LeDya Notes

This is a late post, I visited this museum in January 2016. As you aware lots of big city has their own famous museum, one of the most famous in the world is Louvre museum in the heart of Paris.
Visiting this type of museum need a preparation, physic if you decide to stand in the queue to get an entrance ticket or buy it in advance via internet, or like me (one among thousands lucky person) got a free ticket from friend.

Has no idea what is the right reason at the time I went there not many visitors came. Could be because it's winter or I just the lucky one or probably the big tragedy that just happened in Paris few months before still pushing people to avoid the crowd. I did not see long queue when I went to Louvre.

To get the ticket please check this website:
https://www.ticketlouvre.fr//louvre/b2c/index.cfm/home

Since I did not have a good preparation, I just walked pass by from corridor to corridor from one huge room to another, as a consequences I did not see as much as I wish.
Not just the objects in the museum which are amazing, the architecture of the building outside & inside and each wall & roof decoration and painting from few hundreds of years ago really made my jaw drop .... not enough words can explain about it. I just recommend to visit it by yourself if you have a chance.

The Masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci

Living in a 4 seasons country making me appreciate the beauty of sunshine more than before, while I was living in the tropical country.
I have checked weather forecast everyday, when it said will be dry and sunny in the weekend, I can't wait to make a plan to visit or explore new places nearby.

This time the aim is visiting Zwolle, this town is not nearby my house especially if the standard is 15 minutes drive :) . As a consequences of the distance, driving is to tiring, taking train as an alternative but the ticket price a bit expensive.
Luckily I have friend who has discount train ticket and I myself also have one-time discount ticket from local train company. At the end each of us only need to pay 30% of the normal train ticket price.

I know very little about this town. After checking wikipedia, I got an idea what to explore there.
Of course Museum of modern art - "de Fundatie". Museum with unique building.

Museum "de Fundatie"

Inside the Museum

I like the town itself, clean street, green area, quiet not crowded as typical metropolitan or big city, fresh air. All of those combination gave me an attractive atmosphere and happy feeling.

Painting decoration at one of the building in the city

Lots of cute cafes and small restaurant, one of them located in a church building. Modern Sushi restaurant inside former church.

Sushi restaurant at the church

Of course I visited a bookstore, which is located in a beautiful building use to be a Church part of the Dominican monastery.
(The Broerenkerk church was part of the Dominican monastery founded in 1465. The monastery was closed in 1580 and the monks were expelled. From 1640 until 1982 the church was used for Protestant services. After a restoration in 1983-1988 it has been used for cultural events and it is now a bookstore - Source: Wikipedia Zwolle)

"Waanders in de Broeren" - Bookstore

We were to exciting walked around the city admiring beautiful building, painting at the museum, finally it comes to the time to eat, to late for lunch but to early for dinner.
We decided to have something to eat at the restaurant, our choice is a restaurant which is located at the old post-office building.

rse "Sassenpoort" gate can't be missed when you visited Zwolle. This gate is one of the Rijksmonument (National Heritage site of The Netherlands) and part of TOP 100 Dutch Heritage sites. The gate house was build in 1409, restoration has been done between 1893 - 1898.

Of cou

Sassenpoort

Yogyakarta or Jogjakarta is a city in central Java also capital of Yogyakarta Special Region.

According to Wikipedia Yogya means “suitable, fit, and proper”.

It also well known for culture and art e.g. silver work from Kotagede.

I don’t remember when was the last time I visited Yogya probably more than 30 years ago.

I was enthusiastic when group of friends suggested going there together for a short trip, since I like Salak (a skin snake fruit) and the famous salak comes from Yogya.

Honestly I am not fans of Yogya’s food, normally I will be exciting to visit countries or any city when I like the food, just in case the scenery is not very compelling at least I can entertain myself with their foods or fruits.

My personal opinion Yogya’s foods in general are far too sweet for my taste. But of course I have to keep open minded and positive before I try.

We rented a villa house at Hyarta residence at Jalan Palagan Tentara Pelajar. a bit outside the town but it's green and quiet. Every morning they provide a great breakfast that you can choose from western style breakfast (sandwich) or Nasi Goreng, bihun/bamie goreng, Fruits and juices also provided.
When we arrived, welcome snacks, fruits and juices and water were ready at the table.

The look inside & outside - Hyarta Residence

The residence's entertainment and sports facilities, breakfast also inclusive.

We managed to visit Merapi volcano area, which was ruined by the blast around 5 years ago. Luckily most part of the area currently already back, green and fresh again.

We went to the mountain by hiring vintage Willy's Jeep, a bit scary since I have never gone of road with that type of vehicle.

It’s a kind of very old and simple car, according to the driver who is also our tour guide the machine is new only the body is vintage.

This is the "Vintage" car that brought us around Merapi mountain.

We also had fun visited Pindul cave, not really my thing either even though it’s quite fun.

You sit on top of huge tires and hold each other hand in a group and the guide and photographer will accompany you along the way.

For sure you will be soaking wet from the waist down.

Here I share the picture of food that I tried and find really good and fit to my personal taste. We went to Bale Raos which serves Keraton type of foods, Omah Dhuwur and the famous Gudeg Yogya at "Gudeg Yu Djum"