Made in the Mist

Jersey Iggy was very careful watching the misty madness that surrounded Niagara Falls in upstate New York.

The telescope helped her see beyond the mist and right across the Ontario side of the falls. See that slender tower? That's the famous Skylon tower. There's an observation deck/tower right where Miss Iggy was, so she was looking forward to when it opens. She had arrived at the Niagara Falls State Park earlier than opening time. She's that excited!

Greetings from Niagara Falls, New York!

Miss Iggy was humbled by the sheer force and majesty of Niagara Falls in upstate New York last May. Just across the cloud of mist is Canada! More photos coming real soon!

eire iggy in the city centre

o'connell street is dublin's main street, and is one of europe's widest streets.
eason was originally founded in 1819, and this is their flagship store in o'connell street
built and opened in 1919 - famous for its huge collection of books
and stationeries with four shopping floors to wear one down,
not to mention its giant clock that chimes every quarter of an hour.

eire iggy is sitting on the front seat of dublin bus' double decker's upper saloon.
this is the junction of o'connell street and parnell street,
and on the right is a memorial obelisk and a statue of charles stewart parnell,
Irish parliamentarian & campaigner for Land Rights and Home Rule for Ireland.

partly seen here is the famous spire of dublin in the middle of o'connell street.
its official name is the Monument of Light, but is also fondly referred to as the stiletto in the ghetto.
this stainless steel pin-like structure stands at 120 meters high (390 ft),
and is the world's tallest sculpture. it has a base of 3m which is lit at night
and it narrows to 15 cm at the top. the last 12 meters of the structure is illuminated at night
to provide a beacon across the city.

Miss Iggy at Heineken, The City in Amsterdam

Miss Iggy and the ice logo of the popular Dutch beer, Heineken

Now that's a cool logo. Literally.

99 bottles of beer on the wall

Miss Iggy and the sisterhood of the traveling igorota wish you all a happy weekend! 

Mount Airy Casino

Jersey Iggy found herself at Mt. Airy Casino Resort up in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania one stormy night.

She was mesmerized by this glowing red fountain at the lobby. It changes colors, but the red matches this shiny car prize.

Birthday Greetings for Sailormoon

Miss Iggy is taking time out from her journeys to brighten Sailormoon's birthday today with bright orange lilies from her Jersey garden.

Sailormoon sails, drives and flies with Mr. Iggy/Makati Maven Iggy and have been to such "B"-eautiful places as Batangas (San Juan); Bicol, and Baguio City in the Philippines.

Have a fabulous day!

Sabaidee!

We went to Laos in March. From Phnom Penh, we took a bus going north to Stung Treng province and crossed the Dong Kralor Cambodian-Lao border the following morning to Paxse, in Champasak Province. There where we took the evening sleeper-bus for a 12-hour travel to the capital Vientiane. It was a long and tiring journey but we welcomed the adventure.

Khmer Iggy and the pride of Laos - the popular chicken laap and Beer Lao

Dining out was the highlight of our holiday with Miss Iggy enjoying chicken laap tremendously, a deliciously spicy dish made from finely chopped chicken meat (also available in pork and duck), mixed with stock, chilli, spices and crushed dry-fried rice grains that are uncooked, and served with sticky rice and fresh vegetables. And it was never eaten without a bottle or two of Beerlao, which is pleasantly smooth and light.

baby, you're so square

Miss Iggy in front of the Museum of Fine Arts

in Hősök tere or Heroes' Square

Collonade with rulers and statesmen of Hungary

West Point Museum

Just right next to the West Point Visitors Center is the West Point Museum. Admission is free, and you can view the exhibit inside about the history of war and weaponry, considered to be "the oldest and largest diversified public collection of militaria in the Western Hemisphere."

miss iggy and the millenary monument

Euro Iggy in front of the Millenary Monument

A few things Miss Iggy learned about this impressive pillar:

- it is located at the center of Hősök tere or Heroes' Square
- it is 36 meters high
- on top of the pillar is Angel Gabriel holding the Hungarian crown and a cross
- it is also known as the Millennium Monument
- at the base of the column is a group of seven mounted figures representing the Magyar chieftains who led the Hungarian people into the Carpathian basin

euro iggy and the thermal bath

Stepping into the Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool was quite a breathtaking experience for Miss Iggy - she could immediately see why it was considered the most beautiful and luxurious bath in Budapest. Miss Iggy was impressed with its stained glass windows and mosaic tiles.

The thermal baths (with separate sections for men and women), contain water from Gellért hill's mineral hot springs. Not only are they relaxing with their warm temperature, one being 36 degrees Celsius and the other 38, they're also good for joint pains, arthritis and blood circulation.

In the outdoor area, Miss Iggy relaxed for a while at the whirlpool and then moved on to the most exciting part of the Bath: the wave pool! The waves were strong and fast and lasted for about 15 fun-filled minutes. Whoosh!

A must-swim area, too, was the world-famous effervescent pool.

Needless to say, Euro Iggy felt squeaky clean after visiting Gellért Baths!

Shopping at Woodbury Common

After visiting West Point, Miss Iggy dropped by the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, located in Central Valley, New York, which wasn't too far. This outlet shopping area is so vast that the shops are grouped according to color-coded areas and you need a map from the Information Center (above) to help navigate your way in this maze of designer shops.

Coach, Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, just to name a few, are there to "cure" your shopaholic fix. If you're diligent enough, you might find some super bargains, sometimes up to 75% off or more.

Tourists come here by the busful just to shop! Don't believe me? Just look at the welcome sign posted everywhere: they're in multiple languages. So are the announcements you keep hearing throughout the area. It's like being in an international airport!

la la la

Vienna Vixen Iggy felt like singing when she saw this flowery G-Clef at the Burggarten in Vienna. What better place to sing and make music than in the center of classical music? 

PS: Miss Iggy's posed for this photo in March, when the flowers of the G-clef were still yellow. In May they were red. Now they're pink. Colorful! 

euro iggy and the fisherman´s bastion

Miss Iggy had a great time posing in front of the medieval-looking Fisherman's Bastion located on the Castle Hill of the Buda side of Budapest. She was surprised however, to find out that it wasn't medieval at all! With its neo-gothic style, it was built in 1905 as a viewing platform. Why "Fisherman's" you ask? The bastion got its name from the guild of fishermen who defended the stretch of the wall in the Middle Ages. 

Make Love, Not War!

So pleads Miss Igorota when she saw this war tank situated at the West Point Visitors Center in West Point, New York last April.

Miss Iggy is against violence and weapons of all sorts.

Go West Point, Young Man! (or Lady!)

West Point Academy is a prestigious and historic military academy nestled in the Hudson Valley region in upstate New York. Among its alumni is the Philippines' very own former President Fidel V. Ramos, who is often mentioned in the guided tour provided by the Visitors Center. There is a bus that leaves at scheduled times of the day that goes inside the campus grounds and each passenger has to bring a photo ID for security reasons.

Inside the Visitors Center is a mini exhibit about West Point, and of course, a souvenir shop!

Overlooking the Hudson River

Sometimes, being "lost" has its advantages. It leads you to unexpected places that you wouldn't have known existed. Like this overlook point with a breath-taking view of the Hudson River in upstate New York when Miss Iggy was on her way to West Point Academy for some military sightseeing in early April (which explains why the trees and mountains still look barren).

Most people think of New York City when they hear New York. They don't realize that Manhattan is a small island and beyond that small island is a whole new world filled with mountains, lakes and forests. Miss Iggy welcomed the experience as a "scenic detour."

euro iggy and the budavari siklo

Miss Iggy in front of the funicular station that would take her to the Buda Castle in Budapest

Happy 4th of July from Syracuse!

Miss Iggy stands in the middle of Syracuse's Columbus Circle, where a monument of Christopher Columbus looms in front of the Onondaga County Courthouse.

The inscription below Columbus' statue reads, "Cristoforo Colombo....Discoverer of America. Erected by the Citizens of Italian Origin of Onondaga County."

This post may be more appropriate for Columbus Day, but Miss Iggy can't wait till October to share this photo.

Have a fun 4th of July Weekend!

Hitchin' a Vintage Ride

Miss Iggy wonders if this vintage car at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) can take her all the way back to New Jersey.

Here's another vintage beauty she spotted in the area, with costumed actresses looking the other way.

Happy Canada Day from Ottawa!

Miss Iggy says "Bonjour" from the French-speaking capital of Canada: Ottawa. Ottawa is in the province of Ontario. She was here a few weeks ago, at a time when the "Changing of the Guards" hasn't started yet. Yes, they do that here, too!

The building behind her is the Parliament--the legislative branch of Canada which is composed of the Monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II), Senate, and the House of Commons. Visitors to the Parliament can take advantage of free guided tours.

The highlight of Canada Day celebrations at Parliament Hill is the fireworks at night.

Did you know? The name Canada was derived from the Iroquois Indian word "Kanata" which means "village" or "settlement." There's actually a place in Canada named Kanata, too!

chain-chain-chain

During her visit to Budapest, Euro Iggy was thrilled to see the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, one of Budapest's most famous landmarks. Opened in 1849, it's the city's oldest bridge and the first permanent dry link between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern side of Budapest. Though it was built by Scottish engineer Adam Clark, it was named after the bridge's initiator, István Széchenyi.