Portugal, being in the west coast of Europe is a popular destination for beach lovers. Resorts in Algarve, Azores, Costa Azul, just to name a few, always top the lists in travel websites. Our friend from Portugal suggested that we take a day-trip to Sintra, while we were in Lisbon. We checked the Sintra tourism website and fell in love with what we saw. We ended up staying there for two days. There's really more to Portugal than as a stereo-typed beach destination. Sintra became the first centre of Romanticism in the 19th century. Thanks to King Ferdinand II! His passion for art and love for opera transformed the vast plots of land into magnificent and colourful castles. His creativity resonated though the use of mixed architectural elements: Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance. Sintra with its lush highlands, verdant landscapes, and fresh air, then became the favourite summer home for the Portuguese royal family. Since 1995, Sintra is a World Heritage by UNESCO in the category of Cultural Landscape. It is only 25 kilometers from Lisbon city and accessible via train from the Rossio station with a journey time of approximately 40 minutes. The one-way fare is around €2.50. When in Sintra, here's a list of must do: 1. Take an early morning walk. Whenever we are on holidays, here or abroad, I always insist on walking. I really love walking. It makes me easily assimilate with the culture of my destination. It gives me a different kind of satisfaction, allowing me to pause and admire the beauty in front of me. This is why we rarely take city bus tours or the HOHO (hop-on, hop-off) types of tours. Sintra is no exception. With the cool breeze and calm neighbourhood, it's a perfect formula for a good walk. After our breakfast, we walked from our hostel to the town centre passing the streets of Volta Duche lined with sculptures. 2. Bring a piece of art. As you wander around Sintra, or probably in every Portuguese city, it is very common to see structures cladded with colourfully-painted ceramic tiles. These traditional tiles are known as azulejos. It has been said that azulejos have been used as decorations for public spaces and even private homes since the 13th century when the Moors invaded Portugal. In the winding and narrow alleyways of Sintra's old town, you can find a large array of these artwork on display. Ask them to customise a piece for you and take it back home as a lovely souvenier. 2. Visit the Palacio de Pena, the crown of the Sintra region. If you're physically fit and healthy, you can walk for about 3km to Pena from the town centre. However, since the road is very steep and narrow, it is a very arduous and long walk. As we were pressed for time, we took Bus No. 434 (Circuito da Pena Route) from the tourist office and paid a little over 5 Euro. The bus dropped us off just outside the main gate of the palace. We took a short walk up to get to the palace entrance; it was a great introduction to the scenery. In the olden times, this was a monastery and chapel to honour the Virgin Mary called “Our Lady of Pena.” It became an important pilgrimage site after news of apparition of the Virgin Mary. In 1755, the place was heavily damaged during the Great Earthquake that struck Lisbon. Miraculously, the chapel survived unscathed. In 1838, then King consort Ferdinand II acquired the monastery and the surrounding lands. He did not just rebuild the monastery but also constructed Pena Palace to rival the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. The palace served the Portuguese royal family until 1910 during the Portuguese revolution ending the constitutional monarchy. Often likened to a marzipan cake with its colourful facade, this palace is really a treat to see! It is so well-decorated that it looks like something taken from a fairy tale book. Its ceramic-tiled courtyard, the bold red and faded yellow-colour combination, the unique details of its walls, interiors & pillars, the arches, and the turrets will surely captivate one's attention. It's up in the mountains with extraordinary views. From the vistas, we saw a bird's eye view of Sintra town and the remnants of the Moorish castle. 3. Walk up the steps of Castelo dos Mouros. From Palacio de Pena, we took Bus No. 434 again to get to the Moorish castle. The castle is a fortification build high above the mountains of Sintra by the North African Moors around the 10th century. It went into heavy disrepair when Portugal was conquered by Christians. With King Ferdinand II in command, the castle was restored as a romantic ruin during the 19th century. Because of its winding steps and steep climb to the towers, it reminded me of a mini-version of Great Wall of China. We really enjoyed our walk here; we walked up to the highest tower. The steps though uneven are well-maintained and the castle remnants are very well-preserved. There are also walking trails that you can follow. Here are some interesting facts about the castle: * The large granite rocks used to build the walls throughout the castle grounds were formed by a volcanic activity. * What's not green is granite - everywhere! * The castle grounds has the remnants of Sintra's first Christian church. * In 2008 & 2009, the "Conquering the Moorish Castle" initiative attracted tourists to help dig and discover the castle's past. We stayed at the castle for 2 hours and took the same Bus No. 434 to go back to the old town. We had a blast on our two-day stay in Sintra. I think a trip to Lisbon is incomplete without having to see this charming town. It's obvious why the royal families fell in love with this place. It's now up to us to enjoy what they have built for us. So, the next time you are heading to Portugal, include Sintra in your destination radar!
It's all about food in Madrid. Being the capital of Spain, Madrid is melting pot of typical food from every part of the country. Here's a round of review on the food we tried during our visit: Paella When Filipinos think of Spanish food, we always think of paella. As per my Spanish instructor, traditionally, paellas were cooked with chicken and rabbit meat. Over the years, a number of recipe variations came about as the coastal regions of Spain added seafood to the dish. I have tried paella a few times in Spanish restaurants here in Ireland. In all those occasions, I found them very salty to our taste. We tried the paella mixta (meat & seafood mix) at Jamón 55 in Gran Via and in Mercado de San Miguel. Both paellas were still on the salty and saucy side. They were served with slices of bread for dipping. So, it was actually a meal combo of rice and bread. I have read somewhere that the paella in Valencia is lighter and less salty compared to other regions in Spain. Our Filipino paella, cooked with seafood, pork, chicken and chorizo is always a sure favorite in 'eat-all-you-can' restaurants and a guaranteed star of Christmas dinners (Noche Buena) in Pampanga province. With less salt and more on the savoury-sweet side, this is probably why our Filipino paella is named as 'Paella Valenciana'. Top Tip: Ordering paellas in Madrid can be tricky. Some restaurants advertise (in Spanish) the price for 1 order/person (e.g. €14), yet you need a minimum of 2 orders/persons for them to cook it for you. Hence, the price goes to €28. The bread that comes with the paella is not free of charge; it costs €2. Churros con Chocolate Chocolatería San Ginés (Address: Pasadizo San Ginés, 5) is a haven for chocolate-lovers. They have been serving hot chocolate and churros since 1894. Chocolate con churros is a traditional way to start the day in Madrid. However, the shop which is open 24/7 is frequented by locals and tourists alike at any time of the day as a snack: be it mid-morning (almuerzo), mid-afternoon (merienda), or even after a long night out. There's always a long queue, but don't worry, it goes very fast. You place your order at the counter, find a table to sit, and the server brings your order. What was it like? The hot chocolate was not something I expected. I was thinking of a 'sikwate' style (a Philippine bitter hot chocolate made from tablea/cacao bean). The hot chocolate is overly sticky, with a consistency of a jelly, as it's meant for dipping, not for drinking. It's neither sweet nor bitter, and a bit oily. The churros are served straight from the pan so they are really piping hot! This was still a great find! We love chocolate so we bought a can of their powdered chocolate to try at home. Just a thought: Filipinos use the term 'almusal' for breakfast. Could this be derived from the word 'almuerzo' which is mid-morning snack in Spanish? Filipinos may have misconstrued this term as breakfast, being taken in the morning and hence 'almuerzo' became 'almusal'. Bocadillo (Sandwich) & Tapas Compared with other Europeans, the Spanish eat at a much later time. Most restaurants open for lunch at 1:30 p.m. and diners come in between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. while dinner is between 9 and 11 p.m. Breakfast (desayuno) is the lightest meal with just bread and coffee. Lunch (comida) is the most important meal in Spain. Known as 'Menu del Dia', it's oftentimes a three-course, fixed-price meal with soup or salad, a choice of meat or fish, dessert, and a glass of drink. A Spanish dinner (cena) is a lighter meal which can be a plate of cured ham, salad, yogurt, or omelette. In between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Spanish take small meals to keep them going. (1) Mid-morning (almuerzo), between 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. (2) Mid-afternoon (merienda), between 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (3) Taps hour (aperitivo), between 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. During these times, the tapas trays come out to offer quick bites. The word 'tapas' originates from the Spanish verb 'tapar', which means 'to cover'. It is an item (e.g. bread, coaster, small plates) placed on top of a drink to protect it from flies. Over the years, its meaning has evolved, a tapa is now any small portion of food that is served with the drink. Some of the tapas we have tried in Madrid: Here's a sample tapas menu at the Museo del Jamon in Plaza Mayor. As you can see, this is one of the cheap eats. The sandwiches are all priced at €1, while the beer is priced at €0.50 and the wine at €0.90. The beer is always cheap, always served cold and in small portions (caña, 200 ml). The smaller the portion, the quicker it can be consumed leaving no time for it to get warm. A cup of wine is served in a nice glass (copa, 300 ml). Torreznos Torreznos are similar to our Philippine chicharron, but a healthier version because they are fried in olive oil. They are crunchy, savoury, pork belly skins that send people to addiction. Just as the Pringles slogan: "Once you pop, you can't stop!" Topolino All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Whenever we travel, we make it a habit to include at least one all-you-can-eat buffet in our itinerary. For us, this is a practical way of diving into the city's cuisine especially when travelling on a budget. In a restaurant, a lot of us play it safe when ordering from the menu. Naturally, a person does not order five different dishes for the sake of sampling each dish. Of course, we also do not want to spend money on something that we will eventually not like. Bottomline, we always end up ordering tried and tested dishes, shying away from adventurous eating. With the variation offered in all-you-can-eat restaurants, this predicament ceases. There are always new things to try that we would never normally order. We had a buffet style dinner for only €13 (excluding drink) at Topolino in Plaza Sto. Domingo. While Topolino is an Italian franchise, they offer a good range of traditional Spanish food like soups, salads, paella, in addition to the typical pizza and pasta to fill your cravings. There is also an array of sweet treats waiting at the corner to fill your hearts out. Good to know: 'Topolino' is an Italian digest-sized comic series featuring Disney comics. It is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. If you have seen the James Bond film 'Spectre', when Bond was asked who he was, Bond introduced himself as Mickey Mouse when he said, "Sono Topolino". Torrija If you happen to be in Spain during the Holy Week (Semana Santa), then you can sample torrija, a traditional dessert that local bakeries offer during this season. Torrijas are the Spanish version of French toast. They are from the bread-based pudding family: made with stale bread, dipped in egg & anise mixture, then soaked in milk or wine, fried in olive oil, served coated with sugar & cinnamon or poured with heated honey. It was Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) when Joey & I saw the torrija signage so we made a pitstop. It was served warm with sweet syrup. Since we were following the Procesiones La Borriquita, we had the torrija 'to go' and ate them at our hotel. It was already cold and the syrup had crystalized; it was very sweet and the taste of anise was over-powering. I suppose it was meant to be eaten warm with coffee on the side. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable snack. It's similar to our Filipino carioca. Our Breakfast Our hotel served a good selection of cured meats, cheeses, fruits, cakes, sweet breads, muffins and churros. We stayed at Eurostars Zarzuela Park Hotel. From the Grocery We got curious at some pastry and cookie brands so we ended up buying them and bringing to Ireland. Useful Information
Chocolatería San Ginés Address: Pasadizo San Ginés Price: €4 Jamon 55 at Gran Via Address: Calle Gran Vía, 55 Price: €27 (minimum of 2 orders of €13.50), Tapas from €11.50 to €20 Mercado de San Miguel Address: Plaza de San Miguel Price: €4 for small portion (tapa), €7 for a plate (regular size) Museo del Jamon Address: Calle Mayor, 7 Price: Bocadillo at €1, Tapas at €11.50 Jamon 55 at Gran Via (Address: Calle Gran Vía, 55, 28013) Price: Tapas from €11.50 to €20 Topolino Sto. Domingo Address: Calle de Preciados Price: €13 In The Press Published in Trip101 Travel Website Link: What to Eat in Madrid The Gems of the Emerald Isle Series is a collection of articles about the wonders of nature and famous attractions in Ireland. In this post, let’s talk about “The Black Stuff". This term is often used here in Ireland and mostly everyone knows what it refers to. It is just simply Ireland's national drink, Guinness. And yes, it’s the same Guinness that manages world records since 1955 through yearly publication of “The Guinness Book of Records”. Sir Hugh Beaver (1890—1967), Managing Director of the Guinness Brewery used this is a promotional campaign with the idea of settling pub (bar) arguments and compiling a book of little known facts and figures (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com). Joey and I are not beer drinkers so we never had a strong wish to do a full tour of the Guinness Storehouse. But since we have been living in Ireland for over a decade now, I think it’s time to blend in with other tourists and get to know more about this black stuff. Let me take you to the only Guinness Storehouse in Ireland; this is located inside St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin City. The cost of the tour is €20. It highlighted how its story began, the beer's humble beginnings, and the struggles the company went through to achieve the Guinness that we come to know now. The experience was divided into seven floors which featured the ingredients, roasting & brewing rooms, smelling & tasting rooms, photo booths, food & drink where some items have Guinness as one of the ingredients, and finally the Gravity Bar on the top most floor. I particularly liked the way the tour was conceptualized. It was fully self-guided yet interactive, and the directions were easy to follow. We walked through exhibits and videos at our own pace. The tour also had the "The Connoisseur Experience" where you can learn how to expertly pull your own pint of Guinness. I pulled mine in one of the corporate events that I attended and was given a certificate for it. The "Gravity Bar" which is the highest bar in Dublin showed a 360° view of Dublin City. This was where we got our pints of Guinness in exchange for our tour tickets. Here are some things that we picked up during our tour: Their story begins here … Arthur Guinness started brewing since 1759. He signed a lease for the St. James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin for 9000 years at an annual rent of £45. It’s only year 2017 and the 258th year of their 9000 years’ lease, gets me wondering if the lease is still valid. Here is the official response from the FAQ section of www.guinness-storehouse.com: “The 9,000 year lease signed in 1759 was for a four-acre brewery site. Today, the brewery has expanded to cover over 50 acres. The 1759 lease is no longer valid as the company purchased the lands outright many years ago. So don't worry, we're not planning on going anywhere.” Happy days! It is good for you! Guinness has 4 main ingredients: barley, yeast, hop, water and 1 magical ingredient, Arthur Guinness himself. He has a great influence on Dublin. As we say here: "Here's to Arthur." Get 10% back from your Hotel Booking when clicking this button -> The exhibits described how they choose the barley to make Guinness. At this brewery, 100,000 tons of Irish-grown barley each year is used. Then, the yeast that Guinness uses is derived from the traditional yeast strain used by Arthur Guinness himself, the secret to every good pint of Guinness. The yeast strain has been passed on from one brew to the next to ensure consistency. It is valuable that a reserve supply is always kept locked in the Director's Safe. Hops, the 3rd ingredient, are used as flavoring agent in beer. They are the flowers of the hop plant Humulus lupulus. They require specific amount of sunlight and only grow in two regions of the world. Finally, the water used in brewing Guinness at this brewery (St. James's Gate) comes from the Wicklow mountains. Only water of the highest quality is used to brew Guinness Smell and taste the magic. The Guinness expert showed us how to engage our senses and appreciate the smells of the different ingredients. In here, we were given a Guinness sampler to practice how to taste Guinness and how to get the best from the pint. The beer that travelled ... It is said that 10 million glasses of Guinness are being sold everyday throughout the world making the biggest selling stout. It has been travelling the globe since 1769. Almost 1 in 2 pints consumed in Ireland every day is a pint of Guinness. The Color of Nobility Contrary to its famous alter-ego, “The Black Stuff”, Guinness is not really black! It is not even brown. While it is distinctively dark, the Guinness beer (or stout to be more specific) is actually ruby red in color. This is a result of roasting malted barley, in a similar way to coffee beans. The creamy white head is caused by the bubbles of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gas as the beer is poured. No artificial colorings or flavorings are added. “Good things come to those who wait.” This was Guinness’ advertising campaign slogan in 2009 referring to its famous 'two-part' pour ritual. I suppose bartenders all over the world are given precise instructions on this. The ritual takes precisely 119.5 seconds to pull the perfect Guinness pint:
There are approximately 198 calories in a pint of Guinness - less than a pint of orange juice! Overall, Guinness Storehouse is a well-designed attraction to spend an afternoon in Dublin. Even for us who do not drink beer enjoyed the tour. It was not boring or tiring, just about right. An absolute must for your to-do list when in Dublin!
I've been very fortunate with my job. Apart from families and friends, it is something that I always thank the One above. I remember years back, shortly after my college graduation, a palm reader in Mactan (an island in Cebu) told me that I would be very lucky with my work and employers. I would be able to travel the world. True enough, all the 5 companies that employed me carried travel perks with them, both domestic and international. Of all those business travels, the best that I had was when Joey, my husband, accompanied and stayed with me for 6 months during my assignment in Pennsylvania, USA. There are many travel pieces to write about our life in the USA; where we experienced the many firsts of our lives together. In New Jersey, I got re-united with two of my best buddies in college: Aura and Melinda. Together with them and their families, we had our first pumpkin patch experience. What is a pumpkin patch? Literally-speaking, a "patch" is a piece of land, a field, or a garden where a fruit or vegetable grows. In this case, it is pumpkin. It's a term you often hear around Halloween time. Pumpkins are gathered, carved, lit with candles to create a Jack O'Lantern. Irish Origin of Halloween Jack O'Lantern It is said that this tradition originated from Ireland. The large turnips, potatoes, and beets became an early canvas because pumpkins did not exist in Ireland. According to Irish folklore, a young blacksmith named "Stingy Jack" invited the devil to have a drink with him. But since he lost his money to gambling, Jack tricked the devil to turn himself into a coin to pay for the drinks. Jack never bought the drinks. Instead, he tucked the devil-coin into his wallet, along with a crucifix thereby trapping the devil. When the devil promised not to take his soul upon his death, Stingy Jack removed the crucifix and freed the devil. When Jack died, Saint Peter barred him from Heaven because of his mischievous deeds. He was also refused entry into hell because of the deal he made with the devil. This left Jack's soul wandering the dark hills of Ireland. Since then, the people of Ireland started putting the lamps in their windows to ward off evil spirits and Stingy Jack himself. The Irish brought the Jack O'Lantern tradition when they migrated to America. As pumpkins grow abundantly in the region, they have carved pumpkin instead of the traditional root crops. What happens during "Pumpkin Patch"? If you have never been to a pumpkin patch, you don't know what you are missing! Not all farms are the same, but here are some bits that you can expect: Hay rides Hay rides are fun! It's your shuttle into the field where you will pick your pumpkins, though you can also choose to walk out to the patch yourself. We took the tractor-pulled hay ride, while sitting in a comfortable stack of straw. Be prepared for a wobbly ride. Corn Maze We left this for adventurous kids and adults. There were also large stand-ups for photo ops. Farm Animals Since it's integrated with a farm, you can feed the animals and ride on the horses. Farm to Table Grab a basket and stock up on local produce. The farm we went to was selling fresh tomatoes, different varieties of sweet corn, apples, pies and pastries. The Perfect Pumpkin Get ready with your wagon to pick and carry your own pumpkin. An average pumpkin can weigh 8-15 pounds while a large variety can weigh 15-25 pounds. If you can handle it, you can try picking a giant pumpkin that can weigh 50-100 pounds. Finding your perfect pumpkin depends on the kind of carving that you want to make. What's important is to make sure it is stable by putting it on a flat surface. Also, feel the pumpkin's skin. It should be firm all over and does not have soft spots. If it already has, then it may be on its way to rotting. Of course, since it's Halloween, go for an orange pumpkin! Our Jack O'Lantern The farm priced their pumpkins by the pound. The ones we picked were weighed and paid at the end of our activity. We took 4 medium-sized, easy to carve ones. We scooped and scraped out the inner meat of the pumpkin. They say that you can cook and eat all parts of your pumpkin. From the seeds, pulp, flesh, to its skin. You can bake them into bread, puree in the soup, or roast as a healthy treat. Some even suggests using them as part of your beauty regimen. Here's how our first Jack O'Lantern looked like. This was our first ever Pumpkin Patch and it did not disappoint us. It was a great way to spend time together and get into the Halloween mood. For us, it was a wonderful way to celebrate the colours of autumn.
Joey and I have been putting off an ocean cruise vacation because we could not reconcile with the thought of being ‘at sea’ for 7 to 10 days. I was born and raised in Cebu City. My parents hailed from Batangas and hence visiting our grandparents every school vacation was part of our routine, growing up. In those years when the airfares were astronomically-priced, we always travelled by ship from Cebu to Manila (roughly 23 hours). As a child, I endured the long journey because there were plenty of things to do aboard. Now as an adult, in this fast-paced world where people rely on technology to accomplish tasks instantly, I’m not sure whether I will still be able to enjoy such an extended journey. To see if we are worthy to take on a majestic ocean trip, we decided to try a mini-cruise first. It’s called ‘mini’ for 3 reasons: (1) it’s a short trip, generally 5 days, (2) lesser time spent at sea, (3) you have land-based accommodation as opposed to having the ship as your hotel. We ventured on a Scandinavian Cruise that visited the capitals of Scandinavian countries: Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Tallinn (Estonia). Get 10% back from your Hotel Booking when clicking this button -> When we got the itinerary, two days were allotted for Tallinn. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, a country located in the Baltic Sea, formerly part of the Soviet Union and with links to Sweden and Denmark. Tallinn is only 85 km from Helsinki. We started off on a 3-hour walking tour along with other tourists, who like us, were also eager to get to know the city. Helen, our tour guide commented that by far this was the largest number of walking tour participants, counted at 160! So, we were split into two groups for better interaction. Helen took us to key locations of Tallinn and shared with us a lot of things about Estonian history, short amusing stories about culture, religion, food, etc. We felt like we have now understood Tallinn and Estonians. Here are our Top 4 things we learned from our walking tour: 1. Estonia has a population of 1.5 million; 450 thousand live in Tallinn. The Estonian tri-coloured flag symbolizes the following:
Helen said that small talks like 'good morning' and 'hellos' are unusual and uncommon in Estonia. Because of their history and the many countries that conquered them, they are not very warm and friendly to foreigners. Estonians are generally well-reserved, disciplined, and personal space is very important. 2. Our tour guide said that in the past, practicing religion was prohibited. Hence, most of the churches were converted to museums. Estonia is one of the "least religious" countries in the world with only 14% of the population declaring religion an important part of their daily life. Though Estonia is not a very religious country, they respect freedom of religion and guarantees separation of church and state. 3. Estonians love to sing. While with the Soviet Union, Estonians bought lyrics of western songs in black markets, read every line, and judged whether it was a nice song, without even hearing the tune how it was supposed to be sung. Like in the Philippines, you can also find many Karaoke bars in Estonia. Yes, they love to sing, they got their independence by singing! The so-called ‘Singing Revolution’ lasted over four years (1987 to 1991) and led to the restoration of the independence of Estonia. 4. Tallinn is the home of the first Christmas tree and Skype!
Inspired by our walking tour, here is our Top 4 round up of the must-see sights in Tallinn: 1. Medieval Times at the Old Town Like a classic fairy tale movie, wander into colourful houses, cobblestoned alleyways, medieval buildings and watch towers. Despite Estonia's centuries of successive German, Danish, Swedish and Russian rules, its capital city of Tallinn is famous for its well-preserved Hanseatic architecture and medieval structures. Hanseatic refers to the Hanseatic League, also called as Hansa or German Hanse, an association formed by north German towns and merchant communities abroad during the 13th to 15th century to protect and control trading activities. Tallinn’s intact 13th century Old Town has gain the recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Tallinn Town Wall These ancient walls give the town a medieval atmosphere. Built as a fortification, the wall enclosed and protected the town from invaders. We have travelled to many places in Europe but I can’t remember seeing intact walls of a medieval city. In most places, only fragments of the walls are left. As per Tallinn Tourism Board, a full stretch of wall (1.9 km of its original city wall) and 20 observation towers are still standing. No wonder Tallinn has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Katariina käik (St. Catherine's Passage) A walk in this alluring and winding passageway takes you back to the middle ages. This narrow alleyway is a charming fusion of crafts and religion. On one end, a wide array of craft shops is well-worth the visit. On the other end, the remnants of St. Catherine’s Church along with tombstones from the original sanctuary can be seen. The church is said to be the largest church in medieval Northern Europe. In the present days, ruins of the church have become a venue for concerts, plays and exhibits. Medieval Restaurants We had a medieval meal of an ox rib, elk soup and meat pie. Everything was very well laid together. With servers dressed in medieval costumes, the setting felt very authentic! 2. Castles & Palaces Kadriorg Palace (Presidential Palace) Estonia has a Parliamentary form of government with their Prime Minister as the head. They also have a President for ceremonial events. We learned from our tour that the President's Palace is not guarded, and it was true! We ended having photo shoot there. Toompea Castle Toompea is a limestone hill in the central part of the city of Tallinn. This is where a wooden fortress was built during the 9th century. In the course of history, Danish, Livonians (from Latvia), Swedish and Russians fortified the fortress and ruled the territories of Estonia from here. Today, Toompea is the seat of the Parliament of Estonia, the Riigikogu. The Estonian flag on top of the Tall Hermann tower symbolizes Estonia's independence and own government in power. Kiek in de Kök This cannon tower gives an insight into Estonia’s past and the vast range of defences it used to protect itself. Inside this tower is a museum of the town's armours, weapons and medieval-era life. This is also the starting point for touring the hidden tunnels that run underneath the Toompea hill. Kiek in de Kök literally means “Peek into the Kitchen.” Due to its 38-meter high structure, it was a well-recounted joke that medieval guards could see right down the chimneys and into the kitchens of the houses below. 3. Viewing Platforms We went to Kohtuotsa and Patkuli vantage points. They are just a short work from each other and two of Tallinn’s many viewing platforms at the Toompea Hill. We were there at the peak of the day and so it was difficult to get the perfect spot for a picture. But once the crowds settled, we had fine views of old and new Tallinn: the red roofs of the Old Town with its ancient walls & towers and the modern Tallinn harbour where you can see ferries travelling to and from Stockholm and Helsinki. We also saw the towers of St Olaf’s Church (which was said to be the tallest structure between the year 1549 to 1625) and Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin. From the Patkuli viewing platform, we went down around 150 Patkuli steps connecting the Upper Old Town (dominated by Toompea Hill) to the Lower Old Town (with the Town Hall Square as its heart). 4. Churches Joey and I are raised as Catholics. Every time we travel, our itinerary always includes a visit to at least one church and attend a Mass service. We always find it interesting participating in the Mass in another country’s language. Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral A modest yet beautiful church with a courtyard setting that serves Tallinn's very small Catholic congregation. According to www.katoliku.ee, the Catholic population of Estonia is approximately 6,000 adherents. Our cruise ship arrived in Tallinn port on a Sunday. Being the only Catholic church in the Old Town, we stumbled into this church and attended the 6:00 pm Mass. The Mass was said in Russian but the priest also gave a homily in English following the homily in Russian after noticing us in the pews. Cathedral of Saint Mary the Virgin (Dome Church's) Tower Originally established as a Roman Catholic cathedral by the Danish, this historic church located on Toompea Hill has served as a burial place for noble families since the 13th century. It became Lutheran in 1561 and is now the seat of the Archbishop of Tallinn, the leader of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. Church of the Holy Spirit This is a lovely little Lutheran church located in the Old Town district. It is the only sacred building that preserved its original medieval form and is recognizable by the blue & gold clock on the wall above its entrance. The clock is said to be carved in the 1680's and the oldest public clock in Tallinn. We paid a small fee to go inside, but it was well-worth to see the main altar, suspended pulpit, choir stalls, pews, and decorative stained glass. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral This grand five black onion-domed Russian Orthodox church was completed on Toompea Hill in 1900, when Estonia was part of the Russian Empire. It is just across the Toompea Castle (now the Estonian Parliament). It stands out on Toompea partly because of its massive and richly-coloured design as compared to the pastel-coloured medieval buildings surrounding it. It's free entry; but since this is a working church, visitors are expected to dress appropriately. Prior to this trip, we have not heard so much about Tallinn. Seldom does it appear in travel destinations. But knowing us, we could always turn this trip into something worth our while. And we did it! A visit to this medieval city was a pleasant surprise. It made us realize how truly magical and enchanting Tallinn is. Definitely, worth a return visit!
Last summer, Joey & I flew to London to meet with my aunt who was vacationing with her friends from the Philippines. As a typical overnight weekend trip, we wanted to make the most of the time: first flight out, last flight in! We've been to London before and did most of the sightseeing in that trip. So, our first day was more of a relaxed one. It was just to catch up with my aunt and collect the 'pasalubongs' she brought from the Philippines. For our second day, we decided to go to the countryside and booked the Windsor Castle, Bath & Stonehenge Coach Tour with Golden Tours (www.goldentours.com). The cost was £102 per person which included a lunch pack. Windsor Castle (Address: Windsor SL4 1NJ, UK) Our first stop was the Windsor Castle. The castle is just 23 kilometres from London Heathrow Airport. While public transport is available, its frequency may not suit the times of your visit. Hence, it is best to book a coach tour especially when pressed for time. We were fortunate to have a very enthusiastic guide, Graham. He has been a tour guide for over 30 years and very knowledgeable and entertaining. He talked us through the important mementos as we walked along Windsor Royal Shopping Centre. The shopping centre is the passageway to the Windsor Castle. This is also the stop when arriving via train. The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland This is used by Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to present in all her realms except Scotland. The Lion and the Unicorn are symbols of the United Kingdom. Quarterly, the 1st and 4th shows three lions representing England, the 2nd lion stands for Scotland. The 3rd quarter shows a harp which is the national symbol of Ireland. The words “Dieu et mon droit” is the motto of the British monarch which means ‘God and my right.’ Historical Pillar Postal Box Each box displays the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch. This is the box during the reign of Queen Victoria. In the lower part, it shows “V R”, which means “Victoria Regina”. Regina is the Latin word for “Queen” so the whole thing means “Victoria The Queen”. Hence, the symbol “E R” means “Elizabeth Regina” – “Elizabeth The Queen”. We arrived early and we were the first group of tourists in the queue waiting for the Castle to open at 9:00 AM. Windsor Castle is one of the official residences of The Queen and has been home to the Sovereign for almost 900 years. Traditionally, when in London, The Queen herself spends weekends at Windsor. The Queen also takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter, known as Easter Court . During that time The Queen hosts occasional 'dine and sleeps' events for guests, including politicians and public figures (www.royal.uk). Since this is a functional castle, it is expected that security is very tight. On our way in, we passed through an airline-style security. Our bags were placed through an x-ray machine and we walked through a detector door. So, what was it like? The Royal Standard Flag When we visited, The Queen was in residence, signalled by the Royal Standard flag that was flown at the tower. Our tour guide told us that when Princess Diana died in 1997, there was a public outburst as to why there was no flag flying at half-mast at the Buckingham Palace in London. He explained that there was no flag because the Royal Standard only flies when The Queen is in residence. At that time, The Queen was in Balmoral Castle. The Royal Standard can never be flown at half-mast since The Sovereign never dies, he/she is immediately succeeded. As a compromise, on the day of Princess Diana’s funeral, the palace hoisted the Union Jack flag in her honour. Since then, the protocol has changed. When The Queen is not in residence, the Union Flag flies and has flown at half-mast upon deaths of members of the Royal Family. Graham gave us 2 hours to explore the Castle. He told us not to miss the 3 most interesting areas: (1) Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, (2) St. George's Chapel, and (3) The State Apartments. With the allocated time, we explored these areas, unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the Castle. Hence, most of our pictures were taken around the Castle grounds. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a perfectly-crafted miniature palace given by the members of the Royal Family, including King George V to his wife, Queen Mary in the early 1920s. Queen Mary is Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother. The viewing area is a bit dark but from what we have seen, the Dolls' House had a breath-taking amount of detail in it, working plumbing and electricity, elevators and flushing lavatories, miniature crowns with actual jewels on them. It is said that every item is made exactly to scale. Truly, a well-thought and brilliant piece of art! It is worthy to note that this was designed for a woman, not a child. On our way out, we saw an elegant display of royal dresses of the young Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, some were gifts from the French monarch. As photography is not allowed inside the Doll House, I'm sharing pictures from an article in the Daily Mail UK: St. George’s Chapel St. George's Chapel inside the Windsor Castle is the final resting place of many members of the Royal Family. This holds a special place for Queen Elizabeth II as this is where her parents, King George VI & Queen Mother Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret are buried. We couldn't help to feel uneasy seeing the tombs, but then again, it was like walking through so much history. There were plenty of staff who guided us through our tour. They were very knowledgeable and I even asked about the tombs of the characters in the film "The Other Boleyn Girl". He showed us Henry VIII grave next to Jane Seymour's. He said that Anne Boleyn was buried in the grounds of the Tower of London after her execution. The chapel also houses an amazing collection of the Royal Family's religious possession. To this day, the chapel holds service and worshippers are welcome to attend. It is closed to visitors on Sundays. The State Apartments The State Apartments holds some of the finest works of art from the Royal Collection, including painting by Rembrandt. One of the rooms has the statue of King George VI with military weapons hanging on the walls and suits of armor displayed. Nowadays, it is also used by members of the Royal Family for official ceremonies, for entertaining or for hosting events in support of organizations which they sponsor. Since The Queen is in official residence, we were treated to a colourful spectacle in the quadrangle – the Changing of the Guard. We have never seen a castle with such grandiosity. This is by far better than Walt Disney’s because this is real! We were served with our lunch packs on the bus; it was a delicious portion of a ploughman’s sandwich, packet of crisp, a cookie and pack of nuts. We drove for 1.5 hours and continued our tour to Stonehenge, our second stop. Stonehenge (Address: Amesbury, Salisbury SP4 7DE, UK) A UNESCO-listed world heritage site, Stonehenge is an ancient temple aligned on the movements of the sun. The stones were raised 4500 years ago, by prehistoric people. For some, these may just be a circle of standing stones and may not be even worth the travel. Nevertheless, we are amazed by how this sophisticated monument was built with exact precision, considering the technology available during that era. The history of Stonehenge remains a mystery. There are theories that it was used as a religious centre and as an astronomical observatory. People flock to see how the stones are aligned in the direction of the sunrise of the summer solstice and the sunset of the winter solstice. Key to Stonehenge 1 – The Stonehenge Avenue 2 – Arrow showing solstice alignment 3 – Heel Stone 4 – Stone hole marker 5 – Slaughter Stone 6 – Station Stones 7 – Station Stone markers 8 – Sarsen stones 9 – Blue stones 10 – Horseshoe of sarsen trilithons 11 – Aubrey Hole markers 12 – Bank and ditch The biggest of Stonehenge's stones, known as sarsens, are up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall and weigh 25 tons (22.6 metric tons) on average. It is widely believed that they were brought from Marlborough Downs, a distance of 32 km to the north. Smaller stones, referred to as "bluestones" (they have a bluish tinge when wet or freshly broken), weigh up to 4 tons and come from several different sites in western Wales, having been transported as far as 225 km. (https://www.livescience.com/22427-stonehenge-facts.html) The Roman Baths (Address: Stall St, Bath BA1 1LZ, UK) On to our last stop, we drove another hour to reach the City of Bath, a city with rich history and has been home to famous Bathonians (term for somebody who comes from Bath) like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Manolo Blahnik (the shoe designer), Tears for Fears (musical group), among others. According to the legend, as retold by our tour guide Graham, then Prince Bladud had a skin disease and was banished from the court. One of the pigs also contracted a skin disease and got cured after rolling in the mud near the springs. So, Prince Bladud did the same, bathed in the waters and was cured. He eventually returned to court and when he became King, he transferred his palace to the place of his cure which was near the spring. He built spas (the word “spa” comes from Latin which stands for “Salus Per Aquam” or ‘health through water’) and baths around the city. He called it "Aquae Sulis" or "Waters of the Sun". When the Anglo Saxon gained control of the city, it became known as 'Bath'. We toured The Roman Baths. It is not safe to drink, swim or even to touch the water in the Great Bath because it is completely untreated. However, there is a drinkable spa water within the restaurant, which is included in the price of the admission ticket. Some tourists described its taste as “unusual”; Joey and I did not taste it. The thermal water is said to contain over 42 different minerals, the most concentrated being sulphate, calcium & chloride. The water is believed to be rainwaters that fell on the limestones of Mendip Hills near Bristol. Over 1 million litres of this mineral-rich water flow from the springs each day and are treated to make it safe for bathing in the nearby Thermae Bath Spa. "In Britain are hot springs adorned with sumptuous splendour for the use of mortals. Minerva is patron goddess of these." - Gaius Julius Solinus, 3rd Century AD During the self-paced tour, we also saw silver Roman coins on display. When the coins were excavated from a street in Bath in 2007, they were packed in 8 separate money bags, then joined together. This stock of money consists of 17,577 silver Roman coins spanning from the period from 32BC – 274AD. Though we spent nearly two hours inside The Roman Baths, it was still not enough to go through the numerous exhibits. We took a quick stroll to the city centre, treated ourselves with the famous cornish pasties (like Filipino Empanadas) before we headed to the airport for our flight back to Dublin, Ireland. It was certainly a day well-spent! Get 10% back from your Hotel Booking when clicking this button -> I admire friends who speak several languages. My boss at work speaks, apart from English, four other languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Slovak and French. It always leaves me in awe how quickly she switches from one language to another whenever we have meetings. When I moved here in Europe, carrying two Spanish surnames 'Real' and 'Del Rosario', most colleagues at work thought that I speak Spanish. In a sort of a trial by fire, my name was added in our Translation queue, hoping I would be able to translate documents from Spanish to English, and vice versa.
Let's go back in time ... Philippines was under Spain's over 300-year-long occupation between 1565 and 1898. Surely, this would have been long enough for Filipinos to learn the Spanish language, just as we learned English. Unfortunately, since our independence from Spain in 1898, the language has lost most of its speakers. When Spain ceded the country to the United States, the English language was promoted instead of Spanish. Spanish lost its official status in 1987, and was removed as a college requirement, becoming only an optional course. Today, it is said to be offered in only in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and the University of San Carlos in Cebu. Sources: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/filipinos-speak-spanish-history http://www.spanishprograms.com/blog/2013/11/did-you-know-philippines-used-to-be-a-spanish-speaking-country-too/ In 2017, the Spanish language was ranked as the 2nd most spoken language of the world with 437 million speakers. Source: https://www.statista.com/chart/12868/the-worlds-most-spoken-languages/. I took a Spanish language course to augment my vocabulary. Philippines and Spain really have a lot of words in common. I feel though that a one-term course is not sufficient to learn the language. Yes, I can now read and understand written Spanish, but I still find it hard to speak or write it. I think I need more practice. Having lived in Europe for almost 12 years now, I have realized the edge of knowing a second language. It is an incredibly useful skill. When travelling, knowing a country’s language makes us feel more comfortable, allows us to understand their culture, and have a more authentic experience. I think it is fair to say that Spain and the Spanish culture is something that Filipinos can identify with. This is probably why Joey and I keep on going back to Spain. As of this writing, in a span of 2 years, we have gone to Spain three times already! This page will chronicle our travels to Spain. I can't wait for you to join us! Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a major tourist destination in Italy and perhaps tops the list as one of the most charming cities in the world. It lies in northern Italy’s Veneto region alongside with other provinces: Verona, Padua, Vicenza and Treviso. When I think of Venice, these movies come to mind: The Tourist (Angelina Jolie & Johnny Depp), Chasing Liberty (Mandy Moore & Matthew Goode) and Only You (Robert Downey Jr. & Marisa Tomei). Add to that George Clooney’s wedding! For me, the calmness of the canals and the soothing gondola rides best characterize love and romance. This is probably why Venice is also known as the City of Love. Our friends had their 25th wedding anniversary recently and so we picked Venice to celebrate the occasion. Myself, Joey and 5 other friends traversed the alleys, ran into hits & misses, and learned new stories about this city. City of Canals Simply put, Venice is a city built on water; it has no roads. There are nearly 200 canals, with Grand Canal as the largest, separating the city into over 100 islands (www.darkrome.com). To navigate between the islands, there are 400 bridges (Ponte in Italian) while to cross the Grand Canal, there are only 4 bridges. There are no motorized transports allowed in the city; hence, these canals serve as ‘roads’ in Venice. When I first stepped foot in Venice, I wasn’t surprised why the city draws millions and millions of visitors each year. I was greeted by its enchanting waters, stunning architecture, mysterious passageways, harmonized with clear blue skies, it has all the elements of a perfect backdrop for every romantic setting. Of the 4 bridges to cross the Grand Canal, I would say that the Rialto Bridge is the most beautiful bridge. It’s apparently the oldest bridge and one of the most popular tourist spots in Venice. The bridge was closed during our visit as it was undergoing renovation yet the area was still laden with shops. Do It Yourself (DIY) Tours As with other tourist destinations, there are several things to do and see in Venice. I saw tour companies offering walking tours and Grand Canal boat tours, but they are just too pricey! To scale-down costs, instead of taking the guided Grand Canal Tour, we bought an ACTV ticket which was valid for 24 hours, hop-on hop-off type, on vaporetto (water bus) in the City of Venice. It costed us €20 each, as opposed to €48 for an hour of Grand Canal boat tour. We bought the ACTV tickets from our hotel’s reception desk. Expectation vs. Reality Before coming to Venice, I imagined myself and Joey on a gondola ride, sipping a glass of wine while being serenaded by the gondolier. And yet again, Venice is an expensive city. For a 30- minute gondola ride, it would have been a whopping €80 for both us. We wanted to catch a traghetto as an alternative to a gondola experience. A traghetto is also a public transport and exactly looks like a gondola, but undecorated. For €2, it is technically the “5th” way to cross the Grand Canal. Now, that is what I call a bargain. However, our routes were not anywhere close to a traghetto pier. We let it go and settled with our ACTV tickets. Get 10% back from your Hotel Booking when clicking this button -> The Usual Things to Do With our ACTV ticket, we cruised to St. Mark’s Square where most of the attractions are found: 1. Visit St. Mark's Basilica. We lined up to get inside the Basilica. It is said that in January 828, the relics believed to be the body of St. Mark (the Gospel Evangelist) was brought from Alexandria (Egypt) to Venice (www.basilicasanmarco.it). Placing his body in this Basilica in led the way to making St. Mark as the city’s patron saint. Photography is not allowed inside the Basilica. 2. Pose for photos in St Mark's Square (with the pigeons if they are there). The Square is just in front of the Basilica. We were there early so the area was less crowded. When we came back during sunset, this place was flocked with pigeons and tourists that it was nearly impossible to pose for photos. Take note that feeding pigeons is banned in Venice since 2008 and there are fines for ignoring the ban. 3. Marvel at the Doge’s Palace. The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale in Italian) was the home of the Doge, the ruler of Venice. This was the seat of power and where important decisions concerning the political and public affairs of the Venetian Republic were made. When the Republic fell on 1797, Venice was subjected to French rule, then Austrian, and eventually, in 1866 when it became part of a united Italy. The Doge's Palace was converted as a museum in 1923 (www.palazzoducale.visitmuve.it). 4. See the Bridge of Sighs. Located near St. Mark’s Square, this bridge was always full of tourists. But what really is this bridge? This bridge connects the Doge’s Palace and the New Prisons. Legend has it that the name came about when sighs of desperation were exhaled by captives crossing the bridge as they were taken down to their cells. They sighed because that was their final glimpse of the beauty of Venice. The Unusual Things to Do I can imagine the number of guide books created for the usual things to do in Venice. Here is our list of the “unusuals”. This is Joey’s and my kind of Venice, as we like it, when we like it. 1. Look festive with a Venetian mask. Carnival is one of the biggest celebrations in Venice and takes place in the days leading up to Lent (40 days) when Roman Catholics start to abstain from meat. The word carnival comes from the Latin words carne and vale, meaning “farewell to meat”. During the carnival season, stylish, colorful, and elaborate masks are worn in parties and masquerade balls around the city. 2. Step into James Bond’s World. Joey is so into James Bond, that he well-spotted this familiar site near the Rialto Bridge. These houses were featured in the movie Casino Royale which was released in 2006. Towards the end of the movie, Bond follows Vesper into a house that is undergoing renovation and thus held by inflatable balloons. In his pursuit, Bond shoots and punctures the balloons causing the house to slowly sink into the Grand Canal. That’s a score, Joey! 3. Walk over the arching bridge. 4. Soak in the tranquillity of Venice at night. 5. Get lost.The bridges and alleys look the same so it is easy to get lost. Look for the Grand Canal to find your way back. How to Get There There are two airports in Venice: (1) Marco Polo Airport, (2) Treviso Airport. From the airports, shuttle buses are available to bring you to the island; the last stop is the Piazzale Roma. When arriving from Marco Polo airport, you can also board a water taxi directly to your hotel since this airport is just sitting next to the Venetian lagoon. Our group arrived in Rome and took a high-speed train to Venice. Then, we flew out via Marco Polo Airport. Where to Stay Venice, the island, has only one train station, the Venezia Santa Lucia. While checking suitable hotels, Venezia Mestre station appeared in my searches. Hotels near Venezia Mestre offer good value and are decent, but these are in the mainland and nowhere close to Venice island! I made a mistake here since I picked Venezia Mestre station as our stop, coming from Rome. So, we took another 10-minute train ride to Venezia Santa Lucia station. As there are only 4 bridges to cross the Grand Canal, and I doubt if a traghetto would accept huge luggage when crossing the canal, I picked a hotel close to 1 of the 4 bridges. We stayed at Hotel Carlton, just across Venezia Santa Lucia station and close to Scalzi Bridge. The cost was €140 per night with breakfast. What to Eat Reward yourself with a delicious gelato. Our eyes got hooked to mounds of colorful gelato so we made a quick stop and treated ourselves to a scoop. A scoop costed €2; I had the chocolate and Joey had the pistachio flavor. I’m not a big fan of gelato, so I could not say whether it was authentic or not. But well, we were in Italy so I thought it was the closest thing to an authentic one. Take a sweet bite of the cannoli. Cannoli is a traditional dessert of Sicily. Shells shaped like tubes are fried and then filled with ricotta cheese but more and more variations have become available like vanilla, or chocolate. Indulge in a hearty Italian meal. We ate lunch just across our hotel. Joey had the Spaghetti in Nero di Seppia, which is a pasta with cuttlefish in its blank ink sauce. I had the Pizza Margherita while our friends had the seafood pasta. We asked for side plates so we can share and taste all the dishes we ordered. The meal was insanely delicious. The pasta noodles were made by hand and not the typical dried pasta we get from the supermarkets. The seafood ingredients were the restaurant’s fresh “catch of the day”. Our bill was €107 but it was all worth it. On the side, when looking at the menu, make sure you read the fine print especially when it comes to seafood. Restaurants typically charge € per 100 grams. Thus, the price in the menu may be only for 100 grams and not the price of the entire dish. Also, I was warned by my Italian friend that it is costly to drink coffee sitting down in a restaurant; so better take your coffee to-go. We stayed for 2 nights in Venice. It may be short and even with no gondolas and no pigeons, it was enough for us to experience its beauty. There you go, I hope I have satisfied your cravings for another travel destination. Until my next post! In The Press Published in Illustrado Magazine (Dubai, UAE) Issue 23 (September 27, 2017), Pages 26 to 31 http://www.illustradolife.com/illustrado-goissue-23/ Published in Expat Newspaper (Philippines) Issue 18 (December 2017), Page 9 https://issuu.com/expatph/docs/expat_-_december_2017_final Featured in the European Travel Magazine Italy: Unusual Venice (October 28, 2017) http://www.e-travelmag.com/italy/unusual-venice/ Published in Sports & Travel Singapore
Issue 79 (January to February 2018), Page 5 https://issuu.com/sportsandtravelsingapore/docs/issue79 Gems of The Emerald Isle Series: Giant’s Causeway The Gems of the Emerald Isle Series is a collection of articles about the wonders of nature and famous attractions in Ireland. In this post, we begin with the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway lies along the sea coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom). It is roughly 60 miles away from Belfast City Center. Legend has it that Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool), an Irish giant was so determined to defeat his most fierce enemy, Benandonner, the giant from the Isle of Staffa in Scotland. Finn did not want to get his feet wet so he built the causeway across the sea to Scotland. He summoned Benandonner for a fight. Not realizing that Benandonner was extremely bigger than he expected, Finn retracted, went home and disguised as a baby tucked in a cradle. Benandonner followed him to Ireland and when he saw the size of the 'baby', he got frightened that the baby's father, Finn must be a giant among the giants. He turned-tail and ran away back to Scotland, destroying the causeway behind him so Finn could not follow. The columns we see now are just remnants of a huge road built by Finn, which is presumably once linking Ireland to Scotland. Interestingly, a similar geographical formation can also be seen in the Isle of Staffa. While the legend sounds amusing, the Giant’s Causeway itself is astonishing! Resulting from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago, the Giant’s Causeway has about 40,000 gently inclined interlocking formations made of basalt (volcanic rocks or solidified lava) sticking out of the sea. Most of the rocks are seven, six or five-sided, while some are four or eight-sided. It is perplexing to think that massive volcanic eruptions could result into something symmetrical and perfectly-spaced patterns. Geologists explain this process as columnar jointing. Definition (http://www.dictionary.com): A structure that forms in rocks (most commonly in basalt) that consists of columns (mostly commonly hexagonal in shape) that are separated by joints or fractures in the rock that formed when the rock contracted, most often during cooling. When the lava flowed to the sea, the basalt cooled rapidly from the outside toward the center, causing shrinkage cracks to form. It’s about half a mile walk down to the Giant’s Causeway from the Visitor Center itself along steep slopes and gravel paths. But it’s not rigorous walk, you will be rewarded with stunning views and picture-postcard sceneries along the way. If walking is not your cup of tea, there are shuttle buses plying the route for £1 (Php 65). We opted to walk, stopped when we felt like it and explored at our own pace. The stones are piled up so perfectly they look like the work of a skilled mason. Do not miss The Camel which is said to be Finn’s ride across long distances. We spent two hours walking on columns and exploring the gorgeous Northern Ireland coastal waters. The Giant’s Causeway is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We've been wanting to see it and it did not fail to impress us. The chance to walk, climb and get up close the basalt columns makes the experience even worthwhile. It's mind-boggling how these geological formations came into existence. Yet undoubtedly, there is magic in the causeway. A breath-taking masterpiece of nature! Get 10% back from your Hotel Booking when clicking this button -> Top Tips:
In The Press Published in Roots & Wings Magazine (Stockholm, Sweden) Autumn 2017 Issue, Pages 20 to 25 http://www.rawmags.com/single-post/2017/10/11/The-Autumn-2017-Issue Published in Travel Plus Magazine (Manila, Philippines)
Issue 1 (Year 2018), Volume 9 Series 1 https://www.facebook.com/travelplusmagazine/
Joey and I love to travel. It is always something that we look forward to --- always relaxing, enjoyable and comes with a myriad of interesting finds, discoveries and self-learning. Travelling does not have to break your bank; you can always travel in style and yet be still cheerful with the limited budget you can spend.
I'm sharing some tips on how we plan our travels: Check your passport. Travelling international requires that your passport is valid for at least 6 months at your last day of travel. If your passport is expiring, you should renew it soon before making travel arrangements. When renewing Irish passports, the Department of Foreign Affairs requires at least 4 weeks or 20 working days. For Philippine passports, it can take as long as 10 weeks.
When I moved here in Ireland, I had a 2-hour stopover at London Heathrow (UK) with a connecting flight to Dublin, Ireland. I got stopped at the Immigration and the officer told me: "Do you know that I can send you back to Singapore?" I did not realize that I need a pre-approved VISA for my stopover. After few minutes of talking it through, the officer allowed me to go to a holding area until my flight to Dublin was ready for boarding. It scared me out of my wits that I never made a single trip to the UK until 2014 when I got my Irish passport.
Travelling with a Philippine passport within Europe is somewhat restricted and convoluted. While it's true that Ireland is in Europe, Ireland does not sit in the European mainland and hence not part of the Schengen Agreement. Ireland has separate borders and Immigration Controls. For a non-European citizen to travel to Schengen countries, a Schengen VISA (for the destination) and Irish VISA (when returning) are required. On two occasions, I applied for a Schengen VISA to join a training at our corporate headquarters in Germany. The first time, I got denied since my Irish VISA was expiring in less than 3 months. The second time, I got approved but I had to cut-short my trip to the Philippines because I needed to submit my Philippine passport to the German Embassy. I remembered when Joey and I first travelled to mainland Europe. Our travel dates were still in April (that was 2012), yet we booked the flights as early as December of the previous year, renewed the Irish VISA in January, and processed the Schengen VISA in February. Imagine that! Almost 5 months of preparation for a mere 5 days of travel. We did the same process for our travel to Italy last April 2014. Our Irish VISA was renewed every January, so technically, we could not travel between October to December. It would seem easier to travel to the United States since you have more flexibility on your travel dates and destination. We applied for tourist visa and the US Embassy gave us 10 years' validity up to 2018. Know where you can travel. I came across this Project Visa website which lists the VISA requirements of most of the countries. Check whether you need pre-approved VISA or you're eligible for VISA on arrival. When travelling with Philippine passport, most of the countries in the South East Asian Region are "Visa on Arrival" countries. Be sure to contact the embassy of your destination to ensure you have the latest information.
Spread the map and do the math!
We have a world map pinned in a wall of our house! And I'm not joking :) It just gives us a better view of which cities or countries we want to visit. When you're sorted which city/country you want to go to, do a quick research on that destination. What are the surrounding cities? Is train travel feasible, or an overnight cruise an option?
I use Travel Math to check the distance between two cities. In this case, if your main destination is Bratislava in Slovakia, you can actually plan to visit Vienna in Austria too since it is only just 56km away.
Are you insured?
Before you start buying air tickets, booking accommodations etc., make sure you have a travel insurance. Like any other insurance, when you don't need it, it's OK. But when you need it, you will be more than happy that you have it! Trust me, been there, done that! Our flight from Venice was cancelled due to airport employees strike. So, we were forced to stay another night in Venice (an expensive city to stay!) and made alternate travel arrangements. Luckily, our travel insurance covered our costs. Shop the website for the right coverage for your travel. There are insurance plans that cover both health and travel such as cancelled flights, loss of luggage or personal effects.
Airfare is the game changer.
When it comes to flights, I like Skyscanner because it has the "Multi-City" feature which enables you to depart and return from another city. Ebookers and Expedia started to have this feature as well. It is one way to get the most of your trip. In our first trip to Italy, we arrived in Rome, then travelled by train to Pisa, then onwards to Milan. We flew back from Milan. In our second trip, we flew to Rome and flew back from Venice, breaking our trips into different cities in between: Rome, Verona, Padua, Trieste, and Venice. We also did Paris & Brussels in one trip.
Play around with the flight combinations. Before booking, check the airlines' website so you can compare if you're getting a better deal or not. I notice that it is cheapest to book flights on a Monday; it's probably the day when they have refreshed their system.
I've read on some websites that it is recommended to always search for flights in a private browsing mode or 'incognito' to see the lowest price. Some search engines or airline booking sites have their own "tracker" to monitor the number of searches for specific route. Using the concept of law of supply and demand, when the demand is high, flight fares may increase as the number of clicks and searches increase. I do not have concrete facts to prove it, but there is no harm trying it. In Google Chrome or Safari, incognito is activated by pressing 'Control + Shift + N'. For Internet Explorer, press, 'Control + Shift = P'. The Nook: Splurgy or Ha'penny? When looking for accommodation, it's CDS for me - Clean, Decent and Safe. Occasionally, it's nice to go to 5-star hotels and pay for the experience. But if you're travelling on a budget, who cares? If you can have a good night sleep, it's all that matters. You can always re-visit the fancy-starred hotel on one evening, buy a drink or two and still get the experience. We already tried different accommodations: we stayed in a hostel in Sintra, had a self-catering apartment in Madrid and rented a private flat in Rome. We move around whenever possible, depending on what we want to see and do. When exploring Toledo, we chose a hotel closer to the coach station; then, we transferred to another hotel near the city centre to enjoy the night life.
And oh, I also use Tripadvisor to see actual photos of the hotel and Google Map to view its surroundings. I don't usually go for "Flight + Hotel" deals because I find the hotel choices limited. Also, I find it more expensive. In all our trips, I had always booked flights and hotels separately.
Know your way around.
For train travels, I always book in advance because European Trains mostly offer good deals for advance booking. When lucky, you can get a high-speed train from Paris to Brussels for less than Euro 20. For within the city travels, do you need to use the bus, subway/tubes/metro? Major cities usually have tourist travel cards that you can put money on and then use on any public transport. In London, Oyster is not just an appetizer, it is also a transport card. For Lisbon, it has Siete Colinas & Viva Viagem cards while ACTV card is used in Venice. You can buy them online and have them delivered to your hotel; or a better option is to buy them at the airport arrival hall so you can use them immediately. This is more convenient compared to shelling out coins or queuing at the ticket machines every time you board.
Love the experience!
There are many ways to enjoy your travel destination. Just be resourceful and always on the lookout!
Satisfy your palate.
Skip astronomically-priced boulangeries. Enjoy food/cuisine where locals go. A bread in Paris is still French even if it's baked by a mom & pop or an artisan shop. It's as authentic as you can get. Dine alfresco and enjoy the scenery. Here in Europe, buying takeaway food and eating it while sitting in a park is perfectly normal. Know the staple of the destination you're visiting and immerse yourself. Here are just some of what we have tried:
Finally, blend with the locals.
Understand the etiquette, know the Do's & Don'ts. Keep an open mind and surely you will have an awesome holiday! |
WANDER
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Dates
October 2018
About MeI am a software engineer based in Ireland; a qualified accountant who made a 360-degree career shift to Information Technology during the Y2K era. Joey (my husband) and I have big appetites for travelling, learning new cultures, and a passion for experiencing varied cuisines. Follow us as we chronicle life's little perks! |