TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Dutchman and I are getting old, we have stopped doing the nightlife scene, like, really. Every time we go on holiday together especially during our yearly summer holiday where parties abound on the beaches, we tend to just shun nightlife and crawl back to our room or retreat to a quiet lounge. Being in our 40s, parties are not anymore our thing. The noise becomes too much. The crowd unbearable. Everyone else on the dance floor looks half our age? And we can’t imagine drinking even just until midnight. You know, the list goes on... Laganas main strip though is one healthy party place. Its where the kids who want to throw a bash here or two should go to. And it’s the place where people our age and older avoid, lol. Anywho, we are not totally spoilsports, we did pass by the party scene and a cool very busy bar caught our attention—‘Club Zero Zante’ bar and discotheque. It was full of giddy kids wearing the same thing. It’s like the sequel to Sensation White in Laganas, Zakynthos—Greek Sen...

I was on the road today to Venlo, a city in the south of the Netherlands by the German border. On the A12 highway in Gelderland near Ede and Wageningen I saw lovely colours of autumn. This is only a small part of the beautiful autumn colours that I saw along the highway that I was able to snatch a foto. I was not quick enough to grab my camera that is in my bag. My skirt: Believe me, it is actually not so bad when I stand up. Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

Our first 2 days in Zakynthos was spent inside our hotel resort , we didn’t really do much except eat, sleep, Dutchman swimming while I relax by the pool, read magazines and Stieg Larsson’s book—‘Men who hate women’, eat again, drink some spirits and go back to sleep. Lots of vendors on Laganas Beach selling fresh fruits. They really yell, albeit very loud, FRESH FRUIT! FRESH FRUIT! in Greek accent =) On the beach I was reading a past issue of National Geographic that I picked up at Schiphol Airport, it was a discounted bunch of older issues (past few months) for 10 Euros. On our third day we decided to go to Laganas Beach, the famous 9-kilometre stretch beach of Zakynthos. We’ve seen the beach on our first day at the island during a walk and our initial impression was—this is not the beach for us. We don’t like crowds, especially when its full of brawly teenagers who only want to party. But we don’t really have much of a choice since we didn’t have the rental mope yet. Our plan ...

Last August Dutchman and I went to Zakynthos Island in Greece for a week and a half. It’s our yearly summer beach holiday so basically this is a relaxing we-will-not-be-doing-a-lot holiday. Our accommodations were all-inclusive which I think we would not do again in the near future. Hotel food is not as enjoyable as dining outside, as well as this type of accommodation does not really help the locals. Anyway, let’s check what’s inside Zeus mini supermarket in Laganas. We went to these little Greek stores regularly to buy water, chips and other nibbles. They are basically mini hypermarts that serves the tourists on holiday. Locals do not buy here. Zeus in Greek mythology is the king of gods and men. Mythos lager beer. Lays, Greek style, in olive oil naturally. The incumbent president of the Philippines is called NoyNoy (his nickname). Greek sweet delicacies: Baklava and Kantaifi. Ouzo flavoured loukoumi with the famous secluded beach spot of Zakynthos on the foto, Navagio and the Carett...

When we travel a lot we become slack at arriving at the airport on time. I also have a typical too positive attitude and daring character wherein I take risks. So that usually ends up me running down the hallways at airports. People never learn their lesson very well, huh. Anyway, as usual I am running late. I arrived at Stockholm Central Station and hurrying up to get to Arlanda Airport, I contemplated on taking the cab, then there is the Arlanda Express which is the high speed train connecting Stockholm and Arlanda International Airport in Uppsala. It only takes 25 minutes. I was not really sure which to take. Should I take the Arlanda Express or not? The cab? Arlanda Express? Decisions, decisions and I do not have time! Since I took the cab from the airport to Stockholm, as well as I heard from people and the woman at the Arlanda Express ticket counter that its traffic on the highways, I took the Arlanda Express option. The woman at the ticket counter was actually berating me w...

After my eventless search of Stockholm’s subway art and joyriding , I went shopping at the PUB which is also where my hotel is located . It’s still raining cats and dogs and cows outside and even though I have an umbrella courtesy of my hotel, I was not in the mood to walk outside. No one in their sane mind would. Late lunch at Stortorget: Räksmörgås and going against the trend pairing it with a red. I also went to have a quick coffee at the café corner of the building where I had a yummy delicacy—munched a tiny crunchy croissant filled goodie stuffed with lemon. It was really good! I wish I knew the name. The rain slowed down a bit in the early afternoon when I took the metro back to Gamla Stan. I am meeting an old colleague in Stortorget. She is Swedish with South Asian roots. We used to work together at F years ago in Amsterdam. The last time I saw her was her going away party at her apartment in the centre of Amsterdam. I remember liking her apartment, quite spacious with...

Stockholm is a captivating and elegant city when its graced with beautiful sunny weather, but like Amsterdam, it sucks big time when it’s raining. My original plan for the day was quite simple, just three things that I wanted to do before I fly out early evening back to Amsterdam: 1) Climb up the Kaknästornet (Kaknas tower) to catch magnificent views of Stockholm, which will be facing the medieval island city of Gamla Stan. 2) Check out all the different types of art in the city’s metro (Tunnelbana) and train station. 3) Later in the afternoon I am meeting an old colleague in Gamla Stan, so another opportunity to try Swedish food for late lunch. Advertisement in the subway of a leading Swedish telecommunications company. Switching heads =) The first two things on my agenda didn’t really materialise, or well, just partly, all because of the weather. It poured. Very hard. Damn the rain. Secondly, Stockholm didn’t really have a guide book about the art they have in their subways. The big...