Accomodation…
Of course we are staying at a place on a hill…
Transit
On the way to Naoshima…
Rest day..
Requires walking, visiting a castle, morning coffee and a train and ferry ride to our next location…
Found it….
Good morning Sydney
Catching up on route..
As we are leaving via SYD, from the international airport we caught the train to central met Peter – and went to the restaurant called Petermen.
The fastest way was via train to Central and metro (new driverless) train out to Crowsnest. The stations really do remind me of Tokyo train stations… long escalators… high ceilings… impressive public infrastructure. Given SYD is a major capital city it certainly is a worthy investment for the long term. Thankfully the speed of these trains ensured we honour booking on time.
The restaurant does predominantly fish – but recognises people who like fish have friends who may not like/be allergic to fish. Everything about this restaurant did not disappoint, food was divine, wine recommendations (it was perfect)… service and chairs were comfortable (it’s important – trust me).
A very enjoyable evening… looking forward to seeing you some time around the Christmas/New Year period Peter.
Lounge waiting…
After spending the last three weeks jetting around the country for work, today I am again waiting for a plane – at least this time I’m here because it’s holiday time..🥳 and you know what that means.. Japan 🇯🇵
First up is SYD and dinner with an old friend…
Journey..
I can’t say I’ve been one to believe in enjoying the journey… it’s a plane ride. Okay I acknowledge it’s impressive flying actually happens… but it’s not something I enjoy.
The flight was a daytime flight from SYD to HAN (Haneda, Tokyo) as when we booked there were limited flight options. One the benefits of the flight was not having to ‘attempt to sleep’… which is never an easy task. We watched a Japanese movie ‘one second in ahead, one second behind’.. which is a quirky rom-com fantasy. Kym watched ‘Monsters’ (also Japanese film) and said it was one of the best films he had seen in last ten years – big call, might have to watch on way back.
Being trapped for a defined time provides you with limited options to occupy your time. Apart from listening to an audio book (Kym actually brought a library book… ) we also watched one of our favourite shows. Solitary Gourmet.. and discovered a new one where Japanese TV crew asks cab drivers to take them to best restaurants… very enjoyable.
The flight itself was not too bad from a ‘turbulence perspective’ … thankfully. Once landed, and off the plane… the walk to the passport entry point was wonderfully silent.. and all I could of ah… Japan at last.
Catching up – SYD style…
Ah.. one of the benefits of having to go via SYD is catching up with friends. Last night we caught up with one of Kym’s oldest friends Peter at restaurant Kiln.
The views were impressive… and so was the food… I got personal satisfaction getting all the meat off the bone (apologies to non-meat eaters).
Definitely enjoyable experience… the environment is full of hard surfaces, and when the weather is finer the roof can open. But if you are not keen on restaurant loud talking and music maybe it’s not for you… but the food is fabulous!
It was also great to see the updates to central train station in Sydney… the vibes were so much like Tokyo station… ah… can’t wait!!!
… good to catch up Peter – hopefully see you at Christmas.
Getting back
It’s been a long time between o/s holidays with our bikes, thankfully we are heading back to our favourite place – Japan.
Talk in the office the other day was around half the fun being the planning … while that might be the case – but right now I have to admit all I feel like doing is going to my favourite coffee shop Glitch, enjoying a coffee and staring out at the world walking by… we will get there! But being based in ADL.. it’s a step process, SYD first.
