@travellingwiththeateam

Another new city, so today we organised a customary walking tour to get to know Auckland and some of its history.

Our guide was Darcy, a local to the city who introduced us to the sights and sounds of the downtown area.

The city has a strong LGBTQ community and we came across a number of urban designs recognising their contributions to the Auckland scene.

As we meandered the streets, Darcy introduced us to other graffiti, one relating to the strong cycling fraternity, along with one detailing the history of the country with reference to the Kiwi bird, silver ferns and the volcano’s that exist across the country. It transpires that Auckland is in fact built on 50 extinct volcanoes – a slightly unsettling fact, but when you understand that the country experiences over 30,000 earthquakes each year, you realise that this is just something the locals have grown to live with.

Our next stop was a visit to the home of the first bar in Auckland, where the first beer was pulled and to this day it’s still a popular drinking spot with a number of bars in the short pedestrianised section.

Interesting fact, New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote in 1893. T

he suffregate community proved so successful that the leader moved to the UK to assist the fight for voting rights for women which came in 1918.

We then moved to Albert Park and discovered the numerous tree species which have been donated from various countries in the world to demonstrate their bond to Auckland and New Zealand. We came across the English Oak along with the Canadian maple to name just a few.

As the tour came to an end, we returned to the centre of Auckland and stood under the rainbow bridges that created a stream of coloured light in the sunshine…sadly this was in short supply when we walked past.

After an informative 2.5hr mornings tour, we said our goodbye’s to the 20 strong group of fellow travellers (one couple from Oxford who live only a few streets from us back in Jericho) and made our way to an important lunch stop and the Kiwi delicacy, the meat pie!

After over 8mths in Asia, this was our first pie in all this time and it tasted great.

After an enjoyable feast of pie, coffee and cake, we made our way to the Auckland Museum of Art. It’s free to get into and had a great selection of work on display, notably a large collection from an American, Julian Robertson who donated over $100m of art including works by Picasso, Cezanne and Dali.

The other collections on display comprised over 15,000 artworks with a focus around New Zealand & Pacific artists.

After a very informative couple of hours taking in the Auckland Art Gallery works, we returned to Albert Park and enjoyed a leisurely walk around the city.

We then made a swift return to our Airbnb, for a quick change and some much needed extra layers before walking the couple of miles to Eden Park, to watch Coldplay in the evening.

Getting tickets to see Coldplay at such short notice was a real result, and it proved to be one of the best concerts we have ever seen.

Despite the light rain early on, the clouds lifted when Coldplay came on stage at 8.15pm and started their set to an array of lights.

Before Coldplay made it to the stage we watched a group of Māori’s do the haka. We’ve never seen it live before and we can definitely confirm it leaves a mark an indelible mark on you.

And then the most magical performance started. Whilst we ‘like’ Coldplay we aren’t massive fans, but the concert has definitely converted us to Chris Martin and his three merry men. The music was incredible, so many hits, such a great performance and the atmosphere was electric. We had big smiles on our faces throughout, we absolutely loved it.

For the next couple of hours it was one ‘anthem’ after the next and intermingled Chris Martin was able to personalise the whole event. It seems a very sincere and grounded guy, despite his successes and years at the top of the music business. He spoke to the crowd on numerous occasions and made us feel a part of something very special. It will live long in the memory.

What a great day and night. Loving Auckland and New Zealand already.

Tomorrow we head off to Waiheke Island by ferry for some beach walks and wine tasting!

After our 10.5hr overnight flight from Tokyo, we landed around breakfast time in Auckland, minus much in the way of sleep. Whilst the flight food, drink and movie options were all good, the room to get comfortable and sleep wasn’t all that.

We decided that the best course of action was to push on through, particularly as our 3 night stay in an Airbnb didn’t provide for a check-in until 3pm.

After flying through customs and picking up our bags, we secured a shared minibus into central Auckland and arrived at our new ‘home’ just before midday. Sadly it was still being cleaned, so we searched out a coffee bar nearby and tucked into a coffee & cake followed by a pizza for lunch. In between times we successfully booked concert tickets for Coldplay who are doing 2 nights in Auckland and we are going to see them tomorrow….. can’t bloody believe it, we are so excited to see them, especially overseas and for less money than we would have paid back in London!

Having managed to get a slightly earlier bag drop at 2pm, we headed out in the sunshine and went down to Auckland Waterfront (Viaduct harbour), where it was buzzing in the mid afternoon sun with people out enjoying the lively atmosphere.

After being in Asia for the last 8mths, returning to an environment where you understand the language, recognise the food (and have tried it before), and the noise level was so elevated, all felt unusual and unfamiliar.

Auckland looked especially pretty and inviting in the sunshine and we walked along to witness up close the boats in all their shapes and sizes.

After time on the waterfront we went in search of some greenery and meandered through the streets before eventually landing at the corner of Prince Albert Park. What a great park and such a beautiful place to hole up.

Like Japan, Auckland is starting to embrace the Xmas run-in, although its decorations aren’t on the same impressive scale…..

Albert Park had the familiar hallmarks of a British park, with monuments to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as well as an array of coloured plants, as Spring turns to early Summer.

Leaving the park, we dropped off at a nearby Woolworths for supplies before visiting Victoria Park and passing the Victorian styled Auckland Ferry Building.

On our way back up to the Airbnb we walked past the amusing sign board with the word ‘whatever’ plastered across the roof. With just 2hrs of sleep under our belts it was always going to be an early night as the fatigue and tiredness started to fully kick in.

Tomorrow we are off on a walking tour of the city at 10am, before having a few hours to explore the city and it’s culture, before we head to Eden Park to watch Coldplay concert starting at 6pm.

So here we are, our last day in Tokyo. With our flight to Auckland early evening, we stayed close to our hotel this morning. The East part of Tokyo is surrounded by water and it’s perhaps not a surprise that the aquatics centre for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was located closeby.

After packing and checking out of our hotel, we wandered down to the Aquatic Centre and then on to the subway station for the 2hr journey to Narita Airport.

It’s only when you’re leaving a place that you start to notice what in Japan is normal, is anything but elsewhere. The vending machine at the station sells both hot and cold drinks, even alcoholic drinks and they are always fully stocked and payment can be made using your travel card.

And so this was our last train journey in Japan, after numerous trips in Tokyo and across Japan. Everyone has been a quiet ride, irrespective of how busy they are, sitting in carriages as clean as new, and without fail always on time.

We will miss the reliability, the friendliness of the Japanese who have helped us on our travels and always had time to direct us, even if language barriers made it a little challenging.

We arrived at the airport early and got comfortable in a coffee shop, caught up with the news and some book reading before rearranging our baggage (a recurring issue with the amount of stuff we have acquired – most of it Andy’s t-shirt and jean purchases!) and then checked into our flight to Auckland.

Below are two chocolate related ‘discoveries ’ during our stay.

As so it was time to say goodbye to Japan and board our flight back to the Southern Hemisphere.

Auckland was a 10hrs 35mins flight away and provided an excellent opportunity to catch up with our film viewing, alongside a glass of vino and a good meal.

We were last in New Zealand over 20yrs ago, so we are looking forward to reacquainting with all the country has to offer.

Tomorrow the next stage of our adventure begins with Auckland to be discovered.

So it’s goodbye to Kanazawa, it’s been a wonderful 3 days exploring this beautiful city with all it’s history and nature.

We headed early to the station for our last Shinkansen bullet train at 9.07am. (Precise as ever the Japanese, and we left bang on seven minutes past 9am!).

And before we knew it, we were back in Tokyo for our last full day. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we returned to central Tokyo and went for lunch at our favourite cafe, the City Bakery in Ginza.

Once we’d refuelled on caffeine, croque monsieur & cookies, it was time to take in the sights on our final day.

On Sundays the Main Street, Chuo-Dori is closed to traffic and pedestrianised enabling us the chance to wander up close past the various flagship stores for luxury brands like Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

After enjoying a couple of hours browsing and people watching, we made our way to Hibiya Park. It was Japan’s first western style park and features fountains, large ponds and big open lawns. When we were there it was brimming with young families and people playing sports.

From there we moved on to the Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens, with their impressive stone walls, moat and traditional Japanese landscapes. It was perfect for a stroll in the sunshine and to get lost in the peaceful lush greenery.

Over the last few days it’s become clear that Japan is fully embracing the Christmas preparations with decorated trees now out in force.

It feels like a festive season we are used to, with cooler weather and early dark nights. Thankfully though we will be saying goodbye to the cold tomorrow, when we fly back to the Southern Hemisphere and the next stage of our tour, Auckland, New Zealand.

Before leaving Ginza we decided to fill up with an early dinner and a trip to a Japanese curry house for one last time.

It was a great chicken curry with an Asahi Super Dry beer for Andy. Doesn’t get much better and a great way to sign off as our last meal in Tokyo.

Tomorrow we have the morning to enjoy the Eastern part of Tokyo, before we take the 90min train journey out to Narita airport and fly late afternoon on a 10hr 30min flight to Auckland.

We’ve had an amazing 5 weeks in Japan and have loved every bit of our time exploring this wonderfully diverse and stunning country. Feeling quite sad to be leaving, but hopefully we will return in the next few years.

Last day in Kanazawa and we set off early, as usual, via Omicho fish market, on our way to the Kazuemachi Chaya district.

This area sits alongside the river, offering a quieter more atmospheric experience of old Kanazawa with its narrow streets.

Kazuemachi is one of Kanazawa’s traditional tea house entertainment districts where geiko (geisha) still entertain with music, dance and games.

Kazuemachi’s wooden buildings, cherry trees, and riverside location create a charming atmosphere.

We decided to continue with our riverside walk and came across one of Japan’s infamous signs regarding the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ include random ones regarding not setting off fireworks after a certain time and not feeding the birds.

Our next stop took us to Kurando Terashima’s, a traditional samurai house. Here we got a true insight into how they lived, dined and entertained and experienced a tea ceremony in a 5 tatami mat room.

The garden is a true ‘stroll garden’ with a central pond and a three layer, nine ring pagoda. As the pond was not actually filled with water, the owner named his library ‘Kansentei’ meaning dry spring house.

The garden was truly charming and like so many other Japanese gardens had so many clever designs to make you feel the area was larger than it truly was.

Time for Michelle to enjoy her matcha tea with dried sweets in the shape of the Terashima family crest.

From there we headed on to the D T Suzuki Museum, dedicated to the Zen philosopher, this park and museum offered a peaceful environment and featured a serene water mirrored garden.

The museum grounds and adjoining park were beautiful in the sunlight and we spent an enjoyable time chatting to a Japanese man who is a regular visitor to the city and who talked about how special the place was.

We then walked back into the centre, past our first Christmas tree of the year and went for a coffee break and rest.

Early evening we went out for tempura and some drinks to help it down.

After a fantastic meal, we returned to the city’s Kenrokuen gardens to watch a special orchestral performance put on only a few times a year to coincide with the festive evening lights.

The park and grounds looked amazing under the lights and created the most incredible reflections on the lake.

At precisely 7pm a lone violinist came out to perform, creating the most magical of atmospheres, one we won’t forget in a long time and made us appreciate what a wonderful time we have had in Kanazawa and Japan.

Tomorrow we return to Tokyo for our last full day in Japan, before we fly on to Auckland on Monday evening.

Back on the culture trail with an early morning visit to Nagamachi Samurai district, a preserved area where samurai families used to reside.

The district is known for its narrow lanes, earthen walls and traditional samurai houses.

We went to an open house, the Nomura-ke residence, which offered an insight into samurai life and included beautiful traditional interiors and a modest, but well manicured & stunning garden.

The estate of a former upper-middle-rank samurai family, features a stream, waterfall, granite bridge and a 400-year-old bayberry tree.

Within the property were old letters sent by the former inhabitants, our ‘favourite’ is the one below which essentially translates to ‘we appreciate your efforts in killing one of the upper ranked soldiers in the battle….and we are very happy that you brought his head’. They just don’t write letters like this anymore!!

After the traditional samurai house, we went to the other extreme and visited the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s known for its modern and interactive exhibits from both Japanese and international artists.

The highlight for us was Leandro Erlich’s ‘swimming pool’, an installation that creates the illusion of standing underwater in a pool.

We then witnessed a huge and diverse range of other art installations which we found a little harder to fathom which were a little more subtle.

After an enlightening hour or so we decided to go and explore the art installations that sat outside the museum. With the return of the sunshine, this proved to be a more uplifting experience and seeing the large mirrored steel sphere it reminded us of the ‘bean’ we saw years ago on a visit to Chicago.

From there we got back on our ‘walking’ tour of the city passing a samurai statue with his sword glimmering in the sun.

On our next stop was a visit to the Higashi Chaya historic district, a preserved geisha area lined with wooden tea houses that date back to the Edo period.

It was a fantastic place and we wandered around admiring the traditional architecture, where you can try a local delicacy, gold leaf ice cream. As it was almost three times the price of regular ice-cream we decided to pass!

We popped into a few of the local tea houses to get a real sense of life back in the Edo era.

We then returned to Omicho Market, to view all the local fish and sushi on offer.

We knew it would be a great place to go for lunch due to its buzzing atmosphere.

Despite all the seafood on offer, we had our eyes set on a visit to Kanazawa Curry Laboratory, where we decided to try the local delicacy and are now proper converts.

Andy went for the Kanazawa Curry and Michelle the Butter Chicken Curry (with Kanazawa Curry) which were both so delicious and get our recommendation.

The staff were so friendly and it was interesting to see how they prepare and cut everything right in front of you.

After our very filling lunch we returned late afternoon to the Kanazawa castle and Kenrokuen gardens to watch the light shows that are put on in autumn in the lead up to the festive period.

Around 5.45pm the sunset and the night shadows appeared alongside a magnificent light show illuminating the castle grounds and the adjoining Kenrokuen gardens. Both looked absolutely stunning and to our minds are the best we have seen in our time in Japan. Even if you’re not into gardens per se, you can’t help but be impressed with the scale and invention of what has been achieved in an artificial environment.

Everything has its place and has been thoughtfully positioned. They are truly wonderful.

We now know the reason for the ropes around a number of the trees, this is to protect the branches when the heavy snow arrives in the next month or so which will place a great deal of weight on the trees. The ropes help to strengthen the branches and avoid them snapping under the pressure. It’s not something we had thought of and we had foolishly thought it was either a decoration or a Japanese ritual.

Tomorrow is our last day in Kanazawa, so we plan to keep busy and see the remaining geisha areas and museums we haven’t visited so far, along with sushi for lunch.

Back on the travelling front this morning, with a 6.45am subway train from Yokohama to Tokyo, followed by a Shinkansen bullet train via Nagano on to Kanazawa.

After a speedy 2hr train journey we travelled over 225 miles and arrived at our last destination of our Japan journey (save for our return to Tokyo).

Kanazawa our home for the next 3 nights is a beautiful city, known for its samurai history, stunning gardens and preserved Edo era districts. Plus not forgetting great sushi and Kanazawa curry.

After a quick turnaround at our new hotel to drop off our bags, we headed out to Kanazawa Castle, a must-see for history buffs (like us!).

We got to explore the reconstructed turrets, impressive gates and walls, along with the stunning castle gardens.

Our first stop was the Oyama Shinto Shrine.

The entry gate to the shrine was a peculiar mix of traditional Japanese, Chinese, and European religious architectural elements.

The surrounding gardens were peaceful and serene & well worth a visit, as we walked around the small ponds and Japanese gardens.

Kanazawa Castle is a large, partially restored building located adjacent to the celebrated Kenroku-en garden, which once formed the castle’s private outer garden.

It was the headquarters of Kaga Domain, ruled by the Maeda clan for 14 generations until the Meji restoration in 1871.

Having left Yokohama early, eating a modest breakfast of just bananas & coffee, our hunger was starting to get the better of us so we made a beeline for a traditional Kanazawa curry restaurant.

For the equivalent of £7, we got two types of curry, along with a miso soup and veggie sides plus a modest dessert of fruit and jelly.

As the temperature today was only 11c, the coldest we’ve experienced since leaving the UK, a hot filling lunch was just what we needed!

Following the lunch stop, we returned to ‘nature’ with a visit to the Kenrokuen Gardens. They are one of Japans most celebrated gardens so we spent the next couple of hours enjoying the ponds, bridges, trees and ‘moss’ gardens in this very tranquil place.

As sunset approached, we made our way to a cafe in one of the local department stores where we treated ourselves to coffee and cakes.

Whilst we were relaxing with our coffees, we spied a local camera crew filming a shop owner about his Kutani ware ceramics, which turns out to be what the city is most famous for.

Now that we are within 6 weeks of Xmas, the festive lights and trees have started to appear and we witnessed this in full effect on the Main Street in Kanazawa.

After an injection of caffeine we decided to go for a walk in the Nagamachi district famous as being a well preserved samurai quarter. Sadly we couldn’t make out much due to the lack of light (!) and plan to return tomorrow for a proper look around.

Our final stop was a brief visit to Omicho Market for fresh seafood and local sushi. We’d been told it was a great place for dinner, however when we arrived it looked like Wednesday must be a quiet one, as only a small selection of restaurants were open, so again we plan to return for lunch tomorrow.

After spending today in nature, we plan to visit the arts tomorrow with visits to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art to see the ‘swimming pool’ installation and DT Suzuki Museum which are close by to our hotel.

A relaxing day for once.

We got up a little later and decided to take a train up to Kawasaki via Yokohama Station for a look around.

After spending an hour in Kawasaki we realised that there wasn’t really that much to see, apart more shops, so returned to Yokohama and had a relaxing time discovering Minatomirai 21, Cosmo Park and the National Convention Hall of Yokohama that all sit along the waterfront.

In truth all this meandering was just killing time before our booking at the Cup Noodles Museum where we were going to be making Chicken Ramen.

Believe it or not Yokohama has a museum dedicated to instant noodles and Cup Noodles and it proved to be a really great experience.

The museum featured four stories of exhibitions and attractions all about noodles and ramen….only in Japan!

It’s slightly odd to explain but you get a virtual experience of being a noodle in a huge factory, and going through the entire manufacturing process from making the noodles to shipping them.

We got to know the history and the array of packages that show how instant noodles, which started with Chicken Ramen, grew into a global dietary culture.

After entering the museum we walked past a 150ft long wall guide telling us all about the life and times of the cup noodle inventor, Momofuku Ando, who dedicated his life to the creation of this new food.

Making Chicken Ramen by hand was one of those mad but very memorable activities.

We enjoyed the entire process of kneading, spreading, steaming and seasoning the wheat flour and drying it with the flash frying method.

After spending a very enjoyable 3hrs at the cup noodle museum (I know it doesn’t seem possible but it just hooks you in), we made our way back to the hotel with our made ramens, some cup noodles and new yellow cooking headwear.

On the way back we did a short detour of Nippon Maru Memorial Park and the themed restaurants and amusement park.

With dinner already prepared we returned to the hotel early to eat our chicken ramen and to pack ready for our long train journey tomorrow morning to Kanazawa.

Another busy day, this time back in Tokyo as we returned to the city to visit the various sites we didn’t have time for when we first visited almost a months ago.

Our first early morning stop was a visit to Tsukiji fish market. While the inner market has moved to Toyosu, the outer market is still packed with stalls selling fresh seafood, snacks and produce. It’s a fantastic spot for seafood lovers with the most amazing array of sushi and all manner of fish and sea life!

Needless to say the fish market was packed, mainly with tourists and their Japanese guides as well as a few locals. Despite the relatively early hour, a lot of people were digging in for a sushi ‘breakfast’ which Michelle was keen to try, less so for the squeamish Andy.

The seafood that was being cooked, was fried on mini bbq’s creating this most wonderful of smells.

The range of food on offer included oysters & sushi, fresh from the morning’s boats and expertly prepared to draw you in for a purchase.

After manoeuvring our way around the tightly packed lanes of stalls, we headed away from the fish market and on to the nearby Hama-rikyū Gardens.

Hama-rikyū Gardens is a metropolitan garden in Chūō ward. Located at the mouth of the Sumida River, it was opened to the public in 1946. This landscaped garden includes a Shioiri-no-ike, and is surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay.

It was remodeled as a public garden on the site of a villa belonging to the ruling Tokugawa family in the 17th century.

It was such a lovely place with lots of flowers even in early November.

Trees, paths and tranquility, so great to have this place in such a huge city as Tokyo. We saw many quintessential Japanese buildings and plants and walked along the river as well. 
After the crush of people at Tsukiju Fish Market, it brought some pleasant respite.

Hama Rikyu features seawater ponds which change level with the tides, and a teahouse on an island where visitors can rest and enjoy the scenery.

The traditionally styled garden stands in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the adjacent Shiodome area.

After a busy morning we walked on to Ginza, for a brief shop in Uniqlo’s flagship 12 level store and a purchase for Andy and one for Amelia.

After a coffee stop at City Bakery in Ginza, possibly the best selection of cakes and desserts in Tokyo, we made our way to the Imperial Palace East Gardens to take in the views and enjoy the scenery.

As we headed up the hill to the raised gardens we were drawn to the nearby Nippon Budokan, often shortened to simply Budokan, an indoor arena.

It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts contests, the arena has gained additional fame as a musical performance venue.

Keeping with our busy theme, we then took the subway to Shinjuku in search of materials for Amelia who is looking for Japanese Shibori. We had found a college and store that sold the fabric, but when we arrived it had closed for the end of the term!

Determined to find the fabric materials we moved on to Hands department store where we had been told we might find something across this six stores old school department store.

Keeping the walking levels up, we decided to wander down from Shinjuku to the Nakameguro district, it’s a picturesque area with cafes, boutiques and a famous cherry tree lined river. This proved to be a monumental walk of close on 4 miles passing through Yoyogi Park.

The route took us through Shibuya and the Crossing before we eventually arrived next to the river Nakameguro River where we searched out a restaurant for a late lunch, early dinner.

We found a great little cafe and sat outside enjoying a chicken katsu curry with a healthy salad.

With just one day left in Tokyo & Yokohama tomorrow, we headed to the main train station to purchase our train tickets to our final city stop in Japan, the northern coastal city of Kanazawa. We will be spending 3 nights before returning to Tokyo for our last night.

We will then fly on to Auckland to start our New Zealand leg.

After finding that the Kirin brewery was only a few stops from our hotel in Yokohama, we decided to take the tour and get a full insight into this Japanese legendary beer.

As usual we got a subway train to the brewery and now better understand the coloured lines on the platforms which delineate queuing for specific trains. Seems obvious and makes sure you preserve your position if other trains come before your own.

After a short walk from the subway we arrived at the very impressive and glitzy Kirin Brewery HQ. A tad more institutional than the last one I did at Hook Norton!

Whilst the tour was in Japanese, we were kindly given a script in English with some details on the history of the company and its successes in becoming a major player in the brewery world, both in Japan and overseas.

‘Kirin’ is named after the Qilin the mythical hooved Chinese creature in East Asian culture.

To say that the tour was well organised will not come as a surprise to anyone who has spent any time in Japan, as in all things they do, nothing is left to chance and everything is explained to you in detail.

As a result our tour group of c. 20, of which over half were women, listened intently, made no noise or gestures and followed every instruction provided by our well dressed guide, who’s uniform had an airline host look about it. Very corporate.

We learned a lot about the ingredients, the brewing process, their strive for perfection and to be the number one beer. There were videos, presentations from the CEO and cartoons for the kids (we had a 6yr old on the tour…).

After about an hour and half, we got to the best bit, the tasting session. However before we entered the room, we passed one of the more amusing signs for those who would be driving home post the tour.

Drivers are advised not to smell the beer or put their faces too close to the glass. Who knew you could inhale the fumes to that degree?!

As neither of us were driving, we made ourselves comfortable and tucked into the range of beers on offer. Not bad for 500yen (£2.50) for the tour and the tasting.

After the success of the tour, we returned to the subway and with the sun shining we decided to return to Kamakura on the coast to make the most of the weather.

Our first stop was a Japanese restaurant on Komachi Street (the epicentre of modern eateries) for tuna ramen to get some energy up ready to visit the remaining temples we didn’t make the day before.

Our first stop was Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, the most important Shinto shrine, dedicated to the samurai god Hachiman. The shrine grounds were extensive, with ponds, torii gates, and seasonal flowers.

After spending an hour taking in the shrine and its surrounding gardens, we headed back into the centre of Kamakura and walked down the main central boulevard lined with cherry blossom trees on either side. Sadly given the time of year they were devoid of leaves and colour, but come April the 1/2 mile stretch will look amazing.

Having walked the length of the town we found ourselves at the beach just in time to catch the sunset. It’s seems an age since the last one we saw when we were with Amelia & Meg in Canggu, Bali in late September.

With darkness descending we made our way back up to the train station and within an hour we were back at our hotel in Bashamichi, close to Yokohama Cosmoworld.

Tomorrow we plan to head up to Tokyo to cover off a few places we didn’t get to see when we were last there, including Tsukiji Outer Fish Market, Yoyogi Park and the Shimokitazawa area, famed for its vintage shops, cozy cafes and laid-back feel.