Luggage is Finally Packed

I am ready to go. In less than 24 hours,  my first travel for this year will start.  I am finally done packing my luggage. I am quite tired now after doing some things at home but I know later, I will be fine. I am quite excited now and I hope, I did not forget anything. I already have all my travel gadgets  especially my digital cameras.  As usual, I bought 3 cameras again. Oh well, I  just want to make  it  sure that I have enough space to save my photos. If one camera is broken, I still have another ones.

A church  in Florence, Italy during my first visit in Autumn 2013.

This time, I am heading again to Italy and San  Marino. We will be visiting some places there. It was really a very cheap travel, the reason why I also book it. Besides, there are places  I wanted to visit again especially Venice and Florence. It will be  an 8 days trip and mostly everything  is included from accommodation, transportation, meals  (breakfast and dinner) and visit to different places. For only 298.00 Euros, I find it really very cheap. I guess, this is only enough for a return plane ticket  to Venice  or Florence, starting from Germany.

I need to wake-up very early tomorrow to go to the pick-up  area in Regensburg. I am quite excited to see new places like Assisi, Perugia, Santarcangelo di Romagna, Bologna,  Ancona and San  Marino. This will be my second time in Florence and many times in Venice.

I will just surprised myself what travel experiences awaits for me in these 8 days trip. Keep us safe and sound in this travel my Lord! Amen!

Ready for my Christmas Market Trip to Domazlice, Czech Republic

Hello December! Wow, it seems like yesterday when it was November. Time truly flies by so fast now. Holiday season is  starting on the  air right now. I can already feel its breeze!   The best time of the year is inevitable now. Some more weeks and it will be Christmas  day! I hope you are  considering  Christmas everyday!

Christmas Decors  sold on Christmas Markets in Germany.

Today seems to be a busy day for me. I was doing some offline  tasks including cooking, cleaning and  folding the clean laundry. I also prepared the stuffs I need for  my  trip to Czech  Republic. I have been to this country many times but this will be my first Christmas Market trip  there visiting  Domazlice.

Christmas season is one of the  best time to visit Europe. Christmas markets are  everywhere.  This is one thing I love in this continent.

Domazlice is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. According to history, it was first recorded as a town in 1231.  This is quite a historic town and I hope I can experience interesting sights when we will visit it tomorrow.

My cameras are ready now, batteries are fully charged, snacks and drinks are already in my backpack..what else?  I need to wear good winter clothes tomorrow since I heard over the news that the temperature might drop to sub-zero.

I believed  everything is packed now. Anyway, I will be traveling with a Japanese friend this time. I am quite excited! See you soon Domazlice, Czech Republic!

The City Hall of Gyor, Hungary

It is almost two years now since I visited Hungary.  I and a friend went there with a group of German tourist from Germany. One of the places we visited is Gyor, written in Hungarian as Győr.

The City Hall of Gyor, Hungary. Taken during our visit last August 2013.

The City Hall of Gyor is a beautiful Neoclassical building across the street from the railway station. Its square was recently rebuilt in September 2008 with paving stones of Italian marble. There are also two identical baroque gardens in the square. It is best to visit City Hall at night, when everything is lit up in gold lights. 

This city is actually not included in our tour. I am glad that our hotel is  located  near  the City  Hall. It might not be the best hotel but with that cheap trip we booked in Hungary, I don't want to complain anymore.  Besides  I had an enjoyable trip with my friend Jean  to those places. It was indeed a very memorable trip!

Trip to 3 European Countries is Over

How's everyone doing? I hope you are all doing great! It seems that I was away here for some weeks. I am  back because my recent trip is finally over! That was so far another wonderful trip in Europe.  We visited three countries including France, Andorra  and  Spain.

A street in Andorra la Vella, the capital city of Andorra. taken last July 7, 2013.

I still feel until now I am still having a so-called buslag (not jetlag since we did not take the plane for that trip). It was a bus trip and so far was truly a memorable one. We visited  many places in these  3 countries. I gathered again so many experiences, met nice persons, learned about the  countries'  people, culture, traditions and historical facts.

The Shrine in Lourdes during my recent travel last July 8, 2013.

Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes said to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous. At that time, the most prominent feature of the town was the fortified castle that rises up from a rocky escarpment at its centre.

I have so many things to share but sometimes time is just not enough. Besides with the many offline jobs that are also waiting to be done
, my time is just not enough to go more often online.

I wish to share some of many of my experiences from my recent trip in Andorra, Spain and France. These are so far wonderful countries to visit in Europe with many things to offer to its guests and visitors.

Just enjoy watching the  snapshots I took from this travel. Have a nice day!

The Bays in Croatia

It seems like yesterday when I had a trip to Croatia. I just looked at the calendar the exact date when I was there. After 2 hours of sightseeing in Maribor, Slovenia, our bus drove to our hotel in Tuhelj, Croatia. We arrived at around 8:00 PM there. We did an overnight in Terme Tuhelj, a wellness center and hotel in this place of the same name. Our tour guide said that it is the largest Sauna World in Croatia. This wellness hotel offers SPAeVITA care and beauty centre where the guests can enjoy various group air whirling programmes, thermal mud, honey or salt treatments, wide range of massages and facial and body treatments.

Some of the places located along the bay in Croatia  during our road trip with the bus from  Biograd na Moru j to Dubrovnik, Croatia. last April 1 2, 2013.

During that 9-day trip in Southeast Europe, also called as the Balkan Peninsula, we were able to visit 5 countries. Included are Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia.

That was quite a tiring trip with the bus everyday but if you see places like the bays in Croatia, your tiresome will surely be compensated.

Overall, I can say that I gained a lot of unforgettable memories during that trip. The lovely places I seen  from those 5 countries will always remain in my memory. Thanks to the digital cameras we have now  where   we can always turn back the past by simply looking at the travel photos.

A lovely town we passed-by during our trip to Croatia last April 2013.

 Some of the places we visited in Croatia  were Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Biograd na Moru, Tuhelj, the National park in Krka and Rastoke in Slunj.

These are only some of the snapshots I took from Croatia. I wish to know the exact location of  these photos.  This is the reason why I ordered a camera with GPS so that I know the exact location where a certain picture is located.

My Sunglass is Broken

I felt so sad when I broke my Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses during our cruise trip recently. After our ship docked in Oslo, we decided to take the sightseeing buses there. As I went on the top deck of the bus, I hit my head on the roof in front part of the bus. That time, my sunglasses was on my head and bang!!.. there was a crack on it. I ended up borrowing the reading glasses of my friend to serve as a headband. I hope I can still fix the crack of my dolce and gabbana sunglasses. It is a quite expensive one and I would be happy if it will be fixed soon.

Souvenirs from Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Vaduz is not really a big city  since Liechtenstein is also a small  country. Vaduz is the capital of the principality of Liechtenstein and the seat of the national parliament. I had a short sightseeing there last month. One of things I did was buying souvenirs. Since most of the souvenirs are expensive, I only ended up buying  some postcards, a shot glasses and fridge magnet.  Imagine a postcard cost 1.00 euro..huhu! That was really expensive.  I spend a total of 25.00 euros only for souvenirs.

I am happy that finally I visited Liechtenstein and its capital city.

Souvenirs from Vaduz during my trip last March 2013.

I guess  I only bought 3 postcards from this city. That was quite expensive. lol!

Luggage Is Done for a Trip to Ireland

Yes, you read it right! I am travelling again. I am finally done packing my luggage! This time I am heading to Ireland. This is the 4th country I am visiting this month. I am quite excited seeing for the first time.

Hubby said that I am like a bird who  always flies anytime  anywhere looking for a place to land. I told him, it is better that way than wasting money on vices like smoking and drinking alcohol.  Our  topic came to that because we know and observe  a lot of people who are just wasting their money on such vices.  Imagine if you smoke 1 to 2 packs a day. That is already around $12.00.  If you tally it in a month that  is already a big amount of money. Instead of doing such vices, I told hubby that it is better that I spend my money on trips.  I will not only  experience a lot of places but will also have the knowledge about the people, its culture, its history  and  the place itself.

It is a long day for me today.  I have to finish some offline jobs like doing the laundry, cooking, a bit cleaning, washing the dishes and more. I don't have much time blogging  and updating my blogs. Hopefully when I have the chance to go online anytime during the duration of my 7-days trip to Ireland, I will surely give you some updates.

For now, I am just quite tired and sleepy. Guide me Lord and give me a safe and sound trip to Ireland and back home.

Talk to you soon and have a lovely week ahead!

See You Soon Ireland!

I am a dreamer! Yes, I am! I always dream of travelling to many  places and yes, it  is slowly coming true. I dream of visiting Ireland long  time ago. Nineteen days more to go  and that dream of going to Ireland will be a reality.  To dream is one of the free things we can have in life. But if you work hard for your dream, they will surely come true. I already  dreamed for  more than  a thousand times and hundreds  of them already came true.

It will be a 7-day trip  to Ireland  next month. It is a group trip and quite an adventure for me because I am traveling alone with strange people. Flight, hotel, sightseeing tours and breakfast and dinner are included in that 7-day trip. Not that much because it only costs 499,00 Euros. Now I believed, "Travel is the only thing you buy that can make you rich". I  don't know who wrote  this quote but for now, this is one of  the  quotes  that will  inspire me  to travel more.....and more.

Travel images and experiences will be shared soon! Have a great day everyone!

I Was in Vatican City

I want to visit Vatican City again to witness the Pope Benedict XVI's last audience. After the Pope resigned on his position as the Head of the Catholic Church last week, I was saddened by the news  but I respect his decision.

I was in Rome with a friend last summer  2010. We also visited Vatican City and went inside the St. Peter's cathedral. In fact, we also climbed the dome of the cathedral. From there, you will have a great view of the city of  Rome and its surroundings. That was one of the highlights during my travels in 2010. I hope I can visit it again.

St. Peter's Cathedral during our visit last August 2010.

Remembering Madrid, Spain's Capital City

I had a quick exchange of messages from a friend  in Madrid this afternoon. She was asking me when I am going back to Madrid. I replied when I have a budget, I will immediately go back there.  I love Madrid and so far visiting Spain's capital city is history for me. You know why? this is the only capital city in Europe where I stayed for  three weeks and where I explored most of its corners. It was a long story why it happened.

Here are some images I took during my trip to Madrid almost a year ago. I believed one day, I will be visiting it again.

View of Alcala Street and Gran Via Street. This is where I walk many times in going around the city.

Street sign in Gran Via Street. I was there!

A Day Trip in Montserrat, Spain

It was so far a nice trip seeing of the famous sighs in Spain. I was invited by some friends to go with a group  trip  going to Spain. It was  bus trip and was quite  tiresome due to the very long travel time. Since I was soy eager to visit Barcelona last summer 2012, I  ended up saying yes to friends.

It was already my third visit in this country but my first time in Barcelona. That 4-day trip was fun and terrific. One of the sidetrips we made was visiting Montserrat. From our hotel in Callela, it took us over one hour to reach Montserrat.

This multi-peaked mountain located near Barcelona, Spain is truly a must to see when you are in this city. It is well known as the site of the Benedictine abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat, which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat sanctuary and which is identified by some  with the location of the Holy Grail in Arthurian myth.

We also had the chance to go inside the Basilica.

The Abbey of Montserrat during our visit last July 2012.

Visiting Leeds, England

It's  always nice to reminisce  one of the interesting cities I visited in England.  I  am  grateful and will always  thank my good friend and  "kababayan" (a  Filipino word that can be translated as compatriots) named Ros or Arot for touring me in this city. It was in  autumn or fall 2008 when I  had the chance to visit England for 3 weeks. One of the cities  I visited was Leeds.

I  did not made it to witness the Christmas market in Leeds but I was in the area where it is held every year.  It was still did not opened when I was there.  Like any other Christmas markets in the UK, it is also a traditional German Christmas Market.  It is  saying, "A little piece of Germany in the heart of  Leeds City Center". At least,  I did experienced  the illuminated  lights on the streets  and the colourful Christmas  trees inside the famous Victoria Quarter and other shops in this city. The  festive atmosphere  of the coming holiday season can already  be  felt  at the month  of November.

The Millennium Square in Leeds, where the Christmas market is held each year.

The Christmas market market consists of over 40 wooden chalet stalls from authentic German traders providing a wide range of seasonal gift ideas for everyone including; handcrafted toys, jewellery, Christmas cards and festive decorations, speciality foods and traditional German delicacies such as gluhwein, bratwurst sausages and many more.

The illuminated  and  fully decorated  streets in Leeds when I visited it  last November 2008. Despite of the rainy weather, you can still see a lot of people on the street.

Let's go back to Madrid, Spain

I had a conversation with a friend today about traveling in Europe. She was asking me if I want to go back to Madrid..I simply answered, yes of course but it is not my priority at the moment because I already visited  that city twice. I stayed three weeks there  during  my second visit.

I still want to go back to Madrid and experience it again. Only time could tell when?  I met some good friends in this city and I want to see them again. It was such wonderful and enjoyable moments I spent with these lovely people. I am saying hello  and also sending my warm regards to them.

Of all the cities I visited in Europe,  it is only in Madrid that I  explored most. What  can you do when you stayed there for three weeks but to keep on exploring it everyday. I also had some sidetrips to the nearby cities like Avila, Guadalajara, Alcala de Henares, El Escorial, Aranjuez and Segovia.  I simply love Madrid and Spain as a whole!

Puerta del Sol during my  second visit last March 2012. You can see the Bear and the Madroño Tree, heraldic symbol of Madrid on the left side of this photo.

Ideas for a holiday in Crete

Lonely azure bays, remote mountain villages, modern hectic coastal villages, old cultures, bubbling life - that's what Crete is all about. The largest Greek island has a history dating back to Minoan times. Crete has a rare landscape and is therefore a wonderful world of its own - too big to explore on just one holiday visit. Here are a few ideas on places to visit to get you started on your Crete holidays…..

The capital Heraklion is a city where the ancient blends with the modern. On the one hand, the city has traditional buildings, monuments and churches from both the Eastern and Venetian culture, while on the other hand it is a lively tourist hot spot which has several hotels, restaurants and beaches. Visit this capital to get a feel for the Cretan culture while in the comfort of the typical tourist attractions. Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. You can take ferries from here to destinations including Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes and mainland Greece.

In Iraklion there are two museums to visit; the archaeological museum and the historical ethnographic museum. Another attraction worth a visit is the Palace of Knossos built by the Minoan civilization which is located a few miles from the centre.

In Rethymno the third largest city on the Island you can see the minaret and the mosque of Neratzes. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. A wine festival is held here annually at the beginning of July.

Chania, Crete.

Chania is a picturesque town that is home to several museums, such as the archaeological museum (which includes several collections of vases and sculptures) and the Naval Museum. Chania is the site of the Minoan settlement the Greeks called Kydonia. The city is divided in two parts: the old town and the larger modern city. The old town is situated next to the harbour and is the matrix around which the whole urban area was developed. The centre of the modern city is the area extending next to the old town and especially towards the south.

Crete is not just an island full of towns and beaches its vicinity is characterized by mountain ranges and vast expanses of orchards. An impressive natural spectacle is the splendid gorge of Samaria a UNESCO World Heritage and a national park. These gorges are located forty kilometres from the city of Chania, with a length of eighteen kilometres they are considered the longest in Europe. Strolling through the park you can also see different plant species and animals such as weasels, marmots and badgers.

Visit HolidayCheck for more information on Crete holidays and to start planning your vacation today.

Prague, Czech Republic for the Second Time

I remember a friend who mentioned that she wanted to visit Prague when she travels here in Europe. She actually fulfilled her dream visiting Europe but was quite saddened when she missed to visit Prague. I guess, she don't need to regret because we let her stepped on Czech Republic.

Dreaming to visit a lot of cities and countries in Europe is really great! But we have to consider our time and budget. Agree with me folks? I am happy visiting Prague for the second time. I was actually invited by a friend to guide her mother-in-law an husband during their trip in this city. It was honor for me showing beautiful cities in Europe.

Prague is Czech Republic's capital and for me it is a beautiful city to visit and experience. It is the one of the largest cities in Central Europe has served as the capital of the historic region of Bohemia for centuries.

There are a lot of sights to see there including the Old Town, the  Prague Castle, Charles Bridge,  the New Town, Lesser Town and many more.

One of the bridges in Prague. You can see Prague Castle from afar.

Prague State Opera House.

Cruising in Bosphorus, Istanbul

It is a beautiful sunny day today. I love this weather during fall season. It is quite cold outside but I don't have to worry because I am actually inside the house now.

It was over a year now when we had a 10-days trip in Turkey, the only country that can be found  both in Asia and Europe. One of the  places we visited  was its capital city, Istanbul. I can't believed that there are also a lot of interesting historical sights in this city.  To name a few are the  Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and many more.

For me the highlight of our trip in Istanbul was the short cruise we had in the Bosphorus or Bosporus. It is also called as the Istanbul Strait and form as the boundary of Asia and Europe.  There are a lot of sights you can when cruising in Bosphorus, from Mosque to historical buildings and houses and villas that are  lined-up along the strait.

I am quite contented with that trip we had in Turkey last September 2011.

A mosque  along the side of Bosphorus during our cruise last 2001.

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.

The Seville Cathedral in Seville, Andalusia

One of the cities we visited in the region of Andalusia in Spain was Seville. I love this city although we did not really explored all of the sights there. A day sightseeing is not enough to see everything especially when visiting a big city like Seville. This city is the lovely capital of Andalusia region.

One of the sights we visited was the Seville Cathedral. Our tour inside was already included in our 7-day trip to Spain. It is known as the Cathedral of St. Mary of the See or Catedral de Santa María de la Sede in Spanish. It claimed to be the third largest church in the world and the largest Gothic Cathedral as well.

It was a great feeling for me seeing wondrous and historical architecture like this. I was truly amazed by this building.

The interior of the Seville Cathedral in Andalusia, Spain. It was truly a great experience visiting this city especially going inside this magnificent building. Truly amazing!

The Door of the Prince.

These images were taken during our 7-day trip to Spain last December 2011.

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.