CANNES: THE STAR

CANNES: The city that host the annual Cannes Film Festival, which makes it one of the best cities of Cote d' Azur (French Riviera) as a tourist destination. This city is also famous for its various luxury shops, restaurants, cars, beaches and hotels. Different kinds of people, exotic and real alike visit this place year round. White-haired women drive Maseratis for shopping trips. The very latest model of Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari attract serious attention. The yachts and cruise ships float in the blue water, of which you can't always tell which is which by size alone. It would be a shame to visit the South of France without experiencing the city yourself. I was able to visit this city on July 15 to 16, 2011.

This city is THE STAR of the French Riviera. It is centered around the old port, with the central part quite compact. The famous "Croisette" is the boulevard and the beach that extends around the bay to the east of the port in the protected "Rade de Cannes". On the west side of the port is the Boulevard Jean Hilbert runs along the coast to the west with even more fine sandy beaches. The Rue d' Antibes is the main shopping street running east-west through the center of the city, becoming the Rue Felix Faure at the bottom end, past the Allee de la Liberte and the port. The Boulevard Carnot runs north out of the city, through residential shopping areas, to the A8 autoroute, and inland towards Grasse.

Cannes is great for "elite?" shopping. You should be in Nice for serious or business shopping, while Cannes is a shoppers paradise for chic and expensive items. If you want to buy your yacht in Antibes, the Rolls-Royce dealer is in Cannes, and there is an endless collection of top-of-the-line jewelry shops, haute-couture clothing shops and art galleries.

Shopping street: Rue d' Antibes

Tourist Bus

The Beach in Cannes

GRASSE: LAND OF PERFUMES

Grasse is a village in Cote d' Azur (Blue Coast) or  often known in english, "French Reviera". It is the perfume capital of the world. The French perfume industry began in Grasse sometime in the 16th century. It is 15 km away from Cannes and approximately 1.5 hrs by bus to Nice. One of the famous attraction in this village is the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Puy founded in 11th century. I went to visit this Cathedral on July 24, 2011....I was frustrated because it was close. So I walk down the village and found Fragonard parfumery and I bought some perfumes for my son and body soap for myself. Somewhere in the village, there is a shopping street for all kinds of things that will remind you the place, I bought a table cloth with sunflower designs and  some bar soap with different flower fragrance.

The Cathedral: Notre Dame du Puy

MONACO: A FAIRY TALE?

Monaco, Monte Carlo: A magical dream world! I have been in this place many summer times. It is located between mountain and sea with beautiful gardens,  where the Formula One race called "The Monaco Grand Prix" is held every year since 1929. This race is considered one of most important and prestigious automobile races in the world. All qualities of this magical dreamworld makes it an ideal destination for romantic getaways unforgettable. Yes, to be in this place is quite an adventure; lots of Ferrari, Maserati, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Porsche and all other luxury sports car are parked everywhere. And for those who has a passion for cars, you must see the Exhibition of the Prince of Monaco's Vintage Car collections!
My morning walks in Monaco amazed me in every turn. From the Port of Monaco to the beach side playground at Larvotto, turn back on the other side passing by the Casino Monte Carlo, straight to the marketplace located at the foot of "The Rock", Monaco-ville, which stands the Prince's Palace, the Museum,  The Cathedral, Saint Nicolas Church and the Saint Martin's gardens. Going down from the Palace, I turn to Fontveille and walk around the Rose Garden dedicated to Princess Grace Kelly. And on this site I am dazzled by the panoramic view of the vast blue sea along the port and the beautiful contemporary art works  on the sculpture path.
Having seen this magical dream world with enchanting sites and stunning views as its rich history and natural beauty made my journey unforgettable.

Monaco Beach (Larvotto)

Rose Garden

Rose Garden

Monaco Seaside

Getting Fit in Monaco

MY PERFECT FITNESS PLACE

Exercise is the best way for me to overcome loneliness. And my favorite form of exercise is jogging or walking outdoors. 

McRitchie Reservoir Park, before the entrance 

This is MacRitchie Reservoir Park in Singapore. I usually come here for a walk  on weekend mornings, when I am in the country. This is a great place for nature lovers and fitness enthusiasts like me. You will also see some wild animals in this park, like monkeys, squirrels and birds, specially if you go in the deep forest. This reservoir park is one of Singapore's nature reserves. 

This is the entrance to the deep forest and to  the water edge

A TRAVELER'S TALE

I left Sint Martens, Latem, Belgium on Dec.7 at 3:10pm sharp via taxi to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS). The drive to the airport usually takes 3hours but this time it took 4 hours to reach my destination because there was a lot of traffic. According to the driver, there was a national football match in Amsterdam, the reason why he picked me up 1 hour earlier than usual. The trip was good but long, I slept half the time. I was just on time for my flight to Singapore. Passengers boarded on time and we left as scheduled. As usual, as soon as I settle myself on the plane, I started reading the in-flight magazine. The issue this month really interest me. I've been travelling from Singapore and Tokyo to Amsterdam, Brussels and Nice, for almost 5 years, I never knew that KLM has 6 direct flights per week from NAIA, Philippines to Amsterdam, good to know! Next time I will go straight home to Philippines from Amsterdam.

In this issue of KLM's in-flight magazine, it featured Banaue Rice Terraces, our country's eight wonder of the world, built by the Ifugao people from 2000 to 3000years ago.We went there last May as a present for my son's 14th birthday, we didn't realize it takes that long to go there, not to mention the winding curvy, elliptical, with super elevation curvature of the road....one side of the road is the mountain and a ravine or an abyss on the other.... what a birthday adventure!

People there are friendly and there's a lot of tourist guide in the area if you need one. Although some of the place are now deteriorating because according to the man I asked, "how come some fields looks unattended to?" He said that most young generations are going to the cities and abroad for better opportunities. And their parents are either dead or too old to work on the field. Can't blame today's generation, I did the same. But really, some parts of this we call "The Eight Wonder of the World" needs maintenance. I hope our government can do something to preserve it.

It's really nice to go there, if you are a nature lover like me. But I should say this place is for the strong and the brave, for people who  likes adventure in the wilderness. And you must be a disciplined driver and be sure your gas tank is full  because gas stations are considerably at a distance from one another. On our way there, we use the route from Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya to Ifugao and we went back via Bontoc to  Baguio to La Union going back to Manila. I strongly recommend going there in groups, minimum of 2 transportation is good. Don't do what we did, we enjoyed our trip a lot, but going back home was so scary.....it's just us, the only car on the dark road, it was raining, there was no street light and no houses along the way. Although, I must say, it was quite an adventure, a memorable one!

GOODBYE FOR NOW

Another year went past, and then another;
Suddenly the day is here for us to part.

Goodbye for now my angels;
You are mine to love and to cherish,
But not mine to keep only a wish.
Goodbye is just a word for us to part;
But know that you will always be in my heart.
You are my bundle of joy from the beginning,
And you will always be until the end.
Our goodbye is not the end,
But it's our life's new beginning.
Oh, my angels, you will always be,
In my thoughts and in my dreams;
Specially in my heart.
I love you, my angels!


P.S. This poem is dedicated to Anais and Alexander

COOL SHADES

Shopping is fun, it's a woman's stress therapy. Every time I go some place, I buy something to remind me of that place. Some kind of a souvenir. Collecting sunglasses is one of my favorite. And if you saw the movie "The Proposal" Sandra Bullock was wearing a really cool French brand sunglasses by Face A Face.

Few of my collections

Since 1940s, sunglasses have been popular as a fashion accessory, specially on the beach. They are designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight from damaging or making our eyes feel uncomfortable. Healthcare professionals recommend eye protection from the UV rays of the sun which can cause several serious eye problems. Sunglasses have been associated to celebrities from a desire to mask their identity.

Isn't she lovely?

A quote in the movie; 

Andrew: Don't take this the wrong way.

Margaret: OK

Andrew: You are a very, very beautiful woman.

I WANT THAT BAG: The Proposal

Oh my....I want that bag! I started admiring this status symbol kind of bag just recently, when I saw the hot orange version in the movie "The Proposal" stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Wonderful, funny, romantic movie.... and that awesome bag.

Sandra Bullock holding a Birkin bag from Hermes in the movie "The Proposal"

The Birkin bag by Hermes is named after the actress and singer Jane Birkin. This super expensive bag is not always available to the public but only to those who can afford it. That is why this bag symbolizes wealth due to its elusiveness to us. The prices range from $5,000 to $150,000??? Costs escalate according to the type of materials. These bags are distributed to Hermes boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities, creating scarcity, intended or unintended exclusivity.

yes...that's mine! I bought it in Rome.

I was going to Europe sometime in 2010 when my husband told me about the movie "The Proposal"; by the way we both like and love to watch Sandra Bullock's movies; "Try to get a copy to watch on the plane, you'll forget the length of your trip" he said. I did and luckily  it was also one of the movie choices on board of KLM at that time. I watched the movie  a few times during that trip and it sure made me feel good, and my trip felt more relax and shorter than usual.

WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST?

In my pursuit of bringing financial freedom to my family inspired me to scurry around and make things happen. Now, I have the ideal life I dreamed of. My life as OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) is coming to an end. I am extremely grateful to God for the many blessings I received. My life is in so much bliss; having an abundant life, wonderful family and more blessings on its way to us.
But a question keeps popping on my mind: WHAT DO I DO NOW? I need to decide what I truly want to do and do it. I dreamed of traveling around the world, I did travel and had the opportunity to see some parts of Europe and Asia for FREE with PAY! What a BLESSING! Photos below are few places I've been in the past.

Vatican City

Rome, Italy

Tokyo, Japan

Saint Paul de Vence, Antibes

Monaco

But ,WHAT'S NEXT?  I wish for a lot of things to happen but wishing is a weak hope. I have to take the chance and do it. Clean out the clutter in my head and once I have done it, there's a space in my mind to think about additional things. Only a firm desire can drive me forward to achieve and accomplish my aims and goals in life. To achieve anything and everything I want, I need a driving force, a definite plan, otherwise nothing will materialize. So now I ask myself the question of my favorite author Napoleon Hill from his book: Think and Grow Rich; WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST? Is it Money, Fame, Power, Contentment, Personality, Peace of Mind, Happiness? What do I really want most?