Category Archives: Travel Guides & Memoirs

20. A Guide to Kutna Hora’s Top Attractions

Posted on by
Reply

The delightfully goth Sedlec Ossuary (bone church) is located in the middle of an industrial wasteland, on the outskirts of a small town called Kutna Hora, about an hour east of Prague by train.

in pursuit of | wings

The tourists flock here in drones, buzzing through the ossuary and taking their fill of happy snaps, barely seeing the place except through the lenses of their cameras. We linger til the first throng disappears, and enjoy the few minutes of silence we have. The second coming appears in another flash-flood, but soon disappears as well, and we are finally left alone, having the whole establishment to ourselves for a good half an hour. It seems odd that a minute ago you couldn’t take a step without a dozen Nikon flashes blinding you; now, we are able to take a grand photo of the place without a single soul to disturb us.

in pursuit of | wings
Continue reading →

19. A One-Day Tour of Prague’s Historic Old Town

Posted on by
Reply

The trams of Prague crawl like caterpillars through the winding laneways; antennae and headlights alive with retro kitsch. They are cheap (putting us back a mere AUD 0.70 for each trip) and convenient (stopping just around the corner of our hotel).

in pursuit of | wings

We jump off at the Western end of Charles Bridge. The towers of Karluv Most are open to the public, and after paying a nominal fee, we alight the rickety old stairs to the top.

in pursuit of | wings

The view is priceless. It stretches across an expanse of sunburnt rooftops, split in quarters by the river and it’s bridge. We are alone, save for a few feathered companions. A bell rings in the distance. We count the chimes to twelve o’clock, and watch the current of tourists wash down the bridge, mesmerised by the constant flow of bodies.

in pursuit of | wings
Continue reading →

18. Prague; Highlights of the Golden City

Posted on by
Reply

What better place to first savour the gems of Eastern Europe than the Czech Republic – home to the beautifully spooky Bone Church, medieval town squares lined in cobblestones and crowned in gargoyles, hearty and food and beer, bohemian crystal, and a culture that is rich with folklore of witches and golems.

We landed in Prague after almost 24 hours in transit. Not quite knowing what to expect, and armed with all the pent-up excitement of a life-long dream, I watched as he steps out of the airport.

My husband, after all these years, has finally made it to Europe for the very first time; and more significantly, to his Prague… the one he was always told he had to visit, the one city that he would feel a sense of belonging in, the one he dreamed of. The look on his face says it all, and I feel an overwhelming gratitude that I am here to share it with him.

Read more to find out why Prague quickly became one of our favourite cities in the world.

in pursuit of | wings Continue reading →

17. Airport Review: Dubai International Airport, Oh the Horror!

Posted on by
Reply

Never have I experienced such incompetence and disrespect as we did at Dubai International Airport.

Most flights with Emirates will have a layover at the Dubai hub for refueling. We had a short stop in Dubai on both flights; going, it was only four hours, coming; it was eight (although the pain we experienced was tenfold).

Arriving in Dubai the first time, I’m not sure what I expected to find, but in retrospect it made complete sense. Imagine a scene from Joss Whedon’s futuristic TV series Firefly. Terminal 3 reminds me of one of the central planets; a bustling hub for international flights, and a melting pot of culture. Men wearing the traditional Arab thawb (white suit and headdress) as common as your jeans-sporting Aussie bloke, followed by their black-draped-wives, like shadows in glamorous heels and bling-bling rings herding the children along; the Indians with their turbans and sari-draped wives, aunts, and mother-in-laws in tow; the African natives in their vibrant colours; the holy men; and the lone geisha we spotted, trotting along so delicately in her exquisite kimono and wooden geta sandals.

The novelty didn’t last long.
Continue reading →

16. Airline Review: The Emirates A380, Five Stars all the Way

Posted on by
Reply

Emirates, your reputation precedes you. From your history of honeymoon upgrades (although we were unfortunately on fully-booked flights both ways), to your leniency with an already generous luggage allowance (30kg checked plus 7kg carry on), your not merely edible but delicious menu, and, last-but-not-least, some of the largest economy seats in the air – we were content in the knowledge that you could deliver us, well-fed, well-rested, suitably-pampered, to our destination. We weren’t disappointed.

in the pursuit of | Emirates

The welcome we received wasn’t quite as theatrical as this photo, but it may as well have been – we were pampered to the extent we forgot we were sitting in economy class seats!
Credit: World Stewardess Crews

Continue reading →