Visit to the Valley of Fire in Nevada, USA

It was again a memorable and wonderful trip I had in the United States lately. There  are a lot of places that I visited during my second visit and one of it  is the Valley of Fire State Park. I felt honored to visit the first  State  Park  in Nevada, USA.  It was not a good weather when we went there because was still hot in Nevada that time but still I enjoyed our visit. The   rock formations are  truly  amazing in this park.

Thanks a lot sistah and hubby for bringing me there. I miss you guys and  hope to see you next time again.

It covers an area of almost 42,000 acres (17,000 ha) and was dedicated in 1935. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays.

 

Valley of  Fire State Park  in Nevada, USA. I had the chance to visit there last September 2012.

Sightseeing in Stanford, California

First of all,  I would like to thank the lovely ladies from California especially Brianna and  Ate Mary  for  touring us in San Francisco and other places in this area.  Despite of your busy schedules, you still managed to tour us around. I truly appreciate everything. I would say, I truly had wonderful moments with you all.

One of the places we visited in California was Stanford.  Our lovely tour guide brought us to the famous Stanford University.  Inside the university campus, one of the buildings we visited was the Memorial Church. I love the architecture  of this church especially its interior.

Some images I took from the Memorial Church are found below. 

The facade of the  Stanford Memorial Church.

The interior of the Memorial Church in Stanford University.

 Stanford Memorial Church stands at the center of the campus, and is the University’s architectural crown jewel. It was one of the earliest, and is still among the most prominent, interdenominational churches in the West. Jane Stanford built the church as a memorial to her husband, Leland. Together, Senator and Mrs. Stanford had constructed the University as a memorial to their son, Leland, Jr...http://www.stanford.edu

Travel Snapshots from San Francisco, California

Hey peeps! How are things going on? I don't have many things to say now. First, I am still not feeling well but feeling very better compared to yesterday. Thanks to sister  nurse for the medication. I would  only love to  share some snapshots I took from San Francisco, California. I love that city and wish to go back there again in the future.

At the Union Square in San Francisco.

At the Fisherman's Wharf! I love the seafood in this area.

view from the Port of San Francisco. Thanks to Brianna for suggesting to us to ride the ferry. It was a wonderful experience!

I Love Insel Mainau in Germany

I finally visited Insel Mainau (Mainau Island). This island is famous for its gardens with  lovely flowers of all kinds. It is known as the Blumeninsel of Flower Island. It is an island in Bodensee or Lake Constance. Since I am a number one fan of flowers, I truly fall in love with this place. It made me crazy for a bit seeing all those beauty of nature in the whole island thru the different flowers and trees. Simply amazing!

I told hubby that  it is fine for me to live in this place. I find it a paradise. The long bus ride that we had that time was fully paid-off.  The weather was also perfect. I was quite hot  during our visit  that you need to drink a lot of water when you walk around the island to avoid dehydration.

I love all the flowers  on this island. Insel Mainau is a paradise for me. I love it there.

This Nude Woman Statue in front of Birmingham's Council House

It is almost four years now since I visited England. One of the cities showed to me by a friend was Birmingham. I guess I see almost all of the sights in this city. Thanks to a good friend who toured me there.

What caught my attention during our visit in Victoria Square was this nude woman sculpture. It is actually located in front of Birmingham's Council House. This garganuan nude woman is located on the the top pool of the fountain. This sculpture was made by Dhruva Mistry RA in 1993 and is made of bronze.

The nude woman statue called as the River in front of the Council House in Birmingham. I had the chance to visit this city last autumn 2008.

Passau, A European City

Passau, Passau! I am trying to remember how many times did I already visited this city. I got it now! I was there for the fourth time last summer 2010. I also had the chance to always pass this city for a lot of times. Passau is truly a European city and I always  love visiting  it.

It is famous for the name,  "The Three River City" or known as  "Dreiflüssestadt" because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. What I love most in this city is its  Cathedral known as  the St. Stephen's Dom. I love its architecture especially its interior.

Just sharing these snapshots I took   during my last visit in August 2010.

I wish everyone a great month of August 2012! Cheers!

The interior of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau.

The tower of the Rathaus or City Hall of Passau.

Europastadt Passau which means Europe City Passau.

 

I Miss The Sunset in South Cebu

This is one thing I miss when I am home in the Philippines. The beautiful sunset that I can watch from our terrace is truly a spectacular scene for me. Its beautiful setting over the horizon with its colorful rays that touch the blue sea is truly amazing! I feel like looking in a kaleidoscope when I a see a colorful pattern of the sunrays that goes down the horizon. Truly a phenomenon!

I hope to go home soon once again to  unwind, relax, recharge  and simply feel at home! There is really no place like home! Agree with me folks? Have a nice day!

The spectacular view from our home in Cebu City. I truly miss this phenomenon!

The Beautiful Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona!! One of the cities that I longed to visit in Spain. I was finally there! There are a lot of wonderful sights in this city and Park Güell is one of it.It is one of the beautiful parks I visited in Europe. After our first stop which is the Sagrada Familia, we proceeded to this lovely park of Barcelona.

Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is now listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and was built from 1900 to 1914.

The so-called Terrace at Park Güell. From there you can  have a  nice view of the city.

view of Barcelona from the terrace of Park Güell. You can  also see the  two buildings at the entrance of this park. These photos were taken during our recent visit last July 14, 2012.

The large cross at the Park's high-point offers the most complete view of Barcelona and the bay. It is possible to view the main city in panorama, with the Sagrada Família and the Montjuïc area visible at a distance.

The park supports a wide variety of wildlife, notably several of the non-native species of parrot found in the Barcelona area. Other birds can be seen from the park, with records including Short-toed eagle. The park also supports a population of Hummingbird hawk moths.

The Monument of Diego Velazquez in front of Prado Museum in Madrid

It is a nice experience visiting one of the finest museums in the world. During my three weeks stay in Madrid, Spain last March 2012, I had the chance to go inside its famous museum, the Prado Museum.

The statue of Spain's famous painter, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázque is found in front of the Prado Museum. He was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist.

A closer shot of Velazquez during our visit to the Prado museum last March 2012. I finally had the chance to go inside the museum. Sad to say  taking pictures inside is forbidden.

Birth name:  Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez
Born:  June 6, 1599
Seville, Spain
Died:  August 6, 1660 (aged 61)
Madrid, Spain
Nationality:  Spanish
Field:  Painting
Movement:  Baroque
Works:  Las Meninas, 1656
Rokeby Venus, 1644–1648
The Surrender of Breda, 1634–1635

The Monument of  Diego Velazquez in front of Prado Museum.

This Cool Classic Oldtimer Car in Neumarkt

I wish to drive this cool classic Oldtimer car but sorry, it is only good for your eyes! It was a very interesting event seeing a lot of classic cars during the Oldtimertreffen in Neumarkt in Upper Palatinate part of Bavaria, Germany. That was already the third time that I witnessed such event.

Here  is one of the cars that I love during that gathering of Oldtimers.

The 1910 Buick Model 10 Runabout  at the Oldtimertreffen in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Bavaria last June 24, 2012.

View of Big Ben and the Parliament from London Eye Capsule

This is not really a good shot. What can you do with an ordinary point and shoot camera. My other canon camera did not work that time. The lens won't open anymore but now I already had it fixed and it work again. This photo doesn't really matter to me. The mos important thing is, I have some photo memories during my trip to London last 2008.

I was alone riding  London Eye that afternoon. It was raining hard and really very cold because it was autumn time in England. It was a sort of an adventure for me going alone sometimes in London. Experiencing London Eye was a great one feeling especially when you are on the very top and have a  breathtaking view of the whole city. It was simply amazing!

The Big Ben and the Parliament when I was inside the capsule of London Eye.

This Floating Chinese Restaurant in Amsterdam

We just saw this floating Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam when a had a canal cruise  in this city. It is actually called the Sea Palace. This pagoda-style restaurant is located near the center of Amsterdam near the Central Station.

We don't have the chance to go inside and taste their food. Our friend who lives in Holland brought us to another Asian restaurant and we did not regret going inside  because the food and the ambiance were  good. I can't exactly remember the name of that restaurant.

I read some  reviews online about Sea Palace. Others had bad experiences and some had  nice ones. I might try it in my next visit to this city.

The Sea Palace in Amsterdam during our canal cruise last August 2010.

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey

Travel photos and memories! These are all the things I always have after I travel. Last September 2011, we had the chance to visit Turkey for 10 days. We might not be able to see everything in this country but at least we visited some of its famous sights. One of it was Ephesus, Turkey.

It was a sunny hot afternoon as our tour guide toured us around this famous ruin if Ephesus. Thanks to our tour guide's information when he told us that Ephesus was once a Greek city. It became later a major Roman City.

Ephesus is located in Selcuk in the Izmir province of Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era.

One of the interesting ruins we saw there was the Library of Celsus. It was built in honor of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus. It was completed in 135 AD by Celsus’ son, Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD).

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey during our vacation  last September 2011.

Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, Spain

I am trying to think how many times did I passed-by in this beautiful square in Madrid. The City Hall of Madrid, located in Plaza de Cibeles is a famous square in the city of Madrid, Spain. It is a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol in Spain's capital city.

There is a fountain located in this square, the fountain of Cibeles. It was named after Cybele (or Ceres), Roman goddess of fertility and is seen as one of Madrid's most important symbols. The Cibeles fountain depicts the goddess, sitting on a chariot pulled by two lions.  If you have good eyes, you can see the fountain at the left side of my image below.

The Cibeles Palace or City Hall of Madrid during my 3 weeks trip to this city last March 2012.

My Second Visit in Prague, Czech Republic

Last summer 2011 was my second visit to Czech Republic's capital city. My first visit was last September 2009.  Prague is around 3 hours drive from where we live in Bavaria, Germany.

I was invited by a friend to accompany her mother-in-law who was having a vacation that time in Europe. Some of her family members also went us. I was happy after hearing it and did not hesitated to show them Prague City. I was still quite familiar with Prague's vicinity especially the main sights to see. We have  seen most of the famous landmarks including the Old Town with Tyn Church, the astronomical clock at the Old Town Hall, Charles bridge, the Prague castle and more.

Our sightseeing tour ended with a dinner in  one of the restaurants in Prague. Thanks to my fiend's husband who was very eager to drive us to  this city.

One of the bridge towers of  the Charles Bridge during  my second visit last July 2011.

The Tyn Church with its two towers on the  right side and the Old Town Hall with its astronomical clock on the left-middle  side.

Hello Tulips!

Spring time is here! I am glad to see again the blooms of tulip flowers in our garden. Since it did rained today in our area, you can see that the tulip I have below is wet. I love especially the color of this flower. This is one of my favorite colors. I love violet color and its shades and I love tulips too! Hope you had a nice weekend.

the wet tulip flower from our garden! It is finally spring time!

Short Stop at Garmish-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany

My first visit to this town was in August 2004. I cannot forget that day because it was my birthday when we had a 4-days trip in this area. My second visit was last year in September where we had a short stop-over there. I love Garmisch-Partenkirchen because of its setting. The nature in this town including the mountains, hills and valleys, rivers, lakes nearby and the forest and woodlands are just so magnificent.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a famous mountain resort town in Bavaria in the southern part of Germany. The highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze (2961 m or 9714 ft.) is located nearby. This town was also the site of the Winter Olympic Games in 1936. It is also a famous holiday spot for skiing, snowboarding, and hiking, having some of the best skiing areas in Germany like Garmisch Classic and Zugspitze.

The tower of the Church in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The buildings are shops and stores in this town. WE were there last September 2011.

Visit to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome

This is the dream-to-visit of many like I do! I guess I am one of those lucky ones who was able to visit the center of Catholicism, the Vatican City state. It was one of the most memorable trips I had last 2010.

The highlight of our visit to Vatican City was when we went up to the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica. As far as I can remember, it was quite a long line going there but with our patience and eagerness to climb to the top of the dome, we did succeeded in doing it. If you are on top of the dome, you can have a breath-taking view of Rome. Be careful if you want to go up there. If you are Claustrophobia or fear of having no escape and being closed in and Acrophobia, the fear of heights, going up to the Basilica's dome might not be suitable for you. You also need to climb around 320 steps to reach the cupola. I am not quite sure if there is an elevator that goes directly to it.

The interior of St. Peter's Basilica by Giovanni Paolo Pannini. I had the chance to be there last summer 2010.

St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica and the Obelisk in the background. I am very happy and contented to be there.

The Telefonica Building in Madrid, Spain

I always see this skycraper especially when I am on the terrace of the apartment I am staying in Sol, Madrid, Spain. It looks great during the night especially when it is lighted. The Telefonica building is located in Gran Via 28 and it was was designed by Ignacio de Cárdenas. It became the first skyscraper in Europe.

The Telefonica building in Madrid, Spain. I am loving my stay in Madrid.

I Miss Walking in Bavaria

As the saying goes, "There is no place like home!" and I believed in it. Philippines is always my homeland but I found my second home in Germany. I miss walking in my second home after I found out that we are also having a very nice weather in Bavaria, Germany today. One of my friends in facebook told me that they have 20 degrees Celsius temperature. I feel like flying back home soon!

Here are some images during one of those sunny winter days in Bavaria, Germany!

taken last January 2012..what a lovely sunny winter day it was!

I love the surroundings with all the nature around in my second home in Bavaria!