We fell in love with Provence immediately and yearning to go back. I did a blog post on Provence awhile back but it is such a special place that it deserves another one. We were in Provence in early October of 2008. We took the train from Paris to Avignon then picked up our rental car at the train station and drove to a little village called Eyragues where we stayed in a lovely chambre d’hotes. Going in October which is considered off season is great as you get a good feel of the villages without the hordes of tourists. Though, we did get terrential rain for a full day while we were there, but for the rest of the days, the weather was like Spring which made it perfect for walking & exploring the different villages.

With a good GPS, it’s amazing how easy it is to drive around. But we couldn’t get used to the narrow roads which are considered as 2 lanes. Scary especially when you see a truck coming and you somehow have to share the road with it as it passes by. But we managed and it just became part of the adventure.

We didn’t see fields of lavender as it was off season but amazingly, the smell somehow just stays in the air and on the ground and felt like we were surrounded by it. It’s the most beautiful scent.

On that one rainy day we were there, we discovered Cathedrale D’Images in the village of Le Baux. It is an abandoned Roman quarry with multimedia experience of images and music showcasing the works of different artists. The show varies every year and we were lucky enough to be there to experience the work of Van Gogh in this magical setting. But sadly, it seems like they have closed the place down due to a court ruling.

UPDATE: Thanks to one of our readers who left a comment, Cathedrale D’Images is open again and is now called Les Carriéres des Lumiéres. Exhibits for 2013 will feature Monet, Renoir, and Chagall.

There’s so much to explore in Provence and hoping to go back again sooner than later. Though, I know Provence will always be there.

Before traveling to Rome, I did a lot of research & read travel forums online. There were a lot of negative reviews from people not liking Rome. It was either too dirty, too touristy or too hectic. I had been to Rome with my family when I was 16 but my only memory of it was being incredibly hot and having to wear pants and a shawl in the sweltering heat to get into the Vatican. So I didn’t have good memories of Rome either.

But I knew I had to go back and I am glad we did. We LOVED Rome and is definitely one of our favourite cities in Europe. Yes, it’s packed with tourists but there’s a reason for it. I got goose bumps walking in the Roman Forum and standing inside the Colosseum. I remember walking in the narrow streets of Rome getting lost and as we turned into a corner, it opened up into a Piazza and right in front of us was the Pantheon gleaming above us. It was an amazing site. The whole city is like an open museum with ruins everywhere.

One night, we headed back to the Colosseum to see what it looked like all lit up. Lucky us, we happened to be there at the right time. A free outdoor movie was set up with the Colosseum  as the backdrop. We watched Napoléon Bonaparte – a silent movie with live orchestra presented by Francis Ford Coppola. It was amazing. This is the kind of culture and experience I crave for when traveling.

Whenever we visit a country/region, we make sure we only eat & drink the specialty of that region. So we feasted on a lot of pizza, pasta, fried anchovies and of course, gelato. Yum!

While in Rome, we stayed close to the Termini Train station. It was convenient as we were coming from Naples. Once we arrived at the Termini Train station, all we had to do was walk a few blocks pulling our luggage to the hotel.  When leaving Rome, we hopped back on the train to the airport. So definitely a convenient area to stay.

We were only in Rome for 7 days in 2007 and we barely scratched the surface. My parents vacationed to Rome and stayed for a month and they still found it short. I could easily go back  for another week and still have so much to discover. Rome is such a beautiful city and I hope to go back again one day.

Since I’m on a travel mind frame, I thought of sharing with you some travel photos I haven’t looked at in years. Paestum is one of the most magical places I’ve been to. Located in the Gulf of Salerno in Italy, Paestum is off the beaten path from tourists and is mostly deserted unlike neighouring Pompeii. We were staying in Sorrento to visit the Amalfi Coast in 2008 and after reading so much about Paestum, I knew we had to go visit. Paestum is a little harder to get to than Pompeii with a few train rides to take but totally worth the trip.

Paestum  has three well preserved temples, ruins of ancient houses and a museum of Greek artifacts. It is also part of the Unesco-listed temples and are among the best preserved Greek temples in the world 2nd to The Acropolis in Athens. The great thing about it being off the beaten path was we had the place to ourselves. We were able to go up close to the temples, step on original mosaic tiles and really feel the grandness of the place.

But we were very aware to not miss the last train out or else we would be stranded. That would not be fun at all. If you do go, make sure to wear proper shoes that are fully covered. Silly me, I wore flip flops as it was a very hot day and spent my time running away from lizards crawling on the ground. Eeeek.

Positano, Amalfi Coast. 2008

Provence, France. 2008

Paris, France for Nuit Blanche. 2007

Portofino. Italian Riviera. 2006

It’s that time of the year again when I start thinking and planning our vacation this year.  I’m looking back at some of the travel posts I’ve done and looking through printed photos tucked away in a box that I haven’t looked at for years. I’m itching to be somewhere far and to surround myself in a totally new culture, sounds and smell. I want to discover new food, explore new places and be inspired.

When traveling, we love the combination of art, design, culture, food and some beach time. I have a place in mind that would have all of that. It’s far but luckily, our little Luna is so easy going and so adaptable. It’s fun traveling with her. Though, traveling with a toddler involves more planning & packing but put that aside, it’s so fun watching her discover new places with us.

What has been your favourite vacation spot?

Barcelona, Spain. 2006

Bohol, Philippines. 2012

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a great Christmas holiday. We spent the first few days of the new year on a mini getaway to Sooke on Vancouver Island. It’s always nice to getaway after all the Christmas festivities and just have time together as a family. Last year around the same time, we did a road trip to Portland and did a design & food tour. This year, we just wanted to get away from the city and find a remote place where we can sit back, relax and enjoy nature. We explored a couple beaches in Juan de Fuca strait, walked on some hiking trails, drove to the little town of Port Renfrew and swam in the hotels pool. It was exactly how we wanted to start the new year.

While in Sooke, we stayed in this wonderful hotel called Prestige Oceanfront Resort. I was impressed with the design and styling of the hotel. Each floor of the hotel is a different theme. We chose the Opulent King with full waterfront view and loved it (we originally wanted the Island Colonial King but were fully booked). If you ever decide to getaway and stay in Sooke, I highly recommend this hotel.

We took a break from the sandy beaches of Alona beach in Bohol and hopped in a car and headed to the famous Chocolate Hills. Now part of the UNESCO heritage list, these hills (1,260 of them!) spread over the municipalities of Carmen, Sagbayan and Batuan in Bohol. When we got there, we had to climb up over 200 steps to get to the view point. Let me tell ya, it was HUMID! I’ve never felt that kind of humidity in my life. Sweat was building up with every step I made. But by the time we got all the way up, it was worth all the sweat.

The Chocolate Hills are limestone formations in the shape of chocolate Hershey Kisses. For most of the year, they are covered in greenery but in the dryer summer months, the grass dries up and turn chocolate brown. It’s really an amazing site, I’ve never seen anything like it.