Buon Giorno!

The great thing about being on vacation and not having a set schedule is that deliciously heady feeling of freedom to go where your fancy takes you. 

Yesterday we tried our luck and decided to have lunch at Buon Giorno Caffe & Bistro at the Cliff House in Tagaytay.  So we hopped in the car and drove for 1 1/2 hours.  If we had done this on a normal work-day, chances are we would have been easily stressed out and tired.  But as we are on leave from work this week, we had a relaxing drive going there and back again, just taking in the sights at a leisurely pace.

When we arrived there it was just a few minutes shy of 1:00 pm.  It was a bright, welcoming day, with the sun shining merrily down on us without it being scorchingly hot.  Our little girl immediately went to the railings and looked down at the lovely vista of Taal Lake spread out below us.

She then skipped over to the tiny Koi pool and spent a few minutes gazing at the multi-colored fish darting amidst the rocks and the shade.  She even waved her hand above the fish while I teased her that they would latch on to her fingers!

The Cliff House has an assortment of restaurants for the diner who wishes to eat with a view.  Buon Giorno ("Good Day" in Italian) has one of the more enviable spots in that it has a direct view overlooking the lake.

The white benches at the patio looked very inviting, so the little angel plopped down in the middle bench and gazed quietly at the lake.  For a few minutes at least.  Then she had the urge to lie down on the bench!

After some coaxing for her to settle down from her flitting about, we sat down to have lunch -- and what a visually pleasing and hearty meal it turned out to be!

This was my place setting at the table.  I liked their placemats and coasters, rustic and functional at the same time.

We were given some complimentary focaccia bread, which we dipped in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and even some parmesan cheese!  I couldn't help it, I just love cheese! The bread was served warm in its basket, and gave off a freshly baked aroma that made us just want to dig into its fragrant warmth.

For this dip, I was actually trying my hand in making a Taijitu symbol, more commonly known as the Yin-Yang. However, you can see my lack of success at it.  The dip still tasted good though, and complemented the bread beautifully.  

To quench our thirst, we ordered iced tea and a banana-pineapple smoothie.  Too bad they didn't have the green iced tea available! The servings were quite generous, a refreshing change from those puny little glasses that are served in some resturants.

This New York Pizza did not fail to please.  With a crunchy but chewy, not-so-thin crust, the toppings were very flavorful.  I like my pizzas oozing with cheese (yes, I'm a cheese lover and proud of it!), and this pizza was precisely that. The veggie toppings were crunchy and sweet, the peppers and onion having none of that raw taste that some people dislike. I was at first apprehensive of the olives, as I find the taste a wee bit overwhelming at times.  This pizza had just a hint of that, which served to accentuate the flavors even more. Need I say more that I just loved this pizza?

We also had the Roasted Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce. The accompanying mashed potatoes were creamy and tasty, the vegetable siding still fresh and crunchy.  The mint jelly went well with the lamb, but the hubby and the little one did not really appreciate the combo.  The red wine sauce was much more to our collective taste.  The lamb was tender and succulent, with none of the stringy chewiness that is present in beef and lamb dishes I've tried in the past. Thumbs up for this one as well!

We thought that the little one would be a bit more adventurous, but she went with her comfort food, the ubiquitous fries!  Good thing she tried out the other dishes as well -- she liked the lamb, to our surprise.  Then she alternated between the iced tea and the banana-pineapple smoothie, slurping away to her gleeful little child's delight.

When we arrived the place was abuzz with people enjoying their meals-with-a-view.  As we were finishing up our own meals (some of which we eventually had to have packed and brought home), we noticed that we were one of the last ones left.  I took the opportunity to take this photo of the outside dining area, complete with little birdhouses and skeletons in preparation for the Halloween.

By this time the fog had started to set in, and the clear view of the lake that we had earlier had already been obscured by the translucent milkiness.  The cool air became even more so, and the patio lost that sharp-around-the-edges look we had seen upon our arrival.

We left Buon Giorno with bellies full and with smiles on our faces. It was indeed a Good Day.

A Day at Avilon Zoo

I have sorely neglected this blog.  It's time to remedy that.

This week is the start or our older daughter's sem break from school.  I was told that some schools do not have week-long breaks anymore, but allow for only 1-2 days off instead during this season.  It's quite fortunate then that our daughter's school allowed them two weeks!  My husband and I then filed for a week-long leave as well.  Hurray!

The ever-present questions these days are, of course, "What do we do?" and "Where do we go?"

We initially planned to travel to other regions in the country.  However seeing that our daughter had recently just recovered from a bout with bronchitis, we deemed it more prudent to stay closer to home and take road trips here and there.

Late Saturday night we decided to go the following day to Avilon Zoo.  Which is in Montalban (now Rodriguez), Rizal.  And we would be coming from Batangas.  How's that for a spur-of-the-moment trip?

So Sunday morning we packed some snacks and water, and hied off -- hubby, daughter and I.  We did not bring our littlest angel this time, as she was prone to motion sickness on long drives.  When she's a bit bigger, she'll surely enjoy coming along, just like her sister!

We surprisingly had an easy time going there -- in large part due to hubby's exceptional navigational skills!  It was a leisurely drive for the most part, except for the hair-raising driving evident within the Quezon City Memorial Circle and its environs.  City driving is indeed very stressful.

We arrived at Avilon before 11 in the morning.  The sun was already high up, although there were darker banks of clouds in the horizon.  This was our first sight of Avilon:

I found the ark quite an apt metaphor indeed.

While purchasing our tickets, the staff at the ticket counter told us that they did not have maps available.  I thought that was a bit strange, but anyway, we were told that the footpaths were easy to follow and that we woudn't get lost.  We did not opt for a guided tour, but instead chose to follow our feet (and our daughter's proddings) for our meanderings.

At the entryway near the canteens, I snapped this photo of a pavilion overlooking a pond.  I just liked how the reflection was captured in the still water.

The little girl got quite excited and was raring to go at this time.

I noticed quite a lot of small, quirky-colored birdhouses in the zoo, which was quite appropriate as the name "Avilon" was coined by the owner Mr. Jake Gaw from two French words -- "aves" (birds) and "lon" (land), so Avilon actually means "Land of the Birds".

The little angel was quite fascinated with all the fauna we encountered in the zoo.  Big and small, winged and hoofed, feathered and furred -- she was entranced!

She actualy trailed these ducks walking in single file.

Then we saw this peaceful little cascade of water...

... and some colorful koi which just clamored for the fish food we sent their way!

There were numerous paths and passageways.

I was waiting for this golden pheasant to do a full frontal so I could snap away.  I eventually had to sette for this shot instead.

There were hamsters and bunnies just waiting to be fed.

I've read that tortoises are among the longest-living animals on earth, surviving upwards of 100 years! This tortoise looked positively ancient -- I wonder how old it realy is? Think of the stories it could tell...

We found the deer enclosures quite serene.  I was lucky enough to get this shot of 2 deer seemingly nuzzling each other, and another one of a deer at rest in the shade.

The sweltering day seemed very conducive to naps.  Just have a look at this slumbering pygmy hippopotamus!

I wonder what this calesa was doing here?

The orangutans were pretty calm, with the patriarch sitting quietly observing the strange creatures who kept on pointing black boxes with flashes of light at them.  The matriarch seemingly was deep in thought.

The Philippine eagle owl was majestic.

Seeing the Persian leopard within the confines of a barred cage seemed so incongrous for such a proud beast.

I was able to take this (flash-free) photo of the macaques through the looking glass. One of them had a frog in its grip and appeared to be toying with it -- prior to having it for a snack, perhaps?  The smaller macaque was attempting to grab the frog away, to no avail.

The little girl wanted to look at the Arapaimas, which are considered as "living fossils" and are some of the largest freshwater fishes in the world.  They are native to the South American waters of the Amazon basin.  The caretaker at the arapaima area gave us some fresh chicken heads (plucked and cleaned, and provided along with plastic gloves, thank goodness) to toss into the waters.  Our daughter eventually passed on the chicken heads to Papa, as she said they were "too squishy and cold" for her.  We could hear the loud slapping of fish bodies and tails as they jockeyed for position to get at the chicken heads.

While walking along the tree kangaroo enclosure, we came upon this snake on the ground.  Luckily we saw it just in time, otherwise we might have stepped on it!

We came upon tha Malayan tapir at rest.  This is the only one of the 4 species of tapir that is native to Asia.  It's white saddle makes it an easily distinguishable creature.

The ostrich was busy pecking at something on the ground.  The lack of feathers on its hind parts seemed to me a bit out-of-whack.  Notice the "plucked" look?

The crocodile enclosures were a source of fascination and caution for us.  Who wouldn't be alarmed at the sight of all those sharp teeth peeking out?  We also saw how these reptiles looked like underneath the water while their beady eyes jutted out of the surface.

The sight of these turtles swimming in their little pools brought smiles to our faces.  They were just so adorable!  The two turtles swimming side by side were especially a hit with the little one.

This otter seemed to have a pleasant time frolicking in the water.

These lizards appeared to have had quite a good time sunning themselves as well.

I couldn't resist this white pigeon on top of a small roofed structure. She looked so calm on its little perch, surveying the world around her.

Amongst all the fauna we saw, there were pockets of shade where lone blooms flourished and gave out little bursts of color.  This mossy, sun-and-shadow dappled rock formation gave me a feeling of balance in nature, a sense of gratitude for all that we see around us.

As we were about to exit the maze of footpaths (and change out of our sweat-drenched clothes), we saw this billboard of the Philippine flag and the words "Pilipinas Kong Mahal". 

With its commitment to providing an environment where animals can be safey seen and appreciated by children and their families, engendering a deeper appreciation for fauna, Avilon Zoo is indeed one place the we can be proud of.