Flashback Europe...traveling light!

Wow, its been 7 months since my last post! What a lazy a** I am. But before anyone condemn me for not updating (if anyone cared to read this blog), I have been busy taking care of my belly bump for the past 6 months and writing a post requires a lot of effort :) But since I am now nesting, I've got the time to finally post something. Hope someone do care to check my updates :)

Speaking of nesting, I've been spending my time going through my travel photos. I finally managed to arranged it by folder and segregate by places. Imagine it took me two years to check all photos from our Europe trip in 2011! It was quite massive that I always dread opening one folder. I'm just glad I had the courage and time to do it :) So expect more travel photos/updates to come while I wait for the arrival of our little bun.

The photo above reminded me of how amazing my travel to Europe was. I was there for 23 days with a 40L backpack. I can't remember how I was able to managed traveling light in such a beautiful place. Normally, I would bring clothes for everyday change and one clothing should not be worn again. But it was the opposite while in Europe. Though I did not really wear the same clothes everyday, I experimented on whatever clothing I brought and made sure I brought the basics. That made the difference. Plus it was summer, so it was easier to bring light clothing.

If I'll have the chance to do it again, I would do it without batting an eyelash. I've experienced the pros of traveling with a backpack rather than lugging a huge suitcase. Maybe it will be quite difficult if you travel during winter but during the summer season, it's very doable. I wish i took a photo of what was inside my pack but for reasons I cannot remember, I forgot :) Got too excited I guess.

Barcelona Spain: Our favorite city in Europe

Okay, we haven't really traveled to many cities across Europe and my husband only visited Spain but we both agreed that OUR favorite city is Barcelona :)

Last June 30, we celebrated our 32nd wedding monthsary, so I thought of sharing one of our favorite travel destinations. (And Spain trashed Italy at the Euro Cup Finals 2012. Viva Espanya!)

I remembered how the husband almost did not make it to visit this beautiful city when he initially didn't want to extend his leave from work. But when we set foot in our first city in Spain, he immediately decided he wanted to extend :D I can't blame him!

His decision was worth it! Although I traveled a day ahead, our excitement never died down.  Actually, I was more excited to travel alone for the first time on an overnight sleeper train from Madrid to Barcelona :D It was one of those experiences for the books. ( I will share more about that later).


Barcelona was a refreshing sight to behold after our busy stay in Madrid. We felt more at home as  tourists. Although, we've read that pick pocketing is massive in the city, we did not feel unsafe. Probably we were just very careful of our belongings and mindful of our surroundings. You get that kind of feeling when you've been traveling for a while.

Rome: Hottest City I've visited in Europe

When we were planning for our trip to Europe last year, we were completely aware that its the summer season. For a sun chaser like me, this added to my excitement. Yey! I thought that it will be kinda similar to the summer I used to have in the Philippines. I packed my summer clothes - colorful and light, lots of sun block and my favorite sunnies. What we were not prepared of was the kind of heat we were about to experience.

It was excruciatingly HOT in Rome! While in Spain (our first Europe destination), we were not bothered so much of the heat because the experience of being finally in Europe was still sinking in. But when we traveled to Italy and set foot in Rome, I almost died in dehydration and heat stroke. Seriously!

Best Paella is in Valencia, Spain!

I swear I've tasted the best paella in Valencia, Spain!

We travelled to four cities in Spain and almost always had paella every meal :D Don't judge us, it was our first time in the country!

Valencia was never part of my cities to visit, however, since the husband couldn't travel with me to Italy and France, I gave him the freedom to choose the cities he wanted to visit in Spain. Expectedly, the history/architecture buff in him prevailed.

City of Arts and Sciences

Indeed this lovely city did not fail us in the architecture department. The old buildings were a sight to behold. I heard myself saying "wow" a million times :D

Coz travel stories are meant to be shared...

YES! I have decided to reincarnate my almost dead blog :)

I realized I could not design a blog of my own and css codes are just too much for my little brain to handle  thus I am back to blogspot. Nevermind that I purchased a domain and tried to make my own travel website but to no avail. So I am back! :)

I promise to tell you stories about my recent travels and previous ones that I have yet to sort out photos :) I am soo lazy at this kind of thing, sorting out photos that is. Makes me miss the place all the more, yet it gives me a different kind of excitement.

For the next couple of days or months, I will share the awesome and not-so nice experiences we had while backpacking in Europe with my sister, the two weeks break I had (because I resigned from work) and backpacked to Bangkok, Laos and Koh Samui, the first time we joined a package tour in Chiang Mai Thailand, the relaxing/pampered trip we had in Melbourne and Sydney with my mum and my recent birthday trip to Bali. Looooong list! Expect an overload of photos soon. Watch this space! =)

Meantime, while I dissect words to post, enjoy my current favorite travel song ^_^





Btw, who knows how to edit my header so I can add a background photo in it? :D

Being Open while on the Road.

I met a lot of people in Europe. I even encountered myself. 

~ James Baldwin

Louvre, Paris France

I agree with you Mr. Baldwin!

After Spain, I was set to travel to Italy and France, without the husband. Unfortunately, he could not extend his trip due to limited vacation leaves. I have already psyched myself mentally and emotionally before our actual trip. I was thinking about what was to come and what I will become without him. Honestly, I have been wanting to travel alone in a new place as I was not able to actually do it before getting married. So this was the best opportunity for me to do what I’ve been dreaming of except that I will eventually be joined by my youngest sister in the trip.

I was literally alone from Barcelona to Rome. I was suppose to meet my sister in the same Rome airport but she missed her flight so I had to go alone to the city and find our hostel. While I was finding my way to the bus terminal to take my ride to the city, it finally sank in that nobody was there to guide me where to go. I had to figure it out myself. Luckily, I have a good sense of direction. Not wanting to miss my stop, I instantly went down where most tourists alighted. At the back of my head I thought, “they could be going the same direction as I am and anyway they are also World Youth Day delegates so there is no harm joining them”. And how lucky I was to befriend them! They helped me buy my ticket because unfortunately I bought the wrong train ticket at the airport  When we reached Roma Termini, I found out that they have not booked their accommodations so I asked them to check out the hostel where I was staying. Good karma was on our side and they got their room.

Colosseum, Rome Italy

There were many other instances during our travel that allowed us to help and ask help from strangers. I realized that it’s normal to act paranoid but it’s also okay to ask help from anyone. Traveling with my sister was entirely different than traveling with my husband. I had to read the map and find our direction the easiest way. I was so used to just following where my husband would lead me because he usually carried the map and knew exactly where to go. But when my sister and I were finding our way to a spot, there were lots of times when we got lost and could not even find our way back. It was during those times that I had to act brave and enjoy the trail.

However, I soon realized that being lost isn’t always a bad idea. Not following your itinerary is as exciting as finally finding your hostel after hours of walking with a heavy backpack. I also realized that tourists are all the same. We slept in airport terminals just so we can save one night’s accommodation and that’s okay. We also try to endure the pain of walking miles so we could really enjoy the beauty of the place. We have the same fears whether you are Asian, British or American. We all fear being robbed, abused, and taken advantage of. I mean all these fears are normal when you’re in a new place and it all depends on how you act. Luck was on our side every time we asked help people had been helpful. Some even went out of their way and accompanied us to the metro station even if they were late for their appointment. Others cooked dinner for us and invited us to join them. Little things like being offered a seat in the bus or offering to take our photo or teaching us which bus to take. But I assure you that every time we were in those situations I had all sorts of scenarios in my head whether this man is sincere or the food is safe. I know it’s ridiculous to think bad things about people who are offering help but I can’t help it. Paranoia is in my system. 

The lessons I learned while on the road is incomparable. I thought that if you have a detailed plan and itinerary you will know everything and you will not need help. But I was wrong. Language barrier was one of the challenges and direction was another. My impatient self was always bothered every time I couldn’t find my way or when I was being served with the wrong food because the waiter didn’t understand and I was too hungry to even argue. So yes, I learned a lot of patience.  

Piazza del Duomo, Milan Italy

Among the vastness of the crowd of tourists and locals alike, I felt like a small mustard seed totally invisible from everyone else. I learned humility. No matter how different your status was in your hometown – in a new place you are a stranger. You really don’t know everything. You are also expected to follow and respect culture or traditions whether you agree or not. 

I least expected myself to experience all these realizations but believe me I did! Normally, I am not that patient and open. I usually say what I think whether its nice or not. And I have lots of fears I am not willing to overcome. But traveling alone, even with my husband or with my sister, taught me a lot beyond my expectations. William Least Heat Moon said is his book Blue Highways, “When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” And this explains my experience while on the road in Europe.

~

Thank you, Grace of PinayontheMove for featuring this post on your pretty travel blog.

Backpacking Europe for the first time.

Okay before you raise your eyebrows or ignore this post, allow me first to explain why I backpacked instead of traveling comfortably...

Most first timers to Europe would rather book a travel package with everything included so they won't have to worry where to go, where to sleep, where to eat and how to explore the place. This is the easiest way for first time travelers. But I am not a fan of travel packages or tour groups (sorry no offense, its just me). I appreciate how convenient they are for those incapable of doing more research or for those who don't want the hassle of preparing the itinerary on their own - it's truly helpful if you are that type of traveler. I would prefer to use it if I am traveling with my family in a place where the English language is unknown.

I don't consider myself a hardcore backpacker compared to other travelers who really carry with them huge backpacks and travel for months. I've learned to backpack just because I've always wanted to travel cheap so I can save for shopping. Haha, how ironic! But at least I have the motivation :p So when we started planning for our Europe trip, backpacking came in handy. Booking a one (1) star was not even an option. Hostelbookers was very helpful in planning our accommodation. Although some of our actual experiences were somehow different from the reviews, but that will be a separate blogpost. 

Yes, I literally backpacked with a 12kg bag for three weeks. I have to mention though that carrying it for hours wouldn't be possible without the help of the husband so I suggest before you follow my lead, make sure you are ready for the back and hip pain. I was ready for all types of pain but what I was not ready for was the heat of the sun in Spain. Imagine carrying a 12kg bag in a 40C temperature??? It was crazy and I seriously went hysterical! And it's okay to be hysterical if you have a husband like mine who's ready to carry your bag otherwise, keep calm and carry on :)

I really find backpacking very convenient especially if you have shorter stays in various cities in Europe. We started in Spain and visited Valencia (2days), Toledo (2days), Madrid (6days for the WYD) and Barcelona (3days). Then I flew to Italy and met my sister. We visited Rome (3days), Florence (2days), Milan (1day) and Venice (1day). Our last stop was Paris, France. See, we were always on the go. Although the transportation in most Euro cities is very convenient such as renfe in Spain and trenitalia in Italy, their metro station is the opposite. It's not very friendly for those with huge trolley luggages. So if you carry a backpack, you'll easily find your way among the crowd compared to those dragging their luggages in the staircase :D Central metro station is an exception though especially those with connecting train rides to major cities. They have escalators, accessible lifts and travelators. My sister used the trolley luggage and although it was smaller, she really had a hard time carrying it especially when we arrived in Milan and discovered that the nearest metro station to our hostel  had the longest staircase ever! Luckily, we survived the climb!

So yeah, we enjoyed backpacking and sharing our room to other travelers. We booked private rooms in some cities but dorm type accommodations for most of our stay and enjoyed a few free upgrade from dorm to private in some :D It was fun meeting other travelers and exchanging travel stories. This kind of experience makes me enjoy backpacking a lot. I'm not fuzzy in sharing toilets/showers with other people as long as its clean and decent. I don't mind sleeping in a small bed with someone snoring on the other end. I don't care if other occupants make a mess in the same room as long as they don't steal my stuff. I mean, if the hostel is decent and the reviews are great, there's really no reason for anyone to worry. The only reason why you're there is to sleep after you've enjoyed the sights outside your hostel room. You have to make sure though that 90% of your time is spent outside, roaming rather than spending it inside, sleeping.

The amount we saved for booking cheap accommodations was spent on food and shopping few clothes :D Obviously, the latter is a not so nice idea because it will add a kilo to your backpack. But what the heck! I'd rather sacrifice the back pain for new clothes than re-wearing the used ones :P I told you I'm not a hardcore backpacker. Haha! Hopefully this mindset will change soon when my long term travel plans will take place :)))

Til here for now. Will continue the adventure soonest. Goodnight, world!

Recovering from the Travel Bug Bite...

...if there's such a word :)))

Hello blog, i missed you! Sorry for staring at that new post blank page for few weeks now. I just don't know what to write or how to start. My three weeks wander lusting was causing me too much memory overload that it almost made my brain explode. There were just too many beautiful sights and experiences to remember and my ordinary brain cannot handle the overlapping of snapshots. The thousand photos didn't even help, actually it made the situation even worst - instead of typing the words, I always end up staring and browsing for more photos.

But today is different because I've finally decided to compartmentalize and turned on my brain to come up with the most "jaw-dropping" come back post. Teehheee =)

I guess when you're bitten by the travel bug, you need to refresh yourself slowly but surely. When I came back, I didn't literally experienced jetlag because I was forced to overcome it due to work. But I noticed that after my first week, I became too lazy to do something productive and was just too comfortable slacking off. And it didn't do me any good, for one, I was not able to post anything here and two, I missed a lot of updates from friends because I was "almost-always" unreachable. Luckily, I have recovered and ready to plan for the next trip :D

Meantime, while I edit some photos, let me share to you some snapshot of the places I visited in Europa =)

City of Arts and Museum, Valencia Spain

Santo Tome, Toledo Spain

Palacio Real, Madrid Spain 

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Spain 

Colosseum, Rome Italy

St. Peter's Basilica, Rome Italy

Palazzo Vecchio, Florence Italy 

Emmanuel Vittorio Shopping Mall, Milan Italy

Gondola by the bridge, Venice Italy 

Eiffel Tower, Paris France

Enjoy and happy week ahead!

Who said traveling to Europe is expensive?

I guess a lot of you will agree :) Yes? Yes!

Air tickets, hotel, train tickets and of course shopping, will surely cause havoc in your entire savings. But who would want to miss shopping in Europe? Not me! :)) However, due to budget constraints, I guess I would have to think twice, thrice or a million times before even thinking of touching my wallet. It will cause me a lot of stress for sure. (Please pray for me that I will come out alive from every shops and boutiques that will catch my fancy.)

So we've been planning our upcoming trip. And how did I survived?

First, we booked our air tickets way way advance like 7 months before our scheduled trip. This is very helpful if you are planning to visit the place during the summer season. I tell you, price could really increase sky rocket high.

Second, we plot out our itinerary (if you are visiting other cities). This took me quite awhile to decide because I want to visit the whole place, as in the whole continent. Of course, I am aware that I can't do that in a 3 week trip. So the decision whether to visit this place or that place was really tough. Finally we decided on three major countries. Plotting your itinerary will help you find the right and cheapest transportation and number of days you are staying in a place. I know how convenient travelling by train in Europe but actually it also helps you to save money and time if you travel by plane. There are a lot of budget airlines in Spain, Italy and France. And they're all way cheaper than those train tickets :D

Third, we booked our accommodation through the cheapest hostels we can find. Hostelbookers was such a sigh of relief while searching for a place to stay. This website is very efficient and complete. In just a few clicks, they can show you different cheap hostels complete with reviews and maps. We booked a dorm type room shared with 4 people for only 17euros per head. Quite a deal, isn't it? I mean we are going on August and its a peak season because it is summer. 

Next on our list is booking the train tickets. I know its such a boohoo that we haven't booked this yet. You may ask my sister why :D I just hope we can still find a cheap deal because really the prices are unbelievable :( This is certainly on the books of stupid mistakes. Anyhoo, no choice for now but to wait.

I don't know if you find these information relevant but I hope in one way or another it does make sense to you. I've always considered myself a budget traveller. Any place I visit, I try to book the cheapest tickets and hostels. And I won't mind sleeping in the airport alone just so I can save a one night hotel accommodation :D I guess, I might be doing this in Barcelona. Wish me luck!

Travel Jitters for a First Timer!

I've been acting really weird recently and trying to shake my head nonstop. Am I really going there for real? Did my boss seriously approved my 3 weeks leave? I still can't believe it and I'm still trying to convince myself that, Yes I am going to EUROPE! 

HELLO, UNIVERSE! THANK YOU! :D

I remember writing this two years back - JOIN THE WORLD YOUTH DAY IN MADRID, SPAIN. And it was one of my conditions with the husband before we tied the knot :D Thankfully, he said Yes, even without a job yet in Singapore plus thousand bills to pay for our wedding. I don't know if he said that out of love or just to keep my mouth shut from blabbing :)) Whichever way, I am very much grateful that he took his promise by heart and made sure that we will join the event.

Fast forward...its 78 days more to go before the World Event! Whoa, time indeed flies so fast! And what have I been doing lately? Hmmm...Nada! Just staring at various websites without an inch of idea what to do first. Ha! Sounds disappointing for an excited first timer :(

So why am I sharing it to the world just now? (as if, someone is itching to know my whereabouts haha :P) Well, plainly because initially I am not comfortable to share it to anyone :P But I battled against my dear self and asked her, why not??? And she gave me really panic-inducing answers such as...

Uhhmmm, because I'm scared? 

because, I don't want other people to know that I'm scared to ride the plane in a 13hrs or more flight.

because, for most part of my trip, I will be travelling alone - yes, without my husband!

because, I don't know Europe's history and I have a hard time reading maps :(

because, I only know few words in Spanish like "por pabor", "mi amor"... doesn't even make sense.

because, I haven't booked my domestic transportation tickets and accommodation.

because, I haven't applied for my VISA. 

Yes, I am having my worst wanderlust experience...travel jitters! This is even worst than our Caramoan Island travel adventure. :D I don't know how else to describe this feeling. I've felt it for the first time in my entire travelling career :D And I don't know how to even overcome it. I've started plotting out my itinerary, which I always do before each trip. I even started tweeting my online friends in Spain to help me out. Worst, I've started entertaining thoughts of cancelling my plans of travelling to Italy and France. Oh myyyy! Somebody, please slap me. I need to get things started right. Help!

Has anyone of you experienced the same thing for their first long flight to a new place? I would love to hear from you guys. Share your experience and help me! :)))

Our Europe Dream - Need your Help!

Help us make our Europe tour come true!

• Go to www.myeuropeandream.com.
• Look for "Sharing a Dream in Europe" by Vonskie.
• Click on my dream cloud.
• Click "Like"! (When my "dream page" opens, it'll be on the upper right portion.)

Pretty please people! Thank you in advance!

Create your own dream too and share the link so I can like it!