United Kingdom 2001: 10 London, England - The gloomy smokey City...

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love..." - Rumi

(On a hop-on Hop-off bus)

01 January 2001

(Madrid - London - KL)

From Madrid we transited Heathrow and with the kids took the train to London town and get a tour of London at night.

(Baker Street station)

Picture taken in the sub-way while waiting for the train to take us back to Heathrow Airport.

(Sara, Iwan and Ja - feeling cool)

We were too late for Madam Tussod's tour but still had time to take pictures around the area...

(Airport duty-free shops)

Last minute shopping at the airport before we boarded the plane back to Malaysia...

👈 2001: Barcelona, Spain

2001: Salamanca, Spain 👉

Spain 2001: 09 Salamanca - A European Cultural Capital...

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes..." - Benjamin Disraeli

'

(A rest on a bench at Plaza Mayor)

(04 January 2001)

Home to 180,000 inhabitants, this culturally rich city that is located in the mid west of Spain (Castilla y Leon region). Within a central location, you can discover many of Salamanca's cultural and historical sites, from Plaza Mayor, the 16th century Convento de San Esteban, the Renaissance palace Palacio Anaya, Casa de las Conchas, Iglesia de la Purisima church and the Renaissance court, Monasterio de los Irlandeses.
'

(A walking tour in Salamanca)

'

Salamanca has been declared the 'City of Mankind's Heritage' by UNESCO and named the 'European Cultural Capital'. In this city, Castilian Spanish (pure Spanish) is widely spoken, and over 30 percent of its population are Spanish students, making it an ideal location for studying Spanish.

'

(UNESCO Heritage Site)

'

This 'university town' has the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest universities in the world. Immerse in Salamanca's Spanish culture, literature and history within the surroundings of cathedrals, plazas, convents, palaces, and churches.

👈 2001: London, UK 

2001: Coimbra, Portugal 👉

Portugal 2001: 08 Coimbra - The Oldest University in Europe...

"Many of life's failure are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up..." - Thomas Edison

'

(A visit to the oldest University)

(03 January 2001)

'
The historic city of Coimbra is located in central Portugal, 195 km north of Lisbon. It is set by the Mondego River, about 40 km east of Figueira da Foz, a neighbour coastal city with several beaches, summer and seaport facilities on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Just outside the municipality, there are also several picturesque mountain towns, spa towns and villages.
'

(Heavy rain at the University)

'
It served as the country's capital during the 12th Century and remains home to the University of Coimbra, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world and one of the oldest in Europe.

👈 2001: Salamanca, Spain

2001: Fatima, Portugal 👉

Portugal 2001: 07 Fatima - The Lady of the Rossary...

'"In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take..."

'

(A visit to a winery)

(03 January 2001)

Fatima is a city in Portugal famous for the religious visions that took place there in 1917. The town is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and sub region of Medio Tejo.
'

(A very wet day at the Basilica)

'
Fátima's claim to fame is the shrine called the Basilica, built to commemorate the events of 1917 when three peasant children claimed to have seen the "Virgin of the Rosary", The Lady of Fátima. When the children asked for her name, she said "I am The Lady of The Rosary". The children experienced the purported Marian apparitions in a pasture called the Cova da Iria.

👈 2001: Coimbra, Portugal

2001: Lisbon, Portugal 👉

Portugal 2001: 06 Lisbon - Portugal's capital city...

"Surround yourself with those who see greatness in you, even when you don't see it in yourself..."

'

(Monument to the Discoveries)

(02 January 2001)

'
Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. Lisbon was under Roman rule from 205 BC, when it was already a 1000 year old town. Julius Caesar made it a municipium called Felicitas Julia, adding to the name Olissipo. Ruled by a series of Germanic tribes from the 5th century, it was captured by Moors in the 8th century. In 1147, the Crusaders reconquered the city for the Christians and since then it has been a major political, economic and cultural center of Portugal.
'

(By the Tagus River)

'
Unlike most capital cities, Lisbon's status as the capital of Portugal has never been granted or confirmed officially – by statute or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through constitutional convention, making its position as de facto capital a part of the Constitution of Portugal.
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(The Belem Tower)

'
The capital of Portugal sits at the point where the River Tagus feeds into the Atlantic, just about as far west as you can go without getting your feet wet. Being built on seven hills, it has plenty of vantage points from which to contemplate the distant horizons that called the Portuguese explorers in the country’s golden age during the 16th century, when it was the hub of commerce with the far east and gold poured into Lisbon’s coffers from the new west.
'

(A family photo at Belem Tower)

'

Spread across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tejo, Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect of Portugal’s star attraction, yet with half the fuss of other European capitals. Gothic cathedrals, majestic monasteries and quaint museums are all part of the colourful cityscape, but the real delights of discovery lie in wandering the narrow lanes of Lisbon’s lovely backstreets...

'

(Exploring Lisbon)

👈 2001: Fatima, Portugal

2001: Cabo Da Roca 👉

Portugal 2001: 05 Cabo da Roca - The Westernmost point of Europe...

"The secret of happiness is to count your blessings while others are adding up their troubles..."

'

(The Atlantic Ocean in the background)

(01 January 2001)

Cabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost point of both mainland Europe and mainland Portugal. The cape is in the Portuguese municipality of Sintra, west of Lisbon district, and also forms the westernmost extent of the Serra de Sintra 40 km west of the city of Lisbon. The cliff rises out of the Atlantic Ocean to approximately 140 m above sea level.

(The lighthouse at the cape)

(The westernmost point of Europe)

'

Cabo da Roca was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon. A 16th century Portuguese poet described Cabo da Roca as the place "where the land ends and the sea begins”.

The cape's lighthouse and a tourist shop sit on top of the cliff. Construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1772, and the structure rises 144 meters in height above the cape. The cape is a popular tourist attraction, and the site features a monument with a crucifix bearing an inscription in Portuguese…

'

(Cool windy day at the cape)

(The strong waves among the rocks)

👈 2001: Lisbon, Portugal

2001: Seville, Spain 👉

Spain 2001: 04 Seville - The Legendary Don Juan...

"By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answer to our own..."

'

(Plaza de Espana)

(31 December 2000)

Seville certainly is one of the most beloved places by visitors to Spain. Although today Moorish influence is architectonically most evident - Andalusia was occupied by Moors for about 800 years - it has been a cultural center long before. The fertility of this land and its favorised climate with mild winters and about 3000 hours of sun per year. Later came Romans, like almost to any place in Europe, and two of their emperors, Trajan and Hadrian, in fact were born here.

'

(Iwan at the Plaza de Espana)

Also later on Seville was the home of famous and infamous figures of history, the legendary "Don Juan" started from here to conquer the hearts of women across all Europe, while Columbus started from a port close to Seville to discover a new world.

' '

(Parque de Maria Luisa)

'When you visit this city, you are in the very heart of Andalusian culture, the center of bullfighting and Flamenco music. Take yourself time and take life easy, as Andalusians use to do, and interrupt sightseeing from time to time to have a few tapas, those typical small spanish dishes, and a cup of coffee in one of the probably thousands of bars in this city.

(Strolling along the quaint cobblestone lanes) 

'Seville is a city where one feels at ease anyway, just being there or having a stroll through it's tipical districts, frequently with narrow streets, like Santa Cruz, Triana or the Alameda de Hércules district.The streets, the air and the people give a sense of joy, passion and life, due to the fact that there is people out on the street at almost any time, thanks to the many hours of sun.

(Ready to board the ferry for the River Cruise)

👈2001: Cabo da Roca, Portugal

2001: Granada, Spain 👉

Spain 2001: 03 Granada - The Moorish jewel...

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you..." - Maya Angelou

Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. The long-time capital of Moorish Andalusia has to offer the most important reminds of this epoch in Spanish history, with the world-famous "Alhambra" at the top of the list.

(The Quranic verses on the wall)

(30 December 2000)

Walk through beautiful gardens, charming narrow streets filled with flowers, sit down in one of those typical taverns, and breath the centuries of history around you anywhere. There are gypsies singing "Flamenco", and don't miss to visit their famous "Cuevas" - caves - in the mountain of the monastery of Sacromonte where some of them really live still nowadays making magnificent artisany. Granada's popular festivals, based as well on Moorish as Christian tradition, are most attractive.omage to Toledo's Damascene swords and knives, colorful pottery, and almond-paste marzipan.

'

(Islamic historical legacy)

The city is located at the foot of the "Sierre Nevada", Spain's highest mountain-massif with great possibilities for winter-sports. The highest peak, "Mulhacén" arrives to 3478 meters. On the other hand it is not far from the Mediterranean sea, so Granada is a great place to visit in any season.

'

(Sara, Iwan and Ja in the Al-Hambra, Granada)

The Alhambra is not only the most important, but also the best conserved Arabian palace of its epoch. The name Alhambra means "the red one" and refers to the color of the mountain on which it is built. There are two entrance doors, in the north the Puerta de las Armas and in the south the Puerta de la Justicia.

(Al-Hambra beautiful gardens)

👈 2001: Seville, Spain

2001: Toledo, Spain 👉

Spain 2001: 02 Toledo - A small fortificated town...

"The strongest people are not hose who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about..."

(Sara, Iwan and Ja in Toledo)

(30 December 2000)

Toledo is one of the most important centers of European medieval history. The fortification has always been an important parameter in its history, still evident to today's tourist for the monumental walls around, and the "Swords of Toledo" gave to its steel-production world-wide fame. It was capital of Spain from the Gothic epoch until 1560, fact that explains its really impressive medieval architecture. Walking through its streets one feels like having stepped back into the Middle-Ages, but in the best sense of it, and perhaps you will search your pockets for a few gold-ducats to buy some of Toledo's fine artisan or just to enjoy of its highly recommendable cuisine.

(The fortified City)

The Alcazar: A fortification has been on this site since Romen times. In 1936 Franco's forces took refuge here and the Alcazar was almost completely destroyed. A museum today, it is a good place to start your visit to Toledo.

(Enough of souvenir shopping)

Modern-day Toledo may be marred by swarms of tourists and caravans of kitsch, but it remains a treasure trove of Spanish culture. The city's numerous churches, synagogues, and mosques share twisting alleyways, emblematic of a time when Spain's three religions coexisted peacefully. Visitors pay monetary Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. The long-time capital of Moorish Andalusia has to offer the most important reminds of this epoch in Spanish history, with the world-famous "Alhambra" at the top of the list.

(Ja and a falling tree)

👈 2001: Granada, Spain

2001: Madrid, Spain 👉

Spain 2001: 01 Madrid - A city of diversity and contrast...

"The greatest act of faith some days is to simply get up and face another day..."

Spain & Portugal
(29 December 2000 - 5 January 2001)

We were supposed to have a family holiday in Disneyland but some how it was changed to Spain and Portugal instead because of some clashes in dates...

(A shopping spree)

Madrid, with a population of just under three million, is Europe’s fourth largest city – after London, Paris and Milan – and its highest capital, at 650 m above sea level. The repression and torpor of the Franco era are now all but forgotten by Madrileños who, perhaps more than any other Spaniards, are determined to live life to the fullest. The craving for conspicuous enjoyment, not to mention the hours of annual sunshine, turn the streets into bustling centres of public display.

(Sara, Iwan and Ja having a good time)

Madrid’s infectious and colourful fiestas punctuate the year, with each district trying to outdo the other in its celebrations. The highlights include Feast of the Three Kings, Carnival, the religious processions of Holy Week, the San Isidro festival in May, the beginning of the bullfighting season and New Year’s Eve, when the Puerta del Sol becomes the focal point during several hours of uninhibited partying. Visitors should also look out for the major cultural festivals, notably the Veranos de la Villa in summer and the autumn Festival de Otoño, embracing film, dance, theatre and music of every description. Although Madrid’s climate is more extreme than other Spanish locations, the warm dry summers and cool winters still allow for many alfresco activities.

(Chilly weather in the evening)

Madrid becomes capital only in the second half of the 16th century, but it oozes a vitality and character that rarely fails to move. In no other European capital will you find the city centre so thronged so late into the night, as though some unwritten law forbade sleeping before dawn.Madrid has always been a city of immigrants and transients, and the result is an unusually open and accessible city. Ambitious programs to modernise the city are afoot, but the local gatos of Madrid can rest assured that their town remains as refreshingly unlike Paris, London or Rome as ever. 

(A cool winter night)

👈 2001: Toledo, Spain

2000: Makkah, Saudi Arabia 👉

Saudi Arabia 2000: 5th Umrah - Makkah al-Mukarramah...

"A man of ability and the desire to accomplish something can do anything..." - Donal Kircher

Makkah al- Mukarramah

(26 November - 7 December 2000)

(Masjidil Haram)

(Padang Arafat & Jabal Rahmah)

(Camel Farm @ Hudaibiah)

👈 2001: Madrid, Spain

2000: Madinah, Saudi Arabia 👉

Saudi Arabia 2000: 5th Umrah - Madinah al-Munawarah...

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome..." - Samuel Johnson

Madinah al-Munawarah

(22-26 November 2000)

(Our hotel in Madinah)

(Masjid Quba')

(Masjid Nabawi)

(Masjid Nabawi)

👈 2000: Makkah, Saudi Arabia

2000: Hiroshima, Japan 👉

Japan 2000: Hiroshima - The first atomic bomb explosion…

"Once you've accepted your flaws no one can use them against you..."

Hiroshima, Japan

(13 - 15 September 2000)

The participants of ODA Loan Seminar took the bullet train, the Nozomi shinakansen to travel from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The Nozomi shinkansen is the fastest type of bullet train and takes 4 hours to travel direct. We stayed in Hiroshima for two days and visited some of the attractions.

Hiroshima city is in western Honshu, the largest of Japan's four main islands. Hiroshima means "wide island" literally and refers probably to the expansive delta on which it is built. It is in fact made of many islands, and none of them actually very wide - all long thin affairs. The city was founded back in the late 1500s by a Mori Terumoto, as a castle town to control trade and promote good order. A visit to the castle provides a great insight into the city's growth and construction.

(Ferry ride to Miyajima Island)

Hiroshima is a very pleasant place. The flipside of the destruction wrought upon it at the end of the war has been the freedom it has offered town planning since. Leafy parks and boulevards abound, and the city is broken up by seven rivers which carry breezes down from the surrounding hills to the island packed inland sea. This helps keep it cooler than other Japanese cities, even at the height of broiling summer. There are a few trips available on the rivers.

'

(Miyajima, a temple island)

'Hiroshima is easy to get to, about an hour and a half on a faster Shinkansen from Osaka., and perfect for people on route to or from Kyushu. Many people come here even if it is not strictly on their circuit though, mostly to see the Peace Park and Peace Museum, and to see for themselves the legacy of the atomic bomb. The bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 and exploded about 500m above the city centre at 8:15 in the morning. The Peace Park is now built on top of an old entertainment district that was obliterated in the blast, being only a few hundred metres from the hypocentre.

(Tame deers roaming the streets)

Though many of the memorials in the park and the museum itself are ugly concrete structures, the sheer force of history is such that few can come here and fail to be moved. Downstairs in the museum and free is a small gallery of artwork by survivors of the bomb, with descriptions of what they saw, where they were and so forth. This is an incredibly moving exhibit that deserves a lot more time the main museum itself.

(The Peace Dome at Hiroshima Ground Zero)

When we were in Hiroshima, we went for a day-tour to Miyajima island, home to more than a thousand Sika deer. According to local folklore, the deer in Miyajima were considered sacred messengers from the gods. Until 1637, killing one was punishable by death. They're still protected by Japanese law today, but not quite that harshly.

In most places, deer are difficult to approach, running away when you get close to them. But Miyajima deers are different. You can easily pet them or feed them.

👈 2000: Madinah, Saudi Arabia

2000: Tokyo, Japan 👉

Japan 2000: Tokyo - Capital of Shoguns and Ninjas....

"The meaning of life is to give life a meaning..."

Tokyo & Hiroshima

(4 -23 September 2000)

I was in Japan for the ODA Loan Seminar from 4 – 23 September. We had the opportunity to visit a few factories in Hiroshima over the weekend and joined a guided sight seeing of the city and nearby island.
'

(A tour of Tokyo city)

Tokyo, symbol of the Japanese success story, is a sprawling megalopolis on the Pacific coast of Honshu, the largest island of the Japanese archipelago. In 1590, the city was founded as Edo, the capital of the shoguns, the succession of hereditary absolute rulers of Japan and commander of the Japanese army. Edo boasted its own vibrant culture, the celebrated ‘floating world’ of pleasure quarters, theatres and cherry blossoms, immortalised in the Japanese woodblock prints of the time. Following the fall of the shoguns in 1867, the city was renamed Tokyo, the Eastern Capital, heralding its rebirth as a dynamic modern city and the showpiece of a rapidly modernising country. Despite the catastrophic 1923 earthquake and near obliteration during World War II, Tokyo was able to rise from the ashes to host the 1964 Olympics and went on to preside over the Japanese economic miracle.

(Visiting the Royal Palace)

Tokyo enjoys a temperate climate, with warm although sometimes muggy summers and mild, dry winters. The balmy spring days or in autumn are the best times to visit the city.

👈2000: Hiroshima, Japan  

1999: Paris, France 👉