How it all began

Thanks to my Daddy's job, I got my first taste of life on the road at the age of 11.  We left the sweltering heat of KL, flew via Singapore and Abu Dhabi, and landed in Copenhagen in the middle of winter. Took the hovercraft to Malmö and then a train to Gothenburg. That one trip has shaped my life ever since. 

Inspiration from Japan

Sharing some of the most enduring images in my mind from the recent trip to Japan in March/April 2015.

Collage of cherry blossoms against the bright blue skies over Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)

Collage of sakura trees along Philosopher's Walk in north Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)

First view of Mt Fuji from Lake Ashinoko in Hakone (by Joanna Yeoh)

Magnificent Mt Fuji (by Joanna Yeoh)

Ancient cedar woods around Lake Ashi (by Joanna Yeoh)

Ancient bamboo forests in Arashiyama, west Kyoto (by Joanna Yeoh)

Close-up of cherry blossoms (by Joyce Cheam)

Colourful kois (by Joyce Cheam)

Sakura Springtime

What an absolute delight it is to experience Japan during the sakura (cherry blossom) season!  We were so blessed to arrive at all the main attractions just as the flowers came into full bloom, and experienced perfect springtime weather.

Here's are my three favourite Hanami (flower-viewing) spots:

1) Philosopher's Walk, Kyoto *

This is a beautiful path along a canal lined with hundreds of cherry blossom trees.  It's a 2km walk from Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) to Nanzenji that's so breathtakingly beautiful, it's almost surreal.  It was so hard to just put down the camera for a minute and take in the splendour of the moment:  the pink blossoms against the blue skies juxtaposed against the natural green plants that lined the canal.

2)  Gardens at Tenryu-ji Temple, Arashiyama (Kyoto) *

The Tenryu-ji temple was established in 1339 by shogun Ashikaga Takauji, and presided over by the eminent Zen master Muso Soseki.  This is a World Heritage Site and there's a 500yen fee to get into the gardens, which I highly recommend because the cascading cherry blossoms create walls of fragrant pink flowers every where you turn!  I'm told the autumn scenes are equally stunning.

3) Around Hakone *

Hakone is an area famous for its hot springs, located about 100km away from Tokyo.  The mountains, bridges and streams provide a very pretty backdrop to the cherry blossoms that dot the landscape.

Photo courtesy of Khaw Li Ki, which was taken on a moving bus.  Well done Seester!

* Please click on the individual links for more travel ideas and information from Japan-Guide.Com

Fuji-san

Mount Fuji - the beautiful mountain that has inspired so much of Japanese art and literature.

Very grateful to have seen it in all its splendour from the Hakone Ropeway, and managed to snap these amazing shots with my humble iPhone6.

Enjoy…

Ode to Love

The magnificent Taj Mahal

I finally saw the Taj Mahal in Agra - one of the seven wonders of the world.  It is breathtakingly beautiful. 

Aunty Jojo @ the Diana Seat

This mausoleum was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631.  An ode to love - is what I've heard it described as, many times. Though in my humble opinion, any woman who has 14 children in a 19-year marriage totally deserves a monument built in her honour.  Just saying.

Yes, Aunty Jojo is perfectly capable of capturing cheesy tourist photos!

The Taj Mahal took 22 years to complete and almost emptied the treasury of the Mughal empire, with all the marble and precious stones that were required for its completion.  In the end, Shah Jehan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in a small room in the Agra Fort, where he spent the rest of his life watching workmen toiling to complete his mausoleum.  While Shah Jehan never set foot in the Taj Mahal, that is where he is buried to this day alongside his beloved Mumtaz Mahal.

View from the northern entrance

Camel safari

Don't you just love that one photo that sums up the entire holiday?  You know, the one photo that presents you as the adventurous heroine, ready to ride off into the sunset...

...like this photo of Aunty Jojo in her best "Lawrence of Arabia" pose?

Well, hold on to your horses, or in this case - your camels, here's a better picture of what REALLY happened...

Guess a picture really does paint a thousand words! :D

Driving around Tahoe

Fall 2014.  On the second last day of my third trip to California this year, Julie and I drove out to the mountains.  On the recommendation of a friend, we headed for the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe to check out a place called Incline Village.  It was a beautiful day with fresh snow on the ground.  The views were simply breathtaking!

Joanna and Julie "frolicking" in the snow... err...not quite

Aunty Jo Jo's winter glamour shot :)

Absolutely stunning views of Lake Tahoe

Sunset Symphony

Watching the sun set over the Pacific. So beautiful.

Princely Treasures

I visited this superb exhibition last Saturday but it's taken me a whole week to summon up the courage to write a post because of one word - Liechtenstein.  This principality in Europe sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland may be tiny in size but presents quite a mammoth challenge when it comes to spelling and pronunciation.  Nevertheless, it is to the Prince of Liechtenstein (yes, I did it again!) that we owe a debt of gratitude - for lending his priceless collection of Renaissance, Baroque and Flemish art to be enjoyed by the residents of Singapore.

The Princely Treasures exhibition is on display at the National Museum of Singapore from 27 June - 29 September 2013.  It really is a stunning collection of art, which I've seen often in the galleries of Europe, but is totally new and novel to Singapore.

The first two galleries hold collections from the summer palace.  There are some beautiful ornaments from the Baroque period, including this gorgeous clock which I would have love to own but  alas...perhaps one day my prince will come bearing a beautiful Baroque clock :)

Another unique piece from the artisans of Florence.  This ornate chest is decorated with pictures made by piecing together shards of cut coloured stone.  Obviously very meticulous and time-consuming work from the Renaissance period.

Then came the galleries containing the high art of Europe including this Raphael from the Renaissance period.  While the subject of the portrait may not be the best looking Renaissance man around,  it is clear that the master artist was able to command his brush and paint to bring to life the brilliance of his art, which has been admired for centuries.

This was my favourite painting in the entire collection.  It is a picture of little Clara Serena Rubens, painted by her adoring father, Peter Paul Rubens, just a few years before her death.  The innocent face of a little girl staring adoringly at her papa is so beautifully captured, I returned more than once to stare at this painting.

A roomful of Rubens - right here in Singapore!

The lovely galleries in jewelled tones 

Another treat was a gallery dedicated to the Brueghels, a talented family of 16th century Flemish artists from Belgium, famous for their landscapes and peasant scenes.  This lovely winter village scene by Pieter Brueghel the Younger is a fine example from the period.  There are so many details of life in the picture that it's more a study of anthropology than of art, if one were to really take time to enjoy all of it.

All in all, I would highly recommend a visit to the Princely Treasures from the House of Liechtenstein.

Flowery Delights

Mum and Dad made their annual pilgrimage to Singapore to visit me in early May and I finally had an excuse to visit Gardens by the Bay.  Took a day off on 11 May to celebrate an early Mother's Day with mum (and dad).  We girls were in raptures over the flowers, while dad was awestruck by the amazing architectural feat.

Kudos to Singapore for really making this a world-class attraction - for both locals and tourists alike.  For those of us who fight a constant battle with the sweltering heat of tropics, being able to spend a few hours in a temperate climate with gardens filled with daffodils, lilies, tulips, camellias and roses galore is almost heaven on earth.

Well Done Singapore!!

Happy Mother's Day to my Mummy

Family portrait in the English Garden

Floral delights flown in from Holland for a special spring exhibition

Amazing architecture and hanging gardens in the Cloud Dome