This photo was taken on my way from Brussels airport to Amsterdam (August 2022). There are 19 windmills at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At last, I made my way to Europe! It was the trip that I had been awaiting for a very long time. I flew on Emirates from Hanoi to Venice on 9th August and left from Amsterdam on 17th August at the end of my holiday. It was short and sweet but very expensive. As I travelled solo, safety was my priority and I was concerned about getting Covid or a victim of pickpockets. I booked hotels with private bathrooms and taxis to pick me up or drop me off at the airports. I had a wonderful time in four countries and enjoyed every moment of the trip.
At first, I booked a hotel in the city centre near Piazza San Marco (St Marks Square). However, the taxi rides from Marco Polo airport to the hotel and back was so expensive, 300 euros for a round trip. So, instead, I booked a hotel near the airport which is only a taxi ride and could save 150 euros. From this hotel I could easily take a bus or tram to Venice.
land at Marco Polo airport, I looked through the window and saw an amazing view of Venice with all the red roof houses and towers. It was an emotional moment. I had been waiting for 19 years until this dream came true. I fell in love with Venice from the first aerial view. I bought a European sim card (35 euros) and took a tram ride to Venice from my hotel. It was a nice feeling being among the locals and seeing the houses along the way. I spent a couple of hours walking around some of the streets in Venice. I loved the houses, hundreds of years old, sitting on the water, the bridges of different designs, the gondolas and other boats along the canals. Although I was concerned about carrying my camera around, I was pleasantly surprised to see many tourists doing just that. That was my first impression, and actually, I felt safe for the whole holiday.
Next day, I visited two islands near Venice. Murano is famous for glass blowing, and local shops along the canals sell incredibly creative art works. From Murano I took another boat to Burano which has colourful houses. When I
returned to Venice, I found my way to Rialto Bridge and saw some squares but I missed the most important site which is Piazza San Marco. My phone ran out of battery. It was getting late and I had to go back to my hotel before it was dark. I left Venice next day with the sadness of missing the fabulous piazza and wished I had planned better and spent one more day in this city. I knew I needed to go back to Italy to see more of Venice and other cities.
I flew on EasyJet from Venice to Paris. My hotel is located two kilometres from the city centre and next to Canal As soon as I started walking along the streets and saw buildings, I had such a familiar feeling like I was walking in the French quarter in Hanoi or Sai Gon. I met my new French friends Jerome and Sylvia and they took me to a subway station and explained how to take a subway to see the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower.
3 subway rides to get to the Eiffel Tower. The tower appeared behind a building as I was walking out of the subway station. It was a very nice surprise. I walked through the water fountains and a bridge over the Seine toward the structure and saw a local man standing by the street selling tickets for hop on hop off buses around Paris. A ticket cost 45 euros so I got one and started my journey. It was a great experience seeing different sites in Paris within 24 hours. It was 1pm and the sun was so strong that at times I thought I may get sun sickness as I sat on the top floor of the bus. I got out at the Opera House and the Arc de Triomphe then returned to the Eiffel Tower. I decided to get to the top of the tower (26.80 euros) and joined the long queue of tourists. The lift stopped at the second floor then continued its way to the summit (266m).
