La Dolce Vita 🇮🇹🇻🇦🇲🇨 🍸

By

September 2023. 

My birthmonth, my birthyear. I was born a hare, so this year had to be special. Everyone knows of my Euro Trip with my aunt and my sister. But, unlike most people think, the tour was not premeditated. It was a split-second decision.

No matter what happens, I will make 2023 a special year. I was born a hare, and this year was the year of the Water Hare. It happens once every twelve years, and the next one will be 2035. I don't think I could wait that long, could I?

So when I heard my aunt and my sister talk about a possible Euro Tour on no other month but September - my birthmonth - I immediately asked if I could go with them. "Sure," said my aunt. The rest was history!

In this post, I will share some photos of our destinations. As promised, I will make separate entries for each destination on separate articles linked to this article. For now, enjoy the pictures below as much as I enjoyed taking and posting them. 😊


Magnificent Milan 🇮🇹







Venice, the Floating City 🇮🇹









Lago di Como: A Lakeside Paradise 🇮🇹








Siena, the Gothic City 🇮🇹












San Gimignano: A Medieval Town 🇮🇹











The Leaning Tower of Pisa 🇮🇹




Flair of Florence 🇮🇹











Rome, the Eternal City 🇮🇹








Vatican City, Truly Divine!🇻🇦










Mesmerising Monaco 🇲🇨








I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures! As promised, I will make separate posts for each city or destination we went to. This blog will also be updated by maps soon!




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Could A Profound Love, Sad but Meaningful ---

By
Image
 --- be a better choice than one that's cheery, impeccable but meaningless? Would a love that's always changing, fluidly dependent on mood, and always moving, be better than one that's stable and sustaining? Should I fall for one that promises a better future, places all around the world, and happy, normal family life than one that's truer than true and promises nothing but romance and forever? Is it a better choice to settle with one who elicits strong emotions especially with music and romantic movie scenes than one that exists but that is? One is sad but meaningful and the other is happy but meaningless. Empty but happy. Sad but true. A world all around the world. A world inspired by emotions and creates a world of its own with poems and music. Happy but uninspiring. Sad but profound. A happy life. A romantic life. Whom would I choose? ---- I would choose a love that seems inconspicuous but is real deep within. Something that's not defined by beauty standards cre
Read more

An Everlasting Pulchritude

By
Image
The beauty that still mesmerises us Of the mountain who used to be a lass Every time we set our eyes on her Something makes us wonder For how can Mother Nature be so gracious To give us something which, though, we need not choose Is, nevertheless, spectacular That no other mountain is at par? She’s beyond magnificent Though she explodes every now and then Her many eruptions Conjured rousing captions What would scare us to leave? The magma? The raining of ash? The broken debris? The boulders? Or the lava-fountaining and showers? But these are the same matters That add to the volcano’s wonders Because from a safe distance You would see some other-worldly trance... For tourists and visitors, Even to locals and natives, Its explosion and eruption Are tourist attractions Why are we not afraid then, Do you ever wonder? Because we always see her… As a beautiful lady with the usual temper. But at most times, she’s calm and collected,
Read more

A City Beaming With Beauty

By
Image
A City Beaming with Beauty Photo by Dexter Baldon Who will ever ignore A city beaming with beauty? Who would never recall The locals that are friendly? Who would never want to see The dainty city near the sea? Who would never want to feel The calming wind’s serenity? Legazpi, a city by the Pacific Landscapes are panoramic Ambience quite romantic And delicacies fantastic… So it might be nice to tour The City of Fun and Adventure And if you’re a foodie, savour Its spicy culinary culture For there, you will discover The dishes that sting The volcano that’s stunning The rides so exciting Found on the extreme east of the world Across the wide expanse of an ocean Very far from other places But home to many good surprises Legazpi, a city by the Pacific A place comely in many ways Legazpi, the city which beams with beauty A place of elegance and grace...
Read more

Sta. Magdalena: A Hidden Paradise!

By
Image
  You've probably seen white-sand, black-sand, and even pink-sand beaches. But have you seen a beach that transitions to different colors? Source: Ang Bongto ko, Sta. Magdalena FB page The remote coastal town of  Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon has  so much variety in its hidden beaches and coves. Although neighboring Matnog  is more famous due to its pink-sand beaches and islands, Sta. Magdalena still deserves the moniker  "Hidden Paradise"  for curious reasons. It's not as stunning as the popular pink-sand  Subic Beach  in Matnog but you will be surprised at the many things you'll see there. Source: Wikipedia Source: Wikipedia Sta. Magdalena is located near the southeasternmost end of the long island of Luzon. It is the smallest town of Sorsogon both in land area and population but it is a treasure trove of geologic wonders that abound its coast.  Inside the Residencia Del Hamor , looking over a beach in Sta. Magdalena. Its very name puts a smile on one's face. Asi
Read more

Is Love a Constant –

By
Regardless of mood or circumstance, it remains? And when it fades because of a tweak here or there, it is but a mirage? I guess I’ve felt what it’s supposed to be – for ladies I cannot be with. It’s the emotion I feel when I see someone to be perfect or perfectly beautiful despite the flaws because for no reason but love, her allegorical scars – the mistakes of God – are forgiven. The feeling doesn’t change. It's a constancy of company and connection, a perspective that endures day by day, moment by moment, even after years or decades passing by. Because I see her in exactly the same way as the day we met, and the more we get to know each other, I unravel more things I like about her, all justifying the imperfections, and giving me memories that add spice to mundane moments. I may have sought the wrong women, looked love in the wrong places, defined it by wrong standards. Age does not matter, everybody says. But my youth is done; my potentials to develop young, sweet
Read more

A Usual December Morning

By
Image
FotoSearch/Getty Images Image Source Chapter II,  Timeless Casanova . Gertrude could not believe she slept with the same man her very own grandmother slept with sixty-four years earlier. “How come?” She wonders. They could not sleep well that night, staring blankly at the ceiling. They slept in the same room as the situation made them feel uneasy to be alone.   She wanted to ask, “how was it?” She was very curious, but the mere thought of it made her puke.   “Oma, are you sure?” She finally inquired, breaking the long, awkward silence. “Are you really, really sure?”    “You ought to stop, Gertrude,” Oma was still awake, who, like her, couldn’t sleep well too.    “I tell you, I cannot be mistaken. I remember him vividly. He was the most handsome man I have ever talked to! How can I forget?”   “But how come? How has he remained the same all these years? Young all throughout? How is that possible?”   “That is what I also want you to know. If you ever happen to see him again, ask him. That
Read more

Siena, the Gothic City 🇮🇹

By
Image
Our next destination was Siena, a medieval city adorned with Gothic structures. During our walking tour, we marveled at the city's beauty and fascinating history and culture. It was a nice start for our Tuscan Country tour, setting the pace and mood for the rest. Though Siena is, by now, reduced into a small city, barely inching up from its 50,000-population during its heyday, it is by no means an ordinary town. It remains grand and special in so many ways.  En Route from Florence Mama Sarah and I just behind the Train Station as we waited for our bus. Our Tuscan Country tour began just outside the Santa Maria Novella Train Station in the middle of a huge piazza in Florence. We waited for our bus, which would take us to our next destinations - Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa. Davide, the tour guide, was punctual even though he lost his voice due to drinking and partying the night before. But beware, Davide was austerely punctual - he gets cranky when somebody arrives late, regardles
Read more

The Hanging Road to Joroan

By
Image
               Joroan is a village near the northernmost boundary of Albay. Nestled on top of a ridge overlooking Lagonoy Gulf, it is home to the province's patroness, Our Lady of Salvation .       More than its sacrosanct nature, the village is also beautiful in so many ways. Scroll down to see what things you will find along the hanging road  to Joroan... The Small Church with  Yellow-Colored Glasses          The church of Our Lady of Salvation is located in the centre of the village. Adorned with huge pebbles and rocks, it is vivified by yellow-colored glasses... The Church's Grounds          The church's grounds are also nice to see. The exteriors cannot be captured though as it is undergoing renovation.          Makes one wonder how the statue looks after all the candle-holders around it are lit in the late afte
Read more

The Jade Islands of El Nido

By
Image
This view beacons you to a heap of glimmering islands waiting to be discovered... Located on the northernmost tip of Palawan, El Nido is distant from all other places in the world. Because of its location, nobody knew its stupendous tourism value. As late as 1979, El Nido was unknown to beach-goers and wanderlusts, when a group of divers met a sea accident at night forcing them to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling waters and, rising above it, a series of magnificently-sculpted jade islands. [Wikipedia] I was fortunately born late enough to have read the “wows” of tourists who have been there and to have seen the spectacular pictures of El Nido… but it was not until my sister’s insistence three weeks ago that persuaded me to go on a last-minute decision to head on to this remote place. Two flights from Legazpi and a 6-hour
Read more

Magnificent Milan 🇮🇹

By
Image
The exquisite Milan Duomo glowed its beauty against the Royal Blue evening sky... We arrived at Milan on September 4th. For me, that has been the most exciting day of my life. It was my very first out-of-the-country vacation, and everything was just about to begin. Our initial plan was to have St. Moritz of Switzerland as our first stop, but I told my sister that Milan Duomo seems more tantalizing. Although leaving the border for another country is equally exciting, I believe that the Swiss border was meant for another time. So, yes. Milan Duomo, here we go! But before we officially begin our vacation, we needed a few hours of rest to acclimatize to the new surroundings. We stayed at Arles Hotel in the suburbs of Milan. Outside our window at Arles Hotel The view from our room already had the quintessential Italian landscape. Though it was one of the simplest we've seen in Italy, it was still more elegant than most homes here in the Philippines. Even just the sight of those red bric
Read more