WanderLex

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  • Scenic Sydney and Harbour Bridge

    Scenic Sydney and Harbour Bridge

    My Down Under visit to Sydney was another solo trip for me after Eastern Europe. It’s my first visit to Australia and I literally jumped on Scoot’s promotional fares upon seeing it. I have heard so much about Australia from friends and wifey that I thought bustling Sydney would be a good place to start with. I simply cannot contain my excitement to finally see the stunning Opera House and Harbour Bridge. G’Day Mate for the next 4D3N!

    The flight arrived at Sydney Kingsford Airport in the early afternoon. And I have to say that the legroom space of Scoot’s aircraft is rather good for a budget airline, Kudos to that! Getting from Sydney airport to city center is an easy-peasy 13 minutes’ train ride to the Central station, which is quite near to Cambridge Hotel Sydney.

    Sydney-Airpor

    Hyde Park and St Mary’s Cathedral

    Sydney’s CBD area is within a short walking distance from the hotel. Hence, it’s time for some wandering after the usual check-in procedure. And the first stop would be St Mary’s Cathedral. Maybe I should have relaxed a while more around Hyde Park too.

    Chess-game-at-Hyde-Park

    Hyde-Park-and-St-Mary-Cathedral

    The good-looking Cathedral seems to be a popular backdrop for wedding photoshoot.

    St-Mary-Cathedral

    Wedding couple at St Mary Cathedral

    St-Mary-Cathedral

    St-Mary-Cathedral

    Sydney Tower Eye and surrounding

    Also did the touristy bit by visiting Sydney Tower Eye to have a quick overview of the beautiful city. One side of the tower faces the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. But sadly it’s more of a partial view since there are too many buildings in the way. Perhaps the better time to be here would be around sunset.

    Sydney Tower Eye

    Darling Harbour view from Sydney Tower Eye

    View-from-Sydney-Tower-Eye

    The-view-from-Sydney-Tower-Eye

    It’s also possible to step out of the internal observation deck by joining the Sydney Tower Eye Skywalk Tour. But I didn’t do that as cameras are disallowed and that’s a major bummer for me.

    Skywalk at Sydney Tower Eye

    The Queen Victoria Building (or simply QVB) nearby is a majestic looking shopping mall. There’s even a tour for people wanting to learn some insights about the building.

    Queen Victoria Building Sydney

    Queen Victoria Building interior

    Funny person at Market Street Sydney

    Street Performance in Sydney

    Nice tree around Market Street Sydney

    Darling Harbour

    Darling Harbour is the ‘happening’ leisure hub of Sydney with plenty of dining and entertainment options to choose from. Here’s where locals unwind the day with live music, food, and drinks. And I am here to soak up the atmosphere.

    Darling Harbour in Sydney

    The promenade and Pyrmont Bridge makes it easy to stroll around the wharf area to take in the views or enjoy an evening breeze. Popular tourist destinations here include Museums like Madame Tussauds, National Maritime and Sydney Aquarium.

    Darling Harbour Sydney

    Ships at Darling Harbour

    Chill out at Darling Harbour

    Pyrmont Bridge

    Red ship at Pyrmont Bay

    Dinner was a very nice and tasty burger from Grill’d.

    Burger from Grill'd

    Harbour Bridge and Luna Park

    After bidding farewell to Darling, it’s time to make my way across Harbour Bridge to Milson’s Point. There are many ways to reach there by either bus, train or ferry to Milson’s Point wharf. I opted for a bus ride. And my, this lookout has a great view of both Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. How wonderful!

    The mesmerizing view causes me to overstay despite the strong wind but totally worth it for a view as such.

    Harbour Bridge Sydney at night

    Harbour Bridge at night

    Beautiful Harbour Bridge

    Sydney Opera House at night

    Luna Park is an amusement just around the corner.

    Luna Park in Sydney

    Ferris wheel at Luna Park

    STAY: Cambridge Hotel Sydney review

    The location is the key reason why I opted for Cambridge Hotel Sydney. It’s relatively close to Central Station and CBD area which makes it easy for me to move around. The surrounding is quiet and safe – Surry Hills Police Station is just right across. The comfortable spacious room was a pleasant surprise for a central hotel and the balcony has a great view too. It’s valued for money and I would definitely recommend Cambridge Hotel Sydney.

    Cambridge Hotel Sydney room

    Cambridge Hotel Sydney bathroom

    Cambridge Hotel Sydney pantry area

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    What are your thoughts about Sydney or Harbour Bridge? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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  • Cube house and a day in Rotterdam

    Cube house and a day in Rotterdam

    Cube House (Kubuswoningen) and Madurodam are the main reasons for our day trip from Amsterdam. It’s now time to marvel at edgy architectures after the fun in the land of Lilliputians. And the best place would definitely be Rotterdam, for the modern city is populated with many uniquely designed buildings. While the historical Amsterdam is often seen as a cultural city, the modernised Rotterdam is more of an industrial powerhouse. The stark contrast between these 2 major cities is so DAM apparent.

    Cube House in Rotterdam is indeed unique and I can’t help to wonder how Dutch architect Piet Blom can come out with such an unconventional idea. He envisioned each Cube House to be a tree and all of them would form an urban forest. I suppose it would be more of an abstract looking tree and forest.

    Whichever the case, it is one striking piece of architecture, especially with the yellow coloured combination.

    Cube House in Rotterdam

    I ended up spending quite a great deal of time around the central courtyard to have a good look at the crazily shaped houses. The Cube House is actually tilted forward to certain degrees which make me wonder how does one live inside it. And what kind of furniture would be a fit?

    Courtyard of Kubuswoningen

    Courtyard of the cube house

    The quirky cube house

    Cube floor Rotterdam

    The Interior of Show-Cube

    I got my answers after taking a look at the Show-Cube (Kijk-Kubus). Unlike Hundertwasserhaus which is not accessible to general public, the Show-Cube serves as a museum and presents the interior area. Most of the furniture inside is custom-made to accommodate the shape and to maximise the space. There are 3 floors in total, living room on the lower floor, bedrooms on the second and the top floor are the attic.

    Show-Cube in Rotterdam

    Living room of the Cube House

    Kitchen of the Cube House

    Stairs of the Cube House

    Study room of the Cube House

    Bedroom of the Cube House

    The pyramid-shaped attic is my favourite place inside the Cube House. There are windows all over which ensure ample lights and it’s so cool-looking like those structures found in Sci-Fi movies.

    Attic of Cube House

    Attic of the Kubuswoningen

    The attic of Kubuswoningen

    I think the Cube House would present an ultimate challenge to any Feng Shui masters as sharp corners and edges are often frowns upon LOL. Likewise, I am not sure whether I can live in a house with those slanting ceilings and weird angles too. But nevertheless, the Show-Cube certainly gives an interesting insight into this unusual housing.

    There are also some shops operating underneath the Cube Treetop.

    Around Rotterdam Centraal

    Rotterdam has a cityscape of great contrasts, with plenty of unusual buildings trying to outdo one another. The bold styling is a feast for the eyes of any architecture lovers. Yours faithfully included. And I regretted not spending a day or two here. Next time ya, Rotterdam?

    It is remarkable to see these stunning architectures in Rotterdam. That’s especially after knowing that the city was destroyed by Nazi bombardment during World War II. But instead of restoring the Old Town, the Rotterdammers decided to revitalise with a modern flair.

    Gebouw Delftse Poort

    Rotterdam Centraal edgy design

    Rotterdam Marriott Hotel

    Glassy building in Rotterdam

    Unique lamp posts around Schouwburgplein

    Bicycles in Rotterdam
    Something in common with Amsterdam

    Near to the City hall is a monument to the victims of World War II…

    Monument and Rotterdam Town Hall

    Monument to All the Fallen - Rotterdam

    Street in Rotterdam

    We randomly picked Café Plein for our late lunch and to rest our tired feet. It turned out to be a good call as the food served here are very tasty. Nice and recommended!

    Cafe Plein in Rotterdam

    Late lunch at Cafe Plein Rotterdam

    Lunch at Cafe Plein Rotterdam

    After some shopping around the area, we head back to Amsterdam to pack bags for the return flight the next day. Dinner was from ‘Wok to Walk’ but I find the noodles a tad too oily for my liking. That concludes the trip to London and the Low Countries, bye for now!

    Wok to Walk Amsterdam

    Wok to Walk noodles

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    What are your thoughts on the Cube house or Rotterdam? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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