Completely exploring all of Macau's 5-star hotel casinos is an almost herculean (borderline insane) task. I consider myself lucky to have been able to appreciate two of them: City of Dreams and The Venetian . * Developers in Macau weren't kidding when they said they would outdo Las Vegas in terms of extravagance and craziness! This futuristic looking walkway is JUST the entrance of City of Dreams!

64km away from the gambling paradise that is Macau, lies its equally world-famous cousin, Hong Kong. Apart from being shining beacons of Eastern-Western coexistence, both cities share a special bond being the final two European colonies (British Hong Kong and Portuguese Macau) in Asia. * Our adventure begins at the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal ; with this lemon yellow ship and steampunk looking spheres.

Apart from being Asia's gambling and entertainment capital, Macau also has the special distinction of being the last colony in Asia to be granted independence from a European power. * And nothing perfectly shows the coexistence of East and West than Macau's Historic Center , featuring the famous Ruins of St. Paul.

After enduring my penchant for picking museums, beer halls, cathedrals and war memorials to visit on this trip, it was finally time for Monicca to get to her dream honeymoon location! The island of Venice is mythical in its beauty, fame, and grandeur. Once THE superpower in the medieval world (for over 700 years - think today's USA), Venice is every bit as charming and awe-inspiring as it appears in all photos showing its magnificence.    * The only way to and from Venice is via water transportation (water-buses, water-taxis, speedboats and gondolas).

While Prague is nowadays full of tourists, there was a time when the city was full of visitors of a more esoteric nature.  * How can one NOT get intrigued by this shrouded figure by the Museum's entrance!

Prague is probably the most photogenic city.. EVER . Looking like a mixture of every picturesque city in the world (Paris, Budapest, Vienna, etc), Prague is a feast for the eyes and the mind, especially for history buffs like this writer.  Apart from being the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia , Prague was also the former capital of the Holy Roman Empire , played major roles during the Protestant Reformation and Thirty Years War, and was a crown jewel of the Habsburgs, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nazis, and the USSR . * The very orderly  Wenceslas Square is the business and cultural center of Prague. This is where demonstrations, celebrations, and other gatherings are often held.

In the planning stages of the honeymoon, Monicca and I were faced with a dilemma. Since we could only go on leave for three weeks, we had to decide between Berlin and Munich . While Berlin is one of Europe's most vibrant, trendy, and hip countries, full of nationalities and almost New York-like in terms of vibe, we ultimately decided to go with Munich, seeing as how the city was perfectly in line with our theme to visit medieval European kingdoms. * Size-wise Munich is only a third of Berlin . So while it is a city of over 1.5 million people , locals (who are very warm and friendly) like to brag that it has maintained a charming, medieval-town feel. And we agree!

Because of the sheer efficiency of the Viennese Subway, the U-Bahn , getting around and exploring Vienna was a very pleasurable experience. And while we may have only spent 3 days in the former imperial capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I felt that we really got to cover a whole lot of ground! * St. Stephen's Cathedral , known in Austria as the Stephansdom , is Vienna's most important religious building and seat of the Roman Catholic Archiocese.