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Clik here to view.From Laoag (the capital of Ilocos Norte), traveling to Vigan (the capital of Ilocos Sur) takes about one hour and forty five minutes. The corner building housing the Tongson’s Royal Bibingka is the most familiar landmark to me. Every time my dad would take us to Manila, back in the  late 70’s to the early 80’s, when he was still fit for long distance driving, he’d enter Vigan for the original royal bibingka. Since then, several bibingka shops have opened, new business establishments have sprouted, but Vigan has managed to maintain it’s old-world charm.

It’s been a dream of mine to unearth the history of Ilocos. I pretty much know about the north, but not the south. I guess, I really should get to know Vigan better… things like why it was renamed several times — from Villa Fernandina to Ciudad Fernandina de Vigan, then to simply Vigan.

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Clik here to view.Calle Crisologo, the most famous cobblestone street in Vigan

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Clik here to view.Vigan calesa

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Clik here to view.Quaint Vigan homes

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Clik here to view.Sorbetero (ice cream vendor)

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Clik here to view.A World Heritage Site

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Clik here to view.Souvenir and curio items

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Clik here to view.Tableya, unsweetened pure cocoa tablets

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Clik here to view.Old-fashioned sweetener or balicocha

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Clik here to view.Vigan empanada

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Clik here to view.Ukoy or okoy… YUM.

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Clik here to view.The Café Leona Restaurant and Bar

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Clik here to view.Good quality Vigan longaniza at Café Leona

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Clik here to view.Appetizing ararosip seaweeds

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Clik here to view.Cafe Uno for delish pasta and salad dishes, and coffee or  tea with delightful pastries

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Clik here to view.Lagasca’s, the only one for turones de mani

Up next, our Japanese dinner at Café Leona

Photos by Blauearth  Copyright © Blauearth™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Vigan is a virtual theme park at the time of the holidays. This year’s moving diorama Christmas tree is such a beauty, very cultural. Tourists and locals milled around the heart of the heritage city while waiting for the fountains at Plaza Salcedo to trip the light fantastic. The good news, you can catch the one-hour show at 7:30 evenings daily.

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Vigan empanada and okoy at the Plaza Burgos.

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Pandan cake, torta, bolero and chocolate marble cake at Joma’s Tower Cafe,  Calle del Pilar. Joma’s used to be the Plaza Tower Cafe where Plaza Maestro stands right now.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

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If you think you’ve never heard of a Hotel Luna in Vigan before, it is because it officially opened just a few weeks ago. From the outside, you would mistake the newly painted old-and-simple-but-massive-structure for a villa or just another heritage hotel which is regulatory in the city that cares so much about heritage preservation.

A breath of fresh air greets you at the entrance. By Vigan standards, it feels queer in a beautiful way, I mean heritage with a twist — little modernities here and there and yet within the bounds of the city’s mantra.

Built in 1882, the property was a former residence, a gift of Ilocos Sur’s affluent Don Jose Florentino to his daughter.

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Clik here to view.From the roof deck, a fresh perspective of Vigan’s mansions and the St. Paul Cathedral.

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Hotel Luna, named after the celebrated Ilocano painter Juan Luna, is the only luxury hotel in Vigan and the only museum hotel in Northern Luzon. A marriage of both worlds, it is not just a museum of antiquities, but a gallery of contemporary art as well. Artworks by national artists and remarkable painters speak so much about the art leanings of the owners, the same family that own Rembrandt Hotel in Manila and Le Monet in Baguio. You’d find an Amorsolo, Juan Lunas, a painting by Cory Quirino and so much more. Something we were forbidden to see is a roomful of precious art pieces — very private, according to our very engaging tour guide Melvin Martinez.

Rooms are posh. Soft upholstered headboards punctuate loft suites and the deluxe, superior and standard rooms, while a four poster and a porcelain bathtub make the low-key executive suite. A paradigm shift is de riguer in the bar and the outside spaces.

The warmth of the place is inviting. I live next door so to speak, but I’d love to experience an overnight stay in Vigan and it would be my first if ever.

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Clik here to view.The hotel manager, Robert Ferrer, at the Chula Bar. Btw, he was so accommodating.

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Clik here to view.The  eye-catching  3D historical mural was done by world-famous artist Rene Robles. Along with the country’s art gliterati, he was at the hotel’s inauguration early this month.

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Clik here to view.La Mandolinera (The Violin Player) by Juan Luna.

*With special thanks to Mr. Robert Ferrer, Melvin Martinez and the rest of the wonderful staff.

Hotel Luna V. de los Reyes cor. Gem Luna Sts, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines 2700 Tel No.: 632 373 3333 loc 201 email: sales.artstream@gmail.com http://www.hotelluna.ph

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2014

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Clik here to view.Photo grabbed from Pinky Valenciano-Sison

My cousins on the Abad side, May, Jonas and Samantha are currently in town. We’re catching up with each other, toured the southside of Ilocos, read dates, talked about Paoay Church, munched on traditional Ilocano bibingka and calamay and centuries-old Vigan pipian, checked out Vigan’s new Hotel Luna, shopped for indigenous stuff, marveled at the splendor of the Vigan Cathedral, traversed to Bungro, dipped at Playa Tropical’s pool and ate Batac empanada. Their nephew on their mom’s side (the Enrique side), Anthony Daniel, a 23-year old West Point graduate, hung out with us.

The photo above, with Pinky and May, is so special (thank you, Pinky!). I’m the one with flowers on her hair and May was wearing aviators I think.

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Clik here to view.Jonas Lazo Abad.Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view.Soothing Vigan pipian at Gnadpa’s Inn. We had grilled chicken marinated in karimbuaya leaves (super!), ararosip, pancit bihon,  and grilled mixed Ilocano veggies.Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view.Bumped into Chef Jackie de la Cruz and Rey Retua was with us:)Image may be NSFW.
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Photographed by May Thomas, Rey Retuta and Blauearth
© Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2015

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