Our family of 3 did not travel outside Spain on 2020 and 2021. After our covid vaccines and following the relaxed protocols implemented in Spain, then in Europe and then across the globe, we mustered our guts and courage to travel again.
Our real 1st vacation, post covid took place in the summer of 2021, August 2021 to be exact and our travel destination was Sancti Petri, Chiclana, Cadiz. It has been our summer go to place for the last 6 years! And boy, we missed it in 2020. We headed to the same resort, Iberostar Sancti Petri and we had the all inclusive family package. It was an absolutely beautiful vacation. After checking in, everything was just carpe diem and just seizing the day!! Our routine during our weeklong summer holidays was the typical breakfast buffet, beach, pool, lunch buffet, tea, siesta, pool. beach, dinner buffet, cocktails by the beach, sleep and repeat. It was absolutely blissful!! Train ride was awesome and mask on board was mandatory. The beach was tranquil albeit the humid and hot summer. Hotel service was excellent though variety in the food can be improved. It was memorable to have finally come back after 2 years!!
Playa La Barrosa in Chiclana and Hotel Iberostar
By late autumn of 2021, we also scheduled a day trip to Zaragoza to visit some of my husband´s family members, sadly though, in the cementery. We went to Cementerio de Torrero where my mom in law and my husband´s maternal grandparents are laid to rest. And during our day trip, we also headed to the Parque Grande Jose Antonio, where we enjoyed the botanical garden and where we rented a bike. Our best discovery was the good tapas served in Restaurante Albarracin (and we´ve been going back there ever since). We spent most of the day in the Plaza de Independencia and Plaza de España.
By winter 2021, we took our early December holidays in accordance with the school and labor calendars and spent a week long holidays in Barcelona!! As it was December, we were able to enjoy the Christmas markets in the Barrio Gotico, just in front of the Barcelona Cathedral. We also went to the Barcelona Football Club Museum and it was absolutely the best part of our holidays for my husband who is a huge Barca fan. He savored every moment of our time in the museum. Of course, we had our photo op as a souvenir. :) We also went to see Gaudi´s works, Casa Mila, Casa Batilo and the bummer la Sagrada Familia. Such a bummer because it required a 25€ entrance fee and the entire premises was gated and covered. I felt a big indignant about it, it belongs to the people and at some point is funded by the public´s money. People/tourists/locals should be able to have a glimpse of it. Apart from these places, we also spent a day trip in Sitges only because Lee Min Ho, one of my favortie korean actors shot one of his korean dramas there. We enjoyed the beach and the quiet center. We also appreciated the very delicious Catalan dishes that we had.
Barcelona City and its Christmas lights
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FCB Barcelona Museum. Visca Barca!
Sitges
Barcelona sites
By spring of 2022, April to be exact and in preparation for our trip to the Philippines, we opted to travel within Europe to have a grip and understanding on how protocols and airport movements have changed due to the pandemic. Our 1st post pandemic trip that required a trip to the airport and a plane ride was Vienna, Austria. Vienna was stunning , posh and just magnificent!! First world at its finest it was!! It is small compared to Madrid but it has a robust public transport network, cosmo restaurants and it was just orderly and clean! It was cold though, thus we were all covered in our winter coats. We went to the Schronburnn palace, St, Stephen Square, St. Charles, Vienna State Opera, Belvedere Palace where we saw the original Kiss painting, Hofburg Palace, Kunst Haus Wien and Rathaus. We also mingled with the locals and enjoyed the authentic Viennese dishes. We reserved in the following restos: Steman, Lugeck and Grenchenbeisl which serves the lightest and juiciest Schnitzel. My favorite part of our trip was our visit to the beautiful, serene, majestic Danube River. We spent the whole morning just basking in awe at its beauty.
Prater
Schrobrunn and Belvedere
Vienna State Opera and St. Stephens Square
The majestic Danube River
Restos we visited: Grenchenbeisl, Stamen, Lugeck
Vienna
Vienna
Vienesse Food
We also spent a day trip to Bratislava. We took the train from Vienna to Bratislava and went to the typical tourist places, Old town, the castle and the city center.
The summer of 2022 witnessed our biggest and most awaited post covid travels. We had a 2 day side trip to Dubai and had a 21 day summer break in Manila, Philippines, my original home, my country. It was already our 4th time in Dubai and as it was a brief 2 days side trip, we had a very specific itinerary. The highlight was the trip to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world!! We saw the panoramic view of Dubai on the 124th floor. Entrance fee is approximately 50€/head but it was worth it. We also spent one morning just having some shots on the Atlantis and Burj Al Arab. And finally, after sleepless nights and many attempts to rearrange our luggages, we arrived to my motherland, the Philippines. We stayed in my parents´home, the abode which witnessed our growth. We spent our 21 day holidays with all of my immediate family members, relatives and closest friends (high school, university and Accenture friends/colleagues). I now have 4 beautiful and lovely nieces and nephews and how I missed them. We visited a lot of malls, arcades, theme parks and kiddie attractions; we all went to the Enchanted Kingdom. We also spent a 4 day, all inclusive holiday in Blue Coral Beach Resort in Laiya, Batangas. We also went to Manila and visited Lyceum, my university alma mater. We also went to visit my middle school alma mater, Colegio de Sta. Catalina. My son also had this First Holy Communion in the Philippines. Such a milestone! Our Manila holidays was filled with so much love, good company, good food and good laughs!! The airport scene going back to Madrid was the most difficult. I shed a pail of tears. While my heart was in pain, I was truly grateful for the experience.
Dubai Happenings
View from Burj Al Khalifa
Blue Coral and the beach front villas where we stayed, where we were billeted.
Happenings in Blue Coral, Laiya, Batangas; boat ride, island visit
Places we visited
Random family photos. Love you and miss you all!
Enchanted Kingdom
Random family shots and our family business venture, our pasalubong store. :)
I am now back to my reality. But, I always look back with a grateful heart. These travels always paint a smile and always cheer me up. These travels definitely make it to my happy memories bank account. I love my life!!
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