A mouthful in the South

There are a lot of ports along the Mediterranean coast of 
France and Spain.



St. Cyprien, Canet, Ceret, Banyuls, Port Vendres, Port Argeles and Collouire are in the French side while Port Lligat, Cadaques, Empuria Brava are on the Spanish side.
Each of these ports has something special, exclusive and unique to offer. Banyuls has barrels of their aperitif wine while Collouire are known for their fresh anchovies and sardines. 

While shopping in Ceret, there were espadrilles galore but I ended up buying a Panama Hat for my husband. 





When you cross the Pyrenees mountains to Empuria Brava, 
they serve the most delicious paellas, tapas and churros con chocolate.                                                                                                                        

Enjoying a beautiful day and bustling scenery while having our brunch in Canet.

mussels served with pomme frites

mussels cooked in white wine and fresh herbs in it's natural juice.

Chilled rose in plastic bag filled with ice and cold water. 

What a refreshing idea to serve chilled wine at home

Having our brunch in Collouire. 
Ordered our salad served with your own vinaigrette...nice touch.

a variety of skewered and grilled shrimps, squid and pork served with smoked ham and crusty baguette.

What an incredible way to start the vacation. I have a feeling it's going to be gastronomic. Well, bring it on.

My quiet moment at St.-Pauline-Kirche

While travelling between France and Germany, I was invited by our very good German friend who lives in Trier to come and visit. He had just become a grandfather and I was excited to meet the new addition to their family. He assured me it was well worth the visit and he already bought my train ticket. It was a Thalys train so in less than an hour from Gare de lest, I was at the station to meet him. There is so much to blog about Trier. Tourists and Germans flock to this small town to learn about its rich heritage and history . 
http://www.holidaygermany.com/take-a-trip-to-st-paulin-kirche-germany

One of the ancient churches we visited was St.-Pauline, a Romanesque basilica 

which houses one of the rarest attraction in Germany. Christians were persecuted during the Roman empire and the bones of Christians who belonged in the Theban legion are buried in this Roman sacred ground.

               

                                     This video was taken inside the magnificent baroque church 
                                                      designed by Balthasar Neumann.


          http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/410497/Balthasar-Neumann.

Welcome 2012!

I found this beautiful poem and want to share to all my fellow bloggers. Enjoy!

"Drop a pebble in the water" by James W. Foley

Drop a pebble in the water:                                  
in a minute you forget, 

But there's little waves a-flowing,

and there's ripples circling yet, 

And those little waves a-flowing

to a great big wave have grown; 

You've disturbed a mighty river

just by dropping in a stone.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness:

just a flash and it is gone; 

But there's half-a-hundred ripples

circling on and on and on, 

Bearing hope and joy and comfort

on each splashing, dashing wave 

Till you wouldn't believe the volume

of the one kind word you gave.

Dumaluan Beach

My Mother and I went to Cebu to attend my brother's wedding and soon after that, I whisked her away and embarked to Tagbilaran City via Supercat. It has been a while since my mom and I had a vacation.. The ride in the fast ferry took almost two hours. Once we arrived at the port, we were greeted by our tour guide for our day tour (which I will talk about in another blog). After our long day of sightseeing, the rest of the week was spent by the beach.

The last stop of the tour was the historical blood compact statue which overlooks Panglao beach. The water was so inviting. Our tour guide arranged a shuttle for us to Alona beach. I was looking forward for a little rest and recreation,  and eager to take my 83 year old mother on a swim in the vast, warm blue sea.

Had our breakfast by the quiet sea. We woke up to a relaxing and serene view.

Restaurant Cap de Creus

I don't make plans for my birthday anymore. When it happens, it happens. When you plan your birthday and things don't go your way, you have set yourself up. I've learned my lesson and I'm happier this way. Your birthday becomes more intimate and special to you.

My sister has been asking me to join them in the South of France for the summer. So when that day finally came, we packed our bags and drove to Vives where they have a summer home. It was my first time in the Pyrenees and I was in heaven.

My sister took me to museums, ports and fortresses, to ancient churches and of course boating along the Mediterranean sea. But the one special place the family brought me to was in Cap de Creus to celebrate my birthday. They treated me to an exotic and sumptuous Indian food overlooking a fabulous view of the ocean against the clear blue sky.

Cadaques is Salvador Dali country where we visited his museum in Barcelona and his home in Port Lligat. A slice of heaven where he got his inspiration for his surreal art along with other great artists such as Henry Matisse and Pablo Picasso who lived along the coast of Costa Brava.

The Ruins in Negros atbp....

I went to Bacolod in Negros for a golf tournament and the free time that we had were spent on sightseeing and enjoying their local cuisine especially their batchoy and pancit molo. But we were enchanted by Bacolod's grand ancestral homes which I didn't want to miss. The most intriguing of all the antique homes was The Ruins.

Restaurant Le St. Raph

One of our favorite  rustic family restaurant in Vives, Perpignan.

While staying at my sister's summer home in Vives, our favorite rustic family restaurant was just down the road. They don't have a website so this is when mine becomes useful to you. 


They  serve tender magret de canard, juicy steaks perfectly prepared to your liking, fresh anchovies on salads or freshly baked baguettes served with roasted bell peppers, grilled mouth-watering jumbo shrimps to name a few. It is situated beside a calming lake where kids can run around and play with the beavers. There is a small bistro beside it which they also own and they serve hamburgers and crispy pomme frites. 

L'Hostalet de Vives

     
                                Dining out in Catalonia is always an enjoyable feast.
              From Languedoc-Roussillon for fresh anchovies, sardines and juicy steak, 
                to Figueres and Barcelona, Spain for tapas and mouth-watering paellas.

 A typical rural Catalan restaurant in Vives, Perpignan.

What a treat!

A walk to the restaurant from our summer house. 




But a short and refreshing walk along the cobblestone road from our summer home in Vives leads us to the famous rural catalan restaurant that serves authentic dishes from this french region.  
  http://www.hostalet-vives.com/english/village/village.html

Hotel Templier in Collouire

A visit to this small village in Perpignan is as colorful as the paintings of Henry Matisse and Raoul Dufy. We decided to have dinner at the Hotel Templier. The restaurant offers the best sardines and fresh anchovies in the south of France. So my sisters and I gave it a try along with other delectable catalan cuisine.

                                          http://www.hotel-templiers.com/gb/restaurant.htm

this a very old restaurant and hotel. It houses a lot of the original paintings of Henry Matisse. He lived in Collouire and stayed in this hotel.

fried sardines, their specialty. The fresh flavor melts in your mouth.

fresh anchovies with roasted red and yellow peppers and creamy cheese on baguette.

feta cheese inside the filo. It was beautiful and delicious.

food glorious food with my sisters in Collouire..... 


http://cbuencamino.blogspot.com/2010/11/colliourethe-city-of-painters.html  


....if I'm dreaming....don't wake me up.

         

Tapas atbp. in Barcelona

A whole day in Barcelona was a day well spent. There were so many sights to see and taking the Metro was a breeze. Our first stop was of course the famous Sagrada Familia which blew me away. Gaudi was indeed a genius and intriguing. My sister wanted to impress me more so she took us to Parc Guell. We rode the metro and when we reached our stop, we walked to the very top of  Mt. Tibidabo where you can see Barcelona's breathtaking skyline. http://cbuencamino.blogspot.com/2010/12/beautiful-barcelona.html  

Barcelona's street signs

Sightseeing in Barcelona was exhilarating. The city was bustling and the sight of the Mediterranean sea in the background was calming. We started to get hungry. So, we walked along La Rambla for some good tapas and paellas. We satisfied our eyes from our sightseeing and now it's time to satisfy our stomach. 

anchovies on top of artichokes with chopped tomatoes and topped with olives

manchego with chilies

whitefish, deviled eggs with chilies

serrano ham and brie cheese with chilies

and of course Paella Negra and Paella Valenciana

My sister ordered this grilled fish and it was delectable.

 Good thing I found this in the summer since Tart Tatin is best served in the winter.



What a day! I'm definitely coming back.  This is one of my favorite cities in the world. 

Marie-Antoinette's dreamy estate

I've seen the castle of  King Louis IV in Versailles before and I still can't get over the feeling up to this day.
 It is grand, wealthy, ostentatious, decadent and magnificent.
Marie-Antoinette was lucky to have hooked up with a fashionable and wealthy king of France.
They were both very young. Marie-Antoinette was a teenager when she married the King. 
So imagine the power that was bequeathed you. 
It completely consumed the Queen that she got out of touch with the real world....so off with their heads. 
They were the last royalty who lost their heads in the heart of Paris. 
At first, I rationalized the Queen's shortcomings and weaknesses. 
But the moment I visited her Trianon and Hamlet,
 I saw the light. She was a queen who staged her passion for being a peasant. How? 
She had a dreamy estate built to satisfy her caprice.

Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau

portrait of Cocteau by Andy Warhol

5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963 was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager, playwright, artist and filmmaker.

http://www.jeancocteau.com/bio.htm

My visit with my sister Monica who lives in Fontainebleau was an adventurous vacation. She lives in one of the most historical places on earth so she and I together with our eldest sister who is visiting from Hawaii keep discovering interesting people and impressive places. One morning, we were in Milly-la-Forêt, a small village where she always buy her freshly baked, hot and crusty baguette when we chanced upon a new museum. It was just newly inaugurated and just opened its doors to the public so we decided to go in and see what's in store for us. 

St. Denis and Canal St. Martin and Rue La Fayette in Paris

I wanted to see Canal St. Martin because I've seen paintings of it by famous artists. Somewhere along the way to the canal, we got lost but it didn't matter because we enjoyed our walk. We finally arrived at Poisson Rouge for some cappuccino and pastry. After our photo shoots by the canal, Zen and I needed some retail therapy so we continued our walk along Rue La fayette to go to Gallerie La Fayette and Printemps.

Before we embarked on our journey to the Canal, we had lunch in this Indian restaurant. 
This is an Indian neighborhood where you can find authentic curry and tangine dishes served with my fave, chutney. I'm crazy for curry food. Gotta have it.

aside from curry dishes, they also sell a lot of other things typical of their culture.

Walking Tour of the Latin Quarter

Finding something to do is not hard when in Paris. One early morning, my sister and I joined a walking tour of the Latin Quarters in the west bank where artists, writers, students and intellectuals hang out and live. It is rich in prose and poetry where novels like Cyrano de Bergerac and Les Miserables rule.

The piazza in front of Notre Dame Cathedral
 where the colors of the trees are beginning to change in September.

                 

The sisters in front of Notre Dame

Sorbonne University. The French pay a ridiculously inexpensive amount of money to study here.

This is a statue in front of Sorbonne University. Students touch the gold shoes and wish for them to pass their exams and they do. Go figure.

In order to save on taxes, they have small windows

 for the sunlight 

to come in through the kitchen.

If you notice the different sizes of the windows, 

there's a reason for that in the old times.

 They used to tax you on your windows. 

The bigger the window, the higher your tax.

This is an old, small bookstore where Shakespeare used to live. They require him to work for free lodging. He can also read one book a day and he should write novels for the bookstore. 
the owner of this bookstore was Sylvia Beach http://www.literarytraveler.com/authors/sylvia_beach.aspx, who in the 20s, saw to it that James Joyce's "Ulysses" got published. Up to now, there are a number of transient workers there that work for the bookstore for them to live in one of the corner alcove that become bedrooms when the store closes.

This was the apartment where Dante Alighieri, the Italian writer, lived. He also was a serious student of Christian theology in Paris.

a very narrow street typical of the streets of Paris

Paris....tres jolie!!

Viaduct de Millau

I arrived in Paris to spend the summer with my two sisters. One sister flew in from Los Angeles while the other sister and her family live just outside of Paris.
We have been planning this trip for a long time. Now that we're finally here, we all packed our bags and hopped in their Land Rover for a road trip to Perpignan, France. 
We were all excited and looking forward to our summer vacation together. 
We were warned about the 8 hour drive but since this was all new to me. 
I was looking forward to the adventure. The initial highlight of the trip was crossing the majestic and impressive bridge to the South of France.

A Norman Foster design, it is currently the longest cable-stayed bridge 
and also the tallest and highest in the world.
Situated in the Aveyron region where one can find locally designed, 
hand-made and hand-sewn ladies’ leather or suede gloves. 
A village where cheese artisans make the most delicious Roquefort cheese. 

It was a dizzying sight that towers above you as you cross the long highway.

Beautiful Barcelona

My sister whisked me away on a day trip to Barcelona, Spain. I've never been there before so I thought what can I do in Barcelona in one day?? Driving from the south of France crossing the Pyrenees mountains to Spain was the way to go. It took us close to 2 hours when we arrived to our destination.

Barcelona is situated along the coast of  the Mediterranean sea. We parked by the port where huge ships that sail the Balearic islands are docked. The scene was dynamic.

A massive modern sculpture pillars the center of the highway. The streets were busy.

We walked  La Rambla and there were costumed characters that lined the promenade. Stalls and booths carry all sorts of  unique things available for everyone. Cafes and brasseries were alive and bustling. We got there around lunchtime so we kept walking, looking for a special place to have tapas and paellas.

As we were walking and sightseeing, we came across Gaudi's signature architectural structures and other artists inspired by him. Hard to miss. Sensational!

After our hearty treat of tapas and paellas, we ventured out to the metro and took the train to the Sagrada Familia. It is a never-ending construction for this towering cathedral conceived by Antonio Gaudi. He died tragically by being run over by a train so he left his masterpiece unfinished. The architecture is ornate and religious, a sight to behold.

A quick ride in the metro took us to Parc Guell. Another Gaudi masterpiece that was commissioned by Count Eusebi Guell , whom the park was named after. We had so much fun at the park. It was so bizarre and surreal with numerous towering pillars, colorful mosaics and mazes of  narrow walkways that lead you up, down and around the park. It was true fantasy like walking in a dream and inside Gaudi's colorful imagination.

Up on the very top of the park is Tibidabo where you can view Barcelona's breathtaking skyline where you can point to Sagrada Familia and La Rambla. And even further are the huge cruise ships and the Mediterranean sea in the horizon.

I love Barcelona! and to Antonio Gaudi....you're a genius.