My honey's calendar marked August 27, Friday, as day-off, and Malacanan Palace announced August 30, Monday, a holiday because it was National Heroes' Day. So imagine how happy I was when I learned that the three of us will be spending Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday lazily and stress-free!
August 27, Friday - The rain the night before would not stop and it seemed that it had no any plans of stopping, so I wondered if going out of town would be a clever idea. I had second thoughts of going, yet the wife in me told me that my husband needed to recharge his pressured mind and abused body (thank you very much to his demanding work) and the mother in me agreed also that the little man deserved to have a different place to witness and a different air to breathe. So despite the heavy rains in Manila, off we were to Tagaytay.
We arrived there just in time to stop our complaining tummy. It was past two in the afternoon when we had lunch at RSM. As usual, we ordered the sought after Bulalo which had generous serving of tender beef, vegetables, beef stock (perfect ulam as it is) and, of course, the star of the show- the bulalo, or commonly called utak. I insisted on getting fried tawilis, a bestseller also. These two viands, paired with two servings of plain rice, calamansi with red-hot siling labuyo, and ice-cold cola... with the Taal volcano as the backdrop...ahh!! Perfect late lunch!!
Since the place was not that crowded given the time and the (ordinary) day, the little man had the chance to freely roam around its grounds. He played habulan with his dad. My two men were so tired already, and so we left.
Next stop, Sonya's Garden. This place never failed to make me smile. Endless colorful flowers greeted me in every corner I went to, and unique wood, art, and antique pieces in extraordinary designs placed in different spots fascinated me as always.
We bought the ever-famous Sonya's Spanish Bread and
the bestseller Choco Cupcake.
the bestseller Choco Cupcake.
The last time we were there, it was just the two of us. Now, the little man was with us who, like in RSM, joyfully took advantage of the wide, clean grounds of Sonia's. We just let him walk, run, sit, and pick pebbles and it was evident that he enjoyed his semi-unguarded playtime in Sonya's.
It was time for dinner when we left Sonia's. As always, our tongue craved for Italian dishes only Bon Giorno could pacify. We even brought a bottle of wine to complement what we ordered, only to be told that there would be a corkage fee, so with broken hearts, we finished our meal without it. Wine or without wine, Bon Giorno's dishes were perfect as it is. Pizzas in (not so) thin crust made crunchy in every bite plus cheese melted to perfection, it was one great pizza experience. The pasta, no matter how familiar we were with it already, still tasted soooo good, and still gave that "umph" as if it was our first time. The sauce that was pretty rich for the pasta noodles making the noodles swim a bit ( just a bit, really) was meant to be served like that for a much tastier and yummier pasta overload. We had free serving of bread with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a dip. We ended the night really full and satisfied. We even considered having lunch there the next day.
August 28, Saturday- We woke up at around eight in the morning, hurriedly took a shower and went to the road at around nine. We headed to Jollibee, the little man's favorite. We ordered two breakfast meal, and the little man got a FREE yum with cheese. Yep, he got that for free!! That was his lucky day!
We then went to Caleruega after breakfast. Tagaytay trip will never be THAT complete without a visit to this wedding-famous church. The entrance of p30.00 per head was worth it. The little man again enjoyed his freedom by running here and there, round and round, until honey and I both gave up to his never ending energy. Caleruega still captured my heart through the greens that surround it and the unique pieces it had in discreet places. This place will always be a special place for me...ask the big man why ;)
That was our last stop and we bid goodbye to the city of Tagaytay with smiles in our lips. We spent just two short yet fulfilling and fun-filled days away from home and it was definitely worth it. Now I cannot wait to go out of town again! I wonder when would be the next long weekend?
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