Here’s something not many people know about me: I can ‘nurse’ a chocolate bar for hours. Yup. You can give me a regular-sized Toblerone, for instance, and it can take me the whole day to eat it— only because I want to relish it down to its last gooey bit. Not that this information is of great import to the general population. I’m just saying if you want to know the way to my heart, well, you know what to do. So given this predilection for anything chocolatey, it was such a treat to find myself in a town where apparently, chocolate production was a booming business in the 17th…
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The Ancient City of Zaragoza
Why, hello Zaragoza! I first met the Aragonese city of Zaragoza in Spain during lunch. Our train, the historic Tren Al Andalus, had just arrived at the Delicias de Zaragoza train station at half past one in the afternoon. We only had a few minutes to freshen up before being rushed into the coach that would bring us to a restaurant called Bal d ‘O, right in the middle of a shopping complex called Puerto Venecia. It was more than 35 degrees Celsius outside and our little group was getting fidgety because of the heat. We were herded into the Spanish fusion restaurant owned by Michelin star-decorated Aragonese chef Josechu Corella.…
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The Way of St. James: The Journey Begins
Railways are irresistible bazaars, snaking along perfectly level no matter what the landscape, improving your mood with speed, and never upsetting your drink. -Paul Theroux There are too many spoons, forks and knives laid on the table before me. For a moment, I cannot remember which cutlery to use for which course, perhaps because I am so famished. On my left, two glasses are on standby–one for wine, and the other for water. On my right, a crusty piece of bread is waiting to be wrestled with. The train’s steady humming as it speeds on the tracks is almost inaudible, drowned out by the clinking of silver against dinner…
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Prayers for the Santiago Train Crash Victims
I have been on the road for almost two weeks now. I am currently in Spain at the tail end of a press trip for Al Andalus, one of the top 15 luxury trains in the world. It has been a wonderful trip, something one can only dream of. But before I write about my once-in-a-lifetime experience, let me first offer my sincere sympathies to the families of the victims of the tragic train accident last weekend. My group and I were actually in Santiago the day it happened. We were having dinner and were scheduled to watch the light show at the cathedral when we heard the terrible news.…
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About Pinay Traveller
Hello! Welcome to Pinay Traveller! My name is Pauline. I am an all-around media person by day and a traveller for life. I originally created this blog to document my trips and file important details such as travel information, (personal) hotel ratings and such. It’s also my virtual travel photo album. But for the past couple of years, I’m glad that more and more people are able to use this blog as a resource for their travels. Pinay Traveller as seen on Where I’ve Been I have travelled extensively in Asia and Western Europe, both for business and pleasure. In between, I was lucky enough to…
