Tayo na sa Antipolo!

     We are not spontaneous. If there is one thing about my little family, we like things planned. As early as when my kids were babies, their feeding was time, sleep time were scheduled. Everything in almost quartz precision time. ( Not as I had hoped.) Our travels are no different. Each adventure is born from meticulous research; reading numerous reviews, countless drops of Eye-Mo for eye strain from looking at the computer screen. Still a question hangs if H will approve or will be not too lazy to drive us. After all, he is the king of I-love-my-comfort-zone. If he does agree, then after the initial shock and disbelief, the thrill of spontineity begins. What? Huh? We are actually going? Well one day in April this year, luck was on our side and H was uh, spontaneous and agreed to go to my 'planned' Antipolo Day. 

     We left the house at around 7am and took the back door of our village (Marikina) to Antipolo. First stop was Antipolo Church or the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine. We were just going to stop by and pray but luckily Holy Mass was starting and we decide to stay and hear mass. Though Red ( Yellow is now Red since she moved schools.) and I were wearing shorts the ladies in church had sky blue shawls ready to lend church goers and use as cover-ups. It was such a blessing to hear mass as Our Lady in Antipolo is the patroness of travel and we were leaving for two trips in May. Yey!!! Praise God!

Bought some rosaries for H's mom here.

     After church I bought a bunch of samplings of the suman and sapin-sapin (Native Filipino snacks) that are or me quintessentially Antipolo so the kids can try. I grew up going to Antipolo every month of May and eating these. Sadly my kids are not fond of local food like this. They tried them though and said ok. Okay! 

 I love this suman! I used to eat it with sugar now muscovado! Healthy daw!

     Next on our itinerary was Crescent Moon Cafe and Lanelle Abueva's pottery studio. I loooove pottery and I've been a fan of Lanelle forever. In fact the double sinks in our master bath are made by Lanelle. We got lost a bit. Waze's fault. It has been too long since I went there. 

Koi pond is still there!

     Lanelle makes the same kind of pottery though updated but I really go there for the rejects pieces in the back. The guy charged me P200 a kilo I think I read P150 somewhere but I was too excited to care plus he gave us lots of freebies. My mission was to buy condiment dishes and I did so I was happy! 

      Next stop PINTO Art Gallery!

 

     The last time I was there was to watch a Cecile Licad concert with my mom as we were invited by her med school senior who is the gallery owner, Dr. Joven Cuanang. Yup! Again, ages ago. It has expanded so much! We got a guide! We always get a guide or a docent when we go to museums. He was a student doing OJT and we learned a lot and appreciated the pieces more because of him. (Plus, he saved me yanking out my reading glasses to read about the pieces.) It was the height of summer and it got really hot. (If you intend to come here, please wera summer clothes.) We were thirsty and hungry after the tour and though the museum coffee shop was tempting, we were hungrier than the looks of the coffee shop. 

     Meanwhile please scroll all the way down and enjoy my Pinto porn! Too many beautiful art and spaces!  You'll know where we ate at the end of the post.

     I wanted to have lunch at a place owned by my high school friend Diana Lee and have read good reviews about. We had to go back up Antipolo a bit to get there from PINTO and the traffic was already bad. How sad that we are so limited sometimes by this terrible traffic jams. Anyway, after much debating we all agreed to drive down from Antipolo altogether and eat at Rustic Mornings in Marikina. Yummy, every one's favorite! So much for Antipolo Day... So there you go our planned, spontaneous Antipolo + Marikina Adventure! 

      Where to next?

Fried Chicken and Waffle at Rustic Mornings