[California] Sausalito Sunsets & More Rosé

August 25, 2015November 22, 2015Leave a comment

During my recent trip to California I got to visit a lot of fun and interesting places, one of my favorite was the city of Sausalito. After spending the earlier part of the day at Muir Woods (more on that later), we were taken to this lovely waterfront town. I love the water and although I can appreciate the beauty of the mountains and forests, there’s nothing like being by the shore.

I immediately knew I wanted to spend more time exploring my surroundings, but knew we had a ferry to catch back to San Francisco. Relying on just online reviews and outside seating, we decided to have dinner at Salito’s.

Knowing that it was our last day in California, we were taking it all in. Everybody seemed happy and without a single care in the world. Except maybe the couple next to us, they were clearly on a first date and it was so fascinating to watch them both react to each other. No, I was not creeping.

That, my friends, is Salito’s crab alfredo. Not bad at all, although I must say, their mussels and sauce was delicious!

Note on those sunglasses, got them in California, love the reflection but totally lost them. They must be in some unpacked bag in my room right now, but that may not be the case. I’m not so concerned about the money (they were super cheap), I am saddened more by how well they photographed. Check us out on the shot below!

After dinner, we still had some time before the ferry departure. I saw people drinking by the water and I immediately knew where I needed to be. Turns out, this place called Bar Bocce allows you to eat and drink by the water in a very casual and comfortable setting. I only had drinks, but people around us were enjoying some very delicious pizzas. Note to self: return to this place with a blanket and a big appetite.

This is me at Bar Bocce’s backyard. That face says: “I love my wine, I love this place and yes, I know it sucks that I have to leave”. It’s like you can already see the inevitable sarcasm in my eyes, right?

Waiting for the ferry was not bad at all. Perks of waiting for the last ferry? You get to see the sunset as you leave Sausalito behind. You can also attempt, for the one hundredth time, to take the perfect picture of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Boston: Seafood & Sea Life

March 15, 2015November 22, 20151 Comment

Who decides to visit Boston during a blizzard? Well, this lady over here! Nothing says romantic Valentine’s Day weekend like a frozen face, right? Thanks to some nonrefundable tickets, I went from bitter cold New York to over the top freezing Boston. I had a really good time, there’s something about being stuck in one room that makes you appreciate your company even more. There’s not a lot of people I would want to be stuck with during a blizzard, thankfully my boyfriend is one of them.

I’ve been to Boston like 10 times and even spent a summer there, I’ve always loved it. This time, we started things off a little bit more touristy than usual and I was ok with it. Union Oyster House is America’s Oldest Restaurant and there’s a reason it’s still up and running, it’s actually really good!

I obviously went with the classics. Started out with a Oyster House Clam Chowder (which I believe is the same thing as a New England Clam Chowder) and finished it up with a delicious Lobster Salad Roll. I can’t help but get a taste of summer each time I have meals like this. It makes me think of dinner by the water, salty hair after the beach, sunglasses and happy days.

We also tried out Legal Seafoods… delicious! We had the shrimp coconut as a starter and honestly, they might have been the best ones I’ve had so far. They were also gluten free so my friend who can’t have gluten was also able to enjoy them with me.

Then the snow started and the fun ended. Just kidding, we went out anyways and had a delicious dinner at Lineage Restaurant. I must say, our cab did slightly crash into a pile of snow on our way back, it was scary.

Best part about a blizzard? Room service! Worst part about a blizzard? Room service!

When you have 2/3 meals through room service you know that your final bill is going to hurt. In my defense, everything else was closed.

I love nature and as much as I know that an aquarium and a zoo are not natural, I can’t help but still enjoy visiting them. It’s unfortunate that these animals are never going to experience real life, but if a visit to an aquarium or zoo is what it takes for someone to be inspired, care a little more about these creatures and somehow contribute to the greater cause, then I guess it’s worth it.

I think that it’s pretty cool that even though it was freezing outside, these little creatures can have their little piece of paradise stay intact.

Don’t worry little fishy, I’m counting down the days for summer…

Joyuda, Puerto Rico – Take One

January 7, 2015November 22, 2015Leave a comment

It’s always sad when one exciting trip ends, but there’s always the comfort of coming home to a bunch of photos. This was my first trip with my DSLR camera, which obviously means I took more photos that I now can handle. I must admit I am obsessed and can’t get enough (something I have no problem with).

Here are a few to begin with from my days at Joyuda, Puerto Rico

Joyuda is one of my favorite areas in Puerto Rico, located in the South West, you can get amazing seafood (which I had) and pass out by the beach with a food coma (which I did). In my humble opinion, this area has some of the nicest beaches in Puerto Rico, but I know that can be highly debated.

I love the fact that you can find a handful of seafront restaurants in Joyuda, allowing you to have your fish by the sea (you can think that’s awesome or tragic, your pick). I also love this random picture that I took of my boyfriend, he might seem serene but I can tell he is a little freaked out by the huge fish swimming right below (they were like 4 feet long!).

For better or for worse, I am a steak person, but seafood here is so good that I can totally make an exception. You can find seafood empanadillas, seafood mofongo … seafood EVERYTHING. I would show you pictures, but most times I was very excited to eat and forgot to shoot first (I know, horrible how I dared to enjoy my food without any technology). I do have some good places to eat that I will be sharing soon, more to come!

* All photos in this post were taken and edited by Cristina Nogueras, please do not use without permission *

Zadar, Croatia

November 23, 2014November 22, 2015Leave a comment

I must admit that the reason why I chose Zadar as one of the cities to visit in Croatia was because that’s where the Ryan Air airport was located, so it made sense. I’m so happy I got to discover this hidden gem.

Last summer I visited Croatia for the first time, you might have read me rambling on about post-vacation depression, but I was really blown away by this beautiful country. I visited Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik and each city had its special charm.

I believe Zadar is really more of a hidden treasure, not your average tourist destination and I loved it for that. We were able to meet great people from all over Europe and we even got to watch the World Cup opening game where Croatia played Brazil.

Let me take you through my days in Zadar, while I once again reminisce, this time wrapped up in a blanket dreaming of sunshine.

This was our view from our room at the hostel. At this point, I still could not believe I made it to Croatia. We are facing the ruins of a Roman forum and although you can’t see in this picture we could also see a section of the St. Donatus church.

First try of Croatian beer, which we never really learned how to pronounce.

We had some time to walk around Zadar and get a glimpse of life in Croatia. Having a boat helps.

Lovely sunset by the water.

I tried this delicious pljukanci pasta at Restaurant Bruschetta, it did not disappoint. This type of hand-rolled pasta is special to Croatia.

In Zadar, you can jump into the sunset. They’ve designed steps that let you walk into the water and take a swim, or you can always just jump right into it. It was a very different ocean experience for me, especially since there was no sand, but it was so refreshing. We decided to wait for the sunset but we were also hungry, so we got pizzas by the water. Super classy dinner for our last night in Croatia, with a killer view.

“Sure, I would love a mansion to use only three months out of the year.” – My visit to Newport, RI

April 14, 2014November 22, 20152 Comments

Have you heard of the Gilded Age? Call me ignorant or whatever, but I had not heard the official term until last month when I visited the astonishing mansions of Newport, Rhode Island.

In United States history, the Gilded Age is a period approximately spanning the final three decades of the nineteenth century; from the 1870s to 1900. The term was coined by writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), satirizing what they believed to be an era of serious social problems disguised by a thin gold gilding.

Thank you Wikipedia, you’re the best.

Interesting where we stand right now, I want my life easier not more elaborated. Fancy dresses are uncomfortable and I can’t imagine having someone do every single thing for me, I actually enjoy cooking.

How did people live in such an age? I bet their attention span was intact and their knowledge of history was more maintained, with all the time they had in their hands I would not expect anything less. I bet if they come to our time now they would be beyond overwhelmed and wouldn’t know how to deal with it.

What’s next for people then? How can it get more intense, more technological or more progressive?

I think we are going back to basics in many aspects of life. Are we losing connection with ourselves? Are we going back to times we thought of as grand? Is that what every generation does? The Gilded Age line of thought was to replicate and bring back the grandeur of Europe, especially France. Are we always, in some way, looking back to the successes of the past? Will all of this Google glass technology mindsets collide with a simpler way of living?

I guess what I’m wondering is, what will future generations look back and see from our times? What are they going to want to replicate and what are they going to laugh about (besides Justin Bieber’s music)?

I’m going to let you think about that for a while.

On a lighter note, follow my Newport journey through my pictures below! 🙂