Strolling along Solvang.

My little Danish village in California. Never been to Denmark but this place looks authentic enough. Founded in 1911 by a small group of Danish teachers. It became a city May 1, 1985 and has now a population of about 6,000.


The weather was perfect once again and the 2 hour drive didn't seem to be long because of the beautiful scenery along the way. We stopped briefly in a place called Summerland where there are small and quaint restaurant and shops where one can relax and enjoy the sun.


Solvang showcases horse drawn carriage, Danish pastry shops, a Hans Christian Andersen Park, gentle rolling hills, family bicycles, smorgaasbord, wineries, horse ranches and a windmill. Some shop owners even wear Danish costumes.


There's this place where all the food is only $1.00. Items like cheeseburger, BBQ chicken, noodles soup, icecream sundae, hickory burger steak, hawaiin cheeseburger, soda and icecream sandwich. Simply cheap and attractive especially for a city like this where most of the visitors are tourists.

What caught my eye was this really nice bed and breakfast place. It is small, only 4 bedrooms and they have this really sweet patio where you can just sit, have a cup of tea and watch the people shop and enjoy themselves.



I would definitely go to Solvang again but next time I do, I will make sure I have my European date with me (yeah, you know who you are).

Velkommen til Solvang!

I left my heart in Santana Row...

Street cafes, restaurants, specialty shops, a sidewalk drawing competition under perfect weather are some of the things that Santana Row in San Jose, California welcomed us with. A new city has been built within a city and although it reminded me a lot like Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, I somehow felt more comfortable in Santana Row because basically, over here, the people are a lot more friendly than snobby Manileneos.



We had lunch in Sino's, a Chinese dimsum bar/restaurant. I found it funny that I travelled all the way here only to eat Dimsum and Siopao. It was good though and service was fast and efficient. Of course, nothing beats Summer Palace in EDSA Shangri-la. After lunch, a stroll around the place made it seem like I was in the French Riviera minus the beach or a street in Italy.


Even the sidewalk was decorated with magnificent drawings. Each artist was represented by a store in the area and you may vote what you think is the best drawing by visiting that particular store. The artists were on their hands and feet the whole afternoon making sure that their work was at its best only to be washed away the very next day.

I was told that the Mexican restaurant, Consuelo, should not be missed. If I still have time, I will make sure I have my fill of burritos and enchiladas. YUM. Santana Row also boasts of 7 brand new cinemas, soon to open H&M, Mango, Borders, Kenneth Cole, a very quaint hotel and a lot more upscale shops for the A-B market it caters to.



Like Serendra, there are also units here for sale. But the condominium is a building that stands separately from the stores so the noise and activities from the restaurants and bars do not affect the quiet and peaceful surroundings a home should have. A loft in this area costs about $1M but according to my aunt, her investment has already gone up since the time she bought her unit 2 years ago.

Of course, leaving Santana Row was not so easy, especially since I was with great company including another tourist from Europe (yeah, you know who you are). If you should be in the area of Northern California, make sure you stop by Santana Row. It is a good 1 hour drive from SF but very much worth the trip.

A home fit for a princess...

My eldest brother lives In Castaic, California where all the houses are huge. They have very expensive cars parked alongside boats, jetski and personalized golf carts. The weather is perfect. Situated up in the valley, it is hot and sunny during the day and chilly at night. I guess that's why the garden with flowers and 70 trees, 7 of which are fruit bearing trees, are all in bloom which adds to the picturesque view. You can hear the birds sing throughout the day and rabbits are everywhere in the garden. Because of the fresh air, quiet and peaceful surroundings, it is hard to believe that this place is only 30 to 40 minutes away from busy and polluted LA.



Chad and Toni Dizon bought this 1.5 acre estate house in 2004. Since then, they have made a lot of improvements and the price had gone up quite remarkably. Chad and Toni own a mortgage brokerage company called Mortgage Funders Corporation and are part owners of a real estate business, Realty Visions. These people know where, when and what to buy when it comes to homes. According to Chad, they were able to buy the best house in the neighborhood because the lot is flat therefore, he was able to utilize the whole land.

A tennis court, light changing swimming pool, jacuzzi with fountain, golf putting course, 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 4 covered car garage (but because of the long driveway, a total of 30 cars may be parked inside the gated property), state of the art kitchen, outdoor grilling station (complete with fridge to keep your drinks cold), basketball court, free 24-hour internet access, Heintzman and Co. semi-concert piano and a beautiful view was all for me to use and enjoy.





On Capallero Street is where this mansion is situated. The decor follows an American modern art deco theme. Rich colors, dark furnitures and colorful paintings makes it very homey and easy on the eyes. The wooden flooring, granite table tops complete the look of class and opulence of this home.




My bedroom has red furniture which makes it even more appealing to me since it is my favorite color. As soon as I got in the house, I knew what my room would be for the next 3 weeks.



With all these things available to me, yes, I am glad to have a brother and sister-in-law that works hard and lives life well since they offer me great priviledges such as having a place like this to stay while I am here in the Land of the Angels (LA) for FREE!

Life is SWEET for this princess!

Chad and Toni Dizon
Mortgage Funders Corporation
mtgfunderscorp@sbcglobal.net