STEP 2: Planning for Europe : Book a flight

After the visa application, what's the next best thing to do?

1. book a flight

2. book a tour or you can always opt to do #3.

3. plan an itinerary (backpacking trip)

I. Airlines offer different flight options:

1. time of arrival

2. airport of choice

3. connecting flights

4. class

5. baggage

6. PRICE

1. It's best to arrive in the afternoon, so then you could check-in immeiately (usually done at 2pm local time), stroll a little and rest early for the next day.

I arrived at 1.30pm - no flight delays. Thank goodness.

2. I like Heathrow. I opted to go around London first before heading to Paris, et al. It's my starting and endpoint or this trip. 

3. Straight flight via Philippine airlines. No hassle of transfers and hopefully lesser chance of losing my checked in baggage. But there's always insurance claims for lost baggages along the way. A friend of mine was able to claim 700usd+ once for delaye baggage delivery. That's a reasonable deal.

4. If you can afford it, go for business class. Otherwise, economy is great if there's not too many passengers to share seats with. I had 4 seats for myself to London. Thanks to my being Asian, I was able to lie down,  fit in comfortably and sleep in economy class chairs.

5. You shouldn't bring too much except for the basic necessities; Mostly for the winter weather and the rest is basic stuff. 

6. Check for online deals frequently and book ahead for better options. Booking an airline ticket is like chasing after harry potter. It's quite unpredictable.

So are you ready to book?:) 

Direct booking (e.g. Philippine airlines, Etihad, etc.) or via an agency (e.g. Expedia, skyscannner, etc.) 

Next: AIRLINES TO CONSIDER

Cheers!

M.

Eats @ Nay's House

5 minutes from the center of Tarlac City lies a quaint little ancestral house unassuming of people's praises but in my honest opinion, well-deserving. This is Nay's House, an antique-looking 2 floored house converted into a restaurant. They serve mostly Filipino dishes with a touch of Spanish influence. 

Upon entry, you will be greeted by a "mini   deli" with some Filipino favorite delicacies like cashew nuts, ensaymada, and some frozen food items. 

Waiters are courteous as they would ask you where you prefer to sit. The main dining area can sit up to 25-30 guests at a time. Even so, it still feels homey and comfy rather than crowded. 

Time to order! There are only 2 waiters most of the time, 1 cashier and a few cooks inside the kitchen. Even so, the waiters are attentive enough to the customers' needs. Menu-knowledge is good but not imposing. If it's your first time, you can always ask for their suggestions on their specialties.

Once you've placed your order, they'll serve you some "nagaraya-like nuts" as an appetizer- free of charge.

The nuts somehow gives them the time they need to prepare the dishes as they don't do pre-cooking and extends your patience with waiting. As they say,"Food that is always served fresh and good is worth the wait."

 

The interior feels a bit nostalgic as it feels like your nana'a ancestral house from the 70s. 

Over the years, they have changed this area of the main window pane from capiz-wooden material to glass. I think the purpose is to have a view outside and maintain the cold temperature inside the restaurant since it has an airconditioning system.

I also love the fact that they have fresh flowers on the table each time. It changes by the day. Details are shabby-chic- inspired.

Finally, the food.

First dish is the Signature Adobo Flakes with ensalada (green mango and tomato salad) and bagoong (fermented shrimp paste). Due to the low season of mangoes, they only served us tomatoes for the ensalada. Most of the main course entres are served with rice. Serving is good for one but we always share and we never feel "bitin" or short-handed by doing so. I like the fact that it's crispy and shreded because the flavor does not overpower the meat. It's not oily too.

Next dish is the Vegetable Kare-kare with bagoong. This is a thick-sauced dish you can consume with rice alone. It ha a rich peanut taste unique to the foreign palate but will most likely please anyone.

Third is the beef salpicao. It consists of pounded chunks of beef with garlic and soy sauce. It is so tender and flavorful. Again, not overhelming in taste. If you like beef tips, you'll most likely love this too.

Last but not the least, is the spicy squid. This dish lives up to its name being spicy or hot. I have a low tolerance on hot food so I can say this is moderately hot. The squid is NOT at all gooey or rubbery. It remains tender and juicy even after 30 minutes upon serving.

During this visit, I got so full that I skipped  desserts which rarely happens. I will post about the latter next time. Overall, the experience is pleasant, relaxing and gastronimic in Filipino food sense. Price is affordable. For the four dishes, we only paid for P800+ in total ( Philippine peso). It's like eating 1.5 orders of meals at a fastfood chain with fresh ingredients.

i will definitely go back and order their other specialties like lengue with cream ( ox tongue), cordon bleu, sisig (pig's cheeks with onion and liver), etc. 

Cheers,

M. 

A moment of compassion

Today, news spread over the lost of contact of another aircraft mid-air. This being the fourth is AH5017. The world is still mourning over MH370, MH17 and GE222 leaving hundreds of passengers and crews dead and then this again.. I hope whoever is responsible for the shooting and other deliberate human-inflicted causes, will be held responsible for each loss.

Suddenly, these are not JUST numbers or letters. These are representations of men, women and children who were innocently taken away from their respective families in an instance.

xo,

M.

STEP 1: Planning for EUROPE

So here you go, decided to fulfill a dream to see the picturesque countries in the European continent and by fulfilling, I mean you work for it like preparing for a job you really like. That sort.

First of, check your  intended dates. It is important that you are certain of your dates because you will encounter this being asked perpetually during the fixing and collecting of requirements phase (I'll talk about the requirements later on).

Consider the following:

1. SEASONS: If you have a medical condition that is factored by weather, say asthma, allergies and the like, choose the season that is most tolerable for you. Although temperatures vary by country, it is still smart to consider the climate so as to know what to expect and what to pack.  Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. 

Summer is the peak season in Europe. This is when families are free to travel. Therefore making the tourist spots like Buckingham Palace, or shopping places like Champs-Elysees most crowded and bordering to "unbearable." Plus the fact thst it'll be the priciest season ---tours, airfare and accommodations. Nonetheless, if you're a summer kind of person, this is when the flowers are in full bloom, the weather's the best, and the luggage a lot lighter. 

Winter is the least congested time of the year for tourists mainly because of the weather. But dressing up for winter is a nice experience in itself although heavy, like really heavy. They said that winter is depressing, but I liked it. You can do a lot of winter sports like skiing---they're best at it globally. 

High season - Mid-June to Mid-September

Low Season - November to March

Shoulder Season - April to Mid-June and Mid-September to late October

I flew in Mid-March to April just because it is the most convenient time for me to leave the country for a longer period of time. I assumed winter is ending soon and Spring can just be like "Baguio City weather" which is bearable for me. I frequently checked the temperature for the countries I'll be visiting. The week before my departure, I totally overhauled my pick of clothes and shoes. From heavy winter clothes to a mix of winter-spring clothes. I was thinking, "The temperature is playing between 8 to 22 degrees Celsius. I have experienced that in the past, I'll be alright."

Was it the case during the trip? Totally not. The weather most especially in London was unpredictable. it could be cold at 7 in the morning, hot at noon, spring-like at 4 in the afternoon and windy-chilly in the evening. It's somewhat a "warm welcome" to have experienced four seasons in a day. Hahah 

So I suggest you come in prepared with the variety of clothing you'll bring most especially if you come from a tropical country like me. We are used to the heat, but not much with the windy-chilly days. 

2. TIMELINE: Make sure you have at least 2-3 months before dparture from the day you start collecting your visa requirements/ documents (If you need one, like me). Depending on how many visas you need yo get. E.g. If you are going to country members if the European union, You'll only need one visa. 

If you plan to go to UK, that's another visa. Allot one month of application and processing per visa at the least. Although the VISAS can be released within 2-4 week's time, it's still safer to allot one month for each. Some additional security screening can even take up to 60 days (government.nl). Imagine losing your prepaid tour and pre-booked flight just because you did not plan ahead. HASSLE!

MY TIMELINE: EUROPEAN UNION VISA OR SHENGEN VISA

P L A N N I N G    S T A G E

A. Research the requirements

- This being said, you need to know three CRUCIAL FACTORS before scheduling an appointment with a particular European Embassy. This will be your BASIS for the embassy of choice to apply from.

1. Know your point of entry. Where ar heading first? Common flights are: Manila to London, Manila to Amsterdam, Manila to Rome, etc. 

2. Know where you are staying the LONGEST or your MAIN DESTINATION. All of the embassies will ask this. 

3. Know where you will be transiting, even if you will just pass by on a day-tour. Some countries require a separate visa other than the SHENGEN VISA. 

I initially intended to apply at the FRENCH EMBASSY since it'll be my point of entry crossing the border from UK and the longest I will be staying at as initially planned. But when I called in for an appointment, I was told that the earliest possible will be in May. That's like a month after the proposed date. It's not negotiable so I moved on.

I adjusted my proposed itinerary and just lessened my days in France therefore making Prague, Czech Republic my #2. So I applied from The Czech Embassy.

Tip: Make an itinerary even if it seems sketchy at first. But if you want to skip this part, book a tour with a decent travel agency instead. They can send you a confirmed booking letter with a detailed itinerary even if you opt to pay for the deposit only. 

B. Schedule an appointment with your embassy of choice.

You can easily check this online by googling (www.google.com) your embassy of choice and the country of nationality. E.g. French Embassy Canada

In my case, I applied online. It was easy and convenient.

For the day of your interview (requiring personal appearance), select a time that is most amenable to you. They don't entertain tardy applicants with any excuses. They can make you wait, but you can't make them wait. Sounds unfair but it's how it is. I was scheduled at 8:30am. I was there at 8:00am and was refused entry into the main area. I went inside this approximately 30 square-meter holding area with solid dividers at exactly 8:20am. 6 other applicants were seated quietly. One of them was TESSA PRIETO-VALDEZ, a Manila Socialite. She had to wait even if she applied through a travel agency. Her voice was the dominant air inside the room, nonetheless, still not creating noise. Good thing we were allowed to use our mobile phones inside the holding area so it somewhat made up for  the boredom in waiting.

I submitted my requirements, filled out another form, paid, interviewed by the Consul-general and advised about my post-interview procedures/ exprctations after 3 hours. Afterwhich, get a good meal because you deserve that for waiting patiently and sending good vibes.

Now just wait and hope to get approved.

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To be continued on the next post...

Cheers,

M.

Planning for @Europe

Whoever said that planning a trip to Europe using a Philippine Passport is easy and affordable is either NOT INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS OR IS LYING. 

I'll share tips on visa application, tour choices, countries to visit and the essentials soon.

Eats @Nostagic Magnolia Ice Cream House

Back in the days when artisan gelatos are not yet known in Manila, this house of chocolate was a wonderland for kids and adult alike. The refreshments are top-notch and delicious. I remember how I happily anticipate the stop-over each time we're staying in Manila for summer break. On a great day, I'd get a banana split as a reward for a good deed. Nonetheless, ordinary days meant having ube or strawberry cups. The original site was located along new manila, near Jubilee School and Aurora Blvd. If you can't still map it mentally, it is where Robinson's Magnolia stands tall today. Hence, the name Magnolia from the famous Magnolia Ice Cream House.

Although I live a few hours away from Manila, I was saddened with its closure because that place reminded me a lot of happy memories and remarkable stories with exceptional people and so on..

You know if he or she is a regular customer immediately upon seeing how they opened the old door. You know it's a regular customer if they head straight to get the ice cream from the chiller on the side and consume it before paying for it. A lot had been said about this noble place, but it remained a humble, simple and quaint place to eat ice cream at. I loved it!

Today, I guess, there were other kids from the 90s or even earlier, who had the same thoughts as mine because the people from Magnolia had decided to carry on the operation of the shop (yay!) just minus the big space. They still serve that lovely banana split.. try it yourself :) and more..

They also serve rice dishes and pasta dishes. Check the menu here. 

Ice cream in edible sugar cups

the Ice Cream specialties: I think they should tweak some more exciting combinations.

They also have meat dishes for the carnivore in you.

Pasta dishes looked tasty. Simple variants.

seafood and other dishes plus sandwiches. 

I also like their colorful and yet, comfy chairs ans couches :) Chevck the flower-like cushions.

coffee and shakes?

the icing on top is getting a free ice cream-- 1 scop on a

sugar cone. How?  All you have to do is like their facebook page online, write to log your name and signature and photo o with a crew :) I got Ube for free since i already had chocolate, strawberry and mango before that. Visit a branch now :)

enjoy eating

xoxo 

M.

Eats: Capellini Pomodoro

We had a lovely Saturday night of wine, food and conversations with a couple from Italy who just got married recently. (Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. T!) 

Inspired by the ingredients they brought as "pasalubong," I decided to cook italian today. 

And I'd like to share this simple recipe With you guys. The very easy to cook 

CAPELLINI POMODORO

Ingredients:

• • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) good quality diced tomatoes, or about 2 pounds fresh peeled and diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups fresh chopped basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 12 ounces dry fusilli pasta
  • a pinch of salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until garlic is golden and tender. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss pasta gently with tomato mixture, the fresh chopped basil, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and pass remaining Parmesan.

You can prepare it within 15-20 minutes and feeds 4 persons. 

Best paired with buttered toasts, chicken or steak. 

Bon Apetito!

M.