My top 10 goals for Europe

Stay in convent in Italy

Dine in Michelin-star restaurant

Montmatre at night in Paris

UNESCO Heritage sites

Colosseum in Italy at night

Gelato in Rome

Amarone vineyard near Venice

Biking near windmill village nearby Amsterdam

Mass in Vatican city

Expresso at Italian caffe

Gondola ride in Venice

Visit David at Accademia Firenze

Island hopping around Venice Isola

Dawn in Prague along Charles Bridge

Pilgrimage

Going to Rome and Vatican always hold a special meaning for a Catholic. I went through the virtual tour of Scavi tour, which is the tour on the underground passage to where St. Peter tomb where his body was laid to rest after his prosecution and the bedrock of the St Peter's Altar in the Vatican city.

It was really moving to feel the emotion and spiritual grief of his sacrifice and his faith at the same time. You can access the virtual tour in the Vatican's site here.

My race certificate

My Performance Series, Coney Island e-certificate is here... 10km 1hour and 34 mins. Not a record to be proud off... but still it is 11km according to mapmyrun :-)

My race certificate

Europe Plan

Planning Europe trip, and dragging Pa and Mom along with the planning. I have booked leave on Aug 1 thru Aug 16, so what's left right now is just the itinerary for the 18-days. We are not short of places to go, but we need to prioritize since it's my parents' first trip to Europe.

We have decided so far to skip Spain, Portugal, and Greece (sadly, but I vetoed the removal of Prague)!

We'll cover Singapore - Rome (2 nights) - Pisa/Florence - Venice (3 nights) - Salzburg/Vienna - Prague (3 nights) - Amsterdam (3 nights)- Brussels/Bruges - Paris (3 nights) - London plus interland travels. Red means travel day, Overnight

July 29 Friday night (SQ 366) 1:20 Singapore time - arriving Rome 07:55

Day 1 Rome check-in (2 nights), Colosseum, Italian dinner

Day 2 Vatican City

Day 3 Rome to Florence. (1 night)
Roma - Firenze 1:30 by Eurorail and Firenze - Venezia 


Day 4 Pisa, and Venice check-in (2 nights)
Train from Florence to Venice starts at 830am, taking 2 hours to reach Venezia St Lucia station.

Day 5 Venice

Day 6 Venice full day. Taking night train en-route to Prague via Vienna or Salzburg: 3 choices Thello (link) overnight train from Paris to Venice/Milan or Bernina Express (link) or ETR610 EuroCity train (link)

(1) Overnight train
Direct EuroNight sleeper train called the Venezia-Vienna Express leaves Venice Santa Lucia on the banks of the Grand Canal at 20:57, arriving at Vienna Hauptbahnhof at 07:55 next morning.

Thello serves Paris to Venice, Verona or Milan starts at €35 one-way in 6-berth couchettes, €55 in 4-berth couchettes, €152 in a 2-bed sleeper.

(2) Bernina Express
Morning Venice via Milan Centrale - Tirano - Chur - Zurich
Zurich to Chur costs CHF 38 (about £28) each way in 2nd class, CHF 63 (£47) in 1st class.  Fixed price, no reservation necessary, can be bought at the station.

Chur to Tirano by Bernina Express costs CHF 58 (£43) in 2nd class, CHF 96 (£71) in 1st class for the basic ticket, plus a reservation fee for the Bernina Express of CHF 9 (£7) in winter, CHF 12 (£9) in summer.  Reservation is required for the Bernina Express itself, although other trains on the same route do not require reservations.

Tirano to Milan by Trenord regional train costs €11.50 (£9) in 2nd class or around €17.50 (£14) in 1st class.  Fixed price, no reservation necessary, can easily be bought at the station. Check times at www.trenord.it.

• take one of the direct EuroCity trains from Cologne & Koblenz along the scenic Rhine Valley past the famous Lorelei Rock to Chur, from €39 booked at www.bahn.de.  

(3) One daily direct EuroCity train from Venice to Brig (change for Zermatt) and Geneva, leaving Venice Santa Lucia around 16:20 and arriving Geneva around 23:21

Day 7 Vienna, Prague (3 nights)
Overnight spending day in Vienna, taking afternoon train to Prague check-in
Prague: Sandeman' tour http://www.newpraguetours.com/daily-tours/new-prague-free-tour.html

Day 8 Prague
Nomadic Matt's travel blog for 4-days in Prague.

Day 9 Prague

Day 10 Prague check-out and taking sleeper train from Prague to Cologne
The City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix leaves Prague Hlavni every night at 18:27 and Dresden at 20:53, arriving at Duisburg Hbf at 06:09 and Cologne Hbf at 06:56 next morning.
Cologne to Prague or vice versa by City Night Line sleeper train starts at €43.50 in a seat, €60 with a couchette in a 5-berth compartment, €105 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, €135 with a bed in a 2-bed deluxe sleeper (all per person per bed), or from €145 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

For Amsterdam, get off in Duisburg and take the 07:12 InterCity train from Duisburg Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal arriving at 09:34.
Amsterdam or Brussels to Cologne or vice versa starts at €19 in 2nd class or €39 in 1st class.

Tu, 09.08.2016, 18:27
Praha hl.n. - Köln Hbf for 3 persons incl surcharge Euro 237

Day 11 Cologne (1 night)

Day 12 Amsterdam (2 nights)
Cologne to Amsterdam 3hrs train. Checkin

Day 13 Amsterdam

Day 14 Brussels / Bruges
Arrive in Paris for check-in 3 nights

Day 15 Paris

Day 16 Paris

Day 17 Paris

Day 18 London
London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £45 one-way or £69 return in 2nd class or from £110 one-way, £159 return in 1st class.

Day 19 London back to Singapore (SQ 317 11:25 arrive Singapore 07:30)