It is not hard to get around Japan by train and bus, but in some cases where locations are more remote (such as travelling from Natasugawa ( the Nakasendo Trail) to Kawaguchiko (Mt. Fuji), it will require a few tightly-timed connections. To get to Kawaguchiko, we walked 5 minutes from our hotel to grab our … More Chasing Mt. Fuji
We had read a great deal about the Nakasendo Trail during our research and increasingly, this stood out as being a place that would probably be a highlight of our trip. Its origins go back to the Edo Period (1603-1867), when it served as a pathway for samurai and travellers between Kyoto and Tokyo. Most … More The Nakasendo Trail: A Glorious Walk in the Woods.
Maybe it goes back to my smoking career, which ended over 40 years ago, but it I catch a cold, it worms right into my lungs and grabs hold for days and days. I’m almost better now, but my wheezing, coughing, phlegm-y self cost us both what should have been a full-on eight days in … More Sick, but still standing, in Kyoto
Okayama is a city that has somehow escaped the tourist hordes, which was a blessed relief. In a way, it makes sense, as the cities of Osaka and Kyoto are close by and have more obvious appeal. If you’re on a limited time frame, you might not consider a stop here. What drew us to … More Okayama: The Land of Peaches, Denim and Canals.
I really, really hope we have learned that nuclear warfare would be a bad thing, but it’s obvious we have not learned how to get along with one another. Visiting Hiroshima will always be unsettling, but these are scary times. The rules of the game seem to have shifted. I remember years ago visiting the … More Hiroshima: Have We Learned Anything?
Tokyo belted us between the eyes: Kanazawa gracefully beckoned us, “Relax, take in the beauty of the gardens, the temples, the historical districts.” And so we did, walking everywhere in this beautiful, accessible city that sits mid-country, bordered by the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps. We arrived here in just under three hours … More Kanazawa: Japan’s Perfect Coastal City
It’s been just over a year since we’ve browsed travel sites, booked flights, planned itineraries and figured out packing and boy, does it feel great to be “on the road” again. Mind you, we put travel aside for a very good reason – we were house-hunting and attempting to create more balance in our lives … More It’s Been a Minute
Well, we’ve been home almost three months now; our wings clipped as we look to move from our condo into a house. We had decided that it was time to balance our lives a bit more – less travelling and more time invested into all the elements of a “real” life – more time with … More Vancouver: You Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone.
We ended our stay in Istanbul with the crowds celebrating Republic Day; the 101st annual commemoration of the formation of the Republic of Türkiye on October 29, 1923. Mustafa Ataturk became the freshly-minted country’s first president, ending the long rule of the Ottoman Empire. Republic Day is a big deal – two days filed with … More And…that’s a wrap!
Istanbul has had a centuries-long love affair with cats. Revered for their rodent-control abilities and regarded as community pets, most street corners have bowls of water and food out for their beloved felines. They number anywhere from several thousand to over a million, in Istanbul alone. The cats are remarkably healthy, with shiny coats and … More Istanbul, Part 2: Cats, Cisterns and Coloured Houses
Leaving Ourselves Behind 