TravelswithCharie

Lambingan Beach Aklan has many attractions that tourists miss when they head straightaway to Boracay from the Kalibo International Airport. Lambingan Beach is just a few minutes down the road from the airport and the perfect spot to celebrate the blue hour. Or meet locals frolicking on the beach. Tinago Lake Tinago Lake in Batan is aptly named. Tinago means hidden and this lake is well hidden except to those who seek off the grid paths. We met two other visitors when we were in Tinago. It was easy to appreciate the expanse of lake and sky and harness the #bluemind in tranquil surroundings. Bayangan Village, Lezo I enjoy shopping for pottery in this village because the prices are reasonable and the stall owners are open to bargaining and will even give an extra planter or two if you purchase a lot of pottery. Bayangan means "potter's wheel" and Lezo is the pottery capital of Aklan. St. Isidore the Farmer Church St. Isidore the Farmer Church is right

Small Parterre The Mirabell Gardens were laid out in 1687 during the reign of Prince-Archibishop Johann Ernst von Thun. It was designed by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach within the Mirabell palace grounds and redesigned a few times over the years. One of the characteristics of a Baroque garden is how it incorporates vistas outside the garden into its design. This feature is evident from Rosehill, on the south side of the Palace. Our eyes are drawn from the Small Parterre to the Fountain of Pegasus and beyond to the dome and steeples of the Cathedral of Salzburg and Hohensalzburg Fortress. 

Unlike its neighbors, Kyoto and Nara, Osaka has few historical landmarks to show. This third largest city in Japan makes up for the shortfall with its thriving entertainment and food scene.  Dotonbori Street Dotonbori is referred to as the Times Square of Osaka. I think of it as an amusement park with shopping, restaurants, theaters, night clubs and crazy billboards all lit up at night. This place is all about fun, food and whimsical appearances. Restaurant signboard Osaka has been christened the city of kuidaore which means, "eat until you drop". Nowhere is food more visible than in Dotonbori where cartoon signs come alive in the evening, beckoning patrons to dinner. The restaurant shown above is on Dotonbori Street and from the looks of things, the favorite of Spiderman. There are also food stalls on the street selling two popular street food,  okonomiyaki (grilled pancake with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage and meat)   and takoyaki (octopus dumplings).   C

"Nuremberg shines throughout Germany like a sun among the moon and stars." Martin Luther Half timbered houses in the Alstadt

    Wieber

A picture paints a thousand words. So without further ado, here's Hallstatt. Hallstatt

It's a beauteous evening, calm and free The holy time is quiet as a nun Breathless with adoration, the broad sun Is sinking down in its tranquility The gentleness of heaven broods o'er sea Excerpt from It's a beauteous evening by William Wordsworth

Mantalinga Island or Good Luck Island beckons from across the sea. Just under 20 minutes from Baybay beach in Roxas City, it's rocky shores, tidal pools and sweeping view of Baybay are enough reasons to make the short crossing.     Mantalinga Island

There has been a lot of buzz lately about Mararison Island. For good reasons. How can one not rave about the crystal clear waters around the island and the long stretch of beach with nary a soul? Or the opportunity to take a hike up the hills for a panoramic view of the "land where the mountains meet the sea"?  We docked by the pile of ginormous jackstones which serve as breakwater for the island. Someday these will be properly redistributed so the beach will be well protected and halt the sea's reclamation of the beachfront.  The sea was calm in February when we visited Mararison. It didn't rain though the sky was heavy. And as it was low tide, the curving sandbar, Kawit, was visible from our open cottage on the beach. The hut rental was P300. After leaving our things in our cottage, we went in search for grub. We found fish and vegetables for sale just a short distance from the beach. And we were pointed to a

Monastery of El Escorial It's been ages since my first visit to the monastery of El Escorial. What impressed me most then were the long corridors and one particular door with a low clearing so you would have to stoop so low to pass through. Or else..... I was delighted to discover that I could go to San Lorenzo de El Escorial by taking one of the suburban trains from Chamartin. And the trip took less than an hour and costs 8.10€ roundtrip. So I took off one sunny afternoon to rediscover this old town. What struck me as we approached El Escorial were the spectacular mountains which dominated the landscape. Little did I realize that when I opted to walk to the monastery that I would be climbing up a thousand meters to the foot of Mount Abantos in the Sierra de Guadarrama. So I panted uphill all the while thinking, will I ever get there? I found out later on that I took the roundabout way along Avenida de Los Reyes Catolicos but what the heck. It was a good exercise which I

Halfway between Roxas City and Kalibo is the town of Sapian, Capiz which is the home of the lush gardens of Meditation Hills. Yes, it is a great place to meditate amidst nature's beauty and bounty. What I like best about the Healing Chapel is its location halfway up the hill. It has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside and the hills across the road below.  This uphill path leads to the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I didn't venture the climb as we were there at midday and it was really too hot and the sun had sapped away my energy. All I wanted to do was take a nap. The best time to attempt this climb would be early morning or late afternoon. Bring a hat or parasol and suntan lotion.  The grounds are well manicured and the trees seem to have grown and recovered easily after the devastation of the super typhoon, Yolanda.  Above the grotto and many more steps to hurdle is a big white cross which can be seen for miles around. That cr

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year in a peaceful world! *  *  * Image by Charie

It's been a fun and creative last few weeks for me while learning how to convert my travel photos into video stills. I have 20 travel videos currently uploaded to YouTube for the vicarious traveler in you. No need to pack your bags. Just turn on your laptop or computer and link to my site: www.youtube.com/travelswithcharie . You have a choice of destinations to visit: Spain, The Philippines, Bali, Yosemite National Park, Egypt, Lantau Island, Berlin, Italy, Prague, Amsterdam. There's also a video about food, " Eating Well in Spain ", and one on gardens, " Filoli House and Gardens ". Check out Oahu now. I hope you have as much fun watching these videos as I had creating them for you. Happy travels! * * *

Can't say enough good things about Bohol. It's hard to ignore its natural beauty, colonial history, lush tropical landscape, uncrowded beaches, all packaged in rustic simplicity. In short, this island will not remain below the radar screen for much longer. It was wise to hire a guide who drove us to the places we wanted to see. The roads to touristic spots were well paved and traveling was comfortable in the airconditioned Combi. From Tagbilaran City we went inland to gape at the Chocolate Hills. On the way we stopped at the monument of the historic blood compact between the Spaniard, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and local leader, Datu Sikatuna. So much for pacts of friendship! History can attest to that. The man made mahogany forest is the work of one leader, a former Governor of Bohol, who cared enough about his province and his people to initiate the planting of mahogany trees covering an area that spans 2 kilometers. It's taken 40 years for these trees to mature and the area

Karnak Temple   As the wheels of our plane glided across the runway at Luxor airport, I had the impression we were landing on a bed of sand. Egypt, after all, is a vast desert broken by the Nile River and delta. But rather than steaming Sahara-like temperatures, the chilly air had me buttoning up my jacket. Eyes heavy with sleep, I followed a group of people to a waiting bus where our guide outlined our plan for the day. We were driving directly to Karnak to avoid the hordes of tourists who were surely still drinking their first cup of morning coffee. I was quite unprepared for what I was about to see. Who was Amun for whom the great temples of Karnak and Luxor were built? In the Ban region where the veneration of Amun thrives, the locals refer to him as “The Unknowable Lord” because he represented the hidden life force of the universe. Amun rose in stature to king of the gods when he was later associated with Re, the sun god, for which he was accorded the name Amun-Re. When Amun-Re’s

Taking tentative steps into the center of town, I was greeted by a cacophony of tongues, some familiar, some not, all proclaiming that Toronto is indeed "the world within a city". Toronto lies on the northern banks of Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes. The visitor is at once drawn to the lake and Toronto Islands, a short ferry hop from Harbourfront. Standing on the bow of the ferry, I watch some ducks waddling along, like a chorus line of some sort, directly ahead of us. When the boat blew its horn, they broke ranks and flew in all directions only to return shortly thereafter, oblivious of danger. Suddenly I saw lighting strike in the distant skies and I moved to safety. From my new vintage point, I could see CN Tower punctuating the Toronto skyline. Sky Dome, home of the Blue Jays, looked like a perfectly inflated balloon. It was quiet in the islands and the park was nearly empty this early in the summer season. I would have loved to walk from one island to the o

Batu Bolong As our Combi van coughed its way up to Kintamani on the northern side of the island, the sky suddenly gave way to torrential rain quickly inundating the narrow mountain road.  The Combi sputtered then died.  Our driver started and restarted the engine in vain while our guide tried to reassure us that this rain would be short-lived as they always are in this part of the world.  The heavy downpour was now threatening to carry our van downhill with it.  Speeding vehicles were passing us, splashing muddy water on our van as they sped away.  After what seemed like an eternity, the engine sprang back to life and we slowly edged our way to Penelokan for lunch and front center row view of Gunung Batur (Mt. Batur) volcano and Lake Batur.  We sat impatiently through lunch waiting for the veil of mist that shrouded the volcano to lift.  A faint hint of sunlight and we finally caught a glimpse of Mt. Batur with its perforated peak surrounded by the lush valley floor and lake. All t