Places That I've Been To In Europe

London, England
8 visits (1996, 97, thrice in 04, once in 05, twice in 06). Total stay of 31 days.
People write books about London. Not just a sentence or two.

Manchester, England
1 visit (1997 only). Total stay of 3 days.
It was one of those conferences where all the delegates were locked up in one hall throughout the duration. The only time we were able to catch a breath of fresh air was when the organizers hosted dinner and drinks at the Man U stadium.

Southampton, England
1 visit (2005 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Nothing much to see in terms of landmarks in the town itself. But Stonehenge is just a few minutes away by car.

Marbella, Spain
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 4 days.
Puerto Banus. HS batchmate Joseph Estrellado described it as one of the favorite hideaways of the European rich and famous. We dined on baby lamb embryo which is the specialty at the Restaurante Capistrano.

Madrid, Spain
5 visits (1997, twice in 04, once in 05 and 06). Total stay of 17 days.
One of the cities I’ve been to that I wish I could take my family for a visit someday. Certainly one of my favorite cities in the world!

Barcelona, Spain
1 visit (2004 only). Total stay of 3 days
Gaudi all over. Center of art. Most people will disagree with me but for some reason (perhaps because of familiarity?), I like Madrid better. I must admit though that some of the best meals I’ve had in Spain, I had in Barcelona.

Bonn, Germany
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 3 days.
Geez. It seems so long ago I can’t think of anything. I can only vaguely remember this place. It's one of those places where the only thing you remember are the meetings you had.

Frankfurt, Germany
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Nothing beats eating frankfurters and fries from a Frankfurt street peddler. I've previously tried the more publiciized NY dogs and there's just no comparison. The original franks were roasted crisp yet the meat remained tender and juicy. Before leaving, I remember making sure I pass by a grocer just to buy and bring home some of these sausages with me.

Hamburg, Germany
2 visits (twice in 2006). Total stay of 6 days.
I once wrote a poem about Hamburg. But before you start conjuring images of passion and romance, let me tell you upfront that the title of the poem is “Bored in Hamburg”. The place has two redeeming values for me though. One, as a Beatles fan, I got a sense of where the fab four first played their music. Two, the hamburgers. Ronald McDonald? Shame on you!

Brussels, Belgium
1 visit (2006 only). Total stay of 3 days
I guess it can be considered as your typical Northern European city akin to those in Germany, Switzerland, even the Netherlands. Although I must admit that I didn't have the chance to go around much because I came just when winter was setting in. And worse, it was raining! The shops selling those world-famous Belgian chocolates were mostly empty. Food was expensive. But if you're a beer-lover, this city would be heaven on earth.

Rome, Italy
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 5 days.
Another one of those memorable trips. One could find something historical and/or artistic at every street corner. And the people? The highest density of beautiful people in the world! It's like being right smack in the middle of one huge, surreal movie set where everyone around you looks like a movie star. I was with my wife and both of us loved Rome and wish that we could return to visit together with our son someday.

Vatican City
1 visit (1995 only). Total visit of 2 days.
I have a rule against including the places where I’ve been to but hadn’t stayed for at least an overnight. I will make an exception here. Why? Because accomodations within the Vatican are restricted mostly to the clergy and diplomats. And we (my wife and I plus a friend and his wife) did spend two whole days going around the city regardless. After all, when in Rome….

Milan, Italy
1 visit (2005 only). Total stay of 3 days.
Too bad the Doumo was under repair when I visited.

Paris, France
2 visits (1995 and 2006). Total stay of 7 days.
My wife and I both enjoyed the sights and sounds of Paris. Not as much as we did Rome or New York. But more than enough for The City of Lights to land high up there on our list. On our last night, we decided to treat ourselves to fine dining at a posh restaurant along the Champs. The best meal we’ve had during that trip! Last time I went there, I was alone and at the tailend of a two-week trip. I felt so homesick.

Bern, Switzerland
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 6 days.
I attended the convention of the International Telecommunications Union held in Geneva but there were not enough hotel rooms in the city so we ended up in Bern and would take the two-hour train ride to our meetings each day. My wife was with me. She enjoyed the coziness of Bern. Not to mention that the local museum had some of the works of the Dutch masters on display when we were there.

Geneva, Switzerland
1 visit (1995 only). Total stay of 2 days.
During our visit to Switzerland, we were able to book a hotel room in Geneva only our last night. Prior to that, we stayed in Bern and would commute daily to our meetings. At lunch breaks and after our meetings, we'd take walks at the park beside Lake Geneva and watch the ducks swim by. It was a refreshing sight.

The Hague, Netherlands
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
On our first day, right after we checked into the hotel, we decided to take a stroll at the park across the street and find a place to eat. Suddenly, a police car came screeching towards us and the cops asked for our identification papers. Apparently, two persons who fit our description and wore the same color jackets and caps as we did were reported to have stolen artifacts in one of the churches nearby. How’s that for a welcoming party?

Amsterdam, Netherlands
1 visit (1996 only). Total stay of 2 days.
Yes, we saw the shops with “live mannequins”. No, they didn’t have those shops yet selling cannabis back in 96. We toured the city on bicycle. Very picturesque city. And the Dutch are probably one of the nicest people in Northern Europe (notwithstanding our unforgettable “welcome” party at The Hague).

Lisbon, Portugal
1 visit (1997 only). Total stay of 3 days.
My middle name is Cabral. I just had to make sure I got my picture taken right beside the statue of Juan Alvarez Cabral, the famous Portuguese navigator who “discovered” Brazil. I wish we had more business to do in Portugal so I’d have reason to visit more often.