Lisbon, The place to be...

To each his own.....

There are myriad of  reasons for our fascination with a  place.

One sample  reason is its landscape and
picturesque sceneries that can leave every visitor spellbound.. Another reason is   palatable cuisine and a  wide choice of outdoor activities.There are also  those  who are drawn to a place mainly because of its rich history as well as its significant contributions to civilization and this  explains my fascination with the land of "FADO".

Ever since``the exploration age´´ was discussed in my history  class in high school, I have always been fascinated with this beautiful country. Portugal was one of the 4 main countries that  spearheaded the  world exploration in the 15th century  and great explorers like Vasco De Gama
who discovered Brazil and  Magellan hailed from Portugal. Its historical legacy is what  has indeed sparked my interest to visit the place and before I knew it,my  dream  finally became a reality and I found myself in its  gorgeous capital, Lisbon.

LISBON  is a hilly capital  and a sprawling city dotted with  quaint architectural buildings.The century-old wooden trams and iron funiculars add to its beauty and charm.
At every turn you will find buildings and houses whose facades are decorated wih tiles.As I wandered around, I felt like I was taken back to the 15th century when Lisbon  was still in its glory....I couldn´t help but think about the `Portuguese Renaissance´´ explorers, while exploring  the city. It was  exciting  to be walking the same path where the likes of Bartholome Dias, Vasco De Gama  and Prince Henry  could probably have passed through...In every corner, the view  is simply breathtaking.Even if there are  some buildings  that look as if they were going to crumble, the place is still lovely in its own right..

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP

JERONIMOS MONASTERY
A trip to Lisbon won´t be complete without a visit to Jeronimos monastery, one of the most beautiful buildings in Portugal and a classic example of
Manueline architecture, a style unique to Portugal. It is  a fusion of  gothic, moorish  and Renaissance influences. Built by King Manuel in the 15th century, the monastery  contains the tomb of King Manuel and other Portuguese historical  figures including Vasco de Gama, whose accomplishments at sea inspired the king to build the monastery


BELEM TOWER

Classified as UNESCO heritage site,the tower is undoubtedly one of Lisbons
most iconic landmarks.Commissioned by King John II to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus river, the tower is located right across Jeronimos monastery...It is  a symbol of Portugals maritime glory as well as classic example of Manueline architecture..A must-see attraction!

DISCOVERY MONUMENT 

Shaped in the form of  a ship, this monument was built in honor of Prince Henry , The Navigator.It is located right on the spot where famous exolorers sailed from.Furthermore, Chistopher Columbus

is said to have  docked  in this place on his way back to Spain. What  a gratifying and rewarding   experience for me  to visit the place in which great voyagers from Age of Discovery had  once set foot..



MOSAIC MAP 

A stone´s throw away from Discovery monument,  a beautiful mosaic map on the ground details all the countries that all Portuguese explorers
had explored during the Age of Discovery.Very informative and educational, it is something not to be missed.





PASTEIS DE BELEM

This shop is famous for its  cinnamon -sprinkled custard...A horde of tourists  flock to this pastry shop before and after  visiting Belem Tower and 

Jeronimo´s monastery

It is always jampacked so one has to be  patient enough to wait in a long queau in order  to get their hands on  the most sought - after portuguese pastry.
As I took a bite, it melted right into my mouth..My long wait in the queau was worth it..Its taste was heavenly!It was soo good that I could eat a dozen in one sitting..

FADO SHOW-

No visit to Lisbon is complete without watching a fado show...If Flamenco is to Spain, Fado is to Portugal..Fado is a melancholic  song accompanied by guitar

or Mandolin..Its theme usually tackles death, betrayal in love, despair and suffering..Fado music is the heart of Portuguese soul.

SANTA JUSTA ELEVATOR

As I was making my way for Chiado station, I chanced upon  this extraordinary structure which is one of the city´s important landmarks and known as

"Elevator of Carmo". Built at the turn of century, this lift  is 32 meter high and connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo to Carma Square and used to be powered by steam. At the top of the tower one  may enjoy an observation deck with a beautiful view of the city and river. 

TILE DECOR

One thing that is undeniably interesting about  Lisbon is that there are  tile decorations in every corner..no wonder why Lisbon has been dubbed as the city of tiles ..In every corner of the city,
you will find tile -decorated pathways,  and walkways . Buildings and  houses whose facades are decorated with tiles add to the uniqueness and charm of this  city...

Having experienced some  glorious things about Lisbon, I highly recommend this place to be on the bucket list
of every travel enthusiast.Quaint and Charming are two words that sum up this European gem. My trip may have ended, but a part of me remains in the city..
As its beauty and charm is beckoning, I keep tellin myself I SHALL RETURN.....

Milan: Overrated Tourist Destination

I bet many of you are planning  to visit Milan  and wondering what this city  has to offer. In this blog, I would like to share with you  some of  my experiences and insights about this famous place.

As you may know, Milan  is best known for its cosmopolitan and sophisticated lifestyle and  has been dubbed as the Fashion Capital of Italy. Due to  media hype, the city  has gained its popularity and  has been glamorized in many years, especially with its yearly  international event : Milan Fashion Week, thus making it an overrated city in my opinion.

Long before I got the opportunity to travel  to the fashion capital, I had been greatly influenced  by what  I always  read, and heard about this city. Many documentary and mainstream films I´ve seen in the past  featuring Milan were  contributing factors in shaping my ``desire´´ to visit the place. In fact, it was a filipino film, entitled ``Milan´´ that  really  kicked up my interest. The  excitment kept growing after  settling down in  a nearby city in Europe, since I  knew  I was only few steps closer towards fulfilling my desire. Then in March 2011, I finally found  myself exploring the city of Lombardy --  The fashion capital   unfolded right before my eyes!

One of the main  tourists attractions in Milan that I got to visit  is the Duomo,  which is the fourth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in Italy.  Unknown to many, it took  almost 6 centuries to complete  and contains more than 3,500 statues  and   52 enormous columns inside. This masterpiece is  indeed  breathtaking and  an ideal  place if you wish  to get a bird´s eye view of the city center..

Another popular place is The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Arcade , which is the oldest shopping center in Italy, dating back to 1867 and  a popular hangout to unwind, for both  tourists and locals  alike. To be honest, it was a bit disappointing as it was not something  I had expected. It  was just an   ordinary  arcade filled with expensive  restaurants and shops. And much to my chagrin, I didn´t find anything special about the place.. In short, it was flat and boring, to say the least. The only thing that made my day during my visit to the arcade was the bull mosaic on the ground. Legend holds that stepping on the bull's testicles brings good luck and  I was one of the tourists who lined up to give it a try:))

Other famous places are  the Theatre Museum at La Scala , a world-famous opera house and the 15th-century Sforzesco Castle's Museum of Historic Art.  The Gallery of Modern Art is also a major attraction and the Pinacoteca di Brera exhibits collections of medieval and Renaissance art, including the work of Napoleon.

The crux of the question : Does Milan  offer other important  attractions apart from  what has been mentioned  above?  Unfortunately, I couldn´t think of anything else that I find  significantly interesting. Nothing else is of artistic importance, so to speak. However, I would like to reiterate  that the place coud be a perfect getaway  for anyone  loaded with money and who love designer brands  as well , since Milan offers   a plethora of international high end designer shops. One important shopping district in Milan is Quadrilattero della Moda, where many well-known fashion designers have their high-end boutiques and stores from Italian designers to all the world famous brands.You name it and the place  has it.....from  Italian brands such as Bvlagri, Gucci, Prada, Fendi,  and Versace down to  international labels, such as Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors , Chanel , and LV

Overall, Milan lacks the artistic elements. In fact, many tourists who have been to this city  think that it  is the least beautiful compared to other Italian cities. The city is filled with run down old - looking buildings , which detract from its overall beauty and not to mention, it  doesn´t offer so many activities and places of attraction for anyone to come back , except for shopping . But, I have to give Milan a credit though, for its great and palettable cuisine and ``aperetivo´´, a happy hour   in Milan, where you can enjoy   an `` eat-all-you-can´´ dinner once you buy a drink for  only 8 to 10 euros. But,  in general,  I think Milan is just overrated and   media -hyped .It is not  what it is cracked up to be. In other words, , you never know  what  the place is really like until you experience it....

A Journey To The Land of Smiles

Upon my arrival in Bangkok Airport, a smiling ground stewardess greeted me with her hands clasped together, a slight nod and the words Sawasdee ka , the traditional Thai greeting. It made a wonderful start to my journey to the land of smiles.

Sitting in a cab all the way to my friend´s residence in LADPRAO,I noticed that Bangkok is a sprawling mishmash of modern and ancient dotted with high rise buildings, chain stores, “Wats´´(Thai temples) and scores of other attractions.The grandeur of the "City of Angels" started to unfold right before my eyes as I embarked on the journey together with my friend. We went on several major sightseeing tour.A visit to “The Grand Palace" , one of Thailand´s most holy sites built around 1782, and “The Wat Po“ , which houses the biggest reclining Buddha in South East Asia. A river cruise through Chao Phraya River was indeed delightful as I enjoyed a spectacular view of WAT ARUN ( Temple of Dawn) situated on the bank of the river and traditional Thai houses amongst others.

 

Bargain Shopping

There is more to Bangkok than temples. Shops and malls are everywhere.One of the biggest in Siam center is the MBK or Mahbookrong Mall where you can haggle over the prices of goods.Not to mention the weekend market known as Chatuchak Market, a sprawling maze of food stalls, pet stores, clothing at rock-bottom prices, jewelry and a plethora of other dirt cheap items.

 

Night Life

While strolling through one of the streets, a three-wheeled motor vehicle taxi, popularly known as “TUKTUK“ caught my attention. Together with my friend, I took a ride in it and headed off to PATPONG, a vibrant spot bustling with bars, discotheques and night bazaars: a perfect place for barhopping and shopping during wee hours - a tourist haven indeed!

The following day, we set off to PATTAYA which is about four hours by bus from Bangkok.The place is renowned for its beautiful beaches and nightlife.Hundreds of beer bars, restaurants and clubs line the busty streets brimming with activities.A bustling place synonymous with fun filled travel experiences.

Our next stop was The NONG NOOCH VILLAGE, one of the popular places in Pattaya to catch a glimpse of the elephant show.It was a spectacular show where a herd of elephants did some amazing tricks such as doing the hullahoop using their trunks, picking up the mahout's hats off the ground and so on. One of the elephants standing on its rear legs and playing with the skateboard really blew me away.It was truly entertaining.

Back in Bangkok on the last leg of the trip, we managed a couple of quick round tours through ROSE GARDEN and SIAM SQUARE, which offered something to explore around every corner.Suddenly, a pang of sadness went through me as my four-day trip was drawing to a close.I was not keen on leaving such lovely place.I made a promise to myself that I would come back to THAILAND to explore more of its beauty...