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Tagaytay Views

Tagaytay, where Antonio's Restaurant is located, is a pretty city. It's a weekend getaway for many who live in Manila. Perhaps because of this, it might be becoming a victim of its own success, its nighttime traffic back to Manila a tangle of tricycles, jeepneys and SUVs that reminds one of, well, Manila itself. Here are views of the drive to the restaurant.

Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. Still active, the volcano is one of the reasons you may never see me living here. But it's marvelous, even on a gray day. Over time, it partially collapsed on itself, hence the angled ridge that you see, as if it were the tip of a giant marker.
Tagaytay is a large agricultural center and the drive is dotted with small farms that are surrounded by subdivisions, which keep sprouting in this growing city. Tagaytay is known for an abundance of quality pineapples and coconuts, though you'll also find arugula, among others.
The entrepreneurial spirit in evidence: fresh milk and kesong puti (white cheese), which is something like cottage cheese from carabao's milk, for sale. You'll also see many stores that sell coconut tarts (buko tarts), another regional specialty. Also along the road, many hawkers of "boat rides." I've never tried one myself, so caveat emptor. 
Since there are no lake views at Antonio's, you can stop at one of the restaurants or cafes by the main road which have volcano views. One of these is Josephine, another local institution. What's a Dineocrat post without food? Below, fried bananas in lumpia wrapper a la mode, a snack during a respite from the drive back to the city.
The view from Josephine's.
Be sure to read more about Antonio's and my dining experience, where, if you go, you get to see these views.
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