Happy Tripper

Hostal Opera - Our home in Barcelona.

Posted by Carambs

There were so many hostels to choose from in Barcelona, so we looked for one with good reviews on the net. Our choices were narrowed down to 2 - Hostal Benidorm and Hostal Opera. Good thing my friend’s cousin-in-law was based there. He offered to check out both hostels, and in the end, he recommended the Hostal Opera. He told us that the bathroom was nicer.

Hostal Opera is located at Sant Pau, which is one of the side streets of the Ramblas. It’s very near the Liceu Opera, the Boqueria Market, and Plaza Real. There was a Metro stop (Liceu) nearby. It was walking distance to the Barri Gotic district. As one of the companions said, we were in a “happening” place. It was a busy place at night.

Our room had 2 beds and was very clean. The bathroom was also very clean. However, the room was bare. Well, what can you expect - it wasn’t a hotel. The rate was 66 Euros per room per night. That meant each person only had to pay 33 Euros per night. For the location, the cleanliness, and the privacy, it was well worth it.

I can definitely recommend it to friends.

Pictures of the lobby, the room and the bathroom:

Tripper 5: Paris

Posted by Carambs

1) Arc de Triomphe – Seeing the Arc de Triomphe up close was a dream come true for me. It holds a special place in my heart because I see it yearly when I follow the Tour de France. The last few laps of the Tour pass by the Arc, and it’s a fitting end to one of the greatest sports event of all time. I was actually teary-eyed when I first saw it up close, when I still inside the shuttle. Last May I was supposed to follow the Tour for 11 days but visa problems did not allow my dream to come true. And so I am grateful for this trip because it partly fulfilled my dream. In the coming years, I still hope to watch the Tour de France live in the mountains of France and the Champs Elysees.

2) Louvre – The Louvre is an amazing place. Words cannot describe how I felt while I was walking around, seeing all of the paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from hundreds, and even thousands, of years ago. We only allocated 3 hours for the Louvre, which is definitely not enough. But we had no choice because we only had 1 day in Paris, and we wanted to see other sights as well. We went to the Scully and Denon wings, mainly for the Mona Lisa and the Egyptian exhibit. Seeing the Mona Lisa was actually anti-climactic. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. Maybe it’s because the painting was small, and the bullet-proof glass that covered it did not allow the viewers to truly appreciate the painting’s beauty. Maybe because it was cordoned off and one couldn’t really get near. In any case, it’s still an experience. The Egyptian exhibit blew my mind. I couldn’t believe I was looking at items that were thousands of years old! I also found it so amazing how the human mind works, because at the core of it all, the people then and the people now are just the same. There’s science, self-preservation, art, and even vanity. People think of, worry about, and are concerned with the same things, whether surrounded by stones or surrounded by digital gadgets. I want to go back to Paris mainly for the Louvre – I would like to allocate 2 to 3 full days for it, so that I can see and appreciate all that it has to offer.

3) Eiffel Tower – Though beautiful, I think it’s overrated. Still, that didn’t stop me from taking photos. I wish it weren’t as hard to take pictures at night, because it is more beautiful at night. It was a perfect night – we took some pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the background, had a hotdog sandwich for dinner while viewing the tower from afar, had nutella crepe for dessert, and took pictures up-close while sending MMS images to friends.

 

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Tripper 5: Barcelona

Posted by Carambs

1) La Manual Alpargatera - This is a very famous yet very simple espadrilles shop in Barcelona. It was established in the 1940’s after the Spanish Civil War. It’s a must-visit for tourists, whether or not one is interested in purchasing espadrilles. But believe you me, you will end up buying, what with all the different styles to choose from. The most basic style only costs 7 Euros! The ladies in the store were very helpful - the older one doesn’t speak English though and the other one spoke minimal english. We were lucky that we were with someone who was based in Barcelona, and who could speak basic Spanish. You will probably think of buying “pasalubong” for friends and loved ones back at home - get ready to shell out around 50 to 70 Euros when you visit the store.

2) La Sagrada Familia - This magnificent basilica, one of Antoni Gaudi’s masterpieces, has been under construction since Gaudi was alive. He had been working on it for 40 years until his death in 1926. When asked about the long construction period, he replied with “My client is not in a hurry” referring to God. His vision is still alive today as other people have continued to work on the basilica. La Sagrada Familia is a testament to Gaudi’s brilliant mind. He was meticulous in designing it, making sure that he had plaster models, not just a design on paper. Every detail was planned, and indeed every detailsIt is now a very popular tourist destination in Barcelona.

3) Bus Turistic - Barcelona’s Bus Tour, according to a friend who has travelled to many places, is one of the best. The double-decker buses are relatively clean, the payment and distribution of kits are organized, and it features many destinations. It is definitely worth the cost. (19 Euros for 1 day/23 Euros for 2 consecutive days) There are 2 routes (a third one is being finalized), the red route and the blue route. The routes include the famous destinations in Barcelona such as Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and Barri Gotic. The nice thing about Bus Turistic is that you can go around the destinations at your own pace. You’re also given earphones and the background and history of the different sites are explained to you. The second level is the best, you can truly enjoy what the city has to offer.

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Easy Easyjet

Posted by Carambs

My friends and I were supposed to take the train from Barcelona to Paris. The idea was to combine our transportation and accomodation fees into 1. Hey, can’t blame us, the Euro is expensive! We tried to purchase tickets 2 days before our flight to Barcelona from an official representative, the Adventure International Tours, which has a branch in SM Megamall. For some reason, they couldn’t book tickets for us - though there were several seats left, the system kept resulting in errors.

We had to come up with Plan B.

We discussed our options - Easyjet and Ryanair. Mona already tried Easyjet the year before, so even if the schedule meant we will only have 1 1/4 days in Paris, we decided to go for it. The ticket was 189 Euro per person.

Mona purchased the e-tickets for the four of us. She made sure we had speedy boarding, which meant we had to pay an extra 3 Euro per person. This was reasonable, especially since Easyjet uses free seating.

Checking in was relatively easy. There were many open counters, so we didn’t have to wait long. The airplane was clean, the flight attendants were friendly, and the handling of the luggages was fine. Snacks were not free, but this is generally accepted with budget airlines.

When I go back, I will not hesitate to use Easyjet again. I think it’s even a blessing that we were not able to take the train. Yes, we spent more, but it wasn’t a tiring journey and we didn’t have to lug around our big bags.

Paris in Photos

Posted by Carambs

Click here for the complete Paris album.

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Barcelona in Photos

Posted by Carambs

Click here for the complete Barcelona album.

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Packing for a Trip

Posted by Carambs

I’m currently packing for my Europe trip, and I am not yet done! I don’t have a clue as to what I’ll wear during the second day of the conference, and during the trip back to Manila. It’s not usually this hard to pack, but with this trip, I had to take into consideration the weather, luggage space, and of course, fitting in fashion-wise.

It’s easier to pack for a regular trip. I start by referring to my list, which I have stored on my phone. This list contains the basic items I need for ANY trip, near or far, by land or by air. It includes toiletries, eyeglasses, clothes, and even gadgets such as my iPod and chargers. It’s important to be very detailed - instead of just listing “toiletries”, break it down to “tissue paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.”. Thanks to the list, I don’t think I’ve ever left anything important during any trip we’ve had the past 3 years.

Non-regular trips are trickier, such as this Europe trip. Research, and an additional list, are necessary. Some of the non-regular items included in my current list are thermals, mittens, and scarves. And because of the inclusion of these items, it’s necessary to start packing ahead of time. Cramming may result to you not having several items, which could definitely affect your trip.

Tomorrow, off to Barcelona I go. Tonight, I continue packing…