Category: 2019 Japan

This was our last day in Japan. There was no need to rush because our flight was scheduled for 9:00 pm, leaving plenty of time for some final exploration. We needed to check out from our hotel by 11:00 am but they would hold our bags for collection later. Majella and I were up at our usual time. We had...

This was our full day around Tokyo. Majella had wondered a few weeks ago about getting a guide or some form of tour. I did some searching and discovered Tokyo Free Guide. There is an application form to fill with some ideas about what might interest you. If a guide is available the deal is that they do it for...

My plan for this morning had been to check out of our hotel at Naka-Gora and reverse our path via the cable car and Hakone Tozan train to Odawara where would catch a Shinkansen to Tokyo. There was no rush for that as the train I had selected from Gora left after 10:00 am. Majella and I were up soon...

Our first listed activity for today was the Hakone Ropeway which does not open until 9:00 am so Majella and I had no need to hurry. We showered and had breakfast and then woke Sophie around 8:00 am. That got us out the door soon after 9:00 am when we walked to the nearby Naka-Gora cable car station. We rode...

Majella and I both woke early and she got out to check that our laundry had dried overnight. It had, thanks to the drying room facility in the bathroom that had circulated warm air through the night. We showered and ate breakfast and then roused Sophie before 8:00 am. I had planned an itinerary that took a Shinkansen at 10:15...

We had a later start this morning since Eriko had arranged to meet us in Shin-Ōsaka station at 9:00. Majella and I woke just before 7:00 am and woke Sophie around 8:00 am as we were eating breakfast.  By 9:00 am we were waiting in the station for Eriko who arrived soon after and led us to a train. That...

When we knew that because of the way school holidays fell, our trip with Sophie was going to have us in Japan over Easter and unlikely to find convenient churches, Hiroshima seemed an appropriate place to visit on Good Friday. We wanted to go there in any case and it seemed likely to provoke reflection. I had worked out an...

I was awake at 6:00 am so I showered and dressed. By then Majella was awake and did likewise. We left Sophie sleeping while we went downstairs to the lounge for coffee – there is green tea in our room but no coffee. When we got back Sophie was stirring  a little. We ate our breakfast muffins while checking email and...

In 1995 on our first trip around Europe (with Hannah, then aged 16) we had a chance meeting with an expatriate Australian couple travelling with grandchildren. Majella was inspired and in 2006 we did our first travel with a grandchild when Emily accompanied us while Majella attended two conferences in Italy and Greece. In 2008 and 2009 I managed to...