Ariadne

We meet again, old friend. You’ve changed a bit. There’s Christmas lights decorations, and a lot of building works. I did get to practice my ‘good morning’ with the super polite lady in a high vis jacket outside the building site – all in preparation for the Osaka 2025 Expo. Mind you, I’d have loved […]

This is a lovely part of town for walking, jogging, and cycling – something which a lot of locals, and visitors do. The cafes and restaurants each side of the river, oversee the water flow and many come here during cherry blossom season to enjoy the view. This is a day for revisiting the shops

This was going to be an ambitious day, or so the blueprint dictated. It would require an early bird start and then some gymnastics of navigating around half the surface of the shore of Lake Biwa, and then angle for one of the islands (Chikubu), then back to the starting point. But I did wake

Among the most visited popular and busy tourist spots in Kyoto, dear Reader you will find these four: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi-inari, Kinkaku-ji, and Arashiyama. Then again, the whole of Kyoto is full of ‘must-see’ spots, and it really depends on personal preference where one goes. Having enjoyed Kiyomizu-dera in spite of the crowds (at least the

Having checked the weather forecast and finding that it would probably rain in the day I was meant to go to Nagoya, I opted to switch the itinerary. No time like the present, dear Reader. A non-reserved seat (always cars 1-3) will set you back a little above ¥5000. Any train would do and there

Uji is but 8 stops and 24 min away from Kyoto in the JR Nara Line (also convenient for getting you to Tofuku-ji Temple and Fushimi Inari- 1st, and 2nd stop on the way). It is where many of the Matcha teas you can purchase in Kyoto come from, and it hosts many stores selling

The queue for the 206 bus to Kiyomizu-dera is long, but the buses come every minute or so, and there are people with helpful signs in English to direct tourists. At the entrance a dragon keeps watch over the water, and you’re invited to wash your hands and mouth – as per ritual- and proceed

I purchased my ticket the evening before my journey, to make sure I’d find me a seat. All seats facing the starboard side (the Shinkansen is not a ship) were taken, as that is the side you get to see Mount Fuji – currently bold, and without its snow cap. It just makes the fact

The day was a sunny one; it’s like there were no showers the day before. A perfect day for being out in the open air and making the most of the weather. It’s a Sunday. I walked to the Tokyo International Forum, where I knew there’d be a flea market of various goods taking place,