Location and sizeSituated in the heart of th­­­­­­e Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic at 62°00’N, the Fa­r­oe Islands lie n­­­­orthwest of Scotland and halfway be­tween Iceland and Nor­­way. The archipelago is compos­ed of 18 islands cover­ing 1399 km2 (545.3 sq.­miles) and is 113 km (70 mi­­les) long and 75 km (47 miles) wide, roughly in the shape of an arrow­head. There are 1100 km (687 mi­les) of coastline and at no time is one more than 5 km (3 miles) away from the ocean. The highest moun­tain is 882 m (2883 ft) ab­ove sea level and the a­v­­e­­­­rage height above sea level for the country is 300 m (982 ft).

Climate
The weather is maritime and quite changeable, from mo­ments of brilliant sun­shine to misty hill fog, to showers. The Gulf Stream encircling the islands tem­pers the climate. The har­bours never freeze and the temperature in winter time is very mod­erate consi­der­ing the high latitude. Snow­fall occurs, but is shortliv­ed. The aver­ag­e tempera­ture ranges from 3°C in win­ter to 11°C in the sum­mer. In sheltered areas, the tem­perature can be much high­er, but the air is always fresh and clean no matter what the season.

Population
The population is 48,778 (1st January 2009). About 19,652 people li­v­­­­­­e­ in the metro­politan area which com­­­prises Tórs­­havn, Kirkjubøur, Velba­staður, Nólsoy, Hestur, Kolt­ur, Hoyvík, Argir, Kald­bak, Kaldbaksbotnur, Norð­radalur, Syðradalur,  Hvít­a­nes, Sund, Kolla­fjørð­ur, Signabøur and Oyra­reingir, while about 4,700 people live in Klaks­vík, the s­e­c­­o­­nd lar­gest town in the Faroe Islands.

Form of Government
Since 1948, the Faroe Island­s have been a self gover­ning region of the King­dom of Denmark. It has its own parlia­­ment and its own flag. It is not, however, a member of the European Union and all trade is go­ver­ned by special treaties.

Languages Spoken
Faroese is the national lan­guage and is rooted in Old Norse. Nordic langu­ages are readily understood by most Faroese, and Eng­lish is also widely spoken, especially among the youn­ger people.

Religion
Religion plays an important part in Faroese culture and over 80% of the population belong to the established church, the Evan­gelical-Lu­theran. 10% of the popu­lation belong to the Chris­t­ian Breth­ren (Plymouth Breth­ren).

Industry
The fishing industry is the most important source of income for the Faroes. Fish products account for over 97% of the export volume. Tourism is the second lar­gest industry, followed by woollen and other manu­factured pro­ducts.

Dalat Travel ( Dalat Tours ), spelled Đà Lạt in Vietnamese pronunciation  is the capital of Lam Dong Province in Vietnam. The town is located 1500 m (4,920 ft) above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands (in Vietnamese – Tây Nguyên). According to a myth from the French colonial era, the name derives from the acronym of the Latin phrase ‘Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem’ (“Giving Pleasure to Some, Freshness to Others”), which the French colonial government used in their official emblem of Đà Lạt. In reality, the name derives from the language of the local ethnic group Lạt and its original meaning is “Stream of the Lạt,” and the acronym above is in fact a backcronym. In Vietnam, Đa Lat is a popular tourist destination – highly appreciated for its temperate climate, beautiful sights such as waterfalls and lakes and its abundance of flowers and vegetables. It is the location of the Novotel Dalat (formerly Dalat Hotel) and Sofitel Dalat Palace (formerly Dalat Palace built in 1922).

For the last three days, we were crazily shopping at the nearby Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (or factory outlets, er… not like Singapore Factory Outlet hor =P). The famous brands were cheap and nice! We bought from Polo Ralph Lauren, Nike, DKNY, Coach, Esprit, Levi’s, Timberland…couldn’t recall more.

We also went to Tyson’s Corner Center, the largest mall in the D.C. area. I exchanged my Coach bag for a different model after I realised that I was not used to hand-carry bag. No question asked and their customer service was so good. We bought many chocolates from Godiva and they were a lot cheaper than those in Singapore too!
And we love the big and yummy cheese cakes at The Cheesecake Factory!

I bought a few tops from Mango and they were really cheap. I saw the same top in Singapore after I returned and it was selling at 2 times more expensive.
We bought a talking toy for Devin on the last night of our stay and coincidentally, the family was celebrating Devin’s 9-month-old birthday; so the talking toy became the birthday present for Devin. The birthday cake was a big ice-cream cake filled with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavours. Connor hates chocolate and he spat out the chocolate when he tasted it in his cake. This was the first time we saw a kid who hates chocolate so much!

The art-deco Chrysler Building, Manhattan, considered by many to be the city’s finest skyscraper; it was completed in 1930 and is currently the third tallest building in New York.
There is no shortage of striking sights in New York City from the bridges across the Hudson to the older skyscrapers and official buildings, though the newer structures tend towards style-free, glass and concrete lumps.

The Manhattan Bridge, crossing the East River to connect Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn; completed in 1912. The Empire State Building gleams in the background.

The US Post Office, Manhattan
The New York Post Office, sports perhaps the world’s grandest slogan above the columns: ‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.’

Grand Central Terminal, more often known as Grand Central Station.
This massive rail station, rebuilt in 1913, has 44 platforms that run over 600 trains a day on the Metro-North Railroad as well as NYC subways and buses. The Grand Central Terminal information desk – at the centre of the photo above – is a popular meeting place, while the restaurants serve excellent, reasonably priced food. The Oyster Bar is particularly famous.

Chicago is “The City that Works” and “The City of Big Shoulders.” It boasts the United States’ tallest building and one of the world’s largest office buildings. With the ubiquitous elevated trains creating a continuous clatter, the city looks, feels, and in fact is, big. At first glance, Chicago can be overwhelming. But, like any city, it is the sum of its parts, and its parts are diverse. Also known as “The City of Neighborhoods,” Chicago comprises more than 75 official neighborhoods. Each features its own distinct quality and character. So, when trying to digest …

Home to the Welsh national opera and other Wales’ major cultural institutions, the Millennium Centre was opened by the Queen in 2004. Drop in for a free performance that can be jazz, classical, choir or even hip hop at the Glanfa Stage.

Further down, you would come across an intriguing building with a wave-like roof and see-through glass walls overlooking the bay. It’s the Welsh Senedd (Parliament) Building. Through the glass walls, everyone can see a clear view of the debating chamber and this reflects the encouragement of the involvement of public participation. The eco-friendly building incorporates natural ventilation and interestingly, when the locals express that it allows hot air to be drawn out of the debating chamber, you know it can be synonymous with heated debates!

Back in the olden days, seafarers and immigrants from across the world settled near the bay and the population grew. The bustling scenes of port activities were long gone and replaced by holiday-makers relaxing around the bay. Nonetheless, the modern Cardiff Bay still retains the old charm that speaks of its glorious past as a major coal exporter to the world in the 19th century. Established in 1897, the Pierhead still stands elegantly at the waterfront. Originally the headquarters of the Cardiff Railway, the red terracotta building of French-Gothic Renaissance theme is now a Welsh history museum and exhibition centre. It’s affectionately known as the “Baby Big Ben” of Wales. In the foreground, the sculpture of a face combines with a ship hull is the Merchant Seafarers War Memorial that commemorates the seamen of Cardiff who perished during World War II.

Did you know that the world famous author Roald Dahl was born in Cardiff? He was christened in the former Norwegian Sailors Church, presently known as the Norwegian Church Arts Centre that holds exhibitions, concerts and events. To try some Norwegian flavours, dine in the centre’s coffee shop that offers a range of food and drinks.

The old lightship Helwick LV14 is a floating chapel for worship and doubles as a tourist attraction where visitors can tour the vessel and enjoy refreshments with a bay view.

To get tourist information, souvenirs and understand more about Cardiff through videos, exhibitions and interactive displays, look for the “squashed toilet roll” structure. Locally known as “the Tube”, the design of the visitor centre is so “unconventional” that I nearly missed it!

There are plenty of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes at the Mermaid Quay. Stroll along the boardwalk and greet the People Like Us. The bronze sculptures reflect the diverse culture and attributes of the world major coal exporting port in the olden days.

The Celtic Ring on the boardwalk with tidal charts, maritime instruments and docks indicated on its bronze surface.

If time permits, drop by Doctor Who permanent exhibition at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay where you can find props, costumes and monsters featured in the latest series. Cardiff is home to Doctor Who, a science fiction TV series filmed in the city. Open 7 days a week till 6.30pm. An adult’s ticket costs £6.50; a child’s ticket costs £5.00.
We travelled to Cardiff Bay by the bendy bus and decided to take a different route to Cardiff Castle at the city centre by Aquabus, Cardiff’s water transport service. The designated waterbus departs hourly from Mermaid Quay to Cardiff Castle and a single adult trip costs £3 and £5 for a return trip. Kick back and enjoy the smooth sail along River Taff with a whiteness of swans swimming graciously in the waters.
Cardiff Castle sits in the heart of the cosmopolitan city. Very deep in history, it’s the leading heritage attraction in the centre and you shouldn’t miss it. Well, you can’t miss it too! Remember I mentioned in my previous post that it’s just right across the road of Hilton Hotel where we stayed? The medieval Castle was originally constructed as a Roman fort and evolved into a variety of architectures over a period of 2000 years. It was refashioned into a neo-Gothic castle in the 19th century by the 3rd Marquess of Bute and the renowned Victorian art-architect, William Burges. In 1947, the 5th Marquess of Bute presented Cardiff Castle to the city.


Admission fee to enter the castle is £10.50 for an adult and £7.95 for a child. This includes an audio guide (with several language options) of Castle grounds, Norman Keep and Battlement walk; entry to some Castle apartments; Cardiff Castle Museum of the Welsh soldier; the Interpretation Centre with exhibition and film show.
Note: If you wish to join the 45-minute guided tour, arrive at the Castle before the tour starts at 1.40pm. The premium tour adult ticket costs £13.50 and £10.00 for a child. The premium tour will include additional Castle apartments with a guide.

Make an easy climb up to the Norman Keep for a panoramic spectacle of the ancient Castle grounds and buildings in juxtaposition with the urbanized city. The 12th century Keep used to serve as a secure residence for the lord and his household as well as a prison and armoury. Look out for the iconic Millennium Stadium with four huge masts. Featuring a 72,000-seater capacity with a fully retractable roof, the famous sporting arena will host football competition in the London 2012 Olympics.


Adjourn to the Castle apartments to appreciate the opulent interiors and be awestruck. Highlights include the Library with a red and gold canvas adorning the walls and intricately carved furniture produced by Lord Bute’s own workshops, as well as the Arab Room with a stunning interior of Egyptian-inspired stained glass windows and Italian marble walls and floor. The medieval-themed Banqueting hall decorated with murals is the impressive centerpiece of the castle built to accommodate Lord Bute’s guests.