LP: Alikabok (Dust)

Ito ang Nationals Baseball Park.

Bago nagsimula ang laro ng San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals noong Biyernes ay inisprayan muna ng tubig ang Baseball field para hindi maalikabok para sa mga manlalaro. Masaya kaming umuwi dahil nanalo ang Nationals sa gabing iyon (3-0).

This is the Nationals Baseball Park.

Before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals on Friday, staff sprayed the Baseball Diamond with water making sure it doesn't get dusty for the players. We were ecstatic going home that night because our home team won (3-0).

Corfu's Achilleion Palace: Statues and Views

The last stop of our Mediterranean cruise was Corfu. As our bus zipped through the island's towns and villages, I was taken aback of how rundown-looking some of the villages were. Also, driving there seems to be like a sport. Our bus encountered motorists who narrowly tried to overtake us in certain uphill turns. It was both amusing and nerve-wracking to witness such occurrences; this was after all, how they do it in Corfu. For me, it was all part of experiencing Corfu's island style.

That day, our bus was taking us to Gastouri to visit the Achilleion Palace. It was a relaxing drive as we passed through orchards of oranges and olives. We even saw tourists who randomly stopped at a nearby orchard to pick olives who were drooping outside some fence. I secretly wished we could do that too.

According to our tour guide, Achilleion Palace was built in 1890 as a summer retreat for Elizabeth also called "Sissy," the Empress of Austria. Unfortunately, Empress Elizabeth was assassinated in 1898 in Geneva and the palace was then deserted until 1907 when it was bought by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.  The palace is impressive and classical in design. As we walked the palace grounds, I was taken by the statues that adorned the palace and of course, the breathtaking view of Corfu's Coast visible from the garden grounds.

View upon entering the Palace gates.

A statue of an athlete.

Achilles overlooking the coast of Corfu.

A statue of a maiden at the Palace gardens.

I think this is a statue of Mercury.

Another statue at the Palace's roof.

The next photos were taken from the Palace gardens overlooking the coast. I think these views make the Palace a perfect summer retreat.

When we visited, it was very quiet and the weather was mild and cool. I also noticed that the Palace was perfectly situated to have an unobstructed view of the picturesque town of Corfu.

Next, I'll post interior photos of the Palace.

Remembering Fall 2010

I found this draft unpublished and I think it's a waste if I can't share with you these photographs I took at the Seneca Creek Park during fall of 2010.

"I usually drive through this area on my way to and from work. I saw the bright yellows and oranges during one of my drives, so I decided to explore on one weekend. The experience was indescribable, as I walked below colorful trees while traversing on a yellow forest floor carpeted with fallen leaves."

 Looking up.

Mushrooms.

Red berries.

Interesting weeds.

 Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all. (Horowitz)

Memories Of Princeton

My recent trip to Mercer County (New Jersey) became a tour of my former stomping grounds. We visited my favorite hang outs, drove through familiar streets, visited a park I frequented and walked through the college I attended, which I will feature at a later post.

I moved from Hawaii to Jersey because I was given a full scholarship to study Humanities at a college there. My scholarship required me to live with a host family in Princeton. I was welcomed and embraced by a couple in their 60s and two sons who were Princeton students at that time. I was so happy I had an instant second family in Princeton. To this day, I cherish the moments I've spent with this family, as they showered me with love and care during my stay with them. I think this is why Princeton will always have a special place in my heart. As an update about my host family, the husband passed away. I still communicate with Kit, the wife. The two boys have their own families now and are both medical doctors.

Although I did have a wonderful host family, there are times I missed my own family. In times like these, I take a walk and explore Princeton. So today, walk with me as I reminisce good memories of this beautiful place I used to call home.

I love the architecture and design of this shop located at Nassau St.

Nassau Hall, Princeton University.

Tower of Nassau Hall.

The university chapel.

Entry way to East Pyne.

The Cleveland Tower.

A view from one of the buildings.

I took this photo at the Tiger Park Memorial for Edgar Palmer. It didn't occur to me until I was looking at the photos on my computer that there are three famous names I recognize on there. Look for them.

LP: Kalye (Street)

Ito ang mga palatandaan ng kalye Broadway at West 36th sa New York City. Kuha ito ng namasyal ako noong Sabado Gloria.

Here are the street signs for Broadway and West 36th in New York City. I took this photo during my visit on Black Saturday.

Ito naman ang Kalye River sa Kenwood, MD. Ito ay isa lamang sa mga lansangan kung saan namulaklak ang mga rosas na Sakura. Mayroong higit sa isang libong puno ng Cherry Blossoms dito. Gusto kong sabihin na ito ay isa sa mga pinakamahusay na lugar upang masaksihan ang pamumulaklak ng mga Sakura.

This is River Road at Kenwood, MD. This is just one of the streets flocked with these beautiful pink blooms. There are over a thousand Cherry Blossom trees in full bloom at this time of year. Rows and rows of blooming trees line the streets of Kenwood. I'd say this is one of the best places to witness the blooming of Cherry Blossoms.

Princeton Postcard

I don't know, but I've always felt at home in Princeton (NJ). Driving there this recent weekend made me realize how much I miss the area, the people and the shops. There's more shops now than I can remember. After all these years, the place still feels warm and homey. Although our visit there was short, it was a warm, relaxing, perfect Easter Sunday.

The Tulips adorn the entry way to the Yankee Doodle Tap Room.

This is also my entry for Ruby Tuesday. Check out other entries here.

My Fairytale Walk

I've featured DC's Cherry Blossoms a lot, but I think it's time I turn the spotlight to Maryland. I heard there are several places where one can enjoy the Cherry Blossoms in Maryland and one of them is Bethesda. If DC offers the splendid glimmer of the Tidal Basin and the beauty of it's monuments, this offers the tranquil suburban feeling and a fairytale like setting.

Sometimes, words simply cannot capture the real meaning of emotions and that's what it felt like when I was walking underneath these Cherry Blossoms. The beauty I've experience there is ambrosial in every way.

Literally, it was like walking underneath a cloud of pink and white blossoms.

There were no noisy crowds to deal with - only the murmur of the stream,

the blooms swaying to the gentle breeze that day,

the streets paved with fallen flowers fit for a princess,

the sweet sigh of each flower,

the branches bowing to beauty,

flowers framing houses,

the private pathways littered with blossoms,

 the trees wanting to paint the soil pink,

the picture perfect roadways,

the perfect tree poses,

the waters turned pink,

and roads like this that make fairytales come true.

This was most definitely a walk to remember.