📸 This evening was all about the comfort food: takoyaki, okonomiyaki, karaage and beautiful grilled chicken. All washed down with crisp, cold Asahi beer.
Travel
📸 This afternoon’s post-onsen lunch. Absolutely delicious!
♨️ I had the most wonderful few hours soaking in outdoor baths and melting in saunas today. No photos, obviously, but nobody needs to see my hobbit form sweating anyway. I felt absolutely wonderful adterwards and enjoyed a delicious lunch with a local friend. And then a solid and very deep nap.
🧠 Sitting down in the executive lounge of our hotel, hoping this caffeine will activate my brain.
I made the mistake of taking a nap after we came back from Namba and feel like I set my jet lag back to square one! We had a lovely wander of the area, bought some mementos, and I made onsen plans for tomorrow with a local friend. Looking forward to a long, hot soak/sauna combo, followed by some takoyaki and a beer.
Tonight? After some free hospitality in this lounge - last night’s buffet was pork-tactic! - we’re going to the best gay bar in town and taking it from there.
Enjoying a wander around Namba, under some very welcome sunshine and blue skies. It’s 20C here right now! Only slightly ruined by the relentless and awful Christmas music playing virtually everywhere.
☕️ Sitting down to a hotel breakfast after a fun night out in Osaka. Somehow managed to walk 21,400 steps yesterday and I have to say I’m feeling it now. I’m not sure of today’s plan but it’ll definitely involve more coffee.
🍽️ I’ll never not be amazed just how much some adults completely lose the run of themselves when presented with a buffet. Some people here behaving like they’ve not seen food in a week. None of them are Japanese, obviously. Just badly behaved tourists…
☕️ Currently relaxing in the hotel’s executive lounge, re-fuelling with some Diet Coke, and getting ready for the hotel’s free ‘cocktail hour’. Once we’ve had our fill, we’ll head out and do some more exploring. It’s been a very chilled out day as hubby was hit hard by the jet lag.
📸 Enjoyed a gorgeous walk to Osaka Castle this morning. Blue skies and sunshine all over. The perfect start to our visit. You know you’re visiting Japan when you hit 12,000 steps before lunch!
✈️ Eating my way to Tokyo:
I flew to Japan with Japan Airlines on Wednesday, luxuriating in their First Class service. And without any exaggeration, I can say hands down, it was the best aviation experience of my life.
✈️ Managed to snap this incredible view of Mount Fuji on our approach to Tokyo yesterday. The last thirty minutes of the flight were spent taking in the sunset over Tokyo and it was just beautiful.
📸 Breakfast in Osaka
✈️ We made it to Tokyo in one piece, after a predictably wonderful flight with JAL. Then a smooth transfer to Osaka and a superb night’s sleep. Just had breakfast in our hotel before going out for a wander.
It’s so nice to be back in Japan.
📸 Enjoying a meal in the BA First lounge before our flight to Tokyo. The holiday starts here! ✈️
✈️ All packed for tomorrow’s flight to Tokyo and then on to Osaka. So, so excited to be heading back to Japan. And looking forward to the luxury of Japan Airlines…
📸 Travel memories: 3rd November, 2022 - ✈️ en route to Tokyo Haneda with Japan Airlines.
🔗 I’m considering buying the new Apple Watch… once I get to Japan
📸 Travel memories: 2nd of November, 2016. I was enjoying myself in Odaiba, Tokyo.
🍑 Baring it all in Japan:
This could be a tiny decades-old bath in Kyoto, or a ‘super onsen’ in Tokyo. The experience is similar: long periods of time spent soaking in communal baths and letting my cares disappear and the aches on my muscles vanish.
Analogue Tokyo memories...
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
✈️ It’s eight years since my first visit to the Traveler’s Factory shop in Meguro, Tokyo. I geeked out on lovely notebooks and assorted stationery. Tucked away in a side street in Meguro, it was slightly tricky to track down at first. But the effort was well worth it. What I found was a real treasure trove of notebooks, accessories and things for lovers of all things analogue. I can’t wait to get back there when I’m in Japan next month.Gym is habit, repeat
Monday, October 28, 2024
A productive day, all in all. With my eyes firmly on the prize (our departure for Tokyo next week) I got the head down and tore through my task list in work this morning. I actually got so much done that I managed to leave the office early and get to the gym. I know, I was shocked too. It has been far too long since this body has seen the inside of a gym.Engage focus mode!
Monday, October 28, 2024
Another week rolls round. And this is my last full working week before I head to Japan, so there’s a lot to pack in. Including lining up some podcast content to go live while I’m away. I’d much rather not fiddle with podcasting while I’m trying to enjoy Osaka and Japan. And there’s nothing like an impending deadline to focus the mind. This week’s priority list in Things 3 is bursting at the seams, which may require a few extra hours here and there.📸 Three years ago today, I was avoiding the cold and dark of London with a last-minute trip to Sitges for some sunshine. I even got some time on my all-time favourite naturist beach. I would love a little sunshine and beach time today…
But with the judicious use of a gazillion Avios, tenacity with an incredibly unhelpful BA Customer Service Assistance ‘professional’ and an in-depth knowledge of airline timetables and customer rights, my partner was able to get us flights to Tokyo with Japan Airlines - going First Class.
📸 This day, eight years ago, I was wandering around Dotobori in Osaka. I think I ate my bodyweight in takoyaki and okonomiyaki that week. It’s such an incredible city and I can’t wait to get back there in just a couple of weeks.
✈️ Looking forward to this evening, when I’ll finally find out if my talented other half has definitely managed to get us off a crappy British Airways flight to Tokyo and onto an incredible First Class Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo.
Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.
✏️ The week that was, 14th to 20th October
Sunday, October 20, 2024
I’ve remembered to write up my weekly note, even if the week isn’t strictly speaking over. This week was mostly about travel, work and fun, with a big helping of delicious food. 👉🏻 Read on here🎥 I’m currently loving this video from JR, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Shinkansen. The most civilised and relaxing mode of public transport I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
👉🏻 Watch here
✈️ Only 19 days to go till I leave for Japan once again. So much to get done (work and life) between now and then, but that doesn’t matter. In less than three weeks, I’ll be sipping a beer in Osaka. 🍺🇯🇵
👾 Space invaders
These guys - and it’s always guys - are a nightmare. Taking up as much space as they can, everywhere they go. Speaking louder than everyone else. Ignoring the social cues all around them.
👉🏻 Read on…