The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day Six
January 2, 2017
I actually managed to wake up early this morning to get in a run! My first (and only) run in Japan and my first run of 2017. The plan was originally to do a lot of running while in Japan, but it just didn't happen unfortunately... I ended up only running a mile around our hotel; it was still dark and I was wearing my American flag Pro Compression socks. One thing I have learned over the years, I am not someone who works out on vacation, so eventually, after this trip, I stopped bringing running and workout gear on trips. It only takes up space if I’m not going to use it more than once.
Anyways! The main agenda for this day: going to see the Emperor make one of his rare public appearances, which supposedly is only for his birthday and on the second day of the new year, so I took this once in a lifetime opportunity.
In Tokyo Station, the station closest to the Imperial Palace grounds, I stopped for a quick breakfast of pastries before heading out to join the massive crowds. I had left my bag in one of the many lockers provided inside the station so I could skip going through baggage security; of course I was still checked before entering the grounds, but at least I wasn't carrying a bag on me the whole time because my shoulders would have really been killing me after all that standing.
After lots of shuffling in line, and many minutes of standing in place, my group was finally allowed to start entering into the part of the Imperial Palace grounds that are off-limits all year except for the two occasions the Emperor makes an appearance. Experiencing the crowd frantically waving their Japanese flags and roaring in excitement when the Emperor and his family finally stepped out onto the glass balcony was moving. I stuck near the far right side of the courtyard, where the exit was, so I could make a quick escape instead of pushing through the crowds at the end; I had to meet Dr. Yoshida and Mori-san afterwards, so I needed to hurry!
Well, I got a little lost in Tokyo Station trying to find my locker I had used for my bag, but I made it right on time to meet my friends. We went to a kimono shop in Shinjuku, called Tokyo 135, and I was gifted an actual kimono. I am still speechless about it. Never have I ever even tried on a kimono before, so when shopping for the kimono, they had me try it on and oh boy, did that fix my posture right up. Such a surreal moment, as I had been dying to wear kimono while there. If only I would have worn it to one of the shrines I visited in Kyoto.
I hung out with Dr.Yoshida and Mori-san for a while, shopping for more Lucky Bags, and stopping for lunch at an udon joint that I made a point to come back to later in the trip; the udon and tempura were that good. I mean, look at it. Definitely one of my favorite meals in Japan that I miss so much.
Highlight of the Day
getting to try on kimono AND getting to keep it!
Favorite Food of the Day
UDON!
Favorite Snack of the Day
N/A
Favorite Drink of the Day
peach tea
Where to next, Meg?
The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day Five
January 1, 2017
New Year’s Day. The day the hunting for Lucky Bags gets serious. I really wanted the Pokemon Center bag, so I headed for Ikebukuro first thing upon waking up — well, after grabbing coffee and breakfast, of course.
But to my misfortune, they were already sold out, that’s how caught after they are. I learned later that these bags are so popular that they actually can be preordered, and that they sell out really quickly due to the long lines waiting for them. Note for next time…
After 2017 officially being ruined on the first day (just kidding), I went to J-World on the same floor as the Pokemon Center. My main reason for this was just for the Dragon Ball Z part of it; I was a huge DBZ fan at the time and I didn’t do this on my last trip. The entrance fee was only about $8, but that’s only if you don’t do any of the attractions; I was still able to eat at the themed restaurant and look around, which was pretty fun in itself and my main goal.
The food in the cafe was affordable and delicious — what I got at least. There aren’t many options for each of the popular anime’s, so I just stuck with Dragon Ball and Naruto. I had the Naruto ramen and the Dragon Ball cotton candy and drink. The cotton candy looked exactly like Goku’s Flying Nimbus cloud he rides around in Dragon Ball. And the drink was orange juice with blue whip cream on top, resembling Goku’s Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan hair in Dragon Ball: Resurrection F. I live for fun cafes like this.
New Year’s “outfit of the day” on the train platform as I headed back to the Omotesando area in search of a cafe I really wanted to visit that ended up being closed, as well as the Lululemon that I had stumbled upon.
After spending much of my afternoon walking around Omotosando, I went to the Gonpachi restaurant, otherwise known as the “Kill Bill” restaurant because it inspired the scene in the movie. I had the Gonpachi pizza, soba with tempura and toro on a stick.
After dinner, I stopped by a nearby Family Mart on the walk back to the train station. I ended up finding the matcha Alforts that I had loved so much last trip, stocking up on a few to bring back home and getting dessert.
It was a very chill New Year’s Day.
Highlight of the Day
Kill Bill restaurant
Favorite Food of the Day
Naruto ramen
Favorite Snack of the Day
Häagen-Dazs matcha ice cream sandwich
Favorite Drink of the Day
the Dragon Ball orange juice
The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day Four
December 31, 2016
My fourth full day in Japan was New Year’s Eve. I slept in a little later this morning, in preparation of being out late to celebrate ringing in the New Year’s — I had plans to meet up with Dr. Yoshida to visit one of his friends and do some shrine-hopping.
My morning started in Tokyo Station, hunting down the famous Character Street — literally a “street” of stores for all the popular characters like Hello Kitty, Gudetama(!), Rilakkuma, Ghibli, Pokemon, etc. I was in heaven; a money-sucking heaven.
Down the “street”, being that this is indoors, I found a store selling a large variety of Kitkats, the biggest variety in one spot that I had ever found. Naturally, I stocked up on some previously tried favorite flavors and some unique flavors I had yet to try. While I love anything green tea/matcha flavored, I am a huge fan of the sake-flavored KitKats; they seriously taste like sake and even have a smidge of alcohol in them. You can’t get the sake ones in the States (at the time, at least to my knowledge, and certainly not in my city in Louisisna), like you can the matcha and strawberry ones, and they can be pretty pricey on Amazon for that reason.
A month or so before my trip, I found out that not only is there a Gudetama Cafe in Osaka, but there was one in Tokyo too, in Ikebukuro! That is where I stopped next because I had recently became a Gudetama fan (a Sanrio character, with the most adorable lil booty); Gudetama means “lazy egg”. At the absolutely adorable cafe where I nearly died from the cuteness, I ordered a latte — that I expected to have Gudetama latte art on it, but was sadly disappointed that it did not — and a Gudetama curry. Everything was almost too cute to consume.
After the Gudetama Cafe, I stopped by another nearby Pokemon Store in Sunshine City, the biggest Pokemon store in Tokyo, one I had visited my last trip with my judo group. Then it was back to the hotel to drop off all of my purchases of the day and to rest a little before meeting Dr. Yoshida.
I met Dr. Yoshida at eight o’clock and headed to his friends apartment. His friends wife had a lovely, traditional Japanese New Year dinner set up. There was nabe, sardines, osechi — traditional New Years food in lacquered boxes resembling bento boxes — persimmon seeds, and even sake from Amori prefecture and sake from Akita prefecture. They also had a New Year’s Eve TV program playing with famous Japanese comedians and musicians making appearances, including Gen Hoshino and PPAP…
Thirty minutes until midnight, I slipped my sake-swollen feet into my shoes and followed Dr. Yoshida to the first shrine of the night. Most shrines close at dark, but not for New Years; many people make their first shrine visit of the year at midnight (or up to three days later), so the shrines were still popping. We ended up being on the train the minute the clock struck midnight, but things were still going way after; I ended up getting back to my hotel at 4:30 a.m., not even bothering to stay up long enough to watch the first sunrise of the year, much to my regret now.
At the shrine we had visited though, they served this thick, sweet, and very hot amizake. I wasn’t too fond of it and once again had a horrible headache, so the sweetness didn’t help one bit. Apparently I just really needed water. Always rotate in your water guys!
I parted ways with Dr. Yoshida after this first shrine and headed for Harajuku, to visit Meiji Shrine. The lines — or should I say crowds — were crazy, so I never made it to the actual main shrine, after much walking, but I did stop by the stalls they had set up, selling dango and other festival-type foods.
On my way back to the hotel, I passed by a Starbucks in the train station selling their Lucky Bags or “fukubukuro” already; it starts on the first, so technically they were right on time. Lucky Bags are very popular in Japan and many stores sell them the first few days of the New Year’s. Usually, the contents are a mystery, but some places are starting to tell you a list of what you can expect inside. It’s usually meant to get rid of extra merchandise from the year, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to be getting junk necessarily. I am so glad I picked up a Starbucks one; I didn’t even have to wait in line to get it like some of my favorite J-Vloggers did.
Highlight of the Day
the Gudetama cafe
Favorite Food of the Day
Gudetama curry
Favorite Snack of the Day
Persimmon seeds @ dinner
Favorite Drink of the Day
the sake from Amori and Akita
Where to next?
The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day Two and Three
December 29, 2016
On my second day in Japan, I met up with my Judo sensei, Dr. Yoshida, and his good friend Mori-san, who I had previously met when he visited the U.S. earlier that summer. We were going to visit another friend of their’s that has a dojo in the Numazo / Shizuoka area and practice with them.
On the way, we stopped at one of the service stations along their interstate equivalent where we got lunch. When we think “service station” in the U.S. this is nothing that comes to mind. In Japan, they are comparable to mini mall food courts.
Views of Mt. Fuji started to come into view as we made our way closer to our destination.
After practicing judo, we visited the nearby beach and then met the friends from the dojo at a dinner of shabu-shabu, one of my favorite forms of hotpot. It was too late to drive back to Tokyo, so we stayed the night in Numazu.
December 30, 2016
Day Three in Japan! I found out the morning of December 30 that I was accepted as an ambassador for my current favorite compression sock company, Pro Compression. The ambassadorship ran throughout 2017.
I woke up early on December 30 in order to try to see the sunrise hit Mt. Fuji. I am envious of all the citizens of Numazu who get to wake up to that view every single day. Unfortunately, after getting access to the hotel roof for the best, unobstructed view, it was still too cloudy to see anything. Bummer!
I ate breakfast at our hotel (Numazu Castle Hotel), and then set out in the car for another spot to view Mt. Fuji. I was clearly obsessed with this flawless mountain. In this area near Mt. Fuji, it was hard to look out of the car and not spot Mt. Fuji peaking through the clouds in the distance.
The city we ended up stopping in to better see Mt. Fuji was Shimizu.We made a quick snack spot before our final destination, picking up some powerful wasabi crackers and some not so powerful wasabi KitKat’s (I had been dying to find them; they really aren’t strong and are still very sweet in taste). We also tried free samples of hot green tea and I tried dango for the first time. Dango is very like mochi, being made from rice flour, but it doesn’t have a filling; we got the three-colored dango, just like the emoji!
Vending machines are everywhere in Japan. They sell a variety of things from the usual drinks, to alcohol or cigarettes, even ice cream and coffee.
In Shimizu, our main objective was to get yet another exceptional view of our beloved Mt. Fuji. Mori-san, playing tour guide since the day before, seemed to know exactly where to take us: the beach. The view from this beach, Miho no Matsubara, was just as wonderful as the others, if not more so because it was the least obstructed, minus the clouds.
Shimizu is actually a bit further southwest than Numazu, so after leaving the beach, we finally started back east, towards Tokyo, stopping for lunch in a small city call Mishima. I had another chirashi lunch and a miso soup on the side; YUM! For dessert, green tea ice cream.
On the road again, creeping closer to Tokyo, we ended up stopping again, to my surprise. This spot is also in Mishima, closer to Hakone. At first, Mori-san and Dr. Yoshida were talking about a bridge coming up soon and I thought they just meant we were going to drive over one. No. They were actually talking about Skywalk, a 400m suspension bridge that you walk across. It was a bit terrifying at first, due to the swaying, but when we crossed back over, it wasn’t so bad. This bridge being built a little higher up in the mountains than we had been previously, due to being by the bay, gave us spectacular views of the bay itself AND of Mt. Fuji, who quickly hid behind the clouds as soon as we saw it.
After lots of traffic and with a horrible headache, we finally made it back into Tokyo after a wonder day in Numazu and surrounding areas. Dr. Yoshida had other plans, but I went out to eat with Mori-san, his wife, and his daughter. They led the way to Shinjuku, where we had dinner at a restuarant famous for their yakitori, something else I had yet to try in Japan. Yakitori is literally fried meat on a stick and it’s absolutely delicious. We also had some fried tofu to go along with our yakitori.
After dinner, Mori-san took us to another place nearby for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a type of pancake made with countless ingredients stacked on top of each other. It wasn’t sweet like a pancake either, except for the sauce drizzled on top. We ordered four different kinds, but by the fourth one, my headache was so bad and I was so full and sick feeling, that I didn’t even get a picture of it…. And let’s just say that the night ended with me never wanting to eat or see another okonomiyaki again….
Highlight of the Day
Being accepted as a Pro Compression Ambassador
Beach view of Mt. Fuji
Favorite Food of the Day
Assorted chirashi bowl
Favorite Snack of the Day
three-colored dango
wasabi KitKats
Favorite Drink of the Day
N/A
Where to next?
The Japan (Winter) Diaries - Day One
December 28, 2016
After crashing early, I woke up early on Wednesday, December 28, ready to start exploring my favorite place once again: Japan.
First things first, my daily pilgrimage of visiting 7-Eleven. The hotel I stayed in last time had breakfast included, but not this one and at the time, I wasn’t prone to skip on breakfast. I grabbed onigiri and one of the many bottled hot coffees they offer in the winter time; I love coffee and trying new things, especially new coffee. This new coffee of the day was called Blendy; it wasn’t straight black coffee, but coffee with what I thought was just the right amount of milk.
After picking up a quick breakfast, to the subway station I went, heading for Asakusa and Skytree. I did a little walking from the station to Skytree, but that allowed me to enjoy the beautiful, crisp and sunny winter weather and explore the streets leading up to the tower, lined with houses and businesses decorated for the New Year.
Sumida Park was on the way, a rather small and empty park at that hour. I stopped by just to see the bonsai trees.
At Skytree, it was still rather early so the lines were luckily very short. I got my ticket and headed up to the 350m viewing deck (although now I am wishing I would have went all the way up!). With floor-to-ceiling glass windows making a 360 view around the level I was on, you could see some amazing sites of Tokyo and beyond! Especially on a clear day like that day; I was able to see Mt. Fuji, snow-capped in the distance! On my last trip to Japan, I did Tokyo Tower and it was unfortunately not clear enough to see Mt. Fuji from.
There is a shopping center connecting to the base of Skytree that I ventured to after descending, in search of the Skytree Pokemon Center I had heard about. I shopped a little upon finding it, picking up a couple souvenirs and stopping for lunch of udon!
Even though I went to Senso-ji temple on my last visit, it’s one of those places that I will stop by again and again because it’s one of my favorites. Being relatively close to the Skytree area, and closer to the train station I originally got off of, I strolled from Skytree, back to the area. The path leading up to the main temple, Nakemise-dori, is lined with stalls selling souvenirs, sweets, snacks and my favorite, green tea ice cream. It’s the oldest temple in Tokyo and the prettiest, in my opinion, with it’s bright red exterior and view of Skytree in the distance.
Of course, no matter how cold it was, I didn’t pass up the opportunity for matcha ice cream from one of my favorite stalls. And not even five minutes after finishing my ice cream, I got taiyaki — a fish-shaped cake with a filling on the inside; I got matcha filling, because I was obsessed with matcha at the time and I also can’t stand red bean paste, a usual filling for taiyaki.
Next stop since I was nearby, the Kabuki theatre in Ginza. But I sadly found out that they were closed until January 2. I also made a stop by Laduree on the way back to the station; a place I couldn't resist if I am in the same city. Maybe that’s why I’m burnt out on macarons now…
Harajuku and Takeshita-dori was next on the list, even though I had visited here last time; I love the area, just like everyone else, and couldn’t go the trip without visiting again and spending a little more time, with thankfully slightly smaller crowds. I wandered down Takeshita, stepping into the Daiso (the equivalent of a dollar store) and also getting crepes. It was my first time to try crepes and I got the one with matcha (obviously) ice cream and matcha whip cream, vanilla whip cream, and cheesecake inside. I liked it at first but I couldn’t finish it; it was sooooooooo sweet!
More shopping/browsing. Then, to Akihabara, and to a kaiten sushi (conveyor belt sushi) restuarant. I ate my share of salmon, tuna, toro, and octopus, glad to be back in the land of cheap and quality sushi. Despite eating as much as I wanted, I still didn’t feel quite full, so I stopped by 7-Eleven on my way back towards my hotel; I got curry and onigiri, and the basil & cheese-flavored Pretz for a snack.
My first day back in Japan literally consisted of getting my favorite sweets and other favorite Japanese food, and visiting some of my favorite spots. Not a bad first day.
Highlight(s) of the Day
seeing Mt. Fuji from Skytree
Favorite Food of the Day
Udon!
But the toro I had for dinner melted in my mouth, so it’s a close second
Favorite Snack/Sweet of the Day
matcha ice cream
matcha taiyaki
Favorite Drink of the Day
Blendy coffee
Where to next?
Where to? Japan (Winter) Diaries
Happy New Year! I took off the month of December to enjoy every free second of the holidays, so now it’s back to “Where to Wednesday’s.”
This time of year in 2017, I was in Japan again, having left December 26, 2016 and coming home two weeks later in January.
I was in Japan for 14 full days, although I arrived on December 27 (and left Japan on January 11); I left for Japan December 26 @ 8 a.m. CST from New Orleans. Japan is approximately 15 hours ahead of Louisiana (CST), so if you have done some traveling, you know how crazy hopping that many time zones can be. Leaving from New Orleans, with a connecting flight in Dallas leaving @ 10:15 a.m., I ended up arriving in Tokyo on December 27 @ 3 p.m. (1 a.m. back home!). Crazy, I know. So a day was lost, but I gained it back on return to the States. The 26th and 27th were literally spent traveling, and by the time I got out of the airport after customs, security and made my way to my hotel via an hour train ride, it was about 6 p.m.
I stayed at Flexstay Inn Higashi-Jujo, a small (incredibly small) hotel literally right next door to the train station — and a 7-Eleven, only my absolute favorite convenience store in Japan that I missed oh so much. The first thing that I did after dropping off my bags in the hotel room? Ran across the street to grab a quick and easy dinner from 7-Eleven, of course! I chose fried rice and a salmon onigiri (a rice ball with filling of countless possibilities in the middle); they are seriously my favorite snack/food, that are perfect especially for when you are on the go, and very cheap; I ate them whenever possible.
7-Eleven is one of the things I really missed about Japan (and still miss to this day). We don't have any around us in Louisiana, and the one I visited in NYC (first one I had EVER been to in the US, btw) in November was highly disappointing.
I crashed early that night, tired after all the traveling. Lots of adventuring to do the next day!!
A Traveler’s Guide to Gifting
It’s almost Christmas time. Wondering what to gift your favorite travelers in your life?
Scratch-Off World Map (this particular one even includes the flags)
Passport cover
A unique luggage tag (Calpak actually makes one that includes a portable charger)
Pack This notepad (here)
Universal travel adapter (here)
For something to read on the plane and/or car ride, while taking up the least amount of room, the Kindle Paperwhite is a great idea.
Apple Airtag! I’m sure you know exactly why these have been coming in handy lately. Austin and I recently bought one before our Ireland trip so we could track our checked bag, just in case.
Away luggage. I bought a Bigger Carry-On before our Ireland trip and I absolutely love. Now I want my whole set to be Away!
That’s a WRAP (get it?) on my gift guide for your favorite travelers. These were just a few of my favorite selections. Let me know what you think or if you have any different ideas!
Where to, Meg?
Happy (Early) Thanksgiving
“Where to Wednesday’s” means a post on Wednesday, so happy day early thanksgiving! Even if it’s not travel-related.
My plan is to wake up early to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while I drink my morning coffee. This was such a tradition of mine growing up that I have fell out of throughout the years, either by running the local Turkey Trot instead, or being on the road to family get-togethers.
Any who! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Where to (next), Meg?
My Winter Travel Bucket List
A tad bit early, but after thinking so much about it lately, I am so excited to share my winter travel bucket list with you all.
Zermatt at Christmas (visiting in the fall was already magical in itself, so this is definitely TOP of my list to visit in the winter/around Christmas time)
London at Christmas (I’ve actually been in London AFTER Christmas/before New Year, but I would love to experience the build-up to Christmas)
Germany (for Christmas markets)
Austria (for Christmas markets)
Iceland
The Dolomites, Italy (visited in the fall of last year, but honestly visiting in any season would be ideal in the future, especially winter time to best enjoy the saunas again at Forestis)
Finnish Lapland (to see the Northern Lights)
Hokkaido, Japan (for winter sports, but also hot springs! This is another place I have visited after Christmas, having arrived a couple days after and spending the last week of December and first week of January here. I loved the cold but would prefer to visit a spot in the country that is known for its winter!)
And just to absolutely throw off the typical winter locations:
Hawaii (just in case I crave a tropical local instead of freezing temps, plus less people)
I hope you enjoy the list and take some inspiration from it. Let me know if you would visit any of these places in the winter, or where you may have visited in the past.
Where to next?
Autumn in NYC
Doing some reminiscing this week on my time in New York City this time two years ago. Of course I love Boston in the fall the most, but autumn in New York is still magnificent.
Goodbye Spooky Season
In farewell to the forever amazing spooky season, I just wanted to leave some of my favorite photos I have taken during that time over the years. Some are from Boston/Salem, and others are from New Orleans, not too far from home.
To Cruise or Not…
Ultimately, it’s up to you and how you like to travel, but the following is just my thoughts from our experience on our first cruise together. This was my very first cruise, but Austin’s second. He went on one when he was about 15 and doesn’t really remember much of it. I had been saying for some time that if I ever went on a cruise, I wanted it to be in Europe, since I’m not a beach person, and obviously we stuck to that promise.
Even though we had a good time, I think we won’t be doing another cruise anytime soon, if ever. Why? Because of unpredictability and lack of control. Three ports on the west of Ireland were canceled due to inclement weather, and while that was understandable for everyone’s safety, it was still a huge bummer. The weather the whole cruise around Ireland was actually pretty sad (although I’m sure you’re confused by the first two attached photos, which were taken on the day we boarded). I did my research of course, I was prepared for it to be rainy at any point in the day, but being on a cruise limited us whereas if we would have rented a car and road-tripped around the country instead, we could have spent more time in places, waiting out the rain or doing something else until the rain stopped at least. If you have ever been on a cruise and done one of the excursions, then you know that your time is very limited and not really your own.
Although I will say that having the premium drink package was the best decision we made the whole trip. Austin drinks so. much. water. that he really made it worth our while, and with the added day at sea (bringing us to a total of three at-sea days, instead of the initial two), we had even more time stuck on the boat, so we drank our share of alcoholic beverages, in addition to all my giant bottles of San Pellegrino. Another bonus of our drink package was also being able to use it at the Starbucks cafe onboard (with a limited menu), so I was able to get coffee on the ship that wasn't the buffet coffee… I’d say we definitely made the most of the drink package, but I wouldn’t recommend it for people who don’t drink lots of water or other drinks enough to make it worth it. Really think about this before making that decision.
In the end, it wasn’t horrible by any means. It was just slightly disappointing for us, but at least we gave it a try. I truly try my best to always try something at least once before knocking it. It also doesn't help that we were severely influenced by another travel couple that we follow that’s been on a few Norwegian cruises in this past year. They really made it look so much fun, but…they’re getting paid to do that (Lol). They also cruised at different times of the year, including completely different destinations and that can also play a huge role in the enjoyment of the cruise. Just some food for thought!
In closing, for real now, I promise to always deliver the utter truth when it comes to our travels and what it’s actually like. Even when I reach the point of getting paid to do so, I always want to be honest on the experience for you all.
So, where to next?
Goodbye Ireland, Hello UK
Thursday, October 12
Spent today at sea, packing our luggage for tomorrow’s departure. Although, I did have a wine and chocolate tasting scheduled for us at 1pm! I was very much so in need of a nap afterwards…
Friday, October 13
8am - All aboard the Southampton train to….London! Where we’re spending our last two days. Our ship docked in Southampton early this morning and we were off of it by 7:30. We accidentally slept until 6:45, ignoring countless alarms but we still obviously made it off the ship by the required 8:30. Tickets from Southampton to London Waterloo station: £104.00 for two people, one way. Much better than a $260 taxi.
We couldn’t check in to our hotel until 3, but dropped off our luggage at least and headed out to explore the city. I have been to London almost 9 years ago, so we were able to skip some of the more touristy things, although I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of see Big Ben. We got our Underground tickets, headed to Bond Street and Regent Street for some shopping / sightseeing. I showed Austin the gorgeous Liberty department store then we had some delicious udon for lunch.
Next up, the Warren Mews.
After check in, we settled into a room before heading out again to tick off a couple photography spots on my list. My most anticipated: the tunnel view shot directly across from Big Ben. It might have smelled like New Orleans, but the shot I got is frame-worthy. Then I took Austin on a lengthy walk to Buckingham Palace.
For dinner, we ate at a pub near our hotel! Their shepherds pie was delicious.
Saturday, October 14
7:45am - Our last day… Got lots to do today! Tea at the Shangri-La, the Shard @ 12:30 and dinners reservations at Bob Bob Richard at 8PM. But for now, lots of walking to find photos spots and to find some great food!
First stop, Hampstead Heath. Then on to Nottinghill, Sherlock Holmes museum, and St. Paul’s cathedral to see the black phone booth, all before our tea at 12:30. Our afternoon tea was unforgettable. Austin was worried he wouldn’t be full from it, so I had a backup plan to visit the nearby Borough Market, but surprise!! The views were phenomenal, as well as the weather and the food.
Afterwards, we visited a couple photo spots near Tower Bridge. Which is already super close to the Shard. Fun fact: Tower Bridge is actually the name of the bridge that everyone mistakes as London Bridge (which in fact is one bridge over). Then we headed back to the hotel to relax and get ready before dinner.
The food and atmosphere at Bob Bob Ricard was fabulous. My kind of dining lol.
Sunday, October 15
Booooooo. Heading back home today. We left our hotel at 6:30am, got to the airport and through security around 8am. Flight leaves at 11:15.
I’ve never been more uncomfortable on a flight than I was on the second flight home, from JFK to MSY. I could not get comfortable, my back was killing me and even though I’m short, there was absolutely not enough leg room. Luckily that was a shorter flight.
Overall, it was good trip. My favorite days were our day in Dublin and our two days in London. We already know we will back to Ireland someday, but this time we plan on road tripping around the country. No more cruises for us, at least not for some time. But more of that in my next blog….
So where to next?
Where to…Ireland! Week Two
Friday, October 6
Another day in Cobh/Cork! But this time, we took the train into the city of Cork, a 20 minute train ride from the dock. We visited a Starbucks just so I could get my mugs and also stopped by a tiny Lululemon before we made the decision to visit the Blarney Castle. It was another 15-20 bus ride from the city of cork to the bus stop right near the entrance to the Blarney Castle grounds. The vibes were magical, when a gentlemen started playing the bagpipes right outside the castle. I immediately felt transported to another time. Yes, I did in fact kiss the Blarney Stone! Will I be granted the gift of gab? We shall see.
Saturday, October 7
Originally, we should have been in Galway, but after our itinerary changed, this became an additional sea day. We saw dolphins swimming alongside the ship from our balcony, chilled and had dinner at the Italian restaurant on board.
Sunday, October 8
Dublin Day! Definitely one of the ports I was most looking forward to. I had plans for us to visit the Guinness Warehouse. We got a little distracted shopping beforehand, but made our way on time for the tour and our free pints of Guinness at their Gravity Bar, where we were able to sip our fresh beers with 360 views of the city. We managed to stop by the famous Temple Bar before we had to head back to our ship, factoring in time on the train and having to tender back out to the ship.
Monday, October 9
Belfast day! We had an excursion booked for the Giants Causeway, so we spent zero time in the actual city of Belfast, where the Titanic was built. The weather was extremely cloudy, with some light rain, but luckily when we made it out to the Causeway, the rain had stopped. It had been so foggy at the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge that we couldn’t even see the edge of the cliffs. That was a huge disappointment but obviously out of our control.
Tuesday, October 10
Not going to lie, the weather has been disappointing except for our Dublin day. First, it canceled three of our ports on the western side of Ireland, and then today and yesterday were so rainy / cloudy you couldn’t even see the views we had booked through our excursions.
Today’s excursion: the Sliabh Liag Cliffs. Apparently the highest cliffs in Europe. Couldn’t see a single thing. At least it was cold? lol
Wednesday, October 11
Our 6 year anniversary!! 6 years together, one engaged. It was also our last port day, but due to the rough seas the night before. I couldn’t sleep and we ended up sleeping in until noon one I finally did fall asleep. We made dinner reservations at Le Bistro on the ship since we loved it so much a couple days before - and the service especially.
Only one day left of the cruise! Can’t say I’m not ready lol.
Where to next?
Where to…Ireland!
Sunday, October 1
7:45am - On the way to the airport. Where to next?
8:40am - Of course I recommend TSA Precheck, which was shockingly busy on a Sunday, but I also recommend a Delta Amex card. If you like to arrive to the airport early like us, it’s worth every peaceful second with access to the lounge and all its amenities - including free tampons in the bathroom!
3:10pm - Landed in NYC for our connecting flight. Upon boarding, we had to check both of our carry-ons. Boo!
Monday, October 2
9:30pm - Somehow still awake after arriving in London @ 7:30am, picking up our rental car and driving to Windsor Castle. We didn’t have our reservation to tour the castle until noon, so we wandered around the quaint town, grabbing coffee and food but our exhaustion was really hitting us. We ended up napping in our rental car for 30 minutes before heading back for the tour of the palace grounds. Did you know it’s the oldest inhabited castle? It was built in 1070! We loved walking through St. George’s Chapel, where Harry and Meghan were married and getting to see Queen Elizabeths grave. Must I also add that driving here is insane; it requires so much more of your attention. We were supposed to visit Stonehenge, but since we were both so tired, we opted to just drive on to Southampton and get our hotel; I was dying for a nap and a shower. In fact, I didn’t end up napping at all; immediately took a shower and then started editing photos until dinner @ 7.
Tuesday, October 3
10am - Good morning! We woke up @ 6:30 this morning to have breakfast @ 7 at the inn we are staying at here in Southampton. We retuned our rental car for 9 and then walked back to the inn to pack up. Check out is at 11, so that’s when we’re going to head out for our cruise ship!! Surprise!
6:30pm - Sitting in our room on the ship! It’s my first cruise, so I’m super excited…especially for the destination! Where to next??
Thursday, October 5
11am - We’re in Ireland!! Yesterday we were at sea the whole day and the signal/wifi isn’t the greatest, so this post is going up a day late, oops! Our itinerary got switched around too, due to inclement weather, so we are no longer visiting Dingle, Limerick, and Galway, much to my dismay. I’m trying to look at the bright side though. We are in Cobh/Cork as of today and tomorrow. And we added on a stop at Greencastle to make up for the missing port of calls.
10pm - Spent the first half of day walking around Cobh in the on-again, off-again Irish rain. What a welcome! Saw the famous Deck of Cards photo spot; visited the Titanic Experience, where we learned about Cobh being the last stop of the Titanic and a passenger that shares the same last name as me. We visited a coffee shop. We had fish and chips for lunch. Afterwards, we headed back to the ship, ready to be out of the rain. Tomorrow, we explore Cork!
My Autumn Bucket List
My favorite season. My favorite time to travel. You can bet that there are a lot of things I would love to do in this time of the year.
Japan in the fall. I’m sure most of you know how popular it is to visit Japan in the spring for cherry blossom season, which is still high on my list, but from the photos I have seen, autumn in Japan is just as beautiful. I have visited in the blazing, humid summer (never again!) and the winter, but want to visit in the fall next.
Amsterdam. Another destination that I want to visit in the spring, due to tulip season, but the fall looks absolutely magical.
Germany for Oktoberfest
Paris, because Paris is always a good idea.
Yosemite National Park
Acadia National Park. Would love to spend more time in Maine in general.
Road trip through New England. Technically, we have already checked this off, but we didn’t go during peak fall foliage, having caught the end around Halloween. This is one of our hopefuls plans for next year, to drive up in the Jeep with our dog Louis, and take our sweet time enjoying the gorgeous fall colors but this time at their peak!
San Francisco, Napa Valley area.
Banff, Canada
Any place that gets true fall colors is honestly on my list. Plus, with our anniversary in October, it’s an all-around favorite time for us to travel. Cooler weather, celebrating us, beautiful shades of fall, less crowds = perfection.
Some of my favorite places we’ve been in the fall:
Switzerland, last October.
Boston, always. But we have either visited too early or too late for peak foliage. Good thing it’s my favorite city. When we visited the first time, in October 2019, we drove up to Salem on Halloween Day, can't get much more fall than that, before we drove up to Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. I would love to go apple-picking the next visit!
Disneyland, September 2018. This one is specifically because of the Halloween decorations.
New York City. “Don’t you just love New York in the fall?” I still think Boston is superior, but NYC is still a spectacular sight.
So where to next??
My Favorite Autumn Photos
When I was brainstorming starting my blog, an idea that was appealing to me was having some posts in a photo-journal style format. So here’s a dump of my favorite autumnal photos I have captured over the past few years.
Yes, there’s quite a few from Switzerland last October because DUH!
Isetwald, Lake Brienz, Switzerland
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
View from the Gornergratbahn, Zermatt, Switzerland
Wengen, Switzerland
Maine
Acorn Street, Boston
Central Park, NYC
Autumn is my favorite time to travel. Less crowds, cooler temps, and undeniably beautiful views. Some of my favorite photos were taken in the fall. I hope you enjoy them and look forward to more in the future.
Where to next?
The Japan (Summer) Diaries - Day 13
The last full day in Tokyo.
It was such a bittersweet one and another one of my favorite days, despite the imminent departure date. I slept in long enough to allow for some much needed rest, but without missing breakfast. Then I set out for the nearby Asakusa district!
Main objective: Senso-ji temple. I spent a good couple hours here just walking up the shady strip, perusing all the souvenir shops. The strip, just beyond the first gate, is called Nakeamise-dori. I ended up buying several souvenirs there actually, getting rid of a lot of the extra yen I still had; this is always a recommendation of mine for those looking for souvenirs and to enjoy the architecture.
For lunch, I walked down a connecting side-street, where I ended up purchasing some Sake (salmon) Onigiri and indulging in more matcha ice cream. I sighted muscular men pulling rickshaws. I don’t know how they do it; it was too darn hot for that.
Closer to the main temple, you see a five-story pagoda. That is actually the second tallest pagoda in Japan, reconstructed in 1973. The temple was such a flashy red and yet so beautiful, especially if you caught a breathtaking glimpse of Skytree in the distance. I loved getting to see the old architecture mixed with the new, imaging what life might have been like closer to when the temple was finished.
I hoped in visiting the Kabuki theater to watch one of the plays, but upon arrival, I found out that they just so happened to be closed that day! That’s what I get for being spontaneous and not planning ahead; lesson learned.
The shops below the theater were open though, so I walked around there just to get out of the sun and until I could think of another plan.
Not too surprising, I ended up back in Akihabara, my favorite place.
My last stop, was a book tower on the edge of Akihabara where I bought a few Japanese novels/manga to help practice my Japanese.
Senso-ji was my favorite part of the day, besides the Yodobashi store in Akihabara where I did even more souvenir shopping. Pretty sure I spent two hours alone on one floor!
Back to the hotel early enough to get my packing done and with one last 7/Eleven meal. It was such a phenomenal trip.
Thanks so much for keeping up with these throwbacks of my travel posts. I hope you felt like you were there as well and got a good gist of how I travel and what it’s like in Japan. It is really a great, safe, and clean place to visit, having since risen in popularity since my first visit. It was also such a privilege and an honor to get to train at the Kodokan, and just be on this trip in general. Not many people are lucky enough to travel, and I am so thankful I had this opportunity.
Now, where to next…..?
The Japan (Summer) Diaries - Day 11 + 12
Now it's time for the best two days ever, although I certainly wasn't thinking that at the time....
Mt. Fuji Day.
Climbing season is early July through mid September, as this is the time with the mildest weather and typically very little snowy, if any. So when planning this Japan trip with my fellow judokas, our sensei encouraged and suggested that we climb Mt. Fuji, if interested - and couple of us obviously were!
I slept in, waking up in time so as not to miss the hotel's breakfast. The night before, I had spent packing my backpack with all my necessary hiking gear and then laying out my clothes for the next day. After the hotel breakfast, I grabbed my gear and headed to the 7/Eleven on the way to the station to stock up on water for the hike. I had purchased a water bladder for my Northface backpack, a similar one to a Camelbak but a lot cheaper, so I filled the whole bladder up with the giant 2L bottles they sold at 7/Eleven. I continued on to the station, taking the train to Shinjuku, met up with the two guys from our group that were also hiking with me, and then we waited for our bus to arrive.
The bus ride was two and a half hours, in which I couldn't help but dose off, as much as I was enjoying the views out the window. Finally, we arrived at the 5th Station, where everyone typically starts the ascent. We could immediately feel a drastic change in temperature. It was a very welcome change after the intense heat in Tokyo. Not only was it a bit cooler, but we were above the clouds as well, having climbed higher in altitude along the ride. Looking up, you could make out the slope of Mt. Fuji, but not the top due to the clouds above us.
Although we didn’t start the hike immediately, we walked around the 5th station a bit, looking inside the souvenirs shops and visiting the shrine they had. I was growing very anxious to get our hike underway because it was almost five and I wasn't sure if we would make it to the 7th station before sunset, where we would be lodging for the night.
Starting our hike at five, it took us and hour and a half to get to our hut at the 7th station. A surprise to us! Just that first leg of the journey was tough, most likely due to the altitude. The coolness was of course a plus. The view was breathtakingly spectacular, in beauty and in fright. Fun fact: I am not a fan of heights. We took small breaks when needed, to catch our breath or wait for anyone that was behind - which usually it was me! The higher we climbed, the more we could see UP towards the top. Then, surprise, we arrived at the 7th station and our hut for the night. It was just after six, so we put our backpacks down, ate the delicious curry dinner they supplied us with and then it was lights out at seven, so we climbed into our bunks to try to get some sleep before heading out for the sunrise viewing.
All of us had difficulty sleeping, only managing a couple hours in total. We ended up setting out at 11:30pm, in the pitch dark. Good thing we had our headlamps. This was to be the longest part of the hike, taking us nearly five hours to reach the top! It got a bit crowded the last leg of the climb. And oh, did it get COLD. We had stopped at the windy 8th station to grab hot food; it was definitely the best Cup of Noodles I have ever had in my entire life. We ate then continued on, and I started doubting if we would make it in time for the sunrise.
I got separated from the others, and at the last leg, it was so crowded, we weren't going to wait for each other. And then FINALLY, we reached the top. I was so glad, because that was a much more brutal hike than I anticipated. I quickly hurried to find a spot to sit and watch the much anticipated sunrise.
And what an exquisite moment it was. At first, you could see that the sky was lightening, but you couldn't quite see the sun just yet. Then, a red line appeared and was rapidly growing larger. It stretched, climbing higher and higher, and then the sun was up. The crowd watching was quite enthusiastic. It was so cold at the summit, but just watching the sun rise made you forget just how cold you were. And then of course, there was the scalding can drinks I had just purchased I was using as hand warmers in my gloved hands.
After the sun rose, I didn't stay much longer since I was absolutely freezing. I enjoyed the view as much as possible before making my way to the descending trail - my least favorite part of the whole hike. It was gravel the majority of the way down, and very steep and slippery; not at all to my liking and fear of heights. I was silently wishing a helicopter could just whisk me back down to the 5th station. It only took about two and a half hours to descend, thankfully, because I some kind of worn out. We reserved our bus tickets back to Tokyo and waited an hour, roaming around the station, buying souvenirs and grabbing a much needed lunch. The moment I settled down on the bus, I was out like a light, hardly opening my eyes again until we pulled into Shinjuku.
After returning to the hotel, I took a shower to get all the dust and grime from Mt. Fuji off. Surprisingly, instead of passing out immediately, I decided to wait until night to sleep again, and instead headed out in search of a Cat Cafe. Back to Shinjuku, I went! The minimum amount of time for the Cat Cafe I visited was one hour. I bought some cat food to feed the cats - about the only time they wanted to come near me!
For dinner, I stopped at a restaurant on the way to the station, where I got a delicious beef bowl.
Sleep was all I thought about after. For sure one of the most exhausting and exciting days of the trip.
Only one remaining!
Where to next?
The Japan (Summer) Diaries - Day 10
On the tenth day, I set out with two main objectives: visiting the Imperial Palace and the Meiji shrine.
The Imperial Palace grounds are pretty massive, in the middle of Tokyo and not too far from my hotel. I loved how you got a glimpse of old meeting new, where the skyscrapers met the flat grounds of the surrounding park, dotted with ancient Japanese architecture. I retreated deeper into the grounds, leaving the hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo.
Massive stones, that were once the walls protecting the palace grounds, can be seen all over. While the Imperial family still resides here, the walls have been replaced with greater means of modern security.
It’s basically a straight line from the subway exit right up to the Imperial Palace. There is a popular viewing point in which I stopped, since I saw many others there too, that enabled me to finally get a glimpse of the Imperial Palace - or what I thought was it. Turns out that the view is really of Fushimi-yagura (the watch-tower), with the famous Nijubashi bridge in front. The whole time I thought it was the actual palace! I didn’t reserve the tour ahead of time, so I was unable to enter the inner grounds and therefore see the actual Imperial Palace. A lovely view, nonetheless, where I decided to sit down and take it all in. I fell in love with Japanese architecture even more.
After some time, despite the heat, I began making my way to Meiji-jingu, inside Yoyogi Park, next to Harajuku.
I took the train to Harajuku, exiting on the side of Yoyogi Park, not very far from the Meiji-jingu entrance. At the entrance, you’re greeted by the largest torii gate I had seen so far on this trip to Japan. The torii gates are made from 1500-year-old Taiwanese cypress and such an unforgettable beauty to behold! This was probably the most forest-like park of all the Tokyo parks so far, trees towering even higher than the torii gate, making a tunnel of sorts for the visitors to walk under towards the shrine. It definitely helped shade me from the sun. Although the walk from the entrance to the shrine is lengthy, at least I was no longer dripping sweat. I passed picturesque sake barrels and wine casks, gifts to the shrine, and then I finally arrived upon yet another towering torii gate; I felt like an ant beside it.
The shrine itself was modest, yet stunning. Upon entering, I thought to myself, how awesome would it be to see a traditional wedding while here? Little did I know that literally ten seconds later my wish would come true! The bride was breathtaking in her traditional wedding gown, although I wonder how hot she must have been because it looked rather heavy. The bride and groom were currently taking their pictures. I watched the happy couple for a few minutes, then decided to continue on throughout the shrine, admiring the architecture and watching people perform the customary rituals for praying. It left me with chills to see these people bowing and clapping.
After departing and making the long walk back to the entrance, I decided to venture once more down Takeshita-dori. I didn't linger long before heading back to the hotel early in order to rest some. It had been an exhausting day of walking - just how I like it! But I did in fact stop at a Starbucks beforehand where I was able to add another mug to my insane growing collection…
This was another top favorite day of this summer trip to Japan, but certainly not the last…
Where to next?