I am extremely proud for both of us. More than a decade of friendship, yung mga dating sleepovers turned to Airbnb, Pansol outing is upgraded to Paris Tour. Sino nga naman mag aakala.

It was an amazing weekend! One for the books! The absolute perfect blend of sitting in cafes and drinking wine with sightseeing, shopping, eating, and good convos. The weather ended up being great! I remember a lot of walking. I was actually a little worried cause this Tita is preggo but she never complained (except when she is hungry, which is every 30 mins!).

We don’t have a comprehensive itinerary. It is more like a spontaneous adventure. Here’s a rundown of what we did, ate, and shopped! But of course, we still did those Touristy things but never really stayed. We slipped in a walk inside and around the outside of the Louvre, peeked at the Notre Dame, and of course the Eiffel Tower. I’ll highlight a few of my favs below! Warining – LOTS of photos coming your way…

My plane landed in Schiphol airport in the Netherlands mid-day. I was so nervous. So many thoughts in my head, what if I don't get through immigration? What if i get lost? What if I missed my train to Paris? What if I get on the wrong train?

I allotted 2 hours between my arrival and my train departure. I know that trains are just below Schiphol airport, but you know in case i get into any trouble. Better safe than sorry.
I followed the other passengers as soon as we get off the plane. It is easy to navigate the airport. There are signage in the hallways. You'll never get lost. Just keep your head up.

My head is pounding as I lined up for immigration checks. Be cool. Be cool. For some reason I am always nervous whenever I go through security checks, it’s not like I’m hiding something or whatever. I think it’s the ambiance and fear that something goes wrong like in the ones we see in the movies.


“How long are you here for?” Immigration officer asked.

“Just until Tuesday, uhmmm.. 7 days.” I replied with eye to eye contact. Blue green eyes, nice white teeth and brown polished hair. He is cute.

“Are you going somewhere else or just here in Netherlands?”

“I’m going to France.” I answered quickly. “….but I’m only staying there for 3 days and will be back here.” I tried to explain.

He had series of questions after that. I was so relieved when he finally stamped my passport and said, “Enjoy your holiday!”

Like most of the major airports, train station is few steps away, for Schiphol it is sitting just below it. Once immigration checks are through, you’ll find yourself in the baggage claim area. Just continue walking and you’ll find exit that will lead you to the train station.
I went straight to the trains information to check where my platform is.


Fast forward to the 3 and a half hour train journey, I arrived in Paris 30 mins past 5 in the afternoon via Thalys train. It is the final station - Paris Gare du Nord or Paris North station. It sounds like it is located outside of Paris, but it is located within the main ring of Paris center.

This allows you to change to a Paris train or metro line, and be in the heart of Paris within a couple of minutes. For example, Paris trains D (green) and B (blue) and the E (pink) will bring you to ‘Les Halles’, close to the Louvre and Seine. I already knew which line will take me to my Airbnb. It’s the green line. But first I need to get tickets. This is when I realised, I am not in an English-speaking country. I had a little trouble buying my tickets but eventually the lady on the booth understood me.

For only €1,90 you can travel everywhere in Paris main ring or if you buy a 10-pack, you pay only €1,49 per ticket.

My Airbnb host sent me a message on where and how to access the property. The message was some kind of instructions from a James Bond movie. My host is cool.

As soon I settled my stuff. I jumped on the Metro Line 9 to Palace de Trocadéro to see the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower – My First Encounter

To be honest I was teary eyed when I saw it. I can feel the tears in the corner of my eyes. As I walk closer towards the small square, I'm still in awe. There were vendor selling souvenirs, they were loud and almost like harassing you to buy an item. But I didn’t really bother. My eyes were staring at this Iconic landmark with admiration. My heart is full. This is it. A childhood dream come true.

I walked down the pathway heading to Champ de Mars (the park parallel to the tower) but it was closed. This is the place where you see in pictures with stairs and pigeons flying around. A bit disappointed I continued walking down until I get close. Standing 1,063-foot-tall, this iron monument is looking strong and massive.

I walked around and bought a few souvenirs (which I shouldn’t, because I know they’re a bit pricy). I waited until dusk and for the city to become dark. I wanted to see The Iron Lady sparkling like the one I see in the movies.


And there she is, lighting the city.


There was a carousel at the bottom right of Champ de Mars. The combination of this view makes the city so romantic. Could have been perfect if my Bebe was right beside me.

I spent a good hour (with my head up) admiring the Parisian Monument. This is once a childhood dream. My mumma would be so proud.

Some french bakes. I tried the chocolate crepe cause i really fancy.

I noticed there are quite several vendors selling drinks on the streets. They even sell wine! How cool is that? Lol.

I head home, jam-packed of pictures in my camera and cell phone. I survived my first day!

I've been watching the Final Table lately and was very motivated to cook. This is a very simple dish put together. I found the recipe on The Roasting Tin book i just add a little twist.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C fan. Place the asparagus in the baking tray ( have few pieces of baby potatoes that i also used in this dish). Sprinkle over salt, pepper, oil. Toss well to mix.
2. Place the seasoned salmon fillet into the baking tray along with the asparagus. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25mins until the Salmon is cook through to your liking.
3. Meanwhile mix together ginger, chilli, fish sauce, oil, coriander, lime zest and juices. Recommended to put peanuts for a richer texture. Taste and adjust as you wish.
4. Remove the salmon and generously coat with the dressing.

There you have it! Enjoy!

“If I'm ever in Europe the first City I want to see is Paris - France.” 

It all started with this Korean Telenovela I used to watch when I was in high school called – Lovers in Paris. I was so addicted, to the point where I cry when I missed an episode because the electricity is out. You see, I grew up in a country side far away from civilization. We don’t have internet, YouTube or even a Cable! We just use this antenna thing to get some sort of signal. Story of my life.

Anyway, when the company sent me here in the UK for work, I thought to myself this is it! I can now go to Paris!! Little did I know, the visa is different and I needed to go to this whole visa processing, and it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. But for my Parisian dream, i'll do whatever! I applied and get approved. Yay!

When my visa came, I was so happy and excited. I’ve pre booked everything. Flights, accommodations and train tickets. It was my first time travelling alone so I made sure everything is organised. Well I wasn’t really travelling alone because my best friend is coming to see me there. Yay! Bff reunited in Paris!

I've read that Paris is a busy city and that i can be tough. Pick pockets and scams are everywhere and that you need to look sharp and alert all the time.

Weeks before my travel, as part of the travel preparation I googled everything i need to know, Maps, Train Stations and even googled "How to use Metro in Paris". It turned out great for me! Cause when i got there i didn't look like some lost little girl looking for her mumma. MAN, I LOOK SHARP!

My travel plan - Tips & advice

Passport and Visa

The most important thing for a third world country resident like me -Visa! If you're in the UK and holding a Philippine Passport (even if you have a resident permit - BRP) you still need a Schengen Visa to enter the EU.

Accommodation

When booking accommodation, I always suggest to go to the ones accessible via public transportation. Its not always necessary to book a place near tourist spots. A good location is the key and always a must!

I'm a fan of Airbnb and I often book here during my travels.  I booked a 1br flat for me and Grace located at 11th district very close to 2 Metro stations and plenty of restaurants and bar near by.
Located on the 3rd floor of a charming building, the apartment is bright and fully equipped: washing machine, dishwasher, dishes, plates, refrigerator with freezer, kettle, microwave.

I’ve seen this place in a short video from cultruretrip on Facebook and they call it the most beautiful walk in all of Ireland. I googled the place instantly and said to myself that one day i'd go, and I did. I made few friends here in Belfast and they were nice enough to drive for me and show me around.

It was a long scenic drive from Belfast to Enniskillen. We had couple of places planned out, but this one is on top of our list. Cuilcagh Mountain sits right at the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland which is pretty cool for me because I am not allowed to go down to Republic of Ireland (it'd be illegal). But here I can step at the border and be in 2 countries at the same time.

The Walk

The route wanders through one of the largest expanses of blanket bog in Northern Ireland, traversing over tracks, boardwalk and staircase. A steep climb is required to reach the viewing platform which provides breath taking views of the surrounding low lands.

The first part of the walk passes through a fascinating limestone landscape, often referred to as “The Fertile Rock” due to its flower rich pastures. Visible along the trail you will see abandoned Irish cottages, dry stone walls and potato cultivation ridges (“lazy beds”) all remnants of Ireland’s past heritage.


Continuing along the gravel vehicle track the landscape starts to change to blanket bog where the unmistakable, flat-topped ridge of Cuilcagh Mountain is visible in the horizon. In the spring, an abundance of bog cotton carpets the bog in a blanket of white, while in late summer the purple moor grass glistens with shades of red and purple.


After 4km, you start your ascent of Cuilcagh Mountain. The way is negotiated by a section of boardwalk, providing protection to the sensitive blanket bog beneath.

Your final ascent is via a steep section of steps, these are not for the faint of heart! As you steadily climb you meander and weave your way through a rocky landscape to eventually reach the viewing platform. The viewing platform positioned precariously at the edge of the mountain plateau offers breath-taking views over the surrounding landscape.


Once you get to the top you will want to take a bit of a break to take in the scenery and the million-dollar view and have a sandwich and some water. The hike back down is fairly easy but gets a bit crowded with the folks coming up.

Make sure to wear good walking or hiking shoes and bring a rain jacket just in case in your day pack. Weather can change fairly quickly.

The walk is linear, took me bloody 6 hours (there and back) but overall, it was a spectacular day out!

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INFORMATION

Tel. NI / UK:028 6634 8855

Tel. ROI:048 6634 8855

Opening times: 10am - 4.30pm from Mar - Nov

I can only describe this place as a picture straight out of a story book. It is UNREAL! I was so glad that I’ve chosen to go to this site rather than the one close to Amsterdam.