And this is why Coca-Cola is the real thing.

tintin x

Happy Thanksgiving!

tintin x 

This is what you see as you go in. A very cosy place. I guess we went there at the best time as there was not so many people. Apparently during weekends and towards the day, it gets really busy and you may need to queue.

Their wall is plastered with photos of people who have been at the cafe, some personal letters and notes from all over the world. Sweet.

Salt, pepper and your favourite sauces! And don't forget to drop a penny or two in the piggy bank!=)

I saw this first when my friend and I had lunch at the Angel branch. I thought it looked weird. So I tried it this time and it was not that bad. It's a smoothie called "Green is Good"- spinach, mint, mango and apple. It's worth a try at 3 pounds and 90 pence. 

And yes, take advantage of the free wi-fi, although the connection was very slow.

I have a bad habit of ordering the same food over and over again. The first time I ordered The All American, and last time I ordered the same again. The eggs normally look more beautiful than that, but because I asked for a well-cooked eggs, it turned out ugly. I love their bacon as it is crunchy and not too oily. The sausage was good as well. And their pancakes? Uhmmm, not sure this time. It tasted like it was not mixed very well. I could taste the baking soda. It left a bitter taste in the mouth. And if you look at it, it's burnt and looks like it may have been fried on the same frying pan as the eggs, the bacon and the sausage. I'm not sure but what do you think?

Anyway, as I said I would go back again, but perhaps I'd go back to Angel instead. But the one in Soho is easier to find, especially for someone like me who has no sense of direction at all. We got off the Tottenham Court Road tube station then walked towards Oxford Street. Then we turned left at Wardour Street until we hit the D'Arblay Street and it's there. You will not miss it as it is, as you can see -yellow!

The Breakfast Club

33 D'Arblay Street

Westminster, London W1F 8

How about you, do you have a favourite hang out for breakfast?

tintin x

Sometime in December 2009, I was woken up at 1 o'clock in the morning with the news that we would be staying at the real The Sound of Music family home on our trip to Salzburg. That was the best news I've heard at that time in the morning. I have watched the film a few times and I absolutely loved it. In fact, we were watching it again last night that's why I was reminded of our wonderful trip and thought I'd share my experience with you.

 

The Villa Trapp is not the house that is featured in the movie, so don't expect anything too fancy like the lake terrace or the beautiful stairs. The real house is actually located in a quiet town of Aigen, few minutes away from Salzburg Old Town. Because we were coming from Munich, we took the train to get to the villa. The train station is actually the same train station that the Von Trapp family used to escape from the Nazis. It is just about 5 minute walk to the villa. Then we took a 10 minute bus ride to the centre. The villa is overlooking snow-capped mountains and forests, which was awesome!

This is the family's main living room downstairs. The villa was generally quiet when we were there. I felt like we were the only guests at that time. Probably because it was winter. This is the only area in the house where you can get a free wi-fi. I think it was around 9pm when we decided to hang out in the living room and boy, wasn't it creepy? The silence was eerie and the lights in the hallway turned off automatically. I'm actually glad that we didn't hear any "scary" stories (like boots trotting and everything else) until the day after, otherwise I wouldn't have even dared going back to the hotel late at night. The current owner told me that the house needed to be exorcized three times to make sure that all the evil spirits were completely gone. This is for the main reason that one of the rooms was used by Heinrich Himmler as his conference room. The room was then converted into a chapel. 

The rooms were named after each member of the Von Trapp family. We were given the Rosemarie room which was good enough for two people. Rosemarie was the eldest daughter of the Baron and Maria. The pictures of the Von Trapp family, especially the children were everywhere which is good because it gave me the "authentic" feel of the house.

In the lounge area we found this picture of Maria - the third child of the baron and his first wife. According to the host, when the Von Trapp family left Salzburg, it was Maria who closed the door of the house. And exactly 70 years later (in 2008), Maria formally opened the door to the public. She was apparently flown from America on a private jet owned by Redbull company, hence this photo. =)

Meet Marianne and Christopher, the current owners of the Villa Trapp. Although we didn't see them on the day that we arrived (we were met by the cleaner), they made up for it the following day. The couple prepared our breakfast (of sausages, bread, ham, cheese, juice and fruits) and spent  a few minutes chatting with us at the breakfast table- in the same breakfast room where the Von Trapp family had theirs. They were very accommodating. If you happen to stay at the Villa Trapp, ask Christopher to take you around to learn more about the Von Trapps. It's free.

We only paid about 80 pounds for a night stay which included a full breakfast. I wish we could have stayed there longer but I will definitely go back, this time it has to be in the summer. 

Villa Trapp

34 Traunstrasse 5026 Aigen

www.villa-trapp.cc

*********

Salzburg has since become one of my favourite cities (so far), and here are some of the places that we visited:

Salzburg Old Town - where I finally learned how to read the map - up side down!

The Golden Ball in Kapitelplatz

(The white castle on top is the Festung Hohensalzburg or Fortress - a must see)

The Dom

Dinner was at the oldest restaurant in Central Europe. Their veal Offal in Vetliner and the Pork roast with bacon sauerkkraut and bread dumpling were super delicious!

Stiftskeller St. Peter

St. Peter-Bezirk 1/4

Salzburg, 5 5020 Austria

Since 803

St. Peter's cemetery and monastery and the Catacombs

And then there's always the fashion-fashion shot!

Inner Jacket - Primark, Cream Jacket- Topshop, Jeans- True Religion, Boots- Kenneth Cole, Bag- Burberry

So whether or not you're a fan of the Sound of Music, it's worth staying at the Villa Trapp.

tintin x

Top Photo: Coat- ASOS, Scarf- Faux Fur from PRIMARK at £6

Bottom Photo: Dress- Topshop, Shoes- Dolce and Gabbana

Because I thought we were late, we went straight to the reception. But we were actually early so we had a bit of time to explore the vicinity.

And it was not long before the newly weds arrived:

The new Mr. & Mrs. Trino

The beautiful bride Ana

And her fabulous guests:

Arcel

Arlene 

Marje(Maid of Honour) 

Laren 

SLU Beauties!

Moi, Arlene and Arcel

It was indeed a wonderful wedding.

tintin x

I can't honestly remember the last time I had Mc Do's Single Bypass Burger,haha! Mc Donald's french fries dipped in Sweet 'n Sour sauce is my favourite! And to add a bit of the healthiness in my meal, I went for tropicana orange juice instead of soda. =)

Biting my frustrations of the day--away!

With my Mc Donald's buddy - the ever fabulous Phillip!

Nothing beats Mc Donald's in the city, kasi walang Jollibee! =)

Have a good night. Tomorrow is another day.

tintin

  x

This is the elegant Norwegian Gem. The ship is like a floating resort. They have everything - swimming pool, waterslide, fitness centre, a climbing wall, disco, bars, restaurants, bowling etc.

The ship departed from Barcelona, Spain on the 6th of September. We knew we didn't have much time to really explore Barcelona, so we headed to Sagrada de Familia first, then we had lunch in Las Ramblas.

Day 1. Valleta, Malta

Valleta is the capital of Malta. The whole city is a World Heritage Site. To get the whole Malta experience, we walked around the medieval city and spoke to local people. View our complete Malta experience here.

Day 2. At the Sea: Martini Day

Well, it has been a common knowledge among our friends that we don't drink alcoholic beverages. But since we were baptized during this trip, we have been drinking a little bit more. =) This moment was very memorable for me as I managed 4 shots of Martini without collapsing on the floor. Not bad for a first timer,hey?! Apple Martini then became my favourite. Photos here.

Day 3. Napoli and Pompeii, Italy

Sunrise at Mount Vesuvius. 

Our brief stay in Napoli didn't leave us with a good experience as taxi drivers mobbed us from the moment we got out of the ship, offering us to pay 30 euros each to Pompeii. We thought it was a rip off. What we did was ask two more people to join us so we would pay 20 euros each instead. You know what? It also helps that one of you can speak Italian even just a little bit, so they won't rip you off. 

Right after our short trip in Pompeii, Salvatore (our taxi driver) drove us to Sorrento for lunch at Pizzeria Aurora. Then after lunch, we took the ferry to the beautiful island of Capri for our first ever mediterranean swim!

Day 4. Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

We only had one day to see the beautiful city of Rome, but because Jess planned our day really well, we got to see a lot of places and even spent a lot of time in some.

The Vatican City (where we tried to beat other tourists coming off a tour bus)

St. Peter's Basilica ( to see Michelangelo's Pieta)

The Sistine Chapel (where we jumped a massive queue big time and where Omar took a sneaky money- shot of the  iconic image of the hand of God giving life to Adam).

The Spanish Steps

The Trevi Fountain 

The Pantheon (for the Oculus)

The Vittoriio Emanuele II Monument (where we spent a few minutes chatting with Italian Policemen pretending to be a local)

The Colosseo (where we met two American ladies who told us how lucky we were to have been allowed from the ship to go out and explore the city on our day off.... just because we were asians!

In Florence, we visited the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore first before we climbed up 414 steps to the Giotto's Campanile to get a panoramic view of Florence. Then we had their famous gelato at Vivoli.

While our friends went to look for the famous black gold, we entered the Basilica de Santa Croce to check on Michelangelo, Dante Alighieri, Niccolo Ma Chiavelli, Galileo. Then we met up after for some private wine tasting at a wine store beside Santa Croce, where I drowned a whole bottle of wine (how I wish), before heading to Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David.

From Florence we took the train to Pisa.

Day 6. Cannes, France

Our last destination before we headed back to Barcelona was Cannes, where we had a walk on the red carpet upon arriving at the port. We passed by the Palais des Festivals et des Congres before we headed to town for some crepes.

If given the opportunity, I would love to go on a cruise again for 5 reasons:

1. It's not that expensive if you get the best deal. In my experience, we didn't need to pay extra for a window or a balcony because we were out all day anyway and only used our rooms to sleep- literally.The price also includes all meals, snacks, activities and entertainment. You only need to pay for alcoholic beverages.

2. It is very convenient. You don't have to go through the stress of planning your itinerary as it will be planned for you. The only time you probably need to plan your own is if you like to see other places in between. We didn't even need to join group tours. 

3. You will never get bored. There is always something to do. I love the fact that we get to dress up on some nights.

4. You meet wonderful strangers who eventually become your friends like Karishma and Hasseem.

5. And lastly the customer service is exeptional. When we were on the cruise, there was this Filipino guy who greeted us every morning at the door of the breakfast room with his hand spray, welcoming smile and the phrase,"wakey,wakey, washy,washy,happy,happy". And that made our day, everyday. That really made me even prouder to be a Filipino.

It is indeed true when they say that "You Haven't Lived Until You've Cruised". So, if you get the chance you shouldn't miss this experience!

tintin x

My Hygienist is called June and she's very nice. She made me comfortable all throughout the procedure. What I liked about her was that she went through everything with me and she was constantly asking if I was okay. I thought she was sweet.

According to gumdisease.co.uk, about 50-90% of the adult population suffers from gum disease. And this is caused by plaques accumulated from the foods that we eat. I asked June if there are foods and drinks that I should eat more or avoid, but she told me I could eat anything. However, some articles suggest that eating crunchy vegetables and fruits with skin helps to get rid of plaques, and eating sugary foods can contribute to the development of plaques (which we know already).

This according to June is very effective in cleaning between the teeth. They're very soft and bendable. She gave me two different sizes to choose from, because apparently the gaps between our teeth are different. They are 2.50 pounds for a pack of 8.

I think I have found a toothpaste that I am going to use for a long time, if not forever. I helped myself with the samples from my dental practice. This is the toothpaste that has all around protection, and it's true. Trust me, it really works. I have only been using it for three days, but I can already see the difference. There are lesser plaques on my bottom teeth and my teeth are slightly whiter. What I love about it the most is the freshness that it leaves in the mouth. Honestly, this is totally different from any other toothpaste that I have tried before. It's quite expensive though, 2 pounds for a 75ml tube.

The combination of June's tips and the Oral B Pro-expert is definitely effective. I have noticed that my gums do not bleed anymore even if I have sores (from brushing my gums quite hard). I also enjoy brushing my teeth more than ever before. 

Anything to keep that perfect smile.

tintin x

Kor Delta comes in four different colours- blue, green, pink and orange. I chose green because it's my favourite colour. It's so cute, no? One thing I like about it is that I can actually carry it around with me. The handle fits my hand perfectly. =)

This water bottle is very easy to open. See those two buttons in the middle? It's a push button cap. You just have to push it up(to open) and down (to close). When it's closed, even if you turn it upside down, it will not spill. The cap is totally removable, so it's also easy to clean.

This is my favourite part of the bottle. You know when I said I don't drink a lot of water? Well, since I've had my Kor Delta, I have been drinking a lot more! Maybe around 1.5 to 2L. You know why? I keep telling Don this. When my lips touches the rim, it feels like I am actually kissing the softest lips on earth. Seriously. And when I finally drink the water from the bottle, it's sooooo refreshing. All of a sudden, the water tastes different. Most importantly, it doesn't smell of plastic. And yes, on top of the cover, there are actually two "stones" which you can choose from - for inspiration (to drink more water). The green bottle comes with the"Be the Change" and "Imagine" stones. You can just alternate them by opening the cap.

This is the bottom part of the bottle. It's rubberized so it doesn't make any noise when you put it down. Most importantly, it doesn't get scratched. But for some reason, both sides of my bottle already have minor scratches. Oh well, I have it for quite a while now, so no wonder. =(

Generally, I can't live without a water bottle in my bag because my throat dries very easily. While I always had bottled water before, now I have my Kor Delta. It fits perfectly in most of my bags. By the way, I have the 500ml bottle. They also have 750ml bottles. Promise, it's not heavy.

Photo from www.korwater.com

Kor Delta Water bottles are available online. They ship internationally. The 500ml costs $19.95

You can also buy them from Amazon or Reusable Bottle - £19.95

If you're in the Philippines, you can buy them from Sunny Sunday.

I know it's quite pricey, but I can guarantee you that it is worth it, and you probably will never go back to drinking from a bottled water again. Be inspired to "Go Green". 

tintin x