Archive for June, 2025


Logging Off In Bali

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
June 9, 2025

Visited some touristy spots for 2 straight days, hitting ground as soon as we touched down. Then we decided to spend the next 2 days just lazing around in Marriott Vacation Club in Nusa Dua. Enough to do around the complex where shuttle vans and buggies are on standby to bring us to the beach or the shops and restaurants. Within the MVC Compound itself, there are 4 dining outlets worth checking out like Steaksmith where we had a fine steak dinner. We also love the beach bar where we drank our mojitos and Bintang beers to pair with spicy chicken satay, pork ribs and the more traditional cheese burgers for those who aren’t big fans of hot and spicy.

MVC By Night
The Main Lobby

The beach area is where we spent nearly 5 hours. We took turns with a pair of massage therapists on beach beds and chairs. There was also a shopping area near the beach so we certainly didn’t waste time. To add, bigger shops lie between the beach and the hotel so that option was likewise not wasted 😉 Spa. Shopping. Swim. Steak. Marriott does not disappoint. Our villa has a plunge pool too – perfect for dips after a sweaty afternoon.

Beach Pica Pica
Cheers!
Nusa Dua Beach

And just a few meters from our door is the steak house where we had a wonderful tomahawk dinner. A welcome break from all the Balinese meals we’ve had. Enough nasi goreng, nasi camphor, bebek, ayam goreng, spicy pork ribs etc that we feasted on non-stop since we arrived. It remains to be seen if we’d have Babi Guling (roast pig) for our last dinner here. Or perhaps seafood in Jimbaran. There’s still time (🤭) but let’s see. The options are many.

One Tomahawk ain’t enough.
The Spa
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

A Family Affair in Bali (2025)

Filed under: Asian Holidays, Food Trip, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
June 8, 2025

Rested for only a couple of days before flying out to Bali to join my OZ family. From Gay Paris to the beautiful island of Bali in the Indian Ocean. A midnight arrival along with many tourists at the height of summer. For many Aussies, it’s a welcome break from the winter spell Down Under.

Photo Opps
Out on a boat otw to Turtle Island

Soon after checking in, we took off on a boat to Turtle Island (Tumpak Sari Bali) to see them old and slow island residents. Still groggy, sleep-deprived from our midnight arrival but yes, we hit the ground running…. errrr, boating.

Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple in Bali

Next stop: Uluwatu Temple. Been here twice before but it’s a first visit for my OZ family. Surprised there weren’t many monkeys in the area. Like we probably just met 4-5 monkeys, and not at all aggressive as I remember my previous 2 visits.

Day 1 with fam. Off to a good start. We are enjoying our crib in Marriott Bali Nusa Dua Terraces, just 2 years since opening in 2023. Last time we stayed in Marriott Nusa Dua Gardens, which we loved as well. I’d say either or both are perfect cribs for families. We looked forward each day to coming home for home-cooked dinners here after a whole day visiting temples, lakeview spots and some rice terraces. Day 2 was more temples and some shopping and coffee-tasting adventure. And then, 2 more days just staying in to enjoy this resort club. Maybe hit the beach, go biking or simply taking the shuttle from the club to go shopping or checking out the spa and nearby shopping outlet. Let’s see what comes up next! Here’s the blog summary link to our previous Bali adventure.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Our European Holiday (2025)

Filed under: Europe, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
June 3, 2025

It was brief. Two weeks from Barcelona to Pamplona to Saint Jean Pied de Port to Lourdes to Paris. We ate the freshest seafood in Barcelona, feasted on pintxos and met with family in Pamplona, walked the camino from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles, trained into Lourdes and finally reached Paris. We left Paris just as the riots broke out following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions’ League. Should have been a grand celebration of the football club’s victory but on the eve of our departure, we sensed the danger as some metro lines stopped working and the metros grew crowded with noisy, rowdy, alcohol-fed youngsters cheering loudly and even jumping on their feet inside the metro coaches.

Arc de Triomphe. Before the riots.

We reached our hotel after several underground transfers owing to some metro lines being shut off. The crowd was growing thick by 8pm and we were tired after a whole day of walking and sightseeing. One of us is visiting Paris for the first time and we wanted it to be a meaningful experience for him. Crammed Tour Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe, Moulin Rouge, Sacre Ceour in Montmartre, Pantheon, Louvre, Tuileries, Champ Elysees, Jardin de Luxembourg, Latin Quarter, Saint Germain des Pres etc in just a few days. We even spent an entire day in Versailles where we luckily snagged a table for lunch in Angelina Maison Fondee. On our last whole day in Paris, we joined an “Emily in Paris” Tour. Reminded me of those Dan Brown tours made popular in Paris (Da Vinci Code 2006) and Rome (Angels and Demons 2009). Those were nearly 20 years ago! I remember reading and re-reading the books and I even watched the movie adaptations!

Jardin de Luxembourg

Paris has changed. No offense meant, but I long for the “old” Paris. Way too many tourists now, dog poop everywhere and by and large, too much trash. That is NOT to say I don’t love it now. Just that I loved it more in earlier days. It just feels quite different not feeling so safe as I did in those late nights in Paris some years back. I kept my own sentiments to myself and allowed my grandson to enjoy Paris this first visit. I am sure he’d want to go back. So with my niece who is visiting a second time. Her first time was likewise with me but that one was even a shorter visit so there wasn’t much she enjoyed then. And then there’s Barcelona and Pamplona. Still grand, and the early evening spent at the beach was truly a welcome respite from the tourist crowd. The dining scene was also superb and since the city of Barcelona was our first stop, we readily and greedily dug our fingers into some favorite pintxos and paellas. Being summery, the tinto de verano became a favorite thirst-quencher. So with cava.

Galerie Lafayette is always a stunner.

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/06/03/with-emily-in-paris/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/06/01/my-2025-visit-to-lourdes/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/28/into-the-mist-camino-2025/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/28/back-in-that-tiny-french-village/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/26/otra-vez-en-barcelona-2025/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/26/palau-de-musica-catalan/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/26/a-cable-car-ride-to-montjuic/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2025/05/21/playa-de-la-barceloneta/

Hard to say which is the highlight of our tour. Barcelona and Paris would always rank high up there. But family time in Pamplona is a game-changer. The spiritual breaks in Saint Jean Pied de Port and Lourdes hold a special place and its meaning far deeper and beyond this trip. We packed a lot in this 2-week trip. Our eyes, bellies, hearts and souls are nourished. Hopefully we can do this again. But in a slower pace. This grandma ain’t no spring chicken no more. Still good for the camino and some sightseeing, but more rest days are in order. I’m still catching my breath!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

With Emily In Paris

Filed under: France, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment

Been watching this popular tv series “Emily in Paris” during the pandemic and like many, got hooked. It starred Lily Collins as Emily with a low-key French actor named Luca Bravo as the French Chef Gabriel. An ideal role for Luca, who in reality is an aspiring chef. He may not have met with much success in his kitchen but he has many women fans now after only 2 seasons. For sure, future seasons will still revolve around his and Emily’s romantic affair which seems to be beset with roadblocks or foul timings. It’s very complicated, as they say.

The Apartment where Emily and Gabriel Live
Chef Gabriel’s Bistro

Joined this “Emily in Paris” tour guided by a cast member from the series who regaled us with many stories , and gossips even. We started at the Pantheon where the series started — with Emily on the phone with Douglas her soon ex-boyfriend. In no time, she met Chef Gabriel — that hunk of a man whose romantic liaisons are as complicated in real and reel life. Our tour had “guessing games” to earn yummy macarons provided by Luzia. Most everyone participated in the games — either they’re big fans of the tv series or they like the macarons.

The Fountain Between the Apartment Building and the French Bistro
Many lunch scenes were filmed here

The tour should have taken 2.5 hours but it took us more than 3 hours. That’s all walking from the Latin Quarter through Saint Germain des Pres crossing Pont Neuf and all the way from Notre Dame to Palace Garnier. When the tour ended, we made our way to Galerie Lafayette and thereafter to Le Bon Marche near the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Late lunch was at Les Mouettes in Rue du Bac where we enjoyed our meals in relative quiet. A prelude to the chaos that soon enveloped the city after riots broke out post-victory of PSG in the Champions League. Took us hours to reach our hotel as some metro lines stopped operating. Oh, what a mess. We’re only too glad we’re on the last day of our holiday. But still, it should have been a happy occasion to celebrate PSG’s victory but the merrymaking went out of hand. A pity.

A fav chat spot of Emily and Mindy
Many shots were taken here.
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

My 2025 Visit to Lourdes

Filed under: Europe, France, Musings & Ramblings, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
June 1, 2025

What’s best to come after a short camino break from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles? A visit to Lourdes where we spent 2 meaningful nights. The train ride from SJPP went easy and smooth, despite the transfer at Bayonne.

This is my 7th visit and each holds a special meaning to me. This time, with my niece and grandnephew. Their first. Reminds me of my first visit in 2002. Then as now, I feel grateful for the chance. Now more than ever, I feel this resolve to bring every member of family here. Back in 2002, I received the gift of healing and reconciliation. Quite an epiphany for me. I resolved to be a fierce prayer warrior — the best gift I can ever give anyone. Much like how I received, and still enjoy and celebrate, the gift I was blessed with. Praying for each other (and even for those I hardly know) has become my mantra. I find joy in praying. A fulfilment, even.

Lourdes. The Grotto. This is the very first time I visited where there wasn’t much of a crowd. There were a lot of young volunteers in and around the complex and I noticed the rosary procession wasn’t as long nor as thick as they were before Covid. For a while, I worried that the Church may be losing its Marian pilgrims. I snapped out of my revery only when I found this nun contently napping under a tree, oblivious to the passing crowd. God bless her.

The baths have since COVID transformed into “water gestures” except for 5 special spots. In our hearts, the faith remains and our hope and beliefs prevail. There were not too many Filipinos we met, like the previous times. I surmised it’s because the school break back home is almost over. But we found the same Filipino restaurant off some corner near the Sanctuary. Asian Delices it’s called. Again, no Filipinos though the Caucasian servers spoke really good Tagalog. Groups of Asians came to dine, mostly Chinese and Koreans. I think we were mistaken for Malaysians or Indonesians as we were offered sambal sauces.

With each visit, I pray for a next time. To pray for my family and friends. God’s mercy through the intercession of Mama Mary. This is a journey of faith. And a thanksgiving for the many gifts and countless blessings. Thank You, Lord. 🙏🙏🙏💕💕💕

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment