2012 and forward, I want to be a better person.
Judge less
because everyone is different, and in many ways. Be it the environment you are brought up in, life experiences that make you behave the way you do or something else. Instead, learn to listen, to understand and embrace the differences.
Not compare
because there is always someone less fortunate than you. There is no end to comparison and everyone's definition of happiness is different. Instead, always remind yourself of your priorities and values and be contented with what you have.
Take things in stride
because things will not change no matter how you dwell on it. Whine about it for a while and move on. There are many other things in life that you can put your energy to and make a difference.
Pyrenees
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Friday, 6 January 2012
San Sebastian
Before I talk about my experience in San Sebastian, I would like to share some things I have learnt about eating in Spain.
Eating in Spain is not as expensive as I thought it would be. Of cos, you won't be able to find food centers charging $3 for a main course like in Singapore. Most eateries are in a restaurant/cafe/bar setting and for that, i thought the prices are pretty reasonable.
It is a habit of the Spanish people to start off with a light breakfast, usually consisting of a pastry with a cup of coffee, leaving room for a heavy and satisfying lunch. So if you ever come to Spain and breakfast is not included in your hotel room rate (like us), forget about paying that extra 12 euros for that buffet line of omelet, ham and sausages. Instead, head to one of the bakery/pastry shops, which can be easily found.
So for the most part of our trip, we would go into one of the cafe for a cup of coffee and pastry which costs about 4 euros/person (approx. S$7) - I think thats cheaper than Starbucks! On days we slept in and were short of time, we would grab a pastry to go for less than 2 euros/person.
The displays in bakeries and pastry shops in Spain are very pretty and appetizing.. and I always feel the urge to go in whenever I pass by one:
Churros with hot chocolate:
Hot chocolate served in Spain are literally melted chocolate with little or no milk and very very thick! So be sure to pair it with some pastry!
In Iruna Cafe in San Sebastian, the pastries are displayed on a bar top alike a tapas bar:
2 Cups of cappucino and 3 pastries, all for 8Euros!
When it comes to lunch, most restaurants offer a 3-course set lunch ("menu del dia") which is very value for money, approx. 10-25 euros.
One of the set lunch (15.50euros) we had:
Appetizer - Russian Salad
Main course - Grilled squid with i oli
Dessert - Tiramisu
Choice of drinks including bottled still/sparkling water, wine, soft drinks are included in the price of the set!
Moving on to our trip to San Sebastian, a city in the Northern part of Spain, in autonomous community Basque Country and southern coast of Bay of Biscay.
I would say the most popular place to visit will be Playa la Concha, some say its the best city beach in Spain, with fine sand, clean waters and the city just behind.
Surrounding La Concha are Mount Urgull, the Miramar Palace, the sculpture Wind of Comb and Mount Igeldo, which we took a day to explore.
Mount Urgull
Used to be a military fort until 1924 when it was sold to the city council and acquired a tourist resort status. At the top of the hill is a 12m tall sculpture of Jesus Christ which was added in 1950.
View of Mount Igeldo from Mount Urgull
Miramar palace
Wind of Comb ("Peine del Viento")
One of the best known works by sculptor Eduador Chillida, formed by pinkish granite terraces and three pieces of steel anchored to the rocks.
Pretty rainbow on one of the mornings :)
La Perla
La Perla is a popular spa-fitness center along Playa la Concha with many positive reviews and is highly recommended on Tripadvisor. I had a chiropractic back massage and the technique of the masseur was one of the best i have experienced. The strokes were so smooth sometimes I thought I had more than a pair of hands on me and the transition of the strength across my back were also executed very well.
We also went for the thalasso fitness circuit (http://www.la-perla.net/ingles/circuito.htm), which is a series of seawater pools at different temperatures with water jets massaging the entire body. This system helps to tonifies and strengthens the muscles, improves the circulation, while improving body strength and bringing an overall feeling of wellbeing. The circuit was interesting but for 24euros/2hours, we expected more than what appears to look like a large swimming complex crowded with people of all ages, both locals and tourists.
Dining at Arzak
San Sebastian boasts a high concentration of Michelin starred resturants and we had dinner at one of the 3-michelin starred restaurant, Arzak. For Eur 170/person for the tasting menu, I wouldn't compare it to any other places I have eaten, and it being my first Michelin-starred restaurant, it was a totally new and awesome dining experience.
From conversation with the service personnel attending to us, ingredients are locally sourced and the menu changes with the availability of seasonal ingredients and of cos, new ideas from the chefs. As each course was served, the composition of the dish was patiently explained to us. Unlike our usual meals whereby we know exactly what we are expecting, there are many times when I couldn't really make out what was in my plate because everything was so new to me. Talk about bringing dining to a whole new level.
One of two photos of our meal - our appetizers. I didn't take photos throughout the meal because nobody else did that and I thought I should just concentrate on enjoying the meal too!
Pintxos bar hopping
Pintxos (or "pincho", similar to tapas in other parts of Spain) are snacks typically eaten in Northen part of Spain, expecially in the Basque country. Normally found in bars and taverns, it is a tradition to eat one/two with a wine/beer at one bar and move on to another, when hanging out with friends or family. They typically consist of small slices of bread upon which an ingredient or mixture of ingredients is placed and fastened with a toothpick, which gives the food its name "pincho", meaning "spike."
The barman gives you a plate and you can take whatever you want from those displayed on the bar tops. When done, you show the plate to the barman and he will keep tab on what you have eaten. Pintxos costs about 2-3euros a piece and it normally takes 5-6 pieces to fill me up, hence its not really an expensive meal. And I always paired my meal with a glass of taxacoli (a local sparkling wine) or sangria. I made use of this website to guide me on the best pintxos bars in San Sebastian - http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en
You see the things hanging above the bar tops in most of the pintxos bars? These are called "Jamon" i.e. cured ham,which is a specialty and tradition of Spain. Also, the conical-shaped object is what we believe is used to collect the oil dripping from the Jamon. The two most traditional kinds are Jamon Serrano and Jamon Iberico. Jamon Serrano are made from white pigs and cured 12-18 months. Jamon Iberican is the pride of Spain and is generally cured 24-48 months. Jamon Iberico de Bolleta is a sub category of Jamon Iberico where the pigs are free to roam the meadows of the 'dehesa'. During the autumn prior to their sacrifice, they are encouraged to gorge on acorns (bellotas) from the holm oak and cork trees, sometimes gaining as much as a kilo of weight a day. Much of the resultant fat is mono-unsaturated. When served, Jamon are carved paper thin, and reveals a dark red colour with an incredibly complex taste and intense ham flavor coming from mono-unsaturated fat.
More pintxos pictures to end the post!
Eating in Spain is not as expensive as I thought it would be. Of cos, you won't be able to find food centers charging $3 for a main course like in Singapore. Most eateries are in a restaurant/cafe/bar setting and for that, i thought the prices are pretty reasonable.
It is a habit of the Spanish people to start off with a light breakfast, usually consisting of a pastry with a cup of coffee, leaving room for a heavy and satisfying lunch. So if you ever come to Spain and breakfast is not included in your hotel room rate (like us), forget about paying that extra 12 euros for that buffet line of omelet, ham and sausages. Instead, head to one of the bakery/pastry shops, which can be easily found.
So for the most part of our trip, we would go into one of the cafe for a cup of coffee and pastry which costs about 4 euros/person (approx. S$7) - I think thats cheaper than Starbucks! On days we slept in and were short of time, we would grab a pastry to go for less than 2 euros/person.
The displays in bakeries and pastry shops in Spain are very pretty and appetizing.. and I always feel the urge to go in whenever I pass by one:
Churros with hot chocolate:
Hot chocolate served in Spain are literally melted chocolate with little or no milk and very very thick! So be sure to pair it with some pastry!
In Iruna Cafe in San Sebastian, the pastries are displayed on a bar top alike a tapas bar:
2 Cups of cappucino and 3 pastries, all for 8Euros!
When it comes to lunch, most restaurants offer a 3-course set lunch ("menu del dia") which is very value for money, approx. 10-25 euros.
One of the set lunch (15.50euros) we had:
Appetizer - Russian Salad
Main course - Grilled squid with i oli
Dessert - Tiramisu
Choice of drinks including bottled still/sparkling water, wine, soft drinks are included in the price of the set!Moving on to our trip to San Sebastian, a city in the Northern part of Spain, in autonomous community Basque Country and southern coast of Bay of Biscay.
I would say the most popular place to visit will be Playa la Concha, some say its the best city beach in Spain, with fine sand, clean waters and the city just behind.
Surrounding La Concha are Mount Urgull, the Miramar Palace, the sculpture Wind of Comb and Mount Igeldo, which we took a day to explore.Mount Urgull
Used to be a military fort until 1924 when it was sold to the city council and acquired a tourist resort status. At the top of the hill is a 12m tall sculpture of Jesus Christ which was added in 1950.
View of Mount Igeldo from Mount Urgull
Miramar palace
Wind of Comb ("Peine del Viento")
One of the best known works by sculptor Eduador Chillida, formed by pinkish granite terraces and three pieces of steel anchored to the rocks.
Pretty rainbow on one of the mornings :)
La Perla
La Perla is a popular spa-fitness center along Playa la Concha with many positive reviews and is highly recommended on Tripadvisor. I had a chiropractic back massage and the technique of the masseur was one of the best i have experienced. The strokes were so smooth sometimes I thought I had more than a pair of hands on me and the transition of the strength across my back were also executed very well.
We also went for the thalasso fitness circuit (http://www.la-perla.net/ingles/circuito.htm), which is a series of seawater pools at different temperatures with water jets massaging the entire body. This system helps to tonifies and strengthens the muscles, improves the circulation, while improving body strength and bringing an overall feeling of wellbeing. The circuit was interesting but for 24euros/2hours, we expected more than what appears to look like a large swimming complex crowded with people of all ages, both locals and tourists.
Dining at Arzak
San Sebastian boasts a high concentration of Michelin starred resturants and we had dinner at one of the 3-michelin starred restaurant, Arzak. For Eur 170/person for the tasting menu, I wouldn't compare it to any other places I have eaten, and it being my first Michelin-starred restaurant, it was a totally new and awesome dining experience.
From conversation with the service personnel attending to us, ingredients are locally sourced and the menu changes with the availability of seasonal ingredients and of cos, new ideas from the chefs. As each course was served, the composition of the dish was patiently explained to us. Unlike our usual meals whereby we know exactly what we are expecting, there are many times when I couldn't really make out what was in my plate because everything was so new to me. Talk about bringing dining to a whole new level.
One of two photos of our meal - our appetizers. I didn't take photos throughout the meal because nobody else did that and I thought I should just concentrate on enjoying the meal too!
Pintxos bar hopping
Pintxos (or "pincho", similar to tapas in other parts of Spain) are snacks typically eaten in Northen part of Spain, expecially in the Basque country. Normally found in bars and taverns, it is a tradition to eat one/two with a wine/beer at one bar and move on to another, when hanging out with friends or family. They typically consist of small slices of bread upon which an ingredient or mixture of ingredients is placed and fastened with a toothpick, which gives the food its name "pincho", meaning "spike."
The barman gives you a plate and you can take whatever you want from those displayed on the bar tops. When done, you show the plate to the barman and he will keep tab on what you have eaten. Pintxos costs about 2-3euros a piece and it normally takes 5-6 pieces to fill me up, hence its not really an expensive meal. And I always paired my meal with a glass of taxacoli (a local sparkling wine) or sangria. I made use of this website to guide me on the best pintxos bars in San Sebastian - http://www.todopintxos.com/home/home.php?lang=en
You see the things hanging above the bar tops in most of the pintxos bars? These are called "Jamon" i.e. cured ham,which is a specialty and tradition of Spain. Also, the conical-shaped object is what we believe is used to collect the oil dripping from the Jamon. The two most traditional kinds are Jamon Serrano and Jamon Iberico. Jamon Serrano are made from white pigs and cured 12-18 months. Jamon Iberican is the pride of Spain and is generally cured 24-48 months. Jamon Iberico de Bolleta is a sub category of Jamon Iberico where the pigs are free to roam the meadows of the 'dehesa'. During the autumn prior to their sacrifice, they are encouraged to gorge on acorns (bellotas) from the holm oak and cork trees, sometimes gaining as much as a kilo of weight a day. Much of the resultant fat is mono-unsaturated. When served, Jamon are carved paper thin, and reveals a dark red colour with an incredibly complex taste and intense ham flavor coming from mono-unsaturated fat.
More pintxos pictures to end the post!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Barcelona
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia (an autonomous community in Spain) and is not really that Spanish. I really enjoyed Barcelona as there was a wide range of things to see and do. We visited several of the works of famous Catalan architecture Antoni Gaudi, the Picasso Museum and Museum of History of Catalonia, and also did some climbing and sightseeing on the beautiful mountains of Montserrat and Pyrenees.
Pyrenees mountains
A mountain range in Southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain.
We did a walking tour to explore the medieval mountain villages of Pyrenees with the company Spanish Trails and it was a tour like no other. The tour was very personalised with only four of us in the group, and we were led by our guide Victor, a widely-travelled European (because of the mixture of his heritage he could not even state his nationality), who provided many valuable insights on travelling. For a price of EUR95, transportation, breakfast of pastries, jamon, and coffee at a local cafeteria in Vic, and a sumptuous lunch at a very traditional Catalan restaurant were included. I never really liked guided tours but for a country where there is so much to learn about, reading everything off a museum exhibition or guidebook was too tedious and some interaction really can make it more enjoyable. This was when this very personalised tour fit right in.
The entire hike was 3hours long and it brought us to where some of the most beautiful scenery could be seen. There were some parts where we had to walk along the trails on the edge of steep slopes and I was scared out of my wits. Every time i go on such hikes i ask myself what have I brought myself into, but I find myself doing it over and over again. And this is the reason why...
Houses dating back to more than 500 years ago
Camp Nou
Home to one of Europe's best football teams FC Barcelona and also the largest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 99,354 seats.
Montserrat
Catalonia's most important religious retreat
After an hour train ride from Barcelona, one can choose to take the cable car or the rack railway. We chose to take the cable car because it offers a better view of the mountains.
Many people also come to see the unusual rock formation on the mountain:
Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey/basilica which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat, a statue of the Virgin Mary (and infant Christ), Catalonia's favourite saint. The entire structure of the basilica is really beautiful and it takes a while to marvel at every intricate detail of the entire place.
Architecture
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) is one of the most internationally prestigious figure in Spanish architecture. His highly individual and distinct style are reflected in three of his most famous works:
Casa Batllo
Balconies which look like skulls and pillars which looks like bones. Use of colours and shapes found in marine life as inspiration. Use of trencadis (waste ceramic pieces).
La Sagrada Familia
Under construction since 1882 and still not completed.
Use of highly symbolic content, both in architecture and sculpture, dedicating each part of the church to a religious theme.
The remains of Gaudi's designs are opened to interpretations and there are controversy surrounding its continued construction today(notice the difference in colour between the old parts and new parts of the building due to the difference in materials used).
Parc Guell
Multi-coloured tiling. Use of natural shapes. Sculpted fountains.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic
Fountain performance incorporated with light and music. Performance varies and the time we were there, it was a Christmas-themed one which lasted about 25minutes. (And its free!)
There are many museums in Barcelona in all spectrums - art, history, archaeology etc and we visited two of the them - the Picasso Museum and Museum of History of Catalonia. Though there are many museums, I was careful to limit the number on our itinerary because I think it is important not to information overload (it becomes boring after reading too many things and we won't remember them anyway) and picked only those that we were really interested in.
Tourism in Barcelona, like in many cities, brings along problems as it flourishes. Pickpocketing and theft is prevalent - in fact we witnessed a pickpocket in action at one of the metro stations. But like our tour guide Victor advised, to concentrate on the beauty of the place and not dwell on the ugly side, that way you enjoy your travel much more. So just be extra careful with your belongings, because Barcelona is indeed a beautiful place and well worth visiting.
Pyrenees mountains
A mountain range in Southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain.
We did a walking tour to explore the medieval mountain villages of Pyrenees with the company Spanish Trails and it was a tour like no other. The tour was very personalised with only four of us in the group, and we were led by our guide Victor, a widely-travelled European (because of the mixture of his heritage he could not even state his nationality), who provided many valuable insights on travelling. For a price of EUR95, transportation, breakfast of pastries, jamon, and coffee at a local cafeteria in Vic, and a sumptuous lunch at a very traditional Catalan restaurant were included. I never really liked guided tours but for a country where there is so much to learn about, reading everything off a museum exhibition or guidebook was too tedious and some interaction really can make it more enjoyable. This was when this very personalised tour fit right in.
The entire hike was 3hours long and it brought us to where some of the most beautiful scenery could be seen. There were some parts where we had to walk along the trails on the edge of steep slopes and I was scared out of my wits. Every time i go on such hikes i ask myself what have I brought myself into, but I find myself doing it over and over again. And this is the reason why...
Houses dating back to more than 500 years ago
Camp Nou
Home to one of Europe's best football teams FC Barcelona and also the largest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 99,354 seats.
Montserrat
Catalonia's most important religious retreat
After an hour train ride from Barcelona, one can choose to take the cable car or the rack railway. We chose to take the cable car because it offers a better view of the mountains.
Many people also come to see the unusual rock formation on the mountain:
Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey/basilica which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat, a statue of the Virgin Mary (and infant Christ), Catalonia's favourite saint. The entire structure of the basilica is really beautiful and it takes a while to marvel at every intricate detail of the entire place.
Architecture
Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) is one of the most internationally prestigious figure in Spanish architecture. His highly individual and distinct style are reflected in three of his most famous works:
Casa Batllo
Balconies which look like skulls and pillars which looks like bones. Use of colours and shapes found in marine life as inspiration. Use of trencadis (waste ceramic pieces).
La Sagrada Familia
Under construction since 1882 and still not completed.
Use of highly symbolic content, both in architecture and sculpture, dedicating each part of the church to a religious theme.
The remains of Gaudi's designs are opened to interpretations and there are controversy surrounding its continued construction today(notice the difference in colour between the old parts and new parts of the building due to the difference in materials used).
Parc Guell
Multi-coloured tiling. Use of natural shapes. Sculpted fountains.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic
Fountain performance incorporated with light and music. Performance varies and the time we were there, it was a Christmas-themed one which lasted about 25minutes. (And its free!)
There are many museums in Barcelona in all spectrums - art, history, archaeology etc and we visited two of the them - the Picasso Museum and Museum of History of Catalonia. Though there are many museums, I was careful to limit the number on our itinerary because I think it is important not to information overload (it becomes boring after reading too many things and we won't remember them anyway) and picked only those that we were really interested in.Tourism in Barcelona, like in many cities, brings along problems as it flourishes. Pickpocketing and theft is prevalent - in fact we witnessed a pickpocket in action at one of the metro stations. But like our tour guide Victor advised, to concentrate on the beauty of the place and not dwell on the ugly side, that way you enjoy your travel much more. So just be extra careful with your belongings, because Barcelona is indeed a beautiful place and well worth visiting.
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