Japan - Day 2 - Tokyo
8am wake up and a slow start on account of the jet lag. We learnt from yesterday and opted for the hotel breakfast. It turned out to be delicious. I had Miso soup, chicken congee, steamed tofu and some salad. The rest of the family stuck with the western faire. The plan for today is to start at the Imperial Palace, move on to the Sens艒-ji Temple, then a boat trip along the Sumida River and finally sumo wrestling with hotpot. ...
Japan - Day 1 - Tokyo
After a welcome shower we headed out to find breakfast number 2. We didn鈥檛 have much of a plan for today, it was really a recovery day followed by a food tour in the evening, so we just walked out of the hotel and turned left to see what we would find. After walking along a couple of streets we hadn鈥檛 found anywhere for breakfast but we had spotted Tokyo Tower, which is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. ...
Japan - Travel to Tokyo
And we鈥檙e off! A 5:30 am wake up call and we walked to the tube and took tue Piccadilly line to Heathrow. Diana had upgraded us to Premium Economy as a treat and she surprised the kids on the train, they were very happy! With a very smooth transit through the airport and pit stop at Pret, we were waiting at the gate. The flight was busy but Diana had checked us in the minute checkin opened, so we had four seats next to each other in the centre row. ...
Japan
Japan has been on our bucket list for a very long time. We love Japanese food and have always wanted to go and experience the culture. This summer, the family and I are finally going to visit! The kids have mixed feelings, on the one hand they are excited to see a explore a new place, on the other hand they are a little apprehensive. We plan to fly into Tokyo, spend a few days exploring, before then moving to Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and then back to Tokyo all on the train. ...
Hadrian's Wall - Day 2
We started the day with a hearty breakfast at the bed and breakfast. We met a couple from Canada who were also hiking Hadrian鈥檚 Wall, they were walking in the opposite direction to us and seemed to have been walking at quite a pace! We collected our packed lunches and set off for the second day of our hike. We walked back to The Sands Centre by the river to collect the first stamp in our Hadrian鈥檚 Wall passport. ...
Hadrian's Wall - Day 1
Today is the first day of our Hadrian鈥檚 Wall hike! We started with a hearty breakfast at the Inn at the Bush, where we stayed last night. The owner was very accommodating and made sure we had packed lunches, even though we hadn鈥檛 pre-ordered them the night before. After breakfast, the owners father, and the Inn鈥檚 transfer driver, took us to the starting point at Bowness-on-Solway. I鈥檇 bought Hadrian鈥檚 Wall passports for the kids, which needed stamping at points along the route. Some of the adults in the party were disappointed they didn鈥檛 have one too, so we started by visiting the local cafe-come-shop to buy a passport for each of us. ...
Hadrian's Wall - Travel to Bowness-on-Solway
The kids and I travelled up to my mother鈥檚 by car last night. We鈥檙e leaving the dog with his pal Louis and a dogsitter while we are away. It also happened to be my birthday yesterday, so we all went out for a lovely meal at Mallories to celebrate. This morning, James, the local taxi driver, took us to Leicester train station, where we caught the train to Birmingham New Street. From there, we changed trains again at Stafford finally arriving into Carlisle. The first two legs were really busy, and we were lucky to get seats, even though we had reservations. Thankfully our reserved seats to Carlisle, the longest leg of the journey, were available. ...
Hadrian's Wall Hike
My mother is 80 this year, and being big walkers, she and her partner were looking for an 80-mile walking challenge to celebrate! Walking Hadrian鈥檚 Wall turned out to be the perfect fit, as since it is in the UK and we can complete it in 6 days, the whole family can join in. Sadly, at the last minute, Diana, has to pull out due to a new job and an urgent work commitment. ...
Australia 2023/24 - Day 18 - London
The flight is uneventful, with a stop-over in Singapore, where we stretch our legs in the terminal. We arrive in London in the early morning, and after clearing boarder control, we collect our luggage and take the tube home. We鈥檝e had such a fantastic time in Australia, and we鈥檙e grateful to all our friends and family who made our trip so special. A real adventure!
Australia 2023/24 - Day 17 - Sydney
Today is our last day in Sydney, and we have a few things planned before we head to the airport in the late afternoon. We start with breakfast at the cafe across the road, where we enjoy our usual fare. After breakfast, we pack and tidy the apartment, and that鈥檚 when we discover a snag. Diana鈥檚 phone is the only place where we have the details of the apartment lock box and no one can remember the code. She also isn鈥檛 able to log into her email because she needs to receive a text message on her phone, which she doesn鈥檛 have! ...