• Travel
  • CouchSurfing in Imabari : Ehime, Japan

    yakitori dining, Japanese, Japanese islands, Teoribayashi, Kiroshan Panoramic lookout, Kiroshan, Shimanami Kaido, Shimanami Kaido cycle route, Tatara Bridge, Hakata salt factory, Omishima. Ōkunoshima Island, Rabbit Island, Rabbit Island Japan, Ōyamazumi Shrine, Imabari castle, sushimi, Imabari, Japan, Ehime, couchsurfing, couch-surfing, Ohmishima Island, Shimanami Kaido, cycling Japan, cycling route Japan, travel, travel blog,

    I was nervous about my first couchsurfing experience as I got off the cargo ship from Osaka port. I was staying with 63 year old Japanese retiree, Taka. Taka and I spent a long first day together in Ehime. We visited rabbit island, local shrines, Imabari castle and cycled some of the Shimanami Kaido cycle route. A lot happened that day!

  • Travel
  • The land of the rising sun: Kyoto, Japan

    Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, Tokaido, Sanyo Shinkansen, Japan, Rising sun, Nozomi, Nozomi train, bullet train, bullet train Japan, Japan train, Kyoto, Shiori-an, Hiroshima, Gion, Japanese tea house, Philosopher's Path, Path of Philosophy, temples, matcha, Inari Village, manga, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Udon noodles, Udon, noodles, glutinous dumpling balls, dumpling balls, glutinous rice, cinnamon, cinnamon cookies, Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji , Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji temple, Arashiyama, Kameyama Park, bamboo forest, bamoboo, Manga/Internet café, plum liquor, Media Café Popeye, Grrrltraveller, travel blog, travel, Japan travel

    A must-visit on everyone’s Japan itinerary, Kyoto gave me a glimpse of old-style Japan with traditional wooden houses, beautiful countryside and geishas. Shiori-an hostel deserves a place in my top ten hostels across the world and my time spent sleeping in Manga cafe wasn’t too bad either. Good food, friends, temples and adventure. Kyoto is a blast.

  • Travel
  • Weird and wonderfully unique: Osaka, Japan

    Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, Tokaido, Sanyo Shinkansen, Japan, Rising sun, Nozomi, Nozomi train, bullet train, bullet train Japan, Japan train, Kyoto, Shiori-an, Hiroshima, Gion, Japanese tea house, Philosopher's Path, Path of Philosophy, temples, matcha, Inari Village, manga, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Udon noodles, Udon, noodles, glutinous dumpling balls, dumpling balls, glutinous rice, cinnamon, cinnamon cookies, Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji , Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji temple, Arashiyama, Kameyama Park, bamboo forest, bamoboo, Manga/Internet café, plum liquor, Media Café Popeye, Grrrltraveller,

    Osaka was my first stop in Japan and it was a perfect welcoming. My first night was spent in a capsule hotel, totally weird and wonderfully unique. Just like the rest of the city which surprised me at every corner. My visit was packed with crazy adventures including a trip to the local food market where I was met by the kindness of others.

  • Weekly Treats
  • This week’s sweet treats : 20/11/2015

    Bepton, West Sussex, Park House Hotel, Bepton spa, park house spa, The Partridge, Singleton, brownie, dessert, croissant, Japan, cookies, Malawi, chestnut croissant, Japanese pastries, Japanese pastry, Beaujolais Nouveaux, red wine, France, Boulangerie, Boulangerie Victor Hugo,Southampton, The Partridge Inn, doughnuts, donuts, sweet treats, this week's sweet treats, Imabari

    What better way to start your Friday than with our weekly round-up of some of the many sweet treats we’ve eaten this week, at home and abroad.  Here’s five of our favourites! Clockwise from L-R 1. It was Beaujolais Nouveau day yesterday and we celebrated at Boulangerie Victor Hugo in Southampton where we’d been invited for the […]