Hello PortAventura

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Almost wrapping up my time in Barcelona as I am motivated to catch up on my blogging and update you guys on my latest adventures. Although I am 2-months behind, I am determined to publish a new post every other day and hopefully power through to the end of my trip. So much has happened in this 4-months time and I am very excited to share and show you visually my stories, so please wait—I am worth it!

This was the last week of October and almost 2-months in the semester, and I forget why or how, but the topic of curry came up while chatting away in class. So a bunch of us decided to go for Indian food after class and it was my first time trying Indian in Barcelona. Shaun who had discovered the place first and he ordered a bunch of food for us to share. Naturally, I love spicy food, so when he told me that it was going to be spicy, I just couldn’t wait. The restaurant we went to was called Swagatam and it was harder to find than most restaurants because it was located in a hidden alleyway! A little sketchy, but the food was very authentic and judging from the atmosphere and decor, it was very traditional Indian. We ordered four different curry (a mix of sweet and spicy and paired with either chicken, lamb, or beef), nan bread, and rice. There were eight of us and portions were fair, so we had plenty of food to share! The food was very good, but I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t spicier as it didn’t pack enough of a kick in my mouth. Afterwards, we wanted desert, specifically Spanish churros and hot chocolate, but when we got to the cafe, it was already closed, so we resorted to gelato

The next day, a group of us woke up extra early and took the train to PortAventura! It was an amusement park located just south of Barcelona in Salou, Tarragona. It was like a Spanish Disneyland with its own hotels, restaurants, and of course, rides for all ages. The park was divided into five main areas, Mediterrània, Far West, México, China, and Polinesia, and each having its own themed rides and special roller coasters. Each area is also decorated to fit the theme of the area, not to mention, we went during the week of Halloween, so the park was transformed to fit the occasion with people in costumes roaming around. There were also several additions to the park just for Halloween like haunted houses, parades, shows, events, and games.

We first went to China since they have two thrilling rides: Dragon Khan and Shambhala. The Dragon Khan has been with the park since the opening and it’s suppose go as fast as 110km/hr. However, I felt the Shambhala was more fun since it was the highest roller coaster in Europe (76 meters), longest drop (78 meters), and the fastest as it reaches 134km/hr during the first drop. I love roller coasters, so this was definitely one of my favourites and its no wonder there’s always a full line for this one! Next, we explored México and rode on the Hurakan Condor, which at the first glance, it just looked like a higher version of hellevator. However, it was actually pretty scary since it was about 100 feet high and just before I was dropped, the seat tilts upwards and I found myself facing the ground. When it drops, it felt like free falling (much unlike the regular hellevator). Some of us like Shaun has actually gone skydiving in Budapest, and he said that the ride was even scarier than skydiving…I don’t know if that’s true, but it was definitely worth the 30 mins wait.

A little tired and hungry, we stopped for food in their food court just in time for a singing and dancing show. Oh I forgot to mention, this park also features Woody the woodpecker (cartoon) as their mascot. I’m not entirely sure if this cartoon still runs, but it used to be one of my favourites growing up. So don’t be surprise if he shows up here and there around the park. Afterwards, we moved on to Far West and raced in a ride called Stampida. This ride allows you to choose between red or blue colour ride and they blast off side by side and compete to win the race. Although, I am pretty sure the operator controls the speed of the ride, so really, it was a matter of which colour the operator favoured. I didn’t like this ride that much since it shook a lot and I got bumps and bruises from bouncing around in my seat. The Silver River Flume was up next and it was your typical log ride expect with more drops and a whole lot of wet. This ride was pretty fun except for the fact that during the last drop, my cap threw off and fell into one of the cliffs of the ride. It was a very sad moment indeed and long story short, I begged and begged to collect it after the ride closed and nada, they didn’t let me and told me to report to customer service which led to no where since I received an automated email the next day saying they don’t have my property. Rude. Of course, I complained through social media and it took so long for them to reply back to me that by the time I received an email from them, I already have a new cap. The last ride we did from Far West was Grand Canyon Rapids, which was kinda like river rafting in a round floaty-thing (I have a way with words don’t I?). Of course, water would spray out of no where and we would crash into rapids and splash water everywhere. Needless to say, we were pretty soaked after the two rides.

Good bye PortAventura!

Good bye PortAventura!

I don’t think we spend that much time in Polynesia since there wasn’t a ride worth trying. So the last area we explored was the Mediterrània and behold, the ultimate ride and my personal favourite: Furius Baco! This ride was super fast (faster than the Shambhala) as it blasts off from 0 to 135km/hr in a second. It was so much fun that I went on it three times and it becomes super scary at night since it basically launches you into darkness!

Photo 10-28-2013, 9 28 39 PM

All in all, this park was super fun and definitely worth a visit! And if you’re coming to Barcelona anytime soon, there’s a deal going on (I think until January 31) that if you buy two bags of Chupa Chups candy with the marked stickers and bring the two empty bags to the ticket office, you can basically buy two regular adult tickets for the price of one! What a sweet deal right?

Beside having an awesome day at an amusement park in Spain, I also made my way up Montjuïc and visited the Castell de Montjuïc which once was a military fortress that dated back to the 1600s. There’s still tanks and cannons positioned around the castle! Since it was located on top of the hill, it overlooks a great deal of the city. You can see the port, the beach, ‘W’ Hotel and everything from Agbar Tower to Sagrada Familia. But I must warn you that it requires a lot of walking and it can be quite chilly at the top. Then after our hike, we went to good ol’ El Raval for paella, pizza, and empanadas for dinner at L’Avia, where we also met up with James Shaw (from Sauder who is studying in Bordeaux)! It still boggles my mind that I’m studying in Barcelona as I’ve never been away from home for this long before!

Lastly, on Halloween, there was a house party with all the BBA exchange students and I struggled trying to find a costume for the event. Mainly, because I didn’t know where to find a costume shop as Spain or most parts of Europe is not that invested in Halloween, let alone dressing up. Pretty last minute, Sophia, David, and I google mapped a few stores and managed to find a matching costume for us three! We went as Fairies! We were so cool and unique that even SeongHyuk joined in our ‘fairy fest’. Also the fact that it was super last minute and the costume costed literally 3 euros made this decision a no brainer.

Anywho, that wraps up October and with only two more months left of my exchange, my weekends are going to be jam-packed with food, travelling, friends, sightseeing, and shopping!

Cheers,
Kevin

Hello Palma de Mallorca

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After busy weeks of travelling, exams, and projects, it seems like I finally have time to sit down and blog again. At the moment, I am travelling with my parents (yay holidays!) and we’re in London, England! One of my last destination before going back home to Vancouver. Oh how I’m gonna miss Europe when I’m gone…

After a weekend of macarons, pate, and wine, I quickly traded all that for sun, beaches, and swim shorts at Palma de Mallorca. It is an island just off the coast of South-East Spain and it was beautiful, even in October! At first, Cicely wanted to go to the Canary Islands, which is also very pretty with black sand beaches, but It turned out to be very expensive since a lot of the places on the island required a tour guide and it would be difficult to travel without having a local around. So we settled for Palma and it turned out to be a six-people trip since Larissa, Shandon, Travis, and Melissa (Cicely’s classmates from Pamplona) also wanted to come! This also meant that we could rent a decent priced apartment all to ourselves, as well as a car to cruise around!

Before going on about my weekend, my professor Alex (Spanish History Class) brought us around on a tour to St. Jaume  and visited the cathedrals nearby. It was pretty interesting to learn about the significants of cathedrals and basilicas, as well as the history behind that area. Afterwards, a bunch of us headed for dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Rosa Negra, because it was Camille’s birthday. I had their 4 euro passionfruit margarita and it was so good, I ended the night with two of them! Sophia, Cherrie, Matt, and I wanted to try a variety from their menu, so we shared. We ordered a ceviche, the grilled chicken tacos with guacamole, seasoned slow cooked pork burritos, and shrimp, mushroom, and onion quesadillas. Everything was very good, but my personal favourite was the seasoned slow cooked pork burritos, it was juicy and jam-packed with flavour and the pork was tender and generously stuffed in a two whole hand burrito!

I started my weekend with Cicely over at my apartment after her trip in South of France. She complained about having too much cheese and wine, well that’s a first. By now, she knows the ins-and-outs of the city, so I didn’t have to show her around or do any of the touristy stuff. However, I brought her to a really nice tapas restaurant called Ciudad Condal. It was absolutely my favourite tapas place and the price is extremely reasonable for students like me. It was also a special occasion as it was Cherrie’s birthday (I met her through this exchange!) and she’s a huge foodie and a fellow blogger, who I will introduce in another post. Some items I highly recommend is their smoked salmon tapa, seafood salads, deep-fried cheese coated with peanuts, and this streak skewer which came with foie gras, but anyways I am positive that everything on the menu will taste great. The salmon was glazed with olive oil and topped with finely chopped pieces of tomato and onion. It tasted very fresh and the portion was thick unlike most pieces of smoked salmon. The seafood salad was mixed in a creamy mayo and seasoned lightly to bring out the flavours of the crab meat and shrimp, but not overdoing it.The streak was cooked medium rare and the foie gras just melted in my mouth. The deep fried cheese was very gooey and nutty, a genius combination and boy, was I stuffed! Paired with a couple glasses of wine and that’s what I called a good night!

The next morning, Cicely and I took the Renfre to the airport, which is usually a 30 min train ride and during the trip, Cicely was worried that her luggage would go over limit of RyanAir standard of carryon (it has to fit into their ‘box’), so I told her to stuff her coat pockets with things to lighten and make room in her suitcase. In the end, we safely boarded the plane and no one had a clue that Cicely had chargers and plugs stuffed in her coat. We were both feeling ecstatic during the flight, especially Cicely, who kept doing things. What I mean is, she cannot sit still at all. One minute she is trying to sleep, then reading her book, then next thing you know, she is ordering food and drinks (1.5 hr flight time), and lastly, she gets up to pee right before we are about to land. That crazy girl is always up to something, but good thing she is fun to be around with haha.

The flight was very short and in no time at time, we were in Mallorca renting a personal vehicle for the weekend. At first we wanted either an Audi or BMW, but we settled for a Volkswagen. I must admit, I was a bit rusty since I haven’t driven since a year ago (transit in Vancouver is pretty convenient, so I never had the need to drive). So naturally I was a bit nervous and when I drove on neutral instead of drive (oops!), Cicely stopped me and took over. The drive from the airport to our apartment was only 15 mins and our place was about a 5 min walk from the beach. The apartment was decent sized for six-people, however, their wifi was not the greatest, which meant that I couldn’t contact my group or upload my work onto the school’s website. Other than that, the place was pretty well-equiped and the most important part was that the bathroom was clean! Very cool indeed. It was just Cicely and I who were the first to arrive since Travis and his girlfriend flew in later in the evening. During our ‘free’ time, I did my homework and Cicely went out and explored the nearby markets and streets for food, drinks, and restaurants. We also had lunch at a cafe by the beach, I had a wings platter, while Cicely had a salad, and we both shared a sangria.

Steak and rice

Steak and rice

In the evening, Travis and Melissa finally arrived and we picked them up from the airport and drove to an nearby waterfront Italian restaurant for dinner. I had steak with rice and I shared a melon and ham with Cicely. The food was alright, nothing special and my streak was cooked too well (I like it bloody), but the melon and ham was really fresh on the other hand (hard to mess this up).

The next morning, we had breakfast at a local cafe and it was superb! I had eggs, toast, bacon, coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice for only 4 euros! What a steal! We then drove to a hidden beach and on the way, we drove by some cliffs and mountains. The view was break taking and the ocean water was crystal blue! It almost looked like it could fade into the sky. At the beach, we took out a sailboat and of course, Travis sailed us around, while we frantically grabbed on for our lives so we don’t fall into the water. It was my first time going on something like this and it was very thrilling and scary at the same time. Because the beach was an hour away from the city centre, we had to rush back to the airport to pick up Shandon and Larissa, and then we headed out for dinner. Surprise surprise! I had steak again haha! The steak was a lot better at this restaurant and the owner was very friendly and gave us complimentary tapas to start.

The next day, we drove to another hidden beach. It was very rocky and although the view and scenery was nice, it wasn’t a beach where I could lay down and relax. So we ended up driving to another nearby beach. We saw swans and donkeys on the way which was a bonus I guess! The second beach was a lot better, the water was nice and clear, and the sand was soft, not to mention, the sun was at its prime time for an afternoon tan. I snorkelled for the first time using Shandon’s gear and although, I’m blind as a bat without my glasses, it was really cool swimming with the Mediterranean fishes!

Palma

Seafood carbonara linguine

That night we ate at an Italian restaurant and I had a seafood-carbonara linguine. It was also the night when Cicely flipped out! Reasons being that when Larissa and Shandon got their food, they found a piece of plastic in it after having two-three bites in. Then they brought over a new plate and this time, they found GLASS! Yep, that’s right, a piece of glass. We told the manager and they apologized and by then we just wanted to pay and leave. When the bill came, Shandon and Larissa’s food was taken off and we thought, “wow how nice of them to take it off”. But just minutes after, the manager rushed back and said the bill was not correct and he added back Shandon’s food on the bill. Cicely full-on raged and told the manager that it was a piece of glass in their food and it went something along the lines of: “There was a piece of glass in there! They could’ve swallowed it and it could’ve killed them! (the managers looks slightly confused at this point) It could’ve have slit their throat. *while pointing at the glass windows in the restaurant* It was glass like windows, there was a bleeping window in their food!!” Who could argue with that? I mean Cicely had such a mouthful of colourful language and words and I believe the manager got the point at the end since he didn’t charge them for their food.

Even though dinner took quite an unexpected turn, we still enjoyed ourselves with a couple glasses of vino and bags of chips (Damn you Cicely for turning me into an addict!!). We watched funny viral videos on YouTube and jammed to “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)” by Ylvis, such an awesome video!

The next morning, we rushed for breakfast and got ready to set sail on a catamaran! Before this trip, I had no idea what this was, nor did I know what people do on a catamaran. We chilled on the deck with everyone’s favourite, Don Simon and spread ourselves out for an afternoon tanning session. This trip also included a bbq and bottomless sangria, sweet deal right?! We also got to swim around in the Mediterranean water and explore a close by island. It was super fun and definitely worth the money! The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and it was easily the highlight of my trip to Palma.

Then we met up with Larissa and Shandon to drive to another hidden beach where Travis and I transformed Cicely into a beautiful, majestic mermaid! We worked so hard and hands down, it was definitely a master piece. Gaudi got nothing on us! And since it was our last night in Palma, we’d thought we try something different and went to a Mexican restaurant. I felt famish after a full day of non-stop activities. I had spicy-crispy wings and a delicious, juicy pork burger with a side of homemade potato chips. It was the bomb dot com, my mouth and stomach couldn’t be more happy.

And at last, it was time to go home and since my flight was at 6am, I barely got some shut eye and left the house around 4am. For a moment, we had a mini panic attack since it was daylight savings and we thought we overslept an hour more. But turns out, our (smart) phones auto-adjusted and we safely made it to the airport in good time. All’s Well that ends well. So that was my perfect weekend getaway, how was your weekend? What would be your perfect getaway?

Cheers!
Kevin

Hello Paris + Disneyland

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At first, I had no plans of going to Paris, or anywhere for that matter. I was just planning to stay in Barcelona and chill for the weekend, but somehow my bestest friends (cic paid me to write this) in the whole universe Cicely and Tyler convinced me to go… Also I haven’t seen either of them for a long time and since my trip to Paris (two summers ago), I couldn’t wait to get back to the Parisian lifestyle. Love them baguettes, cheese, croissants, pâté, macarons, and wine.

And even though I’ve already been to Disneyland in Paris and once was enough (the park was not as great as LA), Tyler tricked me (he lied about buying me a ticket -_-) and I got sucked into going again. But nonetheless, thanks to them, I had a great time at the park and thanks to Tyler and Meag for hosting me at their lovely apartment. Paris was definitely a good idea, especially for a weekend getaway. I just love the culture, beauty, and elegance of the city and since I knew more French than Spanish, life in Paris was easy.

I took a super early flight at 6am, so I had to leave the house around 3am to take the night bus to the airport. And once again, I took RyanAir, which I was dreading because the airport it arrives in Paris is in Beauvais (RyanAir only flies there) and that is about an hour bus ride to the city. It’s a waste of time and the bus cost 16 euros (outrageous!). The downfall of cheap RyanAir flights is that it takes you to the worst airport, ever!

I got to the Beauvais airport around 8:50am and after a sleepless night and commute, I finally got to Tyler’s apartment around 11am. We were running on a tight schedule, because Cicely was leaving the next day (only had a day’s time with Cic after weeks), we left right after to take a train to Parc Disney. I wasn’t feeling my best since I was super tired and the cloudy weather definitely didn’t help my mood. On the other hand, Tyler and Cicely were so hyped, and I didn’t want to be a party pooper, so I got a red bull and pound it back like no tomorrow—I was good to go!

The park was around 45-60mins away from the city by train, but luckily, the train (RER A) runs pretty often and no transfers necessary. I guess it was good that the weather was cloudy, because there weren’t as many people as then last time I’ve been. I highly recommended buying tickets ahead of time online (so much cheaper) because the tickets at the booth costed 79 euros for a day pass to two parks. In order to get through both parks and get on as many rides as possible, we strategized on a plan to first explore Walt Disney Studios park and then Disneyland park. We also decided to only go on the rides that are good/thrilling, and if we had more time, we would try other rides. And it wouldn’t be a trip to Disneyland without getting some Mickey and Minnie ears—we looked adorable! Also because Halloween was just around the corner, the parks were fully decorated to match the festivities!

First ride we went on was the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (happens to be one of my favourites) and Cicely couldn’t have been more scared when we were lining up. The line wasn’t too bad (we waited around for 15-20mins) and the ride was just how I remembered it, except for the fact that a crazy dude wouldn’t stop taking pictures, even during the ride. So our ride was stopped early! Boo! Our next ride was Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and it was kinda disappointing since it was pitch black with super loud rock music playing. Crush’s Coaster was really fun, although, I don’t exactly remember what happened except that it was fast and on water. There weren’t as many thrilling rides in the studio and most of the attraction were sit-down movie shows, so we made our way to Disneyland. Lucky us, it started to rain at that point and we ran like maniacs to the other park. Regardless, we were soaking wet by the time we made it there.

I forget in what order, but we went on Indiana Jones, Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, Les Voyages de Pinocchio, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. My favourite would have to be Space Mountain because the ride was sheer speed. It was so fast and the visual effects were awesome. Although, it was very bumpy and at one point, I felt like I was gonna be shot off the ride, it was by far my fave! I went on it twice! Another highlight was Peter Pan’s Flight and even though it wasn’t a thrilling ride or anything, the visual was terrific and I got to relive the story in a minute or two. I also recommend going on the Tea Cups to embrace your inner child and practice your hand-eye coordination on the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. I challenge you to try and beat my score! Tyler and Cicely had nothing on me. 😉

And because of the rain, we didn’t have to wait very long for many of the rides. We also weren’t sure if the rain would interfere with the parade that was scheduled. Luckily the show went on and I caught everything on camera! My favourite would have to be Mickey and friends of course. Just when it couldn’t get any better, the finale to end it all… FIREWORKS! I can’t remember what happened during the fireworks at Disneyland in Cali except seeing Tinker bell flying around at the end. Nonetheless, the one in Paris was pretty awesome, and in my video, I kept saying “wow” every now and then. Watch a snippet here on my Instagram!

Too bad half the time, the projection was in French and I wasn’t standing in the centre, so it didn’t look as great. The night ended with us going to a nearby cafe for late supper. I had some sort of grilled duck and layered potatoes. The taste was superb as the duck was grilled to medium rare and had the right amount of fat and lean meat. The potatoes were soft, but not mashed and cooked just right. The sauce had this peppery flavour which only enhanced the taste of the duck and potatoes to heavenly standards. I want seconds just thinking about it. Paired it with a glass of vino blanc and that’s what I call a perfect dinner.

The next morning, we woke up starving for sushi. So we met up with some of Tyler’s school friends for all you can eat, and boy did we order a lot. I was blinded by how hungry I was, so Cicley and I just ordered six of everything. The owner had their doubts and eventually, we stopped more food from coming. There was so much food, Cicely had to run to the washroom to dispose a handful sushi (mostly rice, they gave us bowls of rice along with sashimi! How cheap!). It was not our proud moment, but it felt so good to finish everything and prove it to the owners. I am pretty sure, Tyler’s friends are scared of how much I can eat. Later that afternoon, Cicely left us to flight to South of France for the weekend—but I’ll see her the week after because we are going to Palma de Mallorca for some sun and beaches!! Woot woot!

Besides going to Disneyland, I had another mission. Go check out the Paris outlet and try all these Parisian Patisseries that my good foodie friend Cherrie recommended! The outlet was called La Vallée Village and although it had brands such as Burberry, Céline, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Fred Perry, Paul Smith, and many more, it was a bit of a let down. The prices weren’t as discounted and the stuff was very outdated. The only thing I bought was a black leather belt with a gold buckle from KENZO. What can I say, I love gold. And I finally visited Ladurée for their infamous luxurious macarons. I highly recommend the rose flavour, it was one of a kind and I’ve never tasted any macarons as delicious as these ones. It is a bit pricey compared to regular patisseries, but trust me, Ladurée is worth every penny. Not to mention, it came in a very luxurious box (I kept it of course!). Another great patisseries is Sadaharu Aoki which is a bit like Parisian/Japanese fusion. My top recommendations are their green tea pastries like macarons, cakes, and chocolates.

I was also suppose to visit this market (Marche Saxe Breteuil) near the Eiffel Tower, however, I got there too late and it closed. According to Cherrie, they have amazing seafood for an incredible price and fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. I was gonna get a dozen oysters there (after seeing some of her pictures), but instead I found another fresh oyster stand near where Tyler lives. It was relatively cheap too (I think it was around 11 euros/dozen)! I am very picky when it comes to raw oysters and I have a strong preference for the tiny ones only, and the ones I bought was perfect in taste and size.

I also did some (not a whole lot since I’ve already been to Paris) touristy things like walk around Champs-Élysées, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and etc. I stood in the middle of Champs-Élysées and snapped the exact picture of the Arc de Triomphe as I did two years ago. It brought a lot of memories back, crazy times with great friends. The last thing I wanted in Paris was to visit the KENZO store and finally get my hands on their New Era hats. And surprise surprise, they didn’t have the design I’ve been eyeing on for weeks. So instead, I made a spontaneous purchase of the Tiger Head sweatshirt. I see it all the time, but I could never reason myself to spend so much on a sweatshirt, even if its branded. But I pulled a #yolo and spoiled myself and now, I couldn’t be happier (love it sooo much)!

new favourite sweatshirt

new favourite sweatshirt

Near the end of my trip, Tyler had a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner at his place and he invited all his buds from Science Po. I had the pleasure of meeting them lovely people and we all became friends instantly. They were all super friendly and easy to talk to, I wish they were going to school with me!! For dinner, Tyler and I attempted to bake a whole chicken with mixed veggies. It wasn’t the best dish, but it was definitely edible and besides, there was so much food that a whole chicken lost its appeal in comparison to all the fine dishes that other people had brought. Ku Young made Korean chicken wings and they were the bomb.com!—a little spicy, just the way I like it. Rosie made a pumpkin pie and we devoured it in less than a minute. And there was definitely more dishes, but I can’t seem to remember anymore since wine was also on the menu. No doubt, I had so much wine on this trip.

To end the trip, on the last night, we all went to the Eiffel Tower which I never got to see before and I regretted ever since. We sat in the park and toasted to wine and chips (classy pair right?). It was a beautiful weekend, lots of memories were made and Paris will always have a place in my heart. 🙂 I can’t wait to go back in December, but this time with my parents and brother. Special thanks to Meag and Tyler for hosting me at their lovely Parisian apartment and I’m so glad I got to see my fellow Sauderites and not to mention, I had a wonderful time meeting all of Tyler’s school friends (I’m gonna steal them away!).

Anywhos, that’s what I did, how about you? I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and hopefully it is just as eventful (if not more) as mine. Now I have a question for you all, what is your favourite ride in Disneyland?

Cheers,
Kevin