Down South- er
By afparungao - Sunday, July 12, 2009
It's been a week since my family's last trip. We really plan to do out- of- town trips during summer, but since we had a lot of things going on last Summer, we decided to just stay in Manila instead. I thought I will not be able to go out of town this year so when I heard that we got invitation to go to Quezon, I was ecstatic. No.1, I've never been there and No.2, I wanted to go out of the city even just for a day. So last Sunday, we all decided to check out Quezon and spent the entire day there!
It's been three hours of travel and if we probably didn't do any stop- over (at McDonald's Villa Escudero) we could have probably gone there earlier. We first went to Lucena, the capital of Quezon to meet up with my cousin's friend who was going to Switzerland (just like him!) I did not get to take photos of his house, but it was beautiful and it got a very nice view. You can see Mt. Banahaw from his terrace.
Since we still have lots of time to burn in Quezon, we decided to stay a bit longer and travel around. During the trip, the family decided that we should probably get a place to stay in Quezon, if not a real house if we decided to go there instead of Baguio. I like the idea!
We then decided to head straight to Tayabas and Lucban, but we're so hungry that we decided to stop by and eat at the famous Kamayan sa Palaisdaan- Lucban. This restaurant boosts floating bamboo huts where visitors can eat their meals amidst swimming fishes. Really cool!
The place isn't just full of huts. There are also random Filipiniana sculptures around the place. There's also a concert venue. I guess musicians go there every night or on weekends to perform. Too bad, we did not get to watch any. There was, however, a party playing really loud pop music. But it was not enough to ruin the mood.
Censored! This really weird clay sculpture screams X- rated!
It's been three hours of travel and if we probably didn't do any stop- over (at McDonald's Villa Escudero) we could have probably gone there earlier. We first went to Lucena, the capital of Quezon to meet up with my cousin's friend who was going to Switzerland (just like him!) I did not get to take photos of his house, but it was beautiful and it got a very nice view. You can see Mt. Banahaw from his terrace.
Since we still have lots of time to burn in Quezon, we decided to stay a bit longer and travel around. During the trip, the family decided that we should probably get a place to stay in Quezon, if not a real house if we decided to go there instead of Baguio. I like the idea!
We then decided to head straight to Tayabas and Lucban, but we're so hungry that we decided to stop by and eat at the famous Kamayan sa Palaisdaan- Lucban. This restaurant boosts floating bamboo huts where visitors can eat their meals amidst swimming fishes. Really cool!
Lovely Huts!
Censored! This really weird clay sculpture screams X- rated!
Si Malakas at Si Maganda, The Legend of the Origin of the Filipino Race
Then there's the food! We heard that this restaurant serves really delicious foods so we had to try their most popular!
I'm a huge fan of nutty Kare- Kare and their version did not fail me. The meat in the meal is also very tender. The vegetables are crispy and fresh. I did not try the Bagoong (shrimp paste) because I really don't eat that, but according to my cousin Ate Dincoy, it's very tasty!
The good thing about this restaurant is that you get super delicious meals with enough servings in a very affordable price! No wonder a lot of people who go to Quezon really go to this place and try out their dishes!
After that, we headed straight to Lucban. I love the feeling of the town proper. They still go to preserve the old structures of the town. The Lucban church is one best example. Outside, it looks like one of those old churches that has already stood the test of time, but once you get inside, the church looks so majestic. Infused with modern architecture and old traditions.
What's amusing is that when most people in Manila don't fill up churches, even on Sundays, people in Lucban really troop down to their plaza and go to their church. If you have beautiful churches such as this one, it's no surprise people will really love going there.
It was already 6:00 p.m. when the mass ended so we never got a chance to roam around Lucban anymore. We decided to head home by 6:30 p.m., but before we go we bought some pasalubongs on the way.
And though Lucban's really famous with Longganisa, Mama opted not to buy any. So I take the pleasure of just taking a photo of the bunch.
It's one of those days that I am glad I got off from working. Though we came back a little too late in Manila for me to study, I guess the experience and trip was worth it. I'll definitely go back to Quezon. It's actually one of my favourite places in the Philippines now!
---
You can check out Kamayan sa Palaisdaan's website here
Kare- Kare
Camaron
This is probably my most favourite dish of the day! I don't really like shrimp because I am allergic to it, but once I saw how lovely this dish looks, I instantly got my first piece and fell in love with it. The sweet and sour sauce was a very good complement. It's probably the best sweet and sour sauce I've ever tasted.
These two dishes did not disappoint as well. very delicious. The sauces are true to their name, sweet and sour. And like the vegetables in Kare- Kare, both have crispy and fresh veggies as well.
These three, sadly, I did not get to taste. Maybe I was so pre- occupied with the other dishes. According to those who had tons of servings of these dishes, they were delicious too. My niece Janine, who loves Calamares said it's probably one of the best she's ever had.
Sizzling Gambas and Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet
Calamares, Pancit Lucban, and Ginataang Plapla with Mustasa
Happy Family (before the meal!)
After that, we headed straight to Lucban. I love the feeling of the town proper. They still go to preserve the old structures of the town. The Lucban church is one best example. Outside, it looks like one of those old churches that has already stood the test of time, but once you get inside, the church looks so majestic. Infused with modern architecture and old traditions.
What's amusing is that when most people in Manila don't fill up churches, even on Sundays, people in Lucban really troop down to their plaza and go to their church. If you have beautiful churches such as this one, it's no surprise people will really love going there.
It was already 6:00 p.m. when the mass ended so we never got a chance to roam around Lucban anymore. We decided to head home by 6:30 p.m., but before we go we bought some pasalubongs on the way.And though Lucban's really famous with Longganisa, Mama opted not to buy any. So I take the pleasure of just taking a photo of the bunch.
It's one of those days that I am glad I got off from working. Though we came back a little too late in Manila for me to study, I guess the experience and trip was worth it. I'll definitely go back to Quezon. It's actually one of my favourite places in the Philippines now!---
You can check out Kamayan sa Palaisdaan's website here
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