Skywatch - Early morning sunrise

I'm not a natural early riser to take a picture of sunrise but that morning when I spotted this magical sky just outside my hotel window, I had to grab the camera for a shot. I like how the bare trees are silhouetted against the sky at sunrise, makes it worth getting up at dawn to capture a beautiful moment in time.

Wordless Wednesday - Hungry Doves

My world - Salzach river in Salzburg

The Salzach river is one of the most pristine rivers I've seen. It was the kind of idyllic scene I read about and see in tourist brochures. Peering down at the river, I was immediately struck by the crystal clear water and I was filled with a soothing sense of tranquility. It's easy to see why this is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Salzburg. In case you're wondering, the source of the water comes from the Austrian Alps, which makes the river ecosystem extremely pure and pristine.

According to my guide book, the Salzach is a river in Austria and Germany. It is the main river of the Austrian state of Salzburg. The name Salzburg means “Salt Castle”, it got its name from the various barges that carried salt on the Salzach river back in the 8th century.



There are a number of attractions of both sides of the river and we spent a few hours wandering up and down the riverbank. The surroundings are absolutely charming and intriguing with plenty of photo ops. Salzburg’s Altstadt (old town), on the south bank of the river, is a Baroque fiesta of cathedrals, plazas, courtyards and fountains.


The 'new town' on the other side of the river has Mirabell Gardens, Mozart House, and plenty of streets with great eateries and interesting shopping malls.

PhotoHunt - Natural

I'm sharing some natural scenery shots I took in Innsbruck, Austria during late winter this year.

The natural wonders of the Alps has always intrigued me. I enjoy the crisp fresh air, the beautiful snow-capped mountains with an abundance of natural greenery. No matter which angle you look, the natural landscape just blows you away. Wouldn't it be amazing to wake up to such natural beauties every morning?

Wordless Wednesday - Finding Romance

Map of the World

I love taking pictures of stained glass artworks while in Europe. I can't help but admire the elaborate complexity and artistry.

I spotted this quaint stained glass ceiling depicting map of the world at the four-level underground shopping mall in Moscow. I look on in amazement but I had a slight crick in my neck from looking up too much, trying to capture the best shot of the world map. This may not be perfect but still worth the effort.

PhotoHunt - School

One of the beautiful school buildings I came across in Austria is the Vienna University of Technology. It's not only impressive, it is among the most successful technical schools across Europe and is Austria’s largest scientific technical research and educational institution.





Walking around the building, I couldn't help but be captivated by the statues on the roof. Quite a few locations in Europe had these similar kinds of architecture. I bet the inner courtyard is equally fabulous too.

Skywatch - Good night Shanghai

Wordless Wednesday - Evening at the beach

Ruby Tuesday - Fishing on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul

The Galata Bridge is a favourite fishing spot among locals in Istanbul. The popular bridge spans the Golden Horn, linking the old part of Istanbul to the modern part of the city. It is also very close to the bustling Spice Bazaar.

We strolled across the bridge and noticed hundreds of fishermen casting their long fishing rods into the water. Many people had to rely on fishing for a living to make ends meet, but some take home and share their fresh catch of the day with their families.


Anglers lining the bridge, waiting patiently for the day's catch .



Watching them fishing has given me quite some good photo ops, and every now and then you notice a fish line go flying in the air. How cool is that?



As we walked through the bridge, I couldn't help but peek into a few buckets. Small shrimps and anchovies are used as baits with fisherman's catch of the day in barrels.



Across the other side of the bridge there are fishing boats selling fish sandwiches along the dock. The freshly caught fish are grilled as soon as it gets to shore, and served in a half-loaf of bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.



Some of the great views of the city can be seen from the bridge and the tower in the distance is the Galata tower.



On the upper deck, the bridge carries autos, buses, trams, and pedestrians. Below the roadway you will find restaurant and cafes where you can enjoy a nice meal or just drink Turkish tea.

Skywatch - A cool spring evening in Istanbul

I 'm sharing some skywatch photos of Istanbul. The imposing building shown below is one of the world's greatest cultural heritage. Hagia Sophia was a Byzantine church at one time, later it was converted to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum in Istanbul.

These shots were taken during early spring and and the beautiful sky provided a wonderful backdrop to the multiple domes and towering minarets.




I like to include electrical rail cables in my photos too, I find that they do a great job framing the sky.

Wordless Wednesday - Greetings from Athena and friends, Vienna

My World - Moscow's most beautiful Metro

The subway in Moscow is one of the best I've ever seen. Aside from being the largest metro system in the world, it is super efficient, inexpensive and fast.


Many of the stations are absolutely stunning and you can easily spend a whole day by just going around looking at the exquisite interiors. Mayakovskaya is considered to be the most beautiful station of the Moscow Metro and it’s easy to understand why. From the moment I step into the station I feel like I'm entering a ballroom rather than a public transport hub. This station is one of the fine examples of pre World War 2 Stalinist empire style. Beautifully designed tiles, astonishing marble walls and intricate mosaics.

Unfortunately, all signs are in Cyrillic alphabets inside the trains and at the platforms. Even though the metro map has both Cyrillic and English translation to the stations, it's not easy to read and navigate. Since I had trouble remembering the Russian alphabets, I had to count the number of stops before I get off the station. But despite all these obstacles the Moscow Metro is still the easiest and cheapest and by far the best means of transportation in the city!




amazing ceiling mosaic


The escalators going down to the platforms can be very long and it's one of the deepest of Moscow's Metro. It was used in the Second World war as a bomb shelter and was the venue for a famous party conference led by Stalin in 1941.

PhotoHunt - Hot

The shots below were taken on a hot sunny afternoon at a private tropical getaway in Port Dickson.

It was a beautiful day but the weather was way too hot to go outside during daytime. Despite the heat, I'm not complaining in this place. I love it when you can see the quaint chalets, the white sandy beaches, the blue sky above and the gentle lapping of the waves from the comfort of our private balcony. It's not often that you can enjoy the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere like this everyday.