Greetings my beloved fellow bloggers! You are cordially invited to …
Participate to a one-time challenge post – Flashback Friday Challenge.
What is Flashback Friday? You might ask. Well, you can click my bar titled – Flashback Friday. Most of my Flashback Friday posts are successful. It’s my way to look back at my travel destinations. I get to revisit places I’ve been to. I get to redo my old blog posts and compose them in a different approach i.e. providing more pictures, expanding an old post, talk more about it, etc.That’s exactly what I want you to do. Look back a travel destination you’ve been to, or you blogged before, and find different approach, areas or ways to (re)compose it.
You have from now to the second week of January to compose a Flashback Post to your blog. I will make a post featuring Flashback Friday submissions on the second friday of January. You can link your submissions here on this post.
One of the different approaches I got is using other challenges. I have used Aisa’s Travel Theme Challenge, Jake’s Sunday Post and Weekly Photo Challenge in the past.
You can blog your own Flashback Friday however you want it. Right now, I’m using Frizztext’s A-Z Challenge for my Flashback Friday.
[A]rancini
[B]alicasag in Bohol
[C]adiz, Spain
[D]iego Garcia
[E]mpanada in Vigan
St [F]rancis Basilica
La [G]iralda in Seville, Spain
[H]ungduan in Baguio, Philippines
[I]delweiss, Germany
[J]erez, Spain
[K]uradang (Cultural Dance)
[L]ouv’re, Paris
[M]annekin Pis
[N]euschwantein Castle
[O]rloj, Astronomical Clock
[P]ompeii
[Q]uirino, Elpidio Mansion (Vigan)
[R]occaraso, Italy
[S]warovski in Austria
[T]rdelnik, a Prague pastry
[U]mberto, Galleria in Naples
[V]anvetilli, Aqueduct (Campania)
[W]affles, Belgian
[X]mas in Prague
[Y]es To All (Austria)
Zurich, Switzerland
.
Point at a picture and you will see a caption. If you are interested or have a question about any of these photos, just ask away. As always, don’t be shy to say hi.
Authentic, it’s the perfect word to describe Vigan. It’s almost automatic to call as such for what it sets out to be. But not so fast, if or when you get there, you’ll be amazed on how Vigan stretches that perfect description.
Evidences of the colonial times still exist and modernism hasn’t spread all over the place. Calle Crisologo is the main attraction. It’s a famous cobblestone street lined with antique and souvenir shops where people can walk through history with the old and in disrepair houses. Boarding on a carriage, as one of the many stops, me and my girlfriend, Edith, toured Former Philippine President Elpidio Quirino’s old Syquia mansion.
Vigan is genuine and true to its root. One major influence from the Spanish colonization is Catholicism. Certainly committed in keeping history and traditions, Vigan lives up to that area of expectation as well.
Our last stop was St. Augustine’s Cathedral. The views here are not only incredible from the outside but also from the inside looking out. We climbed atop the belfry and got rewarded with the bird’s eye view of the town.
Pottery industry still runs as good business. You can ask the carriage driver to make a quick stop to a pottery market. Maybe you can buy one like I did. Livelihood in Vigan sure is basic. You don’t have to physical see the authenticity of Vigan, you can just feel it from the atmosphere and from people. Life is simple there, and it’s highly visible. The garden part of the tour was an off-set for anything Vigan, but a pleasant stop nonetheless.
Authenticity is written all over Vigan’s restaurant’s menus, its antique looks and their bucolic way of living. Vigan and the rest of Ilocos region has their own culinary style and tastes. They pride for their distinctive quality of food. Vigan’s one of a kind empanda is my most craved food of all my travels. See my post here. Also, don’t miss going to Baluarte where the zoo offers plenty of animal interactions unlike others. Vigan remains pure and unerring. The Baluarte Zoo is not abused and rules are highly respected by its visitors.
Plaza Burgos
Tourism certainly has not been swayed and exploited by too much commercialism. It is untouched by corporate world, not congested with big companies and no big cheese walking around. I hope that, like their ancient houses, everything stays as it is. It’d be nice to know for Vigan to remain… with valued, and appreciated well-kept authenticity.
- A fellow blogger, who I met before, recommended Grandpa’s Inn. We certainly enjoyed our accomodation. -
Here’s to a very memorable blog post I know. Also a flashback post, Photo Flashback, this time last year, Kate presented these remarkably fine portraits of a Brazilian family she visited living simply and peacefully in a rural location. Kate Anthony Photography may not blog as much as everyone else. But when she does, rest assured that her blog posts and her impressive images are done with sheer brilliance and excellence.
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Some of you may expect something obscure, an acquired taste, serious or substantial musicians. With emphasis, these are MY favorite Italian music.
An Italian co-worker sang over and over something of a significant to Neapolitan culture. He even explained to me what was the song all about. Back then, I didn’t pay “that” much attention. Months later, the song was remixed and was all over the radio, not just in Europe but all around the world. I was talking about a Renato Carosone original, “Tu Vuo Fa L’Americano”.
The remix from Yolanda Be Cool was not the only one. Christina Aguilera and Lou Bega have different version of the song as well. Sophia Lauren, a Napoli native, danced to the tune of it in a movie. It was also performed by Matt Damon and Jude Law in the movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley. The song tis reflected when American military’s stay in Naples that booms the economy of Italy years ago. The song is roughly translated to “You wanna be an American”. It’s definitely not the same anymore.
When it comes to Italian music, there are, of course, sound names such as Andrea Bocelli and Pavarotti. I’m just not an opera listener.
I happened to like pop music in Italy. This is my most favorite video I’ve seen throughout my 2-year stay there.
Don’t we all do this…???
I really enjoy watching the video. I especially like the last part. The song is from Zero Assoluto.
My favorite females are the most recognizable ones as well, Elisa and Laura Pausini. These two are actually internationally acclaimed. They both sing in English and Spanish. Laura Pausini actually has a single with James Blunt. Elisa’s song “Dancing” had been used three times in the TV contest, “So You Think You Can Dance”. Both of them are part of the artist line-up of the song “Domani” together with other new and old famous Italian musicians.
Yes, this is sort of like their “We Are The World” song. A Mauro Pagani’s original, the song is called “Domani” or “Tomorrow“. In May 21, 2009, an Italian artist ensemble got together to compose a charity single to benefit the victims of L’Aquila Earthquake.
This brings me to my MOST favorite Italian artist, the ever-poetic, Jovanotti. He’s the man behind that project. I actually bought one of his 2007 album, L’Albero, just for this awesome song …
I love this song to death. I can sing this feel-good song over and over and over again. “Bella” is indeed a very “Beautiful” song where Lorenzo Jovanotti compares a woman to all things beautiful. I love the bridge part when it paused to make room for the flute solo.
Last Call…
This song is not in Italian nor Italian-based but from an English rock band, Skunk Anansie. It just so happened to be a constant-airplay single in Italy when I was there. You may have heard about Skunk Anansie from an internationally-acclaimed song, “Because of you”. They may be a “clit-rock” group, but my most favorite is this vocal-heavy song called “Squander”.
There goes my favorites. I encourage everyone to embrace the culture of the country you are in or travel to, not just tourism-wise, or food, but other areas like music, perhaps clothing, language and traditions as well.
They also have versions of familiar songs like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You“, which my Italian co-worker is also fond of singing aloud. During my time there, “Weirdero” was also a hit, which is a remake of Radiohead’s “I’m a Creep“. I always sing “Io Canto Sotto La Pioggia” every time it rains. The song is the Italian version of “I’m Singing in the Rain“.
