Returning from a whole day of remembrance in Auschwitz , we purposely went straight to a church in order to say a prayer for the millions who were brutally murdered. That church was the majestic St. Mary's Basilica , located right on the Main Market Square of Krakow . * Originally built in the 13th Century, the Basilica's more formal name is the Church of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven .

Leaving wonderful Warsaw, with its immense World War II and Communist-era legacy, we headed down to the second Polish city in our itinerary, medieval Krakow. Arriving in Krakow, we had no expectations as to how we would find the place. Imagine our surprise as it turned out to be in the Top 3 of our favorite stops in this trip! * Flying via Polish LOT Airlines was a pleasure. Winning several awards including "Best Airline in Eastern Europe" for three straight years, and being hailed as one of the safest airlines in the world, our experience with LOT was very positive and highly recommended.

One of the reasons why I wanted to explore Central and Eastern Europe was to increase my knowledge of European History, particularly with the time period of the Dark Ages. This is the period when various kingdoms, duchies, and principalities popped up, in, and around the continent; all interconnected by power plays, fixed marriages and politics. Before this trip, I had zero knowledge about the Polish Kings and Queens and I was very astonished to learn about how interwoven this line was with the monarchies of Russia (Novgorod), Austria, Prussia and Sweden. * Definitely, the most lively and colorful area in Warsaw is its Castle Square . A popular meeting place for tourists and locals, the area is full of restaurants, cafes, public performers and souvenir stands. It is also very safe especially when compared to squares in other cities (Rome, Paris, Barcelona etc). Since Warsaw was totally destroyed by the Nazis, the Poles actually recreated everything you see here by using old

Well-rested after a long day of flying and the initial exploration of the city, the newlyweds woke up refreshed and proceeded to tour the highlights of Warsaw's imperial history of warfare where they learned about all the tragedies that befell the Polish people in the 20th Century. * Easily one of the most beautiful things seen this whole trip was the monument of Frederic Chopin at Lazienki Park . Every Sunday, a pianist performs free recitals of his compositions.

While Metro Manila may be world class when it comes to shopping malls, entertainment facilities, restaurants, bars, clubs and bargain shopping, its choices of  cultural attractions  is, unfortunately,  very limited . Partly its because of the national government's limited support for our historical sites or maybe its because our people themselves do not really value our cultural and historical heritage, preferring instead Western influences. Nonetheless, I am extremely proud that we more or less have the ancient  walled city of Intramuros  to get our nationalistic fix in, as well as to showcase to our balikbayans and foreign guests who want to catch a glimpse of our history. And at the center of this walled city is my favorite church in the country, the  San Agustin Church . * Built in  1571  by members of the  Order of St. Augustine , the San Agustin Church was the  first religious structure   built  by the Spaniards in the island of Luzon.

If  Rome  has the grandeur of  St. Peter's Basilica ,  London  has the magnificence of  St. Paul's Cathedral . Located in the ancient square mile known as the  City of London   (which is the ancient, historic city located inside the current city of Greater London) , the Cathedral stands tall as a proud icon of the English people. And nowhere was this more apparent than during  World War II , when images of the Cathedral  standing resilient amidst a city devastated  by Nazi bombing became effective propaganda symbols of English resiliency. * Built after the  Great Fire of 1666 , the Cathedral was the masterpiece of   Sir Christopher Wren , one of the most esteemed English architects in history. Having overseen the  reconstruction of at least 52 churches  after the fire, Wren was also popular within the scientific-intellectual community with his contributions to science being highly praised by contemporaries such as  Isaac Newton  and  Blaise Pascal .

Of all the sights in London, only one place can claim to be as  historically significant as it is significantly haunted . Built in  1078  by the Norman King,  William the Conqueror , the  Tower of London  has served as a  royal palace, armory, treasury, zoo  and most famously, a  prison  where some of the most famous characters in English history have been imprisoned, tortured and executed. Today, the fortress is one of London's most famous tourists spots, as it also  houses the Crown Jewels  of the UK. * After getting of the  Tower Hill Tube Station , expect to take a 15 minute pleasant stroll towards the main entrance of the Tower.

One cannot go to London and NOT SEE Westminster Abbey !  To do so would be a grand disservice to your trip. I mean how can you not experience the  most important (and heck, oldest) church in London :  site of coronations, burials, memorials, and lookalike to every Citadel in our dreams?! Yeah, I'm a big fan of this place. So big that I purposely and happily went here thrice in the two times that I've visited London! *  Taking the tube  to Westminster and  getting off Westminster Station , short and sweet!! While I greatly appreciated the presence of English all around (compared to everywhere else in Europe), I must say that  I found the Paris Metro to be more navigable compared to the London Tube . Must be because the Metro uses a numbering system (Get off the 6, Hop on the 9) compared to the system of the Tube which uses named lines (Jubilee Line... Jubilee Line.. Wait, what I am doing on the Metropolitan Line?!)

Across the river from the London Eye stands  Westminster , England's  political and religious center . Since the  11th Century , Westminster has proudly been the center of power for the English people from the moment  King Canute built his palace  here and his successor,  Edward the Confessor , founded Westminster Abbey right beside it . On a regular day, expect to see crowds of civil servants and tourists coexisting in this tiny yet hallowed area. * Taken from Parliament Square is this shot of  Parliament on the right  and the  Norman Shaw Buildings , the original site of the famous  Scotland Yard  synonymous with Sherlock Holmes and detective work,  on the left .

Our Santorini adventure continued on as we explored Santorini’s other, more well-known, and visited town , Oia . Taking the bus in the island is the more fun and hassle-free way of getting around as it can get rather expensive to rent a car (especially if you only plan to explore the towns and not the beaches), and taxi cabs are few and far between . * While Fira is Santorini’s capital and busiest town, Oia is where all the tourists and couples flock to experience Santorini’s picturesque beauty .

This is a story of two cities: Athens and London . Two cities separated by over 3000 kilometers but united culturally because of their great contributions to our study and understanding of Greek culture. Wait what, London?! Yes, London. For when the Ottoman Turks had the whole of Greece under their rule, an enterprising Brit with the title of Lord of Elgin fell in love with the Parthenon upon seeing it and decided to use his official title, as British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire , to legally purchase almost ALL the sculptures in the Parthenon, of which can now be found in the British Museum of London . But first things first, let’s take a look at the Acropolis in Athens! 1. The Acropolis in Athens. * The Propylaea serves as the main entrance to the Acropolis. Meaning monumental gateway , the Propylaea’s design has been copied numerous times; from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the Propylaea in Munich .

Being a fan of the 90’s  Three Musketeer films (which starred Chris O’Donnel , a sober Charlie Sheen , and Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland ; and later on Leonardo DiCaprio ), I always wanted to see where the Musketeers had faithfully served the King and fought against the forces of the evil Cardinal Richelieu , as masterfully played by Tim Curry . That being said, I was thrilled at the chance to visit the Chateau de Versailles , one of the most beautiful and famous palaces in history. * A statue of Louis XIV on horseback can be found on the very front of the castle grounds, looking all gangsta and victorious . Louis XIV, known as the Sun King and Louis the Great , was the King of France and Navarre for 72 years:  the record for longest reign ever! He was so old when he died, that his great-grandson inherited the throne as Louis’ son and two grandsons were already dead! Having won three major wars (against Germany, Spain and the Dutch) , Louis was king during Fra

Ile de la Cite (or Lutetia to us Asterix fans) is a small island located in the very center of Paris . Consequently, it is where the city of Paris was founded and contains its most ancient buildings. * The Palais de Justice (Palace of Justice) is where the justice of the state has been administered since medieval times. It was also the seat of the French Parliament from the 16th Century to the French Revolution.

Right after the morning in the Catacombs, we made our way to the Louvre for a half-day of sculpture appreciation and pretend-reflection  on the various paintings, mumbling things like, "This painting.. it moves me.." Being a lifelong fan of sculptures (which is the reason why I’m a huge stickler for playing with clay, plaster and action figures; but that’s a different story) , I was excited to see all the beautiful works-of-art hand-made by various masters throughout the centuries. May it be Greek, Egyptian or Renaissance , I wanted to see them all. What surprised me though, was how I came out much more appreciative of paintings, especially the huge-ass ones depicting key moments in French history. * One of the funniest posters that I saw on the Paris Metro on the way to the Louvre. Wonder what it’s about..

After Barcelona and the Mediterranean Coast, our adventure continued on to Paris where I was totally stoked to spend 5 full days exploring the city. Having grown up with images of Paris from books, movies (with Da Vinci Code and Taken as my personal favorites) and stories from friends and family who have gone before me, I was fully prepared to absorb as much history, sightseeing, culture, arts and culinary delights as I could in those 5 days. Leave the shopping for the ladies of the group, I was here to get my sensory overload fix ! * The EasyJet terminal in Barcelona kinda reminded me of one of our own airports here in the Philippines, NAIA 2 ; not the run-down, “world’s worst airport” yet strangely charming (in my opinion) NAIA 1.

Visiting the Vatican just a few months after Jerusalem was such an awesome experience. While Jerusalem shall always be the spiritual center of Christianity which it shares with Judaism and Islam, the Vatican serves as the center of Roman Catholicism and contains the most beautiful churches and works of art in tribute to Christianity. Thanks to our awesome tour guide, we were able to navigate around the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and Square with ease. In this album; however, there are no pictures of the Sistine Chapel due to its sensitivity to being photographed. A lot of times, my cousins and I found ourselves making up our own Gregorian Chants as we were walking around the grounds.  The place is definitely conducive to coming up with “religious” sounding chants that don’t actually make sense. If I have but one complaint about St. Peter’s is that though it is the most iconic church in Roman Catholicism, you hardly see anyone praying inside.  People are

After the Colosseum and Roman Forum , we went straight to the Trevi Fountain , which is not only one of Rome’s more iconic tourist spots, but also is apparently, a favorite of pickpockets and snatchers . Upon arriving, I could see why, as tourists were cramped like sardines all over the place! * The beautiful Trevi Fountain which I assume is even more glorious at night when all the lights are turned on. For some reason, I kept on thinking bout that fountain stage in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 .

Rome  was my  biggest disappointment  this whole trip. Disappointment not because I wasn’t moved or impressed by the place but because we had but  one day (8 hours)  to explore  BOTH Rome AND The Vatican.  That would be the equivalent of  spending an hour in Disneyworld . Ideally, I would like to explore the city of  Rome for a whole week , and The  Vatican for a few more days  after. Hopefully one day my cousin  Clark , an even bigger History buff than myself, decides to follow his dream of being an archaeologist and actually move to Rome so that I can come and crash in his place when I visit. * The first view of  Constantine’s Arch  and  The Colosseum . Take note of the  line of tourists  towards the right going inside the Colosseum with an estimated  waiting time of 1 hour and 20min .  Now compare that to the one hour which was the total time we spent here in this part of Rome.

Since I had my cousin’s wedding for majority of the day in Florence , we only actually had about two hours to explore the city center. This resulted in the “ spot-point-click-run " shots below as I was literally running from one part of Florence to another, not stopping to truly appreciate what I think is the most beautiful city in this whole Euro trip. Everything about Florence just screams art , and no wonder this is so as Florence is where the Renaissance was born with the works of Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci dotting the “city of the Medici’s " and where the likes of Dante Alighieri and Niccolo Machiavelli  circulated their literary masterpieces.  Two hours is definitely not enough to spend in Florence and I immediately resolved to return someday and to stay for at least a week! * The Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore , better known as the Duomo , has in my opinion the most impressive outdoor facade of any church that I ha

1. The Barcelona Cathedral Imposing and located on the famous Gothic Quarter next to the Las Ramblas , the Barcelona Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic Architecture.  Dark, huge and full of gargoyles, the Cathedral manages to retain some sanctity as there were more people praying in it than people taking pictures.