The Orangery at Kensington Gardens

By | Foodie, Travel | No Comments

The beginning of the maze at Kensington Gardens leading to the Orangery 

SO LOVELY!!!! This is what I mean why I love London!  Everything is done so elegantly and with taste!  It’s simple yet not really simple but strikes me so much with it’s charm and beauty

LOVE!

Because I was admiring the gardens too much and taking photos, we got to the Orangery almost lunch time already

Love the teacups

We ordered one breakfast menu while we were waiting for 12 noon

Freshly Baked Croissant with Honey Roast Wiltshire Ham and Mature Cheddar Cheese

Full English

Our hosts who we love so much 🙂  Rina and Suharto 🙂

When I like a certain dinnerware or China, I always look under to peek at the brand or where it is made 🙂

Chicken Liver Parfait

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Lobster Pearl Barley Risotto

Burnt English Goat Cheese

Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Tart

Mandarin and Cointreau Trifle

 Click below to go to their website

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Kensington Gardens

By | Green, Travel | No Comments

Out of the 432 public gardens, I was only able to go to one this trip!

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The garden which is known to have been covered with flowers when Lady Diana passed away

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I got this photo online ( www.mirror.co.uk )

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Kensington Palace

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While walking, Rina showed me this portion which is a mini meadow 🙂  The wildflower meadow 

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You normally see these type of scene in a movie or in a commercial but I took these photos candidly of children in the meadow

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Love the flowers

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This is a maze leading to the Orangery – I could not get a photo from the top so this is the best I could do

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Sunken Gardens

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Love this!!

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Enjoying the sun 

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There was this tree that was a natural shade.  It was so beautiful. The branches and leaves were falling reaching almost the ground.    If this were in the Philippines, people would probably race to get it and use it as a picnic ground – where here everyone loves the sun! 🙂  

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View from the side

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Another gigantic tree perfect for shade but no one was here 🙂

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Click below to go to their website

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On Loving and Living in London

By | Homes and Interiors, Travel | One Comment

Thank you Tita Millet Mananquil and the Philippine Star for allowing me to share this beautiful city!    This came out last June 29 where I featured the different homes I visited during my recent trip to London.  Thank you to my friends, Rina and Ria who took me around and made this possible.   London indeed is an ideal place to live in which is why many choose to live here.  For us Filipinos, living in Europe may be difficult because of the language barrier, but there is none in London 🙂  And the city is just so beautiful, you will have to live here to possibly visit all the interesting places to see, many of them historical

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London Gardens and Topiary

By | Green, Travel | No Comments

I love London because it is a city where everything is beautiful!  Look to your right, to your left, back, front, up – there is so much to see.  It’s a city that does not feel like a city because it has a lot of greens which Heart2Heart loves 🙂  I tried to research to get some figures and this website seems to document it the best from what I saw http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/

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There are 609 public parks,

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432 public gardens,

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242 squares and 226 garden squares in London!   

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Aside from that they have botanical institutions, churches with gardens, private gardens and vertical gardens!! I love how they decorate the frontage of hotels and homes with beautiful greens and topiary.  I particularly like the topiary 🙂  Pardon the photos as we are always moving in the car

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Ampy’s Oatmeal Lace Cookies

By | Foodie, Yummy! | One Comment

 James’ cousin,  Amparo Osmeña makes yummy Oatmeal Lace cookies!!!  

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It comes in original

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and chocolate!!!

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SUPER THIN, SUPER CRISPY AND SUPER YUMMY!!!!!  If you go to Cebu make sure you order them or if you know of someone going to Cebu – make sure to order some.  

 This is available in Cebu only for now.  Look for Yaya Percy at 0929-574-0095 and 0918-933-0744

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 It comes in a nice box!!!!  Small has 2 containers and the big one has 4!!   

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Heartbreak and Hope by Happy2Help

By | Giving Back, Travel | No Comments

While I was in Cebu, I missed this trip with the Happy2Help group and I am still wishing I went.  But thanks to Chary Mercado, she helped document their trip and shared it here at Heart2Heart.  Hoping to visit Tacloban one of these days and  try to help directly in some way.  These pink ladies have a unique way of helping 🙂

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9th Day Dinner for Uncle Nato

By | Celebrations, Travel | One Comment

We are always so happy to see the beautiful cousins of James from Cebu!!  Amparo and Margie!  They are always so kind and hospitable!  Amparo who is now based in LA came over as soon as she heard the news and stayed the whole 9 days and a few days more.  So happy to see her!!!  Wish we could spend more time with the cousins.  We love Allan and Margie so we really made sure we came over as soon as we arrived from our trip

 Ronald and Amber came also all the way from LA 

Love the kids as well!!  

Margie and Allan!! Margie is James’ first cousin and the daughter of Uncle Nato.  Allan is her husband who is so so nice!! WE LOVE YOU BOTH! 🙂

Aunty Marivic with full support from her sisters, Tita Tata Estrella and Tita Bebing Harrison.  Not in the photo is a sister living in Italy,  Tita Dolores Presot. 

Congresswoman Rachel/QT del Mar with her Dad, Congressman Raul del Mar and Mom, Tita Melanie

 Jojo and Aunty Cora

 Jun Jun and his sons, Ramon and Raphael and cousin Jojo

Dinner was at Rica’s at the Henry’s and it was very good 🙂

Previous entry:  Rica’s and the Henry July 2, 2014 

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Renato Veloso Osmeña

By | Tributes | No Comments

We went to Cebu to pay our respects to the uncle of James, Former Vice Mayor of Cebu City Renato Osmeña, the brother of Jame’s Mom.  He was Vice Mayor from 1995 to 2001 and also councillor from 1986 to 1994.  A very well respected man and served his beloved city and people.  God bless Uncle Nato and may his soul rest in peace  

We joined the 9th day mass at the Chapel of Holy Relics

Previous entry:  Chapel of Holy Relics Tabora Hills July 5, 2014

  A nice tribute by one of the managers of Uncle Nato

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