This is probably the place I frequented most after I moved into Aylesbury roughly 8 months ago. It is a value for money day out as the bus fare is only 5.50 return and the journey a little over an hour.

Oxford is the home to the oldest English speaking University that is now over 800 years old. Imagine the amount of scholars or graduates that has walked through the cities as students and then went on to the change the world or achieve greater heights. Click here for a list of famous Oxonians.

I decided to be a tourist today and here are some of the snap shots I took of the attractions in Oxford.

Carfax Tower- The centre of Oxford City

Bodleian Library

University Museum Of Natural History – My Favourite!

The Museum Of Natural History was my favourite as it houses a large collection of Dinosaur bones. Anything with Dinosaurs are sure winners!

Radcliffe Camera – It houses the Radcliffe Science Library.

Museum Of Oxford

There are several operators that run hourly buses/luxury coach between Oxford and London such as OxfordTube.

Visit the official tourist site to download a printable map or discover more details before your trip!

I was also sad to find out that one of my favourite Oxford attraction, The Oxford Story has closed down in 2007. It was an animated ride that tells you the rich history of Oxford. Apparently, it was too expensive to refurbished. Sad…

Oh well, I am once again glad that I took a day out exploring as it would have been a great waste as the weather was near perfection.

Till my next day trip… take care!

Today, I decided to reward myself with a day trip up to Birmingham from Aylesbury. (Chiltern Railways operate trains from London Marylebone, From Aylesbury, you have to switch in Princes Risborough) I took the train and although the journey took two hours each way. I figured I could catch up with my reading on board the train which I
have indeed. Built to last by Jim Collins completed during the trip. I read Good To Great last time as the organisation that I use to work for almost used it as a bible.

Well, I arrived at Moor Street station and begin my adventure at the Bull Ring shopping center. This is where the tourist center is located at. Equiped with the map I got from here, I started roaming freely.

I headed first to the cathedral and then followed by Victoria Square. The open space was grand. As the sun was up, there were crowds of people lazing around and soaking up the rays.

Just a stone throw away is the library, museum and art gallery. All free to enter. The museum and gallery had a pretty impressive collection. This are two of my favourite sculptures I discovered. See the contrasts?

Well, after the museum, I took a stroll to the markets. It is basically a combination of open air and a few huge airplane hangars with a variety of stalls selling almost everything.

Also nearby is the chinese quarters, the local chinatown.

Birmingham as a city has a lot to offer. I wouldn’t mind living here.

I did not visit the jewellery quarters or the canals. I plan to cover those upon my return here to visit Cadbury World.

For more information and maps, visit their official tourism website.

Well, that’s all for now. Till my next post. Take care.

A day trip to High Wycombe by train to visit Hell Fire Caves. I was told about this location by a colleague when I first arrived to Aylesbury as a nearby tourist attraction.

The man made chalk caves were indeed unique and have loads of tales and myths. It is a collection of interconnected caves and chambers.

The Entrance

The tourist attraction was made famous by the recordings of two ghost hunting shows as there are two resident ghosts here. The most famous one is Suki, the female bride ghost. Benjamin Franklin was also believed to have come here when he was a child.

After the caves, we took a hike up the hill where the Church Of St Lawrence and The Dashwood Mausoleum (pic above) was. Due to its hill top location, it was visible during my train ride here.

I would recommend this as a good day out but make sure you have other activities planned such as a visit to the town center or this trip can be quickly over. I visited using the 2 for 1 voucher from Network Rail which reduced the entry price to 2.50 per person.

For more information, visit their official website.

So, there I was over the pass day and half at Kensington Olympia. It was indeed a crowded event and I am glad that I stayed over in London last night to arrive early today.

I was fortunate to meet Jonathan Yates, the author of Freesourcing and got him to sign a copy! Luckily I did that because his session at later the day was jam packed and I couldn’t get entry. (Jonathan, its proof of your upcoming following). Freesourcing challenges the norm by stating that you could start your business with what you already have in hand. Will review his book when I am done reading it.

Author Of Freesourcing

As there were back to back seminars all day, I tried to attend every main session where possible. It was worthwhile as I got an abundance of new ideas and inspiration to apply at work and also personal endeavours. Some of the key speakers where from BBC’s Dragons Den (Concept adopted from Japan!!!). They were Doug Richardson from season 1 & 2 and the new Dragon Julie Meyer from the online version of the series. I did not manage to see Richard Farleigh as it was overcrowded which demonstrates how popular he is. There were other good speakers such as Richard Branson’s ex right hand man, Brad Rosser.

Tons of booth filled with heaps of other products and services were also present. If you have the funding, you could outsource and co-source most of your back end work but the challenge is to get the right balance. I had a browse around and nothing in particular attracted me but it is worth saying that a handful were internet based services and businesses. This shows that the internet is still growing.

Last but not least, I spent GBP 40 on books which was worth while as it appears to be cheaper than Amazon. Since the event was free entry, it was like a trade off. In the picture you can see my event ticket and my band which is proof that you have entry and also the stack of books I got.

Books

Will be my winter reading list!

Can’t wait until next years Business Start Up! Till my next post! Take care!

Cheers.

Always wanted to visit this place since I was young. The cartoons I watched somehow keeps featuring it. More text to follow!

View From The Top Of The Leaning Tower

The Leaning Tower

One Of The Bells On Top Of The Tower

A fairytale city I would say. Here are some pictures before I add in the text!

The Masks We Bought

St Marco Square Flooded

Gondolas

Bell Tower

St Marco Basilica

Rialto Bridge

Cheers

Who knew that I will be in Vaduz, Liechtenstein which is the capital of one of the smallest countries in the world. This happens to be one of the stops along the way on my European getaway.
So, what does this tiny capital have to offer you may ask?

The capital is located next to a hill and overlooking the city from the cliffs is the iconic castle.
The main city consists of a short stretch of Pedestrian Street with shops, galleries and museum. They all accept Euros and Swiss currency. Do watch out for the postal museum which is free to enter.

Due to the recent borderless rules, it is hardly ever possible to get your passport stamped when crossing between European countries. However, for a small fee, you can get your own Liechtenstein stamp which I did.

Here are some pictures from this tiny city:

The Vaduz Castle On The Hill

The Town Hall (Rathaus)

Parliament

Government Building

St Florin Cathedral

As a summary, this is a good place for a pit stop while you are travelling around one of the bordering countries. I don’t think there is a need to spend a night here unless there is something that you are particularly interested in.

That’s all for now!

Cheers.

Ventured from the central station by train to Kutna Hora, a unesco heritage
site for many reasons. For starters, it is home to the world famous Church of Bones and the old city is a hidden gem in Czech Republic.

From the main station in Prague, a train runs every two hours and is about an hours ride. Once at Kutna
Hora station, you may take the tram or the bus to the Church of Bones. It is
only a stop away by tram and a few by bus.

Church Of Bones Candle Holder

A Coat Of Arms

Chandelier

Both the trams and bus can take you the city central.

Other famous sites within the city central is the Barbara’s Cathedral, Cathedral Of Our Lady and the
Italian Court.

St Barbara Cathedral

Cathedral of Our Lady

It is recommended to take a half day trip here if you have some spare time
during your visit to Prague. I promise that the church of bones will make all your trips worthwhile.

Tip: Make sure you check the train and bus schedules. As they do not run
hourly and you may end up spending more time than needed waiting for them.

We spent a day in the upper city of Bergamo, Italy awaiting for our return flights late in the evening. Although the original plan was to only visit Milan but decided to spend time here after a few recommendations.

Although the weather was against us, we still braved the slight showers by trying to spend time in places with shelter. Mostly being their free museums which was surprisingly open on a Sunday in this part of the world.

Well, Bergamo can be mainly separated to the upper city and the lower city. The upper city on a walled hill is where we strolled around on narrow cobble stone roads and is ideally small to reach all the main attractions.

The Gates To The Public Garden

Narrow Streets Of Citi Alta (Upper City)

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica is the towns grandest religious building in the city.

The Duomo

The cathedral is dedicated to St Alexander, the patron saint of Bergamo.

Walls Of The Upper City

The hilltop city is surrounded by the venetian walls as a form of defence although never used in battle.

As a summary, Bergamo is a must see and can be reached by train or a day coach trip from Milan.

Cheers

Milan, a fashion capital, shopping haven and home of Prada. Well, here I am for a short weekend trip in lovely Italy. Here is a quick lazy post of pictures from Milan which I will do a write up shortly: