Our last full day here was spent shopping, shopping and more shopping! We began with breakfast of French toast and soufflé pancakes at Hoshino Coffee, and it was delicious. We wandered around 109 men for a while, then made our way to the Disney store for Star Wars purchases - I bought a lovely die cast Rey on special.
After Disney we headed to Shibyua Modi, and wound our way around every floor looking at clothes, homewards, shoes and books. Then it was time to check out Tower records, which has a reputation for great coffee, so we had a look through the collection and had a lovely coffee with some of the best coffee art I've seen.
From there it was time for Tokyu Hands, a craft and homewares store somewhere between Myer, Spotlight and Bunnings. It was brilliant, entire floors devoted to paper and pens, and we picked up some Totoro merch and lots of washi. At this point it was dinner time, so we popped into Ikinari Steak for a delicious and unique experience. Here you pay per gram of meat, and you watch them cut your steak and weigh it, before it's cooked and served on a sizzling plate with corn and onion and you pour a marinade over the steak before enjoying it. It was absolutely fantastic, beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection, at $60 for both of us, it's also excellent value.
Happily sated, we continued shopping in Loft, HMV, Seibu and Muji, I found the soundtrack to Castle of Cagliostro on vinyl, which was awesome, and we stopped by a Lawsons for a much discussed Egg Salad Sandwich (Anthony Bourdain apparently made a big deal about them) and they are indeed ridiculously good for the $1.20 they cost. Now it's time to pack up the apartment and our stuff ready to leave tomorrow. Konbanwa!
- Jess
Japan -Day 9 - Yebisu and more karaoke
Brewery hunt take two; great success! After yesterday's disappointing lack of beerage, today we decided to check out the (much closer) Yebisu Brewery Museum in Ebisu. It was only one stop away, and we found it easily, which was a relief. The museum is actually quite tiny, with most of the building devoted to a grand foyer, shop and tasting area. We had a short tour, entirely in Japanese, because at the end there were tastings. Andrew liked the beer because, as they were at pains to explain in the English pamphlet, it's actually a German style beer which follows the same beer rules as they have in Germany. Andrew tried three styles; pale, amber and dark. Apparently all were tasty.
We then had a wander around the shops in Ebisu, and had some delicious soba with pork katsu and tempura veggies for lunch, before some more general window shopping. We came back to our room for a short rest, we needed to tidy up and begin packing so that we can fill tomorrow properly, and we're about to head out for dinner and more karaoke!
- Jess
EDIT:
Dinner was a brilliantly fun affair that was utterly Japanese in style. We went to Genki Sushi which is a sushi restaurant where you order from a touch screen and then your freshly made sushi is delivered by a train on a track to your seat. It was great fun, and the sushi was delicious.
Then it was time for more karaoke! When you start after 11pm it's even cheaper, so we began at 11pm and went for another hour and a half. My voice is very hoarse now, but there is something magical about singing A Whole New World at the top of your lungs at midnight drinking beer and cola spider cocktails in the middle of Tokyo. Tomorrow is our last full day, so we should probably get some rest. Ja mata ne!
We then had a wander around the shops in Ebisu, and had some delicious soba with pork katsu and tempura veggies for lunch, before some more general window shopping. We came back to our room for a short rest, we needed to tidy up and begin packing so that we can fill tomorrow properly, and we're about to head out for dinner and more karaoke!
- Jess
EDIT:
Dinner was a brilliantly fun affair that was utterly Japanese in style. We went to Genki Sushi which is a sushi restaurant where you order from a touch screen and then your freshly made sushi is delivered by a train on a track to your seat. It was great fun, and the sushi was delicious.
Then it was time for more karaoke! When you start after 11pm it's even cheaper, so we began at 11pm and went for another hour and a half. My voice is very hoarse now, but there is something magical about singing A Whole New World at the top of your lungs at midnight drinking beer and cola spider cocktails in the middle of Tokyo. Tomorrow is our last full day, so we should probably get some rest. Ja mata ne!
- Jess
Japan - Day 8 - All over the shop
Well, that sake was a brilliant idea, and I'm absolutely sure that future Jess will agree! Today was a long, epic adventure. We decided that it would be an awesome idea to visit a brewery that was a very, very, very long way away. It turns out that Google had different plans for us though, so after we got ourselves on the (wrong) train, realised it was the wrong one, came back a few stops, got on the right one, and began our eleven minute (apparently) walk, it became clear this wasn't destined to be. After successfully navigating to a Christian Youth Centre around two hours travel time from Tokyo in the outer region, the universe decided that a brewery wasn't a great idea for us, rather, (cue theme music from Fellowship of the Ring) we should instead a day spent fruitlessly trying to find one. Since it closed at 4pm, we called it quits at 3.30pm and went back into Tokyo. On the plus side, we discovered maple syrup pancakes in a packet are the greatest thing ever, pear ice blocks are awesome, there was a lovely river we walked by for part of the wandering shambles, there are actually farms in the greater Tokyo area, and tiny school children wander about at three o clock by themselves and help each other with homework on the train, which was adorable.
Once we made our way back to Tokyo, it was time for a much needed foot massage, so we went to one in Shinjuku that was cheap, and had half an hour of luxurious rest while our excellent masseurs proceeded to attempt to help our poor feet. It was delightfully painful, but relaxing, and after our complimentary tea we were ready for dinner. We waited for Ichiran ramen, a much recommended place where you customise your ramen. It was delicious, and that set us up for more shopping.
Andrew wanted to go to Bic Camera, a giant everything store in Shinjuku, with a Uni Qlo and Gu inside, so off we went. It had a ridiculous amount of stuff, with very strange groupings of products: pianos, curtains and phones, toys and toilets, wine and headphones and cameras. We also did some clothes shopping as both Uni Qlo and Gu had sales, so we picked up some winter things that were very cheap, and Facebook tells me it's a little cool at home.
It was getting late, so it was finally karaoke time! Shibuya is great for karaoke, so we found a cheap one ($37 for both of us for an hour and a half and all you can drink booze) and settled in. So. Much. Fun! Iron Maiden, Spice Girls, Seal, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, NIN, Rage Against the Machine, Florence and the Machine, Beastie Boys - it was amazeballs! Of course, the beers, grapefruit sours and jug of sake helped us along nicely. We stopped off at the 7-11 for snacks on our way home, and now we're at 1am-ish. We will be doing that again methinks :)
- Jess
Once we made our way back to Tokyo, it was time for a much needed foot massage, so we went to one in Shinjuku that was cheap, and had half an hour of luxurious rest while our excellent masseurs proceeded to attempt to help our poor feet. It was delightfully painful, but relaxing, and after our complimentary tea we were ready for dinner. We waited for Ichiran ramen, a much recommended place where you customise your ramen. It was delicious, and that set us up for more shopping.
Andrew wanted to go to Bic Camera, a giant everything store in Shinjuku, with a Uni Qlo and Gu inside, so off we went. It had a ridiculous amount of stuff, with very strange groupings of products: pianos, curtains and phones, toys and toilets, wine and headphones and cameras. We also did some clothes shopping as both Uni Qlo and Gu had sales, so we picked up some winter things that were very cheap, and Facebook tells me it's a little cool at home.
It was getting late, so it was finally karaoke time! Shibuya is great for karaoke, so we found a cheap one ($37 for both of us for an hour and a half and all you can drink booze) and settled in. So. Much. Fun! Iron Maiden, Spice Girls, Seal, Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, NIN, Rage Against the Machine, Florence and the Machine, Beastie Boys - it was amazeballs! Of course, the beers, grapefruit sours and jug of sake helped us along nicely. We stopped off at the 7-11 for snacks on our way home, and now we're at 1am-ish. We will be doing that again methinks :)
- Jess
Japan - Day 7 - Akihabara
We spent all of today in Akihabara, otherwise known as electric town, and it was just as eclectic as we remembered. Toy stores that are ten floors high, electronic markets filled with components and hardware, girls in costumes from maid cafes, and of course, the obligatory surprise manga that makes one feel distinctly uncomfortable. Since we were properly needing it up for the day, we began with breakfast at the Gundam cafe. It was underwhelming both in the scale of the cafe and the breakfast, which looked cool, but was tiny and not particularly satisfying.
Then we went to yodobashi, a giant retailer in the heart of Akihabara over nine floors, with golf and baseball on the roof, and toys, computers, homewards, clothing, food, cameras, sound equipment, records, AV tech, everything you find in the good guys and more. We were there for a few hours looking at everything, and we bought some camera equipment that was on sale.
For lunch we went across to the UDX restaurant row and decided on chicken don, which was delicious. The chicken is first grilled over hot coals, then deep fried with panko crumbs, served on rice and cabbage with teriyaki sauce. Feeling very full, we began to explore further into the district, and after visiting a number of toy stores, we found four Eva's on sale, so we bought all of them! It's fascinating seeing the amazing detail and variety of toys here, though the hyper sexualisation of many figures, and the simply astonishing array of hentai and yaoi boggle the mind.
The stores were beginning to close so we made one last stop at the owl cafe! I wasn't sure about this one, and I'm still not convinced that this is the life these birds should have, but it was clean and quiet, the birds seemed happy to sleep and preen on their perches, and the staff were affectionate with all of them and appeared to love their job. I was able to pet all of the owls, and a number of them were also able to be held. It was pretty awesome, and I was surprised by the variety of breeds and sizes they had, from a tawny frog mouth to a few great owls, they were just beautiful. I was expecting them to be nippy and flighty, but the ones you're allowed to hold are clearly used to the attention and very placid.
There's no time limit on the owl cafe, so it was late by the time we left. Rather than go out for dinner, since we have an apartment this time, we went to the local Lawsons and stocked up on microwaveable meals from the extensive fresh range that all supermarkets have here. Andrew had chicken katsu on rice and I had gyoza. It was surprisingly good, and ridiculously cheap, less than three dollars fifty each. If only we could get stuff that good and fresh from supermarkets at home. Now it's time for some cheap drinks and pudding for dessert.
- Jess
Then we went to yodobashi, a giant retailer in the heart of Akihabara over nine floors, with golf and baseball on the roof, and toys, computers, homewards, clothing, food, cameras, sound equipment, records, AV tech, everything you find in the good guys and more. We were there for a few hours looking at everything, and we bought some camera equipment that was on sale.
For lunch we went across to the UDX restaurant row and decided on chicken don, which was delicious. The chicken is first grilled over hot coals, then deep fried with panko crumbs, served on rice and cabbage with teriyaki sauce. Feeling very full, we began to explore further into the district, and after visiting a number of toy stores, we found four Eva's on sale, so we bought all of them! It's fascinating seeing the amazing detail and variety of toys here, though the hyper sexualisation of many figures, and the simply astonishing array of hentai and yaoi boggle the mind.
The stores were beginning to close so we made one last stop at the owl cafe! I wasn't sure about this one, and I'm still not convinced that this is the life these birds should have, but it was clean and quiet, the birds seemed happy to sleep and preen on their perches, and the staff were affectionate with all of them and appeared to love their job. I was able to pet all of the owls, and a number of them were also able to be held. It was pretty awesome, and I was surprised by the variety of breeds and sizes they had, from a tawny frog mouth to a few great owls, they were just beautiful. I was expecting them to be nippy and flighty, but the ones you're allowed to hold are clearly used to the attention and very placid.
There's no time limit on the owl cafe, so it was late by the time we left. Rather than go out for dinner, since we have an apartment this time, we went to the local Lawsons and stocked up on microwaveable meals from the extensive fresh range that all supermarkets have here. Andrew had chicken katsu on rice and I had gyoza. It was surprisingly good, and ridiculously cheap, less than three dollars fifty each. If only we could get stuff that good and fresh from supermarkets at home. Now it's time for some cheap drinks and pudding for dessert.
- Jess
Japan - Day 6 - Shimokitazawa and robots!
Omg reading robots with laser beams! But more on that later. We decided to have a low key day before our Robot Restaurant experience tonight, so we spent the day wandering around Shimokitazawa, a tiny part of Tokyo with hipster vintage clothing shops, tiny bars and restaurants, and a much more relaxed vibe. We decided to have soufflé pancakes for breakfast, so we joined a (very long) line to wait for Flippers pancakes, a new place that looked amazing. In spite of the long wait, during which we were fanned intermittently with a giant cardboard spatula, the food was worth it. Imagine pancakes an inch thick with the consistency of very light meringue crossed with sponge, with summer berries and cream. Sooooo good. Andrew had the bacon, eggs and pancake option, and the bacon was about half a centimetre thick and delicious (apparently). Andrew was beginning to feel under the weather again, so we did a slow wander through some shops, and then stopped for snow cones.
The snow cone is made by shaving a big block of ice into a cup, intermittently squeezing flavouring on, with a beautifully satisfying machine that looks like something pre-electricity. The tiny wooden building that housed the snow cones was next to a little outdoor bar, so we popped in for a beer and cocktail of iced oolong and shochu. Refreshed somewhat, we continued our meandering until it was time to head to Shinjuku for dinner and our show.
Godzilla is now a permanent feature in Shinjuku, so we went and took a few photos of him, and then had a quick tea. We had a cheap dinner of gyoza and chicken karaage, and then it was time for robots! This show was quite expensive, and we had to pre book, so our hopes were high, and it didn't disappoint.
The building itself is utterly insane both inside and out, with lights, mirrors, gold, bling, velour, crystals and absolutely no taste or restraint whatsoever. If Liberace and Trump had a mirror ball baby, you might get close to the style of decor. We were treated to some excellent live jazz saxophone and guitar while we waited, which was thoroughly incongruous with the setting, and then we went down three floors to the stage. What looked uninspiring initially quickly became an overwhelming performance that included drums, dance, giant robot women/dinosaurs/dragons/
We left with our ears ringing, and to quote the loud Americans behind us, "what did we just watch?" In need of some quiet time, we stopped at a tea and cake house, had lovely cake and coffee, and then made our way home. Andrew still wasn't feeling well, so we visited a pharmacy where the pharmacist was very insistent that the medication is not to be taken with anything else at all, with food, with water! So it should do the trick nicely. Time for tea and rice cakes. Until tomorrow, oyasumi.
- Jess
The snow cone is made by shaving a big block of ice into a cup, intermittently squeezing flavouring on, with a beautifully satisfying machine that looks like something pre-electricity. The tiny wooden building that housed the snow cones was next to a little outdoor bar, so we popped in for a beer and cocktail of iced oolong and shochu. Refreshed somewhat, we continued our meandering until it was time to head to Shinjuku for dinner and our show.
Godzilla is now a permanent feature in Shinjuku, so we went and took a few photos of him, and then had a quick tea. We had a cheap dinner of gyoza and chicken karaage, and then it was time for robots! This show was quite expensive, and we had to pre book, so our hopes were high, and it didn't disappoint.
The building itself is utterly insane both inside and out, with lights, mirrors, gold, bling, velour, crystals and absolutely no taste or restraint whatsoever. If Liberace and Trump had a mirror ball baby, you might get close to the style of decor. We were treated to some excellent live jazz saxophone and guitar while we waited, which was thoroughly incongruous with the setting, and then we went down three floors to the stage. What looked uninspiring initially quickly became an overwhelming performance that included drums, dance, giant robot women/dinosaurs/dragons/
We left with our ears ringing, and to quote the loud Americans behind us, "what did we just watch?" In need of some quiet time, we stopped at a tea and cake house, had lovely cake and coffee, and then made our way home. Andrew still wasn't feeling well, so we visited a pharmacy where the pharmacist was very insistent that the medication is not to be taken with anything else at all, with food, with water! So it should do the trick nicely. Time for tea and rice cakes. Until tomorrow, oyasumi.
- Jess
Japan - Day 5 - Roppongi Hills
This time around, we were disappointed to learn that the Ghibli museum, which we loved last time, is closed while we're here. As a result, we'd accepted that there wouldn't be much in the way of Ghibli fun this time, but as luck would have it the art museum in Roppongi was hosting a Ghibli exhibition! So today we made our way to Roppongi for the some high brow loitering in galleries.
We had a quick breakfast at a Cinnabon, which was purely because of Better Call Saul, and then the waiting in lines began. It turns out that on a rainy Saturday in Tokyo, people like visiting museums. Who'd have thought, huh? So we waited in line to get a ticket. Then we were led to another line (very orderly, of course) to wait for the elevator to the 52d floor of Roppongi Hills Tower. Then when we were at floor 52, we waited in line to enter the exhibit. Then we were in the exit it, which was lovely, but also consisted of shuffling along a few feet at a time, stopping, more shuffling, an occasional jostle, and more shuffling. Then there was another line for the catbus, which I was very excited about. This meant a change in pace whilst I waited in one line, and Andrew was in another line for a photo. And then...we swapped lines! Exciting stuff. I'm being facetious, the exhibits themselves included beautiful storyboards, recreations of Miyazaki's office, stunning real world interpretations of objects and characters, and huge collections of concept art and promotional materials for all Ghibli films. It was just astonishingly busy, far in excess of what we were expecting.
We had lunch in the Sun Cafe on the same floor, after battling our way through the ridiculously crowded gift shop where we bought a number of prints and a limited edition owl Totoro, and we were lucky enough to be given a window seat (after waiting for 30 minutes in, you guessed it...) so we had a spectacular view of Tokyo tower. As a side note, I had awesome hair as I left this morning, but the humidity and rain took their toll in about 7 seconds, hence the ridiculous photos. Our food was good but weird, and Ghibli themed (somehow) and I had an entirely black hamburger that was something vegimiteey crossed with balsamic and hipster kaleness with chips. Andrew had a kind of toad in the hole with ham and bechamel smothered in cheese, with a side of what we'll call minestrone meatballs? Weird.
Our ticket also included entry to the other exhibit, My body your life, which was a fascinating and occasionally wanky collection of installations by various artists. Some of the artists were exploring the link between sound and objects, others were examining very personal interpretations of life with disability and identity, race, and valuing the 'everyday'. My favourites were the Flag of the Common People and the Button installation, which consisted of bowls of assorted buttons which visitors were asked to pick up handfuls of and throw at a target to see if one would land on a small raised target. The message was about 'impermanence' but it was just fun to engage with.
After seeing both exhibits, we did some shopping and I found an awesome leather jacket on sale at Zara, and we stopped to share a choux pastry ice cream (delicious) before continuing shopping in Roppongi. We visited Don Quixote, an everything shop over six floors which sells pretty much everything you can think of (yes, even that) from groceries to electronics to darts, wigs, high end Gucci bags, thousand dollar cognac and cheap toe socks. It was hilarious.
We had a nice cheap dinner at a serve yourself udon place which was lovely, and then went into Harajuku for doughnuts from Good Town Donuts and coffee to end the night. I had a hibiscus one and Andrew had a blood orange one. They were amazing, and we will definitely go back at some point for more. We decided to walk back home from there and now we're chilling with Premium Yebisu #126, Royal Milk Tea and pancake cream cake.
- Jess
We had a quick breakfast at a Cinnabon, which was purely because of Better Call Saul, and then the waiting in lines began. It turns out that on a rainy Saturday in Tokyo, people like visiting museums. Who'd have thought, huh? So we waited in line to get a ticket. Then we were led to another line (very orderly, of course) to wait for the elevator to the 52d floor of Roppongi Hills Tower. Then when we were at floor 52, we waited in line to enter the exhibit. Then we were in the exit it, which was lovely, but also consisted of shuffling along a few feet at a time, stopping, more shuffling, an occasional jostle, and more shuffling. Then there was another line for the catbus, which I was very excited about. This meant a change in pace whilst I waited in one line, and Andrew was in another line for a photo. And then...we swapped lines! Exciting stuff. I'm being facetious, the exhibits themselves included beautiful storyboards, recreations of Miyazaki's office, stunning real world interpretations of objects and characters, and huge collections of concept art and promotional materials for all Ghibli films. It was just astonishingly busy, far in excess of what we were expecting.
We had lunch in the Sun Cafe on the same floor, after battling our way through the ridiculously crowded gift shop where we bought a number of prints and a limited edition owl Totoro, and we were lucky enough to be given a window seat (after waiting for 30 minutes in, you guessed it...) so we had a spectacular view of Tokyo tower. As a side note, I had awesome hair as I left this morning, but the humidity and rain took their toll in about 7 seconds, hence the ridiculous photos. Our food was good but weird, and Ghibli themed (somehow) and I had an entirely black hamburger that was something vegimiteey crossed with balsamic and hipster kaleness with chips. Andrew had a kind of toad in the hole with ham and bechamel smothered in cheese, with a side of what we'll call minestrone meatballs? Weird.
Our ticket also included entry to the other exhibit, My body your life, which was a fascinating and occasionally wanky collection of installations by various artists. Some of the artists were exploring the link between sound and objects, others were examining very personal interpretations of life with disability and identity, race, and valuing the 'everyday'. My favourites were the Flag of the Common People and the Button installation, which consisted of bowls of assorted buttons which visitors were asked to pick up handfuls of and throw at a target to see if one would land on a small raised target. The message was about 'impermanence' but it was just fun to engage with.
After seeing both exhibits, we did some shopping and I found an awesome leather jacket on sale at Zara, and we stopped to share a choux pastry ice cream (delicious) before continuing shopping in Roppongi. We visited Don Quixote, an everything shop over six floors which sells pretty much everything you can think of (yes, even that) from groceries to electronics to darts, wigs, high end Gucci bags, thousand dollar cognac and cheap toe socks. It was hilarious.
We had a nice cheap dinner at a serve yourself udon place which was lovely, and then went into Harajuku for doughnuts from Good Town Donuts and coffee to end the night. I had a hibiscus one and Andrew had a blood orange one. They were amazing, and we will definitely go back at some point for more. We decided to walk back home from there and now we're chilling with Premium Yebisu #126, Royal Milk Tea and pancake cream cake.
- Jess
Japan - Day 4 - Yoyogi Park and surrounds
Another day, another 23,000 odd steps. Today was a beautiful one of exploring, beginning with coffee and cakes in Shibuya (The Roastery) for breakfast (again, thanks Ocky!) which was excellent, followed by wandering in and out of shops that were way too cool for us. I fell in love with a number of items, none of which I could afford, but it was fun to look anyway. For lunch we went to The Great Burger, which was excellent and very filling. The addition of cumin seeds to the coleslaw is something to remember for home.
After lunch and more wandering we popped into the famous cat cafe for about twenty minutes, the kitties were adorable, sleepy, and clearly didn't care about anything much at all. The cafe itself is delightfully decorated to give the cats plenty of opportunities to climb and play, but they were pretty much all asleep and disinterested. The cafe is opposite another famous park, so we decided to have a wander.
We spent a few hours in Yoyogi park, stopping for sake ice cream in the middle. The park itself surrounds Meiji shrine, and it was lovely to return there and pay our respects again. The beautifully lush forest was peaceful and provided a welcome rest from the bustle of the inner city.
From Yoyogi we made our way to Shinjuku with the intention of grabbing dinner at the robot restaurant, but it was fully booked, so we wandered around to try and find somewhere to eat. We finally settled on ramen and gyoza, both of which were excellent. Our feet were killing us, so we hopped on the train to Shibuya.
The l'occitane store also has a cafe overlooking the famous Shibuya crossing, so we had a dessert stop which was divine. You know when you look at a dessert menu and you just want all the things? Well, this place thought of that and had a dessert platter with all of them! Sorbet, creme brûlée, cream cake, and a 'cheese dessert' which was essentially cheesecake filling on its own. This was a perfect way to end the day, so we stopped by the 7/11 on the way back home for some jar 'o sake and came home for an early-ish night.
- Jess
After lunch and more wandering we popped into the famous cat cafe for about twenty minutes, the kitties were adorable, sleepy, and clearly didn't care about anything much at all. The cafe itself is delightfully decorated to give the cats plenty of opportunities to climb and play, but they were pretty much all asleep and disinterested. The cafe is opposite another famous park, so we decided to have a wander.
We spent a few hours in Yoyogi park, stopping for sake ice cream in the middle. The park itself surrounds Meiji shrine, and it was lovely to return there and pay our respects again. The beautifully lush forest was peaceful and provided a welcome rest from the bustle of the inner city.
From Yoyogi we made our way to Shinjuku with the intention of grabbing dinner at the robot restaurant, but it was fully booked, so we wandered around to try and find somewhere to eat. We finally settled on ramen and gyoza, both of which were excellent. Our feet were killing us, so we hopped on the train to Shibuya.
The l'occitane store also has a cafe overlooking the famous Shibuya crossing, so we had a dessert stop which was divine. You know when you look at a dessert menu and you just want all the things? Well, this place thought of that and had a dessert platter with all of them! Sorbet, creme brûlée, cream cake, and a 'cheese dessert' which was essentially cheesecake filling on its own. This was a perfect way to end the day, so we stopped by the 7/11 on the way back home for some jar 'o sake and came home for an early-ish night.
- Jess
Japan - Day 3 - Disneyland Sea
Today was all about Disney Sea, the Japanese only twin theme park to Disneyland. We dawdled this morning, waking up at 9.30am, so we arrived later than we expected too. We did, however, grab an excellent coffee from About Life Coffee (thanks Ocky!) which is literally opposite where we're staying.
After an hour or so of travelling, we entered the second happiest place on earth, Disney Sea. We were immediately struck by the differences in layout and vibe in this park compared to Disneyland. Whereas the latter is brimming with childlike enthusiasm and lurid, colourful details, this park is just a little darker in tone and presentation. There were some quite adult references in the posters and signage, the castle is themed around Leonardo Da Vinci, and the evening show was absolutely stunning, but centred significantly on Disney Villains rather than on princesses or heroes.
We had fewer rides than we expected, but we did manage to get onto four main ones: Journey to the centre of the earth, Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, and 20,000 leagues under the sea. Wait times were long and the fast passes didn't help us much this time, so we had a few kids rides, including Jasmine's magic carpet ride, and Sinbad the Sailor. They were fun, but not quite as thrilling as we expected.
We had a delicious lunch at the Japanese restaurant, and dinner was very late from one of the Italian restaurants. The food was generally good, with the tiramisu a highlight. We ran out of time for shopping, so we didn't actually get any souvenirs! We weren't grabbed by anything in particular though, so this wasn't disappointing.
Overall today was great fun, but a little dimmed by our knowledge of the other Disney parks we've visited. Whilst it wasn't bad by any measure, it lacked a certain something in presentation and feel in comparison. Some elements, like the final show, were superior, and the animatronics were amazing, but it occasionally lacked pizzazz.
We've only just arrived home now (12.20am) so it's time for a much needed sleep, not to mention a rest for our very sore feet!
- Jess
Disneyland Sea not only sells booze, but they sell beer slushies!
My cold is pretty much gone now. Still on Codral but it's manageable. Feels like it's turning into a dry cough.
It's hot and humid here and it's as though people don't know how to dress for such weather. They all seem to still wear jackets, even though it's 30+ and humid.
- Andrew
After an hour or so of travelling, we entered the second happiest place on earth, Disney Sea. We were immediately struck by the differences in layout and vibe in this park compared to Disneyland. Whereas the latter is brimming with childlike enthusiasm and lurid, colourful details, this park is just a little darker in tone and presentation. There were some quite adult references in the posters and signage, the castle is themed around Leonardo Da Vinci, and the evening show was absolutely stunning, but centred significantly on Disney Villains rather than on princesses or heroes.
We had fewer rides than we expected, but we did manage to get onto four main ones: Journey to the centre of the earth, Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, and 20,000 leagues under the sea. Wait times were long and the fast passes didn't help us much this time, so we had a few kids rides, including Jasmine's magic carpet ride, and Sinbad the Sailor. They were fun, but not quite as thrilling as we expected.
We had a delicious lunch at the Japanese restaurant, and dinner was very late from one of the Italian restaurants. The food was generally good, with the tiramisu a highlight. We ran out of time for shopping, so we didn't actually get any souvenirs! We weren't grabbed by anything in particular though, so this wasn't disappointing.
Overall today was great fun, but a little dimmed by our knowledge of the other Disney parks we've visited. Whilst it wasn't bad by any measure, it lacked a certain something in presentation and feel in comparison. Some elements, like the final show, were superior, and the animatronics were amazing, but it occasionally lacked pizzazz.
We've only just arrived home now (12.20am) so it's time for a much needed sleep, not to mention a rest for our very sore feet!
- Jess
Disneyland Sea not only sells booze, but they sell beer slushies!
My cold is pretty much gone now. Still on Codral but it's manageable. Feels like it's turning into a dry cough.
It's hot and humid here and it's as though people don't know how to dress for such weather. They all seem to still wear jackets, even though it's 30+ and humid.
- Andrew
Japan - The flight, day one and day two
After a long eight year wait, we are back in one of our favourite places in the world; Tokyo! This is a city that's easy to fall in love with, the beautiful gardens, amazing food, eclectic fashion, and exceptional organisation, not to mention hidden gems everywhere, mean that this time around we're excited to see all the new (and old) places to explore.
Our flight was a trying one, Andrew was horribly sick with a nasty cold, so fever, aching and a sore throat meant he did not do very well. I was fine. We arrived in Tokyo at eight pm local time, having been up since three am, and bleary eyed we cleared customs, changed trains three times, and at eleven pm finally found our hotel. We were so exhausted, we went straight to bed. Andrew dosed up on Codral and I started feeling ill too, we needed sleep.
Upon waking up, showering and packing after our one night in a hotel, we felt a bit better and began exploring. Our hotel was opposite the Emperor's Palace, so we decided to wander the gardens to begin with. They are simply stunning in Summer. Last time we were here in Winter and the grass and some plants were dormant (brown) so it was magnificent seeing flowers and trees blooming. The gardens are exquisitely manicured, and they are a tranquil oasis that made us both feel better. We had some ice-cream on the lawn, continued our walk, and came out near Tokyo central station.
Tokyo station is a labyrinth of shops, eateries, cafes and restaurants. Think old style David Jones food court but shinier. We opted for a brunch of Dashi rice bowls, which was served with pickled veggies and seafood and chicken, and it was delicious. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the station, did some clothes shopping at Uniqlo, and then went back to the hotel to pick up our bags and make our way to our AirBnB in Shibuya.
After a lot of running around Shibuya station looking for the locker our key was in, we found it and began the walk up the hill to our apartment. After overshooting it, we eventually found it and settled into the beautiful little studio that will be home for the next nine days. It's bigger than we were expecting, very quiet, and in the heart of Shibuya. By this stage it was nearly dinner time, so out we went again.
And lo and behold, we're about ten shops from a Mos Burger! The last time we were here, we discovered this unique Japanese burger joint, but back then it was like an eighties McDonald's. Now it's more like Nordburger, decked out in a Scandinavian style, but the burgers are just as good as we remembered. Dinner done, it was time to properly shop. We stopped into Uniqlo and H&M, the big ones, picking up more summer clothes. We did all nine floors of 109, the famous clothing hub, which is utterly overwhelming. Imagine if the shop Live was every store in Marion, the music was up in all of them, and they had two of three assistants constantly shouting their specials at once.
Back outside, we decided to just explore the alleys and side streets, and we spent hours shopping and wandering aimlessly. We found a parfait place for dessert, which was amazing, and after our much needed sit down, we made our way back to our apartment to post photos. In spite of the 27,000 steps, the excellent food, tea and atmosphere have made us feel infinitely better. Time for sleep before Disneyland Sea tomorrow!
- Jess
Here is a link to all a daily dump of all our photos if you're interested.
https://goo.gl/photos/3NKa74sueRTAzJog6
- Andrew
Our flight was a trying one, Andrew was horribly sick with a nasty cold, so fever, aching and a sore throat meant he did not do very well. I was fine. We arrived in Tokyo at eight pm local time, having been up since three am, and bleary eyed we cleared customs, changed trains three times, and at eleven pm finally found our hotel. We were so exhausted, we went straight to bed. Andrew dosed up on Codral and I started feeling ill too, we needed sleep.
Upon waking up, showering and packing after our one night in a hotel, we felt a bit better and began exploring. Our hotel was opposite the Emperor's Palace, so we decided to wander the gardens to begin with. They are simply stunning in Summer. Last time we were here in Winter and the grass and some plants were dormant (brown) so it was magnificent seeing flowers and trees blooming. The gardens are exquisitely manicured, and they are a tranquil oasis that made us both feel better. We had some ice-cream on the lawn, continued our walk, and came out near Tokyo central station.
Tokyo station is a labyrinth of shops, eateries, cafes and restaurants. Think old style David Jones food court but shinier. We opted for a brunch of Dashi rice bowls, which was served with pickled veggies and seafood and chicken, and it was delicious. We spent a couple of hours wandering around the station, did some clothes shopping at Uniqlo, and then went back to the hotel to pick up our bags and make our way to our AirBnB in Shibuya.
After a lot of running around Shibuya station looking for the locker our key was in, we found it and began the walk up the hill to our apartment. After overshooting it, we eventually found it and settled into the beautiful little studio that will be home for the next nine days. It's bigger than we were expecting, very quiet, and in the heart of Shibuya. By this stage it was nearly dinner time, so out we went again.
And lo and behold, we're about ten shops from a Mos Burger! The last time we were here, we discovered this unique Japanese burger joint, but back then it was like an eighties McDonald's. Now it's more like Nordburger, decked out in a Scandinavian style, but the burgers are just as good as we remembered. Dinner done, it was time to properly shop. We stopped into Uniqlo and H&M, the big ones, picking up more summer clothes. We did all nine floors of 109, the famous clothing hub, which is utterly overwhelming. Imagine if the shop Live was every store in Marion, the music was up in all of them, and they had two of three assistants constantly shouting their specials at once.
Back outside, we decided to just explore the alleys and side streets, and we spent hours shopping and wandering aimlessly. We found a parfait place for dessert, which was amazing, and after our much needed sit down, we made our way back to our apartment to post photos. In spite of the 27,000 steps, the excellent food, tea and atmosphere have made us feel infinitely better. Time for sleep before Disneyland Sea tomorrow!
- Jess
Here is a link to all a daily dump of all our photos if you're interested.
https://goo.gl/photos/3NKa74sueRTAzJog6
- Andrew
Day 33 - Doctor Who and Bath
Our last day I the United Kingdom spanned two countries. We began in Cardiff with the Doctor Who experience, which was a fun way to spend a morning. The costumes, props and activities were great to see, and we were able to see inside the Tardis! From there we drove to Bath, our final city before home.
It's a beautiful place, which feels like continental Europe rather than Britain, and as it was our last day, we decided to splurge. There is only one place which uses the original Roman springs, and so we booked in for a massage and access to the three levels of hot springs and saunas. Four hours of luxuriating in aromatherapy saunas, rooftop pools and mineral springs, as well a having a lovely head to toe massage is a blissful way to experience why the Romans built here nearly two thousand years ago. It was a decadent, thoroughly relaxing way to spend our last day.
From the spa we made our way to Sally Lunn's, the oldest eatery in the city which is famous for their signature bread. It was delicious, with the best garlic bread we've ever had, and everything else was also lovely. We had spotted dick for dessert, which was very good, the stack and lamb were excellent and we were just happy that our last dinner here was one we both enjoyed.
Tomorrow we'll have a few hours of wandering the streets, and then we're homeward bound in the evening, so that's it folks! Thank you for reading, and we'll see everyone after we get home on Saturday.
- Jess
It's a beautiful place, which feels like continental Europe rather than Britain, and as it was our last day, we decided to splurge. There is only one place which uses the original Roman springs, and so we booked in for a massage and access to the three levels of hot springs and saunas. Four hours of luxuriating in aromatherapy saunas, rooftop pools and mineral springs, as well a having a lovely head to toe massage is a blissful way to experience why the Romans built here nearly two thousand years ago. It was a decadent, thoroughly relaxing way to spend our last day.
From the spa we made our way to Sally Lunn's, the oldest eatery in the city which is famous for their signature bread. It was delicious, with the best garlic bread we've ever had, and everything else was also lovely. We had spotted dick for dessert, which was very good, the stack and lamb were excellent and we were just happy that our last dinner here was one we both enjoyed.
Tomorrow we'll have a few hours of wandering the streets, and then we're homeward bound in the evening, so that's it folks! Thank you for reading, and we'll see everyone after we get home on Saturday.
- Jess
Day 32 - Cardiff
Today was a long, but very enjoyable one, that began with a three hour drive from Bala to Cardiff. It was a pleasant drive, and the weather was fine, so as soon as we arrived we dumped our bags and head straight out into the city for a day of exploring. We made our way to the castle, and decided to stay and have a tour. It was brilliant, as the castle was inhabited until the 1950's, the rooms remain pristine and parts are still used today for state functions. Similarly to Neuschwanstein, the decoration is a pastiche of medieval decor, rather than an accurate representation. It was an excellent, and unique castle experience.
From the castle, we had a wander of the shopping district, and then discovered an indoor mini golf course, so of course we had to try it. The course was great (I won the first round) and then I won a free game, so we did the other course as well (which Andrew won). Following golf we were hungry, so we went to a Mexican place and had some tasty dinner, with tastier cocktails, and enjoyed our second to last night in the UK. Wales has been fantastic, especially the northern countryside.
- Jess
From the castle, we had a wander of the shopping district, and then discovered an indoor mini golf course, so of course we had to try it. The course was great (I won the first round) and then I won a free game, so we did the other course as well (which Andrew won). Following golf we were hungry, so we went to a Mexican place and had some tasty dinner, with tastier cocktails, and enjoyed our second to last night in the UK. Wales has been fantastic, especially the northern countryside.
- Jess
Day 31 - Horsies
We awoke to the saddening news that Bowie had passed away, which made for a somber breakfast. However, a crisp Welsh morning was beckoning us to enjoy the day, and after many, many years, I'd managed to get Andrew to agree to do some horse riding! Neither of us had done any before, but here in Wales it's reasonably priced, and I thought it would be a nice way to experience the countryside.
We had a particularly beautiful, though treacherous (gradients of over 20%) drive, into the mountains to what is Wales' highest farm, to a riding school situated in woodland and pastures near the border. We were expecting that our session would involve a sedate amble around a paddock to learn some basics, and maybe a short wander on some trails. This wasn't the case. After making friends with the two farm cats (who followed us) we met Harry and Rudi, the two beautiful horses we would be riding. We were given thirsty seconds of instruction, then we were on hour horses, and immediately on a trail outside of the farm. What followed was the most magnificent ride through fields and on trails in the Welsh mountains, the ground with a light dusting of snow, and our horses happily ambling along following our guide on her sprightly pony.
The scenery was stunning, snow capped mountains in the background, and bemused sheep and woodlands in our immediate surrounds, a brilliant way to spend two hours outside on a freezing (1 degree) morning. We did get up to a trot, but Rudi was a bit lazy and didn't fancy keeping it up for long. It was a fantastic experience, one I'd do again in a heartbeat.
We were freezing and hungry after our ride, so we made our way to Dolgellau for lunch, a tiny village recommended in our guide, had a tasty lunch, and a wander around the town. Time was getting away from us, and with less than an hour of sunlight left, we hopped in the car for a last drive through the mountains to drink in the scenery. We saw pheasants, hares, a robin, and an owl. As an aside, sheep here have a death wish, as they frequently get out of their pastures and decide that the best place to graze in on the road, preferably ones with a high speed limit and narrow lane widths.
We're back in our room now, we'll head out for dinner in a minute, but today has been brilliant, not least because it was bright and sunny.
We had a particularly beautiful, though treacherous (gradients of over 20%) drive, into the mountains to what is Wales' highest farm, to a riding school situated in woodland and pastures near the border. We were expecting that our session would involve a sedate amble around a paddock to learn some basics, and maybe a short wander on some trails. This wasn't the case. After making friends with the two farm cats (who followed us) we met Harry and Rudi, the two beautiful horses we would be riding. We were given thirsty seconds of instruction, then we were on hour horses, and immediately on a trail outside of the farm. What followed was the most magnificent ride through fields and on trails in the Welsh mountains, the ground with a light dusting of snow, and our horses happily ambling along following our guide on her sprightly pony.
The scenery was stunning, snow capped mountains in the background, and bemused sheep and woodlands in our immediate surrounds, a brilliant way to spend two hours outside on a freezing (1 degree) morning. We did get up to a trot, but Rudi was a bit lazy and didn't fancy keeping it up for long. It was a fantastic experience, one I'd do again in a heartbeat.
We were freezing and hungry after our ride, so we made our way to Dolgellau for lunch, a tiny village recommended in our guide, had a tasty lunch, and a wander around the town. Time was getting away from us, and with less than an hour of sunlight left, we hopped in the car for a last drive through the mountains to drink in the scenery. We saw pheasants, hares, a robin, and an owl. As an aside, sheep here have a death wish, as they frequently get out of their pastures and decide that the best place to graze in on the road, preferably ones with a high speed limit and narrow lane widths.
We're back in our room now, we'll head out for dinner in a minute, but today has been brilliant, not least because it was bright and sunny.
Day 30 - Snowdon and Caernarfon
A delightful day today, helped hugely by the brilliant weather. We had two plans for the day, as we were unable to check if one would be open. We drove through Snowdonia national park, passing little hamlets, waterfalls and riverine route. There had been snow in the mountains overnight, and as we emerged from the trees, we were greeted by the most stunning scenery; snow capped peaks, forest, and sunlight gleaming through the clouds. We wanted to catch the mountain train up Snowden mountain, but it was closed. Having anticipated this possibility, we made our way to Caernarfon castle, a spectacular ruin on the Welsh coast. We had an excellent tour, and stayed for a couple of hours.
Our guide suggested a local pub for lunch, and as it was getting a bit late, we made our way there and had a delicious lunch of Welsh stew and pie. It was quite a drive back to Bala, so we made our way back via a different route, still very pretty, and as usual it was dark by the time we arrived back. Being a Sunday, everything was also closed, so we went back to our room and rested before having a very light dinner in our hotel pub. We went and picked up some snacks from the deli, and with little else to do, finished up watching television and having tea. A lovely way to spend a rare sunny day here.
Our guide suggested a local pub for lunch, and as it was getting a bit late, we made our way there and had a delicious lunch of Welsh stew and pie. It was quite a drive back to Bala, so we made our way back via a different route, still very pretty, and as usual it was dark by the time we arrived back. Being a Sunday, everything was also closed, so we went back to our room and rested before having a very light dinner in our hotel pub. We went and picked up some snacks from the deli, and with little else to do, finished up watching television and having tea. A lovely way to spend a rare sunny day here.
- Jess
Day 29 - York
What a beautiful day to explore York! The sun actually came out today, there was no rain, and it wasn't freezing so, after breakfast, we walked through the city walls to be met by the magnificent cathedral. It's the biggest medieval cathedral in Northern Europe, and it is stunning. Before we explored it, though, we decided to wander the delightful streets of the city, some of which have remained almost unchanged for nearly a thousand years.
We also saw the devastation wrought by the floods, the river is still inundating some homes and businesses in the city. The floods also ruined the Viking museum we planned to visit, though we stopped by it anyway to buy a ring I liked for the gift shop. We also were lucky to find a Whisky Shop next door which stocked a whisky we'd tried in Edinburgh castle and then hadn't been able to find anywhere, so we snapped one up immediately.
Then we went to church. We decided to break the tour up a little, so we did the tower first, 247 steps to the top of the cathedral tower, and we were rewarded with brilliant views over York and the surrounding countryside. It was a tough climb, so when we got back down we nipped out for afternoon tea at Cafe Concerto on Tina's recommendation, and it was brilliant. I had possibly the best cheesecake of my life, and Andrew had a delicious pork belly and apricot baguette.
Full of tasty food, we went back to the cathedral for a tour. It was a great way to learn about the history of the building, as well as details on how the windows and architecture changed over the period of construction. It really is a stunning building, and we continued to wander around well after the tour finished. Eventually we made our way back the street, and it was time to explore the shambles, a medieval street which is widely believed to be where Diagon Alley was filmed, though that's not confirmed. We shopped and wandered about until it was properly dark, then it was time to find a pub.
We settled on the House of the Trembling Madness, which is apparently haunted, and wins awards for their pork pies. It's situated above the specialty ale store that serves as the shop front, and it was delightful. It's very small, owing to the Tudor building it inhabits, and has over 600 types of ale to try. I actually had a cider, Andrew had a smoked porter, and we enjoyed our cosy evening in the traditional surroundings.
Like every other small town, by the time we finished dinner, everything was shut, the streets were empty, and the temperature was beginning to drop, so we stopped at a Sainsbury's for some milk and drinks, and walked back to our hotel. A brilliant way to spend our second to last day in England.
We also saw the devastation wrought by the floods, the river is still inundating some homes and businesses in the city. The floods also ruined the Viking museum we planned to visit, though we stopped by it anyway to buy a ring I liked for the gift shop. We also were lucky to find a Whisky Shop next door which stocked a whisky we'd tried in Edinburgh castle and then hadn't been able to find anywhere, so we snapped one up immediately.
Then we went to church. We decided to break the tour up a little, so we did the tower first, 247 steps to the top of the cathedral tower, and we were rewarded with brilliant views over York and the surrounding countryside. It was a tough climb, so when we got back down we nipped out for afternoon tea at Cafe Concerto on Tina's recommendation, and it was brilliant. I had possibly the best cheesecake of my life, and Andrew had a delicious pork belly and apricot baguette.
Full of tasty food, we went back to the cathedral for a tour. It was a great way to learn about the history of the building, as well as details on how the windows and architecture changed over the period of construction. It really is a stunning building, and we continued to wander around well after the tour finished. Eventually we made our way back the street, and it was time to explore the shambles, a medieval street which is widely believed to be where Diagon Alley was filmed, though that's not confirmed. We shopped and wandered about until it was properly dark, then it was time to find a pub.
We settled on the House of the Trembling Madness, which is apparently haunted, and wins awards for their pork pies. It's situated above the specialty ale store that serves as the shop front, and it was delightful. It's very small, owing to the Tudor building it inhabits, and has over 600 types of ale to try. I actually had a cider, Andrew had a smoked porter, and we enjoyed our cosy evening in the traditional surroundings.
Like every other small town, by the time we finished dinner, everything was shut, the streets were empty, and the temperature was beginning to drop, so we stopped at a Sainsbury's for some milk and drinks, and walked back to our hotel. A brilliant way to spend our second to last day in England.
Day 28 - Driving and beers
Today was the long drive from Aberdeen to York, by way of Masham to meet up with friends. And a hell of a drive it was. We did have to fjord a number of roads, though surprisingly it didn't make much of a difference to the travel time. What it did make a difference to was our heart health, which had already taken a beating the evening prior. Just out of Aberdeenshire we had our first, and hopefully last, moment of terror when a truck went through floodwaters at high speed, which no one could see because it was 7.30am so still pitch dark, sending a huge wave over our car, causing momentary panic by us and the car next to us. We were absolutely fine, as was everyone else, it was just a shock, we've never been in driving conditions like it before.
The rest of the journey was sedate, with some minor flooding on the way into the delightful village of Masham. It was here we met up with Tina and Isaac for an excellent lunch in The King's Head. On Tina's recommendation, Andrew sampled the locally brewed Old Peculiar, which traditionally is only to be enjoyed on tap within a six mile radius of the town, where the brewery resides. I'm told it's an excellent beer, which was thoroughly enjoyable. We had some tasty food, I ordered a game pie that was as big as my head, and Andrew kept up the tradition with sausages with mash and gravy. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon, good food, excellent beer and brilliant company.
It was only a short hour drive to York, we found our B and B without too much trouble, and decided to have a quiet night in watching telly and sleeping, since we were up very very early.
The rest of the journey was sedate, with some minor flooding on the way into the delightful village of Masham. It was here we met up with Tina and Isaac for an excellent lunch in The King's Head. On Tina's recommendation, Andrew sampled the locally brewed Old Peculiar, which traditionally is only to be enjoyed on tap within a six mile radius of the town, where the brewery resides. I'm told it's an excellent beer, which was thoroughly enjoyable. We had some tasty food, I ordered a game pie that was as big as my head, and Andrew kept up the tradition with sausages with mash and gravy. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon, good food, excellent beer and brilliant company.
It was only a short hour drive to York, we found our B and B without too much trouble, and decided to have a quiet night in watching telly and sleeping, since we were up very very early.
Day 27 - Darkness
And then there was light...at 5pm...thus afternoon. Yes, today was one of waking up in the dark (at 9.30am) and cold, to pull on some clothes and meet the day without a shower, light, or food as the blackout lasted far longer than expected.
We decided to drive into the city centre for some shopping, because Dunnotar castle (the reason for being in Aberdeen) was closed for the second day due to the high winds making it too dangerous to visit. We had some breakfast and spent the majority of the day just wandering around, so nothing very interesting today. We decided to come back to the hotel before dinner to see how things were going, and were told on arrival that the power had been on for about an hour, but if we wanted a shower, to wait for at least another half and hour or so because the boilers needed to warm up properly.
As a result, we're just pottering about, writing this up, before heading out for dinner on our last night in Scotland.
- Jess
We drove half an hour south to Stonehaven to the place that invented the deep fried Mars bar. We first went to another fish and chip shop and I ate deep fried pizza with a side of chips (!) with Irn Bru and Jess had fish & chips. After this we went to the aforementioned, infamous chipper to get a deep fried Mars bar. It was amazing. You'd struggle to eat one yourself as it's so rich (especially after a deep fried pizza and chips), luckily we shared one. We then returned to our hotel, which today decided to have power, and retired for the evening. Tomorrow it's an early start as we're driving to sunny, dry York (hopefully), via Masham (pronounced Massam) to meet one of Jess' colleagues for a pint. It's about 600kms...
- Andrew
We decided to drive into the city centre for some shopping, because Dunnotar castle (the reason for being in Aberdeen) was closed for the second day due to the high winds making it too dangerous to visit. We had some breakfast and spent the majority of the day just wandering around, so nothing very interesting today. We decided to come back to the hotel before dinner to see how things were going, and were told on arrival that the power had been on for about an hour, but if we wanted a shower, to wait for at least another half and hour or so because the boilers needed to warm up properly.
As a result, we're just pottering about, writing this up, before heading out for dinner on our last night in Scotland.
- Jess
We drove half an hour south to Stonehaven to the place that invented the deep fried Mars bar. We first went to another fish and chip shop and I ate deep fried pizza with a side of chips (!) with Irn Bru and Jess had fish & chips. After this we went to the aforementioned, infamous chipper to get a deep fried Mars bar. It was amazing. You'd struggle to eat one yourself as it's so rich (especially after a deep fried pizza and chips), luckily we shared one. We then returned to our hotel, which today decided to have power, and retired for the evening. Tomorrow it's an early start as we're driving to sunny, dry York (hopefully), via Masham (pronounced Massam) to meet one of Jess' colleagues for a pint. It's about 600kms...
- Andrew
Day 26 - Glenfiddich
Day 26
Today was all about experiencing some quintessential Scottish culture - whiskey! We couldn't visit Scotland without seeing at least one distillery, and Glenfiddich distillery was just over an hours drive away, so we set off for a drive into the mountains. The winding roads were beautiful. The distillery itself is in the township of Dufftown, set in the hills, for reasons made clear in the tour.
It's a family owned company, and when the founders built the distillery, they also purchased 1200 acres around the source of the spring which provides the water. This means it's apparently the purest water used for whiskey anywhere in the world.
The geography of the town itself was historically important, as the locals could see inspectors coming and hide their stills, aided by local women who would hang out red washing to warn they were coming. The tour was fascinating, we saw the whole process, smelled forty year old whiskey, and I now understand why some bottles are $47000. Sort of.
There was a tasting at the end, I was ambivalent really, but because I was the driver I got to take a little bottle home. By the end, it was very dark outside, so we drove back to town for food and shopping. We had some excellent burgers made with Jimmy's rare breed cows, and I bought some gloves and a beanie. We also bought some wrapping paper, so we could wrap presents upon our return to the hotel.
Everything was fine, we were happily wrapping things up, when there was a blackout. At the time of writing it's been nearly two hours without power. We went down to reception to see what the issue is, and it's the whole area that's out. They had the fire going, so we stayed for a chat, and took a candle back with us. Luckily our room was toasty, so we should be fine for the night.
*Power went off at 9.45pm yesterday, came back at 4.10pm today, around 19 hours without power.
Today was all about experiencing some quintessential Scottish culture - whiskey! We couldn't visit Scotland without seeing at least one distillery, and Glenfiddich distillery was just over an hours drive away, so we set off for a drive into the mountains. The winding roads were beautiful. The distillery itself is in the township of Dufftown, set in the hills, for reasons made clear in the tour.
It's a family owned company, and when the founders built the distillery, they also purchased 1200 acres around the source of the spring which provides the water. This means it's apparently the purest water used for whiskey anywhere in the world.
The geography of the town itself was historically important, as the locals could see inspectors coming and hide their stills, aided by local women who would hang out red washing to warn they were coming. The tour was fascinating, we saw the whole process, smelled forty year old whiskey, and I now understand why some bottles are $47000. Sort of.
There was a tasting at the end, I was ambivalent really, but because I was the driver I got to take a little bottle home. By the end, it was very dark outside, so we drove back to town for food and shopping. We had some excellent burgers made with Jimmy's rare breed cows, and I bought some gloves and a beanie. We also bought some wrapping paper, so we could wrap presents upon our return to the hotel.
Everything was fine, we were happily wrapping things up, when there was a blackout. At the time of writing it's been nearly two hours without power. We went down to reception to see what the issue is, and it's the whole area that's out. They had the fire going, so we stayed for a chat, and took a candle back with us. Luckily our room was toasty, so we should be fine for the night.
*Power went off at 9.45pm yesterday, came back at 4.10pm today, around 19 hours without power.
Days 24 and 25 - Skye and Aberdeen
Apologies for not posting yesterday, the internet connection on Skye was intermittent and weak at best. That aside, it is one of the most stunningly beautiful places we've ever visited. We began our day with a 'ramble' through the fields and moors surrounding the cottage, and learned a number of interesting things. One, sheep are far more agile than I previously gave them credit for. Two, whilst the moors may appear to be gently undulating expanses of wild grasses and heather, they are actually treacherous granite boulders interspersed with prickly bushes, grass and heather that is over half a metre high, and the ground is utterly sodden, to the point that I nearly lost my rain boots to mud that went halfway up my shin on a number of occasions. Three, the wind on Skye is like nothing I've felt before. Four, hills are much bigger up close. And finally, I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Our 'walk' took longer than expected, mainly because we decided that going off track seemed like a good plan, and we wanted to see the view from atop a small hill we were circling. It was safe, just very difficult terrain, deceptively so. The view was spectacular, however, and well worth the extra effort. Walking is the number one activity to do on Skye, and it's completely understandable given the stunning terrain and astonishing views. We were also particularly lucky with the weather. Whilst it was windy, there was no rain at all and it was beautifully clear for the entire duration of our visit.
After our bracing ramble we decided to drive the length of the peninsula to soak up more of the scenery, so we drove around the coast, stopping occasionally to hop out and enjoy the views. At one point, we were delighted to find a house featured on Grand Designs a few seasons ago (we just drove past) and really, by the time were were finished, the light was fading and it was time to head back to the cottage. We had dinner at the cottage, as there is a tiny restaurant run by the owners, and it was a lovely quiet meal. Afterwards, I finally got a chance to have a play of the Steinway in the sitting room, then we were ready for a night of British television and cider.
We had a relatively early start this morning as we knew that our drive from Skye to Aberdeen was one of the most likely to be affected by the flooding. However, we actually had an excellent run, in spite of the single lane A roads (as is one lane for both directions!), so we had time to stop in Inverness for a lovely lunch at a recommended restaurant overlooking the river. Following lunch, the traffic increased a little, slowing our progress somewhat, and as we neared Aberdeen-shire the rain became heavier, meaning that it was well and truly dark by the time we arrived at our beautiful hotel, a grand house that was converted to a hotel. In the end, we only encountered one road closure, so we got in around five.
For some reason, they upgraded us to a premium room, which is excellent, and since everything is shut after six, we just had a light meal in the bar before coming back to the room to type up our post and chill out with our leftover drinks from yesterday. Bottoms up!
Our 'walk' took longer than expected, mainly because we decided that going off track seemed like a good plan, and we wanted to see the view from atop a small hill we were circling. It was safe, just very difficult terrain, deceptively so. The view was spectacular, however, and well worth the extra effort. Walking is the number one activity to do on Skye, and it's completely understandable given the stunning terrain and astonishing views. We were also particularly lucky with the weather. Whilst it was windy, there was no rain at all and it was beautifully clear for the entire duration of our visit.
After our bracing ramble we decided to drive the length of the peninsula to soak up more of the scenery, so we drove around the coast, stopping occasionally to hop out and enjoy the views. At one point, we were delighted to find a house featured on Grand Designs a few seasons ago (we just drove past) and really, by the time were were finished, the light was fading and it was time to head back to the cottage. We had dinner at the cottage, as there is a tiny restaurant run by the owners, and it was a lovely quiet meal. Afterwards, I finally got a chance to have a play of the Steinway in the sitting room, then we were ready for a night of British television and cider.
We had a relatively early start this morning as we knew that our drive from Skye to Aberdeen was one of the most likely to be affected by the flooding. However, we actually had an excellent run, in spite of the single lane A roads (as is one lane for both directions!), so we had time to stop in Inverness for a lovely lunch at a recommended restaurant overlooking the river. Following lunch, the traffic increased a little, slowing our progress somewhat, and as we neared Aberdeen-shire the rain became heavier, meaning that it was well and truly dark by the time we arrived at our beautiful hotel, a grand house that was converted to a hotel. In the end, we only encountered one road closure, so we got in around five.
For some reason, they upgraded us to a premium room, which is excellent, and since everything is shut after six, we just had a light meal in the bar before coming back to the room to type up our post and chill out with our leftover drinks from yesterday. Bottoms up!
Day 23 - Through the Highlands to Skye
What a magnificent day! We left Edinburgh for a very long drive to Greshornish on the Isle of Skye, and what a drive it was. There are very few roads I've ever seen that rival the splendour of the drive through the Scottish highlands. It seemed that every bend gave rise to yet another stunning vista of snow topped mountains, waterfalls down craggy cliff faces, forest and woodlands, and lochs still enough to reflect the panoramas back at us. I'll admit to a moment of panic when the gps had me turn onto a sheep track (which had actual sheep, and bunnies) for a couple of miles past dilapidated farm houses, before revealing our gorgeous cottage on the edge of a lake.
We settled into our temporary home after buying supplies at a local deli, and the cheeky cottage cat, a little ginger tabby, tried to sneak in with us. Andrew said she wasn't allowed to stay inside (she belongs to the owner) but I got a few cuddles in first. The sitting room has a Steinway in it, so I'll give that a try at a more considerate hour.
It's quite cold here, though not as bad as we thought, so we're toasty warm and watching Outlander to end our day, entirely appropriate given our wonderful setting. It's just so beautiful here, we'll post more photos as soon as we can.
We settled into our temporary home after buying supplies at a local deli, and the cheeky cottage cat, a little ginger tabby, tried to sneak in with us. Andrew said she wasn't allowed to stay inside (she belongs to the owner) but I got a few cuddles in first. The sitting room has a Steinway in it, so I'll give that a try at a more considerate hour.
It's quite cold here, though not as bad as we thought, so we're toasty warm and watching Outlander to end our day, entirely appropriate given our wonderful setting. It's just so beautiful here, we'll post more photos as soon as we can.
Day 22 - New Year's Day
What a way to begin 2016! After a much needed sleep in we had a brilliant breakfast at our hotel and then hopped on the bus to Edinburgh Castle, and fell in love with this city. We spent the day exploring the castle, admiring the stunning vistas that it provides over the city, and learning about the Scottish monarchy and military history. The castle itself has never been breached since the 1300's, and it's easy to see why, the picturesque walk is up a very steep hill.
After our day at the castle, we wandered from shop to shop on the royal mile, then made our way to the huge Christmas market that is set up in the gardens. We had some dinner there, looked at the various stalls, and generally enjoyed the calm post-New Years atmosphere and the pretty lights.
This being the coldest we've been so far, around eight we decided to head back as we could no longer feel our extremities, so we were back on the bus to our hotel. With excellent timing, we were in time to watch the new Sherlock as it aired (it was brilliant) and now we find ourselves lamenting the fact that we leave tomorrow, though we are excited about our trip to Skye.
- Jess
After our day at the castle, we wandered from shop to shop on the royal mile, then made our way to the huge Christmas market that is set up in the gardens. We had some dinner there, looked at the various stalls, and generally enjoyed the calm post-New Years atmosphere and the pretty lights.
This being the coldest we've been so far, around eight we decided to head back as we could no longer feel our extremities, so we were back on the bus to our hotel. With excellent timing, we were in time to watch the new Sherlock as it aired (it was brilliant) and now we find ourselves lamenting the fact that we leave tomorrow, though we are excited about our trip to Skye.
- Jess
Day 21 - New Years in Edinburgh
Today was awesome, though very, very long. We were up at five thirty to catch the ferry back to Scotland and, once on, it was a pretty good trip. This time we were in the front section of the ship, so we had a beautiful view of the dawn and the Scottish coast. Then we drove the stunning coastal route to Edinburgh.
Upon arriving at our hotel, we had a nap to ready ourselves for tonight, as we weren't going to make it to midnight otherwise. We woke up around five, and got ready to head into the city centre, which had already been shut down in preparation. A quick bus ride, then we were there in the midst of the thousands of people there to celebrate Hogmanay! We found a lovely little pub on Rose street, grabbed a table next to a lovely couple from Bristol, and whiled away a couple of hours getting to know our new friends, and enjoying tasty food a drinks. We made our way to the street party just before ten, in time for the ten o'clock fireworks (there's fireworks every hour from nine). It was freezing, but luckily there was no rain, so we squished along into the Christmas market for some hot drinks.
Nicely warmed up, we headed to the second stage where Craig Charles (Lister from Red Dwarf) was DJ-ing a set from eleven onwards. It was brilliant, we were able to get reasonably close to the stage, and we stayed for a good portion of the set before making our way slowly back towards the view of the castle, from which the fireworks take place. We were able to get a perfect spot that took in the whole view, and then it was a short wait until the midnight countdown. The castle was lit up, then it went dark, the countdown was over, and the best fireworks I've ever seen began. There was music, and of course we had to sing Auld Lang Syne, and it was time to escape the cold and get back to our hotel.
The city was running free busses, but we ended up waiting over forty minutes for one, as we were at the wrong stop, along with over forty other people. We had a mad dash to a bus in the distance, and finally got home around one thirty in the morning. I was so unbelievably cold, I couldn't feel my feet, but it was a brilliant way to ring in the new year. Time for a sleep, tomorrow we have some exploring to do. We hope everyone had a delightful New Years and best wishes to all of you!
Upon arriving at our hotel, we had a nap to ready ourselves for tonight, as we weren't going to make it to midnight otherwise. We woke up around five, and got ready to head into the city centre, which had already been shut down in preparation. A quick bus ride, then we were there in the midst of the thousands of people there to celebrate Hogmanay! We found a lovely little pub on Rose street, grabbed a table next to a lovely couple from Bristol, and whiled away a couple of hours getting to know our new friends, and enjoying tasty food a drinks. We made our way to the street party just before ten, in time for the ten o'clock fireworks (there's fireworks every hour from nine). It was freezing, but luckily there was no rain, so we squished along into the Christmas market for some hot drinks.
Nicely warmed up, we headed to the second stage where Craig Charles (Lister from Red Dwarf) was DJ-ing a set from eleven onwards. It was brilliant, we were able to get reasonably close to the stage, and we stayed for a good portion of the set before making our way slowly back towards the view of the castle, from which the fireworks take place. We were able to get a perfect spot that took in the whole view, and then it was a short wait until the midnight countdown. The castle was lit up, then it went dark, the countdown was over, and the best fireworks I've ever seen began. There was music, and of course we had to sing Auld Lang Syne, and it was time to escape the cold and get back to our hotel.
The city was running free busses, but we ended up waiting over forty minutes for one, as we were at the wrong stop, along with over forty other people. We had a mad dash to a bus in the distance, and finally got home around one thirty in the morning. I was so unbelievably cold, I couldn't feel my feet, but it was a brilliant way to ring in the new year. Time for a sleep, tomorrow we have some exploring to do. We hope everyone had a delightful New Years and best wishes to all of you!
- Jess
Day 20 - Belfast
Today was our last day in Belfast, and we're both feeling under the weather (just a minor cold) so we did some shopping, picking up some great bargains (Star Wars pj's and Harry Potter undies) at the post Christmas sales. We had a rest after lunch, then made our way to a very trendy restaurant called Made in Belfast, and we had perhaps the very best meal of the trip so far. The Adelaide equivalent is probably somewhere like Press, and the food was superb. Andrew had pork belly, I had salmon with hazelnut and potato croquettes, and dessert was an eggnog panacotta with ginger shortbread. What's even better, it was very reasonably priced, so it was a lovely way to spend our evening. With an extremely early start tomorrow, we're having an early night tonight. We hope everyone has a wonderful New Years, and we wish everyone a happy, healthy, and altogether delightful New Year!
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