Between the very early start in the morning to catch our flight, and the heat that we were yet unaccustomed to, F and I struggled to stay awake during the hour-long bus ride from Herceg Novi to Kotor. I think I gave in to a few minutes of nap but as I jolted awake, I looked out the window in amazement. The Bay of Kotor was breathtakingly beautiful.
A World Heritage Site, Kotor sits at the farthest pocket of the bay, backed by steep, rocky and grey mountains on its rear. Its medieval centre is enclosed within impressive city walls, filled with small streets that form a labyrinth of sort, and perfect for exploration by foot. Having been under the Venetian rules for several centuries, traces of this old empire are easily, most notably the relief of the winged lion at multiple locations within the stari grad.
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Our summer vacation this year is broken into two parts; the first, a shorter trip to Montenegro, and the second, a slightly longer one to Italy later next month so I can also attend one of my best friends’ wedding. We flew in and out of Dubrovnik, given reasonably-priced flights in comparison to those into Montenegro, and we were not that far away from the border. We arrived in Herceg Novi within the hour after our plane landed, which included crossing border controls that sit strategically with a view of the Adriatic sea. Not too shabby a workplace.
We had not intended to be in Herceg Novi initially, but due to transportation scheduling etc (long story and I won’t bore you with the details), we found ourselves with a few hours to quickly explore this coastal town that sits near the entrance of the Bay of Kotor. We deposited our luggage at the main bus station for a small price of €2, took the street past the adjacent cafés that leads downhill, and reached the Nikola Ðurković’s Square after a few minutes walk. Standing before us, the city gate with a clock tower that is the threshold to cross to get into the old town.
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We may soon be running out of interesting and new places to visit in the vicinity of F’s hometown. Each time we travel east to my in-laws’, we’ve always borrow one of their cars on one of the afternoons and explore places within an hour or less of driving time. The distance that we’re stretching, however, is getting longer and longer. We may have to start doing day trips rather than an afternoon away…
Our most recent trip to the hometown saw us driving out along the coastline and sought out Piriac-sur-Mer, a quaint village on the peninsular of Guérande. The centre of the village is pedestrianised, making it very pleasant to visit on foot, down along the main streets and continue along the sea wall, past the parked boats and yachts, and a well-loved merry-go-round which (sadly) danced to the tunes of the 80s.
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We had two hours to kill after returning our Vélonecy bikes following a day of bike-about Lake Annecy and retrieving our bags from Marc’s cellar. With tickets back to Paris via Chambéry, when we spotted a regional train due to leave for Chambéry pretty much right away, we did not hesitate jumping on it. That should give us time to quickly explore the historical capital of Savoy, buy something for dinner, and grab the capital-bound TGV.
Located in a valley surrounded by mountains, the medieval section of the town is within a short walk away from the train station. It is compact and can be easily visited on foot within an hour or two. The many heraldry-based flags hung conferred an atmosphere of the past, and I was half-expecting some knights to ride down the streets in armours and all set to joust each other! It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday evening when we were there, with few people and even less traffic around.
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Final day in Annecy came around far too quickly, but like any good troopers, we made the most of it. After checking out and depositing our backpack into Marc’s cellar to be retrieved later (it is somewhat inconvenient that the train station does not have a locker facility), we went over to the office of Vélonecy to take out a couple of their chainless yet 7 speed-equipped Classique urban bikes. As we travelled to Annecy by train, our SNCF tickets scored us the equivalent of local resident’s rate of €5 per day.
Our plan was to cycle the entire lake, having seen good bike lanes stretching to the villages next to Annecy. When we mentioned this to Marc and Marie, they assured us that this would be very doable, but with a small caveat – there will be a stretch where we would be on the road with the rest of the traffic without the benefit of bike lanes. Undeterred, we went ahead with this excursion.
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The rain just wouldn’t let up. We were supposed to roam the famous market that lined the streets of the old town and canals of Annecy, but we ended up staying in for a grasse mat’ and read in bed. Eventually, we had to brave the weather and headed out, since we had a lunch reservation at La Ciboulette. We took the long way round so we could at least catch a glimpse of the market.
Slightly drenched after our walk, we stepped into a visibly posh restaurant with opulent interior, charming paintings, antique decorative pieces, and actual silver salt-and-pepper shakers and butter dish awaited us at the table which we were assigned. The couple at our neighbouring table were clearly in celebratory mood: a bottle of champagne with two long-stem flutes had just been brought over by the sommelier.
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As soon as we stood across the Palais de l’Isle, I semi-regretted my decision to travel ultra-light in the photography gear department. With only a 40 mm fix lens, there was no way I could fit the frame to capture what I wanted. On the other hand, it means I ought to take on the challenge and work with what I have. Get creative, so to speak.
A former capital of the County of Geneva, Annecy is today one of the most expensive cities to live in (pricing comparable to major French cities) despite its village feel. This is perhaps unsurprising, given its abundance of charm and natural setting, yet blessed with quick and direct access to economically-affluent cities such as Geneva and Paris. Should one wishes to gain a wee bit more privacy and away from tourists’ path, there are several other towns around the lake as alternatives.
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Ahead of my starting a new job this week, F and I decided to take a short trip to Annecy. It has been on our to-visit list for a while now, each time intending to travel in the summer but we always, somehow, ended up elsewhere. Figuring this would be as good a time as others, we bought a pair of last minute train tickets and off we went. We’re living the moment :)
What a relaxing yet active four days that we had, despite the less-than-sunny weather that we encountered. Whenever the sun escaped from the cloud cover and shone brightly, we couldn’t help but sighed with contentment. F would certainly need no further encouragement to move here immediately should an opportunity to do so arises!
Each day, without fail, we would walk along the lake, stopping every few meters and feasted the grandeur with our eyes. The ever changing lights of the sky, the simmering lake with its crystal clear water, the white-dusted hill tops from fresh snow gathering at the summits, and afar, the adventurous souls paragliding above the lake. We’ve walked from Annecy to both villages on its left (Annecy-le-Vieux) and right (Sévrier), and back, loving every (windy) minutes of it.
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Unlike many of my friends, I have never lived in Kuala Lumpur, neither to study nor to work. Instead, it becomes a pitstop each time I travel back to Malaysia, mostly because my flights arrive and depart from KLIA, and usually I’d organise to see my friends in the couple of days leading to my departure.
Trying to show F around was therefore not a particularly easy task, since my knowledge of the city is rather limited. Armed with a good map, we managed to get around the historical centre of KL, taking in a few classic sites and walked the streets whenever it wasn’t raining. Oh yeah, they seemed to be heavy downpour for 2-3 hours each of the few days we were there, which curtailed some of our planned sightseeing.
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F and I visited quite a number of Hindu temples while in Bali, so it was rather interesting to contrast those with the Hindu temples that we typically see in Malaysia. Not only are they architecturally dissimilar, the customs and practices of the devotees also bear differences. Since we saw the Mother Temple of Besakih in Bali, it was apt that we picked Batu Caves as its counter comparison.
Batu Caves is famed for the annual celebration of Thaipusam, taking place early in the year (January/February) to mark the gifting of a vel (spear) by Parvati, the wife of Shiva, to her son Murugan, created by Shiva from the flame of his eye of wisdom. It was this vel that was ultimately used by Murugan to emerge as victor against Soorapadam, an asura who was terrorising the devas. On Thaipusam, devotees from all over Malaysia, following a strict period of cleansing, fasting and preparation, begin a pilgrimage of kavadi bearing. A kavadi is a burden bore by the devotees to be offered to the deity in exchange for good tiding and/or aversion of serious trial and tribulation. It is an absolutely fascinating festival to observe.
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