It's my last non working Saturday and I'm spending the whole day at home and I will try to prepare simple meals. Let's start with breakfast - American pancakes, Parmeggiano Reggiano based cheese slices, Australian kiwi, and French yogurt and honey. There's nothing Singaporean about this, even the plate is Swedish, ah they have one thing in common...I brought all of them from Singapore. ❤ #SacredMornings (at Singapore)
This just made my day...bigtime!!! @aveehombre thanks heaps!!!! I'll see you again soon. I miss Australia so much! #CarePackage from 🇳🇿 The #Adele fever is still on! Click the link in my bio and read about my Adele concert experience in #Straya (at Singapore)
Here’s the link to my Adele concert experience: http://comeflywithcarmel.tumblr.com/post/158250585904/adele-live-in-perth
Water Under The Bridge
One and Only
Set Fire To The Rain
Adele firing a cannon with a T-shirt sprayed with her perfume and a $20 bill to buy a drink in the hot conditions. “The weight is going to fall off of me on this tour. The sweat is dripping down my thighs.” Adele
I’ve been a huge Adele fan since I first heard Chasing Pavements back in 2008.
At that time, I was still struggling to start a life in Makati, so ramdam ko talaga yung song.
December 26, 2011 // The Philippines
This photo was taken in Baguio 6 years ago when I rushed to the video shop to grab a copy of Adele’s Royal Albert Hall concert. Sabi ko talaga sa sarili ko, “One day, I will watch Adele live in concert.”
November 15 2016 // Singapore
When Adele announced that she’s doing a tour in Australia and New Zealand, I just knew I HAD to go. I immediately announced it on my Instagram account ‘coz I didn’t wanna watch alone. Luckily, my cousin from Sydney and friend from Perth responded and they wanna watch with me as well.
November 21, 2016
Our original plan was to watch her show in Sydney, but the experience of getting tickets was terrible. 5 of us - Me, Avee, Alyssa, Prinny, and Charla, all queued online, but it’s been 3 hours and we still couldn’t get in, so we decided to check the Perth ticketing site and in less than an hour we got our golden tickets!
February 28, 2017 // Perth, Australia
It’s the day of the concert and I traveled from Singapore to Perth just to see Adele. Here I am bringing my swag on!
My beautiful cousin flew from Sydney to Perth the night before the concert, ‘coz we’re crazy like that!
Hello from the other side! The lady at gate 25 handed us different wristbands and we were placed in different pits. But we’ve managed to get matching bands before the show started. All the stress we had to go through, but I won’t talk about that. You can check it out on my vlog.
My cousin took this photo of me from their side of the pit.
The crowd inside the stadium.
Then the lights went out. HELLO. The eyes on the screen opened and we hear Adele’s voice for the first time. HELLO. The arena erupted in screams. HELLO. In dramatic reveal, the 360 degree screen went up and we had our first glimpse of Adele. My heart was racing. We don’t have a video of this because the screen was right above our heads.
Adele went around the 360 degree stage while singing Hello.
“I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again.”
The amazing back-up singers.
This is where I totally lost it. Adele’s songs are kind of personal to me. During that time when was going through so much, I took refuge in her songs like Chasing Pavements, Turning Tables, Don’t You Remember, and Take It All. #DramaQueen
Take It All
Jusko po, Adele! You just made this girl very happy.
It rained confetti after Rolling In The Deep. Every confetti has song lyrics and messages personally written by Adele.
I’m so happy these ladies responded to my Instagram post, or else, I would’ve been alone.
Another check off my concert bucket list. The singing was world class. Plakado ang boses nya and she said on her IG account that she sings 100% live. She got to where she is right now because of her wit, her passion for music, writing songs and her ability to stay true to herself despite fame and I LOVE HER EVEN MORE!!!!
Eat, Drink, and Meet New Friends (Perth, Western Australia)
I think I’ve found the country that matches my taste in food…AUSTRALIA!
I’m a big breakfast and steak kinda girl and this country has everything that I’m craving for.
I’m giving every food featured on this blog 4-5 stars, even the Asian food. Everything was delish!
East Village
My friend Alyssa works with the marketing team of this place, so we got 50% off our meal.
Strawberry Daiquiri
Ribeye steak ( also known as Scotch fillet in Australia and New Zealand )
Dinner with Alyssa
Tap beer
Petition Beer Corner
After having dinner at East Village, we went to Petition for a night cap.
If you’re a craft beer aficionado, this is your mecca. There is so much choice and so many craft beers on tap!
The Coffee Club
Alyssa is a talented photographer. The following day, I tagged along in one of her shoots with a Filipino family. But before that, we had breakfast at this famous cafe, which is a 5 minute walk from our hotel.
But first, coffee!
Cappuccinos in Perth are strong but not bitter, which I loved!
I wasn’t thrilled about having lunch at an Asian restaurant, but the Filipino family that we were with lived in Singapore for 5 years and they were craving for something Asiano.
Flat lay challenge.
Uwian na bes, may nanalo na!
The lovely Filipino family I met in Perth.
Superstar Waffles
The happy baristas of Superstar Waffles.
We spent about 2 hours here, just talking and eating.
The Sand Bar Scarborough Beach
Beer, food, and music
We loved locally brewed beer called Nail Ale!
Alyssa introduced me to this amazing couple, Ruben and Olivia, who happened to be playing at the Sand Bar that night.
Try to catch this amazing duo if ever you’re in Scarborough.
Oysters aren’t my thing, but they’re Alyssa’s favorite.
Now, this is my thing!
Nachos with pulled pork
Small Print Baker & Coffee Maker
Cappuccino, Ceasar salad with beef and sourdough toast for breakfast
My daily dose of green juice
Cicerello’s Fish & Chips
Western Australia’s No. 1 Fish & chips
I had their traditional fish & chips, salt and pepper squid and a bottle of Asahi.
Alyssa had salt and pepper squid with rice, fresh oysters and a bottle of Corona.
Fresh fish are sweeter. This is waaaay better compared to the fish & chips that we have here in Singapore.
Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle
We spent the rest of the after noon here talking and drinking.
From what I remember, we had about 2 liters of beer each.
Mixed olives and my glass of Dog Days
Holmes & Co
This is my favorite breakfast place. I love the ambience, their coffee is perfect, and their food is tasty.
My cousin flew from Sydney to Perth the night before Adele’s concert.
An Aussie breakfast can take many forms but the most common is the big fry up!
B Shed Café & Grill
We had breakfast at the Fremantle B Shed port while waiting for our ferry to Rottnest Island.
I don’t know, but I love Australian yogurt. They’re thick and not so sour.
U & I Cafe
I had seafood fried rice before our flight to Sydney.
Clothing layers: (top, inside out) 2 layers of Uniqlo Heattech, a pullover, The North Face Polartec jacket and a down jacket.
(bottom, inside out) Uniqlo Heattech leggings, Uniqlo Block Tech windproof pants (love the warmth these pants gave me! I should’ve bought 3 more)
Oh, Innsbruck, just thinking about you now gives me such happiness.
I’ve missed going on road trips!
View from Hungerburg
Hafelekar peak. We were 7,400 feet above sea level. This is the highest point of the Nordkette.
The temperature up the Hafelekar at the time we were there was about -23 and it literally froze the tropical sh*t outta me. I had to look for a heater to defrost myself.
We went down to Hungerburg to eat, then we saw this postcard perfect view.
Austrian Olaf
Nordpark Railway Station by the late Zaha Hadid.
Golden Roof (Goldenes Dachl). This is the symbol of the city and it’s slated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper shingles.
I have a thing for bicycles
Enjoying a hot cup of apple juice
What makes Innsbruck more spectacular is its setting, nestled into the Tirolean Alps.
A sampler of Tyrolean dishes. We had Goulash, Schweinsbraten (roast pork) with Semmelknödel dumpling and cabbage salad, and some other dishes, which I couldn't remember. I hope I got the names correctly. We were starving and I forgot to take a photo of their menu for reference. We enjoyed everything.
Defrosting
My brother wanted to capture the view from the restaurant window, which was the Golden Roof, but he failed, hence my tired and sleepless face.
We stopped by the Swarovski museum on our way back to Italia.
I love anything sparkly!!!
In a room full of Swarovski crystals
I am meticulous when it comes to planning my trips and I love traveling on my own pace. But sometimes it’s nice to not have any control over a trip because other people planned it for you.
I’m thankful to my brother for organizing this trip for us. It has been amazing!
I love old cities! First, I fell in love with Baguio City, then Prague, and now Krakow.
What better time to visit an old city than in the dead of winter and the ground was covered in deep snow. It was about -12 to -15 when we were there, which added to the beauty and eeriness of the place.
We stayed for just 4 days, which wasn’t enough time to cover everything.
Anyhoo, here are photos from our trip :)
The Wawel Dragon
Frozen Wisła River. This is Poland’s longest and largest river.
In Krakow we lived in Kazimierz, the Jewish district, which is now mostly famous for its nightlife. There are plenty of bars, concerts and wonderful events; it is however strange how its original identity has somewhat faded.
Anyhoo...Let the food trip begin!
Cukiernia Vanilla
This cozy cafe is just right outside our flat and they serve affordable and really tasty cakes, breads, and coffee. Sobrang sarap!
This photo doesn’t do justice to how amazing this cake was. It’s called Dacquoise, it’s made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream.
Trezo Restauracja
Two months prior our trip, I told my brother that I wanted to have dinner at this restaurant. He said, we would as long as we could find it. We were surprised when we got there because it was just at the corner of our apartment.
5 stars for ambiance, service, and food.
We went there on the same day that we went to Auschwitz, so I was exhausted and I didn’t wear any make-up at all so I looked really young. Believe it or not, in Europe, I get mistaken for a high school student, really!
To cut the long story short, everyone in the resto received a complimentary lemon vodka as an aperitif, but we didn’t. Now, that I’m writing this, I realized it was probably because they thought we were not of legal age yet.
Theory ko lang naman ha.
This is the fanciest hummus I’ve ever seen.
We look young naman diba? Joke!
Pierogi. Cottage cheese and potato dumplings
I had rump steak lamb, sous vide, millet grout pilaff with nettle, rhubarb salsa, jus lie lamb
Miodova food strip.
The following day, we had breakfast again at Cukiernia Vanilla.
Hamsa Israeli Restaurant
This isn’t my brother’s first time in Krakow and this is where he ate before with his friends and he wanted to try it again, so we did!
Intro to Middle Eastern food
Polish beer FTW!
Some hot alcoholic drink. I forget what it’s called.
I had beef sirloin marinated in baharat with potatoes and vegetables and my brother had Israeli kebab.
Baharat is a mix of Arabic spices: cardamon, coriander, cumin, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and pepper.
On our last night in Krakow, we had dinner at McDonald’s. It’s been a travel tradition for me try McDonald’s wherever I am.
I’m not a big fan of typical hotels. That’s why I love scouting for old and historical houses on Airbnb; and I knew this was the perfect one for us the moment I saw it.
Our flat is situated at the heart of the Jewish quarter where all the good bars and restaurants are, and it’s only about 15-20 minute walk to the Old Town Square.
It's one of the large apartments built for wealthy businessmen in 1905. There was an eerie feeling when we first stepped into our flat, only because I know that it’s in a century old building in a city with so much history of death and violence. Creepiness aside, this flat is classic and grand with modern elements.
Murals by celebrated Polish artist Arek Twardowski.
Check out the sink.
A spacious kitchen with everything you’ll ever need.
There’s a bathtub and a sink just right at the foot of the bed.
I love balconies with beautiful view. Last year, I also booked a similar flat in Prague.
View from our balcony.
Just like my flat in Prague, this one did not disappoint.
I learned about the Holocaust 20 years ago through Che Che Lazaro’s travel show, and visiting Auschwitz has been on my bucket list since then. I couldn’t explain why I have a profound fascination with it, but that is what brought me there.
Initially, I wanted to go to Auschwitz on my own, without a tour guide, but I changed my mind a month before the trip and booked a private tour and I’m so glad I did. I thought I knew a lot about it, but I was wrong. So, I threw away all the knowledge that I have and gave all ears to our tour guide/educator Lidia. I must say that at Auschwitz, they choose their educators very well. She has been an Auschwitz educator for 7 years. I could clearly see that she had just put her heart and soul in every word she said, even if she probably had given the same explanation to many other people before us.
I want to be respectful to those who were murdered there and learn as much as I can. So before the tour started, I knew that I only wanted to take photos of three locations: the main gate of Auschwitz 1, the double barbed wire fence, and the railway to Birkenau (I took a little bit more at the end of the tour). But I froze upon seeing the main gate and I forgot to take a photo and had to go back inside after the tour to snap the photo below.
AUSCHWITZ 1
Upon entering Auschwitz 1 you’ll see the infamous metal banner that reads, ‘ARBEIT MACHT FREI’. Translating to English as ‘Work sets you free’.
The barracks at Auschwitz 1 are considered 5 star compared to those at Birkenau, because they have concrete walls and floors that don’t get wet and muddy in the rainy season and frozen during winter.
I had to withhold the tears more than once and I couldn’t take my eyes from the mountains of belongings inside the museum. The strong reaction was intensified by Lidia’s delicate words and it was able to create a real connection with what we were seeing and the atrocities that happened in those places.
The fence was electrified. Sometimes prisoners attempted suicide by throwing themselves into the fence. Hence, the stop sign in front of it.
There are 2 types of cells in block 11 that I didn’t know existed. I didn’t want to take any photos but I’d like to share what they were.
Starvation Cells
I didn’t take any photos, but next to the halt sign is Block 11, the prison block where there are prison cells in the basement. What struck me the most were the starvation cells . They are called starvation cells because prisoners who had been condemned to death were kept there without food and water until they died. There was a cell with two religious pictures scratched into the wall by a Polish political prisoner, using only his fingernails.
Also, in one of the starvation rooms, a Franciscan friar was kept until he was almost dead. According to my Lidia, Father Kolbe was taken out of his cell after three weeks and given a more merciful death by an injection to the heart.
Father Kolbe was canonized a saint by the Catholic church on Oct. 10, 1982 in a ceremony held at the Auschwitz I camp.
Standing Cells
These 4 cells were about 31.5 inches square; there was no light coming in at all, and no heating or cooling system.
Me and my brother stood inside one of the standing cells while Lidia was explaining what it was. I didn’t feel good inside the cell. I somehow felt the pain and the agony, I wanted to go out right away.
Prisoners had to crawl into the cell through a tiny door, as shown in the photo above. Metal bars at the entrance allowed guards to open the door and look inside the cell. There was no room to lie down or sit down in the cell; prisoners had to stand up. The floors of these cells were covered with excrement left by the occupants.
BIRKENAU (AUSCHWITZ II)
Located just 3 kilometers from Auschwitz, and in the village of Brzezinka, is the camp Birkenau.
It was sunny a day when we went there, but the icy temperature added to the somber mood at Birkenau. Then I was reminded of the story of the little girl who was punished and was made to stand in the snow from dusk ‘til dawn with no jacket or footwear. Note that winter in the 1940s are much colder than the winter nowadays.
These barracks were horribly exposed to the elements and were built directly on the swampy ground without foundations. The compressed earthen floors thus became muddy swamps in their own right when it rained or snowed.
Reading the books had quite a dramatic effect on me, it was much easier to picture and to a certain degree also to feel what the victims were going through, but looking at the real evidence left me without words or feelings.
Cattle car used to transport Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
It’s humanly impossible to even start imagining the pain, the suffering, the hunger and the emptiness of the people who died in there. This is something that not a sane human being would ever understand completely.
After four hours of walking and learning more about the Holocaust, I found myself back in the car with millions of questions in my head that will never find a rational answer.
I feel like history is somehow repeating itself with what’s happening in Syria and Iraq. It’s like they are also prisoners of those in power, the only difference is, in the 1940s, nobody knew what was going on, but now, we watch everything unfold right before our very eyes, and yet we are not doing anything to stop it.
As a traveler, but most importantly as a human being, I felt the responsibility to see things for myself and talk about these places. This has been one of the hardest trips that I’ve ever gone to.
Will I ever understand what this really means? All I know is the importance of talking about it.
There is one sign at Auschwitz 1 that hit me more than the others, it’s very simple and it says:
“THOSE WHO DO NOT REMEMBER THE PAST, ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT”
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