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Barcelona, Spain

Follow me as I bring you around the city where Sagrada Familia is located

Make the most out of your visit at the happiest place on Earth

Expert tips and tricks when visiting Hong Kong Disneyland

To cruise or not to cruise?

7 advantages of taking a cruise vs doing a land tour.

Sharks in the Philippines

7 of the 10 most dangerous sharks in the world are possibly in the Philipines? See the list and map.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Throwback Thursday: European Escapade (Photos)

Given the chance, I'd go back to 3 cities in Europe: London, Paris and Switzerland (Okay, make that four and add Venice) and maybe visit the countries I've never visited like Prague. Europe is such a nice place and spending one day on each place is definitely not enough. Even the Vatican which is the smallest city in Europe at 0.44 km2 can't be finished in a day.

Synonymous with Venice, one must at least try to ride a gondola when it is your first time in Venice. It is usually painted black because it is considered the colour of elegance by Venetians. Gondolas are made up of 280 parts.
Venice is connected by 25 miles of canals. The canals function as roads and every form of transportation in the City of Venice is on water or on foot. Venice is the only place in the 21st century without cars or trucks.
Assisi is a town and comune of Italy. It is the birthplace of St. Francis.
Intricate details inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
The colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre is an ampitheatre in the center of Rome. Built of concrete and stone, it is the largest ampitheathre of the Roman Empire. It can hold between 50,000~80,000 spectators. 
Toyota Prius taxi we rode in Paris. You can see the battery indicator in front.
Basilica of the Holy Cross in Florence, Italy. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile and Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories.
Saturday market in Beaune. This town is surrounded by some of the world's most famous wine villages, while the facilities and cellars of many producers, large and small, are situated in Beaune itself. With a rich historical and architectural heritage, Beaune is considered the "Capital of Burgundy wines".
The Musée du Louvre in Paris. This is one of the world's largest museums, and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, France, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (district).
The Versailles garden is situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectacres of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by Linnea.
Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel Tower. He also designed San Sebastian Church in Manila.
Tower of London: Where the crown jewels are. The collective term Crown Jewels denotes the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at other state functions. The term refers to the following objects: the crowns, sceptres (with either the cross or the dove), orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armills, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself.
The part where the Tower Bridge separates
Archaeologists believe that the Stonehenge was built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have been raised at the site as early as 3000 BC.
The Grand Place or Grote Markt (Dutch) is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guildhalls, the city's Town Hall, and the Breadhouse. The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. It measures 68 by 110 metres (223 by 360 ft), and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is one of the world's leading financial centres and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. London has been described as a world cultural capital.
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. The tower is now officially called the Elizabeth Tower, after being renamed in 2012 (from "Clock Tower") to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The tower holds the largest four-faced chiming clock in the world and is the third-tallest free-standing clock tower. The tower was completed in 1858 and had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place. The tower has become one of the most prominent symbols of both London and England and is often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.
Until next photo throw back Thursday! :)

Below are other articles that we have on Europe:

*Some of the information came from Wikipedia
Cheftonio
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Friday, November 2, 2012

Europe Shopping Tips - Designer Goods and Tax Refunds

Took photo of this nice painting in Paris

Another blog my wife made. So proud of her! I hope these tips help you prepare for your upcoming shopping trip to Europe.

Let's admit it ladies -- one of the reasons why we look forward to going to Europe is because of shopping. They always say that once you see something you really want, you don't even think twice as you'll only end up regretting it once you're back home. An example was a men's LV belt we saw in Venice. Of course, people would expect everything to be more expensive in Venice. There was a belt that costs 215 EUR and it was the belt my husband was eyeing. We didn't buy it because we said that our last stop, Paris would surely be a lot cheaper. Lo and behold! That same belt in LV Champs Elysees was 285 EUR! Oh well, didn't purchase that belt and saved the money instead.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Venice, Italy: Sights and Scenes

One of the highlights of our trip, Venice Italy is one of the top of mind places to go when visiting Europe and when you hear the place Venice, you can probably relate it to the famous St Mark's square and the well-known gondola ride.

It's not as relaxing as you would think. Foot traffic in the main island is very very high and since it's summer, the weather is very hot! It was hotter than Manila because we are mostly in the open, under the sun.

The gondola ride was something else. Although it's a very touristy thing to do, I highly recommend it for first time visitors. Do get someone to serenade you as the experience will be more authentic and much much better. You'll go around the canals and you can hear their voice echoing in the canals. They also make you laugh and try to be a comedian from time to time.

St Mark's square was also crowded with both people and pigeons! Pigeons chase you, land in your arms or head when they see you with bird food. Some restaurants with outdoor area even prohibit you from feeding the pigeons.

We had a glass blowing demonstration and they showed us how they make murano glass. If you plan to purchase, they will ship it to your home so don't worry. Prices are a bit steep though. A red cup set of 6-8 with a pitcher with 24k gold decoration will set you back around 2,500 euros. The red and light pink colored ones are more expensive because they need to use gold to produce that color.

We also saw hotel Danieli. I think this was the hotel where Angelina Jolie and Depp checked-in in the movie, "The Tourist".

Like Switzerland, this is a place I want to go back to. Spend 2-3 days here the least. It's nice to just relax here and take nightly strolls.


Below are other articles that we have on Europe: