You’ve probably guessed by the name, but one of the best things about Nozawa Onsen is that hot springs pop up all over the village, which means that after a day of hard work on the slopes, there is always a hot spring bath awaiting to ease the tired muscles. My skiing post is here.…
After two weeks of travel, we came to what was (for the kids) the most exciting part of the trip – snow time! All the trips to temples and traipsing around big, crowded cities was worth it, because – SNOW! And it was falling! Nozawa Onsen is a lovely little hot spring town in the…
One of the cool things about trains in Japan is that you can often watch the drivers do their thing. Heading back from our trip to Koyasan, on the rapid train between Osaka and Kyoto, the kids enjoyed the driver’s view. I love the white gloves! The drivers take their jobs very seriously. I’m no…
My last post was about getting to Koyasan and staying in a Shukubo (temple lodging) – lots of fun! This one has my pics from a wander through town to the key sites. From west to east, Koyasan is only a couple of kilometres, and while there is a bus that runs the route, it’s…
Another day in Japan, another train trip (or five). Leaving behind our cute little Kyoto AirBnB apartment, we crossed the Kamo River to Sanjo Station one last time to begin the journey to Koyasan. Waiting for train selfie: Ah, the comfort of Japanese train travel! Koyasan (Mt Koya) is a UNESCO World Heritage listed town…
First, we were told Chaochao makes the best gyoza in Kyoto (thanks Sandy). Here’s us outside waiting for our takeaway dumplings because the restaurant is tiny (as are most in Kyoto) and there was a long wait for a table for four. Get in early! Ponto-cho is a narrow alleyway that runs parallel to the…
We took the 45 minute rapid train from Kyoto to Nara for a few hours in Nara-koen (Nara Park), which has some lovely temples, including the impressive UNESCO World Heritage listed Todai-ji, but honestly, it’s mostly about the deer when you’re travelling with two ten-year-olds. The cash for deer crackers (200 yen per pack sold…
Nijo Castle What better way to start 2020 than with a nice warm saké as a welcome to Nijo Castle? Thanks, Kyoto! Continuing our journey along the tourist trail of Kyoto, on New Year’s morning we stopped in at Nijojo, which was built in 1603 by the first shogun of the Edo period, became the…
We’ve discovered that New Year is a super-busy time to visit Kyoto. It’s the most important festival of the Japanese year. Not for the fireworks – there were no big ones here in Kyoto – but families gather to feast and visit their local temples and shrines to pray for good fortune for the coming…
Our first day in Kyoto we enjoyed the luxury of rain. (Wishing we could send some back home.) We started with a walk through some of the old streets of Gion. We found Yasaka Pagoda up the hill in Higashiyama. New Year is a big holiday here, so there are masses of people everywhere, especially…
First, another subway ride. We’ve got the hang of it! The torii (gate) leading to Meiji-jingu (the imperial shrine – largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo, built in 1920 by Emperor Meiji). These sake barrels are presented each year by brewers from throughout Japan as offerings to the enshrined Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken at Meiji-jingu.…
Shopping for kawaii (cute) things (aka heaven): Riding the Metro: Asakusa: Senso-ji Temple: Discovering our fortunes: Apparently it’s ice cream weather… Tokyo Sky Tree: Blake and Mt Fuji: Sunset over Tokyo: Shibuya at night:
After a quick game of Connect Four on the wharf, we boarded our ferry for the 25-minute trip south on the Potomac River to Alexandria, Virginia, a little historical town known for its well-preserved 18th and 19th century buildings. We took a little morning wander up the brick-paved King St and back down Prince…
After a long and hot walk around the National Mall the day before, on July 4 we made the wise move to hire bikes to cover a bit more ground in the heat and the crowds. I’d definitely recommend hiring bikes in DC – with Bike and Roll DC your rental includes a bike lock, so you…
We arrived in Washington DC in the mid-afternoon after our flight from Salt Lake City for the second leg of our USA journey. We loved the outdoor adventures of Arizona and Utah – now for the metropolises of the north-east. The hotel we stayed in was right on The Wharf, a fairly new entertainment district…
Raising Explorers 