Michi Photostory

On our day 16 in Norway, my mom decided to visit Teksdalsvatnet in Bjugn Kommune. This is the third time that we went to Bjugn, the first time was when we went to Røros and the second time was when we visited Vallersund Farm and hiked to Angel of Peace.  At that moment, kami na lang ni Ethan because hubby was back in the Philippines.

Read: Angel of Peace in Vallersund
Vallersund Farm 


Bjugn is a coastal municipality so there are so many places that we can visit like the lake, sheltered coves, mountains, beach and many more. We’ve been to farm and mountains before so for a change, we went to Teksdalsvatnet or Lake in Teksdal.

Vatnet = Lake


The weather was still cold but we enjoyed the cold weather of Norway. Travel time is more or less 30 minutes since there is no traffic.You can already see the lake from the parking area. There are tables and benches so you can have your own picnic.


My mom said, we can also do fishing here but we just need to pay a fee. We did not try that anymore since we already experience fishing. But if you just want to visit the lake, you can stay here for FREE.

Read: Fishing Adventure in Norway



The lake is so peaceful and you can really relax and unwind. We just sat beside the lake and appreciate the beauty of the nature. My son enjoyed creating ripple by throwing stones in the lake. How I wish, we have this place in the Philippines, pangmuni-muni. Hehehe! We visited Lake Pandin in Laguna but there is a fee for that.

Read: Lake Pandin and Lake Yambo


Watch the video here.


After an hour, we went for a walk, you can walk around the lake but since we have a kid in tow, we did not finish it. We went home because it was dinner time already.

My husband got two Mind Museum All Day Pass tickets after attending the Manila Mini Maker Faire. My son wanted to use the ticket immediately so I asked my husband if we could celebrate Father’s Day at Mind Museum and he agreed. My husband was teasing my son, “Happy Child’s Day” ba ngayon? Hehehe! 


Our initial plan was to go to the museum before the opening so we could maximize the all day pass ticket but I changed my mind because I wanted to eat at Texas Roadhouse, so we had an early lunch before we went to the museum.


Since we only have two all day pass tickets, we purchased another ticket and we’re contemplating kung All Day Pass ba o regular ticket kasi namamahalan ko sa P750 but what if nabitin yung anak ko sa 3 hours. After few minutes, the staff offered the promo “All Day Pass Ticket + Ayala Museum for P600”. Yey! Tipid kami ng P150. 

After paying, the staff gave us 1 FREE Ayala Museum ticket, 3 maps and bracelets. Wow, they improved na, 3 years ago kasi I was looking for a map and wala daw sila. Map is really important so guests can plan their trip. 

We’ve been to Mind Museum 3 years ago, so you could read my first post here and watch the video here. Since this was our second visit, I will just share the improvements, changes and new experiences. I was looking for the finding fossils and hugging vest activities but they are not available na. Napalitan na siya. 

Anyway, since we are late, we missed the Wild Conversations at 10:30 AM. The Mind Museum has 5 Main Galleries which is Atom, Life, Earth, Technology and Universe. There is also an outdoor Science in the Park which is beside the Jollibee. 

You can also watch 3D Films and Planetarium shows. So if you are buying a regular ticket, take note of the schedule of the shows so you won’t miss it. 



Our favorite gallery is the Universe, we spent most of our time here because there are three shows that we watched here, “Life: A Cosmic Story”, “Origins of Life” and “Awesome Astronomy”. While waiting for the show, my son enjoyed playing with this magnetic solar system. 


There are also Mind Movers at the Atom Gallery, where we watched different Science Demos. This is fun and you can also participate in their demo. We watched 3 demos during our last visit. You can check the video here. 



We also watched a show at the Earth Gallery, we only watched the “Birth Place” because we missed the “Ang Simula” shows, as in few minutes late kami. Nakalimutan ko, sayang! I’m not sure if the show is the same since we also watched “Ang Simula” during our first visit. 




Our favorite in Atom Gallery is the Static Ball, I still remember my first visit, ayaw tumayo ng buhok ko sa I was glad na tumayo na siya. Hehehe! Good thing that there is already a staff who operates this exhibit. 



 Aside from the main galleries, there are new exhibits that we can explore such as Color Play, Cave of Tiny Secrets, Sensory Earth, Astronauts Selfie, Earthrise, Living in Space, Encounter with the Solar System and Shape Emporium. These were not available during our first visit. My son enjoyed the piano stairs. 






There is “The Teenage Brain Exhibit” at the second floor which we did not visit anymore because I’m not sure if my son will like it. While waiting for the 5PM show, we had snacks at Jollibee and check the playground outside. We missed this park during our first visit kasi hindi namin alam na meron. 




Then we watched the Awesome Astronomy at 5PM, I thought we are going to watch a video but I was wrong, Peder Decierdo discussed about the Astronomy, I learned about the sun, moon and stars so now when I look up the sky, I appreciate it more. 


Before, they have a souvenir store as in malaki siya, we bought souvenir key chain pa nga but now closed na yung store. They just have a small kiosk before the exit door. After 6 hours, our visit is over. Then we walked fast to the parking lot so we won’t be charge for another hour. We all know that parking in BGC is so expensive, we paid P250 for 6 hours. Waah! How about you, have you visited Mind Museum?

The Mind Museum 

JY Campos Park 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, 
Taguig CIty, Metro Manila 

Operations Schedule 

Tuesday to Sunday (Closed Monday)

 9AM -12NN | 12NN - 3PM | 3PM - 6PM  

Mind Museum Ticket Prices

P625 adult 
P475 Child/Private School Student 
P190 Public School Student (valid id) 
P190 teacher (valid ID) 
P750 All Day Pass Museum (No 3 hour limit)
P2500 1 Year Unlimited Science Pass

Exploring Mind Museum Video

Just this week, out of the blue my son asked me if he has been to Malaysia already and I said yes. He doesn’t believe me at first but I told him that we’d been to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor Bahru Malaysia. Then he remembered the Petronas Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur and Legoland in Johor Bahru but he can’t remember our Kota Kinabalu trip.  


Some people say that it is better to travel when the kids are already old because they won’t remember it when they are still young. But for me, my son may not remember it but I have pictures, videos and stories to tell. There are so many memorable stories that I can share with him. 

Read: Why Do We Travel with Kids in Tow 

In fact, Malaysia is his first out-of-the-country, our first family overseas adventure, and the cheapest out-of-the-country trip we’ve experienced. Would you believe that I only paid P2000+ for our round trip fare and that is for 3 persons. Thanks to Air Asia promo! 

Read: Air Asia Experience


At that time, Air Asia only flies at Clark International Airport so we traveled to Clark Pampanga and parked our car at DMIA. Then after few hours, we landed at Kota Kinabalu Airport, the airport is not that big so we were out after several minutes. 

Where Did We Stay in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia?

I availed the airport pick-up service of City Park Lodge so we won’t have any problem haggling for taxi rate. I’ve read before that they don’t use taxi meter there and base on our experience, kontrata nga lagi pagsasakay, I’m not sure kung ganun pa rin. 

One of the reasons why our Kota Kinabalu trip was cheap is, we did not stay in hotel. We stayed at City Park Lodge, the lodge has a good location too so we just literally walk when we went to the port, restaurant, market, and other tourist spots. They even gave us a coupon too that we can use for our island hopping, RM4 per person discount. 

Read: City Park Lodge

And because of our flight schedule, we have very limited time in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia. Sharing with you our trip. 

Day 1

It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived in Kota Kinabalu so we just bought food and drinks at the nearest convenience store then we had dinner at Secret Recipe. 

Day 2


The following day, we woke up early so we can start exploring the city. From the lodge, we just walk to Jesselton Point Waterfront. It is where we’re going to ride the boat for our Island Hopping. 


Island hopping in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park  

We can visit Mamutik Island, Sapi Island, Sulug Island and Manukan Island but because we have very limited time, we just chose one island which is Manukan Island. It is 15-20 minute speedboat ride from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. We had a great time at the beach, this was the first time na nakapagbeach ako sa ibang bansa. 


Read: Manukan Island


We only stayed for few hours on the island and we went back to Jesselton Point. From the port, we just walked to Suria Sabah Mall to eat our lunch. Most of the time we eat at KFC because it is everywhere and some stores are open 24 hours. 

Monsopiad Cultural Village  

Some people say that a trip to Sabah will not be complete if you will not visit Monsopiad Cultural Village, so I included this in our itinerary. Since we did not want to get lost and we want to save time, we rode a taxi even though the price is steep. RM100 taxi ride vs RM3 per bus per person.


Monsopiad Cultural Village is a historical site in Sabah so you will learn more about its history by visiting the village. Aside from that, they will show you how Kadazan people live before. If you like history, you will enjoy this tour but if not you can skip it. 

Read: Monsopiad Cultural Village

Seri Selara 

After our trip in Monsopiad Cultural Village, we asked the taxi driver to drop us at Seri Selara. He agreed but he asked for additional RM10. Seri Selara is an open-air seafood restaurant so don’t forget to include this in your itinerary. 



This is like Dampa Restaurant here in the Philippines, where you can choose the seafood from the glass tanks and they will cook it for you. We enjoyed our food trip here, there is Filipino staff here and he gave us a discount. From the restaurant, we just walked back to City Park Lodge. 

Read: Seri Selara 

Day 3

Gaya Street Sunday Market 


The following day, we woke up early to take advantage of the Gaya Street Sunday Market. From its name, it is only open every Sunday from 6:30 to 1PM. You can buy souvenirs, clothes, food and other stuff. I bought some souvenirs and pasalubong here.

DIY Kota Kinabalu City Tour 

Since we are budget travelers, we did not book any tour packages so we just hired a taxi driver to tour us around for 3 hours. We visited Signal Observation Hill, Wisma Tun Mustapha (Sabah Foundation Building), Pu Toh Tze Buddhist Temple, State Museum, State Mosque, and Handicrafts/souvenir Center. 


It was just a short city tour since we have to go back to our lodge to get our luggage. After check-out, we went straight to the airport so we won’t miss our flight. 

Read: DIY Kota Kinabalu Tour

Note: If you still have time, you can also visit Brunei, you need to ride a ferry boat from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei. 

Trondheim is the third-largest city, the Viking capital, the religious capital, and the third most populous place in Norway. According to Wikipedia, as of January 1, 2016, they have 187,353 people. It is situated in Sor-Trondelag where Nidelva river and Trondheim Fjord meet. 


During our summer vacation in Norway, we’ve been to Trondheim several times. First is when we arrived from the Philippines, next is when we went to Røros, when we accompanied my husband to Trondheim Bus station, when we went to Iceland, and lastly when we went back to the Philippines. 



Among the five times that we’ve been to Trondheim, we had one day to explore the city or should I say few hours only. We planned to have a Day Trip in Trondheim before my husband went back to the Philippines but unfortunately, our plan was not pushed through because we could not leave early. My mom needs to attend a funeral, sakto pa talaga sa trip namin. We had no choice but to wait for her.


We also need to consider the schedule of the Ferry Boat, so we were in Trondheim past 2PM na. Upon docking, we immediately went to Trondheim Train Station so we can store the luggage of my husband before we start our walking tour. The locker was big enough, one 30kls luggage and one hand-carry luggage were able to fit inside. 


The weather was not nice but rain or shine we started our tour in the city of Trondheim. We don’t have an itinerary or map so we literally just walk and look for the tourist spots. We’re happy to see another side of Norway, we’ve been seeing mountains and seas for the past two weeks so finally, hello cityscape. 


I’ve been to Trondheim before because my aunt invited us to stay in her house for a few days so we were able to see the city but it was loooong time ago and all I can remember is we went to the Royal Residence and Tyholttårnet. Sharing with you, our walking tour. 

Munkholmen 


Munkholmen is an islet in Trondheimsfjord, it used to be a fortress prison, monastery, a place of execution, and a World War II anti-aircraft gun. We always see this fortress whenever we ride the boat on our way to Trondheim. This is a popular tourist spot so if you want to see the fortress up close, you need to ride a boat. 

Saint Olav Tryggvason Statue 


The 18-meter Saint Olav’s Statue is located at the center of the city square of Trondheim. It is near the Trondheim Torg and Royal Residence. You can see a cobblestone around the statue which serves as a gigantic sundial. St Olav was a King of Norway who built the first church in Norway, founded the Trondheim city, and played an important role in why Norway became a Christian country. 

Nidaros Cathedral


Nidaros Cathedral is the biggest church that I’ve seen in Norway so far. It is the biggest church in Northern Europe and it was built over St. Olav’s grave in the year 1070. It is where the consecration of the King of Norway is held. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the interiors of the church because it was already closed at 2PM. There is a cemetery beside the church too. 


Archbishop’s Palace 

Beside the Nidaros Cathedral is the Archbishop’s Palace where you can see the archeological museum. But the same fate, it was already closed so we were not able to go inside. 

My son was not in the mood already, he doesn’t like to walk and he doesn’t like to take pictures anymore so we decided to finish our walking tour. We just went to the bridge before going back to Trondheim Torg to eat. 

Old Town Bridge (Gamle Bybro) and Bakke Bridge (Bakke Bru) 



Old Town Bridge connects the Kjøpmannsgata main street to the Bakklandet neighborhood. The bridge was constructed in the year 1681 by Johan Caspar von Cicignon. This bridge is also known as the “Gate of Happiness” 

Bakklandet 


Bakklandet is a neighborhood located on the east side of the Nidelva River between the famous bridge, which is Gamle Bybro and Bakke Bru. It is known for its wooden houses and narrow streets. 

McDonald's at Trondheim Torg

We ate at McDonald's. They say that Norway is a very expensive country and I would not deny that. We just ordered snacks for 4 people and our bill is more or less P1500. Pero kung sa Pinas baka wala pa P600 yung order namin.


Even though this is fastfood, it took them so long to prepare the order. After eating you need to clean your own table. No staff that will clear the table for you, self-service lahat.

Stiftsgården or Royal Residence 

While walking, we’ve been seeing a lot of yellow buildings and my mom kept on saying, “Baka yan na yung Royal Residence” so she kept on taking pictures of us basta may yellow. Lol But I told her na malaki yun, hindi yan yung nakita ko dati. On our way back to Trondheim Torg, we finally saw the Royal Residence. Nasa right side pala siya, nagturn left kasi kami agad. 

Stiftsgården was built in 1774, it has 140 rooms and is probably the largest wooden building in Northern Europe. It is used by the royal family and guests in Trondheim. 

We just took a quick photo and we went back to the train station to get my husband's luggage. How I wish, we have more time to explore the city but we needed to catch the boat and my husband needed to rest for his long-haul flight. 


We accompanied my husband to Trondheim Bus Station, we did not go with him anymore to save on bus fare. NOK150 one way per person is not cheap. The bus is straight to the airport where Radisson Blu Hotel is located. My husband spent the night in the hotel to catch his morning flight the following day.

Read: Radisson Blu Hotel Trondheim Norway 


Then we ran to the Ferry Boat Station, buzzer-beater kami, we’re the last passengers to get in. Good thing inabot namin, or else we need to wait a few hours for the next boat schedule. My sister fetches us at the seaport. 

We went to S&R Nuvali last Saturday, it’s been months since our last visit. My son wanted a specific brand of milk and it is not available in the grocery that we always visit. Out of stock yata, mga 1 month na wala siya stock so we went to S&R to buy his milk. 

After doing our grocery, I asked my husband kung saan kami maglunch and he suggested Kuya J. I said, kakaKuya J lang natin few days ago so I suggested Rose & Grace. (nagtanung pa ko noh, ako din masusunod) hehehe!

It’s been years since our last visit in Rose & Grace because we were not satisfied with our last visit. Read the story here. But since we are looking for affordable Filipino restaurant, we paid a visit again. Rose & Grace is a level-up carinderia where you choose your food at the counter and they will reheat it for you. They also serve complimentary bulalo soup which is refillable too.


We just ordered bopis, ampalaya, bbq and rice. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that bbq is one of my son’s favorite food. So if there is bbq in the menu, 90% yan ang order niya. 

I was not able to check the price of each meal but the bill is P600+ (4 persons) so parang mas mura pa sa fastfood noh? Rose & Grace also sells imported chocolates and cookies, famous pasalubong and toys.