Dearest Mauritius,

Posted on February 22, 2025 by marialeila

You came to us like a dream.  We were already decided on going to Norway for our summer holiday when out of the blue I started browsing the same travel agency’s page and there you were.  After we read about you and saw how you are our kind of island — not so big, plenty of places to explore, moderate climate as we were going during winter in the southern hemisphere, and long stretches of fine, white sandy beaches– we were sold.  And, just like that, Norway got queued up for future plans.

We think of you often. We find ourselves constantly reminiscing about how we got up so early in the morning to get to the foot of Le Morne Brabant before sunrise. On a hindsight, it was quite dumb of me to climb the basaltic monolith with almost zero sleep the previous night, but wonderful as you are, you gave us great memories of that adventure.

There were so many amazing moments we shared with you. Someday, we will be back and we will once again turn heartwarming moments into beautiful memories.

xoxo,

M and A

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Long PS:

STAY: Sofitel Mauritius L’Imperial Resort and Spa

Sofitel’s main pool surrounded by the hotel’s reception area, restaurant and bar.
View of the sea and the heated pool from our balcony.

Tourism is Mauritius’ main bread and butter so the choices of accommodation is vast.  We opted for Sofitel, banking on what this French luxury brand of hotel is known for.  Though with little unnecessary twisties and turnies, like an unhinged bathroom door, flooding from the shower, and receptionists that didn’t do their jobs properly, the overall delivery met our expectations.  We had half board and my gosh, the breakfast and dinner buffets were worth every single euro shelled out.

The hotel also allowed us for a late check out to compensate for the inconveniences we experienced with the bathroom.  They let us stay in our room and use the hotel facilities until around 6pm when we were picked up for our transfer to the airport back to Prague.  Apology accepted.

The hotel property is massive and the landscaping calmly states sub-tropical paradise. (Disclaimer: The tortoises are not real-)

Location: FLIC EN FLAC

July in Mauritius is winter season.  Winter there means around 25C daily.  I, being the one who did more research about the island, read that it’s best to stay in the western part of the island during this time of the year as it’s more sunny and less windy there.  indeed, it was true.  Daily average temperature was 25 C.  In almost two weeks that we were there, there was only one day when it rained in the morning and the sea was rough.

Flic en Flac is a long stretch of white sandy beach. It is lined with many hotels. Right next to Sofitel is the Hilton which didn’t care we were from next door and allowed us to hang out in their property on some days. The town is just a couple of kilometers away which is easy to get to on foot if you’re used to walking. Next time we visit, we will probably stay in Flic en Flac again or somewhere more quiet like Le Morne.

Adi at Flic en Flac beach with the Tourelle du Tamarin in the background.
Adi at Hilton’s grounds checking the landscaping and their giant chess boards.

Next post: Getting around Mauritius.

Till then!

xoxo

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Postcards from Positano

Posted on March 3, 2024 by marialeila

I think of Positano now and then especially whenever it’s gloomy and bleak in Prague like today in the morning.  I think of those colorful houses and buildings hugging the cliffs, as well as the relentless sun that accompanied us all throughout our visit.  Well, to be precise, I think of Italy often as it is one of my favorite countries to visit.  The sea, the food, the culture and even the language, I just feel the Italians have it all.

My friends and I visited Positano almost two years ago.  The town is pretty and picturesque.  The photos you take don’t need any edit or filter. It’s a total eye candy so I understand the hype about this place. I’ll let these snaps do the talking:

We were there just for one day.  It’s one of those classic trips in which you know you were there and yet you don’t really know the place.   For me and my friends, it’s yet another shoulda woulda coulda experience.  We should have stayed there the entire duration of our trip and not in Naples.  We would have and could have  explored Positano and the Amalfi coast more.

Then again, there’s always the next time.  Who knows, one day, I will be back?

Date visited: June 3, 2022

xoxo

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Romper makeover

Posted on August 12, 2021 by marialeila

Just dropping by here to talk about this romper I bought from Zara last year that badly needed a makeover. I don’t know what I was thinking buying it without trying it on first. I also forgot about it for a year until recently when I started decluttering our closet again. I declutter once or twice a year.

When I finally tried it on, I realized I couldn’t wear it out because it just looked ridiculous. Heck, I wouldn’t even wear it at home because the fit was just bad specially at the crotch. My husband mostly just lets me be with whatever clothes I choose to wear but this time he made comments like “You would scare the kids with that outfit” or “Everything about that is awful.” That was my cue to save this romper from ending up in a landfill.

I thought at first of just adding pockets and maybe that would add some joie de vivre to this otherwise sad existence of a romper, but that won’t solve the crotch part. To be honest, it takes more than just adding pockets to save it from being banished to total oblivion. So I cut it in half and the rest is history.

I hemmed the top and turned the bottom into shorts by adding white elastic and of course, pockets. I mean, what are shorts or rompers or pants without pockets? How can I live without them when I need them for my hand sanitizer and extra respirator (still in plastic cover, of course) all the time these days?

Anyhow, I managed to salvage this piece. And instead of one piece, I now have two pieces of this once upon a time ill-fitting and unflattering romper.

Till next post!

xoxo

Posted in Adjustments/Alterations, Sew, Shorts, Tops | Tagged | Leave a comment

Back to sewing

Posted on October 4, 2020 by marialeila

The last time I had sewn something for myself and blogged about it was when I made this dress.  It’s been over four years.  I have good and bad memories of this post.  I remember how happy I was when I finally clicked “post.”  A couple of hours later, that moment of happiness was eclipsed by gloom when my husband suffered a severe pain in his jaw.  That was the start of his battle with cancer.  I guess I can say, that was also the start of how I can’t even look at my sewing machine without feeling the gloom of that day again.  My brain somehow associated it with that memory.

Fast forward to four years.  Czech Republic was on lockdown in spring and everyone was ordered to wear a face mask anywhere outside their own home.  I had no choice but to dust off my sewing machine to sew face masks for myself and my husband from scrap fabrics I have.  That old memory attached to the sewing machine had to be exorcized with the need to dodge this virus that is affecting our lives.

At least something good came out of the bad.  I started sewing again.  The first few minutes were awkward, like it was my first time to sew.  After that initial haze, procedural memory kicked in.  I guess sewing is just like riding a bike.

Here are my little sewing projects after four years of hiatus:

I made a dozen of these reversible masks. When I started searching for an easy pattern, the one I found on YouTube in spring had less than a million views. When I checked it again in summer, it had over five million. Tells you something about the times we have now.

When I was rummaging in my fabric stash, I found this leftover fabric from a dress I had sewn for a colleague. She chose this particular pattern. She wanted to wear something festive for the Christmas dinner she was going to attend in Spain with her boyfriend and his family. I never got to know how it went because we lost touch afterwards. I wonder if they’re still together. 🙂

Anyway, I decided to make summer shorts out of this fabric. I’m quite happy how it turned out.

    These shorts have back pockets and I thought two back pockets would be enough. Later I changed my mind and added two front ones. Shorts without front pockets just don’t work for me.

    And it’s quite difficult to stop once I start the ball rolling. I also made shorts for my husband. The fabric is actually quite thick that these shorts can be worn outside if, say I would use drawstrings instead of just a thin elastic for waistband. Husband said a simple elastic will do for him so elastic it is.

    So there. Feels good to be back posting about sewing projects no matter how small they are. I hope I won’t become lazy again and will finally do something about the rest of the fabric stash I have sitting in a box.

    xoxo

    Posted in Sew, Shorts, XYZ | Tagged , | 2 Comments

    Autumn in Prague

    Posted on October 28, 2019 by marialeila

    I just realized I write about other European cities but I hardly post about my home,  my Prague.   It’s ironic because Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe or maybe even in the whole world.   I can only say this is probably a classic case of ignoring what we already have.

    Autumn in Prague is beyond words.  Rain or shine, the city is beautiful in its different hues of brown, red, green, yellow and orange.  I love it especially when the sky is clear,  when its shade of blue highlights the above mentioned autumn hues.  The crisp air also adds to the already dramatic scene.   With your long trench coat blowing in the wind while the leaves fall around you,  you can pretend to be the star in your own drama.  Then again you are the star in your own show.  The only question is what genre it’s currently playing.  Oh, I’m digressing as always.

    Prague is not just castles and narrow cobbled streets.  Some of my favorite things about  it are the parks and gardens in just about everywhere in the city.  It’s common for you to be walking on a busy street then suddenly finds yourself  surrounded with nothing but trees.  Living in Prague is like living in the middle of everything.  You have the castles, chateaus, cobblestones and the daily grind of city living on one hand,  the tranquility of nature on the other.

    My husband and I took these photos during our walks around places less visited by tourists.  Above photos were taken just two days ago while the ones below, taken at a botanical garden, are about two weeks old.

    This botanical garden is in the center, accessible with metro, buses and trams.  I like coming here because it’s not overwhelmingly big like the one in Troja. It’s also here where I see the plants of my childhood. It’s so sad I don’t see a lot of these plants in the town I grew up anymore.  The Philippines and a lot of its people ( not everyone but a lot of them), should really stop depleting their natural resources.

    When I look at these photos I am in awe at how beautiful nature is and how Prague is still able to maintain its environmental sustainability to this date.  I just hope it will remain as is for a very long time.

    Locations:

    Letohrádek Hvězda

    Botanická Zahrada Přírodovědecké fakulty Univerzity Karlovy v Praze

     

    xoxo

    Posted in Czech Republic, Travel, XYZ | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

    One day in Helsinki

    Posted on September 15, 2019 by marialeila

    I feel like I haven’t really been to Helsinki because Lillian and I were only there for a day.  Like most of our days in Tallinn,  it was also cold in Finland’s capital during our visit.  My memory of Helsinki is as hazy and misty like that summer day.

    Helsink’s busy market square.

    To get there from Tallinn, we took an 8:00 ferry.  There are three major ferry companies operating the Tallinn- Helsinki route.  The receptionist at our hotel recommended for us to take the one from Viking line because a) its terminal is the one closest to the hotel so it will save us time from walking, b) it’s cheaper, and 3) its terminal in Helsinki is just walking distance to the city’s highlights.  We were sold instantly.

    Our ride to Helsinki heading back to Tallinn.

    The funny thing is, this ferry ride is what I remember most of this trip especially the return to Tallinn.  The karaoke, the live band in another room and the busy bars and restaurants,  they reminded me of ferry rides in the Philippines.   A taste of home, no matter how slight, is always welcome.

    A city is a city.  This is what I often answer whenever someone asks me about some cities I have been to in Europe.  What sets Helsinki  slightly apart is it’s the first one I’ve been to that has information carts with free maps and printed guides at its major tourist areas.  There’s also at least one person next to the cart whom you can ask about anything to help you navigate around the city to maximize your stay.  Quite impressive,  I must say.

    It’s impressive how they have these carts around the city’s major sights. This lady was very helpful telling us the best route to follow around Suomenlinna island.

    For our one day in Helsinki,  Lillian and I decided to spend most of it in the island fortress of Suomenlinna.  Ferries go there from the market square very often especially in summer.  It’s a beautiful island with plenty of museums and plenty of space for everyone no matter how crowded it can get in summer.  For once I didn’t mind the crowd.  It was just really cold, windy and gloomy.

    Top photo: It was still quiet and not crowded when we got to the island at around 11:00. A few hours later, this tunnel was packed with people going through, Below: I don’t know why but Jose Mari Chan’s “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile” plays in my head when I look at this photo of an empty cafe in the island.

    Door series continues at Suomenlinna Church.

    I would have loved to stay and explore the island more if we had more time.  Now that I’m older,  I’m not into cities or crowded places.  I like to be in a place devoid of noise, to breathe in the fresh, crisp air, to just be.  I can imagine that in Soumenlinna especially in the low season.  I just have to wear thicker clothes and everything would be perfect.

    A sauna in Suomenlinna. There were naked people going outside for a shower despite the throng of tourists walking around in this area.

    Ferries coming and going.  Return fare costs €5 per person.

    Above photo showed us humans adjusting our pace to these waddling birds before us.  There were quite a lot of them in the island.  I’m educationally lacking when it comes to birds or animals in general.   When I got home I asked my husband if these were some kind of Nordic ducks.  My husband said they’re not ducks but geese.   True enough they’re actually barnacle geese.   The things you learn when you travel.

    It was already afternoon when we got back to Helsinki.  The market square was still in full swing.  We walked around to check its famous white cathedral which is quite close to the market.  Another cathedral called Uspenski is also within walking distance.  From there we just walked towards its main shopping area, past locals and tourists enjoying their afternoon coffee, past big brands having their summer sale.  Lillian and I weren’t in a mood for shopping.   We just wanted to head back to the ferry terminal and call it a day.

    Uspenski Cathedral. Oh hi, Nordic sky!

    Quick facts:

    • Tallinn – Helsinki return fare costs €33 per person.
    • Be sure to be at the ferry terminal 30 minutes before departure.  That only gives you 10 minutes extra time before boarding closes.  Yes, you are required to have your ID/ passport for boarding
    • Helsinki is quite pricey especially when you’re at the touristy part of the city.  One bowl of soup costs about €13.  Main course starts from €20.
    • Don’t skip on Suomenlinna island.  I actually liked it better than Helsinki itself.

    Shoes off for the photo because they got too dusty and dirty from walking. I wonder where these feet will be next year? Hopefully in some place warm.

    Peace out, Finland!

    Date of visit:  August 4, 2019

    xoxo

     

    Posted in Finland | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

    Tallinn, Estonia

    Posted on August 31, 2019 by marialeila

    When I got home from a five-day trip in Tallinn with my friend Lillian, my husband asked me what was my favorite part of the trip.  I answered “The ferry ride to Helsinki and back.” What about Tallinn itself,  the husband prodded. “Ummm…I’ll think about it tomorrow,” I replied, exhausted and a bit jet-lagged.  It was around 11 pm here in Prague, which meant  it was already midnight in Tallinn, way past my bed time.

    Almost a month later, here I am writing about that trip and I still don’t know how to answer my husband’s question.  Tallinn was okay but that’s how far I would say it was for me.

    The thing is, it’s not the city’s fault that I categorize it to just okay.  To be fair, its Old Town is charming with lots of interesting buildings with  interesting doors, beautiful churches and narrow cobbled streets.  The locals were friendly and quite helpful.  The problem is me and the fact that I live in Prague.  If you have been to Prague,  you know what I’m talking about.  The aesthetic meter of Prague is difficult to match and it can spoil you rotten.

    Lillian in Tallinn’s Old Town.

    Maybe another factor why I have nothing much to say about this trip was because of the weather.  It was mostly around 17 – 19°C but the wind from the Baltic Sea made it feel like 7°C.  Lilian and I were constantly  huddled in our layered outfits.   This somehow made us not want to stay out long to explore every nook and cranny of the city like we usually do on out travels together.  Funny how we chose to go there to kinda escape the summer inferno that was hitting Prague few weeks ago.  It’s true what they say:  Be careful what you wish for.

    One of the things I noticed there was how interesting the doors were.  I mean, yeah, you see intricately designed and painted doors all over Europe but there was something compelling about the ones in Tallinn.  It was as if they told a story of their past or of unspoken dreams for their future.  At the airport before our flight back home,  I saw some bags for sale with pictures of Tallinn doors on them.  So I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

    Speaking of noticing something,  one thing I disliked about Brussels when I was there also with Lillian few years back was the disarray of old and new buildings thrown together to create a massive eyesore.  It was only recently when I learned of  the term “Brusselization.”  I don’t think they have that in Tallinn, not even close, but it somehow gave me a similar vibe especially when you view the city from one of its vantage points.  There’s just something off about putting the old and the new structures in one frame.  Then again, maybe it’s just me.

    This side of the view is pretty, but I didn’t like the sight of the old and new concrete in one frame down below.

    I’ll probably rephrase my husband’s question to what makes Tallinn different from other European cities I’ve been to?  Well, if you couldn’t live without a fast internet connection, this city is for you.  There’s free and very fast wifi at almost everywhere.

    If you’re also into windsurfing and kitesurfing,  Tallinn is it.  Pirita beach is just a few minutes bus ride from the city center.  The beach is beautiful but we couldn’t stay past 10 minutes there.  I was really excited to get there especially when I saw how fine the sand was  but the wind was biting cold.  One piece of advice when you’re going to visit Tallinn:  Always bring that warm jacket you shoved at the back of the closet thinking you won’t need it in the height of summer.    Trust me, honey bunny. In this part of the hemisphere, you will.

    Quick tips and facts:

    • Stay at a hotel in the Old Town.  It saves you time since the harbor, tram and bus stops are within walking distances.  We stayed in Rija Old Town Hotel.  Most of the reviews about it are true.
    • You can get a transport card at any R-kiosk stores to get around the city.   You can choose how many days you want it valid.  Lillian and I bought a three-day card for €5.
    • No need to buy or print a map of the city ahead your visit.  The one made by the locals is accurate and has lots of tips about the city’s sights, eats and sounds.  You can get it at your hotel reception and yes, it’s for free.
    • Taxi to and from the airport is around €10.  The airport is not far from the city center and its Old Town.
    • Take time to sit with the locals and the tourists at the harbor to watch the sunset.  It’s probably not as spectacular as in some other places but it’s always a calming experience and a great one to end a hectic day.

    Date visited: August 1-5,2019
    Special thanks to Lillian for my “door series” shots. 🙂
    xoxo

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    Repurposed: Perfume bottles and shopping bags

    Posted on July 18, 2019 by marialeila

    Ok, so I have a new favorite word –  repurpose.  It’s what I have been doing the past few months.  Decluttering, separating, reusing, recycling and yes, repurposing —  anything to try to help save Mother Earth from turning into a giant trash bin.

    My love for bottled scents only started when I moved here in Prague.   Before that I only liked one particular perfume by Issey Miyake.  Then some parents at school started giving me perfumes as  thank you gifts, and as they say, the rest is history.

    I’ve thrown a lot of empty bottles in the past.  Yes, they are pretty but they take up space and I don’t like looking at empty ones no matter how pretty they are.  I decided to do something useful with this batch so I turned to the net for ideas.  Here’s what I found that I instantly liked and right away did myself:

    Perfume bottle planters, here we are!

    I love this idea as I love plants. I can’t imagine living in a house or an apartment without them. These planters are great because you can put them in the bathroom to give it that splash of life.

    One thing though, opening these perfume bottles is a major task for your arms.  In my case, I needed the husband to open them.  The husband needed pliers to do the job.

    On to the next repurposed project…

    Shopping bags here in the Czech Republic are usually not for free.  You can bring your own or you can pay for it on top of what  you’re buying, but there are brands like Pandora that automatically gives that to you for free.  Through the years  I have accumulated quite a lot of these bags like a few pictured below:

    So what to do with them?  I can’t just re-use them as gift bags without some tweaking.  Imagine handing out something to someone using these bags.  Their initial thought would be “Ohh Pandora, sweet!”  That sweetness might turn to blandness when they’d realize it’s actually something else inside.

    The solution was simple.   I bought cheap rolls of stickers to decorate the bags.  Et voila,  I had gift bags for my friends who celebrated their birthdays in May!  I even had a few for friends and colleagues at work to carry the small thank you gifts I gave them for helping me survive the hardest school year I ever had to handle.

    What about you? What projects are you working on to repurpose or reuse? I still have over a month of summer break to do more projects  so I would love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

    xoxo

    Posted in DIY Ideas, Home decor/ accessory, Repurposed projects | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

    Repurposed colored pages

    Posted on July 11, 2019 by marialeila

    How do you deal with stress? When you’re overwhelmed with worries and responsibilities, what do you do or who do you turn to?  Do you call a friend?  Do you talk to your closest family member?  Do you turn to social media?  Well, it’s usually none of the above for me.  I tend to deal with it on my own knowing everyone is going through something we know nothing about.  When I feel I’m losing it,  I color.

    Turning to a coloring activity to clear my head only started about three years ago when I got these anti-stress coloring books from friends.   They probably sensed I needed something like this to help me keep it together and they were right.   When the finished pages started to accumulate,  I started wondering what to do with them.

    There are probably hundreds of creative ideas online on how you can repurpose your finished coloring pages.   These two ideas of mine just popped  in my head  when I thought on how I could use them at home.

    With the big book I have, the size is 20 x 25 cm.  Here’s what I did with some of the finished pages:

    I laminated them!  We now use them as placemats or coasters for our kitchen counter/ mini bar:

    The second book is a lot smaller.  The pages would actually look nice as drink coasters.  The size is just right for it’s 12.5 x 17.5cm.

    I was staring at the pages when it hit me.  We have extra picture frames which we bought from Ikea two years ago that are just laying around somewhere.  Why not frame them? Well, that’s exactly what I did.

    Our hallway walls have been quite empty since we moved in to this aparment three years ago.  One part is now decorated a bit, thanks to these framed colored pages.

    Till next post, whenever that will be. 🙂

    xoxo

    Posted in DIY Ideas, Home decor/ accessory | Tagged , | 2 Comments

    Summer baking: blueberry/ raspberry cake

    Posted on August 24, 2018 by marialeila

    Last month, we came home to Prague from the family’s summer house in the southern part of the country carrying boxes of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. The raspberries were picked from the garden and from the side road leading to the woods. There were also tons of red and black currants from the garden while the cherry trees by the public playground still had plenty of fruits. This kind is not the usual red picture-perfect kind. It’s smaller and black in color. I like this kind better in baking because the cherries kinda just melt in your mouth, except that you have to bake them with their pits.

    I went on a baking spree right the next day.  I  found this cake recipe from an Albert magazine at my mother  in law’s kitchen and thought I would substitute the blueberries with the raspberries we had.   Mamka baked this cake following the recipe to the tee so I can say this one is really made for blueberries.  But the one I made with raspberries was also delicious.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.  Thank you, Albert!

    The original recipe requires 400 g blueberries.  With raspberries, I cut it to half as I didn’t top the cake with them.  I also used two Philadelphia cream cheese instead of soft cottage cheese.

    Here’s the original recipe roughly translated from Czech by me with my notes and tweaks in italics:

    Ingredients:

    • 170 g softened butter
    • 170 g sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 220 g fine flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 sachet vanilla sugar (Note: I think this can be substituted by a tsp of vanilla extract.)
    • 150 ml sour cream
    • 400 g blueberries  (200 g raspberries)

    Frosting:

    • 200 g soft cottage cheese ( 200 g Philadelphia cream cheese)
    • 100 g powdered sugar

    Instructions:

    • Pre-heat oven at 180°C.
    • Grease and line a 22 cm baking tin with a baking paper.  ( This I didn’t do.  I just greased the tin with a lot of butter because I know mine is 100% non-stick.)
    • Mix butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar in a bowl with a wooden spoon for about two to three minutes until well blended.  Switch to a hand mixer and blend well for about two minutes.  (I just used a hand mixer right away until the dough/ batter was smooth.  Sometimes I find Czech recipes unnecessarily complicated.)
    • Mix in four spoons of sour cream and fold in half of the blueberries. (In my case, all  200 grams of raspberries.)
    • Pour the mixture in the prepared tin and even the top out.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until cake is smooth and skewer inserted comes out clean.  Leave in the baking tin for about ten minutes, then take it out and let it cool preferably on a wire rack.  ( I just left  it for a couple or so hours.  It was easy to take the cake out once it has completely cooled down.)
    • For the frosting, mix the cottage cheese and the powdered sugar together with the rest of the sour cream.  Mix or blend until smooth.  Spread the frosting on top and sides of the cake and top it with the rest of the blueberries.  ( I used the hand mixer to blend the Philadelphia cream cheese and sugar.  I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract  because, well, I can. 🙂

    And that’s it, cake’s ready.  This one’s best eaten after a few hours in the fridge.  I actually loved it after it was already two days old in the fridge as the flavors blended more together.

    Happy summer baking!

    xoxo

    Posted in Dessert, Eat, Snack | Tagged | 1 Comment