5 days exploring the quirky neighborhoods of Tokyo culminates on a sunset dinner cruise around Tokyo Bay with delicious food, awesome service and amenities, and a great picture window to see the Tokyo skyline.
Month: October 2015
10,000 Temples: Top Reasons to Visit Kyoto
The temple shrines are guarded by statues of Foxes which are believed to be “messengers” of Inari Okami. The statues hold a symbolic item in their mouths or beneath their front paw—most often a jewel and a key, but a sheaf of rice, a scroll, or a fox cub are also common. Almost all Inari shrines, no matter how small, will feature at least a pair of foxes, one male and female, usually flanking or on the altar or in front of the main sanctuary.
The Best Fireworks Festival in the Sky Over Busan, South Korea
A single firework penetrates the sky from one of the barges anchored in the ocean off Gwangali Beach in Busan. It’s 7 pm, an overcast sky, an unwelcome canvass to the fireworks display. More than a million and a half people have crowded the 1.4km long stretch of beautiful sandy…
I’ve Got a Date with a Geisha in Kyoto
Japan is synonymous with Geisha’s right? Well, at least it used to be. Nowadays they are not as common as you might think. And their services are extremely expensive. I am not kidding, time spent in the company of a geisha is ridiculously expensive. And more often than not, you’ll…
Welcome to My Apartment in Baumholder, Germany
Don’t get me wrong, I loved our little apartment in Baumholder, but that town was well-known for its contrary weather. We fondly and not so fondly referred to it as the rock. We lived in an old stone mansion that had been renovated into four large apartments. We shared the second floor with a retired German officer. The first floor was split between a US Major and his wife. Across the hall was a 90+ year old German widow.
Bodrum: A Day Trip to the Turkish Riviera
We walked in and out of little shops along the long footpath near the water until we reached the inner part of the town. Glad to be shaded from the sun by a large undulated tarp of living plants above our heads. We found a little cafe and decided to have a snack which was delicious. The boys got henna tattoos and I bought a few pieces of jewelry. I bought a pendant with the Turkish eye to ward off against the evil eye.
Enjoying Italian Opera in Daegu, South Korea
Opera in Daegu, you say? Heck yes. I put on my favorite little black dress and had a blast. Since 2004, the Daegu Opera House Foundation has offered a full schedule of local and well-known popular operas, concerts, musicals, and ballets like Aida and Figaro. We paid 30,000 Won each…
Sipping Through Time: A Journey Inside Cheongdo’s Wine Tunnel
The Gam Wine Tunnel opened its doors in 2006 in Cheongdo and is the world’s FIRST persimmon wine cellar. Cheongdo is lined with bright orange persimmon trees and small family farms. The persimmon is dried, made into juice and wine. I love wine, but I think I prefer the dried fruit option the best.