DeeWanderlust: Madrid, Spain

Hi guys,

This time around I will be sharing my travel adventure in Madrid, Spain. I seriously loved the time I spent in this beautiful city. This place is known for its culture, food and architectures. If you have been following me for a while, it probably seems like I say this all the time, but I seriously think that I get so excited to explore different places, see the beauty in everything and end up loving it!

We stayed in a great hotel called H10 Tribeca. The full address is Calle de Pedro Teixeira, 5, 28020 Madrid, Spain. It was near to a few metro stations and very close to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. There were a lot of restaurants, tapas bar, pubs and supermarkets surrounding the location.

The food was AMAZING, but perhaps this is because I’m Filipino. The Philippines were colonised by the Spanish from 1521 to 1898. Therefore, the Spanish culture and cuisine influence on us Filipinos are still very strong up to this day.

Best churros in Madrid was from Chocolatería de San Ginés, it was so delicious! This place is considered as one of the oldest cáfes in Madrid, which is located near the Plaza Mayor. I would recommend for you to try their chocolate con churros (unsweetened deep-fried dough dipping in hot dark chocolate, for those of you who doesn’t know 😊).

While in Madrid, I had to pay the Rizal Monument a visit. This is located at the junction of Avenida de las Islas Filipinas and Calle Santander. José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (most commonly known as José Rizal) is the Philippines’ national hero. This was built in 1996 and also stands as a replica of the Rizal monument at the Luneta in the Philippines.

I had to visit Mercado de San Miguel as this is one the oldest market in Madrid. I believe it was built in the 1910s and reopened in 2009 after several years of construction. This place is full of life and really reminds me of Borough Market here in London. From gourmet hams, cheeses, paellas, fried seafood and fresh fruits – I feel that Mercado de San Miguel really does have something for everyone.

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a famous football stadium in Madrid, with a current seating capacity of 81,044. I believe that this is one of the world’s famous football venues.

Every time we go to a new destination, I feel like it raises our tolerance for uncertainty, just like being out of our comfort zones. When I travel I usually come across situations where things don’t always go to plan. However, this for me is one of the reason why I love travelling – it gives me a chance to explore myself, physically and mentally. When exploring new places, I make it to a point that I would have to visit a church (and just to be clear I am not claiming to be the most holy person, before someone comments regarding religion). I love visiting churches – not only because of the impressive architectures, but most importantly it helps me get a better sense of myself. It helps me reflect, be humble and grateful. The churches in Madrid are amazing, but my favourite on is the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Almudena.

 Have you been to Madrid before – what was your favourite about the city? If you haven’t, where is your next travel destination? 

Lots of love, dsb

 

 

 

 

 

DeeWanderlust: Boracay, Philippines 

Boracay is a small beautiful island located in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Every time people would find out that I’m from the Philippines, most especially my co-workers, I would always get asked if I have been to Boracay or either they will tell me their experience when they went there. I have been seeing and hearing how amazing Boracay is from international travel magazines, blogs, vlogs and other social platforms. Therefore, when I had plans to go to the Philippines for holiday I definitely made sure that this beautiful island is on top of my list.

Check out that fine, soft and white powdery sand!

No wasting time, I wanted to get all the photos done as quick as possible so I can enjoy the beach 🙂

I love how clear the water is, it is so beautiful. Upon arrival, I was offered if I was interested in the activities. Boracay offers so many activities such as parasailing, paraw sailing, helmet diving, mermaid lessons, island hopping and so much more.

Yummy four cheese pizza from Two Seasons Boracay Resort.

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Boracay has the best sunsets! Well, I believe generally Philippines has the most amazing sunsets ever. For the whole time that I stayed in Boracay, I would never dare to miss the sunset. This is also the time when a lot of the paraw sailing comes out as it is the best time for photography.

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Boracay is also well known for its night life. There are so many venues to choose from, therefore I am sure the there will be something that will fit your style, whether this may be a wild party or a nice relaxing lounge with live music. There are a few clubs to choose from but if you prefer a certain style of music, it is worth checking their Facebook page first as they usually  post what they will be playing on the night.

As you can see I opted for a nice relaxing night!

Bar Hopping with Pub Crawl is really popular in the area. They bring people together and rotate between nine bars/clubs and visit five of them each night.

However,  I clearly did not go down that route. I rather have my own drinks and chill!

These are some of the souvenirs that they sell in Boracay but of course they also have the usual key rings, shirts and accessories made with shells. Usually they are able to personalise them and this is what we have bought for friends and family.

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This is Kuya Jay, he was the vendor that was walking around by the beach. We purchased some of our souvenirs from him such as craft engraved rock/stones that he made himself. I have read a few blogs and some of them mentioned how annoying the local vendors are as they won’t leave people alone to enjoy the beach. I must say that I had the complete opposite experience, we saw Kuya Jay when we stayed at the Station 1 of the beach and we  have told him that we are not interested in purchasing. This is due to my desire of walking  around the beach and was not willing to carry items with me at the time. Kuya Jay politely went and walked away from us. However, after seeing him a few times after that, we have bought some of his souvenirs. We had such interesting conversations in regards to how it is being a local in the island. He gave us tips on where to go and eat, which are not the usual tourist spots. In addition to that, we have kept in touch and every few months he sends us sunset photos of Boracay via email. It was so nice to have met some of the locals and made friends with them.

I was so happy that the water was so clear. I was skeptical at first because I was aware how crowded the island gets. However, as you can see the water was so nice and at some point I was able to see the little fishes swim around (that’s how clear it was)!

I missed taho* so much, this brings childhood memories for me. So when there were taho vendors at the beach, I would not think twice to purchase some. It is best to have early in the morning while strolling around the beach before it gets packed with people!

*Taho- is a Philippine snack food, made of fresh soft/silken tofu, arnibal (sweeter and flavouring) and sago pearl (tapioca pearls).

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I will always love walking around the beach, it is definitely my thing!

Jonah’s fruit shake and snack bar is a place that I definitely would recommend. It is not a fancy place to eat in but they do have such affordable, refreshing and delicious milkshakes. When we went there, the place was packed with people but we preferred to have our milkshakes by the beach anyway, so it wasn’t a problem for me at all.

Sunsets are so beautiful and dreamy

Loved the clean and clear water, it was so picture perfect with the hues of blue as the water goes further down. It was so relaxing to be in it especially when it is a hot sunny day.

I have this thing with palm trees, theres something about it that makes me feel good. I guess its the tropical, summer vibe it makes you feel. I took a few more photos of palm trees but of course I do not want you to get bored of it so I only uploaded the one below.

I must admit I don’t think all my adventures would have been as fun if it wasn’t for this guy right here. My travel buddy, best friend and life partner! I’m forever thankful for him and I am so grateful that it is him who I share experiences and create memories with. He is such an amazing person and yes I am one lucky girl!

Boracay will always have a special place in our hearts. We have created so many beautiful memories that we will forever treasure. From simple walks while talking about our future, watching the sunsets, having conversations by the beach and exploring the place are some that I  will never forget. As the day goes by, I fall even deeper in love with this guy. He makes my life so much more beautiful than it really is and I’m so excited for more adventures with him.

I hope you enjoyed reading my DeeWanderlust- Boracay Island post. Thank you very much for taking the time to read it.

For now, it is time to plan our next holiday destination. Do you have any holiday plans? If so, which destination are you looking forward to go to?

Lots of love from,

dsb

 

DeeWanderlust: Prague, Czech Republic

Prague, Czech Republic is such a wonderful place. It will definitely be a city that I would want to go back to. It offers breathtaking views, historic gardens, gothic cathedrals and many more. I am so in love with Prague and I appreciate the city’s diversity of architecture as they have both historical and modern ones. There are some places that are less known attraction but ended up being the highlight of my trip. The food were amazing and relatively affordable in relation to prices of food here in London. The people were so friendly and helpful especially when I have to ask for directions, they seemed to not be annoyed with tourist asking them questions. They also have few shopping malls such asNový Smíchov, Palladium, Chodov and many more. I love how they have Sephora, I literally went inside Sephora every single day that I was there. I had to take advantage as for some strange reason we don’t have any Sephora stores in London, therefore Sephora line of products are quite hard to get hold of. Overall, I enjoyed my holiday as the city has full of character and life. I absolutely loved every bit of it. Also, when I was there the sun was shining throughout the whole week which made my stay even more amazing!

Prague’s International Airport

Prague’s tram: The tram can actually access places like downtown Prague. These are the locations where the buses do not get to enter. They also have night trams, which runs from midnight to 4:30am but I would reccommend to first check the schedule if you are thinking of using it at night.

Walk around the city: Walking is very much enjoyable in Prague. The good thing about it is that if you are close to a landmark, it is pretty much certain than you are surrounded with other good spots within walking distance. For instance, if you are in Old Town Square, the surrounding places around it are interesting (such as Charles Bridge and Wencelas Square) which are all within 30 minutes walk. 

Visit churches: There are full of historical architectures around the city and Prague’s churches are a must-visit. The photo below is St. Salvator Church in Cahrles Bridge, which is said to be one of the largest and most complex building in the Old Town. The baroque architectures, sandstone sculptures and a dome painted with fresco are some of the reasons why I find the St. Salvator Church so majestic. Enjoy the view: I found that one of the best views I got was when I went up the Prague Castle. It was so clear to me Prague is such a picturesque city. I definitely got to admire the ancient side of things and it was definitely something very memorable for me.

Look up at the Astronomical Clock: this medieval clock was installed in the year 1410, which makes it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world. I would recommend to wait to a round hour so that you will be able to watch the famous moving figures of the clock. This is located in the famous Old Town Square of Prague.

Visit the Old Town Square: This has got to be one of my personal favourite spot in Prague. It is such a historic square, which is located between Charles Bridge and Wenceslas Square. I remember being here and admiring how magical the place looked. It has various architectural styles including the Gothic Church of our Lady before Týn, the astronomical clock and the Baroque St. Nicholas Church. It also features statues and memorials within the Town Square. What I love the most about this place is the vibe. It has such a fun and happy vibe. The place had street performers who were playing satisfying music from classical, pop to rock and other genre. Some were dance performers and magicians. The Old Town Square is a must visit when in Prague. img_5547img_5559

Try the Czech traditional cuisines: There are loads of great restaurants and cafés all over the city. One of the most popular traditional side dish is knedliky (dumplings), which includes either pork or beef meat with sauce. Tasteful Czech cuisines usually includes chicken, fish, duck, turkey, lamb and rabbit. I found that they also serve Guláš everywhere, which I love because it reminded me of my trip to Budapest. However, goulash actually belongs to the traditional Hungarian cuisine. The dishes mentioned are recommended to combine with beer and Prague offers loads of beer options aswell as their own brand of Pilsner Urquell.img_5642img_5805

The photo below shows Czech’s traditional cake and sweet pastry, which is called trdelník. It is made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, which they then grill and top with sugar and walnut mix and sometimes even coat with nutella. 

I totally enjoyed this potato chip spiral. This particular one from the photo below was located at the Old Town Square. It was perfect for snacks while I waited for the hour to watch the famous moving figures of the astronomical clock. 

Cross the Charles Bridge: This is one of the first tourist spot that I got to visit as I crossed the bridge on my first day of getting to the city. I absolutely love the Baroque statues, I have never seen anything like it before. It felt very medieval, it was like I was living in a different era. Even though the place was popular with tourists; it was somehow still very peaceful for me. I was admiring the unique structures of the building and I was definitely loving the vibe. I also got to dine in one of the restaurants by the bridge and it was such an amazing experience. It was very romantic as live classical music was playing while having delicious dinner and of course being surrounded by the beautiful scenery was so memorable. 

These are some of the paintings that they sell by the bridge. As you can see, they all look so lovely and the artists are clearly very talented. 

Out of all the photo that I took in Prague, the photo below has got to be one of my favorite. It looks so magical and it felt so wonderful being able to witness that kind of view. The river, trees, building and the sky are absolutely captured perfectly in a photo. I loved how the sun was peeking, which is also surrounded with blue skies. It felt like it was shining upon someone or something. I stayed in this spot for quite a while until the sun went down, which was so beautiful to witness.

Tour Prague castle (breathtaking view): The other name for Prague Castle is Pražský Hrad, which is one of the most popular tourist attraction. The castle is located above Malá Strana (the Lesser Town). The good thing is that it is free to enter and wander around the courtyards of Prague Castle. The view in the castle was truly breathtaking as you will be able to see the whole city from a different perspective. 

St. Vitus Cathedral: This cathedral is one of the most recognisable landmark in Prague. It is also the most important church in the country as it contains many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors’ tombs. I love the detail of the cathedral and its gothic architectural style. I admire the cathedral because of its rose window, the mosaic of the last judgement and its intricate stained glass design.

Check out some souvenirs: I would recommend to go to Havelske Trziste Market in Havelska Street for souvenirs as it is cheaper than buying it in the shops or malls. It is a permanent market that offers souvenirs, arts and crafts, chocolates, sweets, wooden toys, leather goods, ceramics, fruits, vegetables and many more. It is located off Melantrichova, a pedestrian route which links Wencelas Square with the Old Town Square. 

I enjoyed taking the public transport and the picture below shows how cool their stations are. From my experience, the transport was very much straight forward, reliable and convenient. The stations’ design varies from a modern style to an artistic graffiti walls.img_5661

Have you been to Prague, Czech Republic? If so, how was your adventure and if  you haven’t where was you last holiday and how was it? 

Lots of love from,

dsb