One Month in Europe: Part 3, French Riviera

After our very low key wine tasting in Beaune, we made our way to Nice to explore the French Riviera and get some relaxing beach time. For this stay we used HomeAway and found an adorable place that was just outside the main downtown area. Upon our arrival it was high seventies and sunny, so we made sure to soak it all in and explore as much as we could. After doing some light research on the fly (we didn't plan much ahead for this part of the trip), we decided to hike to the top of Castle Hill to take in the views. Really beautiful scenery and a great day to just stroll. 

We were also very humbled to walk down the Promenade des Anglais and take in the memorial from loved ones mourning the loss of family and friends from the truck attack in 2016. The Promenade is a beautiful pathway that's right along Nice's waterfront, great for people watching and just taking in the scenery. 

We climbed down a ladder to the beach and laid out on the rocks (which really weren't that comfortable, but when in Nice!) and Chris spotted a bottle floating in the middle of the water (the Baie des Anges), slowly making it's way to shore. We couldn't help but chase after it and to our utter joy it was a message in a bottle! We immediately opened it up only to find a message written in french that neither of us understood. Either way a very cool experience. I mean who finds a message in a bottle, this is movie stuff guys.

One of my favorite parts of Nice is Old Town, an area with loads of charm, colorful facades and adorable shops. It felt truly European and an easy way to spend the day popping into shops and getting (lots of) gelato along the way. 

Before I move on to a few day trips we took, I must mention one of my favorite little cafes in all of our travels throughout Europe: Le Bistroy. Such delicious french toast with lime zest and scrambled eggs! A must try if you are in Nice, seriously. We went twice.

After spending a few days in Nice we decided to venture out to Eze, a mountaintop village, for a day trip. I'd heard amazing things and all of them proved to be true. Charming, ecclectic, artful, lush - an absolute love! I wish we'd had more time here.

Since we had limited time, we started to traverse to the Jardin Exotique d’Èze , the main reason I wanted to visit Eze. a garden at the top of the mountain that overlooks the entire village. The journey to the top was filled with narrow pathways, adorable shops, and charming nooks everywhere we looked.

As we reached the top, we walked through a fantastic restaurant, the deli, which was small, cozy and everything you'd want to enjoy after a short hike up a mountain. We had to bypass it to begin with in order to make it to the garden, only to find out the garden closed at 4pm. It was 4:01pm when we arrived, and the rules were strict. We weren't getting in. Dreams. Crushed. All I have is this desperate photo looking through the gates to what would've been a glorious experience.

However, let's talk about the good news. We got to spend the rest of the day sipping wine at the Deli, hanging out with the owner (who is an amazing human being) and eating delicious sandwiches. We were also graced with the presence of two early twenty-something back packers of whom we bestowed our thirty-something wisdom upon. It's one of my favorite memories of our entire trip, the simple experience of spending the day in this little oasis on top of a mountain in Eze, wine in hand, good conversations, and complete peace. We walked away with a few bottles of their olive oil, which we still have till this day. 

The mountainous paths of Eze are filled with garden statues and a quiet serenity that evokes reflection. Nietzsche Path is another popular attraction that many venture on, if we only had the time!

We also made it to Monaco for a day, but the weather was miserable and we didn't really plan much. I just remember a ton of yachts and checking out Prince's Palace. Nothing overly memorable, but I'm sure with some planning and better weather it's a lovely place to spend your time. 

We loved the French Riviera, and France in general! But after 4 full days we were ready to head to our next country, Italy! In my next posts I'll explore our time in Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi coast. Thanks for reading!

One Month in Europe: Part 2, Beaune

From Paris, we made our way to Beaune, about a 2 hour train ride from Paris. We wanted to explore the Burgundy wine region and get a different taste of France that was a bit more out of the city, and this was the perfect place to do it. 

One of my favorite parts of Beaune was the Bourgogne Evasion half day bike tour we did through the region. We were lucky to get last minute tickets the day before.

We were given lots of wine and lots of knowledge. On our final stop during the tour, we walked through a winery in the Pommard region and got an in depth education on how the winery works from a French winemaker at Domaine Lejeune. Chris said he saw other wives in the group snap chatting photos of this man with heart emojis + "Sexy French Winemaker". How childish! And no I did not send pictures of him to my friends. At all...

Before we left, Chris (to the jealously of the other men around us) asked if they had any vintage wines in the cellar to purchase. They did, and we were fortunate enough to take it back to our Airbnb with us. (Also, just an FYI, riding a bike somewhat tipsy is fun but also semi-dangerous). We stopped at a local store, bought some paté, bread and meat and paired it with our wine. One of the best meals!

Our Airbnb was on a really beautiful street, and the most adorable man lived across from us. He would pop out now and again to smoke a cigar, and I couldn't help but think he was the cutest. Had to grab a capture of him.

The streets and surroundings of Beaune were very white and rustic, filled with locals and very quaint moments to take in, like this dear lady trimming flowers outside of her home.

Another area we explored in Beaune was the Hospices de Beaune. When in Paris, our bartender recommended it to us, so we thought we'd give it a shot. The gothic architecture was stunning, intricate and unique. However, I wish I loved the tour more. To be be honest, going through sort of brought me down. We looked at old hospital beds, an old kitchen with medicine jars, and then I sort of wiped it from my memory. However, if you do more research on it, there are a number of interesting stories to be told if it suits your fancy. I just wasn't there.

That's it for Beaune! It was a quick stay and a great taste of France from a different perspective. Our next stop: The French Riviera.

One Month in Europe: Part 1, Paris

Chris and I were fortunate enough to be able to spend one month in Europe for our honeymoon back in September-October of 2017. We both work corporate 9-5 jobs, so it took a bit of strategizing to be able to get away with it, which I will cover in a separate post. 

Instead of a relaxing beach vacation, we were more interested in exploring as much of Europe as possible without making it seem like too much work. Our itinerary went like this: Paris, Beaune, French Riviera (Nice, Eze, Monaco), Florence, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Athens, Santorini. Did we map out our entire itinerary? We did not. The trip was planned in the beginning and the end - leaving the middle with a little improv work to do (which, in hindsight, I would not do again). We flew Icelandair and due to some intel and smart seat selecting through seatguru, we sat first class but only paid for business class. More on that trick later.

Our first stop was Paris on September 26, which ended up lasting a bit longer than we had planned because we were enjoying it so much. I'd been to Paris in the past, but it was a vague memory and I was so young that the things I enjoyed then are much different than the things I like to do now. We stayed in a few different places while we were there, the first being Hotel Providence located in the Marais district and later on an Airbnb close by. It was a great central location and aside from the room being itty bitty, the hotel was beautifully designed and we had a blast with the bartender, who we lovingly called George Pooney. Well, we told him he looked like George Clooney, he called himself George Pooney (the George Clooney of Paris? It's blurry), and we all laughed. Cocktails are fun.

During our time in Paris we did a quick trip to the Louvre because Chris had never been. This photo of Mona Lisa is one of my most interesting captures from Paris. The reflection of everyone holding up their iPhones in the painting is such an oxymoron it's almost painful to look at. My experiences in Europe in 2006 vs. 2017 were so vastly different due to social media and technology in general. It's painstaking in a lot of ways because the sacredness that I held so dear felt a bit lost on me in 2017. 

We also strolled through Luxembourg gardens on a beautiful afternoon and took the time to relax from traveling. We quickly grabbed a ham and cheese baguette from a street vendor and sat in the park. Truth be told I've always wanted to eat a ham and cheese sandwich in Luxembourg gardens and live the afternoon Parisian life. I have a vivid memory of this day, sitting in the park behind an older lady and her friend. The way the light hit her and the way they were talking was one of the most peaceful things I've ever witnessed. It was simple and beautiful and made me fall in love with Paris.

Chris had never seen the Eiffel Tower, so we put our tourist pants on and made our way over. While I wasn't that into climbing to the top, Chris being the explorer that he is had a different idea in mind. So we got to it. Me, a little apprehensive. Chris, very eager.

One of our favorite places for dinner was L'Avant Comptoir, which is a tiny tapas place with recipe cards hanging from the ceiling. We bellied up to the bar and ordered as much as possible (we couldn't help it, everything was SO good). All you have to do is point to a card hanging from the ceiling and voila! It appears before you. Chris particularly loved the foie gras burger. In fact, we came back a second time to eat it again. That's 4 foie gras burgers in 24 hours, nbd. The environment was fun, easy and casual - highly recommend when in Paris.

We also traveled to see Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, which is North of central Paris. Every single thing about this area is charming. Everywhere I looked someone was playing an accordian, people were falling in love, birds were chirping. The area of Montmartre is filled with little shops and cobblestone streets that feels like a nice escape from central Paris. in fact, I purchased one of my favorite souvenirs from a boutique store - an enormous, gorgeous scarf that was difficult to fit in my suitcase but well worth the hassle. Another store I really loved in that area was Lekker, another concept store with some pretty unique items.

Just north of Montmartre, we decided to visit Marché Aux Puces - a flea market to die for. This market stands out in my memory of one of my favorite things in all our travels and also one of my biggest regrets. Chris and I found a blanket there that we adored, but knew it would be impossible to travel around with (especially since it was white). In hindsight I wish I would have purchased it and shipped it back to the US! Ah well, can't have everything.

Another spot we really loved was Merci, a concept store connected to a coffee shop close to our Airbnb. People watching was exceptionally interesting because we happened to be in Paris during fashion week and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the coffee shop guests were famous fashion week artists, models, or designers judging by their style. The store itself has some very cool apparel that we had fun looking at and not buying. 

A few other interesting tid bits about our travels to Paris: really loved Berthillon ice cream, Pierre Hermé Macarons (seriously, wow) and we experienced real-deal hookers very close to our Airbnb - they were out of the movies hookers, guys. It was actually jaw dropping to see, I didn't know they made them like that in real life. We spied them on our way to get pizza close by our airbnb, at a place called Rossi's pizza. They were on that street, whatever street that is, workin' in. And I'll leave you with that.

That's Paris! We absolutely loved it and definitely extended our time there by 2 days (that's the beauty of having an open schedule). Our next destination was Beaune, wine country in France.

Have you been to Paris? Tell me me about your experience in the comments below!

4 Days in Palm Springs

Hello all! It's been a while since I've captured one of our journeys, so I thought I'd report back on our trip to Palm Springs back in February 2018. Living in Chicago is particularly challenging in December, January, and February - so a short escape to warmer climates was in order. Since architecture and design is our jam, we thought we'd go to Palm Springs during Modernism Week to take advantage of some home tours. It also happened to land on Valentines day, so it was a perfect time for a break.

We stayed at the Ace Hotel which was a great place to chill out at the pool and eat really delicious brunches at King's Highway. Also, just something we noticed - the line chefs at King's highway are really something. We sat at the counter during rush time and have to say they are one hell of a team.

We lucked out and were in the midst of perfect temperature - between 72 and 77 degrees the entire time we were there. It definitely cooled down at night and I had to wear a jacket, but the sun was strong during the day so no complaints from me. On our second day, we decided to do an early hike. One of our Uber driver's recommended Tahquitz Canyon - which was about an hour long and to be honest, almost a little too short and easy. It was near the downtown area, so simple to get to as well. Later on, another Uber driver told us that was a good hike for families with young kids, so we definitely didn't really challenge ourselves. Needless to say it was really nice just to get out in the early sun and get some fresh air in the early morning. The other hike mentioned to us during our stay was Indian Canyons. In hindsight, that probably would have been a better fit for us.

Prior to arriving, I purchased three tickets for Modernism Week: Two home tours (Moroccan Modern House and Steel & Glass) as well as a bike door tour. We didn't want to overdo it, but definitely wanted to check out some of the mid-century modern architecture. The Moroccan Modern House was first and possibly my favorite of the three. Bright Textures, interesting patterns, and thoughtful design encapsulated this beauty.

We also visited Steel and Glass, and while it was cool to see, we were definitely a bit underwhelmed. It lacked the character and wow factor of the Moroccan Modern House. Our last tour of the trip was the Palm Springs Bike tour, which was another really fun tour filled with my obsession, DOORS! (Check out my Instagram account for proof, @adorabledoorways). We were given a map of some of the best front doors in the Palm Springs area and sped off on our bikes to see them. 

During our stay we also checked out Counter Reformation for tapas and wine at The Parker Hotel. This hotel is a must visit when you are in Palm Springs, as the design and grounds are breathtaking. They have 3 different restaurants - Norma's for brunch, Mister Parker's for dinner, and Counter Reformation for small plates and wine. While I loved Counter Reformation, it was pretty small so get there early to secure a seat. We also went at night which was fun, but I do wish I was able to see the hotel and the lush pathways during the light of day! 

Four Saints at the top of the Kimpton hotel in downtown Palm Springs was also fantastic, Farm for brunch was charming as well as El Jefe for a casual taco night. I had The Pantry on my list for brunch (at a new boutique hotel, Holiday House) but we weren't able to squeeze it in. 

Overall absolutely loved Palm Springs and would recommend it to anyone for a low-key, sun drenched weekend.

Our 2 Week Japan Itinerary | Part 1: Tokyo

Chris and I spent our honeymoon in Europe and we absolutely loved it because obviously – Europe is easy to love. But it also left us wanting to experience a completely different culture. After talking with well traveled friends and doing some research, we decided Japan would be the perfect place to spend two weeks. Although we missed the cherry blossoms, we both agreed that we couldn't have gone at a better time. Right after the madness of golden week, and right before the rainy and humid summer months turned out to be perfect weather with manageable crowds. We began our adventure in Tokyo for 4 nights, then the alps (Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa), Kyoto for 5 nights (with a day trip to Nara), Hakone for 2 nights, and ending in Tokyo for one final night. I will be writing separate posts for each destination so I can get as detailed as possible without my posts being wayyy too long. 

To start, Tokyo is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. There's an energy and vibrance that immediately snaps you into this invigorating place and makes you wide-eyed and eager to do everything. As first timers, we decided to dive right in and stayed in Shibuya at the Cerulean Hotel which worked out perfectly. We were close to public transportation and right in the middle of everything yet removed a bit which was nice. Shibuya is known to cater to a younger crowd and encapsulate a lot of the energy that is true to Tokyo.  If I were to go back, I would stay in Shinjuku, another area that we really loved. The main areas that visitors consider staying in are Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza and Roppongi. More on that later.

Here is what we did in Tokyo.

Day 1: Friday, May 12, 2017

We arrived at Narita airport around 5pm and immediately got coffee (hellloooo jet lag like I've never experienced) and our pocket wifi. Guys, pocket wifi is life changing. We paid $83 for 2 weeks of unlimited data/great connection for both of us. It worked like a charm, you just have to make sure its charged and ready for the day. We didn't have any issue with connectivity and it made our trip so much smoother than using AT&T passport in Europe. Looking back I can't believe we managed without one. I highly recommend getting this along with a Japan Rail Pass (if it makes sense for your itinerary), which can be mailed to the airport or your hotel. When we finally arrived in Shibuya, we were so close to Shibuya crossing that we decided to walk through it and meander about to get a feel for Tokyo. Given it being a Friday night, the streets were very much alive and we got to witness a true Tokyo Friday night in action - which was a very surreal moment. Given our jet lagged incompetencies, we stumbled about and then decided to grab a quick dinner to go at Tokyu Food Show, which is right beneath the station. I highly recommend it for a quick snack or taste of Tokyo. As first timers, we quickly grabbed the first things that felt familiar and ate them sadly in our hotel room before passing out around 6pm. Not my favorite experience, but definitely an eye opening one that was a good sampling variety of our future meal options.

Day 2: Saturday, May 13, 2017

"Up and at em!" At least that's what my Fitbit read when we woke up around 5am. (5am = me just standing vertically, as I'd been up since midnight lying wide-eyed and frustrated. Jet lag is REAL in Japan.). Before arriving, I did a ton of research and made a solid itinerary of the things we wanted to do and see each day. I tried to keep it loose yet structured, allowing for flexibility yet having something to do every day so there was never time wasted doing a lot of research while traveling. In Europe, I think we winged it a little too much - and so I wanted to make sure we had just the right amount of planning in place prior to arriving. 

First on the list was to go to Tsujiki Fish Market - and what better day to do it than the first day we arrived, up early and ready to go. There's an option to go super early, I'm talkin' 4:30AM in the hopes of seeing a live auction. We weren't interested enough (and after talking to other travelers, happy we made the decision not to) and arrived around 7:30am, early enough to traverse around the outer market. At the market, there's an outer market and an inner market. The inner market used to open at 9am, but it now opens at 10am – so you can imagine the dilemma of arriving at 4AM to see the auction and then waiting around to go to the inner market. Decisions, decisions.

This market was one of the highlights of our trip and really forced us to experiment. It's filled with some of the oddest and most delicious food you can imagine. Chris was a bit more daring than I was, as I mostly waited it out for breakfast Sushi.

Baby aliens about to hatch? IDK.

Another amazing thing about the market is the stores that sell authentic Japanese knives. You can watch the knives being made right in front of you and they can even ship them home. (We definitely asked, but didn't end up following through).

After exploring the outer market, we walked over to Sushi Dai in hopes of scoring fresh sushi for breakfast. Sushi Dai, along with Daiwa Sushi, are both very well known for their sushi and they are just outside of the inner market. For a mere 3 hour wait, we could've had premium sushi rolling around in our bellies. Had we been there earlier for the auction, my guess is that the wait would have been shorter. Either way, we ducked into a smaller sushi place nearby instead where we quickly learned our favorite types of sushi.

While the outer market is worthy of a good amount of your time, the inner market is the real deal. This is where everything goes down, and its partially gruesome yet mostly amazing. You are not allowed to take photos, yet I saw multiple people snapping away and for good reason. The processes and types of fish are unreal. After a lengthy stroll, we headed back to Shibuya to rest up and get lunch at the early hour of 11am!

Inner market before opening

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Tsujiki Market Tips: 

• Bring yen, and lots of it! You'll need it to purchase any and all goods outside of the market.
• Wear closed toe shoes
• Decide ahead of time if the auction is worth seeing, because it will determine how you navigate Tsujiki. Fellow travelers told me it lasted 3 minutes total, so keep in mind your goals for the day. Is it going to the auction and getting into a great sushi place early? Or is it perusing the outer market and then the inner market at 10am? Keep timeframes in mind! You don't want to be face planted in sushi at 11 am because you're exhausted from waking up at 3am, got it?
• Make sure to check if the market is open! It's usually closed on Sundays and Wednesdays.
• The inner market opens at 10am and not a minute before. They are strict with this rule and you may be shuffled around until it's 10am on the dot.

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After heading back home, we grabbed lunch at Ichiran Ramen near our hotel. We'd heard great things so we stood in the pouring rain for around a half hour, starving from our less than substantial sushi breakfast.

This ramen better be f'ing good!

The ramen was incredible and it was a very different experience. The staff spoke very little English so it was up to us to figure out how to order and communicate with the servers. In this particular Ramen place, you order from a machine and then the host escorts you to a small booth (that you can share with another person if  you'd like) where you are given the privacy to slurp ramen up in all its glory with all the slurping you've ever dreamed of. Highly recommend! Also, quick side note: it was at this point I noticed the sewer designs in Japan are all different and all on point.

That night, we headed to Robot Restaurant for what was sure to be an unforgettable touristy and over the top experience. I booked our tickets ahead of time on Voyagin because of the discounted rate, and it worked out perfectly. There's an option to order a bento box, but we chose the ticket with a free drink only as I'd read that the food was not that great. Robot restaurant is hilarious and fun and touristy and completely crazy and I loved all of it. Before we left, I had a few people tell me it's a waste of time but I suppose it just depends on what you're seeking. For us, it was a great way to loosen up and have some fun. Since it's touristy, it's also a great way to make friends! I somehow encountered a friend of a friend from New Zealand, and we met a couple from England that we ended up hanging out with for the rest of the night. I'd call it a win and something I definitely do not regret. Plus who doesn't love glowing dragons, oversized one-eyed dolls and robots with clown wigs?

Shinjuku nights

After the show, we explored Shinjuku nightlife and ended up at Golden Gai, which is a small area of tiny bars that only have about 5-6 people inside (sometimes more, but usually a very small number). It was such an intimate, authentic experience and my first okonomiyaki in Japan (gotta get those pancakes!). When I went upstairs to use the bathroom, there was a tea ceremony going on!

Day 3: Sunday, May 14, 2017

Sunday morning started early with a visit to Meiji Shrine just north of our hotel. We were definitely feeling the contrast coming from Robot Restaurant the night before, as Meiji Shrine was beautiful and serene. 

Torii

Before you reach the shrine, you walk through the Torii (pictured above) and take an incredibly peaceful stroll through the forested areas. If you go early enough (which I highly recommend) it's calm and a great time for reflection and meditation. Once you reach the shrine's innermost grounds, you'll approach the Temizuya, and if you're lucky to catch a tour group like I did, you'll learn the correct way to rinse your hands and mouth. Inside, we were able to write a wish/blessing on a wooden wishing plaque to hang on the shrine's grounds amongst all of the others. You have to purchase a plaque, but for the price it's well worth it.

Temizuya

Meiji Shrine was such a great start to our day, and we were fortunate to get an early start because it gave us the rest of the day to explore. The shrine is very close to Harajuku – a must visit destination for anyone visiting Tokyo. It's where I experienced my first cat café, witnessed an owl café, bought a few souvenirs, an paid tribute to an area of Tokyo that has one hell of a personality. 

We went there on a Sunday, which I'd read was the best day of the week to see some of the wildest and weirdest dressed folks in Tokyo. While we did walk down Takeshita Dori but didn't witness any crazy costumes, (we probably missed the spot where it all goes down) we definitely felt the energy.

Taking friends for a face time stroll

Harajuku storefronts

One of the best things we did in Harajuku was visit Reissue, a coffee house that makes latte art of anything you want in either 2D or 3D! For us, it was our faces. And umm, we were freaked out over how much it looked like us, seriously. We laughed, took photos, and then drank our faces off. Literally. 

After we embraced the madness of Harajuku, we strolled through Omotesando - which is known as the Champs-Elysées of Tokyo - a great place to spend some time perusing high end stores. We didn't stay long, as we were due for a pit stop back at the hotel for a short nap before continuing onward! Since we stayed in Shibuya, we were very close to Daikanyama, an area that had been on my list since I first started researching. As a designer, I was told this area was a must - so we mustered up our remaining energy from an already busy day and made the trek (a 15 minute walk from our hotel) to this lovely area. We got lucky as it was 72 degrees and sunny, making this particularly beautiful place that much more beautiful. Our first stop was T-Site book store, nestled in the midst of lovely garden grounds. The facade of the building has a repeating white 'T' that adds to the overall thoughtfulness of the design, and it has 6 unique departments (stationary, music, books, etc.), all worthy of your strolling time.

Encountering my two friends, Photoshop and Illustrator.

We also got a slice of pie at Matsunosuke bakery, and ventured out past T-site, admiring all that Daikanyama had to offer, including this man and his pups.

We spent Sunday night relaxing in anticipation of the sumo tournament on Monday.

Day 4: Monday, May 15, 2017

Chris and I lucked out as we just so happened to be in Tokyo while a sumo tournament was going on. If you are interested, The Japan Sumo official website lists when tournaments occur. Prior to our arrival, I kept my eye on the ticket release date, and we were lucky enough to score two. Before the tournament, we made a stop at Tokyo station and explored a few fun stores, mostly through character street (a strip of shops that sell fun Japanese characters) and then made our way over to The Imperial Palace nearby before heading over to Ryōgoku Kokugikan for the tournament.

Character shoppin'

Experiencing a sumo tournament live is one of the top ten coolest things I have ever done in my lifetime. The matches are quick but the excitement builds as the top division wrestlers enter the stage around 3:45pm. (The tournament starts very early around 8:30am and ends at 6pm). Since we booked our tickets ahead of time through Viator, we had a tour guide that taught us a thing or two about sumo history as well as some of the fun facts. I mean, who knew there was a Nicolas Cage look alike sumo wrestler as well as a sumo heartthrob? 

After the tournament, we made our way to Ginza (another popular hood in Tokyo) before our dinner reservation. Ginza is straight glamour and women were walking around dressed to impress on a Monday night - impressive. On the way, we explored Itoya, which is an amazing stationary store where we scored a few helvetica pencils and got to explore a Moleskine pop up shop inside. I was in a bit of designer heaven. We set off with our new souvenirs and made our way to dinner, starving and ready for sushi.

Our dinner at Kyubey was one of the most memorable dinners we had during our time in Japan. We were able to get counter seats (book early through your concierge!) We chose Omakase, ten pieces of delicious nigiri served one at a time. Every piece was melt-in-your-mouth level and unforgettable. The owner was incredibly kind and took the time to teach us the correct way to eat sushi with chopsticks and with hands, and the sushi chefs were playful and fun - they all had a great sense of humor!  I was sure to say 'Oishi', which means delicious in Japanese - and I found that it's a word that's truly appreciated when expressed after a great meal.

Kyubey was the perfect way to say goodbye to Tokyo. We went home to get a good night of sleep before catching a train to Takayama in the morning, which I will cover in my next post!

Tokyo truly blew our minds on so many levels. Not only were we able to do so much in 4 days, but we were in awe of how clean and safe Tokyo (and Japan in general) is. Bikes were parked free of locks and every bathroom is pristine (umm why aren't bidets the norm in the US? ). Everyone is so incredibly kind, helpful and respectful. (Not one person bumped into us in the entire 2 weeks we were in Japan, not even through Shibuya crossing). I was humbled by a culture that's really got it all figured out. To be honest, I felt ashamed that we don't emulate the same actions in the US.

I'm so excited to share the rest of our journey with you! My next post will cover the Japan alps (Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa) which was definitely a slower pace than Tokyo.

Have you ever been to Japan? I would love to hear about your journey! If you are interested is behind the scenes tips and all of the additional research (from collecting killer itineraries from friends and countless hours of perusing the web), please email me at info@athingortwoblog.com. I've included a few tips below as well!

Have a great week!

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Japan Tips: 

• Always carry yen. Chris constantly had a pocket full of yen because we'd always encounter a souvenir shop, vending machine or anything else that only accepted yen. If you take a bus, they ask for exact change (even though it isn't necessary) so it's nice to have it on hand.

• Taxi doors close themselves. Do not try to close a taxi door, they are automatic and the driver will be confused if you close them yourself.

• Do not tip!  You will only confuse your driver, waiter or whoever else that you believe is tip worthy and you might find someone chasing after you to give you your money back.

•  Drinking and eating on the go is not a part of the culture. In Japan, you won't see anyone walking around with a Starbucks coffee and a donut. Everyone takes the time to sit down and consume their meal or drink.

•  Chopsticks. Never leave your chopsticks sticking straight up in your rice bowl. We avoided chopsticks sticking straight up in general, in any meal.

• Public transportation > taxi. The trains in Tokyo are your best mode of transportation. They are faster than taxis and cost effective. When choosing a hotel, I'd recommend staying in one near a train station. That way, you can zip around easily. If you will be traveling around Japan and not staying in one location, consider getting a Japan Rail Pass.

• Give and receive with two hands. In Japan, everyone hands things to you with two hands. You should accept what they hand you with two hands, and offer with two hands.

• Choose your shoes wisely. My trusty Fit Bit informed me that I was walking around 20k steps a day, which is around 10 miles. I brought a pair of New Balance and Adidas sneakers, as well as Cole Haan loafers for dressier occasions. In my opinion, heels are a huge waste of luggage space.

• Don't do too much in one day. When you're in Tokyo, you want to do it all. I get it. You've traveled far and you've got a solid itinerary to get through. Spoiler alert: Tokyo is huge and everyone who's ever been there undoubtedly has a list of things they didn't get to do. I urge you to not do too much in one day. It's draining and instead of focusing on a few things, you're just running to get to the next without appreciating the moment. We ran into so many travelers who were just exhausted and you could tell they were in checklist mode. Plan enough so that you have the things you really want to do, but leave room for flexibility and down time so that you are experiencing local life instead of tourist life.

• Get up early for touristy attractions. Crowds are real and if it's hot, the heat is not something you're going to want to face at midday. Early mornings  = fewer crowds, pleasant weather, better photo opps, and more time in the day for other things. 

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