The first 20 kilometers or so was a gruelling uphill climb. Up until the Refugio Orisson, and further up to La Vierge (12 kms) where we arranged to be picked up by our mountain shuttle service. Further up is the Cross Thibault. I have great respect for those who hiked the entire 25 (or 27.5?) kms from SJPP to Roncesvalles in a single day. Man, that was hard! We broke the stage over 2 days and it still was challenging. For some, 25 or 27.5 kilometers may not seem so daunting. I’ve walked far longer in earlier Caminos but gaining over 1,300 meters elevation spells a major difference! The last time I did this was in 2017 but I took the Valcarlos route because Orisson was all mist and the center closed the route for the pilgrims. This time, I wanted to do the Napoleon Route which passes Orisson and Borda. The claim that this stretch is the most difficult because of the ascent is very true. Can’t disagree with that. It helped that the Pyrenees is simply so lovely and the mountain scenery in all its misty beauty distracted us from the rhythm of painful strides as muscles here and there ached. Beautiful meadows and farms and looking back, breathtaking vistas of the valley. Plus the wildlife, counting sheep, wild horses and cattle with mountain bells strung around their necks. I only started worrying when we strayed off the mountain roads and walked on cliffside rocky inclines. Too careful I’d step on and dislodge some stones or slip over some rolling rocks, my cliffside glimpses somewhat affected my sense of balance. And confidence. But we made it. Struggling, but not miserable. We persevered.
From what I’ve read, many pilgrims miss the La Vierge — a spot where a statue of The Virgin stands — and the border between France and Spain as one crosses the Pyrenees. This is Navarre. We were mindful to keep this in mind. We also took note of the highest point — this is Col Lepoeder. No way one would miss this. It’s that high point from where it’s nearly all downhill for 5 kilometers or so. It is also the spot where one decides to go left into the beech forests (one of Europe’s largest) or right via “abandoned” country roads. Either way you end up in Roncesvalles. Reportedly, “left is death” and “right is life”. You bet we headed right. And even then, I have committed the numbers 112 into my memory. That’s the European emergency numbers. Like 911. About 3 kilometers down the country roads, one glimpses the rooftop of the grand looking monastery of Orreaga. That’s Roncesvalles in Navarra. A big sigh at this point. The struggle is about to end. The very welcoming hospitaleros in the historic monastery stamped our pilgrim’s passport and promptly led us in to book our beds. But alas, our mountain shuttle was there to ferry us back to Saint Jean Pied de Port for our 3rd straight night. We boarded our van like little children, eager to reach our crib and put up our aching legs before a hot shower. How sweet to get this over and done with. How fulfilling that we persevered and completed the first stage of Camino Frances. Hopefully, my companions will find themselves back on the mountain and forest paths to complete their pilgrimage walk.
This time, with my niece and my Sydney-based grandnephew. As expected, it’s the typical drill. Gaudi’s masterpieces, La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia, Ciutat Vella, El Born, the beach, Montjuic and the Palau de la Musica Catalan. The colors of Gaudi’s Barcelona, the food options in Mercat de La Boquería, the chaotic tourist crowd, the vibrant music and sports — all these define Catalan Barcelona. An adequate, if not exuberant introduction to Europe for #aponimamu #withanaccent !
Park GuellPlaça CatalunyaParc Guell
Having arrived mid-morning, we left our bags in the hotel and hit the ground running. Mercat La Boqueria is closed on Sundays but some seafood restaurants deep inside were open for desayuno (breakfast). But we wanted a substantial (!!!) seafood lunch before the Spanish lunch hour. Por supuesto, we had our way. And we were fed adequately and hopped off with jolly bellies. Paella de Marisco, butifarra, pan con tomate, pimientos padron, and patatas bravas made for a good start.
Lunch at Ancora in La BoqueriaMercat de La Boqueria The Pooper
Meant to do a day trip to Girona or Sitges but time wasn’t enough. Gave up on those short trips and instead decided to explore more of Barcelona. Glad over this decision as we found time to visit Palau de la Musica Catalan and spend an early evening at La Barceloneta. Palau deserves more attention, for sure, and the beach is so much better (and more comfortable) during late spring or early summer. What struck me most however is the growing Filipino community here in Barcelona. Our hotel in the Old Town sits across a church apparently frequented by Filipinos. Heard Sunday Mass there where a Filipino priest said Mass and the church is 2/3 full, mostly with Pinoys. And brace yourself, the entire service was in our local language! I was even invited to offer flowers (“Flores de Mayo”) at the end of the service and by the time I stepped out of the church, there was a line of Filipino vendors offering Filipino snacks and other foodstuff. Made me feel like I was home. For a good 1 hour, the only language I heard was Filipino!
San Agusti Church Arco Sagrada Familia
Barcelona is a must-destination. It has a different vibe from the rest of Spain. Must be the Catalan flavor. Plus art, music, history, the beach and gastronomy all play so beautifully together in this one destination. Gaudi’s many masterpieces alone should take at least 3 days even if all entry tickets have been pre-booked! Just that the thick tourist crowd can be exhausting, with skilled pickpockets utterly threatening and annoying. They say local residents dislike tourists and make no bones showing their disgust but fortunately we didn’t experience any of this resentment.
The last so many years, I’ve been writing my travel journals on a regular basis. Traveling every so often, hardly staying put. The last 2 years were even busier as I had to keep up with the energy levels of my grandchildren on trips they’re visiting for the first time. Well, as I’ve always said — there is no time to waste, especially when one rolls into their seventies. The first 6 weeks of the year were quite eventful and we struggled to hurdle some setbacks. Only got to work out and prep for forthcoming travels lately and those visa applications remain pending as I write this. No firm travel plans yet except one end of this month while pondering where in Europe to go come mid May. Initially thought of Italy being the Jubilee Year. But the “Jubilee crowd” makes me anxious over tourist and pilgrimage crowds as I’ve heard of long queues just to visit a single spot. Not my cup of tea.
Praying for Pope Francis
Italy has always been my favorite and praying for Pope Francis’ recovery is foremost in my mind. I also want to do another pilgrimage walk in Spain since my last time was even before the pandemic. And of course, there is always the lure of visiting Paris for the nth time. Who grows tired of Paris, anyway?
I try not to overthink (but I do!) at least until my Schengen visa is issued and released. My traveling companion (another “Nieto”) is visiting Europe for the first time so I’m sure he’d be interested in whatever spots or countries I choose for us to visit. With only 2 weeks to spare — corresponding to his school break — we can only cover 2-3 adjoining European countries at best. I know, we can do more but that’s not my idea of traveling. At least 3-4 nights in each spot is my ideal. Wish us luck!
If you’re finding it difficult to understand British English, just remember there are actually 40 dialects and accents in the UK. What we found, or heard, in Liverpool is quite charming. The “scouse” may refer to the dialect or accent, or it may actually mean a person hailing from Liverpool. The accent is a cross between Irish English and North Welsh accent, with a little Norwegian mixed in. Sounds pretty unique, huh? To say goodbye, the more popular way is simply to say “ta’ra”. Funny, but in my local language, the same word means “let’s go”. And to refer to something as “minty” has nothing to do with taste or scent, it simply means dirty. In reality though, “scouse” is a dish. And yes, the people from this city are actually nicknamed after a stew dish made of beef or lamb with potatoes, carrots and onions much like our local “menudo”. Served as a stew or topped with puff pastrylike a pie, it is a hearty meal. Liverpool being a port city, the story goes that the traditional Liverpudlian dish was actually brought in by sailors. We had it for our first meal in a diner called “World Famous Docklands Fish & Chips Shop” in the Royal AlbertDock.
Scouse Pie (like Chicken or Beef Pastel)
The dockyard houses a Maritime Museum, the Tate Liverpool and Beatles Story Museums, along with several restaurants and food trucks serving anything from ice cream to an assortment of street food. It’s a good walk around the docks where one also finds the “Three Graces” which is a title given to 3 waterfront buildings defining Liverpool’s skyline. These century-old buildings are the Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. In 2015, the Beatles statue was erected right smack at the Pier Head fronting the Three Graces. A photo in front of the Beatles Statue has the heritage buildings for a splendid background.
Beatles Statue with 2 of The Three Graces Beatles Story Museum
There’s lots to do in Liverpool. Beatles fan or not, the docks, the museums, the Baltic Market and the numerous shops and restos should keep any visitor busy. We also got lucky with our lodgings. The hotel is very roomy, clean and very reasonably-priced and is a walking distance to the dockyard, passing a number of shops and dining places. This northwestern city is popular not only for its music scene but also for sports (they have 2 famous football teams — as corrected. Thanks!) and as a university city. Not to forget, there’s also the Liverpool Cathedral which is the largest in UK and the world’s 8th largest church. Very near it is the Chinatown — the very first to be established in Europe. It houses the oldest Chinese community in Europe and is marked by an arch claimed to be the largest outside of Mainland China.
Liverpool CathedralLiverpool Chinatown
The only unfortunate thing we encountered while in Liverpool was the Baltic Market was not open for business. There were a few shops open, but it wasn’t as vibrant as what it could have been. We planned on eating there but ended up having coffee in the nearby Yonder Cafe, which serves good coffee by the way. Having said that, we truly made good use of our time in Liverpool. The shops and food trucks look really cute and interesting but alas, we can’t have everything. Ta’ra!
What a pleasant surprise! Yayoi K is one of our favorite modern artists and having planned to visit the Lady Di Memorial in Kensington where she lived for many “royal” years, we were just unprepared to spot the polka-dotted yellow pumpkin across the Kensington pond. I was panting for breath after walking around the memorial gardens when I spotted the yellow and black pumpkin. Couldn’t believe our luck to find it here on full display (unveiled in July, up until November 3, 2024) — the tallest pumpkin structure to date! Quite frankly, I am sooo impressed that Yayoi at 95 years of age is still very prolific with her sculptures and signature infinity and circles installations spread all over the world. Not bad for someone who has been suffering from mental and psychological issues since childhood. Having lived in an asylum since 1977, it is reported that her iconic pumpkin structures are reminders of her happy childhood. This holds much meaning to me — the few local artists I’ve talked to have almost always integrated their childhood memories into their art. A poignant reminder how minds and mindsets are forged, developed and nurtured through the years, and then expressed in some form. Art or otherwise.
Yayoi K behind usYayoi K across the Kensington Pond
Enough of Yayoi Kusama. We are in Kensington Gardens near Kensington Palace where Lady Diana lived and raised her two sons Prince Harry and the king-in-waiting Prince William. This prime piece of Crown Estate land houses a “Cradle Walk” (a tunnel of arched arbour of twigged lime) surrounding a Sunken Garden where a statue of Lady Diana with three children stand. It’s a beautiful memorial to Lady Diana that evokes mixed feelings that remind people of her royal life in Kensington Palace where she lived since her wedding to the day she died. The round pond nearby has resident ducks and swans — a perfect setting for family picnics and lovers’ quiet dates.
The Lady Diana Memorial in Kensington GardensKensington Palace
The gardens adjoin Hyde Park so bikers have this vast expanse to do their “laps” while enjoying the tranquility of rest stops in front of the sunken gardens, the kids’ playgrounds, the Palace, the Pond. Imagine all that green space! It is London’s massive oxygen station. Though the Kensington Gardens are more “formal” and close early , Hyde Park is open for longer hours. If there’s one thing I truly envy Londoners for, it’s their free museums and many lovely parks, gardens and squares. 💕
Post-exhibit, — the reason why we are here — we indulged in more art. The Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum is one I’ve always missed in my UK trips so I was ready to tick this off my list this time. We scheduled an entire morning here and would have spent an entire day if we weren’t completely overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t? Just like the British Museum — and many more just around London — there was just too many to see, too much to “digest”, and too much visuals to delight in and much information to absorb. Museums do that to you. One can’t imagine the tons of educational and informative materials here, along with the excitement and visual sensation you get upon viewing the exhibits here. There is also that immense gratitude to the teams that curated all these collections.
V&A MuseumThat rotunda chandelier!
And who are Victoria & Albert? This royal couple were actually cousins whose love story would floor you. Queen Elizabeth II may have outruled Queen Victoria who ruled for 67 years but Queen V was much younger (at 18) when she succeeded the throne. She and Prince Albert allegedly fell in love the first time they met and had 9 children. Their passion for each other was reported as the greatest royal love story of all time. Unfortunately, Prince Albert died very young at 42 and the Queen blamed the then heir-apparent, later King Edward VII for Prince Albert’s demise. King Edward VII succeeded the throne only after Queen V passed on. Before then, he was not granted any political power, influence or station. He waited 60 years as heir-apparent.
Just for starters. Wow!Just a short break.
At the time we visited, there was a special Naomi Campbell exhibit but we penny-pinched and didn’t want to pay extra 18 pounds 😂 We argued there’s so much to see anyway without shelling out a cent, or a pence. We did round up the Fashion Gallery and was amazed with the rare collection. Then off we went to the very impressive Raphael Cartoons where Raphael’s spellbinding works of art were on display. The tapestries were truly treasures from the Renaissance period. All seven full-scale designs! Spent much time here that we hardly covered the entire, huge museum and literally hopped from hall to hall until our feet and legs could hardly carry our weight any longer. I thought the British Museum was big, but Victoria & Albert is even bigger. So much variety and such an enormous collection. It can be a chore to navigate the massive museum, so it’s best one plans how to view the collections. Of course, we didn’t have a plan but we soon realized that the exhibit items are displayed not by period like in other museumsbut by artistic category: fashion/textiles, visual arts, sculptures, architecture/design, jewelry, etc. Thankfully, they did segregate the artifacts and treasures among the British Galleries, Asian Galleries, and the Europe Galleries. The artworks from Asia were even thematically divided like there was a separate hall for Buddhist sculptures clustered by region. Further separated were Medieval and the Renaissance Galleries. And there was a separate hall for potteries, ceramics, etc. In my humble and amateurish opinion, the clustering is one major chore and I can understand how the curators must have argued over the years on exactly how these items should be exhibited.
How to say your ooohs and aaahhhsImagine this!
Suffice it to say that sorting out these magnificent works of art (others call it “loot from the wars” — but let’s not get into that) is a tremendous task. With free admissions, who dares to complain? I only wish I live somewhere near and have the time to spend 2-3 hours daily, to visit one hall or section at a time. No way you can do this in one go. Not even in 3. That’s how I did it in Madrid (Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza) yet I still can’t claim I covered the whole area. The last hall we visited made us decide to leave. Not because we’re unimpressed, but because we were utterly overwhelmed that we wanted to leave “in that drop-jaw state”. If you missed seeing David in the Academia at Florence, you can try your luck viewing its cast here without paying for museum admission nor lining up to buy a ticket. And stare at this giant of an artwork to your heart’s content. For free.
Summer officially ended while we were on our train ride from sunny Liverpool towards the capital of Scotland. We chose Edinburgh for many reasons. Many (free) museums. Culture. Scotch Whisky. Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. Harry Potter. Bagpipes and men in kilt! But all throughout our stay here, we experienced overcast skies and showers every now and then. Wet and cold in Edinburgh but we’re not complaining. Behind our apartment is the Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat beckons. Many young hikers all geared up for the hike, some with their fur babies — and I only managed to watch them while sipping coffee and enjoying scones in the Holyrood Cafe by the Palace.
Vennel Steps @GrassmarketHolyrood Palace
The Scottish pride left me with a good impression 38 years ago. I just love how they feel proud of their independence and their national icons. Alexander Graham Bell, Robert Burns, Alexander Fleming and the more contemporary Andy Murray and Sean Connery of 007 fame. J.K. Rowlings is British but she drew inspiration from many spots around Edinburgh for her 7-volume Harry Potter books. In fact there were way too many Harry Potter tours around here to show visitors the Elephant House, the self-proclaimed birthplace of Harry Potter. The Greyfriar Kirkyard, the burial site of Thomas Riddle aka Lord Vxxxx “who must not be named”. (Rowlings picked out names from the graves here, and no one knows who this Thomas is). The beautiful Victoria Street emerged in her imaginary Diagon Alley and you’d be surprised how many wands they sell around here. Plus many more.
The hike to Arthur’s SeatVictoria Street
But it would be a waste to miss the Scottish Museum of Modern Art (there were 2 across each other).A tad distant from the center with a wide expanse around the buildings. Then there’s also the National Gallery of Scotland and the Portraits Gallery. If it were sunny or at the very least rainless, it would be nice to lay out a picnic mat and just chill. I noticed though that all the flat whites and hot chocolates I drank in the museums were all good! And yes, their scones, muffins and brownies were too. One lunch we had (and repeated) was in Rock Salt Cafe along Jeffrey Street. The Scottish Breakfast was truly a big brekkie with ham, eggs, hash brown, haggis, sausage, black pudding, pork and beans and the thickest slices of really good sourdough. If that is not enough, let’s see if you can resist their baklava and other yummy pastries.
The Scottish MUSEUM OF MODERN ARTIf you visit the National Gallery of Scotland , it’s a short distance to get here. So is the Scott Monument
So there. Edinburgh may give you a lot of rain or spoil your mood but there are always the museos and the good food waiting for you. From big breakfasts to the national dish of Scotland called haggis, to the many pubs serving draught beer or whisky bars, to the many gelato and pastry shops! Many housed in century old apartment buildings.
Scottish Breakfass at Rock Salt CafeThe gelato flavors from Mary’s Milk Bar
My last visit was in 2019 to attend a wedding of someone who’s like a daughter to me. I’m back after 5 years with my sobrina and nieta, visiting the newlyweds in 2019 who are now blessed with two beautiful daughters. What a family reunion. Our Saturday mid-afternoon arrival was quite uneventful as our midnight flight from Manila through Dubai went as scheduled. Struggled though with body aches and lack of sleep. Just so happy to be back, visiting them and for another reason I plan to write about in a separate blog.
Our London CribSunday Roast at Windmill. Plus some sticky toffee pudding and peanut butter cheesecake. Yum.
It was a no-brainer what to do the following day. Intent to “get our bearings” in our new crib, a Sunday Roast lunch prepped us for the “walkabout” in our new neighborhood. There were pubs, restaurants and more cafés to visit, and playtime with the little humans at the neighborhood parks and squares. But the first timers in London with me need an introduction to London with all its pageantry and historic sites. And not to forget — the free admissions to several museums! On our 1st day in the city center,we visited the must-do’s. It would be almost criminal not to go see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge and Westminster. We skipped an afternoon city tour to do Courtauld Gallery on our ownand even had our lunch in its Art Café. On the same day, we watched “Phantom of the Opera” at His Majesty’s Theater but not before visiting nearby National Gallery. It was a full day as a tourist and we were wasted by day’s end. Wish we could spend more time at the Covent Garden where we started, and had lunch in Borough Market instead. We love markets! But some sites just had to be scheduled another time. At this moment, we are even inclined to cancel some excursions out of London just so we can do more time exploring the city. That means Stonehenge, Oxford, Cotswold will have to wait for sobrina y nieta’s next trip.
Spotted this old gentleman while waiting for the changing of the guards in Buckingham Palace.All that pageantry!
The years are beginning to tell — I struggled later in the day after all the walking and I nearly fell asleep during the musicalwhile nursing a sore back and pair of legs which walked nearly 25,000 steps. Before then, I could hardly keep up with Nieta doing the rounds at the National Gallery. For our pre-Theater dinner, I had to insist I need my soup and we ended up in Chinatown for our dimsum, noodles and chicken and veggie soup. We also tried the Filipino ice cream place called Mamason where “halo halo” and “dirty” ice cream are very popular. Sweet endings for a lovely Chinese dinner. I noticed I truly turn very Asian in tastes and preferences whenever I grow tired. Makes sense?
National Gallery at Trafalgar Square
Big Ben and that London red double decker bus!
His Majesty’s Theater
For trips outside of London, I have booked train rides, hotels and tours in Liverpool and also in Edinburgh. Have been to both about 40 years ago! Eager to visit these 2 cities now after a long while. It’s a meaningful and nostalgic trip for me as I visited these 2 as a student with no credit card, nor a proper camera. Not to mention how I then budgeted my weekend trips using my savings off the student allowances. I have no kitchen skills but learned to cook my meals then, just so I can save money. I enjoyed traveling during the winter season because that meant cheaper lodgings and many vacancies! So the trips to Liverpool and Edinburgh promise many precious recollections of happy times and adventures. Will write about our experiences here separately. So watch this page for updates! Ciao for now.
Gramping. It’s becoming a trend where grandparents travel with grandchildren. It can be fun, but it can also be disastrous for some especially if there are no shared interests and food preferences. I have taken trips with the “apos” (grandchildren) before — once to Madrid to stay with a niece, and another time to Sydney to visit our relatives. But lately, we have taken trips together on our own, staying in hotels or apartments, charting a travel itinerary based on what the 3 of us wish to do and deciding each day on what and where to dine. Mostly, we ended up visiting museums and cultural attractions but we also managed to squeeze in a concert in each of the trips. The very first gramping was in 2023 starting in Amsterdam where we literally exhausted as many museums we can cover, checking out the bars and sleeping in most mornings. Our days started late unless we planned some day trips and we almost always managed to eat well. From Amsterdam, we took trains to move around and based ourselves in Brussels, Brugges, Nimes and Avignon before moving to Paris. Food porn all the way without minding the calories as we burned them just walking all around. It was a wonderful trip and we delighted on our food discoveries while tracing Van Gogh’s provençal life. Wrote many blogs about this gramping adventure but here’s the blog summary.
It has been under a year since that gramping when we found ourselves haphazardly planning a 2nd gramping. This time to Italy. An invitation for my nieta to join a few other Filipino artists to exhibit their works in Venezia is simply too difficult to pass up. And so it went that I caught up with them on their last day in Venice, as I was coming off another trip. The plan was to train from Venice to Florence where we based ourselves and did day trips to many other Tuscan spots before settling in Rome where we flew back to our Manila nest. Just 2 weeks. Too many places we wish to visit but not enough time. As I came off another trip, the apos crafted our travel itinerary right down to where and what we’d eat as well as some time for a cafe crawl and bar hopping. Once more, we had a wonderful time. Never thought I’d pile up so many journals for this rather short trip but the memories just overflow and required some “order” for proper safekeeping!
By this time, we 3 are pretty sure we travel well together. Apos are now quite adept crafting travel itineraries, hotel bookings, train reservations and dining options. The last item is important. With only 3 of us, it is nearly impossible to share meals if we don’t have similar food preferences. We also share the same passion for a good brew and gelato breaks are a given whenever we’re traveling. Happy hours are delightfully enjoyed and this is when we love chatting about our favourite spots and plan where else to go. We have also mastered the art of grocery shopping for some lazy dinners and breakfasts while doing our laundry.
And now, we’re off again. The full activity in UK beckons so watch this page for updates. Ciao for now.
If I had my way, I’d either go to Lake Como or head south to Sicily. Perhaps even jump off from there to visit Malta, which has been in my bucket list for sometime. But this is an unplanned trip and the principal destination is Venezia for nieta’s participation in an art exhibit there. Met up with them, spent just another night in Venice and hopped on a train the next day to Firenze. Having based ourselves there for 7 days and 6 nights, we spent 3 whole days doing excursions to explore Tuscany and the Italian Riviera. After a week, off we went to the Eternal City. Not enough time to cover as much ground in historic Rome but we managed quite well. Nothing rushed. We skipped some but enjoyed whatever we managed to visit. This blog summary lists all the cities and neighborhoods we ticked off in about 2 weeks. Just click the links for more photos and details. Ciao!
