Blog Shmlog

For the first time in months, we’re able to be together without rushing and counting the hours. Momon just finished another busy season at SGV and is still catching up with sleep and rest. So really, everything we’re doing for his birthday is for relaxing and recharging.

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The next morning, we headed for Tagaytay. We woke up at 6am and left the house at 7. Our destination: Sonya’s Garden .

Sonya’s Garden welcomed us with a soft breeze as we walked to the Bed and Breakfast section for a much anticipated meal. Immediately after we entered the gates, we saw a full garden of flowers in different colors and sizes soaking in the sun.

Just like I read in other blogs and reviews, the place was really a treat. The fresh white linens with small embroidered flowers give a feel of sheer cleanliness and calm. The ocassional gentle wind hugs and cools you down, and conducts the chimes to play their sweet songs for you. You don’t need to remind yourself to relax, you just do.

For our breakfast, we were served daing na bangus, chicken adobo, cheese and mushroom omelet, fried rice, hot tsokolate, and fruits. Inside our water glasses was a single leaf of mint.

Momon and I took our time with the food. We ate for an hour and a half, just enjoying each other’s company and the whole feel of the place. I wouldn’t say though that the food is the best I’ve tasted. I’m sure it can be improved in many ways, but the service and the experience makes up for it.

After breakfast, we took our time walking around the garden.

Let me tell you, this is place for photographers—beginners and professionals alike. The colors, the sunlight, the textures are superb. I, of course, was prepared! I brought camera and my tripod so Momon and I can take some photos together.

Ay, ang saya. I think naingit pa nga yung ibang mga tao na nakakita samin with the tripod. Hehe. Momon was just posing away, habang ako pabalik balik sa tripod para magframe, rushing to pose, then showing him the photo, then setting the tripod again, then running to pose again. Whew! Nung sabi ko “Kunan mo naman ako ng solo.” Sagot ni Momon, “I-timer mo na lang rin.” Hahaha!

While I was taking photos of flowers, Sonya herself passed by us. Of course we really didn’t know that it was THE Sonya. I just had a suspicion, cause she was in all white, with the hat, and she looked like she was touring some people. And then all of a sudden, she talks to Momon in a loud voice, “Are you staying for lunch?” Momon answered, “No, we already had breakfast. We’re going to have a massage.” And that’s it. Immediately after that, we were so disappointed that we didn’t even compliment her garden, or that we didn’t joke that we want a discount. Haha! I was more disapponted that I didn’t get to talk to her, or even look at her and give her a smile of appreciation. Sad. Next time na lang. For sure, merong next time.

The beauty of Sonya’s garden is in the details. There were nice nooks in the garden where you can lie down for a moment and rest. The paths are lined with small stained glass houses which I imagine light up beautifully in the evenings. There’s all the the panaderia with the best spanish bread I tasted.

After relishing the garden’s treasures, we went to the spa to have a steam bath and a massage. This is the part where we really relax and recharge.

It was Momon’s first time to have a steam bath, I think it’s my third. They set up two portable steambaths side by side in our room. They infused the water with a very relaxing essential oil. In no time at all, we were dripping with sweat, and releasing the toxins from our bodies.

After about 20 minutes, I took a bath first while Momon continued with his steam bath. You’d think that the bath is just a bridge between the steambath and the massage to come, but it wasn’t. It was one of the nicest baths I’ve had. The water was warm, and the shampoo and soap had strong scents that filled the bathroom. It was so refreshing after being under the sun outside.

Then we were finally ready for our massages. We chose a special massage where each patient had two therapists—the Four Hands Massage. Hay… four hands down, this is the best massage I ever had. Truly truly divine.

The secret to the massage is the synchronized strokes of the two therapists. You won’t feel that there are too many hands touching you cause they’d put their hands on you and remove them at the same time. They would also have specific choreography to complement each other’s strokes. For example, one therapist was by your head, and another was by your feet, then they’d make their way to the middle of your body with long strokes meeting at the glutes. If the therapist by your head is working on your left shoulder, the one by your feet is working on your left foot. When they do your arms, they’re both beside you and executing the strokes in complete unity as if there’s just one therapist. Their equal pressure was also a key element. I peeked at them once and saw that they were looking at each other’s hands and signalling each other with their eyes. And because they cover so much of your body in a short time, they are able to really give each body part full attention. Hay… I was so pleased with the massage that I clapped in the end and said, “Bravo” even in a hushed voice.

For Momon’s massage, he had two male therapists. I was quite apprehensive at first, cause they’d be in the same room with me, right? But my therapists made sure that I was well draped at all times.

To finish the experience, they served us a cup of hot dalandan juice with a basil leaf. Oh my, oh my, oh my. I immediately fell in love with the drink. It was tart and sweet at the same time; and the basil leaf infused it with a beautiful scent and taste making it so unique.

We didn't take any photos during this part cause we didn't want to bother ourselves! I want to sleep right now as I’m writing this, cause I keep remembering the whole relaxing atmosphere of this day.

We left Sonya’s Garden with a promise to come back soon. For our next visit, we’ll try the lunch and maybe get another massage. Hay…

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It was already 2pm when we started our drive back.

We passed by Ilog Maria Honeybee Farm. It’s not that easy to get to but this place is quie known to people who love organic soaps, shampoos, and the medicinal power of virgin honey. We walked around the farm, saw the bee boxes, and shopped a little. I got carrot soap, spearmint and honey soap, honey and mint shampoo and a small bottle of bee pollen. Momon got eucalyptus and ginger soap for his psoriasis. Can’t wait to use them.

***

The last leg of our trip is a drive back to London.

It was a long trip but it's a bit interesting cause it was snowing in Calais when we got down to meet with immigration officials.

At this point of the trip, marami nang may sakit, and my Dad had a very bad cold with recurring slight fever. But because we wanted to see London--and because we paid so much for the London visa-- we dragged ourselves and braved the wet, cold London night to see some sights.


This is totally different from the rest of our trip cause we no longer had a tour guide. We took a local bus-yung double deck-- to The London Eye. But London is not as well illuminated as Paris, that's why the only famous building we can see from above is the House of Parliament.

Since we're so tired, wala na kaming pakialam. After the ride, we just got dinner and went back to the hotel to rest and pack.

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The next day... I woke up very early and walked the long halls of our hotel to pick up our breakfast. Nakakatakot nga kasi medyo luma yung hotel at naiimagine ko na bigla na lang may multong haharang sakin! Kumusta naman!

Pero deadma na. Hay... this is the final part. Uuwi na kami! Yehey!

Our flight going home was smooth sailing, no delays or anything. We really enjoyed the nice entertainment console of KLM and the abundant orange juice. I watched Philadelphia (ibang level si Tom Hanks), played Sudoku, Tetris and other games.

Whew... what a trip!

Paris, at last!

It's the last leg of our tour. The long drives and super cold weather is taking it's toll on everyone. A lot of people are sick; and since we're inside an enclosed bus most of the day, it's easy to pass the virus or get it from anyone. Because of the ongoing drama of fever, coughs and cold, you almost wish for the tour to be done already. But Paris has a lot more to offer, and it's truly worthy of being the finale of this trip.

We arrived in Paris at around 4 pm, after a 500 kilometer drive from Lucerne. We had a very very short glimpse of the Eiffel tower, but it seems to want to hide from us until she is able to put her make-up on for the evening show.

At around 6pm, our group set out to see the City of Lights. Ang masasabi ko lang... wow talaga!

Now I know why so many people say that Paris is "the best city" or that "you can't help but fall in love in/with Paris", all that jazz! E kasi naman, ibang level talaga! The buildings, the streets, the lights, everything--they put on a show for you.

Sabi ni Sharon, there were four engineers who are considered the fathers of Paris. They made sure everything in the city is beautiful. They created ordinances for zoning, planted trees in perfect straight lines, and constructed the streets to form a beautiful intertwined design. The buildings are not just lit, they are lit to show their best assets! Sharon also described the mirror designs of arches of the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, etc. Bawal din daw magconstruct ng high rise buildings. And even the lights in certain streets have to be a uniform color. In short, talagang pinag-isipan at pinaganda.

First stop, the Pantheon. This is where the remains of Leonardo da Vinci, Vitor Hugo, Jean Jacques Rousseau and other French personalities are housed. We had dinner at a small restaurant just a street down the Pantheon. While waiting in line, the bread delivery came in and we could smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked French bread.

For this dinner, the menu was much much more exciting. We were given the chance to choose from 4 appetizers, 4 entries and 6 desserts. Sosyal! I had french onion soup and prawns. My dad had "escargo" (naks!) or in our words, kohol. Super naweirdohan tuloy samin yung mga taga Australia. E di sabi namin, “We eat this all the time!” There were also frog legs ang duck liver pate available.

Again, there were entertainers for our dinner. Super funny sila! Compared to the Italian operatic singers, these two were more relaxed. They smiled for the cameras, played funny music and really gave everyone a laugh. The atmosphere of the dinner was great because you finally got to know the people you're touring with. You can easily talk to them, dance with them, after all the small talk and pleasantries you had to endure during the first week of the trip. It was also Sharon's birthday, and of course, it's more reason to celebrate. By the end of the dinner, some people were drunk! Hahaha!

After dinner, we admired the lights of the Louvre Museum, the Military Hospital, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, and of course the Eiffel Tower.

***

The next day, we woke up early to go visit the Eiffel Tower. While waiting in line, the wind started blowing and our whole bodies and faces were frozen in no time. We were huddled so close to keep each other warm, tapos meron ba naman isang group na naniningit sa group namin--mga matatangkad na Russians na hindi nagi-English! Kaya di mo makausap na wag silang maningit.

Grabe itong moment na 'to! Nabwisit si Sharon sa local guide namin kasi hindi nya mi-nakesure na walang sisingit. Tapos medyo inaaway din ni Sharon ang mga naniningit. Pero sumingit pa rin sila. Some of us had to hold hands just to get in as one group.

So, heated na ang eksena... Ayan! After squeezing into the small door to get on the lifts, we were reunited with our group. Ang ginawa nung mga matatangkad na Australian and American guys (Boris, Stephen, Bud, Alex, etc), gumawa sila ng wall to separate our group from the Russian group. Tapos pinapasok muna nila lahat bago nila kinalas ang wall! E di natural nag-cheer kaming lahat, as in inasar namin ang Russian group, yeah! Tapos nung nakapasok na kaming lahat, meron ba naman sa kanila nagtry pumasok kahit masikip na nga! Tinulak sila palabas ng mga tall guys namin! Nagkasigawan pa, muntik magsapakan! Moment talaga kung moment! Pero kami nanalo kaya super cheer na naman kami habang paakyat. Feeling isang team kami for the first time!

So, ayan nasa taas na pala kami! Super onting time lang kami dun, and ang lamig to the max! Hindi na kami masyadong naka-explore kasi ang hirap gumalaw. Kailangan din bumaba agad kasi medyo matagal ang lifts at pag naiwan kami, magaantayan kami sa bus.

Sa sobrang laki din ng museum, syempre hindi mo makikita lahat, expected naman yun. Pero thankful pa rin ako kasi we were able to see almost all the really famous pieces. My favorite is the "Winged Victory of Samothrace". It was huge, and so beautiful and graceful.

Meron kaming local guide na ang hirap intindihin ng English nya. After a while, ayaw mo nang makinig kasi effort talaga maintindihan. AT ANG DAMING TAO!!! Nakaka-claustro, nakaka-stress! Sayang yung experience kasi di mo manamnam yung mga art works, kasi may tao sa likod na nag-aantay sayo matapos. Si Mona Lisa pinipilahan at wala pang 30 seconds kailangan umalis ka na. Super daming bantay, papalayasin ka talaga. Bili na lang kami ng book para mas maintindihan namin.

Rush din kami sa pagkain. Junk food na lang nakain namin--burger, fries, at dun na kami sa inverted pyramid area kumain na nakatayo. Stressful talaga. Can you just imagine? After reading about this sa Da Vinci Code, kakain ka lang pala ng burger dun sa gilid. Hahaha!

Nasanay rin kasi sa mga ibang parts ng tour namin na kami lang ang nandon sa area, like nung Christmas days sa Neuschwanstein at Burano.

Anyway, next stop is Notre Dame Cathedral.
Again... beautiful, majestic, exquisite, breathtaking! Naalala ko tuloy si Quasimodo. Sa labas, hindi mo pa makikita ang kulay ng stained glass, pero pag pasok mo sa loob, wow! Nakakapgod na magdescribe, ayoko na magconstruct ng mga mabulaklak na sentences! There's really nothing compared to seeing it for yourself.

After the day tour, uwi muna kami. Rest muna, nap, etc. Naglakad lakad lang kami around our hotel, bumili ng fruits, nagrelax. Syempre, nanigas na naman kami agad, kaya di na kami masyadong nagtagal sa labas.

***

For our final night, we watched the Moulin Rouge.
It's a show of dance, song, acrobatics, topless divine statuesque ladies with perfect bodies, high kicks, tiny bikinis, and men with perfect abs. Para silang hinulma, mukha silang mga mannequin! Lahat sila pare-parehas ng katawan, super gorgeous dancer's body.

The dances and songs were superb! Even if I didn't understand what they were saying, I easily got caught in the melody. I can still hear the song in my head. The singing, though, it was not for concerts we have here.

The intermissions between different sketches were also superb. There were acrobats, a ventriloquist, and a comedian. Oh, I didn’t want it to end! I could have watched them all night! But as always, all good things must come to an end. The Moulin Rouge concert was a perfect way to cap off our tour of Europe.