Scotland, Aug 15 – Aug 22 2025
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Easter at the Belfry, Apr 17 – Apr 22 2025
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Dad’s One Year Death Anniversary (Cebu), Dec 15 2024 – Jan 2 2025
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Montalcino, Jun 19 – Jun 23 2024
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Australia, Apr 16 – May 10 2024
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Dad’s Funeral, Dec 25 2023 – Jan 1 2024
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Champagne and Disneyland, Oct 13 – Oct 18 2023
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Farewell Dad (Cebu), Sep 21 – Oct 6 2023
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Tenerife, May 4 – May 13 2023
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Christmas in Scotland, Dec 23 – Dec 28 2022
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Florida, July 1 – July 15, 2022
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Escario’s in Spain, May 28 – June 11 2022
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Loire, Apr 14 – Apr 18 2022
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Villa Joyosa (Spain), Oct 15 – Oct 22 2021
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Christmas in Cebu, Dec 06 2020 – Jan 10 2021
Christmas in Cebu 2020 was a trip that could easily have never happened. But despite all the flight changes, quarantine requirements, consular paperwork and my parent’s worry that we would either catch COVID on the way or bring it to them, we made it home and everybody was the better for it. We quarantined in a beach front hut, introduced my parents to their granddaughter and filled our days with good food, wine and lots of mahjong! Clare, Adrija and I even got a family photo shoot done and spent our last week in a 5* beach resort – this was definitely a welcome break! Read more….

Lockdown, Mar 23 2020 – Dec 2 2020
A year for the history books! The entire world closed it doors as a global pandemic threatened our existence. COVID-19 (Coronavirus), a highly contagious respiratory illness that can cause severe illness and death, has already taken 2.5 million lives as well as countless jobs and businesses. It separated friends and families by mandating that people isolate at home and changed the way we do almost everything. However, amongst all the ashes, Clare and I were very blessed to experience a very different year as our gorgeous daughter Adrija was brought into the world and we found a lovely new home in Godalming for us to live in together as a new family. Read more….

Maldvies, Sep 11 2019 – Sep 21 2019
The perfect end to our honeymoon and an experience Clare and I will never forget! We were spoilt with crystal clear and turquoise blue waters, 5* Luxury accommodation and service, Michellin quality food and an unparalleled abundance of fish on a house reef. We stayed on two 5 star resorts: Lilly Beach Resort in the South Ari Atoll and Vakkaru in the Baa Atoll. Both exceeded our expectations and treated us like royalty. We had chefs go out of their way to make delicious meals for us, butlers at our beckon call and a water villa with a view that some people never see in their lifetime!!! Read more….

Sri Lanka, Aug 28 2019 – Sep 11 2019
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Bali, Aug 14 2019 – Aug 28 2019
Bali was a pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting an island of surfing and partying – an Indonesian Ibiza, if you will – but found instead a place of serenity and a zen culture embraced by the people that was manifested by their love for nature, body and mind. Healthy eating is the norm in Bali with every corner serving up Acai Bowls for breakfast and Tuna/Salmon Poké bowls for lunch, and I can’t imagine a better place in the world to be one with your body and mind. If ever Yoga becomes a regular routine in my life, I have the Yogi in our Surf and Yoga Retreat to thank. Read more….

Cambodia, Aug 1 2019 – Aug 14 2019
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Hacienda San Bernardo, July 23 2019 – July 30 2019
After a years worth of planning, saving and all the inevitable drama that you get with organizing a wedding, our week in Hacienda San Bernardo with both of our families who flew in from all around the world to celebrate our big day with us was, in a word, perfect. From the weather to the beautiful venue, the exceptional catering and delicious food, the music and multiple surprise performances, Father Aiden’s masterly delivered liturgy and the families and friends that brought so much joy just by being there and supporting us, we couldn’t ask for a better way to tie the knot! Read more….

Amsterdam II, May 25 2019 – May 27 2019
This trip marked my second time in Amsterdam and it was almost entirely different to my first visit six years ago, save for the consumption of a certain green grass! Whereas the journal entry about my last trip was filled with different excursions with couchsurfers around Amsterdam, a walking tour of the city, visits to the Anne Frane and Van Gogh Museum, a cycling trip to Holysloot and how the Gay Pride parade lit up the city, this journal entry will mostly focus on the hilarious effect space cakes has on me and my trusty partners in crime – Maurice and Mattias! Read more….

NYC & Kansas, Dec 18 2018 – Jan 2 2019
On my New York holiday in Jan 2016, I had such an amazing time that I set myself a lofty goal to visit NYC every following year and experience the endless wonders the city holds. This trip marked my third annual visit since then and it is still as invigorating as ever! The theme this time around was broadway (every day a trip to TKTS and every day a show) and soaking in the Christmas scene. Food and wine took a surprising backseat, as i’ve discovered over my previous visits that you really need to pay a lot in their top establishments. However, that really isn’t a problem in the Big Apple as you’re never far away from the city’s “best” bagel ?. Read more….

Ireland, Dec 7 2018 – Dec 9 2018
Being I live near an airport where a plane can fly us to Dublin in an hour and that Aunty Ann is always happy to welcome me, it’s pretty shocking that the last time I visited Ard-ri was in May 2015. I’d like to promise that I would go more often, but living in London and having the world on your doorstep means that it’s hard to not get carried away with the plethora of amazing holiday destinations we have to choose from. But a three day visit is still something and it gave me a great chance to catch up with Aunty Ann and Uncle John, and for Clare to meet all the horses in Uncle John’s farm (which did nothing to temper her desire to own a pony!). Read more….

Cebu, Aug 25 2018 – Sep 9 2018
Beach, eat, massage, shop, beach, eat, massage…
shop, beach, eat, massage, shop, beach, eat…
massage, shop, beach, eat, massage, shop, beach…
eat, massage, shop, beach, eat, massage, shop…
… It’s more fun in the Philippines! Read more….

Bordeaux, June 23 2018 – July 2 2018
I almost find it hard to believe that despite visiting vineyards across Europe and the Americas for the last ten years and studying wine for the last four, this marks my first visit to the region of the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world! However, this shouldn’t really come as a surprise as I only really started falling in love with French wines until very recently: I was always intimidated by French wine labels that I didn’t understand, names of Chateaux’s I couldn’t pronounce as well as regions and grape varieties I never heard of. But equipped with a much more mature palate and knowledge of the region, this holiday couldn’t have been timed better. Read more….

Mosel, May 4 2018 – May 7 2018
Riesling: Arguably one of the greatest grape varieties in the world. The grape can range from bone dry to sweet, reveal aromas/flavours of lime, apricot, honey, slate and petrol (to name a few) and age gracefully for decades. It finds it’s home along the Moselle river, which begins in France and flows into Germany where it twists sharply for 250 km and deposits into the Rhine on its way to the North Sea. It is along this winding river gorge that we find the most classic Riesling wines in the world. I arrived eager to get up close and personal with Riesling’s crafted in this area, but left feeling I only scratched the tip of the iceberg. Read more….

Scotland, Aug 18 2017 – Aug 26 2017
There’s no better way to visit Scotland than by going on a roadtrip of the Highlands with family from the area. We started off at Aberdeen in the east and headed to Oban in the west, filling our journey with whisky tasting and country walks along the way! Of all the memorable events that we experienced, it will be hard to forget the sublime food at the Kildrummy Castle Inn and the breathtaking hike that Clare and I took to the Steall Waterfall walls along the dramatic and beautiful Nevis Gorge. And even though whisky did not steal my heart away from my love for wine, I did grow a sense of affection for the Scottish countryside. Read more….

New York, April 22 2017 – April 29 2017
“New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery’s down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun’.
New York, New York, it’s a helluva town!”
Read more….

Abu Dhabi, April 09 2017 – April 17 2017
My first experience in the United Arab Emirates was unexpectedly fun and educational! I previously thought that Abu Dhabi and Dubai would be like twin cities, but it turns out that there’s a world of difference between them. I also learned that Abu Dhabi is only one of the seven emirates in the UAE (the other six are Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm AlQuain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujeriah). It’s also the capital of the UAE, the largest emirate and the one that has the most oil reserves – projected to last through 2100 and even beyond (the UAE as a whole is the 4th largest oil producer in OPEC behind Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela). Read more….

Hong Kong, November 16 2016 – November 20 2016
When I went home for Christmas in December 2015 and Alex – one of the infamous Klepp twins and also my best friend since I was six – asked me if I would come to his wedding in Hong Kong and be a groomsman, there was no question that I would. He also asked me if I would be the Master of Ceremonies for the reception, and being every bit the showman, I couldn’t say no! So I, and my lovely girlfriend Clare, flew out to the country known for its iconic skylines, karaoke and legendary kitchens to witness the union of two lovely people, catch up with family and celebrate both our birthdays! Read more….

Sicily, September 16 2016 – September 25 2016
After what was (apparently) a busy and tiring year for Clare and I, we had our heart set on a summer holiday wherein the main theme was sun, sea and relaxation. We also wanted to go somewhere affordable where we both hadn’t been to before, which turned out to be a bit of a challenge as, between the two of us, we’ve seen quite a bit of the world. But after considering several options, we decided on nearby Sicily. With its promise of good weather, food, wine and miles of coast, we were confident it ticked all the boxes and then some! For everything from facing the notorious crazy Italian drivers on their narrow roads from drinking glorious wine on Mount Etna, Read more….

Lourdes, August 26 2016 – August 29 2016
I know what you’re wondering, whatever prompted Liam to pay a visit to the religious market town of Lourdes? What led him to visit the third most important site of international Catholic pilgrimage after Rome and the Holy Land? Quite simply, my dear Mother – a devout catholic – was visiting my sister in Spain and expressed her desire to visit this town famous for the Marian apparitions to a peasant girl called Bernadette. With no-one to travel with, she thought about passing up on this opportunity. So I thought I’d help her seize the day and together we embarked on our little visit to the second most important center of tourism in France (after Paris, of course). Read more…

Cebu & Japan, April 7 – April 24 2016
Definitely one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, my amazing holiday in Cebu & Japan was all thanks to my kind Aunt in the Philippines who was celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary and decided to pay for everyone’s flights, hotels and tour packages to mark the occasion. As a result, I flew to Cebu from London, had business class round flights to and from Japan, stayed in a 4* hotel with an amazing view of Osaka’s skyline and had a weeks worth of excursions – all without spending a single penny! It was two and a half fun-filled weeks spent with family, great food, lots of sunshine and unforgettable experiences. Read more….

Paris, March 25 – March 28 2016
My Easter Weekend trip to Paris was the result of an idea sprung by one of my friends from Musical Theatre (Nicklas Haukol), who wanted to surprise his girlfriend for her birthday by taking her to Disneyland Paris in the company of some of her close friends. Knowing that Clare wanted to go to Disneyland Paris for quite a while, I immediately jumped on the idea and decided to surprise her as well! And so, the perfect weekend at Gay Paris was crafted! It was everything we could have hoped for, with a large part of the success of our day at Disneyland thanks to the holy grail of Disneyland guidebooks: The Independent Guide to Disneyland Paris! Read more….

New York, December 29 2015 – January 6 2016
“In New York / Concrete jungle where dreams are made of / There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York / These streets will make you feel brand new / Big lights will inspire you
Hear it from New York, New York, New York!”
Celebrating New Years in one of favourite cities with my favourite girl and her family.
Can’t think of a better way to welcome in the year! Read more….

Madrid, December 24 – December 29 2015
Yay, it’s another Escario Sibling Christmas (THE best way to spend Christmas). It was awesome in many ways because:
   1. All siblings (and their significant others) locked in
   2. We filmed a Christmas music video for our parents and it was just as good as Band Aid’s
   3. Not only did we eat a lot of delicious festive Spanish food, we also drank over 10 bottles of top Spanish wines!
All you need for a Very Merry Christmas. For lots of photos and not much stories, Read more….

Bruges, August 29 – August 31 2015
The fairy-tale medieval town of Bruges was the perfect place for Clare and I to celebrate our one year Anniversary. Filled with picturesque cobbled lanes and dreamy canals linking photogenic market squares, historic churches and old whitewashed houses, it’s no wonder this town is commonly referred to as the Venice of the north. We stayed in a romantic luxury hotel called the PandHotel, in a quiet street just steps away from the historic Market Place. Though we only visited Bruges for three days, we will never forget the picturesque town, our superb hotel and being greeted with the best Champagne breakfasts every morning. Read more….

Thailand, June 30 – July 14 2015
Writing this 2½ years after our holiday actually happened, there’s no doubt that much of the memory of the trip has already been deeply filed in the hard-to-reach archives of my brain, but there were a few things that instantly came back to me looking at the photos: (1) it was the first time I met Clare’s family and – meeting 12 relatives at once – it was a full on induction by fire to the McAndrew clan, (2) Clare got terrible food poisoning after eating crab at a food market (I was to experience the same fate 2 years later in a 5* Hotel in Abu Dhabi), (3) the scuba diving is better in the Philippines, and (4) I was pretty ripped! Find not much more information (but loads of photos) here….

Philippines, December 20 2014 – January 11 2015
This trip home was special in that it marked both Luca’s and Clare’s first visit to the Philippines. Nicola and David took Luca to visit dad (who hadn’t seen him yet) and Clare took a one week side-trip from her Christmas holiday in Abu Dhabi to visit me, my family and my home! I gave her the silver platter tour: Shangri-la lunch on arrival, cocktails in Marco Polo, day trip to Oslob to snorkle with whalesharks and three nights in Alona Beach, Bohol. Three weeks never seems long enough whenever I come home to Philippines; or maybe it’s just getting harder to leave the sun, sea and relaxation with the family the older you get. ? Read more….

San Sebastian, November 8 2014 – December 6 2014
This trip marked the third time I visited the culinary capital of Spain. When I first went, it was only a day trip with Itxaso to get a taste of the city and visit one of her friends. I didn’t know anything about San Sebastian then, but a day was enough for me to discover that the city was filled with all the things I love. So I returned and spent a whole week discovering bars serving their mouth watering pintxos (such as these), drinking delicious red wine and spending my afternoons in La Concha Beach. Between their gastronomy scene, proximity to La Rioja and beautiful beach, it was no surprise that I found myself visiting the city only a year and a half later. Read more…

Italy, October 4 2014 – November 8 2014
I arrived in the country as a lover of Spanish wines and left it with the conviction that Italian wines are the best in the world (despite what any French wine-lover will tell you)! I also discovered how the south (well, Naples) is so refreshingly warm and beautiful in its rawness; and the north so breathtakingly scenic and stunning. After spending a whole month there, it was unsurprising to know that Italy has the most amount of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Between the good weather, such friendly and expressive people, staggering contrasts between cities and a gastronomy to die for, it’s hard not to be seduced by this beautiful country. Read more….

Belgium, September 24 – October 3 2014
There were two reasons why Belgium was the starting point to my culinary tour of Italy and Spain. The first is that the country is home to, what is my opinion, the finest chocolates in the world (and as most people who know me will confirm, chocolates – along with wine and coffee – form the holy trinity in my Food Bible). The second, possibly more important reason, is #censored #askmesomeothertime.Dispensing with the pleasantries of talking about Brussels or the romantic city of Bruges, I’m going jump straight into my chocolate experience. Read more….

London, October 31 2013 – September 23 2014
My home away from home. The last 11 months have been filled with so many wonderful moments and experiences that it would be practically impossible to write a detailed account of all the things that happened since I got back.
I returned to London determined to invest more time in my main passions (food and music) and although I fell short of achieving the two ambitious goals that I set out for myself, the paths I took trying to get there took me to new heights. Without going into too much detail, I’ve listed down my highlights. Read more….

Egypt, Setpember 22 – October 30 2013
A fascinating place and one I will definitely never forget. Egypt is the home to the last remaining ancient wonder of the world: a sight that is truly one to behold (though visiting the pyramids once is probably enough if you value your life)! I will forever remember mastering the art of scuba diving in the Red Sea, my trip to desert to visit the Berbers and, of course, visiting the most beautiful ancient sites I have ever seen in one of the most chaotic of surroundings. I consider myself lucky to have both experienced the splendours that Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El Shekh had to offer and also to have lived to tell the tale. For a few notes on my accounts, Read more….

Greece, August 29 – September 22 2013
My love affair with Greece began with the country simply being the last stop of my European inter-rail trip that started off in Amsterdam. Being on the south east of the continent (enabling me to pass through many countries on my way) and with the allure of the sun and sea, it just seemed a good choice. I would have never guessed that immediately after stepping on Greek soil, I would be transported to a golden age of unsurpassed glory in architecture, philosophy, politics, arts, timeless heroes and the mighty Gods.
I spent almost a month in this unforgettable place and, in what seems to be a Greek epic of its own, wrote all about it. Read more…

Budapest, August 26 – August 29 2013
The shortest visit in my European trip, Budapest for me will always be associated with their great Hungarian Wines, paprika as the spice champion in the Hungarian kitchen and the trendy bohemian ruin bars. Staying with a wine journalist who was very forthcoming with his wines was one of the highlights for me, and spending a day with an American chef who shared the same passion for food as me was a treat (pun intended)!
Read more….

Vienna, August 21 – August 26 2013
Mozart, Haydn, the Royal Opera House, the finest Philharmonic orchestra in the world, the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to, a coffee culture befit for royalty and a place that has always been regarded as of the cities that has the best standard of living. Couple that with a wonderful local host who took good care of me and couchsufers both Viennese and foreign to enjoy the experience with…

What’s not to like? Read more…

Munich, August 16 – August 21 2013
I heard that Munich was different to Berlin but I never expected it to be so much so. It is like the older, wealthier and wiser brother of Berlin, except lacking in all that youthful spirit and energy that Berlin has. A city I really liked at first but the more I realized what I didn’t have the more I got to appreciate Berlin for what it is (and what it is becoming).
Still a wondrous city… my memories largely dominated by walking around and eating with Lucie. The highlight was probably our day trip to Salzburg, which isn’t even in the same country. =p Read more…

Prague, August 11 – August 16 2013
If Walt Disney wanted to pick a city as a set to film a fairy tale movie on (think Beauty and the Beast), they would pick Prague. I couldn’t even begin to try to capture it’s beauty in words, but imagine a “golden city of spires” filled with architectural splendors of Medieval, Baroque and Renaissance all standing harmoniously next to each other that come even more alive when the sun sets through the beautiful illumination of the city lights.
Definitely a city I will be coming back to and one of my top 3 favorite cities of the trip so far. Read more…

Berlin, August 6 – August 11 2013
Not knowing much about Germany aside from the fact that they are a leading manufacturer of cars,  that most of the history people associate with the country revolve around the World Wars, and that my good friend Maurice loves David Hasselhoff, I was quite excited to open up my eyes a bit more to German history, the people and their culture. My first stop in Berlin showed me some not-so-pretty parts of ex-Communist East Berlin, their vibrant underground artistic scene and their love for all things pork.
A wine induced recount of my stay in Berlin can be found here…

Amsterdam, July 31 – August 6 2013
Fresh from my bike from London to Paris, I was ready to start my European adventure. Amsterdam lived up to be everything that it is famous for: a beautiful city that thrives around it’s many canals and dikes, coffee shops around every corner selling Cannabis in every form imaginable, gorgeous Dutch people all over the place and a red light district that would give the Moulin Rouge of Paris a run for it’s money. Of course, Amsterdam is also rich in history as being one of the most important ports in Europe!
For an account of my time in Amsterdam, Read more…

London to Paris By Bike, July 25 – 28 2013
It started off with me buying a bike on the first week of January following one of my New Years resolutions to cycle to work as that was something I always wanted to do. After cycling twice a day for the next few months regardless of rain or snow, I wondered if I could ride my wave of enthusiasm and take my cycling to the next level. Enter summer and the opportunity to bike from London to Paris!
It was definitely a great adventure and one of my 2013 highlights!
A more-detailed-than-necessary account of it all here….

La Rioja, July 18 2013
For a wine lover, a trip to the north of Spain wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Rioja region. So myself, two elderly British wine aficionados and our own personal British wine expert spent the day visiting the area and three very different bodegas: one of the oldest in La Rioja Alta, one of the newest and one in the beautiful town of La Guardia.
Complete with a 5 course lunch with accompanying wines, it was definitely a day of indulgence.
Full post on the trip to La Rioja here…

Pamplona, July 10 2013
I visited Pamplona for the San Fermines festival, the most famous festival in Spain where participants would run with the bulls, and usually get tossed in the air or poked in the bum by the bull’s horns. I arrived the day before by hitchhiking with two elderly Spanish men, met up with two Couchsurfers (Crazy) Daniel from Australia and Jack from Jolly old England at 9pm where we passed the time away until 7am the next day before we prepared to run.
More on my run in San Fermines here…