q9y8 blog » Travelogue http://blog.q9y8.com an escape from the mad world. something fashionable, something joyful and something orange. ;-) Tue, 21 May 2013 08:09:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 Hermès Rue de Sèvres http://blog.q9y8.com/hermes-rue-de-sevres/ http://blog.q9y8.com/hermes-rue-de-sevres/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 08:39:06 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=4740 Happy Tuesday everyone! It’s the last day of May, I guess I really should finish this post which has been in my draft folder for quite some time. For those of us who appreciate Hermès, a trip to Paris won’t be complete without dropping by one of their stores. Among all H stores in Paris, [...]

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]]> Happy Tuesday everyone! It’s the last day of May, I guess I really should finish this post which has been in my draft folder for quite some time. For those of us who appreciate Hermès, a trip to Paris won’t be complete without dropping by one of their stores. Among all H stores in Paris, the newly opened one on the left bank is my absolutely favorite. There is nothing spectacular from the outside. However, stepping inside, the first thing that embraces you is the smell. Since the entrance of the store is a flower shop bursting with most gorgeous blooms by florist Baptiste Pitou. Further inside comes the most amazing part of the store, an installation made of curved strips of ash wood by architect Denis Montel. More surprises come when you walk further, there are even a book shop and a tea bar inside! The three floored store is used mainly to showcase furniture and homewares. But you can also find a small counter for scarves as well as one section for leather goods. Even if you are not into Hermès, their store on Rue de Sèvres is well worth a visit. ;-)

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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/hermes-rue-de-sevres/feed/ 12 Springtime in Paris http://blog.q9y8.com/springtime-in-paris/ http://blog.q9y8.com/springtime-in-paris/#comments Sun, 15 May 2011 14:46:27 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=4704 We’ve been to Paris countless times, but still can’t get enough of this remarkable city. <3 I guess it’s not only about the historical spots, the arts, the foods, the fashion and these awe-inspiring small shops… The charm of the city lies in the way the Parisian lives their life. There they are enjoying their [...]

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]]> We’ve been to Paris countless times, but still can’t get enough of this remarkable city. <3

I guess it’s not only about the historical spots, the arts, the foods, the fashion and these awe-inspiring small shops… The charm of the city lies in the way the Parisian lives their life.

There they are enjoying their life. Well, as you can see, even their dogs are doing so. ;-P

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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/springtime-in-paris/feed/ 16 Roman Holiday http://blog.q9y8.com/roman-holiday/ http://blog.q9y8.com/roman-holiday/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:20:08 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=3235 The last time I was in Rome, like every visitor to the eternal city, I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to wish a return. This time we did the same thing, because Rome is: The city of angle… The city of glory and dream… The city for believer… The city of legend and [...]

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]]> The last time I was in Rome, like every visitor to the eternal city, I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to wish a return. This time we did the same thing, because Rome is:

The city of angle…

The city of glory and dream…

The city for believer…

The city of legend and myth…

The city for seeking the truth…

The city of history and heritage…

The city of art…

The city of endless sunshine…

And last but not least, the city of that magic fountain. Till next time…the one and only: ROMA!

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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/roman-holiday/feed/ 10 Le Chic Parisien http://blog.q9y8.com/le-chic-parisien/ http://blog.q9y8.com/le-chic-parisien/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:01:22 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=1767 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/le-chic-parisien/feed/ 17 Vienna: Good Old Waltz (Part II) http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-ii/ http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-ii/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:38:26 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=1533 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-ii/feed/ 11 Vienna: Good Old Waltz (Part I) http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-i/ http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-i/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 09:25:24 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=1470 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/vienna-good-old-waltz-part-i/feed/ 11 Munich: Spring in the Air http://blog.q9y8.com/munich-spring-in-the-air/ http://blog.q9y8.com/munich-spring-in-the-air/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 09:23:37 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=1347 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/munich-spring-in-the-air/feed/ 11 Spring Outfit (12): Travel in May http://blog.q9y8.com/spring-outfit-12-travel-in-may/ http://blog.q9y8.com/spring-outfit-12-travel-in-may/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 08:32:37 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=1294 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/spring-outfit-12-travel-in-may/feed/ 18 Paris Souvenirs http://blog.q9y8.com/paris-souvenirs/ http://blog.q9y8.com/paris-souvenirs/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:45:50 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=881 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 [...]

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]]> 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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]]> http://blog.q9y8.com/paris-souvenirs/feed/ 11 Paris by Night http://blog.q9y8.com/paris-by-night/ http://blog.q9y8.com/paris-by-night/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:25:52 +0000 q9y8 http://blog.q9y8.com/?p=869 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 [...]

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]]> 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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