Kawagoe Bell Tower @ Kawagoe, Japan

The Bell Tower at Kawagoe is a must-visit when you are visiting Kawagoe in Japan. It is right in the center of the old town, a famous landmark in the area. Due to the high of the tower, you can easily see this afar and brings the crowd to the area. The bell is still operation and rings 4 times a day (6am,12pm, 3pm & 6pm) which is done automatically. The bell can also be rung manually on odd occasions or during festivals.

The bell is well preserved they don’t allow visitors to climb on it. The ladder has been bolted down with planks to prevent people from trying. The tower has been rebuilt several times due to damage but the main structure is still there. There is no entry fee to the bell tower and you can feel free to visit multiple times. The other thing I have noticed there are no stores that sell souvenirs inside the tower so don’t look for a store there. There are plenty of shops around the tower to buy your gifts. Not to mention the local street food. If you are in Kawagoe, this is a must visit stop.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Museum of Islamic Art @ Doha, Qatar (P2)

Hi Everyone,

Let’s continue visiting the Museum of Islamic Art at Doha. As mentioned yesterday, there are many rooms with various themes in the museum. There are different collections from around the world with various themes and most importantly, they are from different eras which makes it very interesting.

I was amazed at all the patterns and colours used on these tiles and wall displays. Designs back in the days are actually more creative than modern art in my opinion. At the same time, it feels like the current designs we have are just inspirations from what was developed hundreds of years ago.

The below are ones that are made from wood. The workmanship is of high quality and is all done without machines. Remember now we have technology that could make everything perfect through machinery but these ones are all done by the worker’s skills.

Another piece I like was this document holder. Look at that design. It makes me scared to actually use it as it looks too delicate to be one. Or even the compass, look how each item has been made with thought and with good use of material.

There are just too many things to see and explore. They all represent something significant in their country and era which is why they are bring displayed here. They could be something we can obtain now in 2019 but back in the days, things are difficult and maybe considered important or valuable tools/objects. Below are some of the displays I really liked and would like to share them with you.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Museum of Islamic Art @ Doha, Qatar

Hi Everyone,

Many people stay indoors during the day in Doha as the heat is just a bit too hot for some people. As tourists, w would try to also find things to do during the day but of course, would be indoors. We took the opportunity to visit the Museum of Islamic Art. We ordered an Uber and arrived around 15 minutes after leaving our hotel.

The heat hit us immediately once we got out of the Uber. The museum is built on a man made area with water surrounding the area. As you can see below, there are lots of open space but nobody was out due to the sun and heat right in the middle of the day. This museum houses many different treasures from around the world. After some quick snaps, we quickly made our way inside.

Before you go to the museum, make sure you wear appropriate clothing. This includes no singles for both men and women, no mini shorts and skirts for females or any revealing clothings. There is no entry fee either which was great for those visiting and want to visit numerous times as there is so much to see. If you check the website, there are many floors and rooms to explore so be prepared for a full day visit.

We explored many rooms and some of them had some really interesting collection. Below are some of the things from the first few rooms I loved. I love details on these bowls and jug. It just seems so precious to use and is best to have them displayed so other people can appreciate them as well. As the museum has lots to offer, I will share with you the different collections I enjoyed in the coming blogs.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Bratislava Castle @ Bratislava, Slovakia

Hi Everyone,

While we were in Bratislava, the castle was one of the highlight was visiting the castle. It was a public holiday when we wanted to visit and surprisingly the castle was opened. We parked out car nearby and walked up the hill to see it.

The first thing we noticed was the beautiful view of the city. Just where the view is, there is a large gate which make a nice photo opportunity.

As we walk into the middle of the castle, you see a simple map to show where things are. As we had a stroller, the lift was not available so we didn’t end up going in. In the middle of the castle, there is also a well which of course is not in use but it was quite popular with the younger crowd all wanting to peer down the whole.

It was a nice place to visit especially on a public holiday. I was a bit disappointed we couldn’t make it inside as the lift wasn’t working. Hope we can go inside next time if we visit the castle again.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Let’s Visit Expo Cave Karst @ Slovenia with Travelgirl

Hi Everyone,

During our visit to the Postojna Cave in Slovenia, we got to visit the Expo Cave Karst which consists of two exhibitions – Exhibition Life within a Billion Years & Exhibition Butterflies of the World. The ticket to the cave included these exhibitions so we took the opportunity to have a quick visit before our tour in the cave.

First we visited the Butterfly of the World. The room were full of butterflies in different colours and sizes. It was such a beautiful room with all the different colours and patterns and it was interesting to see them in one room. There are posters with some explanations of each type and included some interesting facts. It wasn’t a big exhibition but it would be enough for someone to gauge a good understanding about butterflies.

The Exhibition Life within a Billion Years was located on the second floor of the building. The moment we came out of the lift, there was sounds of the “past world” which took us by surprise. You could see different fossils and statues of life but some of them looked so real it was bit freaky. This room was not very big so it wouldn’t take too long to finish. It was a good place to visit just before our tour of the cave which we look forward to it very much.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Visiting Bled Castle Museum @ Bled, Slovenia with Travelgirl

Hi Everyone,

In my last blog, I took you to Bled Castle and today I’m going to take you to the museum in the castle. Entry to the museum is included in the ticket price for the castle visit. It has 2 levels and are split in different themed rooms. Every room tells a story and gives visitors an insight of the history and culture in Slovenia. The smaller items are all in boxes whereas the bigger items are displayed freely.

The museum was very kids friendly as long as you leave the pram outside as we didn’t want to carry the pram to level 2. The kids loved to explore and see something different to what they normally are exposed to at home. We even saw an old bathtub in one of the rooms. Of course it was covered but it was something a bit different.

After touring the museum, you can visit the gift store next door and buy something local for friends and family. We found that prices were a little bit more expensive than town but if you are short of time, it is not a bad choice to buy it all here.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl

Visiting Bled Castle @ Bled, Slovenia with Travelgirl

Hi Everyone

Today I will be taking you to the famous Bled Castle in Slovenia. When you arrive in Bled, you will easily see the castle right at the top of the hill. We drove our car to the entrance and we paid for a parking spot which you will be directed by someone when you get there. As we were talking towards the entrance, we found ourselves at the bottom of another hill – we need to hike up a very steep cobblestone path to get to the ticket counter.

It wasn’t easy with the strollers but we got there eventually. We bought out tickets from the front desk and started our visit making our way up to the view point. Kids were free and we continued pushing up the the hill. As we were walking up, you can see the castle is still in its original colour and condition which I thought was great they kept that. A few minutes later, we can see the pretty view. Unfortunately on the day when we visited, it was a bit cloudy but as long as it wasn’t raining, it wasn’t an issue. After taking some photos, we went to visit the castle museum which I will introduce in another blog.

As we were leaving the castle, we decided to take a break and have a coffee and the famous Slovenia cake in the castle. It wasn’t the best cake, but it was not bad considering you have a really nice view while enjoying a cake and drinking coffee.

Small tip – prepare yourself for some steep hill walk on cobble stops. Wear some comfy shoes and clothing. During summer months, bring some water and wear sun protective gear.

Thanks for reading

Travelgirl