Plitvice Lakes, 5th July: After spending some fantastic days in Zagreb, we were all set to visit the extremely gorgeous and breathtaking Plitvice Lakes. There are frequent bus services from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes and we left early in the morning at around 7.30am. We reached Plitvice  at around 10am and soon after buying our tickets and having a light breakfast ( for vegetarians, its better to carry your snacks, as the choice one gets is extremely limited), we safely kept our luggage in the locker ( free service) and started our journey through Entrance 1 through route H ( there are various routes one can take base on the time one has). We had also bought the tickets for Zadar from the counter at the bus stop.  After walking for approximately 15-20 minutes we reached the first stop, where a panoramic road train took us to the interiors of the national park and from there we walked approximately 8 kms through the park..the 16 cascading lakes and the travertine waterfalls with their breathtaking views make this route extremely beautiful and the most memorable journey..After covering half the journey, there was an electric boat that took us from one side of the largest lake to the other. This boat runs all year round, more frequently during summer.There really is nothing better than to walk (or hike) through the Park, taking in the beautiful surroundings and admiring the lakes, waterfalls, nature and wildlife. The Park prints out maps for a number of different walks, of varying lengths, that can be undertaken starting from either entrance (1 or 2).The lakes are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and are truly an unmatched masterpiece of nature. After a hectic yet mesmerizing trip to Plitvice Lakes, we were all set to visit our next destination..and this time a popular beach location in Croatia - Zadar. 

Zadar, 6th July: 

Upon reaching the Autobusni Kolodvor (main bus station), we were surprised to see a flock of people approaching the tourists to book accommodation with them ( didn't know that the city made it so easy for impromptu travellers as well;)) and the taxi drivers persuading to drop us off at our hotel at the cheapest rate..we were not sure of the bus number so decided to take a taxi and were very satisfied with our haggling skills when we got a taxi driver down from 80 kunas to 65 kunas..(drivers there are reluctant to use their taxi meter)..however this satisfaction was short lived as upon reaching our hotel, we were told that we pay a little too much:(..but the driver was helpful and suggested us some places to visit. We were staying at the Linda & Mario Apartments in the Diklo region, which was easily accessible from the old town by taking bus number 5. The day we reached we were tired and decided to explore the area near by before going off to sleep..There was a supermarket and bakery in the vicinity and we were delighted to see a beach just few meters away...The water looked intimidating to me at night, but yet I loved the cool breeze sweeping across my face..

Zagreb City Break!

When I had moved to Germany, I had heard about Croatia..all I knew was that it was previously a part of Yugoslavia..Back home in India, Croatia is not really heard of..so i goggled a bit about the country and saw some images and I so wanted to visit it beautiful country..Recently my husband had a conference in the Croatian capital city, Zagreb in July and I got a chance to accompany him and I really had a great time.

We landed in Zagreb at 1.30 pm on 30th June 2013 and it was a historic occasion for the Croatians, as on 1st July 2013 Croatia was going to become a part of the European Union.. After buying the currency (got a good rate of 7.03 on euros, way better than what was given to us by the Reisenbank in Frankfurt, merely 6.03) and Zagreb Card - Five Stars from a shop at the airport we headed out toward the bus stop..The city was all set to celebrate its entry in the EU and as a result the traffic was diverted, making way for the dignitaries from other countries..From the airport a special bus took the passengers to a near by area (as the area around the airport was cordoned off) and from where we boarded the bus for Autobusni Kolodvor (main bus station)..The bus charged 30 kunas and we reached the main bus station in about 35 minutes..Right outside the station, we got our tram to the hotel, but had to disembark because of the traffic diversions..After few minutes of looking around and asking the traffic officials, we managed to reach the taxi station outside Glavni Kolodvor (main train station) and reach our hotel, Villa Antunovac at 3.45 pm..Despite all the confusion and delays what I found was that the people in Zagreb are helpful and the transport system, as I realised in next few days is extremely convenient and smooth. Our studio apartment was extremely nice, well equipped with air conditioner (much needed in the warm July afternoons) clean and close to the main centre on the tram line (Mandalicina). We spent the evening roaming around the area and getting to know the neigbourhood. Supermarkets, bakery and pizzeria were also in the vicinity..

Villa Antunovac

Next morning after my husband left for his conference, I was on my own trying to figure out the tram connections and places to visit and soon i decided to walk till the main square instead of taking the tram, to get a better feel of the place..and I was glad I walked my way till Trg Bana J.Jelacica (main square).Ilica I could not miss observing the vibrance and energy of this city, which was effortlessly reflected in the confident and fashionable demeanor of its people..With fashionable stores on both sides of the lanes, trams zipping through and people rushing around at first gave an impression that the city was extremely fast paced with no time to relax..However this changed as I reached the Trg Bana..it seemed the most happening place in the city with plethora of eateries and Zagrebians and tourists alike sipping their coffee at a leisurly talk .According to legend, a city ruler was thirsty and ordered a girl named Manda to take water from Lake Manduševac (nowadays a fountain in Ban Jelačić Square)

Fountain in Ban Jelacic Square

, using the sentence: "Zagrabi, Mando!" which means, Scoop it up, Manda! and thats how the city got its name.

Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića

.It was roughly 2.5kms from my hotel and walking through the

Zagreb also charmed me with its beautiful parks, museums, sculptures..I personally am not a museum person but Zagreb has a lot to offer for everyone´s taste..I started my trip in Zagreb's central square, Trg Jelacica, and walked uphill to the upper town (Gornji Grad) Kaptol, stopping at Dolac, the fruit and vegetable market. Walking a little further, I reached Zagreb's Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose twin spires are visible from afar. Begun in the 13th century, it was reconstructed in the 20th after an earthquake damaged it. Spending some quiet time at the cathedral, I then headed east to Gradec. Zagreb's Upper town is a network of streets that stretches between two hills - Kaptol and Gradec. I strolled for sometime at Tkalciceva, Zagreb's most colourful street, filled with little cafes and coffee aroma.

Tkalciceva

Nearby is the Stone Gate containing a shrine of the Virgin Mary that is believed to possess magical powers. It is believed that all the wishes are granted there.

Dolac

Cathedral of the Assumption

Most museums are in the Lower Town but this neighborhood has a quirky one, the Museum of Broken

Museum of Broken Relationships

Relationships, an innovative concept that displays mementos of failed relationships and the stories that surround them. Its a small museum but really interesting one.

Art lovers won't want to miss the Musueum of Naive Art nearby. Croatia has  a long tradition of Naive Art and all the greats are represented here.

What one can not ignore on the upper town is the St.Marks Church, at St Mark Square, which sports a multi-coloured tile roof constructed in 1880. The rest of the church dates from the 13th century.On the roof, tiles are laid so that they represent the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background) and Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Historic St Mark Square is also the site of the Croatian Sabor or Parliament and the Ban's Palace, now the presidential palace. Finally I spent some time at Strossmartre, a beautiful lane home to painters and musicians. and took the furnicular to the lower town. Lotrščak Tower, situated in the upper town. The cannon gives the sign for exact noon for the bell-ringers of the city's churches.

Strossmartre

Also from the lower town, at noon everyday one can see a cannon being fired from the 

The next day I went to Maksimir Park and Zoo..I took tram No.11 in the direction of Dubec and got off at Bukovacka, the park is right across the street. The Maksimir Park is the largest green space in the city of Zagreb. It is named after Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, the man who was first responsible for establishing the park in 1794. At the time the park was set up it was on the outskirts of the city, today it is part of suburban Zagreb. Maksimir is a sprawling park and very popular with joggers, runners and even cyclists as the park provides a safe and picturesque track. I spent some time relaxing in the park away from the hustle bustle of the city.

Within the park is also another attraction for young families, The Zoo..There are a number of large (lions, bears, panda, jaguar) and small animals, including endangered species. Of particular interest are the feeding sessions; the sea lion feeding time usually draws quite a crowd. Entry fee for the park is 30 Kuna and can be purchased at the zoo entrance. With a Zagreb Card you get a 50% discount. There are some restaurants and ice cream stalls in the premises, making it a great place to relax with the family on a summer day.

In Zagreb it is possible to be in the centre of the city and enjoy nature at the same time. Whichever way you go, Zagreb will delight you with its beautiful parks. I particularly loved the King Tomislav Square, with its beautiful fountains and gardens. I also visited the Jarun lake and enjoyed my stroll watching the people kayaking and enjoying sports. The lake is in the southwest part of the city between the Sava river and Vrapcak stream and can be reached easily by a tram. The lake is reserved for swimming, kayaking and other forms of leisure and recreational activities.

King Tomislav Square

I found the people of the city to be very warm hearted, who are more than willing to show their guests both their city and their great hearts, which is also a symbol of Zagreb. I also witnessed this, when i tried to buy a postal stamp for my postcard and unable to do so, a lady offered to post me the postcard:) I was a bit reluctant but she very warmly insisted, Thank you Mrs. Pavicic.

Different people would have different impressions of Zagreb. I would remember the city for its open air cafes, cheerful red parasols at Dolac, numerous parks and museums, all in the heart of the city. 

Live life to the fullest...Life lessons that I have learnt so far!

It was a hectic month for me and I did not really venture out of my city, so had no motivation to come to my blog..but today I felt the urge to write something for myself...I will soon be leaving for Croatia and then back home to India for a month..so holidays ahead,.ye ye..so I'l pen down my travel experiences obviously after returning in August.. but today, as I was sitting and pondering over things..my life in general and reading stuff while planning my itinerary, I decided to make my own list of life lessons that I have learnt in these two and half decades of my life..it would not only be retrospection, but also make sure that I live each coming day to the fullest!

1. Life is full of struggles, surprises and choices you don't want to make, but it is still beautiful..Don't think too much, just live life..i know its easier said than done, but trust me, try to fake it a first few times and you would soon be a pro at living life:)

2. We all want the same things in life, irrespective of the geography and culture we live in..love, appreciation, acknowledgement, lots of fun and a secured future..its only the superficial things that separate us from others

3. Happiness is 'really' a state of mind..you don't need money to be happy..believing that once you achieve this one goal, and you would be happy is just fooling your own self..Be content in what you have today but don't be complacent...strive for better in life but don't forget to enjoy the moment now and be happy in this very moment.

4. Money is important but not all that you need to live happily...just stop buying things you don't need and you would be surprised by the amount you would have saved at the end of the month..you would not only feel richer but also be able to take the worries about future off your head!
Spend money on travelling and gaining new experiences instead.. and trust me, its worth more than spending on Armanis, diamond jewelry and other branded stuff just to please others..

5. Continuing from the previous point, It is impossible to please all the people at all the times..“I don’t know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everyone” – Bill Cosby. 
Just be yourself, and live your life as you want..its easier to convince people to believe in you by letting them see the life you have built for yourself than pleading..

6.  There would always be people who would try to pull you down..no matter what you do..learn to recognize them early in life and then ignore (if you cant avoid them)...stick to family and friends who you believe would stick to you in your time of need.

7. Forget your past, make peace with it and don't worry about future..just enjoy the gift of 'Present..things are never as bad as we imagine them to be..save your energies and worries for the problems when they actually befall on you..dont stress just anticipating them.

8. Never envy others just by looking at their facebook pictures..you really dont know their life story so dont compare..appreciate what you have and don't defer your happiness to what you would own one day.

9. Have at least one hobby in life..or one thing you are passionate about..be it cooking, gardening or just anything..things that you enjoy doing have a therapeutic effect on your mind and soul.

10. Spend some 'me time' everyday..dream with open eyes..and work sincerely towards achieving those dreams..there is nothing more gratifying than seeing a dream come true..

11..Its a smart thing to learn from the mistakes made by others but don't shy away from making mistakes yourself, else how would you try new things..just remember to learn from each mistake and move on.

12. We make plans but life always has other plans to us..just stay calm and be make the most of the opportunities that you get..What life gives you when you have asked for something else, might be a blessing in disguise for you..just be patient..and as Steve Jobs had said ''“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

13. Eat healthy, exercise and stay fit..Look good..not to please others but yourself..I feel confident when I know I am looking good and presentable.

14. Time is the biggest healer and can heal almost any wound. Give time some time.

15. Be open to life and believe in Miracles..Miracles happen to those who believe that they happen.

16. Have a faith in life...faith in God or any supernatural forces..when things are beyond your control, having a faith makes life lot easier and helps retain your sanity.

17. Change is the only thing constant in life..Good or bad, things we change..don't let the success go to your head and don't let the failure break your heart.

18. Have a good laugh everyday, you are never too big to do silly things in life..No one takes you so seriously in life as you yourself..so give yourself a break..sometimes just letting go, is all that you need.

19. Be good and respectful to fellow human beings and other creatures..I truly believe that what goes around comes around..your goodness will never go wasted..

20. Fall in love and express your love to your family and friends..life is too short to miss such moments..grab them, seize them and fill your life with countless such moments..

Swiss Break (Part 3) - Lucerne

Day 3: Lucerne

Well this was our last day in Switzerland and soon we would be back home in Germany and my parents' European holiday was nearing its end too..we wanted to make the most of this last day and we hoped that the weather gods would bless us with some sunshine:)
All our hopes turned out true and this day in Lucerne turned out to the one of the most memorable days..
We left Interlaken at around 10am and boarded the Interlaken- Lucerne express which took us to Lucerne in just two hours..I had heard a lot about the scenic beauty of Lucerne, but I did not know that this two hour ride would be the most unforgettable journey that I would take...I don't really have words enough to describe this, so will share some pictures here taken from the train's window. The train took us along the shores of crystal blue lakes, it was tough to believe that they were for real and not just a painting..., we saw some beautiful waterfalls and the views were extremely spectacular..Our train was stopped mid way due to some snag, and we had to wait inside the train for sometime, but we could not complain as the view around was so pretty that we could never have enough of it..

On the way to Lucerne from Interlaken

On the way to Lucerne

We reached Lucern few minutes later than our scheduled time, and the weather was perfect..The sun was shining and a cool breeze was swiping across our faces..Just as we stepped our of the main station we could see the beautiful Lake Lucerne and snow capped mountains all around.
We have reserved our rooms at the IBIS budget hotel, which was a 10 minutes walk from the main station. so we started walking using the GPS on our phone.. The bus station was right outside the train station but since we did not know which bus to take, we started walking..In few minutes we reached the hotel. The staff at the hotel was helpful and gave us information on the various tourist attractions and river cruises there. They also told us about the public transportation. Since we were there just for a day, our only plan was to take a river cruise on Lake Lucerne is extremely popular for its breathtaking views and roam around the old city..Lake Lucerne, also known as Vierwaldstättersee, lit. "Lake of the Four Forested Cantons") was the reason that we had planned to visit this city, like many other tourists, and it was just amazing.

After settling down and having our lunch, we went back to the main station to inquire about the cruise. The boats depart from the quay directly opposite the main station. There are lots of cruises and boats to choose from. The private boat carriers do charge money (not covered with swiss pass), and offer pedal and motor boats which one can rent for few hours and it is not very expensive.(20 CHF for 30 minutes for pedal boat for five people).and it could be real fun in sunny weather..

At the Lucerne Quay

It was about 1.30pm and we wanted to take the longest cruise and go to the other end of the lake until Flüelen. We went to the ticket counter however the lady at the counter told us that  there was no cruise back from Fluelen, so we should skip that and take a  shorter cruise, of around four hours ( with our swiss pass we could take this cruise at zero cost)..What she missed telling us, and we later realised after talking to the crew of our ship was that, we could have gone to Fluelen and taken a train from there back to Lucerne..So, one could always get out on any stop on the way, roam around, take the ship further or back or train
 ( please refer to the time table to plan the trip).. The route we took was:
Lucerne - Weggis - Vitznau - Beckenried - Brunnen - Flüelen

The boat was extremely comfortable with a bar and restaurant on- board..The view of Mt.Rigi and the towns on the shores was extremely mesmerizing..After spending some time on the deck, clicking pictures we came inside as it started to getting cold...we ordered tomato mozzarella and vegetable soup (which turned our to be just Asparagus soup..)..the food was okay..not to great, and not too expensive too...its nice to enjoy the water, mountains while sipping something warm:)..It could be good to carry a book or small board game to enjoy, as just staring out at the blue lake might get boring for some people..Our final stop was Brunnen where we had to wait for 40mins before boarding the ship back to Lucerne..We roamed around this small quaint town, checked out the coop supermarket, and a small stationery shop where we bought a postcard and soon it was time to return..
The journey was extremely beautiful and pleasurable...

My husband and parents on the boat

Mt.Rigi as seen from the Lake Lucerne

In the evening, my parents decide to relax in the hotel and I decided to enjoy the lake side at night with my husband..and what a sight it was..the water was calm..reflecting the lights lit on the hotels..it all looked so exquisite.

Läderach Chocolatier

Beautiful hand made chocolates

Next morning we had no plans, and just wanted to roam around the city a bit..We went to the old city, and bought some swiss chocolates from Läderach Chocolatier and they were amazing..They have chocolates in all shapes, sizes, flavours with alcohol and just extremely pretty.. My favourite out of the bunch was lemon and orange milk chocolate..(small pieces of dried lemon and orange coated with chocolate)..It could be a good souvenir to carry back home:)..We visited a church nearby and then ordered pizza at Pizza Pasta Panini, a small italian take away counter at the station, and there I saw a really cool thing..all the customers are given a small cordless device that flashes once the order is ready, so the customers need not wait at the counter..pretty cool stuff!
After eating to our heart's content we went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage that we had kept in the luggage room and later boarded a train to Basel from where we had a connecting train to Kaiserslautern. 

Lucerne by Night

It rained throughout the journey and we just thanked God and our stars that the weather was good while we were there:)

Some take aways:

Switzerland is an extremely expensive place, considering the amount of tourists that flock the cities here...and so travelling internally could be expensive too....if you are planning to stay here for at least 3 nights and want to travel a couple of cities, try considering a Swiss Pass. It gives you flexibility in terms of time (you can board any train), and also you can get the closest connection from the city you are travelling and then use swiss pass internally.. We booked our tickets from Paris to Geneva and used Swiss pass from Geneva to Interlaken...and then from Lucerne we reached Basel using Swiss pass and from there took a train to Kaiserslautern..We also got some discount on the Jungfraubahn and the river cruise in Lake Lucerne was already covered by swiss pass..You can read more about the benefits of swiss pass here- www.swiss-pass.ch

Swiss transport system is very well connected and extremely punctual so always refer to the timetable and plan your trip before starting your day.

One can ask for guest card at the hotels ( the one in Interlaken gave us) and then travel on buses for free using that ( in case you don't have a swiss pass)..the guest card also gives discounts on some museums. The hotels in Lucerne don't have these guest cards though.

Eating out can be extremely expensive too, so its always better to stock up some cookies and drinks from the supermarket near by (coop ) is one of the supermarkets that can be found easily), instead of over-paying at small kiosks.

Always carry an umbrella and a jacket..the weather is extremely unpredictable..

German is widely spoken and written there..Though the language people commonly speak is Swiss' (it sounds like German but we were told that its as different as German and English).

People are extremely friendly and helpful so do not hesitate to question. Even if you dont speak their language, they will try to help as much as they can.