TravelswithCharie

St. Isidore Labrador, Lezo Visita Iglesia (church visit) is one of the traditional Catholic Lenten rituals that is widely practiced in the Philippines. Devotees may choose to visit 7 or 14 churches on Maundy Thursday after the Mass of the Last Supper or on Good Friday . Visiting 7 churches is symbolic of the 7 Last Words of Jesus. Fourteen churches represent the Via Crucis which consists of 14 Stations tracing the journey of Jesus Christ to Calvary. While visiting these churches, devotees pray and reflect on the sacrifice of Christ. Follow this link for the  prayers recited at each station of the cross:  https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php Holy Child Parish Church, Makato Holy Child Parish Church, Makato Most of the altars are covered in purple cloak during Lent to express repentance and penance.  Stained glass windows like this one adorn the windows in Makato. St. Joseph the Worker, Numancia St. Joseph the Worker, Numancia St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Kalibo ...

Erlinda Quimpo Wilson (l) and fellow artist, Clay Dalid (r) at Studio Q We drove to Kalibo from Roxas City to see the paintings of Erlinda Quimpo Wilson at her own Studio Q in the center of the city. At the time of our visit in February, Erlinda was busy preparing for the Transwing Art Exhibit at SM Aura Mall in Fort Bonifacio where her paintings were included in the exhibition.  Erlinda has received awards for her works and these are proudly displayed at the studio. The walls of the cozy studio show a wide selection of her paintings depicting local scenes or festivals as well as canvasses she completed while in U.S. where she took painting classes. I really loved this peaceful painting of 2 people busily working on the field with their backs bent against violet tinged mountains in the background.  Saylo Cuisine We went to Saylo Cuisine for lunch where some of Erlinda’s paintings were prominently displayed in the dining room. Saylo encourages l...

Aklan is well known as the jumping off point to the blindingly white sand beaches of Boracay. But it has another jewel worth visiting. This is the house that Sam built. Sampaguita Gardens Resort and Spa in New Washington is only a few minutes from the center of Kalibo. It is a beachside complex with a non denominational Meditation Chapel, an Asian fusion restaurant, an aquarium, a Christmas cottage, a children’s playground called Sammy’s Circus, a butterfly farm and the house of Samuel J. Butcher, the creator of Precious Moments. Precious Moments is renowned worldwide for its unique figurines and dolls. You enter Sam’s house through carved doors flanked by two enormous Chinese vases. Inside the cool interior of rich dark wood, is a collection of museum quality furniture and Oriental objets d’art. To the left of the main door, behind a glass panel is the library room with an antique Chinese bed. It has a wooden canopy with intricate carving. It would be difficult to concentrate on readi...