AdventureNotes #9: Como

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Como? Where is it? Coming from an Asian country, I’m not familiar with the non mainstream tourist attractions in Europe. Como is one of them. It is actually a small city located near Lake Como, where it got its name, in Italy. The city borders the country and Switzerland.

Why did I go to Como? I actually went there to visit a friend. I needed a place to star near Milan, too. My friend was a student there and she lived in a student accommodation, just enough for two people to sleep. Her accommodation was not too far from the city center.

To get to Como, people can use trains. There are many trains passing this city. As it is a quite ‘famous’ place for people to come to spend their day off, it is not too difficult to get there. I think it is around an hour train ride from Milan.

Como is such a small city, anyway. The city is beautiful with its lakeside scenery. There are lots of hotels and cafes because people come to enjoy the city. Like other Italian cities, there is also a famous Gelato shop there. Despite the cold weather, I bought and ate Gelato when I was there.

There are not too many tourist attractions in Como, but people can certainly enjoy Lake Como by hiring a boat. Besides that, the hilly contour of the city makes people able to hike to the hill to enjoy the scenery. I think a memorial of Volta was built up there because of his relation to the city.

I quite like the atmosphere there because it was not too crowded and it has its own charm with its little shops, outdoor market, and gardens.  I think it is an appropriate place when someone seeks serenity.

I will be happily recommend this place if you need sanctuary for your holiday. It is also close to Milan, and considering the condition, maybe this city is a better place to stay.

Jan 08, 2016

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Easter Travel Cool Fact #3

You won’t be lost taking the train inside Germany. Literally!

The train connection in Germany is sooooo good that you won’t be confused even if you are traveling alone for the first time as in my case. When you purchase the ticket, you will find which train you will need to take – with the number, from which platform you will get on the train, what time the train will depart and what time the train will arrive. If you need connecting train, you will also find the same information in your ticket. What a nice life! Hah! Comparing to the system in the UK. WOW! You will be confused if you have to change your train. Oh! And all the trains are rarely late, and the connecting time between trains is planned very carefully so that you won’t have to wait more than an hour. Well, this can be good or bad as I had to run to catch my next train because the previous one was delayed for 5 minutes. See, 5 minutes delay and I almost missed my next train. So cool, right?

Apr 05, 2013

 

Schön Heildelberg

On the third day of my Easter vacation, I went to Heidelberg to meet Lana. I didn’t plan to go there before, but I was lucky to decide to go to Heidelberg. It is such a beautiful city. The city is not as big, but the old town is amazing. I like how the old town was built. The environment, the people… all was wonderful.

There is the oldest university in Germany there. It isn’t too big but it’s beautiful. Even the library was ‘oh my God’ breathtaking. Another attraction there is Philosophenweg. It is basically a street up to a hill where you can take pictures of the whole old town Heidelberg. You can also see a fort across the hill there. The day I went to Heidelberg was nice but a bit foggy so I kind of didn’t get good enough picture. But that’s okay. I had fun!

Apr 07, 2013

Student’s Life in Kaiserslautern

One of the cities that I visited during my trip to Germany was Kaiserslautern. Okay, where is it? For those who don’t know, don’t worry! I didn’t know myself until I looked it up in Google Maps. Haha!

It is a small city in the south west part of Germany, near the border with France. For a city, well, it is very small – even compared to Hull. Yeay! My city is not that tiny. 😛

What I noticed a lot during my visit in Kaiserslautern is the students’ life in Germany. The teenagers are much nicer than the teenagers in the UK. Really! The environment was also nice to study, I think.

The rather downside of the students’ life in Kaiserslautern – at least for me – maybe the accommodation thing. My friend, Ulfah, told me that finding a student accommodation in Germany, generally, is very difficult. Not only because of the high price, but also because there is lack of student housing. What??? Yeah, while I, in the UK, am guaranteed to be able to find student accommodation easily, they need to strive to find a place to live.

I am so grateful that I can easily live in a nice student house with nice housemates and nice facilities. Those that aren’t available for some friends in other parts of the world.

Be grateful! 🙂

Apr 05, 2013

Easter Travel Cool Fact #1

CNL

CNL means city night line. It is a type of train to go around Europe (the main land Europe) at night with the sleeper coach in the train. I went from Milano Centrale to Munchen Hbf with this kind of train. The train was very nice with friendly staff. That was my first experience using the sleeper coach. I was lucky that there was only me in my sleeper coach which is supposed to be for up to 6 people. You have your electrical plug (very important!), blanket, and pillows. Yeay! I had a nice night sleep here. Plus, they also give you small breakfast. It almost seems to be too good to be true. Ha!

File:Mannheimer Hauptbahnhof- auf Bahnsteig zu Gleis 3- Richtung Ludwigshafen (Rhein)- City Night Line (Schlafwagen) 26.3.2010.jpg

Apr 04, 2013