Michi Photostory

If we are traveling to another country, I always do my own research so we can save time and money. One way to save money is to look for good offers, discounts, promos, or travel cards. So when I was planning for our Scandinavian trip, I knew that I would purchase the Copenhagen Card, Stockholm Pass, and Oslo Pass. Unfortunately, our Oslo, Norway trip fell on Holy Week so we decided not to purchase the Oslo Pass because we knew that not all attractions and museums are open so we won’t be able to maximize the value of the card.

Sayang! I was really looking forward to our Oslo Trip but what can I do if the sightseeing tours and activities will be limited, all the shops are closed and approximately half of the restaurants will also be closed. Anyway, that is how Norway celebrates their Easter holiday, it is really time for family so the majority of Norwegians take their vacation leave to spend an entire week in the mountain cabin or travel outside the country.


Despite the limitations, we know that we can still enjoy our trip because there are still more interesting places that we can visit in the city. So for our Day 2 in Oslo Norway, we had our own version of DIY Walking Tour and we started our adventure from Cochs Pensjonat at 8AM. I mentioned in my previous blogs that our guesthouse is very near to tourist spots so we saved money on transportation.

Oslo Walking Tour

The Royal Palace Park 


The Palace Park was opened in the year 1847 by King Oscar I and it was designed by the palace architect H.D.F. Linstow. This park is open to the public all year round, where you can see ponds, lawns, and trees that were planted since 1842. You can also see a lot of sculptures in the palace park like the Statue of mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, the Statue of the author, and defender of women’s rights Camilla Collett, the Statue of Queen Maud, Statue of Princess Martha, Roedeer sculpture, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s Sculpture Park.


Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s Sculpture Park


A sculpture park that has been created by children and for children on May 19, 2016. It was a gift from the Savings Bank Foundation DNB in honor of the 25th anniversary of the accession to the Norwegian throne of their Majesties King Harald and Queen Sonja. The park has twelve sculptures that are based on the designs that were submitted in a nationwide competition of grade 6 students. The permanent sculptures are geometric fox, rabbit in trouble, pillow man, and many more.

The Royal Palace 

Det Kongelige Slott or The Royal Palace in English was built in 1824-1848 as the Norwegian residence of King Charles II John who was king of Norway and Sweden. This is also the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch. It is located at the end and top of Karl Johans gate.


We visited some of the castles and palaces in Copenhagen and Stockholm so if we will compare it to The Royal Palace, the Oslo palace looks simple. We were not able to witness the changing of the guards at 1:30PM and we were not able to go inside because the Royal Palace is only open during summer.

Karl Johans Gate


Karl Johans Gate is the famous main street of Oslo city, it was named in honor of King Charles III John also known as King Charles XIV John of Sweden. Walking on this street, you will pass other tourist attractions like the National Theatre, Parliament of Norway Stortinget, Eidsvolls Square, and the old University Building. 


University of Oslo Building


It was renamed Royal Frederick University. The oldest university in Norway and it used to be the largest Norwegian institution of higher education in terms of size.

National Theatre 


This building was designed by architect Henrik Bull and it is one of the largest and most prominent venues for dramatic arts in Norway. It is often considered as the home for Ibsen’s play.

Stortinget or Parliament of Norway 

This is the supreme legislature of Norway that was established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway.

Oslo Cathedral


Oslo Cathedral is also known as Our Savior’s Church, this is the main church for the church of Norway Diocese in Oslo. This is used by the Norwegian Government and the Norwegian Royal Family for public events like weddings and funerals.

Oslo Central Station


Of course the Oslo Central Station, is the busiest main railway station and largest railway station within the Norwegian Railway system. Outside the train station, you will see statues of tiger and hammer.


The Tiger 

Do you know that Oslo is also known as Tigerstaden or the Tiger City? So it is not surprising if you see the famous tiger statue outside the Oslo Central Station A 4.5 meter bronze statue made by Elena Engelsen.

Den Norske Opera & Ballet or Oslo Opera House 


The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet is the largest music and stage institution in Norway. One interesting about this building is you can walk on the roof of the Opera House, it is like climbing the building so it drains our energy. Good thing that you have a beautiful panoramic view of Oslo city and fjord. We saw the DFDS Cruise Ship that we took when we went to Copenhagen Denmark.

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen


Akershus Slott or Akershus Castle and Akershus Festning or Akershus Fortress 

This is the medieval castle that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. It was used as a military base and prison. It contains banquet halls, a Royal Mausoleum, a small church, and the government’s reception rooms. It is now a popular venue for major events like ceremonies, public holiday celebrations, and concerts.



After our half-day tour in Oslo City, we went back to Cochs Pensjonat for our late lunch. It was a tiring day so we called it a day. Tomorrow is another day to explore the city.

Read: Traveling to Oslo Norway from Stockholm Sweden 
Where to Stay in Oslo Norway 
Day 1 in Oslo Norway

I was browsing my blog posts and I stumbled this old post about Cheesy Garlic Bread. Ang tagal na pala namin kumakain nitong bread na ito. My husband’s colleague gifted us a United Village Breadhouse garlic bread last Christmas 2012 and since then it became one of our favorites.

I used to buy this at the bazaars only so I was glad when Landmark opened in Alabang area, so it became part of my grocery. I always have stock of this in the freezer because it is so easy to prepare, you can just toast it in the oven toaster and you have will have instant garlic bread.


Sometimes, if my son needs some potluck in school and I have no time to buy cakes, pastries, or drinks, I will prepare this garlic bread. Mas mabenta pa nga ito kaysa sa potluck na cake or pastries. Mas marami kasi nagdadala ng cakes and pastries sa school so puro sweets na.


If I have a mozzarella cheese and some leftover sausage, bacon, or ham, I add it and toast it in the oven toaster and we will have merienda in a few minutes. Mozzarella Cheese or Quickmelt cheese are staples in my kitchen because we love cheese.

Read: Recipe with Mozzarella Cheese 

December 27, 2012 

One of my husband’s colleagues gave us garlic bread last Christmas; I thought it was French bread because it’s really long. I forgot to serve it during our Noche Buena; I mean dinner so we ate it today. I made cheesy garlic bread for our merienda.



Garlic Bread + Mozzarella Cheese = YUM. Preparation is easy, just put the sliced mozzarella cheese and toast until cheese melts. Next time, I will add chopped tomatoes and bacon bits.

If you knew me, I love spending my birthday outside simply because ayaw ko magluto ng sarili ko handa, I rather go out and try a new restaurant. But because of the community quarantine, we cannot celebrate my birthday outside so I decided na maggrill na lang ulit kami ng food. I already blogged about our DIY Samgyeopsal at Home and for a change, seafood grill naman.

My husband bought Kimchi at Romantic Baboy P170 (500g). He also bought salmon, tanigue, shrimp and lettuce (P50) in the wet market for our seafood grill but I was craving for scallops. Namimiss ko yung Yurakuen Teppanyaki experience ko last year. While browsing my Instagram feed, I saw baked scallops so I checked the store and for the very first time, nag-order ako ng food online. I don’t even have a Grab or Lalamove app, so I’m thankful sa seller na nagbook sa akin ng delivery.


I was hesitant at first because we live outside Metro Manila so baka mas mahal pa delivery fee sa order ko. Pero dahil birthday ko naman, I have an excuse to splurge. I ordered the following from @ninjas.pantry. It only took me 3 hours to order, pay and receive my order, ganun kabilis lang.

Saikoro Wagyu Cubes (1kg) P1,250
Japanese Sausages (500g) 600
Japan Jumbo Scallops (1kg) 800 (9pcs only)
Chicken Karaage Set (300g) 350
Yakinuku Sauce 200
Grab Delivery 540
Total: P3740


As expected, we are not big eaters so I only took a portion of the Saikoro Wagyu Cubes, I divided the scallops into two portions. I grilled 5 scallops in the oven and grilled the remaining 4 scallops without shells using the electric grill. For the baked scallops, I just mixed minced garlic, lemon juice, melted butter, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture on top of the scallops and put some sliced mozzarella. Grilled it for 15 minutes.


Hindi ko na nilabas yung shrimp kasi tamad na ko magbalat. Hehehe! So I only prepared wagyu cubes, scallops, salmon, kimchi and lettuce. In fairness, kahit mahal yung wagyu cubes, masarap naman. I will order again for my son’s birthday naman kasi baka hindi na umabot yung stock namin, for sure may repeat ulit yung paggrill namin. Hehehe!


My husband bought Tiramisu cake at Cafe Mary Grace P1125 and nagcram ako na gumawa ng DIY cake topper. My husband gifted me a Cricut Maker, two months ago but I haven’t used it yet because I don’t have the Cricut tools. Two months of waiting din bago magkastock so last weekend was my first time to use it after my set-up. My first project was my DIY Cake Topper for my birthday cake, kaso masyado malaki pala yung cake topper ko so I guess I will make another version for my son’s birthday.



Watch the video here

It is not a secret here that I love watching Korean Drama series and of course I love Korean BBQ. It is one of the things that I really miss now, wala na kasi food trip. Ang tagal naman kasi ng community quarantine, hindi na tayo makapagmove-on. Since March, we haven’t experienced dining in the fastfoods or restaurants. I did not imagine that it will happen but it happened and we still don’t know when this COVID pandemic will end.

Read: List of Buffet Restaurant in the Philippines


I really miss the old times but as of now, we have no choice but to accept the present, live, and adapt to this new normal. Since I’ve been craving for Korean Barbeque or Samgyeopsal, I told my husband to buy our own grill so we can have DIY Samgyeopsal at Home. I chose grill because we already have a small induction cooker with a free pot if we want to have shabu-shabu.


I searched for an electric grill and I found this Imarflex Health Grill. This is the cheapest among the choices na nakita ko. Yung iba 7K+ pa, Waah! My husband bought this at Abenson for PHP2198 pero mas mura yata sa online (ibang brand), I just have no idea kung free shipping na yun. With this Health Grill, you can cook pizza, roast, stir-fry, saute, BBQ, steam, and you can also use this as a buffet server. It has a non-toxic ceramic coating and a non-toxic ceramic plate. It is so easy to operate and clean.

I don’t normally review the Korean Drama series that I have seen but after watching “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay”, I guess it deserves a post. I stopped watching Korean Drama for a while, the last Korean drama that I watched was “When Camellia Blooms”. Inaantok ako sa story, I tried to watch it pa until epi 9 kasi baka nga gumanda pa but I gave up.

After almost a month of not watching Korean Drama, nagbalik loob ako. I always see “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay’ on the Top 10 list of Netflix, I got curious so I checked the available episodes. There were already 12 episodes so, in my mind, I can start watching it because 4 episodes na lang naman ang kulang. I usually watch 1 to 2 episodes or 1 movie before sleeping.

"It’s OKay Not to Be Okay is a story about two brothers who lost their mom when they were still young. Gang Tae has no choice but to take care of his older brother Sang Tae who has autism. They keep on running away and relocating because of a traumatic experience until they meet Ko Moon-Young. She is a successful fairy tale writer who suffers from an antisocial personality disorder."



I thought I will only watch 1 or 2 episodes but I got hooked and I finished the 12 episodes in two days and nabitin pa ko. I’ve waited two more weeks for the 4 remaining episodes and finally, yesterday, I watched the last episode and ang hirap magmove-on, ang ganda lang ng ending.

I like “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay” because this series is so relatable, Growing up without parents is not easy, I am fortunate that I have my grandmother when my parents are not around pero si Gang Tae, Sang Tae, and Moon-Young, wala man lang relatives. They were struggling to live a normal life because of the challenges and traumatic experiences.

Thank God for kind people who help and treat them as a family. Grabe lang yung loyalty ni Jae-Soo kay Gang Tae and Sang Tae na hindi napapagod sa pagsunod sa dalawang magkapatid. Sobrang loyal din ni Sang-in kay Moon-Young na kahit may mood swings, he stayed. The mother and daughter Soon-Deok and Nam-Juri who welcomed Gang Tae and Sang Tae, na kahit iba ang gusto ni Gang Tae, accepted pa rin sila and they got an instant mother (to my fake, real mother.).

When you watch this Korean Drama, ang dami emotions na mailalabas, maiiyak ka, matatawa at kikiligin. There are so many lessons and realizations like, people who have autism are really special, you just have to accept, understand, and love their weaknesses. You have to believe in their talents or skills and kahit may autism sila, mayroon silang dreams and may mararating.

Hindi mo kelangan ng kadugo para magkaroon ng pamilya na magcare at magmahal sayo. A family picture will do, hehehe!. Ko Moon-Young is proof that the right man will accept and love your true personality kahit minsan mahirap ka sakyan. Learn to love yourself, hindi lang puro ibang tao ang nasa isip mo. If you want to move on, find your exit door. And of course, we don’t need to be always strong, it is okay to cry, it is okay to pause and it’s okay not to be okay.

Mamimiss ko yung friendship ni Gang Tae, Sang Tae and Jae-Soo, friendship ni Sang Tae and Moon-Young, the love story of Gang Tae and Moon-Young and the troublemaker trio. I love all the lead and supporting casts here, walang tapon at ang galing lang umarte ng lahat. I want to end this post by sharing the list of my favorite lines or quotes from the series.

1. Hurtful, painful memories. Memories of deep regrets. Memories of hurting others and being hurt. Memories of being abandoned. Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness.

2. Remember it all (the painful memories) and overcome it. If you don’t overcome it, you’ll always be a kid whose soul never grows.

3. One must face one’s trauma to overcome it.

4. Only those who have suffered truly understand suffering.

5. Do you believe in destiny? Who cares about destiny? If someone shows up when you need them, you call that destiny.

6. I thought I was on the run because of my brother, the butterflies and all. I thought we were being chased by something that doesn’t exist all because of Sang Tae. But today, for the first time, I thought maybe I was just running away because I wanted to. You see, when life is unbearably hard, the easiest way out is to run.

7. Why live a boring life? You’ll get sick if you suppress yourself like that. If you want to have fun, then have fun.

8. The first step is always the hardest. But once you take your first step, things will get easier from then on.

9. I belong to myself! Moon Sang Tae belongs to Moon Sang Tae! I’m not yours! I belong to myself, you don’t own me.

10. Is being different something to be afraid of?

11. It’s okay to be different.

12. Your body is honest. When you’re in physical pain, you cry. But the heart is a liar. It stays quiet even when it’s hurting. Then when you’re asleep, you finally weep and whimper like a dog.

13. Don’t make the same mistake I did and try to run when you can’t even walk. When you’re tired, get some rest. When you’re sad, go ahead and cry. It’s okay to take a break. Then one day, there will surely come a day when you’ll be able to run again.

14. I think that’s why we’re meant to be. You’re patient and I’m volatile. Like a bomb and a safety pin. We go hand in hand. We’re meant to be together.

15. I don’t want to look normal, because it’s normal.

16. If you want to make the people around you happy, you must find your own happiness first. Being selfish isn’t always a bad thing. Try to only think about your happiness when things are too stressful. It’s okay to do that.

17. When you can’t control yourself, count to three.


18. A promise isn’t something you can take lightly. You need to keep your promise. That’s the only right thing to do.

19. Don’t let the past trap you. You can’t get out once you’re trapped in the past.

20. Don’t be stubborn when things don’t work. You need to learn to try other methods.

21. A kiss is better than a fight.


22. A happy ending is what matters most.


Read: My Korean Drama Series List

Oslo is the capital and the most populous city in Norway. This city is one of the most expensive cities in the world and I agree with that because everything is expensive. I’m sure other tourists who have visited Norway, would also agree. Although it is expensive, our Scandinavian trip is not complete without visiting Oslo.


Every time we visit my mom, we always have a layover in Oslo Gardermoen but since we only have few hours layover, we never tried exploring the city so I was happy that I finally, ticked it off on my bucket list. After two plane rides, we arrived at Oslo Airport but we immediately traveled by train to Elverum. We stayed in Elverum for few days and we went back to the capital city for our Cruise to Copenhagen. After 9 days of exploring Copenhagen and Stockholm, we’re finally back to Oslo, Norway. Whew!

Read: Glimpse of Oslo Gardermoen Aiport
Oslo Airport to Elverum Train Station
Day Trip in Elverum Norway
Qatar Airway Flight Experience
Biyaheng Europe: Manila Philippines to Elverum Norway


Six hours of train ride from Stockholm Central Station to Oslo Central Station and from there we took a taxi to Cochs Pensjonat. This guesthouse was our home for 4 days and 3 nights, if I will convert the rate to Philippine peso, the rate is already expensive because this is only a guesthouse and with its price, I can already stay in a luxury hotel in Asia. But like I said, the Nordic trip is not cheap so I consider this a budget-friendly accommodation already. We also booked a hotel for our last night in Norway so I can tell the price difference. We stayed in Radisson Blu Oslo Airport before our flight back to the Philippines

Read: Traveling from Stockholm Central Station to Oslo Central Station
Radisson Blu Oslo Airport Hotel Review


Anyway, I like Cochs Pensjonat because of the strategic location, it is near the tourist spots, supermarket, convenience store, restaurant, subway, and train station. We have our own kitchenette and mini-fridge in our room so we can store and cook our own meals. It is a big saving in our pocket.

Read: Cochs Pensjonat Review


After our checked-in, we rushed to the supermarket because we need to buy food and drinks for the next 3 days of stay. The supermarket will be closed during the Holy Week so we need to buy everything that we need. My husband bought some chocolates too, sayang lang because there was no sale. And because we have a fridge in the hotel, we bought ice cream, “Royal” is my favorite brand of ice cream in Norway.

Read: Ice Cream in Norway 



And just like our Day 1 in Stockholm, we did not visit any tourist spot, we just took a rest. We need to recharge because for the next few days, we will just do our own Oslo Walking Tour.

We are a group of 3 adults and 1 kid so for our Scandinavian trip, I planned to book our accommodation in Airbnb but when I started to search, I had a difficult time because most of the available rooms are already outside of the city. While planning for our trip, my mom messaged me that she already booked our stay in Cochs Pensjonat so this gave me an idea to look for a hostel, 2-3 stars hotel or guesthouse instead.


So we stayed in Urban House Copenhagen by Meininger in Denmark, Hotel Generator Stockholm in Sweden, and for the last leg of our trip, Cochs Pensjonat in Norway. This guesthouse is located in an old, historic building which is walking distance to Royal Palace. They started operating since 1927 so the place looks old but still charming.


The Cochs Pensjonat is located in the heart of the city, it is 45 minutes drive from the Oslo Airport, 20 minutes walk from the city center, walking distance to subway station and less than 2km away from Oslo Central Station. We traveled via SJ Train from Stockholm Central Station and we arrived in Oslo Central Station after 6 hours.

Read: Traveling to Oslo Central Station from Stockholm Central Station via SJ Train

The cozy guesthouse is 1.7km away from the central train station so we took a taxi from there up to the hotel and if I remember it right, the taxi fare is more or less NOK400 and we find it expensive for a few minutes ride but we had no choice. We also took a taxi on our way back to Oslo Central Station but we only paid less than NOK200. Same lang naman na wala traffic, pinaikot-ikot yata kami ng una namin nasakyan.


Anyway, we arrived at Cochs Pensjonat and you need to take a lift to reach the reception area. They asked for our passport and we paid the full reservation which is NOK4080 for 3 3-night stay, we used our Philippines credit card and the posted bill was PHP25,307.70. The rate is more expensive compared to our Copenhagen and Stockholm accommodation.


They offer different types of rooms that can accommodate single, couple, family, or group travelers. They have a Quadruple Room which is perfect for our group, the room looks simple and is only 20square meters. The room is tidy and housekeeping cleans it every day. We have 4 single beds, mini table and chairs, TV, mini-fridge, cabinet, bathroom, kitchenette, and kitchenware. Yey! This time we can cook our own food inside our room but there is only an exception, no frying.






After several minutes, we went to the grocery so we can buy foods and drinks that are enough for our 3 days stay. Since our stay fell on Holy Week, the supermarket will be closed for a few days. The REMA 1000 is only 50 meters away from the guesthouse. There are also bars, restaurants, and convenience stores within the area so food is not a problem as long as you have a budget.

As I mentioned before, Cochs Pensjonat is located in the heart of the city so we saved money on transportation, we just walk, walk, and walk. It is tiring but thankful that we had good weather during our stay. It is just a few minutes walk to the Royal Palace so we always pass this mansion every day. If ever we will go back to Oslo, we will still consider Cochs Pensjonat for our accommodation.

Read: Radisson Blu Airport Hotel Oslo

Day 1 is Oslo Norway