Celebrating 20 years of Ivan About Town!

Twenty years ago, I wrote the first entry of my travel blog at a hostel in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I silently remembered that milestone two weeks ago as I flew from Seville back to Paris after witnessing the Semana Santa processions of the city. Looking back, I have so much to be grateful for. And this blog definitely opened a lot of doors.

I started my blog while I was an MBA student at the University of the Philippines. I've always wanted to explore and discover new things and made it a point to find free time during weekends or school breaks to move around. As they say, travel is the best education. Even as I travel today, I continue to absorb information that I am able to apply in the work that I do.

The goal previously was to see as much as I could, starting with our own country. Hence, I made it a mission to visit all provinces of the Philippines. But more than just saying that I was able to visit all the provinces in the country, I made sure that I became an advocate of the communities that I met and interacted with.

Naturally, the next goal was to visit all the countries of the world. But as the years went by, things have changed. I entered the academe fulltime and later left the Philippines to pursue my PhD at Purdue University on a Fulbright scholarship. And since I was a student again, I found time to travel and was able to visit all fifty states of the US.

Now back in the country and gratefully giving back to the nation that supported my education, I find myself at the forefront of heritage conservation and policy in both government and the private sector. While it would have been nice to visit all the countries in the world, my focus has shifted to legacy building and leaving lasting impacts in communities that I work with. If I get to see new countries in the process, that would be a bonus for me.

We only live once. And let's make that life matter. Thank you, everyone, for being part of my journey!

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Mercado Central de Atarazanas in Málaga, Spain

 

Mercado Central de Atarazanas is the largest food market in Málaga, the capital of Spain's Costa del Sol. Freshly caught seafood (so fresh it's still moving) is the major product at the market at this coastal city. But there's a lot more than that including olives, spices, cured meats, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables. 

The current structure was completed in 1879. It was the site of 14th century Nasrid shipyards and the monumental gates were preserved as part of the current building. It was also a warehouse, arsenal, military hospital and barracks before being converted into a market. It's a perfect fusion of 14th century Mudejar architecture with 19th century industrial design.

Ivan About Town celebrates twenty years in 2025!

Happy New Year, everyone! It has been a while since I've written anything on my blog. And so much has happened since my last post. Those following me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram should have seen the major updates, including my appointment as Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and election as Commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, both in Q1 2023. 

Those responsibilities have taken me to even more places as a representative of the Philippines. And I realized that I have so much material from the past decade to post here if I decide to do so. Because Ivan About Town is celebrating it's 20th anniversary in a few months, I'll do just that.

Christmas markets (Christkindlmarkt) in Germany

Christmas markets are a holiday tradition in the German-speaking part of Europe that date back to the Middle Ages. So the best Christmas markets, known locally as Christkindlmarkt or Weihnachtsmarkt, are definitely in Germany. While the markets originated in Germany, they can now be found in many other regions of Europe and among German communities in North America. I got to visit the one in Chicago when I was at Purdue.

During the pandemic, I got to visit several in Germany including the Weihnachtszauber in Gendarmenmarkt and the City-Weihnachtsmärkt at Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church), both in Berlin.

Of course, I went there for the food and the Glühwein (mulled wine), especially Feuerzangenbowle (rum-soaked sugarloaf set on fire and dripped into mulled wine). 

At one of the markets, I had Lángos, a deep-fried flatbread that originated from Hungary. I had a simple one topped with butter and garlic. Others are topped with cheese and vegetables.

I also had Handbrot (hand-rolled flatbread) topped with sour cream, bacon, and spring onions.

The Handbrot is baked in a wood-fired oven.

Of course, there are pretzels and sausages. I had a Rostbratwurst.

I also got to visit two Christmas markets in Köln (Cologne). Super crowded despite the pandemic!

At the Weihnachtsmarkt in Aachen, I got to try Reibekuchen (potato pancakes).

Aside from food, you can also get Christmas arts and crafts at the markets.

In Hamburg, we dropped by the Santa Pauli Hamburgs Geilster Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas market of Hamburg's red light district.

I got to try Grünkohl (kale) with Kohlwurst, Bärlauch-Hacksteak (hamburger steak), Currywurst, and Flammkuchen (tarte flambée).

For drinks, I got Eierpunsch (egg punch) made with delicious Eierlikör (egg liqueur) and white wine. While it is sometimes referred to as the German version of eggnog, the difference is that Eierpunsch is made with wine while eggnog is made with milk.

And since it was Christmas, we got some Plätzchen (Christmas cookies) from one of the bakeries in Ulm!

What's your favorite food at German Christmas markets?

Afternoon trip to Ottawa, Canada: Parliament Hill and Rideau Canal

After a two year hiatus, I've decided to start posting again in my blog. I attended the 18th TICCIH International Congress in Montreal, Canada earlier this month where I presented a paper. Right after the conference, I made a quick trip to Canada's capital city, Ottawa. Because we didn't have much time, I only got to visit Parliament Hill and the the Ottawa Locks of Rideau Canal.

Parliament Hill is known for its Gothic revival buildings. We got to walk around the three main edifices on Parliament Hill: the East Block, Centre Block, and West Block. 

The Centre Block is closed for renovations as part of a 20-year project to rebuild the Parliament buildings. According to the Government of Canada, "This is the largest, most complex heritage rehabilitation project ever seen in Canada and is one of the largest in the world." The building will remain closed up to at least 2028.

Built in the Gothic Revival style, the current building was completed in 1927 after a fire destroyed the original building in 1916.

This is the West Block, built in the Victorian High Gothic style and completed in 1865.

The East Block, also built in the Victorian High Gothic style, has survived mostly intact since original construction was completed in 1866.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council facing Parliament Hill was built in the Second Empire Style design and was completed in 1889.

Right by Parliament Hill are the Ottawa Locks of Rideau Canal in an area known as Colonel By Valley. the Rideau Canal is a World Heritage site. The eight locks that form the Ottawa Locks are the largest single set of locks on the entire Rideau Canal system.

What is interesting about the locks is that they are still manually operated. You can see this happen close to Plaza Bridge, by the Lockstation House. Further down, closer to the Ottawa River, is the Bytown Museum, the former Commissariat Building. It is the oldest building in Ottawa, built in 1827.

Thank you to my colleague, Fergus Maclaren, President of the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, for the guided tour of the area.