Michi Photostory

How I wish, I could extend our vacation in Copenhagen, Denmark because four days are not enough. Sad to say, we could no longer extend our stay because everything was pre-booked already including our train ticket and hotel. And because Day 4 is our last day in Denmark, my companions don’t want to go out anymore.

They prefer to stay in the hotel until our check-out which is 11AM but I don’t want to waste my time waiting at the hotel so I insisted that we should go out. I convinced them that we had enough time to visit Christianborg Palace before our train ride at 12:23NN. Thank God, pinagbigyan na nila ko.

So we had an early breakfast and we stored our luggage in the locker room so just in case, we could not make it before 11AM for check-out, we wouldn’t pay any extra because our room was already empty.

Again, we just walked from the Urban House by Meininger to Christianborg Palace. We arrived before 9AM so we were freezing cold while waiting outside of the palace door. If you have limited time in Copenhagen, I suggest you go to Christianborg Palace because you can visit several tourist spots in one location. You can visit The Royal Reception Rooms, The Royal Stables, The Royal Kitchen, The Ruins under Christianborg and Christianborg Palace Chapel.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger   

To save money, don’t forget to buy a Copenhagen Card. We’re thankful that we were able to maximize and save a lot of money using this card. I’ll share the pros and cons of the Copenhagen Card in a separate post. And because of limited time, we only visited three tourist spots.

Buy Copenhagen Card 

Christianborg Admission Price 

The Ruins: 60.00 DKK
The Royal Reception Rooms: 95.00 DKK
The Royal Stables: 60.00 DKK
The Royal Kitchen: 60.00 DKK
Child: Free
Combined ticket: 160.00 DKK

Christianborg Palace 

Christianborg Palace is not only a palace but a government building too which is located on the tiny island of Slotsholmen in Central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is where you can find the remains of the country’s principal castle of the Middle Ages and the home of three government branches; the Danish Parliament, Danish Prime Minister’s Office and Supreme Court of Denmark. It is the only building in the world that contains the 3 supreme powers of government; executive power, legislative power, and the judicial power.

Christianborg Palace is owned by the Danish government, some parts of the palace are still being used by the Danish Royal Family for their events and functions like the Royal Receptions Rooms, The Tower Room, The Oval Throne Room, The Palace Chapel, and the Royal Stables. Some parts are open to the public.

Christianborg - The Royal Reception Rooms 

At exactly 9AM, they opened the Royal Reception Rooms. There is a free guided tour that you can join, don't forget to check the schedule. But during our visit, no English Tour Guide at 9AM so we just explored the palace on our own. I just showed our Copenhagen Card and the staff advised us to wear shoe covers before exploring the place. We’re the first guests so we had the palace to ourselves, no photobomber.




We’ve been to Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg Palace but Christianborg Palace is my favorite. The place is well-preserved, well-decorated and looks elegant. Every corner of the palace is very stunning. I was glad that we were able to visit Christianborg Palace before going to Stockholm.



We took our time exploring Throne Room, The Great Hall, The Dining Hall, and the Library. As I mentioned before, some parts of the palace are still being used by the Queen like the majestic hall and other rooms for their state dinners, banquets, and other royal ceremonies. So it is a great feeling that ordinary people like me can enter this palace. Don’t forget to check out the unique tapestries at the Great Hall which illustrates the History of Denmark and the world over the past 1000 years.


While waiting for 10AM, we bought some souvenirs at The Palace Shop and off we went to the Ruins for our next tour.

The Ruins under Christianborg

Under the new Christianborg Palace is the ruins of two principal castles that were built in the same location. The Absalon’s Castle that was built in the 11th century, you can still see the remaining wall. And that same wall protected the castle from Wend pirates. The second ruin is Copenhagen Castle that was built in 1369 but it was torn down and they built a new one. Another ruin is the foundation of the Blue Tower where King Christian’s favorite daughter, Leonora Christine, political prisoners, soldiers, and other criminals were held captive.




The Christianborg Ruins highlights the more than 800-year-old underground history of the palace as a medieval castle, royal residence, political and cultural center. We did not stay that long in this place because it is dark and the smell is not nice so it is kinda creepy to explore.

Christianborg - The Royal Kitchen

Beneath the Christianborg Palace is the Royal Kitchen which was built and completed in 1928. This kitchen was used for preparing food for royal parties and celebrations in the Great Hall. The Royal Kitchen is equipped and furnished and they have one of the largest collections of copperware in Europe. See, smell and feel what happened during the King Christian’s Silver Jubilee gala dinner last May 15, 1937. See the menu below.

1. Soup Ambassadeur
2. Filet of Sole a la Nantua
3. Tenderloin Bouquetiere
4. Chicken Parisienne
5. Ice Cream Royale
6. Dessert



Our Day 4 in Copenhagen, Denmark was short but it is one of the highlights of our trip and I’m glad that I really pushed this itinerary. After our Royal Kitchen Tour, we immediately went back to our hotel to pick up our luggage, check-out and off to Copenhagen Central Train Station. We had a quick lunch at Food Market before riding the SJ train to Stockholm Sweden.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark
Day 1 in Copenhagen 
Day 2 in Copenhagen 
Day 3 in Copenhagen 

Hans Christian Andersen is a famous Danish author who wrote countless fairy tales. I am not surprised where he got some of his inspirations because Denmark is surrounded by castles or palaces. In Copenhagen alone, there are several castles that you can visit so if you are castles fanatic, it is better to buy Copenhagen Card or Park Museum Ticket so you can save money.

Buy Copenhagen Card


On our Day 3 in Copenhagen, we were able to visit 2 castles; Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg Castle. Rosenborg Castle is the first castle that I have ever visited so I was quite excited for my first castle experience and this castle did not disappoint me. While I'm busy getting our tickets, my companions are watching changing of guards.

Read: Day 3 in Copenhagen Denmark 






Rosenborg Castle was built at the beginning of the 1600s as a country summerhouse of King Christian IV, who is a popular king because of his colorful personality, architectural projects, and lost wars. In 1710, Rosenborg castle was no longer used as a royal residence but became a treasure chest of the family. In 1838, it opened its door to the public where people can have a glimpse of the wealth and status of the Danish royal family.

Admission Price 

Adult - 115.00 DKK
Child (0-17) - Free
Copenhagen Card - Free
Park Museums - Free
Student - 75.00 DKK

Things that you should remember 

1. Backpacks are not allowed inside the castle but don’t worry because they have a locker room where you can leave your stuff.
2. There is free wifi. You can use your smartphone as a guide to give you in-depth information about the rooms.
3. You can also use your smartphone to read the QR-codes found on many objects and explore them.
4. You can buy a guidebook at the museum shop.
5. Do not touch the objects and wall decorations in the castle.
6. You are allowed to take photos but not with a tripod or stick.


The admission ticket is not cheap so we took our time in exploring the castle The museum has 5 floors so don’t forget to get a guide map so you won’t miss anything. The main attractions of the castle are Knight’s Hall, coronation thrones, three life-sized silver lions,12 taspetries, collection of Flora Danica, and crown jewels.








Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen
Day 2 in Copenhagen

Living healthy is indeed a challenge, it is still a struggle for me to have a healthy lifestyle. I can compare it to the season, sometimes I eat healthy foods and sometimes I don’t. When it comes to food, my self-control is really low.

I learned about Oh So Healthy Fruit Crisps while I was browsing a beauty website, I wanted to order but I was hesitant because of the price + shipping fee. Then I learned that it is available at Healthy Options store too kaso hindi naman ko nagagawi ng Healthy Options. Hehehe!

 A few months ago, we went to Landers Superstore and I saw the Oh So Healthy Fruit Crisps and it was on sale. From P89.75 to P79.75 so I bought all the available flavors; Mango Sweet Banana, Purple Yam Banana Coconut and Jackfruit Pineapple Banana.


Oh So Healthy Fruit Crisps are blended mixed fruit with no added sugar, no preservatives, no cholesterol and gluten-free. In addition, it is made without oil or frying so you can enjoy all-natural snacks. I like packaging and colors of the fruit crisps, it also has a zip lock so just in case that you haven’t finished it, you can seal it again.


When I opened the packaging, I was shocked kasi ang konti lang pala ng laman, the photo will give you an idea. As in naloko ko ng packaging. Hehehe! Just like other chips in the market, malaki packaging pero nasa kalahati ang laman. Tapos ang mahal, pero ganun naman yata pag all-natural or organic, ang mahal ng presyo.

Anyway, the fruit crisps are good naman, my personal favorite is the Jackfruit Pineapple Banana variant. My two boys don’t like the fruit crisps so ako lang kumakain. As of this writing, kakaubos ko lang ng last pack. Ganun katagal inabot sa amin ang fruit crisps, one pack per month.

TGI Fridays is an American restaurant chain that has been around since 1965 and now they have more than 931 restaurants around the world including the Philippines. I don’t know how long they are here in the Philippines but one thing for sure, matagal na talaga. Yes, matagal ko na ring niyaya si hubby na kumain sa TGI Fridays pero lagi niya sinasabi na hindi naman masarap diyan e.


Last week, my friends and I went to Southwoods Mall for our birthday celebration. Marami kami August celebrants kaso not all are available on that date pero tinuloy na rin namin bago pa matapos ang August. We’re choosing between two restaurants pero sarado pa pala ang isa so we ended up at TGI Fridays.

As the years go by, I realized that I’m really getting old because of my life problems, challenges, and struggles in life are no longer simple. It is hard to accept that my son is no longer a baby and few years from now I have a teenager. I can’t stop my white hair from growing and I can’t deny the fact that even I have a skincare routine, my skin is still aging. But I have no problem getting older because as the quote says “Do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied by many”.


I know that life is short, we don’t when is our time but I always pray that I will live long because I want to grow old with my two boys, I have so many things that I want to do and I have so many places that I want to visit on my travel bucket list.


Speaking of the bucket list, I wanted to travel for my birthday celebration because I have a new motto “Travel before you run out of time”. In addition, we have a long weekend. My son and I have 4 days free so I suggested it to my husband. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t like the idea because he has an upcoming business trip, instead, he wants us to join his trip to Jakarta, Indonesia.

So I told my son about it but my son doesn’t want to be absent for 3 days. I even told my son, wala naman kayo lessons for that week, cheering practice and competition lang. Remember, we did this 3 years ago, we went to Singapore. My son still said, NO. I cannot persuade my two boys and at that time, I don’t know if I would be happy or sad.

Sad because no one wants to travel with me and few days from now, our passports are about to expire. Happy because my son chose school instead of a trip to Indonesia. At least kahit wala lessons, ayaw niya umabsent and he wants to be part of their cheering competition. Good thing that they won in their Cheers & Yells Competition. Yey! Back to back champ.

Anyway, sulking on my birthday will do no good for me. Even my plans did not materialize, I still have reasons to be happy. I celebrated my birthday in Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant, we had a birthday staycation at Sheraton Manila, and my friends and I had a food trip at TGI Fridays. More details on a separate post.

When I started baking, my husband gifted me a Philips Stand Mixer and I’ve been using it for 12 years already. It is still working fine and madami na kaming pinagsamahan. But when I attended a bread baking class and started making dough, I find that my current mixer is too small for my bread recipe and nahihirapan siya sa pag knead ng dough.

And because of that, I wanted to replace my mixer. Of course, I want a KitchenAid mixer, I’m sure I’m not alone in this dream, every baker wants a KitchenAid. My only concern is the price, yes, we all know that KitchenAid mixer is not cheap so I was hesitant to buy this.

Two years ago, my husband went to the USA and when he visited an Outlet, he started sending me some KitchenAid photos. He asked me if I want a mixer but at that time, our oven is not yet fixed so I declined.

Now, we have a new gas range so last week, my husband told me na bumili na daw ko ng KitchenAid mixer, birthday gift daw niya sa akin. I saw KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer at Landers, the price is P24,5999.75. My husband wanted to buy it na so I can have it before my birthday but I told him, I will check Rustan’s first.

So last weekend after my Birthday Staycation at Sheraton Manila, we went straight to Alabang Town Center. From the parking lot, we saw Anson’s so we checked kung may KitchenAid sila kaso wala. Then nagCR break ang mag-ama ko and while waiting for them, I saw the KitchenAid store and may sign na SALE.


When my two boys went out from the CR, my husband called me and tinuro niya yung way na pabalik ng Anson’s pero hindi ako lumapit, sila pinapunta ko sila sa pwesto ko. Hehehe! My husband was also surprised na may KitchenAid store sa ATC.


So all the mixers are on sale, may 15% and 20% discount kaming nakita. I saw the Artisan Mini Stand Mixer at P19,995 only from P31,195. I was tempted to buy this mixer because I can choose colors but I reminded myself that I need a bigger mixer. I can choose 5QT but I chose the 4.5QT Classic Mixer kasi ito yung pinakamura and konti lang naman difference sa size. The only disadvantage lang is the color, White or Onyx Black lang ang meron. I chose the Onyx Black because I don’t like white colors at dumihin.

KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Classic Stand Mixer

Flour Power Rating: 6 cups all-purpose flour

Features:
0.33 horsepower DC motor is designed to run longer and delivers optimum torque with less heat build up.
Tilt-head mechanism for easy removal of bowl and accessories.
Patented planetary mixing action provides the highest beater to bowl ratio for faster and more thorough mixing
All metal construction ensures many years of dependable service
Seamless design cleans up easily with a soft damp cloth.
Fits all attachments available.

Accessories included : 4.5 QT Stainless Steel Work Bowl, Coated Flat BEater, Whire Whisk, COated C-Dough Hook.

I’m not sure kung sino mas happy sa amin ni hubby, happy ako sa bagong mixer ko or mas happy si hubby kasi sobrang nakamura siya. He bought this for P17,245 and he saved P7354.75 kasi hindi ako agad bumili sa Landers. He even went to Rustan’s to check the price, naka-Sale din sila pero mas mura pa rin sa KitchenAid store mismo. I checked online and may sale din, the staff said until end of August daw.

August month was so overwhelming, there were so many life events happening from left and right. In addition, I enrolled in an online class last month so since July I have been busy studying and finishing my project. Today, I received an email that I passed my final exam. Yey, at last makakahinga na rin ko. To keep me sane, let me reminisce about our travel to Copenhagen last summer. I already blogged about our Day 1 and Day 2 so let me share our Day 3 in Copenhagen.

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen 
Day 2 in Copenhagen 

Day 3 in Copenhagen 

It was snowing in the morning so we’re praying for good weather because it is so hard to walk if it is so cold. And because of that, we left around 10AM so it is a little bit late but we’re thankful that we were able to visit 5 tourist places kahit naligaw-ligaw pa kami sa paglalakad. Hehehe! From Urban House, we just walked to the City Hall then the Strøget Shopping Street until we reached the Round Tower.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen

The Round Tower 

If you are reading blogs or forums, then you are familiar with The Round Tower. It has been a popular structure in Denmark since 1642. King Christian IV built the tower for astronomical observatory purposes and to continue the Tycho Brahe research. It is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.


Now, The Round Tower is famous because you can enjoy the 360-degree view of the old part city of Copenhagen. You need to walk around the building until you reach the spiral staircase. It is about 209 meters walk to reach the top which is only 36 meters tall.


Halfway to the top, there is a Library Hall too which was a university library until 1861. Today, it accommodates art exhibitions, souvenir shops, and restrooms. Han Christian Andersen, the famous Danish writer used to visit this library too.


We’ve been to Copenhagen City Hall Tower so I can say that The Round Tower is an easy climb, hindi kami napagod dito. We were not able to try the telescope in the observatory because it was closed. The panorama view was nice but I prefer the bird’s eye view of the City Hall. You can also visit The Church of Our Saviour if you like to see some views too. I’ve seen that church during our Canal Tours in Copenhagen.


Admission Price 
Copenhagen Card - Free
Adult - 25.00 DKK
Children (5-15) - 5.00 DKK

The King's Garden 

From The Round Tower, we went straight to The King’s Garden or Rosenborg Castle Garden. It is the oldest royal garden in Denmark which was established in early 1600 by King Christian IV. The garden is home to a large herbaceous border, a rose garden, a lime tree (Knight’s Path and Lady’s Path), a cherry blossom tree, and some famous statues. The King’s Garden is popular for tourists because there is no entrance fee.



I’ve been meaning to revisit Japan because of Sakura so I was really happy when I saw the cherry blossom trees in The King’s Garden. My husband even told me, hindi na tayo pupunta ng Japan, meron naman pala dito. Hehehe!

Rosenborg Castle 

You can already see Rosenborg Castle from The King’s Garden, we just had snacks at the garden then we went straight to the castle. Denmark does not have many castles and I think the majority of the castles are free using the Copenhagen Card.


It was 400 years ago when Rosenborg Castle was built by King Christian IV as a pleasure palace and became the King’s favorite residence. Now, it is where you can see the oldest, finest, and rarest objects of the royal family. Visiting the castle is like traveling back in time and having a glimpse of wealth, status, and how the royal family lives their life.


The Rosenborg Castle is indeed an art treasure, the castle has five floors for you to explore. Take time to visit each floor because the entrance ticket is not cheap.

Read: Rosenberg Castle 

Admission Price

Adult - 115.00 DKK
Child (0-17) - Free
Copenhagen Card - Free
Park Museums - Free
Student - 75.00 DKK

After our visit to Rosenborg Castle, we moved to the Botanical Garden because according to the map, it is near Rosenborg Castle but we could not find it. I was so tired looking for it and was already hangry (hungry and angry, hehehe!) so I suggested to my mom to let go of the garden and we just go to Amalienborg Castle.

Lunch at Diamond Rice Restaurant

Of course, we had to eat first so we just walked and walked until we saw the Diamond Rice Restaurant. At last makakapaglunch na rin, is one of our dilemmas if we are traveling abroad because rice is life so we always look for an Asian restaurant.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen

Amalienborg Castle 


After lunch, we went straight to Amalienborg Castle and we were surprised that we only have less than an hour to explore the castle because their closing time is 3PM. I’m not aware that they changed the schedule because the last time I checked, 4PM is the closing time. But we’re still thankful that we’ve made it, sa dami ng nilakad at ligaw namin from Rosenborg Castle. Hehehe!



We saw this castle too during our Canal Tours Copenhagen. Amalienborg Castle is a sister museum of Rosenborg Castle and it exhibits the royal history from the mid 19th century until today. It is the continuation of your journey through time from Rosenborg Castle. The museum is not that big so we were able to finish it before 3PM.


Admission Price 
Adults - 0 DKK- 95.00 DKK
Children - Free
Copenhagen Card - Free

Frederik's Church or The Marble Church 

Frederik’s Church is just few steps away from Amalienborg so it is impossible that you will miss this church. It is also known as the Marble church because the church is made of Norwegian marble and Danish Faxe marble.



The Marble Church is a regular parish church, part of the Danish State Church, and an Evangelical-Lutheran church. During the summer months, you can go to the church dome every 1PM to check the view. We did not experience it because we visited last April so it is not summertime yet.

Admission Price 

Visits to the Dome (Child) - 20.00 DKK
Visits to the Dome (Adult) - 35.00 DKK

Tycho Brahe Planetarium 

After the Marble Church, my companion wanted to go back to the hotel but I told them that we could still visit Tycho Brahe Planetarium but nobody agreed with me and nobody allowed me to go alone. So goodbye Tycho Brahe Planetarium, we went back to our hotel and rested. We packed our stuff because we would be going to Stockholm, Sweden the following day.

Read: Cruise from Oslo to Copenhagen
Day 4 in Copenhagen

It’s been a long time since the last time I baked and sa sobrang tagal, feeling ko nakalimutan ko na gumamit ng oven. According to my blog, 2017 pa yung last bake ko ng bread and hindi ko pa oven, we baked pandesal when we were in Norway.

Read: Baking Pandesal with Filling

It was funny because few years ago I took a Bread Making Class and hindi ko pa totally napractice ang bread making skill ko, bigla nasira oven ko. Waah! My husband called the customer service and if I remember it right, we need to pay a minimum of PHP7500 for the service, pwede pa mag-increase if they need to replace something. The problem is the oven thermostat is not working, lahat ng niluluto ko kahit nasa lowest temperature pa, nasusunog.

Read: The Day I Learned How to Bake my Own Bread 

Of course, I don’t want to pay the fee kasi naman makakabili na ko ng brand new electric oven sa presyo na yun. I decided not to buy oven na lang kasi magdiet ako, less sweets na for me. Nadiet naman kami pero hindi rin nagtagal because we have sweet tooth. I stopped baking pero bumibili naman ko ng cakes and pastries. Hehehe!

Hanggang nasanay na ko na walang oven, I just cook food na hindi need ng oven. But few months ago, my son told me “Mommy, namimiss ko na yung brownies mo. When ka na bibili ng oven?”. We were planning for a kitchen makeover kasi so dun na sana kami magpapalit para isang gastos na lang. But my son misses my brownies so we decided to buy a new gas range. Hindi siya yung dream oven ko pero para sa ikaliligaya ng anak ko, go na lang.

Since last month, I started baking again, I baked my son’s favorite brownies and roast chicken. I tried a new recipe which is Nutella Puff Pastry but I don’t have a nice picture so I will blog about it next time, kapag nakagawa na ulit ako. And yesterday, I baked Oatmeal Cookie.


Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix 

Ang nobela ng intro ko, hehehe! I saw this cookie mix na nakasale sa Landmark supermarket, it was only P141.75 so I bought it. I tried other Betty Crocker instant mix na before so I’m sure that this oatmeal cookie will be a hit.

Read: Betty Crocker Chocolate Chips 
Betty Crocker Oatmeal Chocolate Chips


Just like the other Betty Crocker cookie mix, you only need to add few ingredients like 1/2 butter, 1 egg and 1 tbsp of water. Just mix the wet and dry ingredients and bake it for 10-12 minutes at 350F.



My son likes to add chocolate chips but we don’t have stock at home so I just add Freia Chocolate on top of it. I remember, few years ago my son dislike oatmeal cookie but now he loves it, binaon na rin niya maski yung plain oatmeal cookie.


Next time, I will try to bake oatmeal cookie from scratch, I hope it will taste good too. Medyo bitin kasi yung cookie mix (24 pieces). Kasi paglabas pa lang sa oven, kinain na agad ng mag-ama ko. The oatmeal cookie is soft and chewy, kahit galing sa fridge, soft and chewy pa rin siya kapag kinain.

I’m feeling overwhelmed these past three weeks, hence I have no blog post. I’m physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged. True enough when it rains, it pours. I just hope that blessings yung bumuhos but it wasn’t.

My son even told me, ”Mommy, we had three funerals in one year”. At first, I said, why three? Then I realized, we really had three funerals in less than a year, it started last October 2018, when my aunt-in-law passed away, then my grandmother last February 2019, and just this month, my sister-in-law left us too.

To be honest, hindi pa totally nagsink-in sa akin na wala na siya because it happened so fast. It also started in October and I can still remember that day because it was my grandmother-in-law’s 80th birthday. We’re on our way to Pangasinan and she still attended the birthday party even she was not feeling well.

On our way home, my husband kept on telling her na didiretso na kami ng hospital but she declined and sa apartment pa rin siya nagpahatid. In her mind, dysmenorrhea lang yun and kaya na ng pain reliever. The following day, I was surprised when I saw her Instagram Story, na-admit na pala siya and the doctor advised that she needs to undergo D&C.

I told her that I experienced that too when I had a miscarriage and I know some friends na nag-undergo din ng D&C because of heavy bleeding. I thought that she will be okayed after the D&C procedure kasi naging okay na naman ko after pero kahit nakalabas na siya ng hospital she was still not feeling well.

After a week, she went back to the doctor to check her biopsy and we were all shocked when we learned about the result, she has Uterine Cancer. Woah, who would ever think na yung pagiging anemic niya, abdominal pain and heavy bleeding pag may menstruation are signs of cancer na pala.

Even we know that is already stage IV, we did not lose hope because we know that there is nothing impossible and we knew that there are cancer survivors kahit stage IV pa. We are not rich and cancer treatment costs a fortune, but my husband together with my in-laws find ways to make sure that my sister-in-law will get her treatment.

From November, she underwent a series of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, tomotherapy, and brachytherapy. She was not able to finish her last two therapies because she was not feeling well last month. And because of that, she was admitted to the hospital until God called her home.