I’ve waited for weeks to finally escape my busy workplace at least for a weekend. And finally this morning, my husband and I flew to Geneva, Switzerland for a weekend trip, thanks to last KLM’s  Superfly offer which allowed us to fly for less than €200
We had booked 6am flight so to save ourselves the stress of an early flight, I booked a double room at Yotel Hotel in Schipol and planned to take the train to save us parking fee. I thought that paying €100 for a smooth departure …

Last year on the way back from Nantes, we stopped by a small town called Amiens  in the north of France to see it’s world famous gothic cathedral. It was already dusk and drizzling a bit and on a Sunday evening, the town was almost empty.

It has charming alleys on the way up to the cathedral and a beautiful canal view in Quai Belu. It was so pretty during the night with the lights of the restaurants reflecting on the water.

 When the rain started to fall, we went straight to …

Last week was very stressful at work.  We were working overtime everyday to meet client’s demands so I was really looking forward to this weekend. My husband booked us a night’s stay at Landgoed Kortenbos in Meerlo, a small town in Limburg. When the Dutch go to Limburg it usually means communing with Mother Nature. Or a beer drinking binge. Limburg has several Dutch breweries including Hertog Jan and Brand.

The drive way of Landgoed Kortenbos was lined with cherry blossoms trees.  The buildings that you see behind are the hotel …

The Dutch are proud of their flowers, no doubt about that. For such a small country, it is the largest exporter of flowers in the world. The Dutch’s love for flowers is not only an economic asset but is actually deep-seated in the national consiousness. Needless to say, the Dutch are crazy about flowers and gardens. Whole year round, tuincentrum, literally translated as garden centers and flowers shops are constant money earners but during spring and summer, they get crowded like the red light district in Amsterdam.

From where I come …

 
When I came to Europe, I didn’t always liked going to the same place twice – restaurants, hotels nor cities. I used to say that Europe is so vast and beautiful and I should be able to visit every place, eat at the best restaurants and stay at the nicest chateaus. But that has changed, the Asian tourist in me had disappeared and I am beginning to value more and more the experiences that are worth repeating. And besides, I am a creature of habit, I do like doing things …

My job allows me to travel a lot and  because of budget constraint I usually stay in affordable hotels. I don’t consider myself very fussy about accomodations when travelling for business, usually a small room with a clean bathroom and warm water is sufficient. I have even stayed in a hotel for truck drivers and slept on a car in a parking lot in France.
But when I travel for pleasure, I do like to splurge on expensive hotels especially when I am with my husband. I think it is very …

Note: Sorry for the crappy Blackberry photos. My time in Rome was very short and very hectic that’s why I wans’t able to take decent photos.

In the Philippines, we usually call a 24-hour trip an “overnight” because it means spending a night somewhere than else than your own house. Kids and teenagers usually look forward to “overnights” at their friends’ houses – it’s a way of getting away from the prying eyes of their parents while enjoying time with friends. While for me, an overnight had been a way to see Europe …

Rome and I, we had a very brief affair in the summer of 2011. An affair that involves only sleeping and eating together. I barely got to know him but the few hours that I spent in his cradle left me with very strong impressions which would be hard to compare with any other city.
At a glance Rome is imposing and intimidating but with during my short rendezvous with him, I realized that it is a city that must have experienced both tears and victory at their most extreme.

A view …

Borrel means an alcoholic drink and it is also a Dutch term for a get-together that involves drinking. In our little office, we (more like I) usually look forward to Friday night borrels because  after a long, demanding week, a cocktail or two is a cozy way to start the weekend.
Borrels are also a good way of discovering different cocktail bars and restaurants mainly in Rotterdam. I already have a favourite but once in a while, I llike trying out new bars.
Last month, we had our borrel at Elit bar …

But it was only the last time I came back that I noticed a pattern which made me fall in love with Italy even more. I lose at least a couple of kilos whenever I am travelling to Italy despite lack of sleep (I am afraid of ghosts and usually very alert during the night waiting for them) and binge eating on pizza and gelato.
Contrary to my trips in  France, Belgium or  Spain where I can gain half a kilo with just one meal. Blame it to the foie gras, …