Skywatch - A glorious evening

As I was heading home from work yesterday I was greeted by the stunning sunset. Enjoy.




Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday - Christ and His Disciples

Mosaic paintings found at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Wordless Wednesday

Macro Monday - My niece just turned ONE

My sister and her hubby recently hosted a party to celebrate her daughter's first birthday.



This cake is adorable and I’m truly amazed at the details which go into some treats. I love all the colourful shapes they can create in them!


They are just too cute to eat but of course, that did not deter the kids from eating them. lol



The chocolate fudge icing is my favourite part of the cake, it's too irresistible to resist. Yum and oh so sweet!!

Macro Monday

My World - Historic Water wheel, Salzburg

I came across this ancient water wheel by chance as I traveled through the old town of Salzburg. The wheel is still functional and is used these days, to generate emergency electricity to parts of the city in times of need.



I spotted this unidentified statue standing guard over the water wheel and I couldn't resist a shot.



There is an informative sign about the water wheel printed in German, English and Italian.




and here's an enlarged information in English. I also did some research and found out that the water mill was considered to be the oldest canal system of Central Europe and probably dated back to the 8th century. The modern construction of the Alm canal started in 1137, by using materials from the Roman ruins that originated from Iuvavum, the Roman city at the site of modern Salzburg.



Along the side of the building, there's a bakery and as the water wheel rotates, the energy is generated into the bakery's wood ovens.



A photo exhibit in German, was displayed at the building basement, explaining how the wheel works, people's involvement in the local community with hands-on learning experience.


Watching that big wheel spin was the most fascinating sight to watch. I am glad that this valuable piece of history was saved for the benefit of future generations.

That's My World

Skywatch - Late afternoon skies

Walking through the mall of Straits Quay gives you plenty of great opportunities to look upwards. The framework is carved with intricate patterns and I find that they do a great job framing the sky.





For those who have missed my previous post, please click here for more stories and photos.

Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday - Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang

Straits Quay Penang

Wordless Wednesday

Friendly Dragonfly

I spotted this little fella perching on a fence the other day. It managed to sit still while I quickly ran inside the house to grab my camera. I set it to macro and snapped away.



It was staring intensely at me as I photographed it for several minutes. I think I have been lucky this round to meet a dragonfly that would posed for me.



It was spreading its wings out proudly to each side as if showing off. I was completely in awe at the sheer beauty of god's creation.



A co-operative model and I think it likes being the center of attention .

Macro Monday

That's My World

PhotoHunt - Informative

Whenever I travel to new places, I take photos of informative signs that interest me.


This is one of the informative signs I captured when I visited the Acropolis of Athens last year. There are many archaeological remains throughout the site and each major structure has informative pictures to help you identify the ruins and a short description on the history of the restoration works.



I've captured a section of the informative text as a reference so that I can read it on my computer anytime.



Here's the Propylaia, the entrance to the Acropolis



Another section of Propylaia

PhotoHunt

My World - Straits Quay, Penang

Last weekend, we made our way to Straits Quay, the latest attraction and the first seafront retail marina in Penang. Located at Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, it offers almost everything from boutiques to bistros, seafood restaurants to seaside cafes, antique shops to art galleries, bars and and also facilities for year-round performances and concerts.



As the mall is relatively new, some of the shops are still not occupied, yet many people are already flocking here to take a look. This is the view of Straits Court, a gathering place for events and celebrations.



Next to the Straits Court is the market street where we found a collection of fashion apparels, accessories and antique collections.


As we entered the shopping center, I was quite impressed by the exquisite patterns, the amazing sky dome and the marble tile flooring is tastefully decorated in a classic contemporary design.



We took a relaxing stroll along the promenade and I was amazed by the sweeping views of the sea where you can overlook the Gurney Drive and the coastline of Penang. The sea and sky were almost similar shades of blue and it shows what a lovely day it was when we visited.



There are 160 luxurious apartments built around the waterside and marina which are almost sold out.


During my visit, I saw a number of luxury yachts and elegant sailboats docked at the marina. A lot of foreigners have bought condo units here and some of them owned boats and parked them here too. I really like the fact that they can step out onto the balcony anytime and see their vessels parked below.



That's the lighthouse overlooking the marina and it will be a 5 storey aquarium-themed restaurant set within the lighthouse.




Some of the finest restaurants and bars are here, catering to visitors and locals alike. Here's one of them. This is German bistro that goes by the name of BERLIN'S BIER HOUZ(BBH).

I will definitely be making more frequent visits to Straits Quay as the promenade is quite inviting to say the least and I bet it looks even impressive at night when it is lit from within. If you've ever been thinking of visiting Penang, than don’t delay! You definitely can’t go wrong with Straits Quay and you'll be pleasantly surprised at what this mall has in store for you.


Straits Quay Penang
Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang,
Tanjung Tokong,
10470 Penang, Malaysia
Tel : (+6) 04-891 8000
Fax: (+6) 04-891 2525
Email : info@straitsquay.com
Information Counter: (+6) 04-890 7726

That's My World

PhotoHunt - Triangles

Triangles form the design of The Expo Axis in Shanghai Expo. I've probably posted about this place before, but here are more photos to share and these are some of my favorite photos ever. Hope you like them too.




PhotoHunt

Wordless Wednesday - The SMURFS are back!

Remember these little blue cuties? I used to watch them everyday and it was one of my favourite cartoons as a kid.


The Smurfs are making a comeback once again with their cheerful characters and smurfilicious adventures.


I can't wait for it to be shown on the big screen and I'm even forcing my kids to go watch it!


Wordless Wednesday

Skywatch over Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul

The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul. The construction of the bridge took 3 years and the cost was 22 million US Dollars. Completed in 1973, the Bosphorus Bridge was the first linking the European side with Asia.


In the beginning pedestrians could walk across the bridge and the elevators inside the legs were open to the public. I was told that due to the fact that jumping from the bridge is a rather common method to commit suicide, the bridge is closed for pedestrians nowadays. Now it is only possible if you participate in Eurasia Marathon.



On the European side, the views over the city from the ferry is just beyond words. The sights are just gorgeous, you get to see so much. The clear blue water and the beautiful sky with some cool breeze add a romantic touch to my trip.



It was amazing to see this bridge connecting the 2 continents up close. For as tiny as the Bosphorus looks on a map, I was stunned to see just how extremely long this bridge really was.




Passing through the straits on the Asian side, you can see an enticing mix of ancient wooden houses and modern residential .

Wordless Wednesday - Camel Sculptures in Dubai

Wordless Wednesday