Thank you Japan

Our Japan trip is beginning to feel like a distant memory.

So I thought I'd find some pictures that didn't make it into my previous posts and reminisce.

I still miss my bike. It's funny the 'Pink Wobbler' features very often in my dreams at night. Maybe three nights out of four I'm exploring many places and visiting far away friends on my bike.

What is he saying? Beth?

I did hire a rain poncho but didn't fancy mastering the art of cycling in a tent. The Japanese are so cool on their bikes. They ride with one hand and hold their umbrella in the other! I was far from cool! 

One lovely memory of a thunderous day was parking our bikes outside a beautiful kimono shop in the textile district.  The kimonos here were very very expensive and we obviously weren't buying but we were made to feel so welcome. When we left the shop we found owner outside putting plastic bags on our bike seats for us so they didn't get wet. So much kindness.

I miss cycling behind Natalie in her stripy top down beautiful lamp lit Kyoto streets.

Shinbashi Dori in Gion was outstandingly beautiful.

Gion is the Geisha district and it is full of beautiful machiya, the traditional old old houses. Very intriguing.

Everywhere we went in Japan there was something sweet...

or elegant,

or cute,

or a little weird....

and sometimes extreme. Natalie made me go in this slot machine arcade and it was SO unbelievably noisy that it propelled me back out of the door as quickly as I came in. 

We were 'interviewed' a few times by kids on school trips practicing their English. What is your favourite food? What is your favourite colour? 

One of our favourite restaurants was Gonpacci in Roppongi, Tokyo. This place apparently inspired one of Quentin Tarantino's fight scenes in Kill Bill. We had a very happy evening here. 

There food was great and there was loads of atmosphere. Every time a new customer walked in the door the man at front of house would signal and the entire kitchen staff would shout hello. A surprising welcome!

I think I have run out of blog posts now :(

I wish I had had my camera the day we visited the man in the handmade lamp shop. He sold lamps by all sorts of makers in the front of the shop and he had a workshop at the back of the shop where he made things and wired them up. Just like me. The Kyoto me. We had a nice chat with him thanks to Beth's interpreting.

I remember the blog post I wrote the week before our trip when I was really scared. Rossichka commented saying how she remembered being scared of leaving her comfort zone before a trip to Kenya but when she came back it was all she could talk about. That's me all over. I LOVED Japan and my brave girl boots were well and truly worn in when I got home.

I want to thank Beth in a big way for the invitation and the push. Her sense of adventure rubbed off. Be sure to read her Japan posts. She's still there for another six weeks the lucky lady! And thanks to Natalie to who was the best travel companion ever (and she took loads of these pictures).

And if you missed all my previous Japan posts here's a link to all all of them. 

I wonder how soon I will go again....

I hope it's not too long. x