Going On a Road Trip

 "Sponsored post. All opinions are mine."

Good morning in this part of the globe! Not really a good weather when I woke-up. I   looked outside of the window this morning and looks like it is a gray weather. It is quite stormy outside and the heaven is crying until now. I still wish for a s summer weather but hey, this is nature and we can't do anything about it.

Well, it is a perfect time to slowly pack my luggage and finish some offline and online tasks. I am really very busy the past days and weeks and I will be very happy if I will be hitting the road again. Yes, one more week to go and I am ready for a road trip again. It is less than a month since I came back from vacation in Romania and that was really nice.

One of these days, I will be rolling the road often if I already have the perfect car for a road trip. I am driving a regular car right now which is just perfect for going to work and doing errands like grocery shopping, driving to doctor's appointment, visiting friends and other  personal errands.

Experience Festivals and Entertainment in Europe

This is one of the things I love in Europe. Wherever you go, there are always festivals going on even on winter, fall, spring or summer season. Most of all during summer season, there are more events and festivities you can witness anywhere you are in Europe. Whether you will just visit a city like Madrid, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, Paris and more, there are always street performers you can find everywhere. You will also see them playing all sorts of musical instruments from superkick drums to guitars, violin, trumpets and what else? Name it and these street performers have it all. I can't wait to travel and see them again performing live on the street. One more thing, I can't wait to visit any festivals this summer to experience these musicians who are playing musical gadgets and instruments.

Wish to Watch an Opera in Verona

Verona Arena during our visit in July 2011.

I am trying to find some photos in my albums from Verona. I was there in summer 2011 and had the chance to see some of its sights. I traveled with my friends and we also visited other places in Italy that time.

Since our visit was limited that day, we were not able to experience an opera show. The other week, I received a travel catalog that offers trip to Verona. Included in that trip is to watch an opera in Verona Arena. Sad to say, during travel dates, we will also be in other country. If I have extra money, I rather buy an art usb phono plus to listen to songs and maybe some opera music.

I will go back to Italy again  starting next week but Verona is not included in the places to visit. Next time, I hope to watch a live opera in Verona Arena.

Visiting Salzburg, the Birthplace of the Famous Composer Mozart

It great to browse some photo albums from my previous travels. It took me almost two hours seeing some pictures from Turkey, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, United States of America, Canada, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, England, Ireland and a lot more. I can't imagine traveling to over 30 countries as of now. Thanks God for the opportunity to see and experience many places and countries inspite living a simple life. Indeed, I felt blessed!

The yellow building is the birthplace of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

It has been my wish to visit Salzburg, a beautiful city in Austria. And if you are more familiar with this city, it is also the birthplace of the famous 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salzburg is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 due to its internationally renowned beautiful baroque architecture. It is also one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps.

I have been to Salzburg for the fourth time already. I accompanied some friends in all of my visits there. One of my favorite streets in this city is the Getreidegasse, literally means the "Grain Street". This is where you can find a lot of signature shops. There is also a music house or a store that sells various music instruments. If you cannot visit Salzburg and want to buy shopping online is the best thing to do. For example, an alto sax mouthpiece from musicians friend is also a good choice if you are looking for one.

The Salzburg   Castle during my second visit in winter 2008.

Experiencing some musical shows in Salzburg  is oen of  the things I miss during  my visits. Although, I already visited it four times, we only spent a day during my visits. I hope in my next visit, I can already have some overnights there.
 
If you are visiting Salzburg,  don't miss  watching the famous "Sound of Music".

Nice to Remember that Luxury Cruise in Scandinavia

It is almost a year now since the luxury cruise we had in Scandinavia. It was so far a fantastic experience joining that holiday. Some of the things I cannot forgot from that trip were the various entertainments we had every night, the foods served on their restaurants and the experience of seeing beautiful cities in Scandinavia including Oslo, Norway and Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Theatrium in Aidabella ship. This is where most of the shows and entertainments are taking place.

 One of my favorite shows at night are the live music including the singing and dancing at the Theatrium. It is in the center of the ship which can be used as a nightclub. For sure you can see some music sheet stands when the singers are performing.

I am missing that cruise so badly because of the very memorable moments I had. The fun, various cuisines I tasted, entertainments and the exciting experiences I had from that cruise holiday were simply priceless. Thanks to a dear friend who joined me during that trip, or else I won't be able to go alone. I am really thankful to her and indeed she is a great travel companion.

Remembering the Happy Moments in Bamberg, Germany

Bamberg is a lovely town in the Upper part of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. I visited this town five times already. My first visit was in 2008. It was followed when a friend live there, whose husband was stationed  in the U.S. Base in this area. Sad to say, they already left last year because they went back to the United States.

Chirstmas market in Bamberg, Germany.

I and a friend visited her for the last time in December 2012. It was holiday season and there was a Christmas market going on during our visit. We actually attended a Christmas party hosted by this good friend in Bamberg. She prepared some foods and we even had an overnight in their house. I cannot forget the happy moments  we had that night inspite of the heavy snow. That was a snowy winter. We did some karaoke singing, cracking jokes with each other, shared the delicious foods and simply had fun and enjoy laughing.

Since nobody knows how to play a musical instrument during that Christmas party, we just enjoyed singing karaoke. Talking about musical instruments, I am wondering if you ever heard about cheap seagull the original s6 acoustic guitar? I believed some of you especially those who love to play the guitar have ideas about this musical instrument. It was indeed a fun night and we also had an exchange of gifts.

The next day, we went to the Christmas market in Bamberg. It was still snowing very hard when we were walking around. We also did a sightseeing around  the town seeing some of its historic sights. That was my last visit in Bamberg and I still hope to visit it again this  summer.

Please be informed that Bamberg's historic city center is a listed UNESCO world heritage site.

I would Love to Experience More Fasching in Germany

This is one of the things I love in Germany, the many festivals and celebrations you can experience all year round. Alone this month, most towns and cities in Germany are holding Christmas Markets. I am happy because I experienced it in many cities in this country.

Carnival parade in Hemau, Bavaria.

 Fasching or carnival is also one of my favorite festivals  in Germany. I have been to some places who are celebrating it. You don't only witness different colorful costumes of many styles and designs but you will also see the live performance of different bands and musicians. I also witnessed some participants of the Fasching parade using headphones as part of their costumes. I remember my cousin who is a performer and singer who is also using a headphone sometimes when she performs. I am not quite sure if it is an audio technica bphs1 but I know she is using a good one.

Fasching or carnival is a part of the German customs and traditions. Some of the most famous Fasching in Germany are held in Cologne, Mainz and Dusseldorf. If you are visiting Germany in the future, why not experience this festival as well. The carnival session, also known as the "Fifth Season", begins each year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m. and finishes on Ash Wednesday of the following year with the main festivities happening around Rosenmontag.

I hope,  I can  experience the   celebration of Fasching festival in  these  cities who are famous  for it.

Live Entertainment at the Landshut Wedding Festival

It was indeed a fabulous festival! You don't only experience to see historic buildings and sights but you will also witness the reenactment of one of the famous pageants in Europe. The Landshuter Hochzeit, known as the Landshut Wedding festival,  is truly a must to-see when visiting Germany in summer.

Live medieval  musicians playing medieval music at the Landshut Wedding  festival.

This festival is held every four years. Its last celebration was last summer 2013. It was already my second visit and I feel so happy visiting events and celebrations like this!  One thing I love in this event are the live entertainments you can experience in many corners of the city including the Altstadt or  its Old City.

The medieval musicians you can see in this image here seems to use medieval instruments also. I suggest they should try to find a classic se215 at guitar center for their next show in four years. haha! I'm just kidding folks! I know they want to use medieval-like music instruments here. I also love to hear their medieval music during this event.

My friends whom I brought with me at the festival truly had fun in there! They thanked me   after letting them experienced such a wonderful historic pageant!

The Street Performers in Madrid

It is always good to remember past travels. Thanks to my digital cameras, I can always turn back time by looking all the photographs I took from my travels. One great example was my trip in Spain's capital. Madrid is one of the cities I love in Europe and I still want to go back there even though I already visited it twice.

A very funny street performer in Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain.

 The last time I visited Madrid last last winter 2012. I had a great time in this city walking around from east to west and from north to south. This is the only European capital where I explored most of its corners. I always walked around Madrid everyday during that trip that after each day walk, I need an exciting foot rest. Walking can be very tiresome if you don't do it in a pace.

One I thing, I remember most in Madrid are the many street performers you can see around especially in Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. There are musicians playing too and they really play good music.

One of these days, I believed I will visit Madrid again!

Shopping in Florence

That trip in Florence was awesome! Although visiting it for a day is not enough, I am still thankful that I was finally there. Florence is indeed a very beautiful and interesting city! It is so far one of the most cities I visited in Europe.

Florence, known as Firenze in Italian, is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. The city is noted for its history, culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. It also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, amongst others, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. These are only some of the reasons why I always wanted to visit Florence.

The famous Ponte Vecchio on the left side. A bridge that crosses river Arno.

How about shopping in Florence? If you are a traveler who loves shopping, Florence is a perfect place for you. I love shopping too everytime I travel. Depending on my budget, I buy what I want as long as there is still money left in my wallet. I wish to buy a birthstone jewelry in the famous bridge in Florence known as Ponte Vecchio. Also known as the Old Bridge, is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence. You can find many shops in this bridge including jewelry stores, sellers of souvenirs and arts.

Don't forget Florence is also a Fashion capital. There are also a lot of luxury stores in Florence. Famous brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Bvlgari, Roberto Cavalli and more also found in this city.

I wish I have more time to shop but a day-visit in this city is just not enough. I am glad that I brought home with me some travel souvenirs like postcards, fridge magnets, keychains, travel guide books and more.

Sound and Music in Lake Balaton

I was browsing awhile ago some photo  albums from my previous travels. I was smiling when I saw some pictures of me and my friend when we visited  Lake Balaton. I could still remember when we were walking from the parking lot where our bus parked going to the lake. You can hear music along the way because some stores and restaurants were playing  music on their CD player.

Statue in  Siofok, Lake Balaton during our visit last August 2011.

 On our way back to the parking lot, there was a group of performers who were playing guitars. I am not quite sure if they get their fryette amp at guitar center. I am telling you folks, the music they played were quite entertaining. We stopped for awhile and  listened  to them. I am trying to browse more pictures if I took some photos from these musicians to share to you but sorry guys, I cannot find pictures of them.

Anyway, I will just share an image taken in Lake Balaton during our visit last summer 2011. It was indeed a very enjoyable trip with my friend Jean.

Listening to the Irish Country Music Everyday

Who loves listening to the music of various kinds? I would say  the author of this blog love it. She love to sing and she loves listening to music  of different kinds. When she spent a one week holiday in Ireland, she fell in love with Irish country music. She ended up buying CDs which featured many Irish folk music. When she returned home, she keep on listening to these CDs. She wishes, she an also play music instruments like guitar, violin and piano but she just can't. She also want an alesis sample pad at guitar center if ever she can learn to play a guitar. This is quite interesting learning to play music instruments.

That's all about me and my love to music. I love to sing but I am not really a professional singer. I am only good when singing at home or during gatherings with friends.  Now, I enjoyed listening to the CDs I bought from Ireland and I am playing it everyday. Oh how I  miss Ireland and wish to visit it again in the future!

A Puppy from Regensburg

I received a call from a friend around two weeks ago. She said that they found a dog for sale in Regensburg. Since the seller of the  dog cannot speak English, my friend asked me if I can call the owner to translate  what she told her.  This is the advantage of  knowing German language basically.  After I explained to my friend about the puppy, they decided to buy it.

Now they already have the Shih Tzu puppy. They immediately shopped for  dog beds, dog foods,  toys for the dog and other things that the little puppy needs. They  named the puppy Bilbo. Sometimes she has stress dealing with the dog because it is still a puppy. I  guess from time to time, the dog will be better. Good luck to your new baby!

Visit to the Christmas Market in Bamberg, Germany

It was my fifth visit in Bamberg this weekend. We were invited by a friend on her early Christmas party. We already planned to visit Ramstein since October this year,  but due to some unavoidable circumstances like  the change of working schedule of my friend and the weather, we ended up attending this party in Bamberg.

Our second purpose why we went there was to see its famous Christmas market. It was really nice despite the chilly winter weather. It was snowing so hard this afternoon but it did not stopped us and all the people there from going around the areas of the  Christmas markets in Bamberg, Germany.

Another thing why I went there was to look for an exciting gibson les paul melody maker. Sad to say, all the shops were closed on Sundays. There is one more thing I would love to experience in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, to witness the world famous Bamberg Symphony. I hope to experience it in my next visit.

The  Christmas market in Bamberg at the Maxplatz, one of the famous squares  in this city. It was snowing so hard during our visit there this afternoon.

 The Christmas Market in Bamberg is unique in its own. With the music of advent and the Route of Nativity Scenes, are only some of the elements that made Bamberg with a special kind of magic.The Christmas market celebration  in this city started last November 29, 2012 and will last until December 23, 2012.

A Visit to Mozart's Birthplace

I was trying to find images of my previous trips to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace. I believe many of know where he was born? It is in a beautiful city of Salzburg in Austria.

It was my 4th visit to this city last May 2012. My first visit was in June 2007, followed in November 2008 and July 2011.

Salzburg is very famous because the musical and film The Sound of Music was set there. I even watch this film in DVD and it was really good. I also love the soundtracks in this movie. I am just trying to remember if violin with durable violin strings was used during the play.

If you are visiting this city in the future, don't miss to climb to the Hohensalzburg fortress, visit the Cathedral, go shopping in Getreidegasse (one of the oldest streets in Salzburg), walk in Mirabell Palace or maybe taste the Mozart's chocolate.

A statue in  the garden of Mirabell Palace during my 4th visit.

The Street Performers in Puerta del Sol Madrid

Musicians in Puerta del Sol.

If you have been to Madrid especially in Puerta del Sol, you might noticed various street performers in this square. One afternoon in this area, I happened to stop by because I heard a group of musicians playing Spanish songs near the monument to King Charles statue III. They really played good music that a lot of people were surrounding and listening to their music. Their music instruments are perfect for them. I just wonder if they got a guitar case at Musicians friend? Any idea if you happen to be there?

Puerta del Sol, known in English as "The gate of the Sun", is one of the best known and busiest areas in Spain's capital city. Events and celebrations are also held here from time to time. It is originated as one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century.

I would love to visit Madrid again for the third time....

Having Fun in A German Festival

One of the things I love about Germany is its fairs and festivals. Year round, you can experience a lot of festivals especially during summer. Last spring time, we went to the German-American Volksfest in Hohenfels. I love watching the live bands inside the beer tent . I also love their music instruments.  I am just thinking if they use the  ace frehley budokan custom at musicians friend, they will for sure produce great sounds and music.

There are a lot of things you can experience when going to a German festival.  Live bands, local and international delicacies, carnival rides, German beer of course and other shows and entertainment.

I took a snapshot  snapshot during our visit in this festival last April 2011.

Countdown to the USA

It seems that I am traveling again soon! I am partially done with my itinerary to the United States of America. This will be my second visit to the States and I am quite excited about it. My last visit was last 2008 and I was there for two months. I stayed most of the time in Las Vegas, Nevada, where my sister currently lives.

I guess I need another travel gadget. Yesterday, I was thinking of buying one of the jansports backpacks on sale online. I need one that fits my laptop. I am thinking if I order it today but since weekend is about to come, I believed it won't be delivered on time. If not, I might go to the next city to find one.

The famous Glitter Gulch in Fremont Street experience during my first visit in Las Vegas last 2008. I will surely see it again!

My second visit is half-shorter than the first one. This time, I already made an itinerary and will be visiting more states in the US. 6 days more to go! See you soon USA!

Having Fun at Regensburg Dultfest

It was truly fun! We went to the festival in Regensburg, Bavaria  last Monday. I accompanied some friends from the United States who are currently visiting Europe.  After going around the festival ground, we went to  one of the beer tents at the Dultfest, the name of the  fest.

It was  nice sitting there while drinking beer, eating Bavarian foods  and listening to the music.  Yes, there was a live band playing in the beer tent. I am not sure if they are using parker guitars but they really played good. Most of their songs  are  Bavarian.

Festivals in Germany like the Regensburg Dultfest is one of the best ways  to experience  German culture especially the Bavarian one. This is also one of the reasons why I love Germany.

I guess  the festival is ending tomorrow. You still have time to visit there. Have fun!

8 Years Anniversary in Europe

This year marks my 8 years of living as a Pinay expat in Europe. I can't imagine that time is really passing-by very quickly. Last month was also the celebration of our 8th years wedding anniversary. So far life has been good to us. I can't thank enough for having a simple but good life in Europe. Sometimes there are trials coming our way but we always find solutions to it.

I did not ask anything for our 8th wedding anniversary. I have everything what I need in life. I know some of you are giving gift baskets for your anniversary. Why not besides it is also a wonderful present. Probably in our 10th anniversary, I will already demand something from hubby. Just kidding folks. Have a lovely Monday!


For those couples who are celebrating their wedding anniversaries around the globe this month, have a blessed and wonderful one! Here are some tulips fro you.