Iris is a huge fan of musical plays and movies, so visiting felt like a no-brainer. She spent the day chasing down iconic scenes from the movie, camera in hand. I, on the other hand, had one mission: track down a proper Austrian schnitzel and a cold pint of beer.

The city isn’t as sprawling as some major European capitals, so we figured we’d cover most of it in a day. We didn’t, though — a brutal heatwave had other plans. Walking around under that kind of sun turns even short distances into a slog, and by midday we were more focused on finding shade than sightseeing.

Heat aside, the trip delivered exactly what we came for. Short, sweet, and satisfying — we headed back to Munich stuffed and thoroughly worn out.

The only thing on my mind was giant pork knuckles with mashed potatoes and a giant beer on the side. And yeah, throw in two pieces of schnitzel too, for dessert. We definitely ate a little too much, and may or may not have spent more than our budget. :P I’m not gonna lie, it’s a little expensive out there, but hey — if it’s for the food, that’s fine by me. What’s not fine is the ubiquitous tipping practice in restaurants. I mean, why? That was totally unexpected for a European city.

There was one thing that impressed me, though: the city is very bike-friendly. They have wide, safe bike lanes — the kind of infrastructure that the Philippines, for example, could only wish for. Well, hopefully it will happen in the future.

We didn’t usually eat breakfast at our hotel because we could get food for two outside for the price of one there. But on our last day, we decided to have it at the hotel. Coincidentally, Ate Elena (not enitrely sure if I remember her name correctly), the Filipina receptionist was on shift. An intern asked for our room number for the payment, but Ate grabbed the paper and crumpled it like a gangster. “I got this,” she told her. That’s kababayan connection right there.

We originally planned to go there by train, but Maxe had another idea. Instead of heading to Paris for a food trip, she suggested driving to Giverny with Aalambek. I mean, why not? It’s more comfortable, there’s no rush—passenger princess mode. I’ll take that anytime. It’s nice to have rich friends, isn’t it? :P

The museum was nice—no queues and not overcrowded. However, it was a completely different story at Monet’s house. We waited almost two hours in line just to buy tickets. Then another queue to get inside the house. Want souvenirs? Another queue. Toilet? Yessir! — another queue.

On the other hand, the paintings are really impressive. I’m now convinced that this Claude Monet guy knew what he was doing. The garden is beautiful, and the pond is peaceful—well, at least if you imagine there were no people around. The place wouldn’t be bad for working remotely, assuming there was high-speed internet, because the network signal there is quite weak. As for food, there aren’t many options available.

Overall, it was a well-spent Saturday with friends, learning about Claude Monet’s life. There are so many small villages in France worth visiting—but first, we need to learn how to drive. >.<

There were a few options we weighed, including staying home. However, a unanimous decision was made, and we chose Lisbon. Neither of us had ever been there before. I’d heard many things about Lisbon—especially about the food. Seafood, to be exact. And oh yeah, their pastel de nata. 😉

Coincidentally, a good friend of mine, Kevin, happens to live in Lisbon. What? Yeah, okay. I knew he lived there since he moved. There’s nothing coincidental about that at all. So I told him we’d be visiting his city. However, he was also planning to visit his parents in France on the exact days we’d be in Lisbon. Ben, c’est dommage. Actually, it wasn’t that much of a dommage because he recently got a new cat, Patrick. Instead of paying someone to cat-sit, we could stay at his place—and in return, feed Patrick and play with him. Not bad, eh?

I knew Lisbon was an uphill city, but I never expected it to be that uphill. Mec, you need one year of cardio training before going there. And since I definitely didn’t have that, Bolt came to the rescue—which, by the way, was surprisingly cheaper than in France.

So what did we do in Lisbon? Food. We probably ate seafood every single day. And on my birthday, Iris booked us dinner at a restaurant for some extra-special (and extra-expensive) seafood. And it was indeed uma fucking delícia! On top of that, those pastéis de nata are something else. We even brought some home. Even though they were airport quality, they were still good.

Those few days in Lisbon were a nice way to escape the cold winter in France and get some sun. Or so we thought. That was our rookie mistake. Because of the strong winds, it was even colder than in France. 😄 But it was all good. Cold weather with fresh seafood? I’ll take that any day.

Before the summer ended, we went to Annecy for a couple of days to check out the place. It also happened that our friend lives in Évian, so we met her in Annecy. The city itself is small and easy to explore, but there’s no shortage of activities to do: water sports, hiking, and more. What we did—and what I enjoyed the most—was biking around the lake.

Man, the route is beautiful. Sunny skies. A turquoise lake. And most importantly, safe bike lanes. We stopped at a few crowded beaches, but there are also plenty of spots around the lake that are perfectly relaxing and peaceful. Straight out of a movie. Okay, that might be an exaggeration—but you know what I mean. 😉

A quick trip to Annecy during the last days of summer is just the right amount of sun before heading into rainy autumn and cold winter. I would love to bike around the lake again—or somewhere similar.

Despite being expensive, Denmark is also known for its overall quality of life. You can’t be one of the happiest countries in the world for no reason. Although you can’t prove that in just a weekend, we hoped we’d at least catch a glimpse of it.

We weren’t fully aware of it beforehand, but the weekend we visited happened to be both Pride weekend and the Ironman race the next day. So the city was extremely busy, especially during race day when several streets were closed for the bike route. But it didn’t really matter to us—we just roamed around Nyhavn, chilled, and ate some street food. And yes, the city is by the sea, and that alone is enough to make me happy. >.<

I also have to mention how clean the city is—especially the canals. We even swam in one, though not for long because the water was still chilly. I was so impressed I genuinely contemplated moving there. I imagined myself taking a quick swim in the canal before heading to the office and walking along it after work with a beer or two in hand. I mean, it’s possible—but with paperwork and opportunities for both of us, it would be complicated. Then again, if something better comes knocking, why not?

Before we flew back home, we met up with Elena, an old friend from when I started my career in Bohol—who, by the way, is doing great with her programming career in Copenhagen.

I’m not sure what it’s like during winter (I assume brutal), but would I go back to Copenhagen? Fuck yeah!

Utrecht — another city in the Netherlands, just about an hour south of Amsterdam.
The city wasn’t really on our list of top places to visit. However, the opportunity presented itself, so why not?

We had a couple of hours to spare, and instead of staying at the hotel all day, we decided to explore another city we’d never been to — and try to eat as much herring as possible! :P

From Amsterdam, we took a train heading south to Utrecht. The timing was perfect because it happened to be the same day as the city’s open market. And of course, that meant food! There was only one thing I was looking for: herring. Yessir! I got herring — both plain and on a sandwich. Paired with pickled onions and cucumber? Satisfaction guaranteed!

After that, we did our usual touristy things: walking around without a clear direction, looking in every direction, waving the ever-annoying camera, and moving on. We didn’t really do much after our aimless stroll, and since it was around lunchtime, we went on the usual quest — finding the best local food in town: Vietnamese Pho. Yes, you can take the man out of Asia, but you can never take the Asian out of the man.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel because, at this age, naps are already part of the routine. Accept it or not — it will come. :D

Oh, and the main reason we were in the Netherlands? To watch a concert by “worldwide handsome” Jin. Do you know BTS ?

When I heard that two of my longtime college friends, Dexter and Lotlot, had moved to Frankfurt, we planned a weekend trip to visit them. The trip was convenient, thanks to a direct train from Paris to Frankfurt.

I didn’t expect much from Frankfurt, except maybe beers and sausages. Back in the Philippines, I’d always heard of Frankfurters or Frankfurt sausages. The keyword here is “heard,” because I couldn’t afford them back then. This time, though, we made sure to try them at the public market. I’m more of an Asian soup kind of guy, but it didn’t disappoint.

The city is relatively small and far less crowded than Paris. The European Central Bank is located in Frankfurt, so I guess if you’re not a banker, you might think there’s no reason to go there. :D But I actually liked it. It has both the city vibes and the calmness of the countryside—at least from my three-day, two-night impression. :P

We did the usual things: walked around the old town, strolled along the shopping street, browsed the public market, and wandered by the river—the typical European city layout. But the highlight of the trip was seeing longtime friends again. We graduated from college 16 years ago and had only seen each other once since then, about 10 years ago. It felt so good to reminisce about all those college antics—attending classes drunk, talking trash about professors behind their backs, getting kicked out of the boarding house because someone (very drunk) pulled off a Pacquiao combo and KO’d the landlady’s banana tree, while another puked on the terrace, unleashing all the undigested instant noodles. It’s unbelievable that those crazy things, which seemed so stupid back then, are now hilarious memories. Damn, we’re old.

Anyway, it’s always nice to stay in touch with good friends and reflect on how far we’ve come. It feels even more special when you realize it’s been so long since you’ve had that much fun—and that many sleepless nights racing to meet last-minute deadlines and cram for unprepared exams. Damn, we’re old.

Speaking of chèques-vacances, Iris’ company happens to be one of those that offer them. Thanks to that, we were able to afford (or at least significantly reduce the cost of) an all-inclusive resort in Crete, Greece. Yes, Greece — where most people would normally go to Athens or Santorini. But we are not most people. We are people with chèques-vacances. 😉
Instead, we went to Crete. Well, technically, it was Iris who planned everything. I just tagged along, comme d’habitude. :P

Joining us were our neighbors and friends, Aalambek and Maxe, who also happen to work at the same company as Iris. And yes — you guessed it — they also had their own chèques-vacances. 😄 In fact, another friends, Leny and Benoît, whom we grouped up with for two (or maybe three?) days, also had them because Leni, coincidentally, works at the same company. So that means… Yep, you guessed it again: chèques-vacances! Pilipinas, ano na? 😄

The week we went to Crete was the sweet spot for a vacation. The weather was perfect, and there were fewer people since it wasn’t yet peak summer. To make the most of it, we did a bit of city hopping. We stayed in Heraklion for the first two days, moved to Rethimno for a few more, and finally spent the rest of the trip at an all-inclusive resort near Chania.

Crete is quite big, and getting around isn’t as easy as in mainland Europe, so renting a car was the only practical option. And this is where Maxe became the hero of the trip. The three of us (Iris, Aalambek, and me) neither knew how to drive nor had a license. :P So Maxe drove us around the entire trip while some of us enjoyed our backseat queen privileges. Thank you, Maxene! 😄

There were so many highlights during our stay in Crete — diving in crystal-clear waters, beach and cave hopping, fighting off seasickness, riding a boat, driving a boat, docking at a port with all eyes on us wondering how these poor-looking folks could afford to rent such a fine-ass boat (chèques-vacances, ladies and gentlemen), getting sunburned, driving on sketchy roads, pigging out on Greek food (which mainly consists of olive oil, cheese, salad, yogurt, and seafood), and finally, somehow ending up on a nudist beach.

I have never seen so many naked old people in public in my life. Maybe it’s normal for some, but for us — coming from a conservative country — it was uncomfortable, borderline shocking. But I guess, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? Well… no, we didn’t. 😄 We just anchored away from the shore and enjoyed our little paradise while doing our best not to sneak glances at the skinny-dipping crowd behind us.

However, the most surprising thing we experienced in Crete wasn’t the nudity. Apparently, dessert is free in many restaurants. And not just store-bought yogurt — we’re talking real, restaurant-made, delicious desserts. On top of that, you even get a shot of raki, the local alcohol. I mean, free dessert in this economy? It doesn’t make sense — but I’ll take it every time.

We spent our last day at the resort gorging on buffet food and never-ending cocktails. We enjoyed it as much as we could because we knew that once this was over, it was back to rice and Pancit Canton again.
Overall, I really enjoyed this trip with friends. And again, merci beaucoup, Maxene, for driving!
The only downside? The bar is now set really high for the next destination — all thanks to Crete’s free dessert.

You might think I’m being a little skeptical here, and maybe I am. It’s probably due to one or both of these things: the negative (or nonexistent) portrayal in social media, and—let’s be honest—getting older. If you’re also getting older, you know exactly what I mean: you start to value comfort and relaxation over everything else. And if you say otherwise, you’re lying. 😄

I’ve had my fair share of “been there, done that” moments: one hour of sleep on the floor of a ship during a backpacking trip and heading straight to work afterward; sharing a two-person tent with five people in the middle of a storm with heavy rain and strong winds. Fun? Maybe. But not anymore.

So when Iris’ company offered an all-inclusive trip to Marrakesh, of course we took it—even if it was just for four days. I’ve always wanted to go to Morocco for one reason: tajine. I had a Moroccan colleague—a great guy—who always told me to come to Morocco and try real tajine, because, according to him, “none of it in Paris is the real deal.”

On this trip, tajine was what I looked forward to the most. Well, that and the all-inclusive perks: unlimited food and drinks. And sleep. Especially on the first day—I had been awake for nearly 48 hours. Our flight was at 6:00 a.m., and we live almost two hours away from the airport by bus. The organizer arranged a group bus that left at 1:00 a.m. I tried to nap before the trip, but I just couldn’t. That’s always been my issue—I’m envious of people who can sleep anywhere, anytime.

We arrived at the hotel around noon but couldn’t check in until 3:00 p.m. because the rooms weren’t ready. The only good thing about arriving at noon? Noon means lunch. And that meant the start of our unlimited food journey. BAM! Tajine for days.

The next two days were light—especially if you were well-rested—and hot. Damn, Marrakesh was hot! We joined the group tours on the second day and booked an extra tour ourselves on the third. Walking through the maze-like market, I couldn’t help but notice how clean it was. And I know a clean market—I’ve been to wet markets in the Philippines. 😉 There was an organized chaos to it all. The streets were incredibly narrow, but the motorbike drivers weaved through the sea of tourists with ease. There were no shouting matches over blocked paths—just the occasional vendor calling out to potential customers. I found it all pretty impressive.

Before heading back to the hotel, we had lunch at a highly reviewed restaurant in the square. And man—the tajine d’agneau aux pruneaux et légumes was… You know when you eat something and you’re looking for that extra oomph? That tajine had a lot of oomph.

I arrived in Marrakesh hungry, sleepless, and with low expectations. I left full, well-rested, and pleasantly surprised. Yes, there was chaos—a swirling mix of locals and tourists—but it was organized. The people were kind. Vendors didn’t hassle us (or maybe I just had my usual bitchy resting face on). I even had a fun little conversation with a taxi driver on the way to the hotel—95% of which neither of us understood thanks to my broken French and his equally broken English. But it was still fun. Short and sweet.