TravelswithCharie

Just went out in time to see the sky ablaze in glory. Rushed back in to get my IPad and caught the last rays of the sun. What luck! "When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator".  Mahatma Gandhi Amen. *  *  * Image by Charie

I found this quote on the Gadling Facebook status and I wanted to share it with all of you who love to travel. This quote originated from Afar magazine's "fill in the blank" post on Facebook. Yes, to travel is to grow. *  *  *

What a thrill it was for all of us who witnessed the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour riding piggyback on a jumbo jet 747 as it soared above Bay Area skies on its way to its retirement home in Los Angeles! We had a great view of the Endeavour accompanied by two jet bombers and with our smartphones, took photos of this once in a lifetime spectacle. After 25 space missions from 1992 to 2011, the Endeavour will be parked in the California Science Center where it will be on permanent display starting on October 30, 2012. California Science Center 700 Exposition Park Drive Los Angeles, CA 90037 Phone: (323) SCIENCE (323) 724-3623 http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/MainPage.php *  *  * Image by Charie

Casa Gorordo Casa Gorordo in Cebu City is a fine example of an elegant Filipino home from the mid 19th century. It incorporates some architectural designs which are intrinsic to this period such as the zaguan on the ground floor which was used as storage space and carriage parking, the sliding Capiz shell windows, the statement staircase which announces the social and economic standing of the homeowner, the kitchen window with an area for drying plates and utensils, and the intricately carved arches dividing the rooms. The house also has a long azotea (terrace) which not only served as an extended living room, it also providied a natural cooling system for the upper story allowing the breeze to circulate freely through the rooms.  Zaguan (storage space) Casa Gorordo was the home of four generations of Gorordos, one of whom was the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu, Juan Gorordo. The house has a small chapel so the bishop could pray there during his visits with the family. 

Monastery of the Holy Eucharist The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist or "Birhen sa Simala" as it is locally known is a 2 hour drive south from Cebu City through narrow roads and lush countryside. It's a slow ride considering tricycles ply the roads between the small towns along the way and occasionally, a fiesta or a school celebration may result in traffic jams. In the barangay of Lindogon, the road leads uphill. My first impression when I saw the Monastery was that it seemed out of place in these rustic surroundings. The architectural style is more aligned with European cathedrals. There's no semblance at all to Spanish colonial churches which are predominant in the Philippines. That said, the interior of the church follows the traditional colonial Baroque style. I was caught by surprise when a security guard stopped me from entering the Monastery grounds. He told me that sleeveless dresses were not allowed inside the Monastery.  I wasn't aware of any

Lapu Lapu How brave and valiant Lapu Lapu was! He stopped Ferdinand Magellan in his tracks right here on Mactan Island, Cebu on April 27, 1521, effectively repelling European incursion into Philippine shores (at least until 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu and established a settlement). Magellan and his men were armed with guns and swords. Lapu Lapu's warriors had bamboo spears. The Lapu Lapu monument is located at the Mactan Shrine in Punta Enga ñ o, Mactan Island. A marker indicates the spot where Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu and his men. One of Magellan's men, Juan Sebastian Elcano, escaped the battle and continued the journey back to Spain. He arrived at San Lucar de Barrameda on September 6, 1522 marking the first circumnavigation of the earth. There are stalls both inside and outside Mactan Shrine selling danggit (tiny salted dried fish, great with breakfast), local delicacies like ampao (rice crispies), dried mangoes, bukayo (shredded coco

I always take the backroads home. The narrow two lane roads offer me a more tranquil way to get home. There are also rewards to reap in these backroads like this view of a sea of yellow chrysanthemums and sunflowers with the Gavilan mountains in the distance. Right next to this beauty is a cabbage patch. I was completely surprised to see how large the cabbages were. The almond tree above is in the backroads of Fresno County where the centenary heat in the summer scorches your skin even though you're under the shade. But for a few minutes I went outside to view these nuts up close. I learned that almonds are harvested in September using a machine which shakes the tree. A net of some sort is wrapped at the base of the tree to catch the falling almonds. These are then washed and processed so you and I can enjoy them later at the store shelves. There are more vineyards in the Central Valley nowadays. They've replaced the almond trees which bloom like cherry trees in t