hkskyline's 2007 Year in Review (July - December)

[hkskyline]

Now that my 2007 photo set is pretty much processed, I realize I am a year late in bringing this thread to light.

1. The second half of 2007 saw another visit to Singapore. There are 2 large models of the city on display, with quite a lot of detail, although I like Shanghai's more.







4. Fall time is one of my favourite seasons to head far ... to Europe. I flew Air New Zealand for the first time on this trip. Australian and New Zealand carriers now fly between Hong Kong and London, and they are often my preferred choice since they cost less. I also like the timing - the flight leaves Hong Kong in the morning and arrives in the afternoon so I can walk around a bit, then rest early to get rid of jet lag. I'm not a big fan of red-eye flights.



5. I now have a strategy in finding seats. My preferred choice is always window, and on this flight, I was hoping take-off would be towards the east and I'd get some aerial shots of Hong Kong's skyline if I sat on the right. I was not disappointed.





7. I was a bit surprised there are so many cranes in London. No wonder UNESCO and Prince Charles are complaining.





9. Psst .. your crack is showing.



10. This industrial complex of old has been transformed into expensive and upscale shops and homes. If only they can be more affordable to the average white-collar drone ...





12. Camden is one of the more colourful places in London and highly recommended by our fellow Hong Kong forumers in London. As I wanted to get away from central London and explore a bit more further afield, I went one morning to find a bustling market, albeit with the typical overpriced stuff. Great for photography though!







15. A few of us from the Hong Kong forum then set off to Budapest. I picked the Wizzair flight. Hey .. it's a low cost carrier! How bad could it be?



16. First impression of Budapest was not so good. I was a bit surprised how .. rugged .. it looked.





18. We stayed on the Buda side, with easy access to the castle. That part of town is quite pretty, although the Pest side was far more .. run-down.









22. We walked quite a lot in the city all the way until the last moment when we had to rush back downhill to catch our train to Slovakia. I like these types of trips .. lots of exercise and a good night's rest after watching Happy Tree Friends.



23. Bratislava was a huge surprise to all of us. We thought if Budapest was so run-down, this place would be far worse. But it turns out this city's historic centre is well-kept, clean, and tourist-friendly. I was really glad to have made this stop, and opted to come back a few days later for more.











28. The ultimate prize was Vienna - the grand imperial capital, as expected. I was very happy to have booked a brand new hostel near Sudbahnhof, which resembled more like a hotel with the new Ikea smell - hardwood floors, TV, and even a big desk to help me plan my next day.





30. Hundertwasser House is well-advertised as a tourist site. Looking at the outside it does seem interesting.









34. I don't think it's worthwhile to type for each photo I was greatly impressed. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.







37. The year ended with a day trip to Macau. I wanted to see Fisherman's Wharf, a replica of a European village in the heart of Asia.











42. There's also an Asian influence as well.





More Review Threads
hkskyline's 2006 Year in Review (July - December)
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=143538

hkskyline's 2007 Year in Review (January - June)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=564217

Hong Kong 2007 Year in Review - hkskyline's Bonanza
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=562266

Happy Travels!

[boden]

Very enjoyable post HK.
Wizzair...now there's on I haven't heard of.

[Top Of The Park]

good gravy!

[Bergenser]

Yep, some great shot's there.

[denveraztec]

Fantastic!