MANILA, Philippines—The last time I was up in Baguio was for the filming of “Sana Maulit Muli” over 15 years ago. There are so few things I remember about that brief visit. Of course there were those iconic pine trees and the cool weather. And because that was a work-related trip, there wasn’t much time to sight-see. I had intended to return but, well, life kind of got in the way.

Then one fine day, my husband announced that we had been invited by friends to spend the Valentine weekend in Baguio. This was going to be lovely! Neither Rob nor Nicole had ever been there. On Thursday, I made a grocery run for supplies (my mother taught me to make sure to have a cooler filled with snacks and drinks for the road) and the next morning we were packed and ready.

Not superstitious

At around 11 a.m. Friday the 13th (no, I’m not superstitious about this), we hit the road. Our hosts were very kind to provide us with sandwiches in case we got hungry in the car, and packed lunches for our first fuel stop.

I had quite forgotten how beautiful the countryside is. Once we left the noise and the busyness of Manila, there was such a calm and peace in the green rice fields on both sides of the highway. Traffic flow was constant and smooth, and the roadways were well-paved. I caught myself several times thinking, “Is this really my country? This is so beautiful … ” while my iPod played Foo Fighter’s “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” and Jeff Buckley’s “Grace.”

My daughter took her afternoon nap somewhere between Pampanga and La Union, where we took our final fuel stop before getting on Kennon Road. I had some concerns about the twists and turns of our ascent; Nicole has, on occasion, gotten carsick, even on short drives. She did finally fall victim a few minutes away from the Baguio Country Club (our home for these few days), but all in all she was a great sport for enduring the long drive.

Great meal

After freshening up, we headed to dinner at Cantinetta in Camp John Hay. I was familiar with this restaurant’s Pasong Tamo Ext. branch so I knew we’d be in for a great meal. We all dug into fantastic antipasti, salads, pizza and pasta, capped by chocolate-covered strawberries and delicious cannolis. After dinner it was time to turn in because we would have a full day ahead.

At 10 a.m. on Valentine’s Day, we met at the lobby of the BCC. Our first destination: La Trinidad for strawberry picking! I’d never actually been on a strawberry farm, so I knew this would be a treat for me and my daughter.

It was probably a 30-minute drive to the farm. Thankfully, Nicole took this opportunity to take one of many naps that would recharge her on this beautiful day.

Once we arrived, we took a little hike down to the rows of strawberries. Once there, we started picking. Slowly but surely, our two baskets were filled with the deep-red fruit. On the hike back up, I was lagging behind the rest of the group, which prompted my daughter to shout at me, “Mommy, are you okay?” Sweet kid.

We headed to Camp John Hay for a late lunch. When we arrived, my husband was almost done with his golf game (oh yeah, he played the whole weekend), so we went close to the 18th hole to cheer him as he made his final drive and final pitch (the putt was conceded, since that pitch landed very close to the hole).

Famous sweets

After our meal, we were off to the Good Shepherd Convent for its famous sweets. Their ube jam, cookies and strawberry jam would be part of my haul. We didn’t spend too much time there, just enough to shop and go.

We returned to the country club to get ready for a fun, fun dinner. Our hosts had a treat for us there: students from different colleges in Baguio would perform dances native to the Mountain Province region, and my husband would dance with them! One of the students outfitted him with the bahag (thankfully, Rob didn’t have to drop his trousers). When the time came, he was called in to dance. And so was I! We each had a swig of sparkling wine to give us some liquid courage. After the dancing was done, we drove to the home of our hosts’ friends for a sumptuous Filipino dinner. While eating, we were serenaded by the On Call Musicians, who specialize in ‘70s and ‘80s music. Their beautiful voices filled the cool mountain air. At one point, the lights were dimmed and all the couples present got up and slow-danced. It was incredibly sweet and romantic.

Last day

Since Sunday would be our last day in Baguio, we thought of taking the kids to Burnham Park for a boat ride, and then for a final stop at the butterfly sanctuary at Camp John Hay. I remember taking this boat ride when I was a young girl, and enjoying it.

We took a swan paddleboat for 15 minutes around the lake. The willow trees at the water’s edge were so beautiful.

The Butterfly Sanctuary was a little disappointing, however, as I was expecting masses of these winged creatures to fill the tent. The keeper in charge explained that because the optimum temperature for butterflies is 30 degrees Centigrade (and Baguio’s rarely goes above 15) they weren’t doing much flying. We did take a few photos, though.

It was time to go back to the BCC to get ready for the trip back home. Our things were packed into the car (after I grabbed some raisin bread and banana bread from the club’s bakeshop). And then we were winding our way down the mountain and on to Manila.

What a fantastic weekend we had, and such a wonderful opportunity to visit more of the Philippines.

Where shall we go next? Suggestions, anyone?