I hate goodbyes most especially if it's saying it to Paris 😞 but we were so lucky that our parting with Paris became bearable because of our flight back home! A Hello Kitty Eva Air plane from Paris to Taipei was what we needed to forget our #sepanx.
One of the things that I dreamt about before going to Paris was a romantic pictorial at the Eiffel Tower. Nothing beats a postnuptial pictorial in Paris, yes? The only problem is looking for an affordable photographer. That's a major problem especially if you have a tight budget. And because it's Paris nothing comes cheap so for awhile I thought that dream would just remain to be a dream... Until Camille and Julien came to the rescue.
When we looked for a place to stay in Paris our main priorities were comfort and location because this was the longest city we will be staying in. Thus the reason why we booked a hotel and not an Airbnb. I did search for a room in Airbnb but I wasn't able to see a listing that fancied me. I admit I was very careful in looking for a place as I didn't want to be a victim of booking a room that seemed nice on photos but terrible in person since Paris is quite famous for that reputation. So after carefully reviewing the hotels on booking.com we finally settled at Hotel Alize Grenelle.
The most memorable dinner we had in Europe was not at a high-end fine dining restaurant, it was also not along a romantic canal cruise nor on top of an overlooking restaurant but it was at quaint home-cooked restaurant called La Table de Genevieve.
French cuisine is one of the most respected and renowned cuisines in the world, after all Paris won't be named the Capital City of Food for nothing so even if French food is expensive in Paris, Mike and I saw ourselves eating at fine dining restaurants and enjoying extraordinary gastronomic experiences from day one until our final day.
'From the seat of power to a museum of the history of France'
The Palace of Versailles remains to be one of the most important landmarks in Paris. Versailles was a former French royal residence from the reign of King Louis XIV to King Louis XVI from 1682 to 1789. The royal family was forced to return to the capital after the beginning of the French Revolution. From the 19th century until today, Versailles became and still is an important museum of France.
An activity any traveller in Paris shouldn't miss is to go up the Eiffel Tower for that sweeping panoramic view of the city. It is also a bragging right when you are able to conquer your fear of heights.
The most iconic landmark in Paris. Eiffel Tower remains to be the most visited paid landmark in the world. Built by Engineer Gustave Eiffel, the wrought iron lattice tower was constructed from 1887-1889 for the 1889 World Fair. At first, Parisian didn't like it but eventually grew on loving it and now it is considered to be a global cultural icon of France.
Bonjour! As what my #lifepeg said, "Paris is always a good idea." Indeed, Audrey Hepburn was right! For more than two decades I had been day dreaming of visiting this place. I've read and watched numerous novels and movies about Paris while growing up and since then I've been enchanted about this city and vowed I'd visit it before I die. Finally, I was blessed to make that wish come true. Thanks to my husband for making it possible (Mike is indeed a keeper!) Paris was the last leg of our Europe Honeymoon, I definitely saved the best for last and allotted 5 full days in the city of lights and love with my mon amour.
Amsterdam is located north of Paris, the two cities are near each other the reason why many travelers visit these two cities consecutively. There are many ways to travel from Amsterdam to Paris or vise versa - via plane, train, bus, car or bike but they say the most convenient way is to travel by train. How I wish we had chosen this option because maybe we would not have experienced unnecessary drama we encountered on our worst day in Europe - all because of Flix Bus.
It was that time of the year when it was difficult to book a cheap accommodation in Amsterdam. A really big challenge to look for a place in Amsterdam because 1, we started looking a little late (less than a month) and 2, it was peak season (spring) to visit Amsterdam. So even if we wanted to book an Airbnb for a cheaper option, the available listings were very few and very expensive. So we settled for a hotel we saw on booking.com. It wasn't cheap at all but it was the best option we had during that time.
Tulips are BEAUTIFUL! These pretty flowers grow during spring and can only be found in certain areas around the world. When you think of tulips you'll instantly think of Holland. Keukenhof in Lisse is one of the most well-known flower gardens in the world. It is a popular destination to witness over 7 millions tulip bulbs in a 32 hectare land.
Another city that I was so excited to visit was Amsterdam. Hearing the stories from other travelers made me very curious about this place. Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city in the Netherlands. It is famous for its magnificent canals, one-of-a-kind museums, colorful tulip fields, and bicycle friendly roads, but not only that, I think you will all agree with me that Amsterdam is more famous for two very unique attractions - its vibrant Red Light District and Cannabis Coffeeshops.
We decided to book a hotel in Nice instead of an Airbnb because we weren't able to see an ideal Airbnb listing during the time we were looking (but checking the listing now, you'll find tons of options) plus we were already running out of time to search thoroughly. Nevertheless, our hotel in Nice didn't disappoint as we had a pleasant stay and the rate is very affordable. It was also a 'nice' break from the no frills Airbnb we stayed.
The French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) are towns that are located at the Mediterranean coastline at the Southern corner of France. Included here are Nice, State of Monaco, Cannes and Grasse. Nice was our main hub while we were at the French Riviera (Read: Things to do in Nice), we visited the State of Monaco on our first day (Read: Things to do in Monaco in a day) and on our second day we visited two neighboring towns: Cannes and Grasse.
The French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) are towns that are located at the Mediterranean coastline at the Southern corner of France. Included here are Nice, State of Monaco, Cannes and Grasse. Nice was our main hub while we were at the French Riviera (Read: Things to do in Nice France), we visited the State of Monaco on our first day (Read: Things to do in Monaco in a day) and on our second day we visited two neighboring towns: Cannes and Grasse.
Never have I thought that I was able to visit this mecca of the rich, the sovereign state that is Monaco. Monaco is a city-state, country in France and is part of the French Riviera. It is the second smallest country in the world (Vatican is the smallest) but despite it's area it remained to be one of the key attractions at the Cote d'Azur. It's well- known for the glitz and glamour, wealthy socialites, car races and casinos. I even thought normal travelers aren't allowed here not until I did a researcher prior to our trip.
NICE is NICE! Nice France has always been on my bucket list. I was mesmerized by the mediterranean coastline of Cote d'Azur or French Riviera that I've seen on photos and videos so I swore that when I visit France, this would be on top of my long list of places to see.
A visit to Rome would not be complete without a visit to the Vatican and a visit to the Vatican wouldn't be complete without seeing the Pope. And there's no better way to encounter the pope than to see him up close. Just what we experienced during our visit to the Vatican. Being a traveler means embracing and respecting all religions, that's why even if I'm not a Catholic, I still considered Vatican as an attraction for us to see.
ChaMike at the Colosseum Dungeon and Upper Level Tour.
My favorite movie of all time is Russell Crowe's Gladiator. I am a big fan that I even took up Communication in college so I could work in Hollywood to make Oscar Award winning pictures like that. Well, I didn't end up in Hollywood but I ended up as a TV producer and Mike's wife that made it possible for me to travel to my favorite movie locations like the Colosseum.
We encountered the best Airbnb apartment and host in Rome. For our last city in Italy, we decided to book at an Airbnb once again like our accommodations in Venice (Read: Da Vinci Canal and Garden View Airbnb in Venice) and Florence (Read: Fiesolana Rose Airbnb in Florence). Airbnb is cheaper as compared to hotels and you can look for a specific listing depending on your preference.
I've been wanting to visit Rome ever since I watched the classic film Roman Holiday and my all-time fave movie, Gladiator. Visiting all these historical landmarks I saw from various movies and read on history books made me appreciate Rome more. Rome is the capital of Italy, a city that has a perfect mixture of ancient & cosmopolitan making it an excellent place for tourists to visit. We spent 2 days in Rome 'doing what the Romans do.'
Decided to book at an Airbnb in Florence for two nights to save money just like what we did in Venice (Read: Da Vinci Canal and Garden View Airbnb Venice Italy). Airbnb apartments are relatively cheaper as compared to most hotels in Florence. There are so many different listings to choose from depending on your preference.
The city of the Renaissance, Florence is one of Europe's greatest art cities. From the art works displayed at the Uffizi Gallery and Galleria dell'Accademia to the exquisite architecture of Duomo and its neighboring houses of red brick roofs. Visiting this city would make you feel as if you've traveled back in time. Mike and I together with good friends, Neal and April, went on a 1 full day adventure in Florence - enjoying museums, climbing the Giotto Campanile, eating Italian cuisine and gelato, and shopping for genuine Italian leather plus Mike role playing as an assassin parkouring around the city.
In Italy, the best means of transportation when going from one city to another is via train -it's fast, reliable and can give you a scenic view around the cities. The most popular train company that operates around Italy is Trenitalia that runs both regional and high-speed routes. This was where we booked all our intercity routes around Italy - Venice to Florence, Florence to Pisa and Pisa to Rome.
Our Airbnb in Venice was as charming as its city. Opted to book at an Airbnb in our trip to the cities of Italy because accommodation prices in these areas are relatively higher especially if you book in a hotel. And because Airbnb offers local residences, we got to try how it was like to live like an Italiano.
Enchanting. This was the word that entered my mind when I first stepped on this beautiful quaint city. We instantly fell in love with Venice - the sight of the rustic buildings, the feel when you walk on cobblestone streets, the mouthwatering smell of pizza and pasta, the taste of an authentic Italian gelato and the sound of the paddling and singing gondolier along the romantic canals. The overall charm of the city made me feel I was in a dreamy movie. It was so magical!
Walk with Cham inside the Sleeper Train from Vienna to Venice
I've tried riding a sleeper train once during a family's trip from Beijing to Xi'an (Read: Sleeper Train from Beijing to Xi'an China) and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted Mike to experience it with me. So when we were looking for a train from Vienna to Venice we opted to get sleeper train tickets for that 11-hour travel.
Austria was the first country we visited in Europe and Vienna was our point of entry. It was a nice place to start our honeymoon since it is the capital and the largest city in Austria. Vienna is known for being 'The City of Music' because most of the well known composers like Mozart lived here. It is also called 'The City of Dreams' because it is the home of the first psycho analyst, Sigmund Freud. Aside from that Vienna is known for its high quality of living - everywhere we went to we noticed that all the establishments are grandiose, streets are squeaky clean, they have free wifi in most of the prominent public areas, their public transport system is efficient - it is absolutely safe even at night and locals are disciplined. Indeed, it is a perfect wealthy city.
It was three magical weeks in Europe, my dream destination. And even if 3 months had already passed, just the thought of my entire experience still makes me kilig. I've only been to Europe once so I'm not really an expert on this but I will share with you what I learned about the Schengen countries I had visited based on our 3-week vacation in Austria, Italy, Netherlands and France.
Never thought that applying for a Schengen Visa is actually fast! Yes after submitting our requirements at the VFS.Global we were told that the earliest day that we can get the results is at least 5 days. But lo and behold after 2 days we already got a text that our passports were okay for pick up. I was a bit worried at first that we might have been denied but it was a relief when we found out we were approved. Yay! And we were even given multiple entries! For one month nga lang. hahaha. But at least they were gracious enough to grant us a multiple.
My ultimate dream is to travel to Europe. Yes, it sounds too cliche but who doesn't share that same dream? Like most of the travel junkies, I suppose, traveling to Europe is a MUST, and I, being in love with beautiful, grandiose and historical places had been fantasizing it all my life. Luckily, I was able to tick that off on my list with the help and company of my life partner. It was a year ago when Mike surprised me in one of those travel expos where he paid for our round trip tickets as a honeymoon gift. Grabe! You can just imagine my reaction. Honeymoon in Europe?! What have I ever done to deserve this? Hallelujaaah! So yes after our wedding (Read: My Whimsical Travel Themed Wedding) and first honeymoon in Hong Kong (Read: First Honeymoon: Hong Kong with Family ) Mike and I together with good friends, April and Neal went on a three week honeymoon vacation to EUROPA!
Weddings can be great opportunities for grand reunions and ours was no exception. Everybody close to us were all excited for our union and fortunately all of our invited relatives confirmed their attendance including my Mama's siblings and Lola. Lola has 8 children and they're based in different cities two of which live in the US so we were all ecstatic when we knew everyone is coming! And since they never experienced traveling together, Hong Kong was going to be the best place to have a bonding, right? It's close to the Philippines so the airfare is relatively cheaper compared to other countries. It's tourist friendly (they have excellent railway system), the weather was pleasant during the time of our visit and visa free for Filipinos! These and a lot more were the reasons why we chose Hong Kong to spend our grand reunion. Because my parents wanted us to tag along (even if we initially refused because we still had to plan for our Eurotrip!) they insisted on paying for all our expenses, which sounded like a good deal. So off we went to Hong Kong for our first Honeymoon with the fambam!
Working in a foreign country has its perks and if you're lucky enough you can get to stay for free in a neat accommodation just like my experience working at Hong Kong Disneyland. And because I went to HKDL for two separate occasions, one is for the ocular and the other one is for the actual shoot, I was able to stay in two different Disney hotels. Talk about making business a pleasure.
For the second time this year I was assigned to travel for work for the same show, Pinoy Big Brother. My first was in Ho Chi Minh (Read: Work with Cham in Ho Chi Minh) and this time my job was to tape for four days in Hong Kong Disneyland.
Tententenen! Well, this is the MAIN reason why I haven't updated my blog for the longest time. Yeah. yeah. I know this is a travel blog so I am assuming a lot of you will ask why I am posting Mike and I's wedding. For the simple reason that I want to share with all my dear readers (if you are still there. hehe) the happiest day of my life. After all, this is sort of a 'traveling' for me, well in a metaphoric way - I traveled from MISS to MRS. Right? :) So yes, I am more than proud to say that I am now Mrs Magsaysay <insert kilig reaction here>
