Bonjour Paris: Day 5

After waking up refreshed and ready for a good bout of sightseeing. Our goal today is to visit as much of the iconic places and probably do some shopping.

First stop was the Eiffel Tower. It is my second time to visit the Eiffel Tower and it felt like I am seeing this place with fresh perspective. The first time was a night visit when we were on a Contiki tour. The bus dropped us close to the entrance. I didn't even recall how the area look like since it is dark and we were following the tour guide.



























The tower had lights that dazzles in the dark night. I remember looking up the whole time on our way to the elevator. We didn't notice the lines to go up and was probably on a fast track since we are part of the tour group. Once were done, we head back straight to the bus.

Bonjour Paris: Day 4

So we finally made our way to Paris. The plane ride was quick and easy. The ultimate challenge was to find our hotel which is located on Montmartre area. Before we book our hotel we made sure it has a close metro stop. It also says that it is a hop and a skip to Sacre Coeur. Sounds really good.

The night before we left from Barcelona, we tried to figure out how to get to our hotel without getting an expensive taxi. It looked like the best way was to take the train to Gare Du Nord and walk our way to our hotel. What we didn't expect was Montmartre is very hilly so walking your way with a luggage on an uphill is hell. Another part that the streets are confusing, there are too many intersections with small streets. We did got lost. Good thing we got a map from the tourist booth at the airport and little by little we found our way to our hotel.

It wasn't a good first impression on Montmartre. It was seedy with a lot of sex shops. We are actually a walking distance away from Moulin Rouge. Good thing about the area was the place is not touristy and the restaurants prices are more reasonable.

Hola Barcelona: Day 3

We are halfway on our trip. The days seem too short for us. We seem to take our time in the morning that by the time we are ready to go out and had our morning breakfast, it is time for lunch. We decided to make this day a lazy one and shop for goodies to bring home. We still have another leg of our trip to Paris which also meant that we are carrying our luggage all the way to the airport and take the metro to our hotel.

On our last day, we decided to head over Plaza Catalunya and walk over to Las Ramblas. We got a random place for tapas. It seem to be a popular place with 2 floors, they are in the process of closing down the kitchen but was able to fit us in for late lunch. We just asked the waiter to order for us since there are so many items to choose from. He actually gave us the good stuff. The meal was delicious, it was also the most expensive meal we had in Barcelona.

The Jamon Experience

I have been trying to eat healthy these past few months. I try to avoid processed foods, sugared drinks and pork. Processed foods and soda had been easy for me but anything pork had been difficult. So the game plan came into a concession on eating it in moderation. I have been successful for now until Barcelona. Here, pork is king.

Hola Barcelona: Day 2

We have to pick up our friend at the airport. After we drop off the luggage in the hotel, we decided to grab something to eat and walk around the area. We found the city somewhat desolate, (almost!) nobody around. It is a dreary Sunday afternoon. Only the big stores are open.

Off to Ocean City, Maryland

We have been planning to go to Ocean City in Maryland for years. I heard that is it a fun place to be --in the summer. I could see that this tourist town is bustling with activity in spring and summer where the specialty is called Maryland crab. Our timeshare doesn't seem to have any availability in peak season but when we finally found an opening  and it is the dead of winter. It is a ghost town but the upside was that we have the place to ourselves, no lines and tons of parking next to the beach.

K-town finds NYC

Speaking of comfort foods, nothing soothes my aches and chills than a nice steaming bowl of spicy noodles. I try to stop by for lunch at Korea town at least once a week. Food has been consistent and I always find a new place to try on next. I miss Seoul but this is close enough for me to be home away from home.

Reading Terminal Market

Philadelphia, PA - It is my second time here at the Reading Terminal Market. It is also unfortunate that we only have free time on Sundays to stop by here where only 70% of the market are open. The Amish stalls are closed Sundays.

I do wish to see the market in its full glory when it is crowded and full of life. Maybe we need another visit in the near future, hopefully we would make it on a weekday.

Creperie Beaumonde - Philadelphia

Philadelphia is only about 2 hours away from where we live. We have been here so many times but often enough we haven't really stayed here longer than a day trip. When hubby suggested that we could make a short weekend getaway out of it, well, I couldn't say no to that.

Crepes had been one of my favorite foods. I like them warm and very sweet. Paired with an awesome cafe latte, then it is my little of piece of heaven.

We heard only good things about Creperie Beaumonde in Philadelphia. And since we were in the area, we thought of checking it out.

9th Avenue International Food Festival 2012

New York City - Another street fair that I look forward to every year. Like the Taste of Tribeca in downtown, it is a collection of sample fares from nearby restaurants. At least this time, the tasting portions have reasonable prices.

Japan Day 2012 @ Central Park

After weeks of constant rain and cloudy weather, we finally had a clear day and full of sunshine. This is one of those days that you don't want to be stuck at home.

When we heard about the Annual Japan Day celebration in Central Park was on that weekend, Madison and I went to check it out.

Taste of Tribeca 2012

Every year nearby restaurants in the Tribeca neighborhood of NYC offer a select sample from their menu. It is an organized fundraiser to benefit art and technology enrichment for the local community.

To be able to participate on the sample tasting, you have to buy a $50 card that would allow you to try 6 items on the menu. It's pricey but when you consider the quality and presentation on each booth, I would say this is the high end version of a street fair food festival. And its for a good cause.

A lot of good looking people in Tribeca.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

This looks like an interesting portrait of one of the greatest sushi chefs in Japan. I am pretty sure that I would crave for sushi after watching this.

About The Film

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.

Korea series: Coffee And Tea

The first thing that I noticed once we started exploring around Seoul was the abundance of coffee shops. They seem to be everywhere. Some are chains, some are stand alone shops. Coffee in these places aren't cheap at all. But it gives you that fancy space to rest and relax that weary feet.

Korea series: Paris Baguette Cafe

This place is one of the countless coffee franchises in the country. It is so happened that we don't want to start our day with an expensive cup of coffee that we opted to look for a coffee shop outside the hotel. The coffee at this cafe is not cheap but reasonable enough that we start our day getting breakfast at the same shop for the next 7 days.

Korea Series: Our favorite place

Nothing beats like a family ran restaurant with such great food. Were supposed to be in the city for 10 days and we like to try and eat at a new place everyday. Given that you are in Seoul, there has to be a place to eat or a convenience store every 200 meters. But it so happens that the food we ordered at this place is so good that we decided to eat here again before we have to catch our flight back home.

Things I love about Seoul

It has been a week since my trip from South Korea. And I am still fighting off jet lag. I come to realize that I don't easily adjust to time change like I used to and that (or) I am feeling my age. One thing is for sure, no more backpacking trips for me from here on.

It was a whirlwind adventure these last few days. It was exhaustive and yet exhilarating. Everything in Seoul (or everything about Korean) seem to fascinate me. It is a totally different world out there. I often wonder what life would be if I chose to live there - temporarily.

• Public Transportation

Getting around the city is so easy once you get the hang of using the subway system. It is cheap, reliable and clean too. Certain bus stops had a monitors that tells you how far long or where was the bus at the current time. There are no room for guessing games. How hi tech was that? Take notes New Jersey Transit.

Birthday weekend

I had recently celebrated my birthday. I usually brush it off with the thought of getting another year older. But this year is different, it is somewhat of a personal milestone for me since it marks the year that I officially lived half of my life in New Jersey. Wohoo! Oh how time just moved so fast for me.

So, as our usual family ritual, we had our weekend meal at the restaurant of my choice. This time I chose a Korean buffet restaurant (no surprise there) that we would be able to grill meat at our table to our hearts content. It sounds like a great idea but when we got there we got a little bit frazzled. Usually a server would put down all you need to start on the table top grill but with the buffet concept you have to get up and get what you need to start cooking. Yes, you have to cook you own food. It also meant that it would take about another 15 minutes to cook it. With a big group it could be more. So it could be a little frustrating if you are really hungry and you have to wait for your turn on the first batch of cooked meat.

The Tofu Place

Everytime I travel to a new location, only one question come into mind: Where would the locals in the area eat? I usually get excited when I find a place to eat that had fast service and cheap but good food with adequate portions.

We had found a jewel of a place in North New Jersey. It was a cozy Korean restaurant in Fort Lee, New Jersey called "Soft Tofu Restaurant". This place had only 10 items on the menu and it can be busy on certain times of the day which is another indication that food has a good turnover. It will always be fresh.


Very cozy.

Foods seen at NYC Japan Soul Food Festival 2010

The photos were taken around the end of summer. It was a festival of Japan's culinary specialties that had vendors exhibit foods using local and traditional dishes. Some of them are familiar, you might have ordered it from your favorite Japanese restaurant and some were interesting.

Here are photos taken from the street fair: