Back in Manila, we’d schedule our cafe or bar dates at least once a week. The prospect thrills us and the actual experience is always a delight. On our trip to Sapa in Northern Vietnam, we spent an entire afternoon for our post-lunch cafe crawl. We haven’t had a proper dessert since we got here but first off, we just had to try the popular egg coffee and coconut coffee.
Cong CafeCoconut Coffee now tops my list of iced coffees
This is our first time to try coconut coffee. Cong Ca Phe is 👍that we recommend it — iced! More dessert than coffee, actually. Back in Hanoi, we tried egg coffee but it wasn’t the best so we went in search of good egg coffee here in Sapa. Found one in Le Gecko. In both coffee shops, we took “front seats” to appreciate the street scene. People-watching can be habitual if I were to live here. The cars and motorbikes with passengers or cargo (unbelievable!) passing by is what life is all about here. Sapa may be 6 hours away from cosmopolitan Hanoi but it certainly isn’t a sleepy town or ghost town. Sure, it’s in the boondocks but commerce and tourism has touched this mountain town and even the hill tribe folks are quite comfortable plying their wares in the streets here.
The street scene from Cong Ca Phe. Inside Cong Ca Phe
Cong Ca Phe is in a two-storey building, but the best seats in the shop are those in the porch. There is even a resident fur baby who seems so “at home” here. As for Le Gecko Cafe, it’s in another busy section of this mountain town near the pond area. Again, we took the “front seats” from where we enjoyed our egg coffee and an apple crumble pie.So yum! The egg coffee here is more dense, foamy and frothy than the one we tried in Hanoi. So so good that we actually thought of heading back after our dinner!
El GeckoEgg CoffeeOh, that apple crumble!
P.S. We actually trooped back the following day for another iced coconut cafe and to try the Cot Dua Com Xanh or Coconut Green Rice Coffee. So so refreshingly good!
We are actually headed for Sapa in Northern Vietnam, some 5-6 hours away from Hanoi. But there’s time enough to check out some Hanoi eats before the “nature trip” up North starting with this Hanoi signature dish called Cha Ca. Served with dill, spring onions and vermicelli, this turmeric fish is a classic. Cha Ca La Vong is its full title but in Hanoi, they simply call it Cha Ca. One of the popular restos serving this Hanoi specialty is just right across our hotel. The Cha Ca Thang Long Restaurant in the Old Quarter of Hanoi has 3 outlets IN THE SAME STREET but the one across our Hotel Peridot has a tiny, narrow courtyard leading to a two- storey French-inspired structure in faded yellow hues. The main ingredient is the grilled catfish marinated in turmeric and cooked with dill and spring onions right on the table. We were taught to fill our individual bowls with vermicelli before spooning in the turmeric fish with dill and other herbs like coriander and mint. There were also peanuts one can throw in with some fish sauce mixture to taste.
Cha Ca Vermicelli goes into bowl first, then spoon in the fish and herbs. Next, throw in the nuts and some sauce.
If you’re dining here, don’t think there are many menu options. People come here really for the Cha Ca dish. You may order some fried rolls just for variety but I didn’t find them particularly good. The Hanoi beer is a good accompaniment, or you can go for some tea instead. This is not my first time in Hanoi but it’s my first time to try this Hanoi dish.
Egg Coffee Hanoi Beer
Post-Chaka lunch, we trooped to the cafe a few meters away to try the EGG COFFEE. Introduced way back in 1940s during the French war, egg as a milk substitute just burst out as the perfect remedy at a time when milk was in truly serious shortage. I can’t say I was floored, but under the conditions when it was resorted to, I bet it was a hit! Now a popular Vietnamese coffee aside from that which uses condensed milk, the egg coffee is bold, foamy, dense, and syrupy. Best spooned than sipped. Almost like a dessert. An experience, if you like.
Rolls and Prawn Pad ThaiChicken in Skewers
After Sapa, we’d stop by Hanoi again before flying out. Let’s see how we make out in the dining department. In the same hotel where we stayed, I wouldn’t mind repeating some of the dishes we enjoyed in the lovely Grand Peridot Boutique Hotel. Not exactly traditional Vietnamese cuisine, but the prawn pad Thai, rolls and chicken in skewers made for a delightful dinner with all the theatrics in presentation, capped by a dramatic cocktail concoction. Xin Chao!
Once you cross 50 years since graduation, you treasure every moment, every minute, every get-together not knowing when the next one would be. Nor who’d be around at the next reunion. This sentiment prompted many based abroad to come home, and for the core organisers to line up as many events. Any excuse to see each other in the limited time everyone is around. Amazingly, the adrenaline of seeing each other again must have pumped up these “energiser bunnies” as every event, every single affair proved to be well-attended, well- organised, and superbly enjoyed! Best of all, that very same energy pushed these senior ladies to brave the long drive to LAIYA, San Juan in BATANGAS and to pull an overnighter in this wonderful paradise of a beach resort.
As one rolls into their 70’s, the service demands grow several notches higher. Food, customer service, cleanliness, convenience and leisure/entertainment option all become mandatory rather than simple wish lists. It would be a nightmare to fail their standards. But The Resthouse truly delivered. The 9-hectare beachfront estate provided the sea breeze, stillness, tranquility and scenic views to soothe the nerves after long drives. The memory of a beach affair among giggly, life-loving, cheerfuland cool, rocking grandmas is a gift made possible by The Resthouse management and staff. Five stars won’t suffice. And the fond memories will last for a very long time.
Thank you, The Resthouse, for granting our wish of this lifetime memory. We treasure our time spent in this slice of heaven on earth. Till our next gathering there!
We could have covered more in Provençe in 10 days. In 2003 and 2004, I managed to include Le Baux, Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles. All very beautiful destinations. The kids wanted to go to Nice and Cannes (French Riviera) too but we decided to just cover Luberon and the Van Gogh trails. No regrets. The rest can wait for another trip. But there were highlights to this Provençal trip. Before we left the area for the City of Lights (Paris), we talked about what thrilled, surprised and pleased them most. Guess what — they loved all the food, ice cream/sorbet and even the grocery purchases in Provence. We even made sure my Instagram account (jolli.belly) chronicled all our food and snacking adventures!
Le Cheval Blanc in front of the Arenes de Nimes. La Dolcezza (Nimes) is one of our 2 fav gelaterias. Restaurante Mercadante in Nimes
Since we stayed longer in Avignon, we had more meals here. And more ice cream / sorbet where Regal Glacé with its 74 flavours won hands down. Twice a day we’d troop to this gelateria after lunch at any of the bistrot along Hotel de Ville (City Hall) area. First off, we tried La Grande Brasserie Le Cintra nearer the walls. Salad, entrecôte and pasta composed our first lunch in this walled city. The next day, we hopped on a train to Tarascon and found a tiny, family-run cafe/bistrot and enjoyed the best chicken burger, dorade and a big chunk of steak. On our way back to the train station, we stopped by an oyster stall — happiness in a shell!
La Grande Brasserie Le CintraLe Bistrot des Anges de Tarascon
Around the Hotel de Ville area, there’s a row of restaurants just past the carousel. We tried the Restaurant Le Venaissin (the paella and Magret de canard were 👍), La Civette Avignon (try the Boeuf Charolais — that French breed of cattle), and Le Citron Vert (I should have tried their Moules Frites than the very dry and grilled entrecôte and sauce-smothered dorade). “Jolli.belly” on Instagram has snapshots of the food we ordered. Had to load/post them photos right away lest we forget where we ate. Naturally, we failed to do this each time and yes, promptly forgot the Resto name.
Paella and Magret de Canard at Le VenaissinSteak Charolais, risotto and fillet mignon at La Civette AvignonWhat we stuffed into our mouths in Provence! (Check out jolli.belly on Instagram)
The trips to Carrefour and the desserts at Regal Glacé or that other gelateria in front of Palais de Papes have become rituals during our stay. So with “a proper lunch” in a brasserie or Bistrot, and a salad and wrap/ sandwich off the Carrefour shelves for dinner in our hotel room. Trips to the Boulangerie or Patisserie for our croissants and pain au chocolat and ahem, let’s not forget the occasional crème brulee. On a Saturday Market Day in Avignon, we had a home cooked lunch of pasta and pizza at Mama Rossa who gladly wrapped our leftovers to take back to our hotel. The portions were so generous that I had them for dinner and breakfast the next day!
Mama Rossa’s Pizza at the Saturday Market in Avignon That bowl of Bolognese was hardly touched and saw its way back to our hotel room for an eat-in dinner. Soft-serve, gelato or sorbet in a cup or cone, granitas to cool off!
So, yeah. Food is always a big part of our travels. And we never hesitate to repeat or head back to a fav restaurant and order the same stuff. My 2 young travel buddies love their meat while grandma prefers seafood. They eventually got hooked on salads (for dinners) which are quite filling — think salad nicoise and some other Mediterranean salad with pasta shells and big chunks of grilled chicken, or with couscous or quinoa. Somehow, we managed a “balanced diet” with delightful purchases of fresh white asparagus, peaches, strawberries, etc. as in-between snacks. 😊 Eases the guilt off the sugar spikes from the ice cream and crème brûlée.
We are spending 7 days, 6 nights here in Avignon. That’s after 3 nights in Nimes. Soak up a bit of Provençal life and do day trips from this walled city to explore other parts of Provence. My 3rd trip here, actually. The first time, a friend and I drove from Paris through Tours and Lourdes to Provence before meeting up with friends in Barcelona. That was in 2003. Soon after, I headed back after visiting Lourdes, hopping on a train to Toulouse then boarding an onward train all the way to Avignon. In both trips, I felt shortchanged that I didn’t spend as much time as I could. All rushed, busy with day trips to explore Arles, Nimes, Aix en Provence, Le Baux, Saint Remy de Provence and Marseilles. All touch and go. Just “sightseeing”. I’m not doing that again. I’m spending a whole week in Avignon!
Palace of the Popes best viewed & enjoyed with sorbet on a hot day. Having my Quiche Lorraine in my hotel room.
This time, we checked out the Saturday Market in Avignon, did some retail therapy, dined in French restaurants and a pizza parlor in the city center and ate a lot of ice cream and sorbet! I love Provençal cuisine as it blends French with Spanish dishes with a sprinkling of Italian from its being under the Romans for some time. South of France literally means near the border of Northern Spain. Also, Avignon is NOT exactly that provincial — the city vibes are there, in the shops, in the many touristy stalls, cafes, theatres, gelato bars and restaurants. But so much more relaxed and milder in temperament or character than Paris. Easy to cover the entire walled city in 2-3 days but it’s a convenient base for excursions to explore more of Provence. We enjoyed the spacious hotel room we booked, unpacked with comfort, claimed the 3 closets in the room and made good use of the sitting room for our dine-in dinners while our laundry dries.
The Papal Palace GardenAvignon has many “old” and modern spots.
The ticket costs only €13 for the Palace, Garden and the Bridge. The tablet guide they give you is so high-tech it took some time to figure out how to make it work. Took an hour and a half but going to the viewpoint for St. Benezet Bridge or Pont de Avignon requires some uphill climb. If you don’t care to walk or climb, just hop on the tiny, silver Choo-choo train for €10. I won’t tire you with details on the Papal Palace and the Avignon Papacy. Suffice it to say that 7 popes lived in Avignon rather than Rome from 1309 to 1376 because of conflict with the French crown. Thus, Avignon holds that distinction of being the papal capital for some time.
Avignon Bridge or Pont d’ BenezetInside the Palais de Pape
We enjoyed our twice-a-day ice cream sessions here. And the punishing summer heat (29C) must have worked up our appetites too. The outdoor cafes and restaurants offered many options. Paella, steak Charolais, fillet mignon, salmon risotto, entrecôte, salad nicoise, Magret de canard, pizza and pasta. And some ice cream and granita bars offer as many as 74 flavours! You can’t go hungry in Avignon. C’est La vie!
We enjoyed many good meals here. No French portions; the servings overwhelmed me!
It’s 2023 and it’s been 4 years since I first visited this capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Just a day trip from Brussels then but as I mentioned in my last blog, I’d head back for at least a couple of nights here the next time around. And so it went, a weekend in Brugge or Bruges or however it’s spelled. Stayed in a hotel housed in a 17th century structure that used to be a brothel just a few blocks from the plaza.
Bruges at SundownBruges without the tourist crowd
As soon as we checked in, we stepped out to have brunch at House of Waffles. Easily found a table and enjoyed our savoury and sugary waffles and liege. The next few times we passed it, there was always a long queue of tourists. So we satisfied our hunger in a burger joint with the most splendid view. That, and a visit to the old brewery where locals congregate for happy hours. Proost!
House of WafflesBurger King Snacks with a View
There is this old brewery which seems to be favoured by many locals called De Halve Maan (Half Moon). We asked for the blond beer, which tasted a tad sweet, def not bitter, just like ale. From here, we walked back to the city hall area where a free concert was about to begin. We claimed our seats and listened as the orchestra played for a good half hour.
Blond Beer from De Halve MaanEnjoyed an orchestra playing for a half hour here.
We had a lovely weekend here. Our hotel provided breakfasts and we chose to have it in the tiny garden and braved the slight chill. Enough to perk us up every sunny morning. Choosing to stay nights here was a good decision. We found and enjoyed Brugge sans the tourist crowd. Indeed, this medieval city is like Disneyland. You get the crowds from morning till early evening, then have it quiet, serene and lovelier without the crowds by sundown. Perfect!
The canal cruise Have you watched the movie “In Bruges “? That’s the wooden house in that film.
The highlight of our recent trip to the Kansai area was the full blooming cherry blossoms or Sakura. So much worth the 3 day extension we made to base ourselves in Kyoto after Osaka. Week earlier, we simply visited Kyoto as a day trip from Osaka. On our last 4 days, we based ourselves in this old corner of Japan to enjoy the Sakura scenery. And to continue our love for the seafood markets of Osaka and Kyoto.
Look at those prawns! Love these lobsters. We had two — with loads of cheese!
Our heads were spinning just looking at these beautiful sea creatures, steaming or grilling. We found this lobster vendor in Kuromon Market in Osaka offering us a small round table behind him so we promptly claimed our seats and pointed out the lobsters, prawns, squid, and unagi to grill. We also asked for oysters but he didn’t have any so we were allowed to order from the next stall, along with some scallops! Asians that we are, he understood we badly needed our rice which he didn’t have. So one of us trooped to the nearby Family Mart to buy steamed rice which the store kindly warmed to complete our very late but sumptuous lunch!
Butter and drops of miso on my scallops! That squid was grilled to perfection!
From Kiyomizu-Dera to Fushimi Inari to Gion the whole morning and a good part of the early afternoon. It started raining in Gion so we decided to call it a day, but not without visiting the Kuromon Market in Nambashi area near Dotonbori. It was well past 3pm but since our last full meal was breakfast at our hotel before setting out, this feast was our very late lunch that may well be early dinner.
We brought home fresh strawberries but they weren’t as sweet as the ones we ate here. Spotted: yes, those were fresh UNI that we sampled after the strawberries! First time I used scissors to cut up my oysters!
Memories of Kuromon persisted till our last day in Kyoto. From our Kyoto hotel, we took the subway to visit Nishiki Fish Market. But we didn’t just eat fish or seafood. Because it rained, we scrapped our trip to Kobe and searched for the premium beef in Nishiki. We weren’t disappointed. We also found more sea creatures here. This time, we ate standing up! No tables in this cramped little space with barrels for tables and smelling of sizzling, grilling, steaming seafood all around. This beats the 4D ride in USJ’s Hogwarts area!
That’s our Kobe steak! Crab Sticks sitting on a bed of Kani miso. Spotted: Octopus on skewers. I actually wanted to try Tako Tamago but found none. Y’know, that octopus with its head standing upright bcoz someone stuffed a quail egg into its small head. Mean, huh? My apologies.
The rainy day may have ruined our plans to visit other Sakura spots around Kyoto but thankfully, we had our fill of cherry blossoms the days before. From Kuromon Market in Osaka to NishikiMarket in Kyoto, it’s a food trip hard to forget. Our jolly bellies speak for ourselves and you bet we’d repeat the adventure in our next visit of Japan like it’s a ritual! Sakura and Food is our version of “hanami” in Kansai!
So many choices in Nishiki! And look at those oysters with Ikura and Uni — all my favorites on a single shell! Holding that Kani miso like it’s a pricey jewel! Love that man behind us! He also enjoyed watching us eat like it’s the last day of our lives.
Our first home base was in Osaka. Right in Namba’s Dotonbori area. The aroma of food wafting from the food stalls and restos kept us going especially on our first night. We have made our wagyu dinner reservations but ended up in the wrong resto branch. And that’s after some time looking all over the place, scanning all the alleys. We were tempted to just skip it and instead check out the many ramen or yakitori or crab places but how can we give up on matsusaka beef 🥩? The staff in the “wrong branch” took us to the right outlet just a few meters away. Seemed like they’re used to guests getting lost or missing the right branch. The night ended well and we were satisfied with our first dinner in Osaka. 👌
Wagyu Dinner at Matsusaka-gyu MFushimi Inari Looking Empty of Visitors
Woke up early the next morning for a train ride to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, but it seemed most everybody had the same “brilliant idea”. Walked all around until our knees went jello, then moved to Fushimi Inari where once more, a long line of visitors have already assembled. Alas, the gods smiled on us and we found a break in the line so we promptly took snapshots of the shrine’s vermilion gates looking empty. By the time we were done, we took the Keihan Line to Kyoto’s geisha district, Gion. This time, we failed to spot any geisha, geiko nor maiko. But we enjoyed Hanamikoji alley in peace as the sun set in Kyoto.
Another Tourist Trap: Arashiyama Bamboo ParkSundown in Gion District
Osaka and Kyoto are just 15 minutes apart via Shinkansen. So convenient. And from the JR Namba Station near our Osaka crib, we took the rapid express train to Nara Deer Park the next day. Just under an hour. Easy. But not as easy is the trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Took the 1.5 hour Shinkansen, the half-hour local train from Hiroshima to Miyajima and finally the 8 minute ferry ride to the island. But hey, if you have the time, and the JR Pass, it’s worth visiting. The pass is good for the Shinkansen, local train and ferry. Just make sure you don’t doze off on the ferry ride or you’d end up making a round trip!
Miyajima IslandNara Deer Park
On our way to Tokyo, we broke our journey in Kyoto for a quick visit to Kiyomizu-dera and to enjoy some Uji matcha delights. Suitcases left in the station’s coin lockers, we were off to take the local train from Kyoto Station to Kiyomizu-gojo via Tofukuji. The uphill climb from Exit 4 took a half hour. The thick crowd we met served no encouragement to truly explore this beautiful temple but we’re not complaining. Time enough for a visit and catching our late afternoon Shinkansen to our next crib, Tokyo. Watch this page for more of our adventures!
This 2022 is a better year judging by how the pandemic woes have eased and how international borders have opened up. Soon after we returned from our Nile cruise early in 2020, we survived a lockdown which saw us cancelling as many as 3 international trips in 2020 and staying in for much of the time throughout 2020-21. Sad news from family and friends we haven’t, couldn’t visit reached us and all we could do was pray and try to stay healthy. My annual visits to my family in Sydney was put on hold until OZ borders opened up in February 2022. I wasted no time and secured a visa to visit Sydney last May 2022. Stayed a good 6 weeks and felt gratitude seeping in that our family is well and in good health.
La Familia. OZ Chapter. It was winter that mid year in Sydney. Lovely to bond with family again, especially since there are just 2 of us sisters in the original branch of the family.
Soon after, it was time to visit a niece now based in Guam. Renewed my US visa to visit this territory in the Northern Pacific and spent a month, thinking there isn’t much to do in this tiny island. I was prepared to get bored and promised not to whinge. Well, I must have done whatever there is to do in Guam from hotel staycations, duty-free shopping, watching a musical, binging on movies in the nearby cinema, trying Chamorro meals, driving and touring around the island, swimming and other water adventures. There were a number of family friends to meet up so there’s aplenty to do and catch up on. Besides, there was a birthday to celebrate!
A day excursion to Bikini IslandAnd a birthday to celebrate!
In between these visits, I made 2 domestic trips. One to holiday in Boracay with dear friends who are my extended family, and another to Cagayan de Oro in Southern Philippines to celebrate a friend’s retirement and birthday. My relationship with these extended families makes me feel so very thankful for their friendship and the bond that ties us forever. Their children are all my godchildren — from baptism to wedding — and our friendship counts decades with the younger members forging an equally strong bond among themselves. This relationship will last beyond our lifetimes!
And then there’s our Fukuoka trip this last month of the year. Not our first time to Kyushu Island in the southern part of Japan, but we were just too eager to travel again as a group. Who cared who was guiding us or where we were going? Destinations hardly mattered. There were just 3 major sights: a garden in autumn foliage, an active volcano and a gorge, and a canal cruise. And onsens and kaiseki in between. Enough. In the company of these travel buddies, we’re good. Fun as always. More fond memories. We are blessed.
Typically, I prefer independent travels. But when you’re a big group, and with bebes, escorted tours suit best. We had a big bus for our group, and kaiseki meals were pre-arranged and looked forward to. As expected, we had what the area offers fresh and best. We may have issues with our Japanese guide on communication and all, but the food department is nothing to complain about. What a relief!
All 9 courses for our first kaiseki. That Aso beef!
In Arden Hotel Aso, we had 2 kaiseki dinners. We grilled our Aso beef the first time, and had it shabu-shabu a second time. The 2nd kaiseki was more filling as we stepped out of the dining hall with our garments bursting at the seams. No wonder the yukatas are preferred wardrobes for this ritual! Wagyu fans can celebrate but in my book, that sea bream carpaccio is tops! Also, that was the best ebi tempura I’ve eaten. The batter is simply too good, way crispier than the usual.
Sea bream carpaccio Everything on this tray is GOOOOOD! Even the pickles.
When we visited Takachiho Gorge, we had a “simple lunch” in this tiny izakaya accessible through 3 flights of stairs. If your bladder bothers you, better do it before climbing up. But I thought the tray presented an attractive meal which we all enjoyed. After all, I was almost nearing my quota for Aso beef (or any beef) and craving for other proteins.
The “hut” lid covered the yummy dish. Cute! How do they do these eggs?
When we headed to Yanagawa, we lunched in this seafood place just before boarding our river boat. What a delight to see them fish out our lunch fresh from the water tanks! I confess I was hoping for an eel lunch but I’m not complaining about the fish we had.
It’s a rather flat no-name fish. Can you tell? I wouldn’t mind those clams and oysters too!
By the time we reached the city and on our own in the dining department, I knew what to eat. Those excursions exploring geological wonders hyped up my appetite for unagi (eels) and more shellfish. Found an unagi place and an oysters bar at the rooftop of Hakata Train Station. Well, on the top 2 floors actually. Cravings satisfied!
Unagi for my last lunch before flying out. Oysters, sardines and zucchini with prosciutto for our last dinner before heading home. Best with beer.
Not to forget, we did partake of that Ichiran ramen too. Not to be missed. You don’t leave Fukuoka without eating this noodle dish in this rich broth. Plus a wagyu lunch somewhere along the route deep down in the island of Kyushu. Sayonara!
lifeisacelebration 