Krakow, Poland: Wawel Castle + Main Market Square

My photowalk/travel around Krakow barely began. Let me now take you around Wawel Castle. 

Krakow, Poland: The Old Town

This is my first time EVER to visit Poland. Same with my parents who were with me. Before venturing, I did a little research on what to expect. And it was more than what I had read.

This little town in Poland, was our first stop. Krakow/Cracow.

overlooking Wawel Castle

A Surprise Party @ 63

The surprise party of the century. Savor on what we had to serve :)

Manny O. Red Wine + Samosas 

Assorted Kitaro Sashimi & Sushi

Homemade Cranberry Cake by Tita Frech :)

Quote for the Day: "Beauty, picturesqueness, and all loveliness are the food of art." 
~ Henry Peach Robinson

Our Tambayan - McDo Matalino!

Last November 6, my friends and I revisited the newly renovated-modernized McDonald's Matalino. We have been waiting for forever to finish the renovations. After our long wait and a very tiring week, I got the chance to dine in here again.

CBTL's Red Velvet Hot Cocoa

Two weeks ago, I decided to go to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf  UP-Ayala Technohub Branch. It was a spur moment, and I was craving for their Chai Tea Latte.

Last Look at France

I'm nearly at the end of my France vacation-blog-series. But before we jump to another European country, I'd like to share some of my non-categorized photos. These are some bits of sights to see within Paris. The detail might be minute but,. . . you'll see what I mean :)

Eiffel Tower

Call me crazy, but I really have a thing for the Eiffel Tower. It is the epitome of the essence of Paris. ^^

L'Auberge Dab - One of the Finest in Paris

 The last day for the European Cardiology Congress ended, and some of my dad's colleague invited us over for dinner. A good friend of my parents, invited us over to L'Auberge Dab, one of the finest bistro in Paris.

Le Jardin des Tuileries, France

Le Jardin des Tuileries is one of the most popular public gardens in Paris, situated between Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. To come here by Metro, you get off at Tuileries station, the same line you ride when going to the Champs Elysée. You will first get a glimpse of the garden and the tall trees surrounding it.

Chez Clément, Champs Élysée, Paris

chez clément is a must visit when you visit Paris and after a long walk along the Champs Élysée.

A Walk Along the Champs

Champs Élysée, also known as "La Plus Belle Avenue du Monde" (the most beautiful avenue in the world). It has earned its reputation as one of the world's most elegant and famous streets. Its French name translates to "Elysian Fields", the mythical resting place of Greek gods and other blessed figures. Before this famous pathway became famous, it actually were fields filled with the gardens of merchants who sold their goods in Paris' local markets.

Historically speaking, the Champs Élysée had gained reputation for being a fashionable Parisian spot, as large houses and buildings erected along the avenue gave rise to impressive gardens and landscape. Now, the whole stretch of Champs Élysée is crammed with people from all corners of globe at all time of the day or night. I personally have walked from end to end, like strolling on the shores of Boracay from station 1-3. It was a sight to experience. Luxurious stores array both sides of the street, such as the famous-always-lined-up Louis Vuitton store, Cartier Watch store, Hugo Boss store, Disney and Swatch stores, H&M, the perfumery de Guerlain, famous restaurants like Fouquet's, Le Nôtre, Chez Clément, car showrooms are also a-must-see: Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Peugeot.

So, come join me in this photo walk in the street of Champs Élysée.

The Makati District in Paris

It's been awhile since I last blogged. So, where have I been? I went to the city of love, Paris, France, along with my mom and dad. But before I bubble forth the main highlight of my trip, let me first take you to the business, or should I say, "financial district" of Paris.

Defénse Place

Sticky Notes

BER-months, it is. So what has happened to me? Well, I've been pretty busy in the last few months doing projects with friends to update with their portfolios. Yes, I have been shooting with live subjects (of which I am poorly inexperienced).

Models. Photographing them was a challenge. I, for once, have no experience and was a bit shy to direct them with the poses. I would use to say, "okay, start the poses", "how do I go about this?" - the model and I were both stunned and both blinked - in short, we were both confused!

Los Banos, Fast Track

This trip was a spur of the moment-kind-of-trip. I was informed Friday night, and to travel would be at 8pm, Saturday. It's a good thing that Laguna is just an hour or two drive from Metro Manila, Q.C.

Los Banos, Laguna is located near the boundary of Laguna and Batangas. It is known for it's famous buko pies and hot spring resorts. The hot spring directly comes from the mountainous Mt. Makaling, which then supplies the warm and relaxing hot spring. This place is much appreciated during December months. :)

August Pig outs

Yes, pig-outs.

August is the start of the rainy cold season. It can be the perfect time for comfort foods, cookies, milk, and coffee. 

I have lately been cooking. Yes, I AM cooking. But mainly pasta, chicken and fish. I do bake still. :)

Pan de Amerikana ~ Katipunan Branch

A dream come true! :)
YES!!

I have conquered Pan de Amerikana Katipunan Branch. I have passed this street so many times and have not noticed this side. I also wonder why there's an upside down red jeep, or a traffic light that lights oppositely, or why even the signage is placed upside down. My mind is running through as I thought that maybe it was a house who wanted a unique design for his outside space - pretty cool, I might say :)

Today's Lunch: Figaro's Chicken Thyme w/ Cheese Sauce

This is a new portion of my photo blog. Today's Menu, that is Today's Lunch/Dinner.

So here's my lunch I had last July 14, 2011, Thursday.

President Tea House - SM Annex

We.are.craving.for.Chinese.food!

Yup, we, my new food trip partner - we spontaneously decided to go to SM Annex and window shop at the food area. I just texted her, "Food trip tayo!" After 30mins, we met up at SM Annex Bldg.

Busy-much! (June)

It's July and I barely had nothing-to-anything to fill out my June posts. 


I have been busy with other photo shoots and personal dealings. So here's a glimpse of what I have done for half of the month of June. :)

   Product Shoot for Confezioni Dolci 

Car Photo shoot for VCP's COTM 

 

That's just it. Plus my D90 was just resting in my safe place. 
Keep us posted for new blogs of food and more. :)


Quote for the Day: "My favorite place is thing is to go where I've never been." ~ Diane Arbus

Cook Out at 63!

We, now, had another cook out at home for some friends. Everyone helped in the slicing, cooking, and especially with the taste-testing! :)

We made: pinakbet, porkchop, halaan, bulgogi :). Here are some of our photos - uncooked and cooked.

A Feast at Annabel's Restaurant

How Annabel's came to be?
Annabel, is the wife of Walter Brown. Because of her love for her, he bought this property for her. Due to her love for flowers and food, Annabel's Restaurant was born.

Stick House - Italian Gelato

This is post is waaayy overdue. Two weekends ago, some friends from Palawan came to visit. We met with them at Trinoma Mall, Q.C.

While strolling in the mall's activity area, we came across this:

CBTL & Golden Spoon Revisited

I.can't.get.enough.of.these.two.foodies.. :)

I looooveee CBTL's fresh fruit juices and Golden Spoon's Sundae-like Yogurt :)

Here's my take on them.

Kenny Rogers Roasters

Classic Roasted Chicken. Macaroni and cheese. corn muffin. and 20++ side dishes.

After so many years (I forgot my last dine at Kenny Rogers), I revisited Kenny Rogers. I had my dinner there last tonight with the company of friends. Thanks to my sister who gave our dinner treat. :)

Kenny Rogers first came to the Philippines in 1995 and opened its doors on the 28th of March. As mentioned in the onset of my blog, they became known for their roasted chicken, baby back ribs, corn-muffins and a wide array of fresh side dishes.

Venus & Mars Naturals - A Beauty Note

This blog is way, way beyond my usual articles. It has nothing to do with my travels or food, but particularly on the "girly and fun side" of being a girl.

I visited a bazaar last April and was introduced by my friend to one of Venus & Mars owner, Ms. Jamie Tan.

L-R: Jaimie Tan & Makeup by Con

A Date at SumoSam

SumoSam Trinoma Branch

The Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt

I came across this store this morning, strolling along the 4th level of Trinoma Mall. I wonder what's in store. I wonder how great is the yogurt. And I wonder . . . I wonder.


Along with food buddies, I invited them to try this out. We know it's another yogurt store, but we also wonder if they're really living up to their name, with a "golden" spoon. We giggled and joked around, why it's named after that - why gold? Go figure. However here are some facts about the company, where it originated, and so on.

One Day at Starbucks

I've been meaning to blog about this since last week. But I have to come up with a background or history about. I was disappointed because (1st) there was no history, (2nd) no description of the product & (3rd) bloggers are more focused with the drinks, frappuccino, not the pastries nor sandwiches. Pretty disappointing.

Any hows, Starbucks' not only is well known for their famous frappuccinos and signatured coffee beans, but I completely LOVE their sandwiches, tortilla wraps, pandesals, and waffles. My favorite, Forest Ham, wasn' t available in their SM North Branch :( so I ordered a different sandwich instead.

Croissant Ham & Cheese SW Php125.00 (i dunno d exact name & price)

A Fruitti Froyo Experience

Yes, this is a yogurt post. Like I said in my White Hat blog, yogurt is the new and healthier fad this days, this year! Frutti Froyo is another brand of yogurt. It's colorful and attractive stores is truly an eye-catching stop in any street or during a day of window shopping.

Frutti Froyo Trinoma Branch

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe

Devil's food cake.
Blueberry Cheesecake.
Carrot Cake.

If you have not tasted this sweet confections, then you are missing out. The Chocolate Kiss Cafe is situated at the UP Diliman Campus, Bahay ng Alumni. A home baker outsourcing their baked goodies by means of friends, family, relatives. For some home bakers, baking is a hobby, a passion. But then if one decides to turn the hobby into a profit, it makes something wonderful.

Apart from my love of photography, baking is also an integral part of my life. BUT, I am just a hobby-ist, making it a profit once in a while. I admire home bakers who take the big leap by sharing their passion to others. Home bakers like Banapple Cheesecakes, Petite Fours & Choco Kiss Cafe and the like.

The then Chocolate Kiss Homebaked Delights, took that big leap in January 1997. The Chocolate Kiss Cafe was now born.

2nd Flr. Kiss Cafe Receiving Area

CBTL's Peach Fruit Tea Drink

Finally! After 3 days of blogger incognito, it's finally working again. I was ecstatic to blog away last Thursday about Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Peach Fruit Tea. Out of curiousity, I shelled out to try it out.

I got the Large size and paired it up with Hello Panda :)

The White Hat Italian Yogurt

Cravings - satisfied!


Yes, I've finally come to taste White Hat Italian Yogurt again. I was with some friends yesterday and we revisited White Hat at SM North Annex. 

The White Hat, SM North Annex

Beijing, China

The land of the 你好's! :) It was amazing!! I love everything about Beijing. History, food, shopping!


Let me share to you my 2010 trip with the family. I'll bring you to the Imperial/Forbidden Palace, Wanfujing (exotic delicacies) & The Great Wall.

THE itinerary

Huiyuan Prime Hotel

Bantayan Island, Cebu

My first and last visit to Bantayan Island was last 2009 with my family and cousins. So, where is exactly Bantayan Island? It is located at the northern part of the province of Cebu. From the city, you either travel by private van or public transportation, (bus) all the way to Hagnaya Port (roughly 3-4hrs road travel). From the port, you are not far behind Sta. Fe Port, this is just a short trip unlike the road travel.

The beach is white as Boracay, but not fine like the latter. The long stretched shoreline is great for walking and picking up shells.

view towards Sta. Fe Port

shoreline across Sta. Fe Beach Club

Siquijor Adventure

Last April 20-23, 2011, I was able to visit Siquijor Island. Amidst its mysterious and magical history, the island is actually far off from what had been known. It is a question for me, why Siquijor is an interesting island and why foreigners actually dig this place.

Siquijor is an island, an hour away from the province of Dumaguete. Getting here is flying directly to Dumaguete, take ferry ride, an hour and half. Below is the map of the island, which can be toured for about 2-3hours estimate.

Photo credits: dumagueteinfo.com/siquijor.php

We started from Enrique Villanueva (E.V.) and went to Larena, Siquijor,  San Juan, Lazi and back to Tulapos. We went resort hopping. :) See my adventures below. :)

Larena Port ?

The view from the port

Dining Experience at Boracay, Aklan

I again had the chance to visit Boracay Island. This place has ever failed to amaze me. Plus with the uprise of more foreign visitors, also the new fancy-yummy restaurants. 

Savor below the yummy dishes by Epic Restaurant, Station 2, near D'Mall. And Gelato, beside Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.

An Early Summer in Boracay, February

Yes, I had an early summer in the land of the white sand. :) A family reunion was held, and I had the privilege of being invited.

Boracay, is till the same, except that it has been commercialized even more. But the one thing that I liked was that they ban smoking within the shoreline, and a few shops were forced to move away from the shores.

We stayed and utilized our time-share at Fairways & Bluewater Resort. They've added a new bigger pool (but it's only 6ft-deep). They still have the "greens" for those golf lovers. We enjoyed Epic's Chicken Inasal, which I ate on the first dinner night.

Nature at Tagaytay

Tagaytay - the little Baguio of the South.

January 31 - Banapple with Friends

Balikbayan college friends arrived. Our other good friend was already somewhere in the Metro, but didn't showed up. Meet up at Banapple, Il Terrazo.

Banapple Kitchen really started as a home kitchen, owners Gj and Maricel Jimenez. What started out as marketed orders by friends and offices, turned into a popular hearsay. The public has demanded, the owners heard and the first Banapple Shop was opened along Katipunan. Business was really doing well, branching out was the next thing to do & now they have another shop in Katipunan Road, Il Terrazo (in front of Burgoo ABS-CBN) Quezon City & Ayala Triangle, Makati City. :)

January 22 is "Me" Day

Quote for the Day: "You've got to know your subject  well; watch it eat, sleep, walk, fly, everything it does. Read all you can about it before you pick up your camera. Then think like your subject." - James Stanfiled

January 15 w/ Madinos

A Faux Project of an Amateur Photographer

So, to start my photography this January, I will be doing a faux photo project. We'll see how I can keep up with the Weekly Project suggestion. But I will still be posting some random photos aside from this project.


All photos in the project will be blogged - one photo/one blog.


I hope I can accomplish out this. :)


I am now accepting X-deals ( I need the experience and I know you the need the budget and portfolio ;), Let's help one another :D)


Without further ado, come travel with me this year 2011. :)
Your comments, tips, criticisms are all HIGHLY appreciated. (even though it will hurt)


Click and Shots,
Gayle


Quote for the Day: "Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase." - Percy W. Harris