lovecrumbs │ Edinburgh, Scotland

The afternoon we decided to throw the itinerary out the window we came across lovecrumbs, an amazing cake shop. It was the epitome of my dream place to write and brainstorm. Inside there was a hodgepodge of chairs and tables. Nothing really matched, yet everything seemed to go together. It was very rustic and homey. We spent at least two hours there talking and enjoying the company of good friends. 

Markus ordered a peach and blue cheese scone with a cappuccino. I ordered a slice of Vicky Sponge cake and an Elderflower presse. Everything was so delicious. The scone was a bit of a revelation for me. I love scones. I've only had sweet scones, so a scone that mixed savory and sweet was even better. I've never eaten Vicky Sponge cake and  so this was my introduction to this quintessential British treat. The tartness of the raspberry jam, sweetness of the cream and fluffiness of the sponge cake was amazing.

In Korea, we have lots of cafes and sweet shops, but everything always feels a bit cutesy. Lovecrumbs was cute, but in a different way. It was eccentric and whimsical and absolute perfection.  

Taal Volcano & Lake Taal │ Tagaytay, Philippines

Earlier this year, Markus and I went to the Philippines (P.I.). I've never been to my home country before and was really excited for the trip. My first experience in the Philippines was definitely interesting. Not sure how to completely describe it, but it was a trip that I will always remember, the good and the bad.  We spent most of our time in Tagaytay, where my mommyo and daddyo retired. 

Tagaytay is supposed to be "the place" in the Philippines to escape the heat. It's higher up in the mountains, thus creating a cooler temperature. Mommyo would not stop talking about how nice and cool it is there. Not sure what everyone was talking about, because it felt just like the rest of the country, hot as heck. 

Tagaytay is also known for Lake Taal and Taal Volcano, which is still an active volcano. There haven't been any eruptions since 1977, but it is definitely not dormant. It was very exciting taking a boat across Lake Taal to the bottom of the volcano. Although, the method of getting to the top was not ideal. 

Basically, there is a community of squatters that have lived at the bottom of the volcano for ages. The Philippine government wanted to relocate them somewhere else and build a resort, but decided that it would be best for the squatters to stay and become a sort of tour guide for Taal. They basically lead you to the top while you ride an extremely emaciated horse-pony. The guides then spend the next 45 minutes selling you a story and trying to get as much money out of you as possible.

I'm all for people working and living off the land, but when the two guides that were with Markus and I were discussing in Tagolog how to get more money out of us, it really put me in a bad mood. They didn't know that Markus speaks and understands Tagalog. So they basically concocted a fake wedding and children to try and swindle us out of money. It didn't help that Markus is culturally ambiguous and I look Korean. My own countrymen were constantly speaking to me in Korean and trying to get more money out of me. 

Despite the uncomfortable time spent with the guides, I enjoyed our time at Taal. There is nothing like standing at the top of a volcano. I doubt I'll ever experience anything like it again. I felt like a true explorer, conquering an active volcano with my emaciated horse-pony!

Reunited with my parents after 1 year

Another volcano on Lake Taal

Taal Volcano

Lake Taal

Wandering Wednesdays │ London, England 2006

Every Wednesday, I'll be posting about places that I've traveled to in the past. It could be as far back as ten years or as recent as last year. I've dubbed these posts as "Wandering Wednesdays". You can find all my past trips on the Wanderings page. I hope you enjoy!

Our second honeymoon to London in 2006 was the trip that started it all. When Markus and I married in 2005, we promised ourselves that we would travel somewhere every year. If possible, we would travel out of the country. It wasn't always possible, but we at least went somewhere the other had not.

When we had our second wedding in 2006 (another story for another time), Markus and I decided that would be the year that we would start our adventures. I spent 21 years of my life dreaming of other countries and magical places. It finally took a second wedding and honeymoon to make my dreams a reality. 

It took a long time for Markus and I to decided where we would go. At first, we didn't know where to go and thought of all the places we wanted to visit. We finally decided on London because that was my dream since I was a child.

I have to admit that this first trip to London was a failure in many ways. This was our first trip abroad and we learned many things about traveling. The first being, don't travel after your wedding with only 5 hours of sleep and then a 6 hour layover in Dulles airport, which happens to be the worst airport in America. We also learned that we should spend more than 7 days overseas. You need at least two weeks to really get the feel of a place. 

We were horrible at planning and time management. It was basically a mess, but it was a wonderful mess. Even though, we didn't get the most out of our trip, it was still one of our favorites. Those 6 days were some of the best of our married life. I always look back on them fondly, despite all the flaws. After London, we learned from our experiences and became better travelers,  but more importantly, we never stopped!

Wedding Anniversary Photo Shoot

This past August, Markus and I have been married for seven wonderful and glorious years. We've been fortunate to have done a few photo shoots before, but we've never actually had one in Korea. We were able to book a shoot with Aaron and Jill. They're a newly married couple that will be moving back home to the states soon. They're hoping to start a photography business and needed a few guinea pigs. Markus and I were quick to oblige. I think the photos came out quite well and I'm so thankful to Aaron and Jill for helping us commemorate such a special occasion. 

Edinburgh, Scotland │1 of 3

Edinburgh Castle

As I said before, Edinburgh is now my favorite city in the UK. It's a beautiful city. There was so much to see and do. As we walked around one afternoon, we threw out the itinerary and did whatever we fancied. We planned to do a lot of things, but ended up just enjoying what the city had to offer. We spent about an hour sitting in a little park that was below Edinburgh Castle. We saw lots of little rabbits running around near a teensy forest area. We even managed to take a few photos that looked good enough for a brochure. It was overall a wonderful afternoon.

 

Edinburgh 2 of 3, Edinburgh 3 of 3