Tag: travelogue
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[ROME] THE VATICAN CITY
![[ROME] THE VATICAN CITY](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/p1040822.jpg?w=1024)
We arrived, early summer morning, at the smallest internationally recognised independent state in the world! Dan Brown aficionados would undoubtedly link Vatican City to Angels and Demons, in which our all-time favourite Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon fights to stop the Illuminati from destroying Vatican City with the newly discovered antimatter. I loved every sequel, but Angels and Demons…
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[ROME] IN ALL ITS RUINED BEAUTY
![[ROME] IN ALL ITS RUINED BEAUTY](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/p1040617.jpg?w=1024)
What everyone should love about Rome: its historic ruins and scatters of exquisite shambles. Much of this city appears discarded – as if picked apart by fickle historians and deemed unworthy of more than an afterthought. Centuries of time gone by lay preserved in these archived sites, untouched by restoration, that are as common in…
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SEOUL DIARIES 021: DONGNIMMUN GATE 독립문
In late 19th Century, the King was many-a-times escorted through Dongnimmun Gate, thereafter to demonstrate personal reception towards visiting Chinese envoys. Dongnimmun is 独立門 in Mandarin, the gate that signifies independence and free will of a country’s people. Built in 1897, the gate served to concretize South Korea’s sovereignty. Planted aesthetically in areas surrounding the independence gate are…
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SEOUL DIARIES 019: A DAY OF ARTS AND CULTURE
March 24, 2014: DAY FIVE Itinerary [09:00AM] Arrive at Anguk Station [09:00AM] Explore Insadong streets: from Anguk Station, walk towards Jongno-3-ga via Gwanhun-dong, and back towards Anguk Station via Gyeonji-Dong [11:00AM] Lunch @ Miss Lee Cafe 별다방 미스리, Insadong [12:00PM] Bukchon Hanok Village 북촌한옥마을 [01:30PM] Coffee Break @ Cafe 5Ci Jung 까페오시정 [02:15PM] Explore Samcheongdong, walk back towards Insadong (Anguk Station) [02:45PM]…
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SEOUL DIARIES 018: SAMCHEONGDONG 삼청동
At the peak of Bukchon Hanok Village overlooking Samcheongdong, I couldn’t wait to get to its bustling streets! Samcheongdong is geographically the lane right next to Bukchon Hanok Village. It is the trendy mash-up neighbourhood with hipster cafes, luxury goods, private art galleries alongside traditional Korean diners. Not a showroom for cars but an art gallery. In Seoul, many motor…
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SEOUL DIARIES 015: ART @ CHEONGYECHEON STREAM
Discovered this underground cave of an artwork gallery at Cheongyecheon Stream 청계천 and thought it was worth a mention! Don’t miss it if you’re strolling along the picturesque waterway. xoxo, Viktoria Jean
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SEOUL DIARIES 014: CHEONGYECHEON STREAM 청계천
For serenity and peace in Seoul’s busy boulevard, Cheongyecheon’s mini waterfalls, crystal clear stream and quiet walking lanes is where I found clarity for my thoughts. Honestly this 8.4 km / 5.2 miles long stream wasn’t as grand as what I had in mind, but still a picturesque sight in the city! Many couples were seen holding hands, strolling leisurely as…
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London Lovin’: Vintage Shopfronts
Shops like these you’ll never find them in Asia. Especially where I come from, space is so constrained that anything below 3-floors will be extinct in the next 5 years or so. Baffled by re-modelling works of architecture in the European cities where its aesthetic appeal lies in its vintage houses! Swarovski is sandwiched between…
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London Lovin’: Old Bailey
Chanced upon the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as Old Bailey, in West End London. In the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, it is the courthouse where Charles Darnay is put on trial for treason. In the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Joshamee Gibbs is tried in…
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London Lovin’: Time is Immemorial
One thing I’ve come to realise about most European cities: they have clocks or clock towers in almost every street. War Memorials too, it seems they value their history as much as time is immemorial. Says a lot about its people being proud of their history. xoxo, Viktoria Jean
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London Lovin’: City Grandeur
Overeager to see everything on my first trip to London, I took to exploring West End on foot. My fingers were working the shutter overtime, attempting to capture everything. Which I soon realised was impossible! Damn, the rush to see it all wasn’t worth it. Why click fast and leave for another touristy scene, only…
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London Lovin’: Oxford Circus
Stepping out from London Underground is like entering a different realm, and it did feel that way to me, exiting Oxford Circus Station. Topshop, Selfridges, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, HMV, Debenhams have their flagship stores on this street. Each year, Oxford Street is decorated with festive lights. Each Christmas, a celebrity turns on the…
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London Lovin’: Dominion
Who is that powerful god? Is it one of the Bohemians? Is it Galileo? 268-269 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 7AQ, United Kingdom
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Sunset at Swan River
Slow and romantically lone walk along the Swan River waterfront overlooking South Perth. Sea breeze and its accompanying calm did wonders for the incessant noise in my head, as did the pull of my heart in various messy directions. Loving the bright blue skies, crystal seas and its zen. This is nature at its best;…
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London Lovin’: 10 Gorgeous Photos
In the recent Anholt-GFK City Brands Index, London was voted the best city in the world, knocking Paris off the top spot. The champion city is then followed by Sydney, Paris, New York and Rome. I’ve managed to snap these 10 gorgeous pictures as timeless evidence of London’s brilliance! ❤
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At Least You’re in Tuscany: A Somewhat Disastrous Quest for the Sweet Life
I received this book in exchange for a review, and here it is! By Jennifer Criswell Published September 28th 2012 by Gemelli Press LLC MY REVIEW: “It was this trip, during which I learned to say “yes” to every adventure, during which I’d felt romance and trusted my instincts, that convinced me that if I…
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London Lovin’: Wild & Coffee Company
Sniffing out the best brews on my London cafè-hunt, I stumbled upon Wild & Coffee Company along Oxford Street. Dying for a mid-day coffee fix, I was so glad to see that it’s been labelled ‘London’s best coffee’. Though small and subtle, the interior decor is amazingly cosy. A really awesome place to sit and…
Viktoria Jean 