Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa Airport - Welcome Warm Breakfast

Milano, Lombardy
Italy, Europe
December 2014

Among the hotels in her recent Italy trip, this hotel rated 2nd out of 5 hotels. Here's why...

Arrival

It was a cold foggy winter night. This was the welcome sign on arrival at the hotel...

Merlion Wayfarer loved this antique mobile. Seeing the bright cheery red added a touch of festive mood to the hotel lobby...

Rooms

The rooms were warm and inviting, and come with hot water flasks and basic tea-and-coffee satchets. A desk with a white-based reading light was available. One of the big plus points was the readily-available Wi-Fi in all rooms.

Lighting could be a tad too yellow. Open windows are not recommended as a faint whiff of airplane fuel can be detected when the wind blows...

Instructions on how to use the TV remote were thoughtfully and clearly illustrated...

Bathrooms

The bathrooms are equipped with both bath and shower facilities, including a convenient hose-type shower head...

Breakfast

Crowne Plaza Milan Malpensa Airport has a cosy restaurant with ample seats. For groups, this is one good hotel that does not have a single dine-in time slot for group travellers, i.e. individuals can savour the breakfast any time during the official breakfast hours.

Warm food is always welcome on cold winter mornings...

Besides warm food, there is a wide selection of cakes, rolls, and biscuits...

A 3-tier fruit and yoghurt assortment is provided to end the meal...

Exterior

How the hotel exterior looks like on a cold, foggy winter morning...

Merlion Wayfarer's Hotel Ratings

Suitable For	Business Couples Families with children Groups Solo
Facilities	(No Swimming Pool)
Food & Beverage
Hotel Condition / Cleanliness
Location	(Near Airport)
Neighbourhood	N.A.
Price / Value For Money	N.A.
Room Comfort / Standard
Service	English OK
Wifi	In Room, No Extra Charge

   

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Lumia 530 - Travel Buddy In Your Palm

November 2014

Singapore

The Nokia Lumia 520 was the one of the best-selling Windows Phone handsets. With the 530, Nokia brings in a few improvements and retains the brightly-coloured plastic body, solitary 5MP camera, and compact 4-inch screen.

What Can Be Improved...

• Being a basic phone the Lumia 530 comes only with a basic camera, which works better with mainly daylight photos.    
• An entry level phone also means the absence of a front-facing camera. OK, so no more selfies.
  

What Merlion Wayfarer Likes...

• Many of the camera apps available in higher-end phones can be installed on this phone, e.g. Nokia Pro-Camera, which gives the feeling of control of an DSLR camera on an affordable entry-level phone.    
     
• With the dual SIM function and Nokia offline maps, the Lumia 530 is the perfect phone for that short getaway overseas.  
  
• Popular social apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Viber and WeChat, plus key gaming apps such as Asphalt 8, available in the Windows Phone Store    
• 4GB of on-board memory, expandable with SD cards up to 128GB.
• And of course, the budget price of S$159 only!

Merlion Wayfarer brought the Lumia 530 on her Penang trip. For more photos, join her on Instagram@MerlionWayfarer or preview with Websta.

Thank you, Microsoft & Nokia!

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Panoramic Arashiyama - Togetsukyō Bridge

Togetsukyō Bridge (渡月橋, Moon Crossing Bridge)

Arashiyama Hanatouro (嵐山花灯路)

Arashiyama, Kansai

Honshu, Japan

Winter, December 2013

A calm serene plane

reflects lights, projecting colors.

Gentle golds, blues, on a sheet of black,

daring someone to notice them.

A scene of beauty, majesty, wonder

unrivaled by any other.

A pattern of rusted metal, 

unattractive in the minds eye,

yet stunning to the beholder.

A peace of mind settles over

the eager visitor, impressed

by the display.

A bridge between worlds, 

so worldly and yet, 

not of this world at all. 

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Panoramic Kobe Luminaire

Kobe Luminarie (神戸ルミナリエ)

Kobe, Kansai

Honshu, Japan

Winter, December 2013

I see the flickering flame

And marvel at its brightness

Its warmth

Though its light

Is quite tiny

Somehow

The brightness

Illuminates the room

And manages 

To brighten

My heart—

For in this flame

Burns a steady promise

Of a love and friendship shared

Across miles and miles

On this earthly plane

 And when I feel the steady warmth

Flowing from my heart

And see the light shining 

Like a tiny beacon of hope—

I know that this little candle 

Is a symbol of love and warmth

And truth.

Thank you, dear friend.

In finding you,

I am finding me again.

"Candlelight" Poem by Pamela Rae

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Panoramic Nara - Tōdaiji Temple

Tōdaiji Temple (東大寺)
Nara, Kansai
Honshu, Japan
Winter, December 2013

Ringing bells 

Blissful strike 

Traditional chants 

An energizing feel

Lighted lamps 

A pleasing sight 

Devotional songs 

A prayful world 

Vintage structure 

A timeless boon 

Garlanded deity 

Deepening springs 

"My Village Temple" Poem by Ravi Panamanna,

AllPoetry.com

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Panoramic Himeji - Egret's Eye View

Himeji Castle (姫路城)

Himeji (姫路), Hyōgo (兵庫県)

Kansai (関西), Honshū (本州), Japan (日本)

Autumn, December 2013

Towered over the countryside;

stood mighty palace once derived

from mountaintop; almost alive,

envy of all the land.

Beauty conveying such granduer

like none had ever seen afore.

Inhabitants all loving, pure,

singing hand in hand.

Turrets spiralled to the sky,

as glaciers, but twice as high.

Moments before oncoming nigh

t'would glitter with golden light.

Emblazing in the awesome halls,

reflecting from the many walls;

its luminescence never falls

'to the fading dregs of night.

Overlooking mountains, valleys,

with its many quads and galleys,

abundance of windows untallied;

stood casa magnificence.

"Crystal Fortress" Poem by EtherealAlchemy

AllPoetry.com

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