January 19, 2015

Dubai: Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa & Emirates Towers

In November, I had to be out of Pakistan in order to renew my visa so I decided to go to Dubai and spend a few days there. I had been previously to Dubai Airport but it was my first time actually visiting.

After I got off the plane and passed customs, I took the metro to the area known as Downtown Dubai, which contains the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and a lot of residential and office skyscrapers. At the mall, it was quite early in the morning so no stores were open yet. Then, after almost 2 hours since arriving, I finally emerged to open air near the basin that hosts the Dubai Fountain. I walked around the basin, taking many photos of Burj Khalifa, the highest building in the world. I then made my way to the observatory, just as it opened. I bought my ticket (~40€) and took the elevator to the 124th floor. The view was pretty good, although, unfortunately, there was nothing much interesting to look at while up there… I was surprised by how extended the city was: Even the Burj Al Arab was quite far away. After Burj Khalifa, I walked towards the Emirates Towers. There are pavements and even pedestrian signals but the area is not really designed for walking and it took me a long time under the hot sun to reach the towers. The walk passed next to very modern buildings and yet more were under constructions. After the Emirates Towers, I took the metro to the Dubai Marina, where my hotel was located.

January 16, 2015

Walk on The Mall, Lahore

The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan is Lahore’s primary and most famous road. It was constructed under the British Raj and was nostalgically named after The Mall in London. The Mall holds significant historical and cultural value, as most of the buildings lining the road are a collection of Mughal and colonial-era architecture, the majority of them built during the Raj era.

January 2, 2015

Walled City of Lahore

The Walled City of Lahore, also known as the “Old City”, is the section of Lahore, Pakistan, that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era. It is located in the northwestern part of the city and includes both the Imperial Mosque and the Fort (Shahi Qila).

December 16, 2014

Walk in Paris #3

At the end of the summer, I had to be in Paris for one day. I walked around, first to Montmartre and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. Then I walked to the Centre George Pompidou before going to the Gare de Lyon railway station.

November 23, 2014

Walk in Chambéry

Chambéry is a city in Savoie, France, located 10km south of Lac du Bourget. It is the former capital of the duchy of Savoy.

November 13, 2014

Walk in Paris #2

During the summer, I went to Paris for 1 day. I just walked around, starting at Gare de Lyon. The city was as grimy as ever, although the sun showed up in the afternoon.

November 8, 2014

Walk in Amsterdam (Day 2)

On my second day in Amsterdam, I only had the morning free, so I checked out of my hotel early and walked around at random.

November 7, 2014

Walk in Amsterdam (Day 1)

This summer, I had to be in Amsterdam for about 1 day. I arrived in late afternoon at Schiphol airport, took the train to the city and spent the evening walking around.

November 6, 2014

Walk in Geneva

While waiting for my plane to Amsterdam, I spent a couple of hours in Geneva. I arrived in the morning on the LIHSA bus from Annecy and walked around starting from the highway bus station and finishing at the Cornavin railway station. I then took the bus to the airport.

November 1, 2014

Walk in Réserve Naturelle du Bout du Lac

The Réserve Naturelle du Bout du Lac is a nature reserve located in the marshland at the southern end of Lake Annecy, where the Ire and Eau Morte rivers flow into the lake. The park has trails for pedestrians and horse riders, as well as viewpoints on the lake. There are also beavers in the rivers but I did not see any during my visit. Unfortunately, it started to rain pretty hard while I was there so I had to rush a bit.