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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Visit to the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, France

I had the chance to visit one of the beautiful Christmas market in Europe last December 2010. The market in Strasbourg, the capital of the Alsace region in France is also a worth to visit. This city is just located near the border of Germany.

The main Christmas market is located near the Strasbourg Cathedral but there are other areas in the city center where you can also find little markets. I guess the pictures I have below will explain a bit about the Christmas market in Strasbourg.

the market at the Cathedral square in Strasbourg.

some stalls at the market.

Halloween Celebration

Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of All Hallows' Eve) is an annual holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night preceding All Hallows Day. Much like Day of the Dead celebrations, the holiday has ancient origins tied to seasonal change, harvest time, and festivals honoring the dead. Typical Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

Halloween images from Franskentein Castle.

the witches in Franskentein Castle...we had an enjoyable Halloween in this castle located in Darmstadt, Germany.

Blue Sky and the Inspiring Words

"Today, don't think of saying any unkind word, think of the people who can't speak.
Don't complain about the food you eat, some have nothing.
Don't complain about life, many die young.
When you're tired of your job, think of the jobless, the disabled and those who wish they had yours.
When sad thoughts seem to put you down, paint a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around.
Life is a gift.
Live it well."

tulips from our garden from spring 2010.

Beautiful Lilies in our Garden

We did some changes in our garden since April. I believed it looks better now than before. It is still not done and I hope before summer ends, everything will already be in order. I have a lot of kinds of flowers in our garden. One of it are the lilies. Some are dying now but still few are left. This afternoon I made some photos again but still did not uploaded it yet. I wish to share more images once I am done uploading.

I love gardening and simply love flowers! this was taken last year from our garden.

Was in Bellagio Las Vegas

I had been to some places in Italy but never been to the municipality of Bellagio. But I am very happy because I had the chance to visit Bellagio in Las Vegas. It is a luxury hotel in Las Vegas Strip, Paradise in Nevada. I love especially watching the Water Dancing Show here, also known as the Fountains of Bellagio.

I am happy to know that Bellagio Las Vegas was inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy. Here is Bellagio Las Vegas during my 2008 vacation there.

I love watching the Fountains of Bellagio!

I Love My Dolce & Gabbana from KaDeWe

I really did not plan to go shopping when I had a trip to Berlin last month. Since I had the chance to go around KeDeWe, one of the famous department store in Berlin, I ended up shopping. Actually they had a winter sale that time and most of their branded items are on sale. I had a good deal with a Dolce & Gabbana bag. I love the bag because it is perfect for a traveler like me. I can put all the stuffs that I need when traveling. It cost me a little fortune but I am happy and contented with it.

the famous KaDeWe in Berlin. It stands for Kaufhaus des Westens, called in English as "Department Store of the West". I was there!

Saying Goodbye to Winter

Good morning Europe! Good day everyone! We are having sunshine again. I guess spring is fast approaching. I noticed yesterday, while looking on our garden, that the tulips are slowly growing. I hope we can finally say goodbye to winter. I don't need it right now. I can't wait to see the flowers in our garden again. I am quite excited to go gardening soon. Thanks God for the very nice weather today!

I am saying goodbye to winter. No more snow please. Here is an image taken last December 2010. I also wish everyone a beautiful and wonderful month of March.

snow time last December 2010.. such a fairytale scene but I want to say goodbye to winter now. Take care folks. I'll see you later again. Off to a Fasching or carnival in a nearby city.

"You'll go forth a little stronger
With a fresh supply of grace,
If each day you meet the Saviour
In a secret quite place."

-Adams

The beautiful lilies in our garden. This was taken last summer of 2010. Such a lovely nature! I miss seeing the flowers in our garden.

Red Poppies and the Saying

"Lord, help me to be honest
In all I do and say,
And grant me grace and power
To live for you each day."

-Fitzhugh

red poppies in the neighborhood. I took this image as we went walking on the castle ruins in our place.

Beautiful Sunday!

I am just thankful that I had a very wonderful weekend. Last Saturday, I had the chance to visit again for the third time the famous Neuschwanstein castle of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Thanks to my friends for the invitation to go with them. Yesterday, I had a relaxing and nice day too. I had a walk with hubby in the winter wonderland. It was simply a beautiful Sunday. Thanks God for everything!

the tower of the Castle ruins in Hohenfels. It seems that the snow is slowly melting. I love the blue sky here. This was taken during our walk yesterday.

Sightseeing in Stuttgart, Germany

Stuttgart is the 6th largest city in Germany. It is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg. We had a sightseeing in this city last October 2010. Like any other big German cities, it is full of historical buildings, architecture and monuments that are worthy to see and experience.

striking a pose at the Schlossplatz or the castle square in Stuttgart, Germany. The buildings on the background is the Neues Schloss (the New Castle), completed in 1807. It has a Baroque/Classicism architecture ; reconstructed with modern interior. It currently houses government offices.

Wish I'm Home

I always believed in the saying, "There is no place like home". A lot of people had been asking me if I want to go back again in my home country in the future. I already found my second home here in Europe but I always believed, that one day, I will find my way back home.

How I just wish that I am home this time...even just to give comfort especially to a loveone. Sometimes it is just difficult to be away from your loveones but there are always ways where you can meet again....and again!

One of the beautiful scenes I miss from my home country. There is where I used to sit especially in the afternoon watching the beauty as the sun goes down....what a priceless view of nature and I truly miss it!

Life's Burden

"Be assured beyond all doubting,
In the trial you're passing through,
That the Lord's great love and mercy
Is at work for good in you."

-Anon.

I miss this sunset in the Philippines!

The Sunset and the Quote

"It was love that heard my pleadings
When I cried out in my sin;
It was love that gave me comfort;
It was love that took me in."

-Bonney

I miss this sunset in Cebu, Philippines.
This was taken near our house located near the beach. I love this place.