Tales from the East Coast (part 4)

We could not leave Florida without stopping by at the Harry Potter Wizarding World! Yes people, we're self-confessed Potterheads, and ever since Universal Studios opened their new theme park, we've been itching to go.

You see I've always wanted to go to Hogwarts. I mean seriously go to school in Hogwarts. I guess this is as close as it gets. Stepping inside Hogwarts Castle was such an experience, with all the moving and talking paintings of the original headmasters. Most enjoyable was the wand selection at Ollivanders. But the best part of all was drinking butterbeer. It's the creamiest, yummiest beer in the world!
 

Hogsmeade!!!

All aboard!

Honeydukes for the witches & wizards' sweet cravings.

Every Flavour Beans!

The best beer in the world!!!

A belly full of Butterbeer

Got beer?

 Now that concludes our East Coast urban adventures. San Francisco, here we come! ♥

Tales from the East Coast (part 3)

Florida, the last leg in our East Coast trail. Such joy when we arrived in Tampa, we were greeted with two of the best things in the world ~ family and sunny weather!

Being in Florida meant reuniting with one of my favorite cousins and best friends, meeting her son Riley (who we couldn't stop hugging and carrying), seeing my cousin Mikey and his Special Olympic swimming medals (who won a total of 8 golds and bronzes in Greece) and seeing my uncle and getting to spend time with everyone in their new home.

We fell in love with their house the minute we walked into the living room. Inside everything was spacious, the living room and kitchen on the 2nd floor plus the bedrooms on the upper level overlooked the ocean. Shortly after we arrived, we heard shouts from my aunt and uncle. We ran to the deck and saw 2 dolphins swimming and jumping out of the water! It was such a treat! Dolphins playing in the wild, in their own backyard.

Days were spent swimming in their saltwater pool, having barbecues, jumping off the dock, eating ice cream and taking walks on the beach. But mostly spending time with family we don't see very often.

And for the first time, I truly felt I was on vacation. I was not traveling nor reading maps, I wasn't running after trains or trying out new cuisine... I was waking up to the sunrise and sleeping in again. I was making my breakfast smoothies in the kitchen. I was cooking dinner with family and watching tv (!) and I was hanging out, just blissfully hanging out.
 
It was such a wonderful and love-filled stay for which I am deeply grateful ♥ Vacations have taken on a different meaning. I've always believed that traveling is good for the soul and now I see that vacations like these are good for the heart. Thank you Universe for letting me see.

Our blissful view, every single day.

Great to be with family ♥

The new man in the clan ~ Riley ♥

Living room

Love love love ♥

Poolside afternoons

Boys' day out

Play time!

Sunrise through our bedroom window ♥

Tales from the East Coast ~ NY Eats

Food is big on my travel itinerary. I love farmer's markets and discovering local produce. I make it a point to go to the local grocery stores and seeing the difference (from the arresting smell of cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in India to the abundance of organic produce in San Francisco; countless variations of kimchi in South Korea and the dizzying choice of cheeses in Madrid). Most of all, I enjoy eating :) This affinity for food has sharpened my instinct when it comes to choosing restaurants. I spot it and I just know. 

Here's a guide to some the best eats in New York (these are not Michelin star places, don't really care about that kind of stuff, but these spots are definitely must eats!):

♥ Eataly ~ wines, cheese, antipastos, gelatos. You get the idea.
♥ Village Yokocho ~ squeeze in for Japanese and Korean comfort food in a lively setting 
♥ Bistro Les Amis ~ a cozy corner French bistro with excellent entrees 
♥ Ramen Misoya ~  the miso broth is what makes a ramen and this place has some pretty tasty ones (choose from 3 different types of miso). Great ramen minus the long wait at the more popular Ippudo.
♥ Boqueria ~ amazing tapas (highly comparable to the ones you get in Spain!) in a pretty modern setting 
♥ Saigon Kick ~ head here for a bowl of pho and sample some of their banh mis before catching a show across the street at the Comedy Cellar (prices are unbelievably cheap by NY standards)
♥ Terrace 5 at MoMa ~ have a glass of wine overlooking the museum's sculpture garden 
♥ Good Enough To Eat ~ brunch in warm and friendly surroundings, the pancakes and waffles come with strawberry butter! 
♥ Peacefood Cafe ~ great vegan food (order the dumplings!) and pastries in a cool and laid back atmosphere. 
♥ Whole Foods Market ~ when you're in a hurry or plain tired and hungry from all the walking, then there's this. An array of sushi, salads, breads, pastries and a whole lot of international cuisine. Grab a tray or two then grab a seat at their vibrant food hall. Quick and tasty!

EATALY

SoHo

East Village

Greenwich

Good Enough to Eat

Sorry for the lack of food photos, I was too hungry to remember my camera! :)

Next stop, Florida!

Tales from the East Coast (part 2)

The city so nice they named it twice. New York, New York!  

Time flew fast in NY. There were so many things to do, places to see, museums to visit, shows to watch, food to try... clearly impossible in a week! So we did the best we could and had a fantastic time.

There's something about this city that kinda made me wish I got here sooner, like 15 years sooner. It's the perfect canvass brimming with possibilities. Everything is available to anyone who's seeking... at least that's how it felt like. As the song goes there's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York...

Some of the highlights of this trip:

♥ Seeing some of my dearest girlfriends and eating our hearts out in Eataly
♥ Staying in the East Village 
♥ Exploring the Lower East Side, West Village, Soho, Nolita and the surrounding areas
♥ Having the best laughs at the Comedy Cellar (go online and make your reservations)    
♥ Seeing Van Gogh's Starry Night and Monet's Water Lilies at the MoMa (closed on Tuesdays)
♥ Broadway's The Book of Mormon (possibly the most hilarious musical to date, composed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone )
♥ Taking the ferry to Staten Island for a good look at the Statue of Liberty (stay at the right side of the ferry to get the best views) 
♥ Taking a stroll through the High Line (a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side) 

Eating our hearts out in Eataly!

Bustling SoHo

Washington Square Park (have you seen the movie August Rush?)

Lower East Side

There she is, Ms. Liberty

The High Line, one of my favorite spots in the city!

One week in this amazing and vibrant city left me wanting. Will definitely be coming back for more! Next up, a list of some of our best eats in NY! ♥ 

Tales from the East Coast (part 1)

Two weeks ago we packed our bags and headed to the east coast. First stop, the nation's capital, DC. My aunt lives in Virginia and ever since I was little, she'd tell me stories about her life in the States and her travels around the world (I used to have a cool stamp collection because of it). I think she's one of the first few to inspire me, along with all the books she gives us, to travel and leave home. So it was kind of a milestone to finally be able to visit her and see the place I only heard about in stories.

Washington and Arlington (Virginia) are so close together that we had an easy and pleasant time visiting all the landmarks. I love Georgetown, with its picture perfect historic buildings and shops. We visited Georgetown University and that made me long for my campus days (yup, stuck on being a kolehiyala!). Some of the stuff we crammed into those two days... oh and meet Marty, he made our short stay all the sweeter! :)

The White House ~ a lot smaller than we thought it would be.

Visiting the Smithsonian and the friendly neighborhood T-Rex. 

Loving Georgetown

Georgetown University

Marty! ♥

Next stop, New York! :)