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In between London holiday I went to Nottingham and surrounds, it’s about 1.5 hour trip by train, not so faraway, the train tickets doesn’t cost a lot thanks to cheap ticket website of megabus.com (not a promotion 
). I stayed there with my senior, and coincidentally I met my sister’s highschool friend (what a small world!)
Nottingham is famous as hometown of Robin Hood, as I’m expected there is Robin Hood statue, plaquets of Robin Hood story, Miriam Lane, Guided tour of Nottingham Forest (where Robin Hood’s legend taken place), and nevertheless Robin Hood’s Teddy Bear hehehe..
I walk around the city with Orin, and we went to thelike city centre (it’s not very much different with Delft, but in british style). During the summer time the city also have like summer fair, the put huge sand box in the middle of city, some games, and everything that relate to silly tropical country including small luau to sell ticket, and also I went to the oldest club in the world they called it ‘Ye olde Jerusalem’ the name is based on some history on crusades (I forgot about the story). Oh anyway, the city is pretty hilly, so when I want to look on the university, i have to walk upward to the bus stop, and yes it drives me crazy to walk like that.
I went around the university and I found that the university is really really beautifulthe lake is really huge, andwith trent building as back groundit makes the picture perfect so postcard-worthy ( I invented this word, if I took a picture of some place that I thougt it could be used as postcard or wall paper in mass production I would use this word) the campus itself is huge!It’s bigger than TU and (once again) hilly! Orin told me everything about the university, the function of each building, the park, and also the social life there, I really envy to know that they have strong moslem society, and pretty a lot of activities that gather international student and local student (that’s the beauty of studying on english speaking country!).
Went home and felt so tired (hey! I’m not really used to hiking anyway) ,watched CSI with a bunchwith the housmates and slept. The next day I went a ride to Peak District, it’s famous for it’s hiking trail, once again I’m done with everything that related to hiking, so this is my plan I went to Buxton and then I stop in some cities along the bus stop (my first plan is Liverpool, but it’s hell a long of journey). Buxton city, what should I say about it, it’s typical small city in Narthern England mountanious area, famous as spa city (eventhough all I see is swimming pool) there are a lot of tourists come every year to the city. I have to admit that they have really nice opera house, I think there are also few famous theatre act shown there. I walk through the park and saw the original UK’s puppet show, it’s Punch and Judy, their jokes are typical UK’s black comedy, and it’s kind of annoying because most of the audiencea are children, but I guess it doen’t matter for them.
All the way return to Nottingham I stopped by in small city of Matlock, nothing fancy there I just took some picture and chasing the bus to return to Nottingham. Then return home, on the day after I return to London, taking the train on the rainy day.
After a devastating failure on planning a trip to London, finally I’m using my visa to visit United Kingdom, I went to London and Nottingham. Using the ITB’s network (credit to Rahma) I could get a place to stay night in London. But unfortunately eventhough I planned to meet Rahma, I’m unable to meet her because she is on the trip to spain (it feels like I didn’t have any luck to meet her).
Oh well, the show must go on, to be or not to be. I packed my trolley and I’m ready to go. On this flight I went by plane from Rotterdam, it’s a nearby airport, theoritically if I took my bike it would take only for 30 minutes, but since I’m using train and bus I would have a detour so it would take 45 minutes, and I’m a last minute type and as you can imagine I was running from the bus stop on the airport to the check in counter (luckily it was just 5 minutes )
I’m kind of late when I was arrived there, and continuing my habit to get lost on my first day *sigh*. After I got on the bus from the airport to the station I begun to take the famous London ‘tube’ , the exit road is one hell confusing as other underground metro and the place I’m staying is kind of far from the tube station. So yeah I arrived almost at 11 PM, that’s pretty rude considering I was staying with a family with 2 kids.
Anyway when the day has arrived, I started to walk around London, following thw sugeestion from frommers, the best Uk site for travelling. This is my journey itinerary
Start: Tube to Westminster.
1. Westminster Abbey
This early English Gothic abbey is the shrine of the nation, and most of England’s kings and queens have been crowned here — and many are buried here as well. We always like to get here when it opens at 9:30am before the crowds descend. Architecturally, its two highlights are the fan-vaulted Henry VII’s Chapel (one of the loveliest in all of Europe) and the shrine to Edward the Confessor, containing the tombs of five kings and three queens. For a final look, walk over to the Poets’ Corner, where everybody from Chaucer to Robert Browning, Dr. Samuel Johnson, and Alfred Lord Tennyson rests in peace.
As you emerge from Westminster Abbey, you confront the virtual symbol of London itself:
2. The Houses of Parliament and “Big Ben”
Guarded over by “Big Ben” (the world’s most famous timepiece), the former royal Palace of Westminster shelters both the House of Lords and the House of Commons and has done so since the 11th century. Gaining admission to the debating chambers requires a long wait and a lot of red tape that the “Day 1 Visitor” will have to forego, but at least you can admire the massive architectural pile from the outside before passing on your way.
If you feel you’ve missed something, duck into the Jewel Tower across the street, one of only two surviving buildings from the medieval Palace of Westminster. Here you can see an exhibition of the history of Parliament and even use a touch-screen computer that takes you on a virtual tour of both Houses of Parliament.
Continue walking north along Whitehall until you reach:
3. No. 10 Downing St.
Hang a left and look down Downing Street to number 10, flanked by policemen. Because of security concerns, it is no longer possible to walk down the street — you can only look down it through the gates on Whitehall. The official residence of the prime minister isn’t much of a sight and is rather modest, but it’s been the home of everybody from Sir Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher. Today Gordon Brown and his family call it home. Although the building is hardly palatial, it’s the most famous address in Britain, other than Buckingham Palace, and all visitors seem to want to take a peek.
After that look, continue north to:
4. Trafalgar Square
The hub of London, this is Britain’s most famous square and the scene of many a demonstration. A 44m (144-ft.) granite statue of Horatio Viscount Nelson (1758-1805) dominates the square. As you walk around this square, noting the ferocious pigeons “dive-bombing,” you’ll know that you’re in the very heart of London where thousands amass on New Year’s Eve to ring in another year.
Right on this square, you can enter the:
5. National Gallery
On the north side of Trafalgar Square looms this massive gallery. All the big names, from Leonardo da Vinci to Rembrandt, from van Gogh to Cézanne, strut their stuff here. Displaying some of the most important art ever created, the panoramic galleries cover 8 centuries. This is one of the greatest art museums on the planet. On even the most rushed of schedules, you’ll want to devote at least 1 1/2 hours to its galleries. Since everybody’s taste in art differs, check out our Insider’s Tip under the National Gallery preview. A computer makes it easy and convenient for you. Select 10 paintings you’d most like to see, and a computer will design your own map and print it out for you.
Directly north of Trafalgar Square, you enter the precincts of:
6. Covent Garden
The old fruit-and-vegetable market of Eliza Doolittle fame is long gone, and the market has been recycled into one of the most bustling and exciting sections of London today. Begin with a walk around The Piazza, the center of Covent Garden. When architect Inigo Jones designed it in 1633, it became London’s first square. To its south you’ll see St. Paul’s Church, which Jones called “the handsomest barn in England.” Immediately to the southeast of St. Paul’s you can enter the Jubilee Market and to its immediate east the London Transport Museum. After wandering around the gardens and after a heavy morning of sightseeing, even with a full English breakfast, you may be ready for lunch. For our pounds sterling, there is no better place for lunch in all of London than Covent Garden.
7. The Mall & Buckingham Palace
A stroll along the Mall all the way west to Buckingham Palace is the most aristocratic walk in Britain. Passing King George IV’s glorious Carlton House terrace on your right, you can enjoy the same view Elizabeth II sees when she rides in her gilded “fairy-tale” coach to open Parliament every year.
Whether you can actually go inside Buckingham Palace itself depends on the time of year. We’ve deliberately skipped the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which isn’t held every day and is often difficult to schedule. It’s an overrated attraction anyway.
Unfortunately I missed the tower of London because I went to the London central mosque, by the time I want to start another trip to Tower of London it’s already late at night and I don’t want to spend a lot of time to walk at he. London has funny way to design it’s public transportation, the transportation is connected very well but when it comes to tourist attraction they put the station or bus stop on most likely some distance from it. It’s kind of sucks because I spend like 10-15 minutes to walk on the spot and another 10-15 minutes to get to the transportation. The transportation itself is hell a lot of complicated stuff, it’s confusing and I have to figure out the transportation by my self. The complicatedness of the system and the people makes me really miss Netherland. Oh my, looks who’s talking, I’m just a girl from a small town who just came to big city hehehhehe..
The family who hosted me is the best family of all, I should mention that before I got confirmation from this family I was planning to stay with Rahma in South hampton, and then she went out for holiday, she gave me a contact, buther freind was also not available, next thing is my friend (or wildan’s friend) who was saying she will be in London by the I got there, but still she didn’t make it. These family is the best, the gave me my own room, breakfast and everything was perfect.
Next day arrived I went to National History of London and Science Museum, and Oh I went all the way back to central London because Mba Endah told me to get some shirts in Lily white, the shop is incredibly decreased the customer during the afternoon, I should went on this time yesterday. Then, I went to harrods, the shopping mall looks like a museum so I spent some time over there, I also went to the Millenium bridge, and Tower Bridge, when I saw the latest Harry Potter movies, I felt weird because I already went there, everything looks familiar to me, yeah! now I’m understanding the movies!
The next 2 days I went to Nottingham and surrounds, but I will tell the stories on the other blog.
By the time I got back from there I went to British Museum was incredible Museum ,though the collection is not very much different from the Berlin National Museum. By tomorrow morning I was catching the plane to Rotterdam, and another sunny day on Netherland.
After 3 hours trip on the train, we came in Vienna, I must say Vienna is not very different with other city in Germany, it’s clean, the public transportation is always on time, and everything is in Germany so I’m able to understand something .
The city itself is famous as the city where Mozart start his carreer as a professional musician. So as we can axpectedI can find the trace of Mozart everywhere like the house of mozart, the mozart music box, the mozart postcard, or even mozart chocolate shop!
After we put our stuff on the trusted locker of Vienna central station we started to walk and our first destination is the information point (well, everybody always need a map to go around the city) then we go to Schonbrunn Palace, the summer palace of Austrian imperial, basicly it’s free to enter the garden, since we were lazy and don’t have much time to walk around it we took a motor train that took us around the garden, and then the journey begin with the Palm garden where we had our lunch there, it was the best lunch ever I mean I ate cheese and tuna sandwich while looking at the most beautiful green house, surrounded by flowers and sometimes I could see squirrels walking, heerlijk! the next stop is Gloriette the gift from Joseph II from Belgium to Maria Theresa when they got married, from here I could see the view of the city and the palace from the top. After walking down the garden to the palace and take enormous number of picture we decided to go to the city.
Vienna is one of the city in the world with the highest quality of life, so you would expect that they have integrated transportation system, numbers of park, lots of free event, and also nice costumer service (at least it’s better than Netherland). After we took the metro to city center we visit St.Borromeus (the name same like my hospital in Bandung) cathedral and TU Wien, then when we wanted to head to the city shopping line we started to lost for 1 hours, but we took that time to take a rest and pray in a quite park. We continued our walk to Heldenplatz, here we walk through the all famous building of Vienna start with the National Theater, the nature history Museum and other things (so many thing, and I couldn’t remember) and then we crossed the street to go to Museum Quartier, it’s a quarter with pack of museum, just like the name all the museums are art museum, from art history museum untill modern art museum it’s quite pricey when you wanted to enter the all the museums. By the time we got there it’s already started to close.
Then we took the u-bahn and headed to the city center, the center isone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site so it hasn’t developed since ages. There were street performances, many people offerabout theater or music show and lots of store especially about accessories. St. Stephen Cathedral is the main attraction of the city center. After had some dinner and shopping we headed to the station and took the bus to the airport where we spent almost sleepless night, I was so tired during the trip I even slept all the flight.
In literally blink of an eye (because I was sleeping) wearrived in Schiphol. Another sunny day in Amsterdam!
I never thought I could go to Budapest, when I as a little I always though that Budapest is the communist part of Europe, so it never cross on my mind to visit the city.
To be hinest Budapest is the most east part of Europe that I ever visited, just the previous cities that I visited before I don’t understand any word on Budapest and my lips are getting curly if I wanted to say something Hungary. One thing for sure I always heard they say ‘Ahoy’ to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’.
My firdt impression of Budapest is ‘dusty’ the public transpostation is covered by dust, the station seems to be really old, the air feels very heavy and the people seems to be more grumpy. But after few step around the city the I really awe the city, the city was really georgeous especiallya at night.
My friend booked me a nice hotel on the middle of city, the skin of the building is really (I should say it again) ‘dusty’ but it was a nice apartment they have like garden inside the apartment, the lift is little bit scary but it was a nice place the interior of the apartment remind me of the flat complex in Sarijadi. When we arrived in the city we were lost and spend like 1.5 hours to look for the hotel with carrying our heavy bag.
The journey start with the famous Szechnenyi chain bridge that connect the Buda part and Pest part, the west and east part of the city. I have to say that that suspension bridge is one of the most beautiful thing that I ever see in my life. The structure it self looks like the Manhattan Bridge in New York, but on a smaller scale.
We continue our journey to the Buda castle, to the top of the bill, and by the time we got there there were American student who will have their gala dinner, they were taking picture everywhere kind of annoying, but since it’s a public place I can’t argue anything about it. Since we were hungry we were heading downwards to the Parliament Building, took some shot over there, try to comment of the building, we agreed that it seems to look like London’s Westminster Palace but on the gothic style.
Then we went to the station and look for the train ticket to Vienna, the ticket price is suprisingly expensive!it’s 34.2 euro each for 3 hours trip, the central station doesn’t look very impressive either and furthermore the train looks so old and poor maintained. After long walk decide to return to the hotel and take some rest to continue our journey at night.
Night journey startwith the same track od the bridge, the castle and the church, and the parlement building, as a say before the view is really spectacular, as someone who came from a small city in Netherland look over those building on that ginarmous scale it makes me feel like I’m a small creature in the world.
Before we went home we went to Mc Donalds for a hot coffee and it was my mistake that we missed the last metro, I thought the last metro is in 12, but actually the station already close at 11.30, luckily there is a nice lady who helped us choosing the right bus and waiting on the right bus stop, she was a saviour!
Next day for sure, we packed our stuff and head on to the station, Vienna! here we come!
Note: Always bring the transportation ticket during the day and night on Budapest, even though the ticket seems very useless and also it was verified by hand. In every metro station there always be a controller who will check the ticket.
After a visit to Prague I continued my journey to Bratislava, it took about 3.5 hours by bus. By the time we reached bus station we waited for another 15 minutes because Mba Dian’s friend (Mey) picked us by the station.
we started to walk by the end of the day to look fo a dinner, we went to a cafe, I prepared to pay 8-10 eur for dinner, but it turns out that Bratislava is one of the cheapest city in Europe like for dinner we only have to pay for 6 eur including the drink, I was so happy about it, hail Slovakian policy of trading!
The next day was presidential election day, we spent all morning on the embassy, Mey helped the technical aspect on election, Mba Dian voted for president, I took all pictures of them and all the bustling activities and played with all small children (Hey! I already voted in Netherland) see? eventhough we’re 6000 miles away from home and were on our vacation we spent time to think about the future of our country.
After do the voting We went to Bratislava castle, but too bad the castle is on renovation, and when I say renovation I mean the whole facade of the castle was cover and we can’t see the beauty of the castle, and then we just took picture of the city from top. We wanted to go to the museum but it turned out it’s just the exhibition room,they even charged us to enter the exhibition, oooh to be honest the our first hours trip to Bratislava was not very impressive.
After the lunch that we had on embassy (they served us splendidly Indonesian food yay!) the trip was getting better, we went to presidential house, prime minister building, and we even saw the so called ‘Megawati’s tomb’. Then we walked through the city center where we could find statues like the watcher, the Papparazzi or the sitting Napoleon. I found the city was very beautiful and interesting, the center itself is a very small for a capital city, but I feel they have like a mini version of anything.
On the afternoon the next stop was..Shopping mall, gosh It’s been sometime since I entered a mall, it was a huge mall, and I couldn’t help my self to buy some clothes *there were huge discounts every where* even Mba Dian bought tons of shirt, I even don’t know where she will put on her small bag *she managed it somehow*.
We returned to Mey’s room late in the night, oh have I mentioned that Mey lives on student dormitory? the condition is not very different with our so called hostel in Prague so we’re not really shock about that, furthermore I only have to pay 5 eur per night, what could I complain more?
In the morning we return back to Bratislava’s bus station and continued our journey to Budapest.
Right after the international symposium thingy I went for my celtral europe journey, I met mba Dian on Delft station , and we just rushed out to the to the airport (that god damn schiphol) we choose cheap airlines to prague, the name of the airlines is Sky Europe, the airlines was so cheap we even have to wait for 1 hour delayed flight, and to hear the announcer dry jokes after we hear the delayed flight news.
We arrived on the city by the midnight, and we have to rush to the hotel, luckily there’s no curfew for the hostel, and the hostel was indeed a cheap accommodation (8 eur/night). It was student boarding house, and moreover we got a room that used to be a boys room, well you could imagine the decoration of the wall it was filled by naked girl and extreme sports (whoa!) but luckily the room was spacious, the hot water was running, and yeah despite of the fact that we have to climb over the hill every time we have to return to the hostel it was a good bargain.
At the first day, we went to Prague castle, little bit lost on the first time especially due to the fact we’re not get used with the language, and the metro is showing us weird sign of the spotlight and we just follow the sign on the metro that showing the prague castle. Eventually, we were back on the track saved by trem 21. Prague castle is a complex of castle, church, vineyard, it is beautiful complex and now it is used as president’s residence. The building itself is pretty gothic, with lots of gargoyle and weary colour of wall.
We didn’t took a chance to explore the interior of the building, since they charge people about 20 eur if we wanted to get into the whole building, so we just walked around the area start form the castle untill the vineyard, one thing that interest me the most is they also use the area as to play teather and also there are few fancy restaurant surrounds the area. Ridiculous fact, one museum that available on the area is Toy Museum since they charge ticket on it I didn’t enter the museum.
We continue our journey to the city center to see the famous astronomical clock and then we continue walk to Jewish quarter, after return back to the bridge and another time of getting lost somewhere (that’s why they called it lost because we have no idea where we were), we took funicular to Petrin look out tower (Petřínská rozhledna) the tower resemble the Eiffel Tower, the history said that the tower was built by a group of people who adore Eiffel Tower on just 2 years.
We continued our journey after the sun set, but unfortunately we were little bit late, so by the time we wanted to took picture prague castle during the night it’s already turned off, moral of the story start early maybe a profit for me.
By the next day we spent time on focused on Charles Bridge and surrounds, the modern side of the city centre and (offcourse) shop for some souvenir, mba Dian is a big fan of Swarovski crystal, she bought like 8 crystal necklaces, while I’m only bought some matryoska broche.
In the afternoon, we went to the bus station and continue our journey to Bratislava.
When I met my friend Achmad Aditya for the first time I would say that he is typical doctoral student on Engineering, but when I talked to him it turns that he is a man with a big dream and ready to turns his dream into reality. He has a big dream to gather all Indonesian scientists who live abroad on one community. That’s why he established this simposium, and that’s why I came to help him (or rather put my self on more trouble).
He has a dream to establish one symposium that gather all Indonesian young scientists to think about the future of our nation, and after 4 years of hard work to look on sponsor, 2 years of planning,1 event cancellation (this event should be conducted last year in Germany), and finally his dream came true.
My position is the coordinator of science and technology committee, basically I invite some speakers to do presentation on my committee. I’m not really fancy my position, it was quite demanding job, furthermore the other member don’t seems eager to help me untill the D-day. But it turns out that they help me along the way during the event, especially during the time when we have to make recommendation, when I don’t have any clue how should start anything.
It was really one experience for me, it’s one hell tiring experience, especially because they forced me to picked all the attendee on schiphol and that give me trauma to go to schiphol again.
But, you know, just being there and see all the spirits of Indonesian student from all around the world and all the scientists that willing to dedicate their live to build a better Indonesia, it’s trully inspiring, I even wonder will I be like one of them on someday.
If you ever wonder about the event, I think they still keep the website.
http://si-ppi-2009.com/index.php
FYI, they established Young Indonesian Scientist Society it is acknowledge by LIPI (Indonesian Science Department), I believe that those dreams is not only just a dream.
I spent most of my summer vacation at home, but to be honest it was really bored, most of my friends they spent time to work on their thesis,since I haven’t started my thesis I try to find another activities. I will make a quick list about all things that I did during this vacation:
1. Became commitee on Indonesian Student International Simposium (SI-PPI 2009), I didn’t expect that I’ll be in charge of science and technology comittee,it was surely hard work I barely enjoyed my time her. To be honest I’m very sceptical about the result of this simposium. But, you know, to see all these students that devote them self into the future of our country, it really inspired me, nonetheless I got friend from all over the world, and just think about that it makes me feel grateful to be alive.
2. Had a central europe trip. With Mba Dian, I had 6 days of journey on Central Europe, we went to Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, and Vienna. Except Vienna whom located on Austria, all those countries using different languange from Indo-Europe, and it’s totally different, everyday we had to twist our tongue to say the name of the metro station or just name of tourist attraction. It really drives us crazy, especially when it comes to the quality of hostel (most of the time we lived on student dormitory), and during our meal we just pointing to something that we like and hopefully they eill give us right order LOL.
3. I went to London by myself, two weeks after I had central europe trip I went to London & Nottingham, most of the time I walk the cities all by my self (during my stay in Nottingham my friend accompany me for one day). It was my first time step on United Kingdom and for me it was very impressive, I never thought being on english speaking country would be able give the some kind of ease. By the time I went home to Netherland, part of me feel that I feel envy with all my friends whose studied there, part of me feel thankfull to live here, one fully organized country (London was such a mess!)
4. During the august I spent my time looking for a new house, because my friend didn’t allow me to extend my stayon my old house, after all those attemp to look on my new house I decided to stay on Himmel’s old place, it was 1 bedroom and 1 living room house located under the attic, as you can predict the roof is inclined so during the first 2 days I always bump my head into the roof. Since we lived (yeah I have to shared the room with mba endah so I could save more money) on the 3rd floor, everytime we head to our room we always panting because the stairs were really steep. But, oh well, home sweet home, when we have to live on the attic, then attic it will be!
