Category Archives: Travelogue

Le Chic Parisien

July 7, 2010 – 12:01 pm

We were too lazy to take pictures while we were in Paris due to the hot weather, but I did notice how beautifully the Parisian dress themselves in Summer. Like their love for good food, fine wine, individual clothes form a part of their personality too.

Talk about fashion, what inspired me most during this trip is how the Parisian wear the old season’s iconic pieces, how they mix them with something new effortlessly. I’ve seen that gorgeous tie-dye dress from Prada’s SS04 collection, DVN’s fifties-derived floral top from SS08 and the A-line shaped white dress from Phoebe Philo’s Chloé time… It’s so delight to see people are still wearing and loving these old beauties.

On our way back home, I read an article from the Air France Madame magazine. It was an interview with a 21 years old jewelry designer from Paris, who’s wearing a 4 season’s old Chloé blazer (paired with a white tee from Alexander Wang, vintage Wrangler denim shorts and Chanel clogs). When was asked about her fashion rules she said something like: invest pieces you’ll cherish forever and let them become your wardrobe staples. Wear them every season with confidence, coz they’ll age gracefully together with you…

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Vienna: Good Old Waltz (Part II)

June 4, 2010 – 12:38 pm

Are you ready for the part II of Vienna’s rich and exciting heritage? In this post, I’d like to share some more of my personal favorites.

Being the longest river in Europe, Danube has developed it’s own legend and myth. But I have always had my own image of the river probably because of that famous waltz from J. Strauss II: On the Beautiful Blue Danube. Well, Danube is as beautiful as in my imagination, hehe~~ We rented a paddle boat and rode it around Donauinsel (Danube Island) for an hour, it was so pleasant and romantic. We also went to the Old Danube to have a look of the idyllic part of the river.

Belvedere is actually Italian and means “beautiful view”. It is used as an architectural term to refer the belvedere structure (remember that famous Belvedere painting by M. C. Escher?). But this magic word has been used for many other gorgeous things too.

The Belvedere in Vienna is a baroque palace complex contains a lower part, an upper part and gardens. At the upper Belvedere resides the Austrian Gallery Museum, which houses the world’s largest Gustav Klimt collection, along with the masterpieces of Egon Schiele and Claude Monet. It is really worth a visit! BTW, for museum lovers, Albertina is another museum I’d like to recommend.

The Giant Ferris Wheel is a perfect example of a good old thing of Vienna, it was built in 1897 and has been a landmark of the city ever since. Be sure to take a ride if you visit Vienna, it was such a wonderful feeling to be carried by something which is now more than 100 years old, like riding the wheel of time…

Talking about tradition, I have to mention the typical Viennese cuisine too. Enjoy the famous Wienerschnitzel (Viennese Schnitzel) and Spareribs at Pürstner, a restaurant has been run by Pürstner family for over three generations. For dessert, don’t miss the original Sacher-Torte (a famous chocolate cake introduced in 1832) at Hotel Sacher. And there is a very nice selection of cakes and sweets at Kurkonditorei Oberlaa too. Last but not least, try the Steckerlfisch (grilled fresh fish) at Strandcafe near Old Danube. :-)

Oh gosh I have to stop now, writing the yummy food makes me wanna go back to Vienna NOW. haha~~  It’s Friday again, have a wonderful weekend my dear friends!

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Vienna: Good Old Waltz (Part I)

May 31, 2010 – 11:25 am

The capital of Austria has again been named by Mercer as the best city to live in the world. With the curiosity of how the city actually is, we made our 4 days trip to Vienna last week.

It’s hard to write a travelogue coz Vienna has so much to offer. From Stephen’s Cathedral to Schönbrunn Palace, from Danube River to the Giant Ferris Wheel, from the Imperial Palace to the Museum of Fine Arts, From the Belvedere to the Albertina… Hmm…where to start? Maybe I’d better let pictures tell the story this time.


Schönbrunn is the former summer residence of the imperial family and one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. It contains an enchanting park, a palm house, a labyrinth and even a zoo! At Schönbrunn, I couldn’t help think of the Summer Palace in Beijing. The architecture genre is totally different, but that lavish and luxurious life style is quite the same.

Vienna’s City Hall is a magnificent building in neo-Gothic style. It was designed by Friedrich von Schmidt, the architect of the Cathedral of Cologne.

The Stephansplatz is named after the city’s most prominent building, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which is one of the tallest churches in the world.

The University of Vienna is one of my favorite spots during the trip. It was founded by Duke Rudolf IV in 1365 and is the oldest university within the German speaking area. What I love most is the university library. The old time interior is so beautiful and impressive. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of the library to share, since it is very rude to disturb the students who were reading there. So you gotta go there by yourself, see and be amazed. ;-)

…to be continued

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Munich: Spring in the Air

May 18, 2010 – 11:23 am

We visited Munich last week, a city known for its culture, architecture and beer festival (Oktoberfest). Munich has all the sophistication of a big city but in the meantime its very own Bavarian charm.

To my surprise, what impressed me most are not the famous Nymphenburg Palace (Schloss Nymphenburg), the German Museum (Deutsches Museum), the State Court Brewery (Hofbräuhaus), the National Theatre (Nationaltheater)… but how quiet and green the city actually is.

It’s spring time, there is noting more beautiful than a stroll in a blossoming garden or park, bath the sunshine and feel the peace at heart. The Court Garden (Hofgarten), an Italian style Renaissance garden is located in the central of Munich. And within just a few minutes walk, you’ll reach another garden, the English Garden, a wonderful green oasis to explore and one of the world’s largest urban public parks (it is larger than the Central Park in NYC).

For these of you who want to experience or shop something special, Crooma Munich is a must see. This gallery/interior shop offers photographic art, lighting, furniture and accessories in a futuristic salesroom. Photographers represented include New York’s Tim Petersen, Paris’s Bruno Fabbris and London’s Zena Holloway. And the best thing is: you don’t have to own an art piece to feel pleased…

Picture Credit: Wallpaper
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Spring Outfit (12): Travel in May

May 7, 2010 – 10:32 am

We have some vacations coming up, so it’s time to post a travel outfit again. I always wear something cozy on the plane. Pairing a super comfy jumpsuit with a causal cardigan and a pair of ballerina flats, plus a cashmere shawl to keep me warm.

If a flight is longer than 3 hours, I’ll take my slippers with me too (can’t stand sitting still in shoes for hours on a plane). I got this cute pair at the Beijing capital international airport years ago. It was love at first sight, they always remind me of home wherever I am. ;-)

Wish you all a wonderful weekend! :-)

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Paris Souvenirs

January 26, 2010 – 8:45 pm

A friend asked me if I’ve got any souvenirs in Paris. To be honest, I am not a big fan of these typical souvenirs sold at every corner. So no, I didn’t buy anything.

Last winter while we were in Paris, I found this lovely cocktail ring at a supermarket and really loved it. So it came home with me.

This time I happened to get myself another ring. It wasn’t planed but just a coincidence, maybe rings are my lucky souvenirs in Paris? ;-)

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Paris by Night

January 24, 2010 – 8:25 pm

This is our fourth trip to Paris, we’ve chosen to stay in different hotels at different districts each time and try to discover the charm of Paris from varied angles. This time, we decided to explore the city at night because Paris is one of the best cities in the world to wander around at night with a camera.

It was cold, but less crowded;

It was dark, but less noisy;

It was such a pleasant experience…

Just can’t wait to visit Paris again this Summer!

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Berlin: Two Faces (part I)

August 31, 2009 – 4:29 pm

We went to Berlin during the weekend. Berlin is probably not the most beautiful city in Germany, but no doubt the most interesting. A mix of the Old and the New, the East and the West gives this city some special vibes you’ll find no where else. One face of Berlin is about its traumatic history, you can still feel the second world war many places you walk or see.

I love taking pictures of street artists while traveling. Unlike those in Barcelona, the street artists in Berlin are
quiet and solemn. Most of them are showing or doing something to remind you of the past. Like this man near the Brandenburg gate.

If you are an emotional person, you’ll be moved by these artists easily. There are still plenty of remains from the DDR days in the eastern parts of Berlin around Alexanderplatz. Everything is dark and painful. I don’t even need to photoshop these pictures in gray scale, they ARE gray.

Please don’t feel depressed, because this is fortunately only one face of Berlin. I’ll post some colorful and fun sides of Berlin next time. :-P

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Back from Vacation

August 17, 2009 – 2:20 pm

I had a great time in the United States. NYC is such a fascinate city, not only are the museums and skyscrapers spectacular, but also the people living there, so kind and helpful. I always heard New Yorkers are cold and arrogant, but we’ve met so many wonderful people there. From the homeland security officer at JFK to the SAs at Saks, from our hotel concierge to the taxi driver, from the city hall clerk to the kiosk owner…Thank you for making our stay so pleasant and making us feel so welcome.

We stayed some days at my uncles house in NJ. It is very interesting to see how the everyday American life is. On a quiet evening, he showed us the prestige Princeton University where he has studies and worked for years. I love this picturesque small town with a rich history. As we strolled down the street, a beautiful decorated bakery caught my eyes. French croissants and cakes are elegantly put together with fine china and crystal tablewares. I felt like taking a picture of the window just because of the orange boxes. For all my Hermès loving friends. :)

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Never Say Never

July 22, 2009 – 9:24 pm

My friend and I went shopping a couple of days ago. I wanted to buy a pair of pants which are comfortable enough for the coming long flight from Germany to the USA (will fly to NYC in a week :) ).

I was at the casual wear section in a store and have checked out some jogging pants. They are very easy to wear, but I don’t like the idea of wearing jogging pants if I am not jogging or walking. It’s kinda strange, at least to me. So I passed, went around and kept searching. I was about to give up until a pair of jersey harem pants caught my eyes. Harem pants? Am I crazy? Never thought I’d wear harem pants because I am short and I don’t have mile long legs like these super models. But I was brave enough to take a try. Much to my surprise, the pants look great on me (my friend said so too. I hope she’s being honest, otherwise there will be no gifts from NYC for her, haha)!

Well, back to topic. The jersey harem pants are the most comfortable pants I ever have. They are lightweight, stylish and just perfect for the long flight. I am glad I did give myself a chance. Never say never, right?

Will post a travel outfit next time, stay turned! ;)

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