I am God’s greatest miracle…ever comforting words that never cease to strengthen me.
I am a mom who dotes on her two angels that means the whole world to me.I am a wife who continuously grows in love with my very patient husband whom I consider as one of the few persons who really understands and accepts me despite my inequities…
I am so in love with love until it hurts.
I am unforgiving…a flaw I am trying so hard to address.
I am complicated which never fails to annoy those few…I’m an artist … my goodness (how is that for an excuse?)
I feel deeply for children and women’s causes…a subtle fighter in their behalf and an advocate of peace and justice.
I am loyal and readily give up everything for a friend.
I am a lover of nature…always has this romance with the wonders of the earth.
I love to be kissed by the sun and touched by the breeze atop my two-wheeled buddy – my bike, whenever I go out for an early morning ride.
I usually find comfort in scribbling my thoughts and pour my heart out through the help of my pen.
I am stuck in the era of 1800’s,of the arcane, of regencies, of dazzling dukes, of glittering sights and of waltzing the cares away, thus my penchant for Amanda Quick, Barbara Cartland…and the list goes on.
I got drunk in the beauty of Verona, Italy- the mountains of Switzerland – the verdant hills and valleys of the too many places in Europe.
I like to listen to the sound of a bullet fired from a gun in my hand – like it even better when it hits the target.
I love green hues, butterflies, cheese-flavored ice cream and a dip in the shallow pool (I don’t know how to swim eh); I am hooked with CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds, and NCIS and had this fantasy of being close with Special Agent Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds).
To top it all – I hate nonsensical talks and empty words, I hate beers and liquors, I hate cigarettes, I like it less to be in the company of loud and ‘partying’ people with all of the above present – rather be in the company and comfort of my family and bosom friends.
Germany is Europe’s most industrialized and populous country. Famed for its technological achievements, it has also produced some of Europe’s most celebrated composers, philosophers and poets. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1047864.stm)
My first week of a month-long vacation in Germany was spent in Hannover, where my friend is studying Veterinary Medicine in one of the universities in the City. It was an interesting adventure right after the 20-hour plane ride via Kuwait Airways from Manila to Bangkok to Kuwait and finally to Frankfurt International Airport. I never had the chance to pay much attention to the changing time zones except that the airlines served more than enough breakfast and lunches that would last me a lifetime – so to speak.
Finally, after close to 20 hours of flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, to Bangkok and Kuwait, Frankfurt Airport welcomed me with the brightest of sunshine after the winter weeks.
I cannot remember if this was lunch or dinner for the many times they served.
It was a bit of a surprise that both flight transfers were delayed and on the other hand, I am not surprise with the strict checking of everyone’s document of the country’s customs at Frankfurt International Airport before everybody was allowed entrance.
I was the second to the last line of travelers from the different parts of the world being checked, most of them were from the Middle East who according to my new-found friend (a 63-year old Filipina married to German national and stayed in Germany for 20 years) at the airport are visiting the hospitals in Germany. Had my passport readied and all the documents such as my invitation, travel insurance, etc.
…with Tita Conching Engelman who happens to be a native of Iloilo City
It was such an experience being questioned on how you look differently in the visum or the Schengen Visa that was issued to me by the German Embassy in Manila and which I have applied for a month and a half before my scheduled travel. I don’t think I have changed much after that short period of time. Well, my invitation from my German host family has helped along with my Social Security identification card and Company identification cards. So if you travel, bring all your pertinent documents and identification cards with you.
Finally, I find myself entering the Federal Republic of Germany. I was fetched by Susanne Emde (the Emdes are my host family in Germany and who invited me to live with them on the duration of my vacation) at the airport and noted that the day I arrived was the first real sunshine they had experienced after two months of cold weather. I was so glad not to be welcomed by the cold. But, it seems that not only the sunshine of the Philippines did I brought with me but a little bit of the confusions, since the Inter City Express (ICE) or the trains that travels about 200-300 kph arrived late which seldom happens.
My first Intercity Express (ICE) experience. A high-speed train (300km/h) that connects all major cities in Germany and its surrounding countries.
Susanne dropped me off in Hannover and was met by Hannah, after she left Bacolod City last September 2012.
When the long wait is over, this is the kind of welcoming warmth I so needed.
So, the first week in Hannover was an adventure galore, the town was founded sometime in the early Middle Ages as a small rural settlement on the high banks of the River Leine at the crossing of two important ancient trading routes. One of them crossed the river in a shallow ford close by. The small settlement of the ferry and fishermen developed into a town under the protection of the Dukes of Roden who had a castle built on the opposite side of the river. The Dukes of Roden sold the prospering town to the Welfen.
Let me take you to one of Hannover’s interesting sights and review one of Europe’s fascinating landmarks.
In 1813/1815 Hannover’s independence was reestablished. EAST FRISIA, BENTHEIM, LINGEN, HILDESHEIM were annexed to Hannover, and the Electorate was elevated into a kingdom. The Dynastic Union with Britain continued until 1837. Then King ERNST AUGUST (1837-1851) took up residence in Hannover’s HERRENHAUSEN PALACE.
On my fourth day in Hannover, Hannah and I made it a point to visit the Herrenhausen Palace, since she knew I am fascinated by how the royals live and interested to see for myself their courts and abodes.
Herrenhausen Palace is now under reconstruction. It is the summer residence of the Royal House of Hanover and was destroyed in the Second World War. However, what make the place even more interesting are its gardens.
Herrenhausen Palace
The splendours of court life are still evident in the glorious garden, the Gallery with its frescoed Baroque banqueting hall, and the unique historical hedge theater.
Strolling in the Royal Herrenhausen Gardens will lead you through one of the most beautiful parks in Europe, and also through the fascinating history of the garden art.
The heart of these 135-hectare grounds is the Grosser Garten, which was begun in 1666 and is today regarded as the only garden of the early Baroque period to have retained most of its original lines and features.
Grosser Garten was commissioned by Duke Johann Friedrich to lay out a pleasure garden to the south of the modest palace. Most of its pleasures, though, were initially the enjoyment of the fruit that grew there. It was only when the Duke’s brother, later to become Elector Ernst August (reigned 1679-1698) came to the throne in Hannover that Herrenhausen began to bloom and attained its greatest splendours.
Electress Sophie, wife of Elector Ernst August (an Elector is any of the German princes entitled to take part in the election of a new emperor) found her life’s work at Herrenhausen; between 1680 and 1714 nothing was undertaken that was not at her express command. Rare plants were purchased in Holland and Hamburg, wagonloads of orange trees were delivered, renowned sculptors carved statues, and the waters of the Graft framed the garden on the Dutch model.
Grosser Garten was the setting for extravagant festivities of court society, with gondola rides on the Garft, Venetian nights and ostentatious masked balls.
Herrenhausen is Sophie’s time was the stage of European high politics and meeting place of the arts and sciences. Here, Tsar Peter the Great danced with Sophie; George Frideric Handel composed and played; the high aristocracy of Europe was entertained, and here the polymath Leibniz pondered on philosophy and science as he paced the garden.
The Great Cascade.
Water features from the Great Cascade, which is level with the Grotto with its four flights of waterfalls, provide pleasing background sounds.
These water stairs are the oldest original structure in Grosser Garten dating back to 1676. Following the style of the age, a French fountain maker decorated the Great Cascade with shells, stalactites, minerals and sculptures. The stone figures of Hermes, Selene, Ares, Pallas Athena, Hephaestus and Hercules look out over the Great Parterre from the parapel.
The Great Cascade.
The Golden Statues of the Garden Theater.
This was the first ‘hedge theater’ in Europeand is the only one to survive to the present day.
Around 1690, Elector Ernst August had 27 gilded figures set up in this open-air theater; 17 of the originals remain, and returned to the stage of The Garden Theater after five years of extremely painstaking restoration work in the spring of 2009. Since then, Venus, the fauns and the fencers follow the antics of Puck and the fairies in ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which became the ideal setting of Shakepeare’s play, just as they did three centuries ago. In those days, however, the ruler was fond of having himself admired in starring roles – true to the idea that the prince must also be the leading actor of the land.
The Lawn Garden.
The sunken garden of Herrenhausen Palace.
Devoid of flowers, the Lawn Garden presents a 17th-century specialty, when lawns were artistically set lower in their surroundings. This device was known as ‘Boulingrin’ from the French, derived from the English ‘bowling green’; the woods could not roll off the playing area. (www.hannover.de)
The country so rich in history and culture is a delight not only for a tourist like me, but for those whose yearnings for knowledge of the country’s greatness, the many tribulations they faced in the past, that painful part of their history which eventually made them a united country, the determination in each of its people’s faces to rise above mediocrity and made them famous for their technological advancement, among others and the discipline etched in each of them-
What is making my journey more meaningful in Germany is, I am experiencing it with its people, living their everyday life, breathing the air that they breathe, partaking the food that they eat, trudging along the lanes that they trudge, listening intently to the conversations and their exchanges, learning them at your own pace from their very tongue, and feel how they feel. All my senses are on the alert mode making every step of this journey worthy.
Dearie: someone special who taught one what “ich hab dich liebe” really means.
I expressed to my friends that there are so many things that I will definitely miss the most in Germany; among them are the very strict implementation and compliance to traffic rules where cars really stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street where there are no traffic lights, of having that mechanism in every traffic light posts for people to touch allowing them to cross when there are no more cars passing through the streets, of the many bike lanes, of their deep love for nature evident in the hundred years old trees along the main thoroughfares, the long days when you get yourself a surprise when you see the sun still shines at 8:30pm and most of all, of their deep respect for time. I don’t believe that it is only the Germans or any other foreigners can do all these things. We can absolutely observe traffic rules and have some bike lanes. I remembered a former councilor friend who submitted a resolution relative to having some bike lanes in the City Council but I am not sure why it was not considered until it was forgotten. Now we are, at least aware of our responsibilities to the environment and doing something to address some of its concerns, but we have to do more than just being aware. We have to take actions, no matter how minute and slow like recycling and segregation…it will eventually pay off.
Bike lanes all over town.
The district where I had my Vietnamese meal with a new found friend.A sight to behold…the tulips and the castle.
…well, they just have a castle for a school
A month in Germany is too short when you have so much to learn. Perhaps, it was the foreigner in me who happens to appreciate more of what I see, hear, smell, taste and feel about this country. Perhaps, my heart aches to learn what made them one of the most successful, what good practices are they doing, mistakes that they turned into lessons and acceptance of humanity, no matter the color of your skin, or the dialect your tongue speaks or for whom your heart beats. There is still so much to discover and re-discover about this land…of Deutschland. * (RRM)
Boracay, Philippines – Landing on the white sand paradise of Boracay Island is worth the ten-hour ferry-taxi-bus-jetty-tricycle ride that used up most of our Friday time. My family along with some friends decided to have a weekend trip to the world’s renowned beach resort.
Despite the exhausting ride, setting foot on the island makes one forget the bother and take pleasure in the cornucopia of white beaches, foreign and local tourists, shops filled with colorful wares, foods, fruits and liquors in abundance.
After checking in at La Carmela de Boracay, which offered us the best service so far, with a welcoming cold drink of some tropical fruit, dropped our baggage and headed towards the beach made us feel like home within Paradise Island.
A scrumptious buffet dinner was served by 7PM which my husband, Eric, my children Erika Ritz and Erick, my very dear friend Hannah Emde, Andrea Mae Libo-on, Faith Perfecto and Sven Barth enjoyed so much.
Indeed, not only during the day did the island made the weary travelers and tourists in high spirit, but at night when the first lamplight was turned on and gone were the lounges on the beachfront and canopies were set up for a blend of food, cocktails, music and other live performances. This of course means, bringing in not only vacationers from the different parts of the world but also, different denominations making the economy of this little island booming.
Saturday seemed to be the most favorite day in the island with people from the different stations and accommodation rise up with the sun and break their fast as early to sail with the winds to some more beautiful islets and reefs that surround the beauty that is Boracay.
Several tour packages were being offered to visitors to further make their stay memorable which include, island hopping, parasailing, reef walking, snorkeling, banana boat ride and much more.
In our case, we rented a boat for P1, 600 for only three hours; we came to see some smaller islands around Boracay, then stopped near some reef, put on our snorkeling gear and cavort with the different species of fish in the crystal clear waters. It felt like heaven for all you can hear was the singing of the waves as it blows against our vessel, while you revel in the wonders of the fishes flirting before your very eyes and trusting your safety to the orange-vest you donned.
This is a very lucrative business in the place, having more that one unit of the vessel, taking tourists to nearby islets in every 3 hours for at least P1, 600 per trip is a sure money-spinning industry.
It surprised the group to see some small bancas selling ice cream and buko juice in the area where we snorkel. It was their ingenuity that amazed us.
Returning back to the island, passing through other caves and rock formations, we stayed the remaining hours frolicking in the waters and welcome the crisp salty winds washing through our faces. It was beyond words.
Our last night in Boracay will never be complete without bringing some souvenirs for families and friends back home. Eric and I decided to visit D’Mall where we find stalls selling affordable items ranging from shirts, bags, shorts, necklaces, earrings and other interesting bits and pieces.
Some of our company went to stay a little bit late to further enjoy the night life with fire dancing, mini-concerts and more dipping in the cool Boracay waters.
Leaving the island the following day is like bidding a part of your heart adieu, with a promise that sooner or later, another visit will be included in the list. *
Boracay Facts.
Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay. Boracay Island is located off the northwest corner of the island of Panay, and belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, or Region 6, of the Philippines. The island is approximately seven kilometers long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than one kilometer wide, and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers. South-facing Cagban Beach is located across a small strait from the jetty port at Caticlan on Panay island, and the Cagban jetty port serves as Boracay’s main entry and exit point during most of the year. When wind and sea conditions dictate, east-facing Tambisaan Beach serves as an alternative entry and exit point.
Boracay’s two primary tourism beaches, White Beach and Bulabog Beach, are located on opposite sides of the island’s narrow central area. White Beach faces westwards and Bulabog Beach faces eastwards. The island also has several other beaches.
White Beach is the main tourism beach. It is a bit over four kilometers long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. In the central portion, for about two kilometers, there is a footpath known as the Beachfront Path separating the beach itself from the establishments located along it. North and south of the Beachfront Path, beachfront establishments do literally front along the beach itself. In past years, Boracay entry and exit was done through three boat stations located along the Beachfront Path, but that practice was discontinued in 2007 in favor of the single-point entry and exit mentioned above. Several roads and paths connect the Beachfront Path with Boracay’s Main Road, a vehicular road which runs the length of the island. At the extreme northern end of White Beach, a footpath runs around the headland there and connects White Beach with Diniwid Beach.
Across the island from White Beach is Bulabog Beach, a secondary tourism beach and Boracay’s main windsurfing and kiteboarding area.
For Land Use and Management, the island of Boracay is divided into 400 hectares of preserved forestland and 628.96 hectares of agricultural land.
History
Boracay was then called “Land of the Atis” because the first settlers of the island are the Negritos or Atis. The Negritos farmed and fished in Boracay for centuries. During the 1940′s and 1950′s, the Boracaynons or the people of Boracay, depended largely on fishing and coconut plantation. Copra, the dried meat of coconut, was traded to businessmen from Aklan in exchange for rice and other goods and commodities.
In the 1960′s and 1970′s, Boracay became popular among families from Panay. When a German writer published a book about the Philippines in 1978, describing Boracay history and the beautiful island in details, the island was introduced to the world.
This mark the beginning of tourist “boom” with tourist.
Since then, the onset of tourism changed Boracay completely. As word of its exceptional beauty–specifically the immaculate white sands of White Beach spread, tourists began arriving. Suddenly, from a sleepy, sparsely populated island, Boracay was transformed into a major destination on the international travel circuit. Whether the change was for the better or worse is an open question, but it was certainly a turning point in the history of Boracay Island. (http://www.boracayisland.org/)
Hesse, Germany – Being schooled by Benedictine sisters for four years have made me curious and interested at the same time of the place, they called abbey, where they are exactly staying, what they do in there and why they do such things.
One weekend, my host brought me to the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard at Rüdesheim and Eberbach Monastery
Rüdesheim is a winemaking town in the Rhine Gorge and thereby part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lies in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.
Like all Benedictine nuns, the sisters of the Abbey of St. Hildegard live a life based on the 1500-year-old Rule of St. Benedict. These rules express a long monastic tradition, reveal a very personal spiritual experience and offer guidance on how to achieve a meaningful Christian life.
The Benedictine rules, shaped by the love of God and the rational knowledge about man, convey a message that is, it its essence, still relevant today.
The aim and objective of a monastic which means cloistered life is to strive to live completely in the presence of God, to praise Him in prayer, labour and monastic community life and thus constantly to remind mankind of His existence. The focus of convent life is regular common prayer and celebration of liturgy.
Five times a day the sisters assemble in prayer to place all worries and needs of the world and the Church before God. They also pray on behalf of all those who are not able to pray yet or who cannot pray any more.
In a convent of about 50 nuns, 12 employees and an average of 20 guests; the sisters’ work involves running a household and organizing the daily life of a community such as: work in kitchen and laundry, growing fruits and vegetables, taking care of the grounds and buildings, sewing and wood working.
The Benedictine sisters lovingly perform their daily duties in all of these areas with tireless dedication, especially those tasks which on the outside seem rather nondescript are the ones that support the community and profoundly hold it together.
The Abbey.
Guest Quarters. The abbey is accommodating guests which offer a secluded and restful setting. Guests are invited to pray with the sisters, to enter into a conversation with them or spend some time in silence and reflection.
The Abbey Shop. The Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard’s community supports itself directly from the income of the Abbey’s businesses. A team of four sisters and two employees works in the bookshop that offers religious books, literature, guiding and counseling books, cards, craft items, ceramics, icons and calendars, among others.
The Abbey Winery. In the abbey’s vineyard, the sisters cultivate six hectares of vines using an environmentally friendly method, planted with 85% Riesling and 15% Spätburgunder (a red burgundy grape harvested in autumn). From production through marketing, everything is produced in their cellar and sold over the counter in their own wine shop.
Spelt Products. Since 1970, the Abbey has a business called “Dinkel und Likör” (spelt and liquer). Hildegard of Bingen already recommended splet as the best and healthiest of all grains 900 years ago. Today, many people have rediscovered it. The Abbey’s spelt products include flour, muesli, ground spelt, noodles, baked goods etc. The in-house liqueur, digestive liqueur, wine jelly, honey, and spelt beer complete the range of natural products.
The Arts and Crafts Workshops. The arts and craft workshops make an important contribution to the livelihood of the community. The master goldsmith makes sacred vessels as well as jewelry of any kind. In the ceramics and pottery studios, one finds a large selection of reliefs and sculptures as well as many items of practical use from the potter’s wheel. A restoration workshop for papers and documents from ecclesiastical archives restores old manuscripts, incunabula and books.
EBERBACH MONASTERY
To the north of the Rheingau, where the Taunus Mountains shelter the vineyards, a walled monastery lies at the lower end of the Kisselbach valley. Far below the village settlements, in dark contrast, once stronger than now, to the charming landscape along the river, the group of monastery buildings preserves something of the seclusion which was the way of life for the community of monks who lived there for 700 years.
KlosterEberbachor Eberbach Monastery was founded in 1136 by Bernard of Clairvaux as the first Cistercian monastery on the east bank of the Rhine, on the site of a previous monastic foundation of Adalbert of Mainz, which had been occupied at first by Augustinian canons and then by Benedictine monks, which had however failed to establish itself.
Cloister with Garden. This enclosed quadrant was built in the 13th& 14th centuries upon the foundations of a Romanesque predecessor. In the early years, a second story was constructed over the north wing. In 1480 a large library was added on top of the west wing. After the secularization, the south and east wings were destroyed (1805).
However, monastic life in Eberbach Monastery no longer exists and serves this day as a typical example of an ideally constructed and completely preserved Cistercian monastery complex and is almost unique in Germany in this regard.
In addition to the cloister, which was reserved only for the monks, the hospital, the lay brothers’s building and the monastery complex wall have been preserved.
Because of its impressive structures, predominantly from the 12th through 14th centuries, the Eberbach Monastery is considered to be one of the most important architectural edifices of the Middle Ages not only in the state of Hesse but it also serves as one of the most outstanding monuments of Cistercian architecture in all of Europe.
The defining architecture of the Romanesque and Gothic periods as well as the elements of the Baroque forms a singular magnificent structural ensemble.
The Chapter House. The Romanesque windows of the original building, constructed before 1186, still exist on the perimeter walls. The room was remodeled in 1350 and a magnificent Gothic star-vaulted ceiling with its single supporting pillar was added. The name of this meeting room is based upon the division of the monastic rules, which were read aloud here, into chapters.The entire south wing of the cloister is occupied by the 76-meter-long monastery church. It was built in two time periods, from 1145 to 1160 and from 1170 to 1186, resulting in the Romanesque triple-aisled groined vault pillar basilica with an eastern transept and a rectangular choir. Upon the monastery’s dissolution in 1803, the rich Baroque interior was removed and since it is no longer consecrated, it is only used occasionally for religious services and predominately for classical concerts. Its monumental severity and simplicity make the monastery church a prime example of early Cistercian attitude and its realization in architecture.Tombstones. Tomb-chest for Archbishop Gerlach von Nassau (+1371) with the sepulchral slab of Archbishop Adolf II von Nassau (+1475) which was added to the left side in 1707.The Cold Storage/ Wine Treasury.The late medieval cold storage with its notable river sandstone flooring and offers a glance into the Hessian State Wineries’ wine treasury which was constructed in the age of the Nassau princes (1830) in historicized style.The Fountain. Only the fountain’s foundations from the original Romanesque cloister (before 1186) as well as the connecting bay to the refectory portal and fragments of the fountain remain. It was used by the monks for washing their hands before meals.The Bible. Martin Luther declared his intolerance for the Roman Church’s corruption on Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that was designed to martyr him, would translate the New Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in 1523, and another edition of the German New Testament in 1529. In the 1530’s he would go on to publish the entire Bible in German. This book is displayed in a glass casing found in the Eberbach Monastery museum.Cistercian missale
Eberbach Monastery today is a charitable foundation under the public law whose mission is to preserve the abbey buildings for posterity and to keep them open for the public and for cultural purposes. Although, the last monk to leave Eberbach approximately 200 years ago, this mission takes up a number of monastic traditions that were once fostered here. The complex is owned by the Eberbach Monastery Foundation and endeavours to maintain all the historically important buildings in good condition in the course of a comprehensive general restoration to their original appearance as documented.* (RRM)
Oslo, Norway – A part of my one-month vacation was a side trip to visit my friend Deneb Sundsvåg in Oslo for four days from April 26-29, 2013. On board Scandinavian Airlines flight SK4756, I left my home base Bonn, Germany and off I went from Frankfurt International Airport to Gardermoen Airport in Norway for a two-hour flight armed with a Schengen visa.
My friend Deneb Sundsvåg and husband, Mr. Magnar Sundsvåg tagged along with us exploring downtown Oslo. This picture was taken before the establishment of famous clothing brand “Moods of Norway.”
The Schengen Visa has made traveling between its 25 member countries – 22 of which are European Union states and three non-EU members, much easier and less bureaucratic. It means that the holder can travel to any (or all) member countries using one single visa avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas when one wish to visit several European countries on the same trip. The Schengen visa is a “visitor visa” issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain it before entering Europe.
Spring comes later in Oslo than in some parts of Germany so it was a surprise that the day I arrived was so pretty cold. My friend and her husband fetched me from the airport and drove to their home near Oslo’s commercial center.
Since my time in Oslo was so limited, I started the exploration following a short rest and off my friend and me went to Majorstuhuset to shop and have a fill of the downtown area to collect some first impressions.
The Parliament…it was a holiday and the Norwegians like to sprawl under the Scandinavian sun.It was fun seeing those toddlers (with their parents tagging along) running down Oslo’s main streets.This is Oslo’s Opera House, home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. The structure allows tourists and other visitors a panoramic view of the central Oslo. It is situated at the head of the Oslofjord.Performing now…Kylian’s Different Shores.
There is some doubt as to what “Oslo” really means. “Os” can mean a range of hills or ridge or a reference to a Norse god, while “lo” might mean a field. Hence, Oslo can mean either “Field of the Gods” or “the field below the hill.”
The Aker Brygge. Oslo’s center for shopping, dining and entertainment. Also houses high-end residential units.
The first sign of urban settlement dated back to around 900, and by 1300 Oslo was already an important trading centre. In 1624, King Christian IV decided to re-name it Christiana. At the beginning of the 19th century, Christiana was still a small town, but its population grew rapidly as a result of an economic surge halfway through the century. Thus, from 1850-1900, the population of Christiana grew from 30,000 to 220,000. Following dissolution of the union with Sweden and Norwegian independence in 1905, rising national sentiment resulted in the city reverting to its original name of Oslo in 1925.
Unfiltered view of Oslo’s dock and its shopping districts where people from all walks of life, tourists and local converge and enjoy the afternoon sun after the long winter season.
Oslo is currently going through the biggest change the city has seen for decades. Roads and traffic are disappearing underground and the fjord and water’s edge are being opened up for recreation, cultural attractions and accommodation.
Oslo is also one of the oldest capitals in Europe, and is thought to have been originally settled in Viking times. Excavations have exposed the remains of a settlement from around 1000 AD. The Viking settlement was located in Bjorvika where the National Opera stands today.
The Times’ Richard Morrison declared: “I am in love. She’s Norwegian, gorgeous, full of fun, yet with surprising hidden depths. She’s the new Oslo Opera House, an amazing marble and granite vision that rises out of the fjord like a giant ice floe.”
After spending three summers in the beautiful island of Guimaras, my life experience in this amazing place will never be the same.
As I continue writing the following chapters of my life’s book, it is wonderful to pen precious moments spent with your loved ones and friends who shared your fascination for nature. My first Guimaras trip took place May 5, 2012 leaving Bacolod City about 6 a.m. aboard Supercat, a ferry that will take us to Iloilo City where we’ll take a boat from the quay to Jordan for P15.00. We arrived at Jordan Wharf about 7:49 a.m. immediately hired a multi-cab for P600 that brought us to the southern municipality of Guimaras Island of Nueva Valencia where Guisi Clearwater Resort is located.
Entrance to Guisi Clearwater Resort
The clear waters of Guisi in Guimaras Island.
Guisi Clearwater Resort is situated in Brgy. Dolores, some 33 kilometers from Jordan Wharf. The resort was filled with people local and foreign tourists alike who came to enjoy the scenes and have a dip in the clear waters of Guisi. My family and that our friend stayed at the resort’s air-conditioned accommodation for three days and two nights and paid P6, 330 for our stay and other foods.
We stayed together in a 3-bed room for the duration of our vacation. The nights at Guisi were warm and peaceful with only the sounds of crickets and other night creatures marred the silence that envelopes the place.
Day2: We have the resort for ourselves on our second day, which was Monday, woke up early so we can explore the surrounding area aboard a small banca, its caves and swim in its cool The exhilarating experience as we explore the 5-town province makes your senses fully awake. From the sounds of the waves, the feel of the winds as it blows and touches your body, the smell of the sea, the amazing sights of the sloping and rolling rocks and the taste of the sweetest mangoes in the land. How more blessed we all feel afterwards.
Guimaras is composed of five (5) municipalities and ninety eight (98) barangays with Jordan as the capital town. Hiligaynon is the native dialect. Anchored on agriculture for its economy, Guimarasnon derived their livelihood from the bounties of the land and its surrounding seas. Farm or agri-tourism destination is being set by Guimaras for its definitive tourism image in Western Visayas by diversifying its agriculture and introducing tourism related activities supplementing or enhancing agricultural areas.
Southeast of Panay and Northwest of Negros Islands in Western Visayas, Philippines, the island is separated from Panay by the 1.5 nautical miles long Iloilo Strait and acts as a natural breakwater for Iloilo. The 6 nautical mile Guimaras Strait likewise separates the province from Negros. Generally gently sloping to rolling with land elevation ranging from 0-300 m above sea level 60,457 hectares (604.57 sq.km) Nature is truly a poetry in motion as you can hardly get enough of it.
The following years, I decided to go back to Guimaras, this time visited Cabugan Adventure Resort twice with my family and friends. It is situated at Brgy. Tando, Sitio Duncaan in Nueva Valencia.
Cabugan is an earthy tropical paradise. This time we went via Pulupandan town in Negros Occidental, brought our own cars boarded a roll-on-roll-off vessel to the Port of Sibunag in Brgy. Sebaste, Sibunag.
Cabugan is an earthy tropical paradise. This time we went via Pulupandan town in Negros Occidental, brought our own cars boarded a roll-on-roll-off vessel to the Port of Sibunag in Brgy. Sebaste, Sibunag.
In each of our Cabugan visits, we usually take the sunrise cottages which are located atop the hill of the resort with our own dock where we could take a swim anytime we want.
We did take our usual island hopping spree and the (shortest) cliff dive for the teens and of course, the boating experience around the lagoon until night time.
It was yet another memorable island getaway with the whole family, a moment away from the humdrum and the noise of city life. The beauty of Guimaras will always be in our hearts. #
I am God’s greatest miracle…ever comforting words that never cease to strengthen me.
Sea, Sun and Summer Breeze 