We spent most of the afternoon during this day in Musée du Louvre. No need for introduction or further description on the Louvre because this is one of the very famous spots in Paris. I highly recommend that you buy tickets online (skip-the-line, if possible) as the lines can be really long.
MAY 2, 2019
We spent most of the afternoon during this day in MUSÉE DU LOUVRE. No need for introduction or further description on the Louvre because this is one of the very famous spots in Paris. I highly recommend that you buy tickets online (skip-the-line, if possible) as the lines can be really long.
It was very crowded when we visited that we had to strategically choose the sections we wanted to visit. Of course, Mona Lisa was part of our mission. Here are the highlights from our visit:
We also went to the exhibit showing off sculptures of Greek icons:
M also led us to see the Code of Hammurabi…
…an actual base of a fortress…
…and a sphinx!
I wanted to try the famous hot chocolate from ANGELINA but instead of getting this from the branch near the Louvre (where it was so crowded!!!), we went to a different branch. I loved how the chocolate was not sweet – leaning more towards dark chocolate.
For dinner, we met M’s friend and he served us really delicious homemade pasta.
The day when we were back to being kids because of all the nostalgia brought by seeing Disney-related characters and merch! It was my sister’s first time in a Disneyland so this visit was even more memorable.
APRIL 30, 2019
The day when we were back to being kids because of all the nostalgia brought by seeing Disney-related characters and merch! It was my sister’s first time in a Disneyland so this visit was even more memorable.
Our first ride was Hyperspace Mountain, an indoor space-themed roller coaster. It was also my sister’s first time to ride a roller coaster and I think she regret riding it but she had a bit of fun, admittedly.
We took a timed ticket for Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast before going to Hyperspace Mountain and we were able to make it so we skipped the long regular line.
Next stop was Mickey’s PhilharMagic, where we were the first in line. Sorry kids… these adults would never give up their spot for you. Haha!
Before we went to Walt Disney Studios Park, we decided to grab lunch in the Lion King-themed restaurant.
First stop in WDSP was Ratatouille: The Adventure. The regular line was too long though so we opted for the single rider lane, which was way faster.
M asked us to ride Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror next and I did not know what kind of terror was in store for us. I thought it was just a suspense scare kind of ride but ugh I never thought it would be somewhat like a free fall ride.
Our last ride before going back to Disneyland Park for the parade was Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster where they blasted Aerosmith music while riding an indoor roller coaster at faster speed than Hyperspace Mountain. I read recently that this was closed down last September 2 to give way to an Iron Man attraction, as part of redeveloping a section of the park to Marvel-themed area.
We looked for a good spot for the parade an hour before its starting time so we had a nice view of all the characters. The highlight for me was the Sleeping Beauty part, where they had this metal dragon spewing fire. Whew.
We went around the park and visited non-ride attractions…
M wanted to ride a particular attraction in Toy Story land but we did not want to join him so we opted for the STUDIO TRAM TOUR. The video shown was so outdate based on the guides’ hairstyle and clothing – probably shot back in the 90s or early 2000s. Nevertheless, it was fun to see some of the sets from popular films and we also got to experience how an explosion in a set works.
We went outside the park to eat dinner at VAPIANO, which prides itself in serving Italian dishes. They made our orders right on the spot so we were assured that each pasta dish was freshly made.
There was still some time before the Disney Illuminations (fireworks display) starts so we bought cookies for dessert. The videos I took from the illuminations are too big to upload but all I can say is that it was beautiful! I stopped taking videos in the middle of the spectacle because I wanted to appreciate what was happening with all my focus there. Never mind the fact that we spent 12 hours in Disneyland… that show was enough to wipe away our cold and fatigue.
We left early the next morning to visit Duomo di Milano even if our tour was still in the afternoon. We went around the church to admire its exterior… it was so huge that it took us some minutes to finish going around.
APRIL 20, 2019
Despite being almost-victims to a scam, we had a good night’s sleep in our Airbnb thanks to our lovely hosts and their free snacks. We left early the next morning to visit DUOMO DI MILANO even if our tour was still in the afternoon. We went around the church to admire its exterior… it was so huge that it took us some minutes to finish going around.
For lunch, we first stuffed our tummies with the famous panzerottis from LUINI. We got the pomodoro e mozzarella and prosciutto e mozzarella – both were really delicious! We were lucky that there was not a long line when we got there because by the time we finished ordering, a long line started to form.
Since we opted to have half of our orders to be our dinner on our journey to Venice, we decided to get pasta from PIZZERIA DI GENNARO.
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina
Spaghetti alla carbonara
We went to EMANUELE VITTORIO MALL afterwards, with still an hour to kill before our tour. Most of the shops were for premium / luxury brands so nothing for us to see. Haha!
Finally, it was time for our tour! We booked a tour with Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano (click here), the organization responsible for the construction, maintenance, and restoration of Duomo. I highly recommend that you book your tour with them because they are the only ones allowed to skip the line (both for inside the cathedral and rooftop).
Milan Cathedral is the 5th largest church in the world and it took more than six centuries to finally complete it. After the tour, I can say that this is my favorite church so far! It made the trip to Milan worthwhile despite being almost-victims to a scam.
After Viktor toured us in different parts of the duomo, it was finally time to go up the rooftop. Again, because we booked the tour with VFDM, we were the only group that was allowed to skip the line.
Seeing the spires up close was a treat and we had to walk slowly to take in all the details around us.
Viktor bid us goodbye at the end of the tour but he pointed that we could still go up to see the Madonnina spire up close. According to him, Madonnina represents the heart and soul of the city that’s why it is respected and held in high regard by Milan citizens.
We had to hurry back to our Airbnb hosts after the tour as we had a Trenitalia train to catch up going to Venice. If you haven’t been to Milan, I’d say go there once just to see the duomo.
As it was our last day in Florence, we wanted to make sure that we visit Florence Cathedral, a UNESCO Heritage Site. We lined up for more than 2 hours before we were able to go inside so it was a battle between boredom and fatigue from standing. When it was finally our turn to go inside, it was somehow underwhelming.
APRIL 19, 2019
As it was our last day in Florence, we wanted to make sure that we visit FLORENCE CATHEDRAL / BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE, a UNESCO Heritage Site.
We lined up for more than 2 hours before we were able to go inside so it was a battle between boredom and fatigue from standing. When it was finally our turn to go inside, it was somehow underwhelming. Not sure if it was a function of the altar and majority of the front section being off limits for that day… I read up about this cathedral before going in and sad to say, I was not able to see Giorgio Vasari’s frescoes of the Last Judgment.
We were contemplating if we wanted to go up the cupola designed by Burnelleschi but that would require another round of lining up so we took a pass. There was a basement section where the remains of a 7th century church could be seen.
Before going back to our Airbnb to check out, we had Florentine steak and carbonara for lunch from TRATTORIA DALL’OSTE. One order of the steak was good enough for me and my sister to share.
When we got our stuff from the Airbnb, I just had to make a last trip to our favorite gelateria nearby. I got the triple gelato flavors and no regrets!
It was finally time to travel to Milan (via Trenitalia), where we almost got scammed in one of the elevators in the central train station. Good thing we were alert enough to see them trying top open the zipper of our handbag! The same thing happened the next day when we were leaving Milan but a different set of scammers doing it.
When we arrived at Poggibonsi station, the bus going to San Gimignano just left a few minutes before and the next one will be after an hour. We were not in the mood to go around so we just sat in one of the areas in the park. Good thing it was sunny so the cold did not bother us.
APRIL 17, 2019
When we arrived at Poggibonsi station, the bus going to San Gimignano just left a few minutes before and the next one will be after an hour. We were not in the mood to go around so we just sat in one of the areas in the park. Good thing it was sunny so the cold did not bother us.
From Poggibonsi, the travel to San Gimignano took less than 30 minutes. Even outside the main gate, we could already see the medieval architecture of the walled town.
We went first to DUOMO DI SAN GIMIGNANO, which housed a lot of religious murals and paintings. There was also the Chapel of Santa Fina and Chapel of the Conception inside.
For lunch, we went outside the main gate to reach TRATTORIA RIGOLETTO. We ordered aglio olio, spaghetti al ragu, and a meat main dish.
And, because we heard about the famous GELATERIA DONDOLI, what else to do but order gelato for dessert! I got the cioccolato and their popular Crema di Santa Fina (orange cream-flavored with bourbon vanilla pods, San Gimignano saffron pistils, and Pisa pine nuts)… It sounded weird and actually tasted weird (but tolerable) hahahaha! Buti na lang I had the cioccolato to mix it with.
In an attempt to burn the calories we ate, we planned to climb the TORRE DEI CUGNANESI. We climbed a lot of steps before reaching the final round of steps for the tower… and we chickened out when we saw it. It was so high and in between each step, there was no cover so you can see all the way to the bottom. We took a commemorative photo instead then just checked out the artwork sections.
We explored the rest of the town and inner streets before heading back to Florence in the mid-afternoon.
We availed the “Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi Tour” from Viator, which costs around €80+ per person. Our first destination was Sorrento, which is the home of limoncello.
APRIL 15, 2019
We availed the “Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi Tour” from Viator, which costs around €80+ per person. Our first destination was Sorrento, which is the home of limoncello. We first visited SORRENTAGRI which sold limoncello in various alcohol volume %. I was not a fan of both 20% and 32% but then again I don’t drink alcohol.
After buying small bottles of limoncello and cooking aids, we headed to the city center of SORRENTO and we were given free time to explore the city on our own.
My sister and I went to the famous DAVIDE IL GELATO and I got a 2-flavor cup: limone (lemon) and nocciola (hazelnut). Good thing I got the nocciola to neutralize the sourness from the limone.
We walked around some more before going back to the parking lot to reconvene with the rest of the group…
Second stop was POSITANO where we had a great view of the ocean and houses built in the cliffside village.
We had our lunch at RISTORANTE LA CALAJANARA where we had a simple 3-course lunch, part of the tour package. My sister and I were seated with a fellow tourist from Sweden, and we exchanged lots of stories about traveling and our home countries.
Last stop of the tour will be continued in the next post. 😊
We woke up very early to see Trevi Fountain without the big crowd yet… and it paid off! Couldn’t help but be in awe of this Baroque fountain – imagine how the detailed structures were done.
APRIL 13, 2019
We woke up very early to see TREVI FOUNTAIN without the big crowd yet… and it paid off! Couldn’t help but be in awe of this Baroque fountain – imagine how the detailed structures were done.
The other tourists around were nice enough to give us some space so that we can capture nice photos. My sister also told me to throw 3 coins over my shoulder – first coin means you will return to Rome, the second to achieve love, and the third for marriage.
From the fountain, we walked going to SPANISH STEPS, which connects lower Piazza di Spagna with the upper piazza Trinita dei Monti. There is also a beautiful church at the upper piazza but it was closed during the time we visited.
Next stop in our itinerary was PIAZZA VENEZIA, where the first thing we saw was Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II.
A short distance from Piazza Venezia was FORI IMPERIALI. Building the series of fori (public squares) were started by Julius Caesar and some of the places we visited were Forum of Caesar, Forum of Augustus, and Forum of Nerva.
We went to SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO (€2) afterwards and this was one of my favorite churches that we visited during the whole trip.
Our last stop before lunch was SANTA CROCE IN GERUSALEMME. It is considered as one of the seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.
For lunch, we went to BOCCONCINO and ordered the following: spaghetti del cavaliere alla carbonara, ravioli dell’osteria (ravioli filled with soft ricotta cheese and meat, sautéed with pistachios and dried tomato sauce), and filetto di maiale avvolto in guanciale e cotto al forno (pork fillet rolled with ham – baked and grilled). My sister also got a tiramisu for her dessert.
Our last stop for the day was SCALA SANCTA, wherein the stairs were claimed to be the very steps that Jesus Christ climbed when he appeared before Pontius Pilate. We were very lucky that the stairs were uncovered during our visit! I read that it was uncovered for the first time after 300 years and that by July 1, 2019, all steps were covered with wood again. Pilgrims actually ascend the steps on their knees.
We went home early because I was not feeling well, and we were lucky that there was an Alice restaurant across our Airbnb. Alice specializes in pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice).
r. Kim fetched us before lunch so that we could eat (again) in IL FORNO.
When we got there, we decided to eat in the same spot where we dined 3 days ago. One of the servers and Marzio, the owner, recognized us and smiled at us. Was it too obvious that we love their food?
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Our last day in Siem Reap was just spent shopping and eating. We woke up quite late since we did not have anything important in our itinerary then Mr. Kim fetched us before lunch so that we could eat (again) in IL FORNO.
When we got there, we decided to eat in the same spot where we dined 3 days ago. One of the servers and Marzio, the owner, recognized us and smiled at us. Was it too obvious that we love their food? 🙂
We ordered pesto (for pasta), cheese platter, and pizza al funghi. I am semi lactose intolerant so I don’t know why I initiated ordering the cheese platter. Everything in our plate (taleggio, spicy primo sale, gorgonzola, mozzarella, honey, nuts, pears) tasted good, although I ended up regretting a little bit why I ate too much of them.
The home-made tagliolini al pesto was excellent! Not too oily and you could really taste that fresh herbs were used for this. Serving was just good for one (hungry) person though so good thing we still ordered a pizza.
We were supposed to order one main dish but the waiter (who was familiar to us) told us that we would not be able to finish our food if we ordered a main dish. At first we were skeptical but turned out that he was right.
It was good that they were consistent with how they made their pizza — a tiny hint of burnt crust, thin and chewy, and generous with the toppings. We enjoyed our pizza al funghi and even if we already finished the cheese platter and pasta, we were able to eat all pizza slices. *oink?*
Homemade tagliolini al pesto
Cheese platter (gorgonzola, taleggio, spicy primo sale, fior de latte mozzarella, olives, honey, nuts, pears)
While eating, we were trying to plan having an early dinner before we go to the airport. But when we finished our lunch at past 2PM, we were too full already and we could feel that we would not yet be hungry by 5:30PM.
We walked around the area and did some last minute shopping after lunch. After that, we walked to BLOSSOM CAFE AND TRAINING CENTRE for desserts.
The place is best known for cupcakes that are “too beautiful to eat, too delicious to resist”, as their tagline says. Indeed, their cupcakes looked really pretty! Plus they offer a lot of flavors so if you have a sweet tooth, it will be difficult to choose which one to eat. But, what is more interesting about Blossom Cafe is that this is also run by an NGO that provides assistance to Cambodian women through vocational training. Similar to Marum Restaurant. 🙂
We stayed there until 5PM, and Mr. Kim fetched us so that we could pack the items we bought that afternoon. Before we bid goodbye, we had an obligatory picture taking. Yay! Let me give you a quick rundown why we deem Mr. Kim (of Kim Cambodia Driver) as one of the best tuktuk drivers in Siem Reap:
Responds promptly in e-mails
Can negotiate rates, even volunteers discount — case in point, his rates do not include sunrise & sunset viewing in Angkor Park but he gave these for free for our 2 days in the main Angkor Park complex (i.e. those days not in Banteay Srei/Kbal Spean)
Unlimited COLD water! Very much appreciated especially during our temple run days. He had a small cooler in his tuktuk and even during the afternoon, water bottles were still cold.
Very flexible in terms of pick-up/drop-off arrangements — initially we only booked him for Angkor Park trips but we ended up getting him as our tuktuk driver for the WHOLE TRIP, including non-temple run days; there were also a few occasions when we changed our mind on pick-up/drop-off time and he was okay with the changes
Punctual, already waiting in front of the house even before call time
Recommends activities in case you have free time and no itinerary yet. I remember he showed us brochure for Flight of the Gibbon and Phare, the Cambodian Circus. We did not avail any of the activities since we felt that our itinerary was already enough, but in case interested, he can buy the tickets since he knows locals working there.
Very caring as he bought us free unripe mangoes and a local snack (sticky rice inside a bamboo shoot)
Cheerful guy, he likes to laugh and smile during conversations
After having our photos with him, we also had one taken with our Airbnb host, Bunthai. As I mentioned in my first post for Siem Reap travel series, you won’t regret booking with her. I provided a review for her listing as well (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5140353).
Mr. Kim, our tuktuk driver
Bunthai, our Airbnb host
At around 6PM, Mr. Somnang fetched us and drove us to the airport. Ride was about 20 minutes and we got there, we found out that check-in would still be 8:30 or 9PM. There was only one restaurant outside the airport — not in the mood for the food they offer, no Wi-Fi so Kim and I kept on regretting out loud how we were not able to eat in Il Forno for dinner…
aThen, Kim had a bright idea — call Mr. Kim to pick us up at the airport and bring us to Il Forno. And so we did. Good thing Mr. Kim was available at that time so after about 30 minutes of waiting, he arrived at the airport and we rode his tuktuk again. Hooray to spontaneity?!
When we reached Il Forno, the place was jam-packed! Good thing there were 2 seats left and it was amazing because it was “our” spot, the table where we ate for the past 2 occasions. Marzio approached us and we told him that we wanted gnocchi and a main dish. Unfortunately, he told us that we would have to wait for 40 minutes because the orders ahead of us were for big groups. I think we were unable to hold back our sad + disappointed looks since he suddenly said that if he could give us pizza quickly, especially because we had a flight to catch. We were already happy with that since we absolutely loved the pizza at this place so we ordered Pizza Ricca.
It usually takes 10-15 minutes for the pizza to arrive so we kept ourselves busy with chatting. We were surprised though that 5 minutes after ordering, the pizza was already served to us. We looked if they brought the wrong order but it was Pizza Ricca. We were deeply moved by their concern and service for us, which made the pizza taste even better. The pizza was still cooked perfectly, not undercooked, so we kind of thought if this was an order for another table and they just gave it to us since we were in a hurry. Now that kind of concern and service is something that you won’t be able to experience in all dining places. Before we left, we just had to give our biggest thanks to Marzio for the impeccable service they provided us.
Pizza Ricca
After our wonderful dinner at Il Forno, Mr. Kim drove us back to the airport and this time, for real, we bid farewell to each other. Flight back to Manila was not delayed, thankfully. Kim had an awesome foreigner seatmate who is working here in MNL. We exchanged some stories of our Siem Reap trip and he gave me advice for my BKK trip for March. Even until the end, we still got to talk to a fellow traveler which was really cool for me. 🙂
Despite the intense heat, Siem Reap will be a majestic place for me and the kindness of the people is something that I will never forget. Til the next time we see each other again, Siem Reap!
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Before I end this post, a big shout out to my best friend, Kim, who made this trip very memorable! Even if we are total opposites when it comes to traveling — I’m a planner, she is more spontaneous — we really had good chemistry. No bickering, no negative feelings, just pure fun and kulitan. Cheers to our first awesome travel… and cheers to more travels together in the future! ❤
Anne Goes to Places 