Chocolate review: Auro Regalo 50% Dark Milk Chocolate

The special edition Auro chocolates we got earlier this year includes this 50% dark milk chocolate they branded as Regalo. I had mentioned in previous posts on milk chocolates that we generally didn't get these as we found most to be too sweet for our tastes. This is again an exemption as it is a very refined chocolate that we thought was closer to dark chocolates that had mild bitterness or less cacao concentrations.

Regalo is a 50% dark milk chocolate

Details on the chocolate at the back of the package. I was not able to get a close-up of the top part that showed a spiderweb graph describing the characteristics of the chocolate.

Chocolate in foil - note also that the chocolate is Halal certified for Muslims to refer to when they purchase food items.

I already mentioned earlier that this was very good milk chocolate. It is smooth and not so sweet. Perhaps that's what 50% cacao here means? We would not mind getting these again.

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"Getting lost" inside our village

We live in one of the older if not oldest subdivisions in Antipolo City. Many parts of the subdivision are unoccupied and thick with foliage including many old, large trees like narra and acacia trees. The village also is said to be formerly a mango farm so there are many large mango trees, particularly the carabao (or kinalabaw) variety that yields large, yellow mangoes when in season. The smaller, younger trees are mostly Indian mangoes. I will feature various flowering trees in another article.

What used to be an asphalted road is partly gravel after deterioration of the surface over time

Off the beaten path - a gravel road on the outskirts of the subdivision

The gravel road eventually leads back to the asphalt road and a populated area but somewhat hidden part of the subdivision.

There are several routes that we usually take depending on our mood and available time for our walks. Weekday mornings and/or afternoons are usually for the typical 5,000 to 6,000-step route. We have to get back home in time for breakfast with our daughter who starts school at 7:50 AM. We reserve the weekends for the longer walks to the places shown above. It's quite easy to accomplish 10,000 steps in a day and we hope to continue this regimen even after the pandemic. More photos again soon!

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Vintage Chronographe Suisse watch

It's difficult to find vintage chronographs that are both in good condition and priced reasonably (read: inexpensive/not necessarily cheap). The watch is supposed to have been made in the 1950s. Chronographe Suisse watches were supposedly made as 'tourist' watches. That is, they were Swiss made, gold plated chronographs for people on a budget. These were not in the league of the big brand names but they were Swiss-made and had appreciated in value over time.

The watch features two registers or sub-dials and piston buttons for the chronograph.

Close-up of the dial. What was likely white is now cream-colored due to age. The hands are in great condition

Side view showing the crown and the chronograph buttons

The other side view showing the case in excellent condition

Case back showing the watch's serial number and it being waterproof and antimagnetic. Shock resistance is via the incabloc feature of the movement. Note, too, that there is little evidence of corrosion or peeling of the gold plating.

Close-up of the lower part of the case where there's an etching between the lugs. This is not so clear but indicates the 18k gold plating for the watch.

The watch is powered by a Landeron 248 movement that beats at 18,000 A/h with a potential power reserve of 41h when fully wound. My vintage Baume chronograph also has a Landeron powering it and these movements are quite the reliable ones.

Photo of the movement and inside of the case back. The movement was made from 1937-1970, and combined with the design of the watch likely dates this to the 1950s.

Wrist shot the first time I wore the watch

Another, more recent, wrist shot

This is one of those watches you can wear that appears simple and "hindi pansinin" (people won't generally notice it). It's definitely a keeper among the still growing chronograph section of my collection.

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Some select photos and stories from our daily walks

Our daily morning walks take us around our village. We are fortunate that there are many parts that have little development (and residents). These are our favorites for our typical routes. These days when you have to have some physical or social distance from others, you need to find the places where you can get some exercise. Of course, it doesn't hurt that these are outdoors. There is a short story for each of the photos and I relate them in each caption.

We've found long stretches of road like this where there are no houses and it is rare for vehicles to pass by. This affords us to take off our masks and enjoy the morning breeze unimpeded. Recently, it has been more colorful as many plants and trees have been flowering; indicating that this is basically springtime. There are many Narra trees around and their yellow flowers blanket the roads like the one in the photo.

One time we were walking, a large bird flew across the road in front of us. It settled upon a branch on a tree that grew near the edge of a steep slope from the roadside. From the branch, it had a most wonderfulview of the metropolis. Friends say it's likely a hawk. They are most welcome in our area where there are also crows terrorizing the smaller birds. I am not sure if the hawks contribute to curbing the growing population of squirrels (who also terrorize the small birds) but maybe they along with the owls are keeping the balance somehow.

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Here is one my favorite photos taken while I was walking by myself. It is what I call an opportunistic shot because you have to be at the right place at the right moment during sunrise to get this photo. It seems like the sun peeking through an opening in the trees.

I will be posting more photos in future posts about our village and our walks. One thing good that came out of this pandemic is our getting to walk around more mainly for exercise but also to be in touch with our neighborhood. When we started walking regularly again last year, we notices a lot of new houses (and new residents) in our subdivision. We also got to rediscover some paths that were less trodden. We hope to continue our regular walks even after the threat of Covid-19 has waned.

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Favre Leuba Triple Calendar watch

I have another watch that I have not decided on whether I am keeping or unloading it. This is a Favre Leuba triple calendar watch from the 1980s, which makes this model at least 32 years old. The brand probably doesn't ring a bell like the Rolex's, Omegas, and even Seikos and Citizens but it has a very long history, which you can read from its official site: https://favre-leuba.com/about-us/history

Reading on the brand and its collection of iconic watches, I was also surprised to learn that its vintage triple dates could fetch hefty prices. I got mine on a whim as the features caught my interest and it didn't hurt that no one seemed to be bidding on the item. And so I got it cheap.

The watch has a white linen-textured dial featuring 3 registers (month, day, hour of the day). There are 4 main hands aside from those in the sub-dials. One of these is the pointer date hand.

Side view showing the crown and two depressed buttons. The upper button is for the month setting and the lower button is for the date feature.

The other side view showing two more buttons. The one in the middle is for the day of the week and the one at 8 o'clock is for the hour of the day.

The watch is powered by an ETA 2892-2, which runs at 28,800 beats per hour (hi-beat) with a potential power reserve of 42 hours.

A close-up of the movement visible via transparent back.

Close-up of the dial

The watch came with its original buckle. The strap though is not its original one.

Another shot of the watch on the pad on my desk

The watch keeps time but has this single issue of the pointer date hand not functioning well. It somehow gets snagged and so cannot keep the right date, not that it bothers me. I have similar watches before (a couple of Oris watches I already unloaded) and now (a vintage Rodania triple date). I probably will hold on to this watch and have it checked as soon as I could given the current quarantine regulations. 

[Update: 6/7/2021 - Just got the watch back from my watch guy and the issue of the pointer date is now resolved. I haven't decided yet if this will be a keeper but I am more inclined to unload the watch soon.]

[Update: 11/13/2021 - I have unloaded the watch. Some features are stuck but a little TLC might do the trick for the new owner.]

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Worth the wait

It took more than 2 months but it was surely worth the wait. My Vulcain Cricket finally arrived. It was delivered though to my office so I have to wait a little more before I can get it. It is still MECQ in Metro Manila and I didn't want it to be transported to my home by Lalamove or Grab. I had been looking for a nice, pristine-enough Vulcain Cricket. The watch is supposed to be something like the best among alarm watches and it doesn't hurt that it is also called the watch of Presidents because every US President from Harry Truman onward has received a Cricket from La Chaux-de-Fonds. Of course, these people also preferred other watches over the Cricket but the latter stands out as one that has been worn by each president and acknowledged (or declared) as a gift. Here is a vintage ad for the Vulcain Cricket.

 

And here is a nice article about the watch and its being gifted to a US President since Truman:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/fashion/the-presidents-watch-vulcain-cricket.html

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On doggie treats (again!)

Our golden retriever's finally back to her previous weight and strength after two successive years of having puppies. We noticed her weight loss and pitied her as she nursed so many puppies to health. Not one of her puppies died and we were able to find good homes for them. Most became large dogs, especially those that went to relatives who were really into dogs. She's now back to her normal weight and energy. And every now and again, we give Mocha a treat and she stays mostly indoors. Only she and another dog, a maltipoo mix are allowed to stay indoors; even overnights. Both have been trained well and don't mess up our home.

Our Mocha or Mokey as she munches on a bone, which she gets at least once a month.

We kept one of her puppies, Hiccup, from last year. Here he is last weekend after he's given his first bone. He was surprised at first at the treat and initially didn't know what to do with it.

When he finally figured it out, he wasted to no time 'feeling' the bone to see how he could most efficiently eat it.

He ended up with bloody gums but that was normal and expected for this first time to enjoy the treat. The bone was meant for dogs to strengthen their teeth and gums. It helps that it also has properties that improve their breaths.

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Lunch delivery from Happon Japanese restaurant

We are in the 2nd week of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), and I really do miss going to the office not because of work but because I could order nice lunches from the nearby UP Town Center. These are usually from the Japanese restaurants at UPTC like Yabu, Marugame Udon, Dohtonburi and Pepper Lunch. Sometimes though, we order from the Japanese restaurants in UP Village. Here's one lunch from Happon, which is along Maginhawa Street in Teacher's Village.

Tempura and cold soba from

The servings were on the generous side and I got to enjoy one of my favorite combinations for lunch. I used to eat this frequently when I was living in Japan. It was always an enjoyable and healthy meal for me.

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Seiko 6138-0040 Blue Bullhead

It took a while for my blue bullhead to be repaired and overhauled. One of the small hands was detached from the sub dial and I also wanted the crown to be replaced. When I got the watch, the crown was loose and wasn't an original (one reason why it went cheap). I was not so sensitive or picky about these vintage models as I knew I could have them repaired and parts replaced without shelling out so much as those NOS-looking or 'sariwa' that are being sold for so much more. This model, for example, sells for between 25,000 pesos to 60,000 pesos or even higher for the mint or fully restored versions. Mine costs significantly less while retaining the vintage look and having the functionality of recent models.

I tried a different angle for these photos and the lighting is sunlight from our windows

The dial viewed from another angle. Unlike my red bullhead that has a glass crystal, this one's a dome-shaped plastic.

Case back showing the serial number and the model number. The serial number indicates that this watch was manufactured in October 1976.

Close-up of the bottom of the dial showing the model number

The movement inside is a Caliber 6138B, which runs at 21,600 A/h with a potential power reserve of 45h.

Sun-kissed? Here's one of the obligatory wrist shots

Here's a wrist shot after I replaced the nato strap with the metal bracelet that came with the watch when I acquired it.

I now have one of each of the red and blue bullheads. I won't mind getting a one or more of the other models of these watches if the opportunity presents itself.

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Big Al's chocolate cake

Happy Easter! I continue with the feature on the food we enjoyed for my nephew's birthday last week. The birthday blow-out would not be complete if there was no cake. The cake was sourced from a shop that's becoming well-known for its chocolate cakes. Big Al's is actually located in our city, Antipolo, so this came as a pleasant surprise as we also had wanted to try their cakes but have not come around to purchasing one.

The box containing the cake by Big Al's Cookie Jar

The cake in its pristine condition after we opened the box.

The first slice gave a hint of how good the cake was. We literally had to dig in rather than slice the cake as it came in a foil tray.

This photo does not give justice to the cake but I wanted to show the moistness of the cake here.

The cake was really good. It was just right in terms of being moist on the inside. We thought it was also just right in terms of sweetness. The cake itself is not sweet so the icing compensates for that. Big Al's opened a new branch along Marcos Highway at a gas station near SM Masinag. I probably will pass by for cake or maybe a pint or two of their ice cream, which I hear are also good.

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House of Lasagna - enjoying lasagna despite ECQ

It's supposed to be Maundy Thursday so forgive me for posting something about food, very tempting for something us Catholics are supposed to be abstaining from this time of year. My nephew celebrated his 13th birthday early this week and unlike last year's when we were all under a hard lockdown, there was an opportunity to have some celebration in the form of lunch. No, we were not together like the past years as the government put Metro Manila and surrounding provinces under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Instead, my sister sent us via Grab lasagna and cake.

We were pleasantly surprised the food came in a secure, high quality box.

My sister purchased these and sent one box each to my parents' home and ours.

The lasagna did not disappoint. We thought this was among the best we've tasted.

We kept the Lasagna box for reference and our daughter's planning to recycle it for one of her 'projects'. The lasagna was definitely a winner and leftovers were enough for dinner and lunch the following day. I will feature the cake in the next post but maybe that will be on Saturday. Time out muna this coming Good Friday.

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