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photosbyjabo · 22 days

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Travelling west to the country of Wales

My partner and I usually celebrate special occasions by travelling. The end of June marks my birthday and we decided to travel all the way to the capital city of Wales, Cardiff.

We arrived mid-day and as I'm writing this down in 2024, I'm trying to remember if we did have an itinerary for our two and a half days that we were there for but I really couldn't. It being my birthday, we obviously started with a nice café for brunch. I was definitely very much pleased with the one we found — the Coffee Barker.

It's a charming café by day and then a buzzing bar at night. We already spent most of our morning there and I admittedly have taken way too many photos. A guilty pleasure, indeed. I would come back here every day if I could, honestly.

After some good few hours, we decided to start walking. I personally believe that a good city must be explored by simply strolling around its streets.

I'd like to say that I am more of a traveller rather than a tourist but I'd be lying if I claim it so. One of the things that truly interest me apart from getting to see new places and admiring the architecture is knowing a bit of its history. Before we went on this trip, I regrettably didn't know that Wales had another language completely different from England.

Later that day we went to see the Cardiff Castle. There were a lot of fascinating details to see and learn inside the castle but I was really drawn to the Arab Room. Truly a masterpiece.

Day two: We took the bus to go to Cardiff Bay. Not very different from the London buses, although less busy definitely. Mainly, we strolled around the area and had our coffee at the Mermaid Quay. You can see the Pierhead here, the Wales Millenium Centre, and lots of places to eat. But this day we decided to go for a little boat tour. Highly recommended especially with the glorious sun out. How I wish I could've swam too.

Then, we took the bus to go back to the city centre and we ended up walking along the National Museum of Cardiff. Somehow, we weren't able to go in. We decided to have lunch first instead but didn't manage to go back anymore. Thereafter, we went for another walk to go to the Bute Park and spent most of our afternoon lounging about and taking a nap whilst laying down on the grass. Perfect kind of weather to do so.

Day three: Our last day at this city. Definitely too quick. We had another late start to our day, had brunch al fresco in a nice café just beside the Wyndham Arcade. We were so happy the sun stayed for the entire three days that we were here. Maybe next time we could go outside the city. People have recommended the beaches and to go on hiking too.

All photos taken with an iPhone (June, 2019).

#Cardiff #Wales #iphonephotography #travel #travelphotography #photojournal #iphone #adventure

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photosbyjabo · 2 months

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A day trip to the city of Oxford

Somehow trips that are always unplanned end up coming into fruition. It's the first day of June, a very pleasant and sunny Saturday. From where we lived it only took us about two hours by train to go to this lovely city. We had so much time to roam around with the days getting longer.

It being the weekend and because the sun's out, everyone is out and about too. I suppose that adds to the excitement of it all and the overall vibe improves too. We didn't know much about Oxford's history apart from that this was one of the locations used in the Harry Potter films and that one of the finest universities in the UK is here.

With that in mind and our smartphones on hand, we start searching on the internet. First stop, the Trinity College.

I am always in awe of beautiful architecture and art, and the ceiling of the Chapel of Trinity College is one to be seen in person.

Came across this infamous structure whilst walking, the Bridge of Sighs. As intriguing as it sounds I honestly don't have a clue why it is named like that but I believe this was also seen in one of the Harry Potter films (or some other famous film).

Another photo that wouldn't do justice to the place is this one from the Oxford Divinity School. Ideally I would've wanted to take a photo of the place on its own but I wasn't successful because there were a lot of visitors. The stunning architecture and details inside it is definitely a highlight for me and another must see.

I suppose if there's a landmark that people remember Oxford for it will be the Radcliffe Camera. I must have taken photos of it in its whole circumference. However, this being only a day trip, we didn't get the chance to go inside as our time was very limited. I'd love to come back someday to see it.

Finally, some coffee and scones for the afternoon at the Vaults and Garden Café. Been here once before with other friends so I made sure to come back. A little bit disappointed that I wasn't able to get a good photo inside the café though. We must have made a good amount of steps today but our hearts and eyes were contented.

All photos taken with an iPhone (June, 2019).

#iphonephotography #travelphotography #travel #England #Oxford #photojournal #adventure

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photosbyjabo · 4 months

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A perfect sunny day strolling and exploring Cambridge

This was actually a very spontaneous day trip. We only traveled by train for nearly two hours so it wasn't too bad. It was only April but it already feels that summer has arrived. Since this was a very spontaneous trip, we didn't really get to plan anything and sometimes those kind of trips is what we need.

Cambridge is famous not just because how much history is in this city but because of how picturesque it is. Of course there's the University of Cambridge and it also houses some of the best colleges in the whole of the UK and thus have had some of the greatest people as their alumna.

We also passed by the King's College Chapel but at the time they were having some renovations so we weren't able to go in.

Then we got curious with all of the boats passing by the River Cam with all of these people in it and also the men who are steering the boats so we decided to check it. Apparently, it is called "punting" and has been a long tradition in this city. We had a little boat tour and we got to know more about this sport as well as more history about Cambridge. Definitely a must-do when you go here!

We could have explored and stayed in this city for a few more days but unfortunately this day has come to an end and we had to leave. Definitely one of my favorite cities in the UK so far and will surely come back in the future!

All photos were taken using an iPhone. (April 2019)

#iphonephotography #travel #travelphotography #photojournal #iPhone #England #Cambridge

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photosbyjabo · 6 months

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The dreamy city of Edinburgh and the Scottish highlands

Scotland, the northernmost part of the UK. This will be the first time for all of us to travel and visit this country and we're all so stoked! We have been warned though that the weather is much colder than in England and apparently it does rain more here. We flew on the last week of March but it still is chilly. We arrived in Edinburgh already late in the morning; took the tram going to the city centre and already you can see and feel that this city has a different charm. First task of the day was to find a good place to eat. We ended up choosing a Japanese place where we had some sushi.

We then walked to the hotel and strolled around the city for a bit. We had planned something very exciting (and scary) for this evening. An underground city tour! This meant that we got to explore the "Old Town" of Edinburgh where there are still underground passages and vaults accessible to people. However, because these are no longer used by people as much as the olden days, they say that these places are now haunted. I have to say that I didn't really take any photos of the whole tour and definitely not whilst underground as it did feel eerily strange. (Probably will not do it again).

Second day -- tour of the Scottish Highlands! We boarded the coach from the city centre where the tour guide kept us informed and entertained throughout the whole ride. The day was a bit gloomy and because we're going to the highlands it's definitely even colder. But despite everything looking a bit barren and grey, personally I can still see how beautiful and amazing the scenery were. It must be even nicer to see it once spring has come. We got off and saw "The Three Sisters" in Glen Coe.

Before heading back to Edinburgh we had a little stopover where we had lunch in a town called Pitlochry.

Day three! Time to explore the city a bit more. A day where we didn't have anything planned so we ended up just visiting the National Museum of Scotland and then had a little coffee break in this amazing café (The Elephant House) where people claim that J.K. Rowling wrote some parts of one of her novels. What a stunning view of the castle while having your coffee!

Last day in Edinburgh! Of course we can't leave without visiting the Edinburgh Castle. There's an incredible vantage point of the whole city from the castle. We've also been blessed with good-ish weather as the sun showed itself today. Ended up spending most of our day there. I think this will be the first castle that I've actually set foot in and explored.

Another famous spot to see and what I assume most people recognise is Victoria Street. Lined up in a curve with these colourful shops and buildings uphill.

Four days being in this city is definitely not enough. There's still so much that we haven't seen and done. I adore the architecture, the history of the city, the people we've encountered have all been nice too, and the overall atmosphere of this beautiful city. This would be my favorite city so far in the UK. Maybe next time when we come back we get to try some Scottish food (for a change, haha!).

All photos taken using an iPhone. (March 2019)

#iphonephotography #travel #photojournal #travelphotography #adventure #Scotland #Edinburgh

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photosbyjabo · 8 months

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A trip to Cornwall on winter time

It is January and it's the middle of winter but we are headed to Cornwall to celebrate two birthdays. Ideally, the best time to go to Cornwall is during the summer months because it has lots of beautiful beaches and it being winter, we won't be able to swim. None of us have got licenses so instead we hired someone to drive. It took us more than 6 hours to get there and we arrived at about half past nine in the morning.

We stayed at a castle! Well, used to be a castle but now is a hotel. The Tregenna Castle in St. Ives, Cornwall. Oh, we definitely got wakened up by that view! I can't remember why this was my only decent photo of the place though. After leaving our luggages, we then went back to town to find some place to eat and to start exploring this beautiful city. It wasn't a very sunny morning but it feels good to see the waters and to smell some fresh air.

And then we headed to our first beach -- the Porthmeor Beach. By that time the sun has shown itself and you can really see the blueness of the sky and the waters. We also walked all the way up the hill to see the St. Nicholas Chapel. Definitely a must see as the views were stunning at the top.

Then a quick walk at another beach nearby somewhere in Hayle. It did start to rain and it was getting too cold for all of us to stay by the beach so we headed back to the hotel and called it a day.

The following morning, the weather wasn't still that great so we weren't very excited to go out. We only convinced ourselves to as this was our last day. We stopped over another beach in Carbis Bay after our breakfast. It was nice to see there were other people as brave as us to still go there in such a gloomy and cold weather. We took some photos and then walked back to St Ives where we had something to eat for lunch and did a bit more walking around town.

Day three of our quick holiday and we now have left St. Ives. In the morning we had some breakfast in our hotel and got back in the car on our way to the Land's End. Had a little stopover at Marazion Beach where we get to see St. Michael's Mount. Apparently, when the tide is low, people can walk over the causeway and visit it. We only had a photo from afar as this wasn't exactly part of our itinerary. I can still remember how we struggled to have our photo taken because of how strong the winds were by the beach!

Now, definitely one of the highlights of this trip for me. The Land's End! The westernmost point of the whole of the UK. Beyond it is the Atlantic Ocean. We were so pleased that it was sunny when we got there. We still managed to enjoy it despite the struggle of taking our photos.

And finally, headed home but we had another stop that's not originally on our list -- The Eden Project. These massive igloo shaped domes are in fact greeenhouses where you can see different types of species of plants and animals all over the world. So much to see and we didn't really have enough time. It's amazing how incredibly different the atmosphere and temperature is inside in contrast to when you come out. I don't think I got to take many pictures as we were all definitely worn out.

Looking back, maybe it really isn't the best idea to go to Cornwall at winter time but one good advantage to that is there weren't many tourists and the hotels are not that expensive. This is definitely a good place to go back to especially on the summer months.

All photos taken with iPhone (January 2019).

#Cornwall #StIves #England #TravelPhotography #iPhonePhotography #PhotoJournal #Travel

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photosbyjabo · 8 months

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The Cotswolds -- a remarkable greeting to the English countryside and to autumn

Autumn has officially started. The trees are starting to change its colours and the air is cooler. The five of us friends have decided to book a coach trip to the Cotswolds, which will be a first for all of us. We had to wake up early going to the Victoria Coach Station in London. It was already 11 in the morning when we arrived at our first stop, which was this beautiful village named Bibury.

Everything was so picturesque and somehow you feel transported to the rural past of England. It almost feels like you're walking in a fairytale town. It's amazing how they get to conserve these beautiful cottages and villages. The colours and all of the little details really made a good impression on me. I remember how the tour guide gave so many interesting facts about Countryside England but sadly I don't recall most of it.

Afterwards, we hopped back into the coach and headed to another gorgeous village, Bourton-on-the-Water. We didn't have much time here as we also had our lunch in one of the pubs but I wish we could have explored more around this village.

Afterwards, another quick stop in the village of Bampton. What made the Cotswolds even more famous is because of the TV series, Downton Abbey. At the time, however, I still haven't watched it so most of the trivia from the tour guide were something that I couldn't relate to. Maybe if I had watched it then I would've appreciated it more. The church and a few other places here were in the series.

Last stop of our coach tour, the Blenheim Palace. Yes, most of my pictures from this day were taken here. This must be the first time I got to visit an actual palace. So much history and so much fascinating details in and out of the palace. To think this is only one of the many palaces in the UK. What extravagance! I remember we were given a device for you to listen to, like a personal portable tour guide. But because I was drawn into the architecture and the scenery, I didn't listen to it as much as I could.

Although we only spent a day here, I was fully immersed with how incredibly beautiful the English countryside is. The rain and the changing of the season definitely made this trip better for me as I have only been living for less than a year in England at the time.

All photos taken using an iPhone 7 Plus, September 2018.

#TheCotswolds #England #TravelPhotography #iPhone7Plus #Travel Blog

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photosbyjabo · 1 year

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A quick glimpse of Kettering, Northamptonshire

Here’s a few of the favourite photos I took when I lived in Kettering. A small and humble town located in the county of Northamptonshire, an hour of train ride from London.

I moved into the UK on May 2017 which was late spring. At that time, days are longer and sunsets are about 9 in the evening, which was something new for me coming from the Philippines. During that time, I was living on my own and my company was these stunning sunset skies.

As someone who lived his whole life in a tropical country, it was exciting to experience the changing of the seasons.

My local coffee shop — Bewitched Coffee. Had so many pleasant and quiet moments here; just me and my book.

Kettering will always be dear in my heart as it is my first home here in the UK.

All photos were taken using an iPhone (2017-2018).

#Photoblog #Kettering #Northamptonshire #England #iphonephotography

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photosbyjabo · 2 years

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A summer trip to the stunning place of Coron, Palawan.

Firstly, an early morning travel from Luzon, which is where Manila is, the capital city of the Philippines. We had to take a flight from Pampanga which took us an hour. This was very exciting for me as this will be my first travel by plane in the country and also because Palawan has become a famous destination not just to locals but also to foreigners.

It was actually a really hot day, which is good because it can be a bit rainy during the month of June. From the Busuanga Airport we had to travel again for another hour to the centre of Coron and the air-conditioning unit of the vehicle we rented wasn't very good. At that point my headache wasn't going anywhere, too.

We had a little stopover in this local souvenir shop. Bit too early, I suppose to be buying souvenirs on your first day though.

A few pictures as soon as we arrived. My friend, Diane, had arranged all of our itineraries for our trip. The first thing we did was to have a little tour of the main town of the island. That included going to the town's church, walking up the viewing deck of Mt. Tapyas, and then a much-needed dip to the hot spring of Mt. Maquinit.

We were just in time for the sunset when we were in the hot spring and the sky was absolutely beautiful

Such a beautiful end to our first day there. At this point, however, I need to disclose that my day and evening didn't go that well despite these pictures. My headache had become worse and I wasn't feeling really well that we ended up going to the local hospital. Day two wasn't eventful either because we practically stayed in the hotel room the whole day. I feel awful and I feel bad for Diane getting stuck there with me. But I'm really grateful she was there with me.

These were one of the most stunning sunsets I've seen! The colours kept changing 'til there was only the pure dark blue of the evening left.

Day three was also a bit uneventful. Mainly walking around town, eating some street food and resting. Here's me sitting down at one of the benches of Lualhati Park where we stayed 'till sundown. We were there just looking at the waters.

Day four -- the most memorable part of our trip there (obviously, apart from my little trip to the hospital) was our island hopping.

I honestly don't remember the names of the islands that we went to. We went on a boat with other people and the locals who drove us who acted as our tour guides and who also prepared food for our lunch that day. What I can clearly remember was how absolutely beautiful the waters were and the views. Pictures won't do them any justice.

I believe this was the Twin Lagoon. We swam these waters!!!

Given my afflictions at that time, I do feel I didn't fully enjoy my stay in Coron. It really is a shame. That's why I've told myself to come back at this gem of a place.

All photos were taken last June 2018 using an iPhone.

#Coron #Palawan #Philippines #Travel

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photosbyjabo · 2 years

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A sunny day trip to the dreamy city of Bath, Somerset and the Stonehenge

There’s quite a few day trips one can take from London by bus. We’ve decided to take a trip down south of England. Our first stop, the Stonehenge.

Yes, you can take a full 360 degree picture of the whole lot but I’d rather not. With the long queues to get there and actually not being able to come close enough to see or even feel them is a bit dissatisfying in my opinion. I think if I don’t need to I would rather not come back and see it again.

Then we hopped back into the bus and it must’ve been nearly two in the afternoon when we arrived in the Roman city of Bath and we only had three hours to spare and to roam around this beautiful city. So that’s exactly what we did!

I think what’s drawn me most to this city is definitely its architecture. Everywhere I look is something so picturesque. But I think what distinctively defines it from other cities apart from The Royal Crescent is the view of the Pulteney Bridge and the River Avion. One must see it and you’d feel yourself transported back to some fairytale in the past.

That was a quick hello and good bye, Bath! You’re extra charming with the sunshine.

All photos were taken with an iPhone. Photos were taken last May 2018.

#Stonehenge #England #Somerset #Bath #Travel #iphonephotography

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photosbyjabo · 2 years

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A trip to Northern Ireland

I remember arriving in Belfast and it was so cold and rainy. Well, it was March after all and still is winter. After dropping our bags in our hotel we then went on our way to finding a good café (Harlem Café). There we enjoyed some good brunch and coffee to fuel our start of the day. We then braved the rain again and off we went on a train ride to our first stop -- the Bangor Castle. There is an added charm to a place after the rain has stopped, I think. We ended up going to the town centre of Bangor and we did get a little bit soaked in the end but it turned out to be very memorable and we did enjoy ourselves anyway. Oh, and we had some gelato ‘cos why not?

Second day, a Sunday, we went on a bus tour. They call it the “Game of Thrones locations tour”. It’s quite amazing to know how the effect of social media and pop culture has its own positive impact sometimes. Because most of the outdoor locations they’ve used to film the series were in Northern Ireland so it has also helped the country increase their tourism. Rightly so, because everyone needs to see the stunning places here. The bus tour we went on was really informative and the tour guide was also funny. I wish I could still remember everything but it has already been years.

Our first stop was the town of Carnlough and its pretty, blue houses. The day was looking grim but stepping close to the waters just gives one a calming effect.

Our second stop: Cushend. Went on a walk all the way to a little cave.

Third stop, and my favorite: Carrick-a-rede. Absolutely stunning and no one should miss this place when they visit NI. Our visit here couldn’t have been better because the skies finally cleared up and we finally see some sun which we’re very grateful for. Oh, and if you’re like me who has fear of heights then you must brave yourself because there’s a literal bridge that you need to cross when you get there.

Next, we went to see some more of the towns along the Causeway. This is Ballycastle. Beautiful, blue waters. If only we could take a dip.

Second to the last stop: the Giant’s Causeway. I could give you some interesting facts about this but I’m sure Google could you give you more than from what I can recall. But these rock formations have been here many, many years. Amazing to see and feel them in person. There is a bit of a walk but it’s definitely worth it. (Not pictured: the big number of people who were like us trying to take a decent photo of the causeway.)

Too exhausted and too many people on our last stop so I didn’t really get to have a good picture. Most people will probably remember this as the road to King’s Landing in GoT.

On to our final day, finally got to roam around Belfast. Went to see the Titanic where we spent the good part of our morning. Our last stop was the Botanic Gardens.

You were quite memorable and lovely, Northern Ireland.

All photos were taken using an iPhone. Photos were taken on March 2018.

#Belfast #NorthernIreland #iPhone #Travel

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photosbyjabo · 2 years

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A sunny day in Brighton

This was my first time visiting Brighton and also my first time going to the beach in England. Photos were taken 23rd of July 2017. A day trip with Joan and Jenny. Such a vibrant city and so many places to see and do too!

We didn’t attempt go swimming. For one, we weren’t really dressed for it and also because we were not really staying.

A day isn’t enough to explore the whole city and guaranteed that your feet would hurt! We’ve tried a well-recommended fish and chip shop and there I had my first fish and chips!

#Brighton

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photosbyjabo · 6 years

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I remember as soon as we landed at the airport that we had to walk for half an hour from the train station to get to our hotel room for our first night. Two tourists trudging along with their suitcases in a very cold Autumn evening relying only on the ever-reliable Google maps to get us safely to our destination. Isn’t that lovely?

There’s always this charm whenever I get inside a bookshop; and even more for secondhand bookstores. People buy fridge magnets, keychains and all the other usual souvenirs. Me, however, would resort to treating myself by buying a book to new places I visit.

Our first day ended with a visit to the Vondelpark. Exhausted as we were with the amount of walking done throughout the day but our hearts were undeniably so full, despite the ever-changing weather. It did rain hail in the afternoon and we were quite honestly unprepared and underdressed for such a situation that we had to go back to our hotel to warm ourselves before coming out again to enjoy the rest of the day. Our lovely evening was concluded with this gorgeous sunset in the park and a quick passing through the red light district. Ha!

On our second day we decided to go to museums but only ended up visiting only the Rijksmuseum. We’re blaming the weather, of course.

It was nearly 12 in the afternoon – Joan and I just got out of the museum and we were searching for a good place to have lunch. As we were wandering around, hungry and in desperate need to be warm, we came across this corner. Nothing special, but I just love how the light peeks and finally greets us all. It has been a bleak and rainy morning but we were absolutely resolved to do some biking as it is a must. After all, it’s only apt to do so in the “bike city”.

I remember it kept on raining during the evening and we’re a bit downcast because we’ve still got a lot of time but don’t exactly know what to do so we ended up watching a film in a cinema. Funnily enough, for the six months that I’ve lived in the UK and in Europe that was the very first time I’ve watched a film! Not even in England, for that matter. Oh, well.

It’s our final day and again quite exhausted but also a bit disappointed that we didn’t do everything that’s on our list. There’s just so much to see and do and three days alone is frankly not enough at all. So there we were enjoying it as much as we can. We tried the infamous raw herring and Joan’s bought some tulips; treated ourselves to doughnuts and coffee; a visit to another museum and some last-minute shopping. It was bittersweet leaving but I’ll forever treasure these three days.