The Romantic side of Nami Island

When I saw our South Korea itinerary, I was excited to visit Nami Island. Why? Coz Nami Island is one of the shooting location for the Korean show “Winter Sonata”. 

Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok Ho. **

  Winter Sonata stars Choi Ji-woo and Bae Yong Joon. **

This is said to be where their FIRST KISS took place.

FIRST KISS: This is it! Mwah! Mwah! **

 Wasn’t able to bring a boyfriend (HAHA. maybe next time) so I just made a heart. <3 

Cute scenes from the Winter Sonata drama.

Saw this poster beside a restaurant.

Nami Island should be visited during spring, autumn and winter for the different effects and surroundings! Look at the awesome photos there!!!

Would definitely be back one day:)

Photography by: Sarah May Tanhuanco

**some photos not mine: credits to owners  

The Beautiful Nami Island, South Korea

Nami Island was named after General Nami, a brave name from the Korean history who courageously fought in battles and died at the age of 27. in 1965, thousands of  trees were planted by the hands of Mr. Pyong – Do Minn.

The rain used to transform this place into an island. It is the land of songs and fairytales. The shape that is has right now has been kept since the construction of the Cheongpeong dam.

Nami Island today provides a warm place to rest, where people can take heavy loads off their shoulders. Men animals and trees share peace, love and harmony far away from the crowded civilization.

Philippine flag beside the South Korea flag! How awesome.

The ferry that will bring us to Nami Island. Travel time usually takes around 10-15 minutes. It was really a smooth ferry ride all the way.

Nami Island = UNICEF child friendly park

Tall beautiful trees growing in Nami Island.

Traveling is more fun when you take jump shots! Me and  my new found friend from the tour, Lorraine.  Enjoying the scenic view of Nami Island and jumping with joy!

Koreans love riding bicycles, especially couples in their Korean shows – the guy pedals while the girl sits at the back. Awww so cuute.

Sky cycling

Korean sausages! YUM!!! 2000KW for a piece.

Lovely squirrel running around freely.

Cute ostrich. Meh so big and fluffy. LOL

Photography by: Sarah May Tanhuanco

What’s your decision?

Photo: Under the aquarium

Photo by: Sarah May Tanhuanco @ China

Piazza Navona, Italy Rome

Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones (“games”), and hence it was known as ‘Circus Agonalis’ (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to ‘in agone’ to ‘navone’ and eventually to ‘navona’.

Domitian’s Stadium

With its ornate fountains, baroque palazzi and pavement cafés, Piazza Navona is central Rome’s showcase square.

Posing at the Fountain of the Four Rivers ;D

Today interest centers on Bernini’s extravagant Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers). Commissioned by Pope Innocent X and completed in 1651, it depicts the Rivers Nile, Ganges, Danube and Plata, representing the then-known four continents of the world.

DID YOU KNOW? The Piazza is featured in Dan Brown’s 2000 thriller Angels and Demons, in which the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, the “Fountain of the Four Rivers“, is listed as one of the Altars of Science. During June 2008, Ron Howard directed several scenes of the film adaptation of Angels and Demons on the southern section of the Piazza Navona, featuring Tom Hanks.

The beautiful paintings along Piazza Navona!

Awesome paintings indeed!

Super love these paintings!!! <3

Bar and Ristorante along the sidewalk

A police car was roaming around, looking for unauthorized sellers of fake bags etc. Of course, those sellers quickly hid their goods and just came back after. XD

Fontana di Nettuno (Neptune fountain) at the northern end.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Visited the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.

Notre Dame de Paris or Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, (‘Our Lady of Paris’ in French) is a Gothic cathedral is the famous Gothis cathedral that is located on Ile de la Cité, which is the small island in the middle of the River Seine and the historical centre of Paris where originally most of Paris was situated.

This is the WEST FRONT of the Cathedral.

The west front of the cathedral is one of its most notable features, with its two 69-meter (228-feet) tall towers. The Galerie des Chimères or Grand Gallery connects the two west towers, and is where the cathedral’s legendary gargoyles (chimères) can be found. The gargoyles are full of Gothic character but are not medieval – they were added during the 19th-century restoration.

My souvenir photo

One of the beautiful sculptures of the cathedral.

The King’s Gallery is a line of statues of the 28 Kings of Judah and Israel, which was redesigned by Viollet-le-Duc to replace the statues destroyed during the French Revolution. The revolutionaries mistakenly believed the statues to be French kings instead of biblical kings, so they decapitated them.

Entrance from the West side:

The famous cathedral is also an active Catholic church, a place of pilgrimage, and the focal point for Catholicism in France – religious events of national significance still take place here.

Gargoyles look out from the tower.

While I was taking photos of the cathedral, beside me was another photographer snapping away.  Here’s a candid shot of him.

The cafe just beside Notre Dame Cathedral.

Aux Tours De Notre Dame – The towers of Notre Dame

Notre Dame Cathedral at night! 

 Notre Dame Cathedral is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. It was restored and saved from destruction by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, one of France’s most famous architects.

Location: 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Île de la Cité, 4e, Paris, France                       Features: Medieval Stained Glass; Romanesque Sculpture                                 Architecture: Gothic

Remember Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame?

Photography by: Sarah May Tanhuanco

Palace and Garden of Versailles, France

The Château de Versailles, which has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for 30 years, is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. The site began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge before his son Louis XIV transformed and expanded it, moving the court and government of France to Versailles in 1682. Each of the three French kings who lived there until the French Revolution added improvements to make it more beautiful.

Hello there! So happy to visit Château de Versailles!

Such a beautiful and enormous place!!!!

In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre with the design and laying out of the gardens of Versailles which, in his view, were just as important as the Château. The works were undertaken at the same time as those for the palace and took forty years to complete. But André Le Nôtre did not work alone: Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Superintendent of the King’s Buildings, directed the project from 1664 to 1683; Charles Le Brun, appointed First Painter of the King in January 1664, produced the drawings for a large number of statues and fountains; and, a little later, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart drew up increasingly understated scenic plans and built the Orangerie. Lastly, the King had all the projects submitted to him and wanted the “details of everything”.

The laying out of the gardens required enormous work. Vast amounts of earth had to be shifted to lay out the flower beds, the Orangerie, the fountains and the Canal, where previously only woods, grasslands and marshes were. The earth was transported in wheelbarrows, the trees were conveyed by cart from all the provinces of France and thousands of men, sometimes whole regiments, took part in this vast enterprise.

Since 1992, the gardens have been gradually replanted, and after the devastating storm of December 1999, the work speeded up to such an extent that quite a few sections have already been restored to their original appearance.

History taken from: http://en.chateauversailles.fr

Photography by: Sarah May Tanhuanco

Rome’s Gelato~ Heaven!!!

Mmmmm… one of the best! The original gelato from ROME, Italy! ahhhhlaveeeet! <3

Icing on top!

I saw this cute display inside a beautiful store in Hong Kong Disneyland. Sweet..:)

Parisian Food Adventure

Here’s RIBE Brasserie Cafe and Restaurant located near my hotel and the Eiffel Tower.

Almost all cafes and restaurants in Paris are facing the streets. So when I stayed in Paris, I made sure to eat at their cafe’s / restraurants along the streets!  It’s been their practice for a long time.  You sit outside the cafe,  “watch people” and eat your lunch.  It’s nice to observe different kinds of people once in a while.

I advise you to eat slowly and observe. It’s fun and relaxing!:)

This is me with the waitress! She’s so friendly! Thank you for being kind! She really made sure my Parisian Food Adventure is unforgettable. YUP, unforgettable moment: I WAS SO FULL.  In return I gave her a big tip!

I chose Les Formules Du Ribe wherein I could choose 1 Entrée + 1 Plat + 1 Dessert: 

Ohhhh.. french bread to start with! I love it! 

Entrée: Soupe Gratinée ~ Gratined Onion Soup

It’s delicious though kinda salty. I enjoyed the overflowing mozarella! As you can see, it has LOTS of french bread too!

I was full with this Entrée already! Maybe next time, I could just order this one without Plats and Dessert! haha!

Plats ~ Demi -Coquelet Rôti à l’Estragon ~ Grilled Chicken with Tarragon sauce

The grilled chicken was tasty but dry, good thing it goes with a yummy Tarragon sauce.

Dessert ~ Mousse au Chocolat ~ Chocolate Mousse

YUM. ’nuff said.