We wanted to be at Christmas Market in Aachen, because during our first visit ~ Sugarbomb I got the impression that somehow it will be good. Was I correct though?
On the way there, Dom already half happy, he just need the Soda. Good I was already Germanized, made a booking at Warteg, otherwise all 3 hours on the way is umsonst! #They were packed! Very happy to see the restaurant thrived 🙂
Feli followed their IG Account to know they have Adventskalender, for the day we were there, it will be Es Campur für every zwei Hauptgerichte, aaahhh schaffen wir es locker! #Nomnomnom
Now we both has aged hihi our average number is 32 🙂 revisit Aachener Dom ~ still the best one, touch the door #Again. Unfortunately my guess was incorret, the Christmas Market was rather a disappointment. No mühe whatsoever given, I understand everybody wants to cut corners, but really… to the point they didn’t even have plate for Crepes? Dom just got a paper? It’s too much saving money hey.
They don’t have Christmas Tree ~ only Printen as Aachener Printen is famous #Yep, not getting it… Brigitta (Warteg’s employee) said actually there was a Photobox with background Printen, according to her it was very good ~ I however didn’t see it.
We need to cure our Zonk experience, back to the place we know how ~ Warteg for dinner 😀 I need to have something warm, opted for Bakso. Two Hauptgerichte wieder, meaning another Es Campur! How many happy soda Dom had? Three! He was gesodad.
I’m pretty sure we will come back here during Christmas, not only for the Printen Photobox, rather for Warteg’s Adventskalender and their Stempelkarte #Priorität #So many reason to look forward to 😉
Relax wasn’t at my card that evening, saw Stadt Dortmund has another campaign to write a sentence: DO, wo…. Given myself some thought of what Dortmund meant for me then I followed the instructions. Few seconds later, my IG was suspended. What?! Was I scammed? Immediately asked Dominik if he could see my page ~ he couldn’t. Damn! shit shit shit, what did and shall I do now?
I was 100% sure it was because I send the confirmation stating I participate on Dortmund Motto to my IG that somehow considered as “collecting sensible information”. Regardless, I don’t need to know the “Why” all I want to know was the “How” to unblock it. Read the instructions, need to submit Selfie with white background etc I had to search for my old photos then only the agony left… waiting…
Within one day I got it back, yes! What a relief, had I not… I’m gonna do Instagramfree life. One week later, I got another Email informing my sentence was one of the first 30 chosen! Whoaaaa, at least all the shocked are not in vain 😀
Since it’s still a running campaign, mine would only be projected for three days, next batch are coming. Unfortunately I couldn’t witness it because I wasn’t in Dortmund but at least one of my reason could 🙂
We registered to a free public viewing EM qualification Luxembourg vs Germany by Check24. There were many freebies: 1*Trikot + 2*Beers + 1*Bratwurst + Fansartikel (like a scarf or hat). It’s written Geschenke auswählen, perhaps only one of those?
The Stadion opened since 18:15, we arrived one hour later. Went through the security checked where I was dammned because I had pepper spray on my pocket, rrrghhh I think they will take it away. They did, she asked me to emptied my pocket, hold it, asked what’s that? Protection against big dog, oh! it’s verboten. Then she asked me to open my bag, there I had my 150ml mini bottle, same question, answered water. I had to throw it ~ not the water, the bottle. Oh noo! This Baby Flasche has been with me since 2023 🙁 I think she was already in a bad mood because of my pepper spray.
What was an originally Kostenlose event resulted of me needed to buy new pepper spray + Baby Flasche. Once we officially inside the stadion, I realized turns out we could get all those perks. Hell yeah, won’t stopped after the Bratwurst. I’m not a fans on collecting some Werbung stuff but that has fade, for the stuff they took away ~ I need to make it breakeven. Don’t care how long the queue to get those stuff, I’m getting all of it!
The game started at 20:45, until that time we got our Bratwurst + Trikot + Rubbellos to get the Fansartikel (mine scarf and hat while Dom got only scarf) + 2*Free drinks. Check24 had two screens, in the middle there was a stage with entertainment like DJ, Singer, Dancers etc, there were round about 15.000 people on the spot, not bad hey!
When we took a selfie, the guy sitting next to us were funny, he was posing as if Dom took picture of him, he proceed to take Dom’s phone and then make a selfie of himself ~ after that he made a picture of us, for me that was the highlight of the evening 😀
First half of the game was rather boring, passiert ja nix. Told Dom we could just go…? during break time we let other people to leave first whilst the singer came back to stage, sang völlig losgeslöst von der erde, followed by Kiss Cam. Well, once it’s done, the second half started, let’s continue watching. We saw two goals were made, OK safe, 10 Minutes before the game ends, we collected the last 2*Free drinks from my coupoun then proceed to walk home.
At the end they were throwing away the Fansartikel, I picked up the hat from the floor, can give it to Finny 🙂 I couldn’t get him the size L Trikot but at least I got him something haha.
Very big advertisement by Check24 for sure, well there are always pros and cons to a free event. Stadion rule: only bring your G-E-L-D.
Now that I downloaded the App, I will come to their next event to get my revenge 😉 #use it to the max! Sometimes when it’s free, it wasn’t really free, you paid it in another way. Thank you Baby Flasche, I hope I gave you an experience of your 2,5 years old lifetime #Breaking heart.
On the way back, because of our costumes, people were wondering what was happening? was there a play? More or less, it was a qualification. We have watched the beginning of it, let’s see how far Deutschland can go 🙂
Perks of spending too much time on the phone ~ leads me to a good deal!
Join us to the dark side
#Or perhaps in Slytherin, you’ll make your real friends ~ Sorting Hat
During our walk, Dom spotted a building with lights from outside, he pointed “would be cool if our Halloween is there” Feli looked at her GPS “actually, it might be” At first we thought it would be at a normal house party, it wasn’t, was on a restaurant called Friends.
Once we got in, the waiter greeted us by asking if we wanted to take some red spritz, ähnlich wie Bloody Mary with Tabasco and stuff. Mehh, only Feli had it. He explained the whereabouts of our All-you-can-eat. I “secured” the table while resting my feet #Multitasking. Dom and Feli took their first round. They came back with plate full of meat and dessert. Wow! The Ribs are amazing, next I took 4 Ribs, as if there will be no tomorrow. Nach dem Motto “Wir haben es schon bezahlt, hajaaarrrr!”
Moving on to photo sessions, what a shame if I don’t have a photo of me wearing these high heels. Felt for a second like Gloria from Modern Family at Disneyland haha. None of the attendees took pictures of the Halloween decorations, had all of them were Asians for sure every corner already on the Gram.
I was a bit unangenehmen because we blocked the entrance to the Buffet until Feli reassured me by saying “bagus tau!” 😀 Ignoring their stare, we took one corner whereas our main goal is the middle part. We waited until those two girls moved from the table, vergist es, they didn’t budge. Well… who moved then? the spider!
Should we go to the next round? Unsure if our money’s worth…. Dom got a tiny bit plate more to share with me. Continued to re-confirming everyone with one big question “are we already breakeven?” Only after we confirmed, we left the premise 🙂
Once you get to adulthood, not having money is the real Halloween #Spooky!
Location: Friends ~ Wellinghofer Str. 167, 44263 Dortmund
Price: 29 Euro (not included drink)
Comment: Very worthy, perhaps we should go for a normal dinner sometime #We are not all bad 😉
Dominik has completed his round trip around the sun 😀 we celebrated in style! booked a dinner experience called “dinner in the sky” cost 117 Euro per person for two course & wine. Isn’t it too much? no doubt! at the same time, if it’s for birthday? there’s no such things as too expensive #Take my money!
We have to gather at 17:10, signed some paperwork if God forbid something happened, we won’t sue anyone from the company. The crane located at a hotel Valamar Lacroma, there was a group of 4 Norway dudes who one of them ~ named Alex also had a birthday. They couldn’t be chill, kept shouting “Oh happy birthday Alex” that Alex dude clearly doesn’t want anyone to know it. I was walking in front of them chanting “verdammt” in my head.
I have to admit this dinner has a really cool concept, we gathered on hmmm… “decorated parking lot” haha the Captain called our names & tell our designated number then the crew adjust our seat belts. First was Dom, naturally I thought mine will be second, nope! I’m the third. After boarding completed, we are ready to fly!
Captain Mario was our DJ / MC, he’s very good in bringing up the mood. Once we up there, Mario made a video + photo of us one by one. I overheard the Norway dudes talked to him “today is his birthday”; his answer “you should have told us before, so we could prepare a cake, there is also someone who is having a birthday and only he will get the cake” Damn right dude! you can’t stole my man’s moment! suck it!
Eating time! got explanations on where do the menu came from, each represents a different part of Croatia. I really enjoy how the Chef are making the food especially because the stove wasn’t infront of me haha the seats are “moveable” too, you can rotate 45 degree to left or right. The foods portion are all very very very smallllllll. Then come the cake for Dom 😀 lucky they have something extra, the Norway Dude got a wine. I realized I need to learn how to share a moment hey #Self-reflections.
That’s it, we were being lowered to the ground. The whole journey was 2 hours, I also noticed we are having the guy who held us the entire time. If you search for a style, this is a must do; if you want to get a belly full of food, unfortunately it’s not.
Overall, we are happy we’ve done it. I wish you a happy birthday Sayang!
Hope to celebrates more birthday ahead, either in the sky, water or land 🙂
Hauptsache, in style! #We never go out of style <3
Let me take a selfie selfie selfie, nope! let me cut my hair! First thing to do as I landed was to go to Rendy Salon 😀
Saw so many reels of having two styles in one on my IG, well this is it! Feels sooo liberating being able to utter how I want Ko Rendy to cut it.
All my colleagues said short hair is also good for me, radikal! However, I haven’t reach mentally brave to cut it real short. I could see it will become my hair trademark for quiet some time now 😉
I’m literally a victim of advertisement if anything related to Harry Potter #Guilty of charge 😉
Before Halloween 2024, there were a Werbung from Haribo in Instagram, showing they will have a Harry Potter series. Waited unpatiently until Halloween arrived, been to Rewe, checked the sweets sections many times, WHERE IS IT?!?! days after days, months after months, I “forget” about it, maybe it’s not in Dortmund.
Until it appears on the shelf in April! Aaaaaa! gotta have it! Too bad they didn’t have Slytherin version 🙁 How does it taste? Exactly good like any other Haribo haha what a smart que to tricked the die hard fans 🙂
Nordwest would give a Lotto for the employee who had their Rundegeburtstag. Didn’t know about it but Julia did, she contacted Personalabteilung when I still haven’t received mine. At that time, Hainka & Me were the two who already works at Nordwest while had our Rundegeburtstag. He told me to download the Aktion Mensch App therefore they would inform us if we win it.
I looked at the Lotto, “Julia, if I win, does it means I got 3.000 Euro Netto each month for 20 year?” Yes, du kannst sofort NW kündigung. “Oh, mache ich! ihr werdet mich nieeee wieder sehen. Chao Kakao!” 😀 she said “don’t forget to invite someone ~me who make sure you got your Lotto” Never Julia, never! #Promised.
It became a habbit that every week I received a notification from Aktion Mensch to see if my number is winning.
It never does, 52 weeks are over 🙁
It ends tonight!
Seems I need to go back to work work work work work #Phew!
Or…. try my luck 😉 buy another Lotto mwahaha #Two sides of everything
Sightseeing in Florence day 5: Last day 🙁 don’t be disheartened, I will give my full gas! #Planned
I arrived before our meeting point for walking tour about Medici Family with Gabriela, giving me some time to soaks in the Renaissance beauty.
We gathered in front of “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” church at Piazza San Lorenzo. Gabi’s theory is if the church is not so pretty from the outside, it will be pretty on the inside, vice versa. Any proof?
We went to one corner where Palazzo Medici Riccardi located, yep they owned a palace ~ doesn’t mean they were royal residence, instead just a very wealthy person who can own an impressive formal building. They started as a humble shepherd family from selling wool to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Europe, playing a major role in banking, politics and art. They realized the great power of art, if he wants to ties some business in another city, he would sent Michelangelo and Botticelli for example to decorate Sistine Chapel.
Gabi talked about the entrance of the bank is in the corner to be easily spotted as in the past they don’t have street name. The palace was normal lookalike from the outside with a reason: Medici wants to be liked by people of Florence, spreading their subtle message “I am just a normal people like you all, I also want my voices to be heard by government”.
Next is the heart of Florence, Duomo di Firenze. The exterior of Duomo is a collections of marbles: green from Prato symbolized hope; white from Carrara symbolized faith; red from Maremma symbolized charity or love. The 16 people are not Apostles #Math ain’t mathing 🙂 they are notable citizens such as Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo, Dante, Leonardo da Vinci. At the center of the façade, there’s Virgin Mary and baby Jesus surrounded by 12 Apostles.
No one died #officially during the building of the Cupola owing to Brunelleschi’s engineering methods and his attention to worker safety. Not officially is one died because he drinks too much wine. We do want to live a longer life, therefore Gabi brought us to the lucky boar ~ Il Porcellino which obviously a replica, the real one is in Museo Bardini, do not under any circumstances tried to touch his snout, no luck gonna come to you. You can only touch the replica ones 😉
There is a secret passage near Uffizi connects Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace. All we need to do is look up haha #Not so secrets anymore.
Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici was the last of the Medici family, she was a smart woman, every reason why Florence still have everything is thank to her. Before she passed away she signed a packed to keep the Medici’s belonging inside Florence, it can’t be sold elsewhere. 18th February is celebrated as her day, many museums are free of charge.
I decided to go to Piazza Michelangelo, tried to use bus initially, in the end taking the same mode of transportation for the past 5 days: on foot. The view does pretty up here, some says at sunset it will be very good, seeing view of Florence from the other side. This is the Economic slash budget version for someone who wants to enjoy sunset from a higher ground. I however, will be on the Cupola 😉
I bought the Brunelleschi Pass for the Duomo cost 30 Euro consist of Cathedral, Santa Reparata, Baptistery, Bell Tower, Cupola. I am dead at this point #Too many walking. Seeing the line to get inside the Cathedral, hmmm I have bought the complete pass yo, can’t be waiting with all this free people #Devil’s laugh who only wants to get inside the Duomo.
I went first to Santa Reparata, using the other entrance, you will get inside the Cathedral as it’s located in the basement, make sense since it’s an archeological site. Back to first meeting with Gabi, she does has some point though, idk if it’s due to the Duomo is still under construction or is it only this simple hmmmm. In the Santa Reparata there is a bench, great! I sat there for 40 minutes before I move on to Baptistery.
Once I got inside, it is almost all covered due to construction. I really need to come back hey! Door of Heaven, why? Fun version: it was named by Michelangelo, it has taken ages to finish the door, he said he might have been in heaven when the door is complete. Once it’s done, he still not yet in heaven 😉 The serious version: baptistery is a crucial site for Christian initiation. Baptism is viewed as a rite of passage into the Christian faith, symbolizing the entry into a new life and the Kingdom of Heaven. Real fact: None of the door is original for there was a flood in Florence, they moved it to the Museum of Duomo.
Rest from my pass is Giotto’s Campanile Bell Tower, Cupola (got the timeslot) and Museum. I calculated if I managed to climbed the bell Tower prior my time slot to go to the Cupola. I can’t, I cannot, I am unable to can. #Reality is different from planned. What’s fortunate is this ticket valid for 3 days, meaning I can still go tomorrow morning before my flight back to Dortmund. I choose the later, went to a coffee shop, sat again for another hour, preparing my legs for 463 steps to Cupola.
While waiting on the line, I leaned on the barricade, suddenly snapped “we haven’t even started and I already tired” if I can get refund I would #First thought
Climb started, it’s all spiral, at some point I could need some seconds, sat in between the hole, letting all other people to go through. After gathered up some muscles back, I continued my journey in between a couple from Amsterdam and USA in front of me and USA Family behind me which later becomes my motivation to still continue the journey. Gabi said “if in the end you can’t going on anymore, drop it guys, its not worthy, you want to have fun on your holiday, don’t torture yourself”. Nope Gabi, I’m gonna make my money’s worth! #Dedication…or economic logic.
Finally I reached the top, the father from the USA family behind me said “if you want some pictures let me know” oh don’t worry I will have every pictures on every angle, I’m gonna make my money’s worth #Mantra. Jon and Rianne alas the couple in front of me patiently took every pictures of me + holding my bag. Without a doubt we were the loudest there on top, I don’t care, I paid for it, repeating my mantra over and over again until it’s being heard.
Thanks God I have an Asian mentality in my blood, I didn’t follow my first thought otherwise I wouldn’t have met Jon and Rianne. Leute, we really into this, we’ve got it all, all views only and view with ourselves #Were very busy!
We were second to last groups that went up at 18:00, the guide shouted “continue to go down please, its over, time for next group”. Walked passed a room of handgun or something, its not even pretty yet I’m still gonna take picture of it as a proof, chanting my mantra. We were back to inside the cathedral, one higher level in comparison to when we went up to the Cupola, what I want to express is we could see the frescoes clearly and the bottom of the frescos are so ugly fulls of devils or so. I said this to Tracy at home she commented “yeah hell is a scary place”. Stimmt!
OK we got out from the church now, we do live by our mantra on that evening. As if all the thousands pictures on the Cupola weren’t enough, we must make a picture with the truck too hahaha
Rianne is dead tired, nevertheless I brought them to the front side where you can see 4 buildings in one: Baptistery, Cathedral, Cupola and Bell Tower. She gained some energy for last couple of pictures.
Only Jon lived by the Mantra ~ he followed a YouTuber with all money’s worth tip 😉 he solely will come up to Bell Tower the next day while Rianne wait downstairs. Usually the wife is the one who comes up whereas the husband wait, well, its time for a change now hahaha. They will start later while I need to be there once they opened.
Big shoutout to Jon & Rianne, I’m really grateful we met, my Duomo experience would be totally different had I not met you two! Climbed up solo, climbed down with friends 🙂 Since we are geographically neighbor, I really do hope to see you guys again in the near future!
On my last evening, I went to have dinner with Tracy, she said once you were on the top of the Cupola, you don’t need to go to Bell Tower, it will be with Grid plus its lower anyway. Oh girl, no way, I am not only FOMO but on a mission to make my money’s worth, I still coming up hahaha. I was very happy I didn’t go on the same day to both tower or else my leg might get amputated hahaha #For real.
Next day it is! On the way to Bell Tower there is also some benches to rest, I took advantage of it. I’m not in a hurry anyway, this and Museum then I crossed all my list.
Last pass! Everything you see from outside is the replica hahaha the real one is in the museum. It is a three floor museum with statues of the churches. The idea of Duomo, look at this the “possibility” of how the Cupola might looks like based on different architect.
There is also a movie where I watched two times in Italian and English so I sat longer hahaha
Then a Poem from Michelangelo, I think was good, well he’s a legend 🙂
Michelangelo Buonarroti, Rime.
Sonnet written in the years he was working on the Pieta.
The course of my life has brought me now through a stormy sea, in a frail ship, to the common port where, landing, we account for every deed, wretched or holy.
So that finally I see how wrong the found illusion was that made art my idol and my king, leading me to want what harmed me.
My amorous fancies, once foolish and happy: what sense have they, now that I approach two deaths-the first if which I know sure, the second threatening.
Let neither painting nor carving any longer calm my soul turned to that divine love who to embrace us opened his arms upon the cross.
Closing the day with some shopping, I need to get myself something yo, reward after all this one million steps hahaha. Tracy said about a gloves leather shop called Madova and a pendant charm store at Santo Spirito called Giuliano Ricchi.
The experience at Madova was amazing, she held my hand, in an instant knew exactly my size ~ it’s 6,5, like Tracy described. The price cost either 47 Euro for Silk or 53,50 Euro for Cashmere. I don’t ask if they have any other style, I choose the silk one.
The Giuliano Ricchi Jewelry is a normal house you need to ring the bell, I bought a necklace with one charm, it cost 25 Euro.
Yes I managed to get it all, in additon sip my last Hugo.
Once more, regardless of many Baustelle, Italy has my heart. I will come back for sure, until next time Firenze!
Tips: The Duomo is a must, I strongly suggest to buy all the Brunelleschi Pass like me, yes its cost 30 Euro. Need to mentioned, other than the time slot to Cupola, it’s valid for three days, you can do one each in Ruhe.
