Europe trip 2023

London

Time has flown, and I haven't returned to London since 2018. It appears that there have been some changes, with several old shops having closed down. Nevertheless, it feels good to be back in England.

Curiously, during our stay at my friend's residence in London, we faced the absence of Wi-Fi, and the phone reception left much to be desired. With our options limited, we stumbled upon an old DVD set for "Triumph in the Skies," and that became our nightly entertainment for the duration of our stay in London.

London Zoo

Despite my love for animals, I never once visited a zoo in the UK during my time studying in England. There were simply so many other activities and attractions in the city that took precedence over a trip to the zoo.  However, this time, I happened to have the opportunity to visit the zoo with my friend and his family. In my opinion, it's relatively small, and the location is not particularly impressive.

YAUATCHA

This place evokes a flood of memories, especially from my university days. The dim sum is decent, but what really stands out is the vibrant atmosphere and its proximity to Soho. I used to frequent this spot often in my youth, and I revisited it again this time.

Markets

In addition to YAUATCHA, I explored various markets, including food markets and antique and art markets. I find myself thoroughly enjoying most of the markets in the UK, both now and in the past. Sadly, during my youth in the UK, I was overly focused on my studies and other unnecessary matters, which resulted in missing out on many enjoyable experiences. However, I am now making an effort to catch up on everything I might have missed during that time.

London on Film

Berlin

After London, my friend went to Finland with his family, and I visited a friend who resides in Berlin. A few friends also showed interest and joined. Upon landing in Berlin, I encountered heavy rainfall. I had to walk for 15 minutes under the pouring rain to reach the Airbnb where we were staying. By the time I arrived at the Airbnb, it was already 12 pm, and my friends was still relaxing and enjoying their time.

Dark matter

The first thing I did upon arriving in Berlin was to go to Dark Matter, as suggested by my friend. I didn't have high expectations initially, but in the end, I had a fantastic experience there, thoroughly enjoying the visual and sound effects.

Friendsssssssss

My friend's friend, who grew up in Berlin, graciously showed us around the city. We visited a location adorned with an abundance of urban art, where photography was not allowed, but I managed to capture a few shots nonetheless. This being my third visit to Berlin, thanks to my friend residing there and the new acquaintance, I've begun to appreciate the unique characteristics of the city compared to others.

Shot on iphone

Berlin on film

Sicily

Contemplating between a solitary adventure to Paris or joining my friends in Sicily, I eventually opted for Sicily—a destination that enthralls with its unique and somewhat unconventional charm. My fascination with Sicily traces back to the film "The Godfather," and it appears the place has retained much of the cinematic allure portrayed in the movie.

Regrettably, I've been unwell since my time in Berlin, possibly even dating back to London. The weather was excessively hot, and the London accommodation lacked air conditioning. Since then, I've been grappling with symptoms resembling heatstroke, with the heat lingering in my body throughout my entire Sicilian journey. Unfortunately, this significantly hindered my ability to fully relish most of the Sicilian trip. In the end, unable to find a solution, I resorted to taking anti-inflammatories to alleviate the discomfort caused by the persisting "hot air" within my body.

Fortuitously, my companions and I encountered a friend from secondary school in Sicily. It was a joy to reconnect with her and her companion. However, my ailment hindered my ability to engage in conversations and breathe freely, reducing my participation in the gatherings. Nevertheless, she proved to be a saviour during an incident that unfolded later that same night.

Shot on Iphone

I bought this, but I forgot to eat and left in the BNB!

Funniest thing happened in the trip

While rushing to a restaurant that was a 45-minute drive from the mountain where we were located at that moment, a companion who claimed to have 10 years of driving experience got into an incident, and the front tire went flat immediately. We had to stop near a statue of St. Mary and call for help. However, despite Italians asserting that their emergency services work 24/7, no one answered the call or took any action. We had to call back to England to transfer the call to Sicily, and the worst nightmare was that they couldn't speak English. We were at the scene of the incident for an hour already.

Luckily, our secondary school friend happened to be around and came to our rescue. She laughed at our predicament,  took us to the restaurant, and we had the best pizza we've had so far in Italy, hence, drove us back to the BNB that night,

you are the best, cecilia!