THE HONEYMOON!
I would like to tell you about my adventure in Europe with my husband Andrew. We planned about it a few weeks after he proposed and he was even more excited about this trip than our wedding :D (Oh well i guess weddings are for girls only!).
Andrew had already experienced how cold it was during winter which is why i had filled my luggage with jacketssss, winter boots, heat-techs (shirts and leggings) and more sweaters! Brrr!!! And I actually started buying winter clothes four months before our departure. (Haha! Excited!)
ACT I: Barcelona Spain
Our point of entry was in Barcelona, Spain. It was a long-haul flight and I felt my butt was flattened for 16 hours! But every hour was full of excitement!
I didn't expect much about this city but i was so amazed by everything! it turned out to be my most favorite out of the 3 countries we visited :)
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid. I love its Mediterranean climate and I think it's the perfect weather for Asians! (para sakin lang siguro). I easily get cold so I really do not prefer winter seasons. But it feels great to experience it once in a while.
I admire my husband when it comes to planning. That's one of the reasons why i always allow him to do our itinerary every time we travel. He always makes sure that we get to see the best places in town!
I admire my husband when it comes to planning. That's one of the reasons why i always allow him to do our itinerary every time we travel. He always makes sure that we get to see the best places in town!
We did a lot of walking for 5 days and I never felt tired at all. Since our hotel was located near the city we found it very convenient crossing from one street to another. I instantly fell in love with the place and the people. Everyone was so nice and friendly.
La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).
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Plaza De Catalunya- It is a large square in central Barcelona which is generally considered to be both its city centre and the place where the old city (see Barri Gòtic and Raval, in Ciutat Vella) and the 19th century-built Eixample meet.
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| The Pinoy staff from the restaurant where we had our lunch took this photo :) |
Plaça d'Espanya- Also known as Plaza de España in Spanish, is one of Barcelona's most important squares, built on the occasion of the 1929 International Exhibition, held at the foot of Montjuïc, in the Sants-Montjuïc district.
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| We made a friend named Miguel |
Parc Güell- It is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya- The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is the national museum of Catalan visual art. The museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme and noucentisme.
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| Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc Lluïs Companys. |
Barcelona is best known as one of the best shopping destinations in Europe. Do you know that the MANGO brand is originally from Spain? Same thing with ZARA and PULL and BEAR. These are some of the Euro brands that i love!
| Boutiques along Plaza Catalunya |
| We've seen employees rally-ing in Spanish :D Cool! |
| Capped the night with good food and good friends! |
But of course the highlight of our Barcelona trip was the Barca and Getafe football match at Camp Nou. The hubby was full of excitement and happiness!
| Queuing for tickets |
| Weeee! Off the bucket list! |
| We witnessed how Barca thrashed Getafe live! |
| Camp Nou, FC Barcelona |
Avinguda Diagonal- It is the name of one of Barcelona's broadest and most important avenues. It cuts the city in two, diagonally from west to east (by Barcelona's compass), hence the name.
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| La Pedrera |
Casma Mila better known as La Pedrera meaning the 'The Quarry".
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| Hunting for UGG boots! :D |
Random sites in Barcelona <3
Act II: Paris, France
It was a two hour flight (If I'm not mistaken) from Barcelona to Paris. Oh em to the gee!! I couldn't contain myself and seriously cried the moment we landed and stepped into a cab to the city! I squeezed my hubby's hands and i cried and cried.Those were tears of joy. My beautiful dream came true!!
I remembered dreaming about this wonderful city when I was younger. I told myself that i will only get married if the honeymoon is in France! Haha :)) But hey! Who would have thought this day will come? Praise Jesus! My husband was here 2 years ago for a business trip.The place still looked familiar to him which made it easier for us to visit places.
Paris is rich in culture and history! Everything looks amazing -- the buildings and architectures and the people around us.I love their sense of fashion. I love how they carry their dresses under those heavy trench coats! And I love waking up to bread and butter for breakfast! Gosh! I can live here forever!
| It looks like it's flooded but it is not :D |
| I noticed that most outdoor tables were arranged facing the street. |
Wait... have I told you that one of our Ninongs sponsored our hotel accommodation? Yes! you read it right. Yay! Another blessing is my cousin who was nice enough to cook our dinner for our stay in Paris!!
Oh the weather was brrrrr!!!
| City tour bus! Battling with the cold weather! haha :D |
| The slogan Liberty, Equality, Fraternity became the world most famous motto of France. |
| Traffic is everywhere! |
The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalismof its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.
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| Notre Dame! |
Act III: Prague, Czech Republic
If i will describe Prague in one word that will be MAGICAL! Yes, it's a place full of magic and love. All i see are castles and great scenes that describe their history and culture. It's like living in a real life fairy tale.
Andrew has always asked me "Aside from Paris,which place do you want to visit in Europe?" And with all excitement i'd scream PRAGUE! Haha! with a follow up question, "Why? " and i'll answer, "Because i am a princess and it's a must for me to visit my castle :)"
Soon enough I get to see the Magical Prague! Wee!
Guess what greeted us in Praha? It's the SNOW!! Yay! What a surprise!!! :D Everything was white and beautiful. Magical!
We initially planned to visit Berlin after Praha just to experience the snow but we were amazed how God answered our prayers. Surprised!
The whole city was covered with snow. It was overwhelming. Right after we checked-in to our hotel we hurriedly played with the snowflakes! We danced on our feet and we became kids once again. Happiness!
| Me and my playful color gloves! haha! |
| Peek-a-boo |
| KISSES! |
| Looking for some good food! |
| That's where we had our first meal! |
| Metro in between buildings! How cool is that? :D |
| On our way back to our hotel :) |
| This is the reason why i seldom take photo of our hotel room, it always ends up messy like that! haha! |
The next day we bought a day tour package to walk around the city. And yes we walked for 6 freezing hours! Brrrr!!!
Meeting point was at the Wenceslas Square.
| Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. The square is named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. It is part of the historic center of Prague, a World Heritage Site. |
| with fellow tourists |
Havelska Market- Souvenirs have insinuated themselves among the fruits and vegetables of this formerly produce-only market. While the shops on either side of the street are selling entirely resistible tat, the market stalls are worth a quick browse for fresh honey or sweets, as well as colorfully painted eggs sold in the run-up to Easter.
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Prague Old Town Square- Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge, Prague's Old Town Square is often bursting at the seams with tourists in the summer. Featuring various architectural styles including the gothic Týn Church and baroque St. Nicholas Church, the square is an oasis for travelers wearied by Prague's narrow streets. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square, while the tower at the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town shop.
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Praha Vlatava- Vlatava is the longest river in the Czech Republic, running north from its source near the German border in Šumava through Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, and Prague, merging with the Elbe at Mělník.
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Spanish Synagogue -The Spanish Synagogue is a Moorish Revival synagogue built in Prague in 1868 to the design of Vojtěch Ignátz Ullmann. The facade copies the form of the Leopoldstädter Tempel, built in Vienna, Austria, in 1853, a tripartite facade with a tall central section flanked by lower wings on each side.
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| 45-min boat ride! |
Charles Bridge -It is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158-1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or the Prague Bridge (Pražský most) but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870.
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Prague Castle- A castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept within a hidden room inside it.
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What an unforgettable experience! This is something that i will treasure forever. Stories will always be remembered and will definitely be shared to our children :)
It was a time well spent with my lovey dovey! Bye for now!
But the good news is, we are coming back next year for our first wedding anniversary!! Yey!
My friend, never stop dreaming! Because dreams do come true :)
"It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting……Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams master the lessons we have learned as we have moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up…. [At this point] Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity”
~Paulo Coelho
Reference:
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/czech-republic/prague/shopping/market/havelska-market
~Paulo Coelho
Reference:
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/czech-republic/prague/shopping/market/havelska-market



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