Euro Travel & More

My ex-boss being a resident in Madrid, of course brought us to places where the locals go and The Plaza De Santa Ana was recommended by him and it’s a real Spaniard experience here especially in the evenings.  You don’t find a lot of tourist around and drinks and food were a lot cheaper than the places where the tourists are brought to by their tour guides.  There were outdoor cafes and bar everywhere at the Plaza De Santa Ana and folks play guitar there every night with singing and dancing – it was a very lively scene.  There are a few vendors there – who would try and sell you their touristy souvenirs and you can politely refused if you didn’t want any.   We usually stay till late in the evening – as people watching as well as the singing was really good.  If you want to experience a true spanish atmosphere – try this plaza.

The Plaza is always crowded and with lots of people.

Al fresco dining is not only popular in Milan but it’s the thing to do in Milan it seems – especially during summer.  Every where you turn – it seems like there is a al fresco cafe there – and it’s not really cheap to eat or drink at these cafes but it is a very nice touch – and a great place to watch people – and also a place where you can take a rest after shopping.  Menu are usually not extensive – but you can definitely get your coffee, tea and a bite but like i said – it’s pricey alright.

This summer had been an interesting summer for us – not only are we doing a bit of traveling ourselves – the nephews are going backpacking to Europe.   The grandparents and aunts were a little bit worried and apprehensive but i told them that I had gone backpacking at their age too and given the right information and safety procedures to follow – the boys will do fine – I believed strongly.   So the preparation started like 2 months ago – getting their passports and visa ready and of course their air tickets and accommodation plans – and since they are going on a budget – we had to get them some really good carry all – like the  Gregory Backpacks that was recommended.    So the boys left yesterday – and their adventure begins – and we will meet them halfway in Paris – in about 2 weeks.  More on the backpacking – and the nephews trips later.

Found some old pictures of our trip to Zurich – this is an old town in Zurich called the Altstadt.

Full of old historical buildings.

And even though you might think that Zurich is old – you can see vibrant colors everywhere during the summer time.

Cute and colorful

Zurich Central Station.

Colorful and newer buildings in Zurich – with hotels.

Going to the La Scarla in Milan was in our agenda when we were there for work.  It was a magnificent place – and we were sitting at the galleries and tickets were like 24 euros if I remembered correctly. But sitting at the gallery we didn’t really get to see much of the show though – sad.  But for someone who loves opera – I still enjoyed the atmosphere – although it wasn’t fanciful or most modern that I’ve been to.

Getting to La Scarla is not difficult at all as it is right in the middle of Milan and everyone knows where it is – should you get lost.  We did have a late dinner though after the opera – while some of our co-workers had Mcdonald’s nearby La Scarla.  The La Scarla also host concerts as well as ballets – so if you are not in the opera – you can choose to see others.  The museum opens during the day but it’s quite small – you can buy your souvenirs and dvds and cds there.  It was a beautiful experience nevertheless and everyone should try and visit the La Scarla while you are in Milan – I suspect one of my co-workers who went back to US and bought a house and named her Scarlett because of La Scarla.

Some people missed out on visiting Sicily when they are in Europe because they think it’s all about history and old stuff – but Sicily is more than that – they have beautiful beaches and many small islands surrounding the main one.  The water is very clear – and there are a lot of different kind of food one can try and lots of shopping you can do.

Sicily is pretty small – so you don’t have to stay for a long time to see all the interesting things in Sicily. I had lots of good times at the vineyards and some temples as well as dining around Sicily.  I visited the museums, the cathedral is a must not missed and also the Catacombe.  I spent 2 days in Palermo but 1 day is actually more than enough.

Don’t forget to visit the amphitheater in Sicily Taomina – interesting!

I’ve been to Greece many time because my CEO was from Greece and usually when we do go to Barcelona – the factory where the company used to be – we would head to Greece for a short break.  So I was very fortunate to be able to see a lot of Greece and you know what the people there like most?  American souvenirs it seems – so I brought some American silver eagles for my CEO’s wife and his daughters – Sofia and Anna-Maria.  They in turn brought me to the hotel they worked in.

The Royal Myconian Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotel I’ve seen and its view was simply awesome.   This is the terrace bar at the hotel -  pretty hot now – but later in the evening – it’s a great place to get a drink and read a book or even catch up with friends.

Love the pool and the scenic – so calm and so serene.   The hotel was spotless and the amenities was like any 5-star hotel and I was quite impressed at how quiet the staff were.  Spring time isn’t peak season in Greece – therefore, you can get a very good rate for a hotel like this.   The funny thing about Greece is everyone can speak in Spanish – no wonder my CEO married a Spaniard.  The beaches surrounding the hotel was clean and absolutely beautiful and I was told by the gals that you can choose to suntan in the nuke – if you so choose to.  Be careful when you take a cab to town – because cabby tend to overcharge tourist – so i heard but most people are very nice in Greece.

I didn’t really wanna go to Milan or Venice because I’ve been here so many times for work – but my besties haven’t been here – so they wanted me to tag a long – the called it the foodie trip.  So I was supposed to show them where to get the best pasta.  Well, truth be told – they don’t need to come to Milan to find great pasta – but food here can be quite fascinating and of course the Italian men are quite charming as well – as you would read later – how my girlfriend married an Italian man and is a happy married woman.

Of course we went to our favorite restaurant/cafe in Milano – the Salvini – after shopping at Louis Vuitton right beside it.  The pasta and coffee – to die for.

The Savini by night -  unique by itself – one can by all sorts of pasta at their boutique in the first floor.  Pasta are like €10 each – very expensive but worth every penny paid.

The pastries at Savini is to die for too – so equisite and so colorful.

The Galerie Victor-Emmanuel II located on the north side of  Piazza del Duomo -  awesome place to shop for anything and everything quality.

We also checked  Io Corso Como  – another famous cafe in Milano – you can’t missed it – located at one of the busiest night streets in Milano.  In fact the I0 Corso Como is not only famous in Milano – they have branches in Tokyo & Seoul – Korea  as well. More on Milano in another post.

I found an old picture of the Temple of Zeus, when I was in Athens some 16 years ago – traveling with my boss to his hometown – after a trip to the head office in Barcelona.  A magnificent sight if i may say so myself – some 600 yrs or more – I can’t remember now.   But since our hotel was nearby – we came over for a short visit before going out to one of the cafe to have food.

Look at the columns – beautiful right?  I don’t think you can see anything like this anywhere else.   More on Acropolis and surrounding areas in my next post.

When I was going to Europe – everyone said I had to visit the Temple Bar – it’s famous !  and it’s where everyone wants to be in the evening.  And yes – it is a very busy bar – very much like an English pub if you asked me.  It’s so packed and very noisy – but if you like to meet people – here’s the place to be when you are in Dublin.

One must also go to the Brazen Head – apparently the oldest pub.