Miss Iggy in Bratislava

Back in March, Euro Iggy and her friends set out on several day trips to visit the nearby cities. First stop was Bratislava, Slovakia. Getting there was a breeze with Eurolines' fast and affordable bus - they arrived after 50 minutes with a fare of only €13! 

Miss Iggy took the Prešporok Oldtimer to get to the Bratislava Castle, from where she had an amazing view of the Danube river and the neighboring countries Hungary and Austria 

Miss Iggy and the St. Elizabeth memorial

Schöne Náci was a famous social institution back in the day. Nowadays, his bronze statue still is quite popular with the tourists

a must-try refreshment in Bratislava: their beer!
hey, it's cheaper than water!

Miss Iggy and the Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava's opera house

Miss Iggy was fascinated by the inverted pyramid that is actually radio broadcasting building,
Slovensky Rozhlas

Miss Iggy enjoyed looking at the low, pastel-colored buildings

Vienna Vixen Iggy walks around town

For the Miss Iggy photo walk on April 2, Vienna Vixen Iggy (a.k.a. Euro Iggy) armed herself with the Diana Mini camera and explored an area in Vienna's 2nd district.

Taking the U1 subway line, Miss Iggy got off at the Nestroyplatz
station.This station has been operating since 1979.

Not only did Miss Iggy enjoy the beautiful Spring day because of
the warm weather, but also because of the beautiful blooms and
cherry blossoms around the city!

She marveled at the beautiful old buildings in the area

Miss Iggy wasn't the only one enjoying the sunshine. She found
some bike enthusiasts testing bikes in front of a bicycle store.

Contributing to the relaxed vibe of the area are the many benches
around. Miss Iggy liked these ones at the actual Nestroyplatz.
There's a drinking fountain and a statue of Johann Nestroy facing them.

Miss Iggy and Mister Johann Nestroy, an Austrian author and comedian.

The old buildings made the street look like a period movie set!

Miss Iggy was amazed to find out that Theater Nestroyhof is more
than 100 years old.

Adding to the retro charm were closed/abandoned stores like this.

Closed laundry shop

Leopoldskirche

Bull's eye

Hipster glasses

Miss Iggy in Sopron, Hungary

Just 45 minutes away from Vienna by train lies the Hungarian city known for its affordable spa and dental services, Sopron. Though neither on a mission to get a massage, nor to get a dental check-up, Miss Iggy happily took a train from the Wien Meidling terminal for a day trip to Sopron. 

Welcome to Sopron!

Miss Iggy climbed a hill to see Lake Ferto

View of Lake Ferto, to the Austrians, also known as Neusiedler See, a popular summer vacation spot

Not only was Miss Iggy surprised to learn that Sopron is known for its wine,
she was also amazed to see what a vineyard looks like in winter!

Miss Iggy and the Sopron's Loyalty Memorial

Miss Iggy and a Marian column at the Main Square

After a day of hiking and sightseeing, Miss Iggy says goodbye to Sopron at the train terminal.
She hopes to be back for a massage next time

Miss Iggy and the islands

In January, Mr. Coco Jam Iggy and Ms. Euro Iggy (a.k.a. Vienna Vixen Iggy) hopped on an Air Philippines plane for an island getaway to Coron, Palawan. Both were really looking forward to the trip because Palawan has been named one of the 20 Best Trips of 2011 by National Geographic Traveler. Exciting!

Miss Iggy welcomes you to the Coron Loop island hopping tour.

Starting point: the docks by the Lualhati Park near the Coron Public Market.

If you don't have goggles, stop by the market where you can rent them for Php 100.

Ahoy there!

First stop: the Siete Pecados Marine Park.

Entrance fee is Php 100.

The clear water, colorful fish and amazing corals make it a great place for snorkeling.

Don't forget to bring bread to feed the fish! The Iggys forgot to bring some, but luckily their tour guide brought a pack of Fita crackers. The fish loved it.

Next stop: Kayangan Lake.

This tranquil and beautiful lake is said to be the cleanest in the Philippines.

Kayangan Lake was definitely an Iggy favorite.

Miss Iggy's tip: bring your lifevest and goggles! Also, prepare to climb some steps. It's tiring but oh-so worth it.

Entrance fee: Php 200

The white sands ...

and turquoise waters of Banol Beach.

The Iggys loved this picturesque and quiet beach that looked like something out of a movie.

Entrance fee: Php 100

Not in the pictures but also explored by Mr. and Ms. Iggy was the Twin Lagoon (because most pictures there involved their chaperones in their lifevests either just floating or trying to spell out "Coron" or "wow" with their hands). The gang swam through an underwater tunnel to get from one twin lake to the other.

The entrance fee for the Twin Lagoon is Php 100.

roam. by all means, rome

Euro Iggy was super excited to go on a short trip to Rome in August. She knew she'd be doing three things there: eat, walk and be amazed. Rome didn't disappoint - she did all things on the agenda, and in heavy doses, too. Miss Iggy ate enough pasta, pizza and desserts to prepare her for all the walking and marveling at sights and sites.

While some photos turned out well, Miss Iggy felt a bit awkward posing in front of the Diana Mini camera, so she apologizes for her blurry appearance.

Miss Iggy and the view of the Vatican from the Cupola

Climbing up and walking down the steps to and from the cupola of St. Peter's Basilica is not for the faint-hearted (nor for the claustrophobic)! The stairway gets really narrow and steep, but if you survive it, it feels like you passed a fitness test. Bonus: an amazing view over the city.

Miss Iggy and the Colosseum

Miss Iggy's tip: to skip the long queue and waive the entrance fee at the Colosseum (and another museum of choice), get a Roma Pass.

If you're brave, you can take a tour of the Colosseum by night.

Miss Iggy and the statue of Sant'Angelo.

Miss Iggy highly recommends going to Castel Sant'Angelo for the best view over Rome.

3/4 of Miss Iggy and St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.

A must-see for every Pinoy inside the Basilica is the painting of the first Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Taking photos of the painting isn't allowed, but Miss Iggy was able to snap one before she was reprimanded. Heh. Shhh..don't tell anyone.

The Spanish Steps made Miss Iggy feel like Princess Anne in "Roman Holiday"

Miss Iggy in Barcelona

¿Qué tal, amigos? Summer seems to be over for Euro Iggy, as temperatures in Vienna have considerably dropped, but aside from additional layers of clothes, the memories of her summer vacation in Barcelona keep her warm.

Miss Iggy and the Teatre Lliure

What looks like a grand villa actually houses the Teatre Lliure (Catalan for "free theatre"), one of the most prestigious theatres in Catalonia. This magnificent building used to be the Palace of Agriculture or Palau de l'Agricultura. The 'free theatre' puts on theatre productions, dance and music performances, things Miss Iggy is really fond of.

Other things she likes: the colors of Spain, red and yellow.

Sangria!

This red wine punch was the perfect drink after a long hot summer day. Best accompanied by mouth-watering paella.

bicicletas

Footballs at the FCBotiga Megastore in Club Nou, home of FC Barcelona and the biggest stadium in Europe

Hot & spicy España!

Red hot chili at the Boqueria Market

Metro sign

Miss Iggy loved the metro trains in Barcelona! They quickly and efficiently brought her to all the places she wanted to visit. Tip: be prepared to do some stair-climbing and walking at the stations

Teatre Lliure

Passeig de Santa Madrona, 40-46

Plaça Margarida Xirgu 1