Category Archives: Philippines

Picnicking in Pila with TourFlair

A beautiful blue Manila sky dusted with talcum powder clouds.  For the first time in a fortnight there is no thick coating of smog over the city. We are heading south towards Pila on a gastronomic tour arranged by Filipina … Continue reading

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Travelling Back in Time

Philippine heritage is a mixed bag of cultures that is reflected in its people, its language, its food and its architecture. During three hundred years of Spanish colonization, Augustinian monks constructed grand European-style churches all over the archipelago, the conquistadors … Continue reading

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A Nuclear Theme Park?

In Britain there has been a trend over the past thirty years or so to convert old farm buildings and factories into beautiful homes. It is hard to imagine doing the same kind of recycling with the empty nuclear power … Continue reading

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Tapas & Sangria for me!

I had been trying to arrange a night at the newest tapas bar in town, and it finally happened this week: a Girls’ Night Out at COVA tapas & sangria, at the quiet end of Jupiter Street. Co-owners Tatyana Guevarra … Continue reading

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Nepalese Cooking in Makati

We first went backpacking in Nepal in the early 90s. In Kathmandu we lived on rice and dal and $2 a day. It was not, you have probably guessed, the most salubrious, gastronomically sophisticated side of town. Nepal snuggles into … Continue reading

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Five More Things I Love about the Philippines…

Jeepneys The jeepney is a cheap and popular form of transport in the Philippines. Originally adapted from US military jeeps left behind in the Philippines after World War II, today they are made in the Philippines, mostly from second hand … Continue reading

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Tea with Tiaras

Last week I had afternoon tea  with nine princesses from Sydney. These gorgeous, sixty-something ladies travel with tiaras, so I thought the Makati Shangri-La was a fitting place to welcome them to Manila. Needless to say they arrived at the … Continue reading

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Saturday Morning in Salcedo

I love Salcedo Market: the colourful displays of food and flowers; the atmosphere and aromas; the hustle and bustle; the sense of purpose as we trawl through a profusion of delectable products. I first visited this small, inner city market … Continue reading

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Abide With Me

Wednesday 25th April, 2012. ANZAC Day.  The 2012 Commemorative Dawn Service. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Heritage Park, Manila  They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years … Continue reading

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Another Gold Star for Enderun Colleges

‘Enderun is committed to the highest international standards of academic excellence. Students receive professional training from leading figures in the global business and hospitality industries.’ Enderun Colleges offers undergraduate degrees in international hospitality management and business administration, as well as … Continue reading

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