Cinti visits Japan...again!

You may not have noticed unless you follow me on Instagram, but I was in Japan last week for a short and amazing break. Here are some of the colourful highlights.

Osaka

Kyoto

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iPad Apps we love...

I took my iPad on our recent trip to Argentina primarily to keep Emma entertained on the long flights and transit waits, and boy did I make the right decision. I must admit the iPad saved the day!
It was a challenge to find some kid sized headphones with volume restriction on them, but I persisted and managed to get them at the Apple store.
I had a friend load quite a few films on it, and between those and a few free apps we managed to get through.

Emma's favorite apps were:
Toca Doctor, a fun puzzle game with awesome graphics
Mee Genius, which is like a e-reader for kids books that will read illustrated stories
&
Miss Spider, which had a story, puzzles a colouring page function.

My other personal favorite which Emma is a little bit scared of is this one below:

Toca Hair Salon. It's a blast!
Emma is scared of the lion and the hairdryer noise so I don't get to play it often :(
She even managed to delete the app off my phone (that girl is too clever!)



Because I didn't have WiFi access where we were, most of my favorite apps were useless, but I did get a lot of use from my Kobo eReader app. Luckily I had filled my library with lots of free classic books before I left so I read Anne Of Green Gables and Gulliver's Travels when Emma was napping.
I also love to listen to podcasts so my iPod app was full of episodes from How Stuff Works.

No TV in the apartment meant the iPad got a real work out. Emma is now a super wizz at getting to her apps and replaying her fave scenes of her movies over and over.
I think I must have seen Captain Hook and Peter Pan fighting about 100 times over!

Now we are home the iPad has 'gone to sleep' for a while. I was worried she would get too attached to it, but as soon as we got home and she had all her toys and books, she seems to have forgotten about it and not asked for it once.

Do you or your little one have any favorite apps or podcasts to recommended?

Postcards from Mar del Plata - Instagram love

If you follow me on twitter you would have caught some of my Instagram photos from the trip. I didn't have a data roaming service on my phone in Argentina, but most cafes had WiFi so I tweeted pics at every opportunity.

Some of the highlights:

Some vintage goodness:

FYI: My Instagram feed is set to private, apologies to those of you that have sent requests without a response, I'm a bit funny about photo privacy.

I'm Back - a vlog post

My first vlog post...it's just a quick one till I get the hang of being in front of the camera.



Hope my crazy eyes weren't too distracting?

Merry-go-round...

In Mar del Plata nearly every little plaza has it's own Merry-go-round. They are all quite old and charming, and probably being held together by many coats of paint. Mum tells me I rode some of them when I was Emma's age, some have even been there since mum was little.

As soon as she saw her first one she was hooked. It takes an average of 3 rides before she loses interest although the other day she had to be forcefully removed before I went broke.
This one was particularly pretty...

Postcards from Mar del Plata: Flea Market Finds

Just around the corner, and one block away from mum's apartment, is a little plaza that on Friday, Saturday and Sunday attracts a few vendors of randomness and tat. I've had a little fun treasure hunting there but the pickings are slim as most of the wares are not what I'm after. It's mostly architectural fittings, old tools and tacky jewelry from the 90's. I did find this cute enameled lion brooch for me (I love him, his head moves), and some lovely woodland themed wooden knick knacks for the shop maybe? Emma has been eying the little fawns off with great interest...

Time Capsule...

We are staying in Mum and Dad's apartment in Mar del Plata, the home where I spent the first 3 years of my life. For about 33 years no one has really lived in it as it has been used as consulting rooms for a psychology practice so it has remained relatively untouched for that time.

It's been furnished pretty randomly now but the kitchen is still pretty cute.

Blythe 10th Anniversary Exhibition

Yes, I'm still talking about Japan, bear with me...

Pilgrim and I were so lucky to catch this amazing Blythe Doll exhibition during our last few days in Tokyo, it was in the Parco Department store gallery space.
Called '10 Happy Memories' it's a collection of every Blythe doll that has ever been released in Japan. WoW!
I believe it is touring some of the Parco stores in Japan till the spring of 2012 so if you are a Blythe lover and are going to be in Japan around that time, pop it on your to-do list.
Some of these gals are super stylin' and probably so hard to get now. I wonder if there is a 'Blythe HQ' with a giant vault full of rare Blythe dolls?

Here is a link I found with more information about the tour and a few bits of interesting Blythe trivia.

Postcards from Buenos Aires: Sopa del Principe

Stumbled across the cutest shop ever in Buenos Aires. Called Sopa del Principe (translates to 'Prince's Soup'), it's a softies workshop full of whimsical handmade animals, dolls and monsters waiting patiently in fruit crates for new owners. You have to check out their website, it's super cute.
As you can imagine, Emma loved it, especially the corner with giant soft pebbles and blades of grass. The shop fit was so quirky and colourful, I couldn't wait to share it with you.The store and designer Verónica Longoni, are quite well known and have even exhibited some of the creations at MOMA in New York.

FYI the prices are in Argentinian Pesos, divide by about 4 for US/AUS dollars.

Postcards from Buenos Aires...

We spent two nights in Buenos Aires before moving onto the next leg of our journey to recover from the flight and adjust our body clocks a little.
With a 13 hour time difference it takes a little while.

Buenos Aires is a big noisy (and not always safe) city so rather than staying right in town we thought it would be quieter and safer to stay in one of the more residential areas of Palermo Soho. I found a cute little B&B on the internet called Soho Rooms which was owned by an artist couple and had a really chillaxed retro vibe. I liked it, and any bed after a 24hr journey is so comfortable.
Check out the awesome wall art in the breakfast room made from vintage wall paper.We took a walk around the area in the morning on our day there, it was a mix of grand old buildings, trendy boutiques and historic businesses. Sadly most of the beautiful turn of the century buildings in Buenos Aires have been razed to make way for apartment blocks, this area still has some of the character remaining, but may of the buildings are in a sad state of disrepair or have been marked for developments.
I was planning on returning to some of the cute boutiques that were closed that morning (most didn't open till lunchtime), but unfortunately we couldn't keep our eyes open and went to have a snoozzze...

Cinti & Emma hit the skies...

Wow, what a long trip it's been to get to Argentina. I don't think mum realised what she was getting into when she suggested this 'holiday'. It all started with a 2.30am wake up to catch a 6am flight. First stop Auckland NZ. The Qantas flight was great, Emma got her own little breakfast tray and a window seat with this gorgeous view. I was already tired by this stage, Emma full of beans. Mum dozed.Then came the first hard bit, waiting in Auckland for 4 hours for the connecting flight. Our pram had been checked all the way through because the Qantas check in staff insisted that it wasn't possible to unload at either Auckland or Santiago, and there would be strollers there to use, yadda yadda. Of course the were no strollers and a huge walk carrying bags and a toddler was crappy. Emma may have slept in a pram, instead she ran around for 4 hours straight, introduced herself to everybody and kept me on my toes.

Then it was time to board again. This time it was a LAN (Chile) flight to Santiago, 11.5 hours.
We were so lucky the plane wasn't full and we were allocated 4 seats for the 3 of us. Emma nodded off during take off for about 2 hours which meant we could eat in peace and recharge our batteries.

The flight was really pleasant, food was nice, plenty of leg room and the staff on LAN super helpful, I couldn't fault them.

Emma woke and didn't go back to sleep for the rest of the flight, but really she was quite good. Not too cranky, watched a bit of telly and introduced herself to most of the passangers. Everybody knew Emma. I managed to get a little sleep and stetch out whilst Emma entertained herself.

The only funny/annoying bit was that Emma is terrified of the toilets on the plane. She became hysterical when you tried to get her in to change her. It was all a bit distressing. I think it was the flushing noise, it's pretty loud.

Luckily I took some spare clothes for her because her nappy leaked. By this stage Emma was saying "I want to go home." She didn't want to lie down because according to her her cot was at home and she wanted to sleep in her cot. Bless. Landing in Santiago was the start of the next difficult stage. We had a 7 hr wait scheduled and Emma was starting to get really exhausted. She only wanted to be carried and we really struggled with our hand luggage. Without a pram for her to sleep in, this was going to be hard. Luckily mum sorted an earlier flight so we saved 4 hours waiting/travel time. I was pleased!Emma was distracted with some snacks that I'd packed for the trip, she was still going strong.

In the final leg to Buenos Aires Emma finally sucommed to the sleep fairy (yay!)
We were all pretty exhausted, luckily there was a special express immigration queue in Buenos Aires for Diplomats and Pregnant women and families. How good is that?

Of course not everything could go super smoothly. Our bags and stroller never arrived as they hadn't been put on our new flight, I suspected it was a possibility. So more paperwork to do for the baggage claim. The guy was really helpful, I had to deal with it as mum was getting super dramatic in a non-helpful way. Mum feared the worst! Bags just arrived now to where we are staying, about 24 hrs later. No drama for us because I always have an extra change of clothes in my hand luggage.

So all in all, it was not terrible. Emma was really quite good considering. A pram at the gates and our luggage not being delayed would have made it the perfect journey (well as perfect as it can get with a toddler).

Everyone is napping now. I'm off to join them.

I'll share some photos of Buenos Aires soon...

Cinti's Top Travel Tips...

As I'm busily packing today, I thought it would be fun to share some of my travel hints. It is not an exhaustive list and some are quite obvious but here is what I know:
(I've added some Japan specific tips towards the end)

Planning your trip:
- Make sure you know in advance any visa/documentation requirements you need to travel. Don't assume your travel agent will know everything, especially if you are not traveling on an Australian passport. Visa requirements may differ for different nationalities. If you are traveling with kids and without both parents, you may require extra documentation/permissions for some countries.

- Check your passports are in date. They will need to be valid for at least 6 months after your planned return.

-Think about the currency you will take and what you will do for money whilst you are there. Don't assume you will be able to access your bank account in some places. I had a really hard time withdrawing cash in Japan. Australian dollars may not get the best exchange rates in some countries, I like to carry some US dollars and Euros as backups. If I can, I purchase some local currency before I leave so I don't have issues with currency exchange when I arrive. The exception to this rule is where the currency is unstable due to inflation etc...

- Your local post office can order currency for you at quite a good exchange rate.

- Never travel overseas without TRAVEL INSURANCE. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. (Shop around online to save $$)

- Contact your bank to tell them you will be overseas, you don't want your accounts frozen when you are away.

- Make copies of all your travel documents including your passport and credit cards. Leave a copy with some one you trust and take a copy with you in a safe place away from your original documents.
TOP TIP - scan your documents and e-mail them to an e-mail account you can access whilst you are away.

Keep Handy:
- Know where your passport is at all times. It is the most important piece of paper you will own. Keep your boarding passes in a handy place too, you will need to show these and your passport to lots of people.

- I always like to have a couple of pens in my bag, there are never any on the end of those little chains when you need them.

Packing:
- I love zip lock bags! Due to liquid restrictions on international flights all your gels and liquids will need to fit into a sandwich size zip lock. Liquids include, lip balm, hand cream and toothpaste. I use my zip lock as a mini toiletry bag and use small product samples (like mini toothpaste and hand cream) for the flight.

- Pack your chargers, cables and adapters in zip lock bags to keep them all accessible and dry if your luggage gets wet.

- I also like taking a few spare bags to seal up wet/dirty clothes or shoes. Great for keeping paperwork in order and small items like jewelry and accessories organized.

- I never leave home without my laundry kit. It consists of a small bag of washing powder (equivalent to 2-3 loads, double bagged to prevent spillage), a universal sink plug, and a travel washing line (like a bungee cord with hooks on the end). All of this goes inside a mesh/delicates wash bag.

- First aid kit is really important and will save you from miming out embarrassing conditions at a pharmacy where they may not speak English. I tend to pack: Painkillers (without codeine), anti-diarrhoea tablets, rehydration powder sachets, allergy tablets, cortisone cream for rashes and bites, bandaids, alcohol swabs, adhesive fabric tape (for blisters), and of course any other medication you may be required to take regularly.
Don't forget travel sickness prevention tabs if you are prone to motion sickness.
Depending on your destination you may also want to think about travel vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis.
Also sunscreen, insect repellent and anti-fungal cream.

- You won't really need as much clothing as you think you will need, especially in warmer weather. Lugging around heavy luggage is no fun and there won't be any room for shopping. Minimize the size of toiletries, on shorter trips a few sample sachets of shampoo may just be enough to get you through.

TOP TIP- If you are going away for 2 weeks, before you go make a mark on your shampoo/moisturizer etc.. then measure how much you have used at home in 2 weeks. Now you can decant a similar amount into a smaller container and not worry about running short or taking too much.

- make sure your luggage is labeled on the inside just in case the tags on the outside are lost. And of course ensure you have luggage tags with current contact details including a phone no and email address as well as your name and address.

-If you have a nondescript piece of luggage, invest in a brightly coloured luggage strap. You will spot your bag on the conveyor belt from a distance and it will prevent others picking it up by accident.

Check In:
TOP TIP - Take a photo of your check in bags before you check them in. That way, if they are lost it's much easier to show a photo of your missing bag than trying to describe it from memory.

- Be nice to the check in staff, they don't need your attitude and they can tee you up with some extra leg room if you are lucky (or the holy grail, an upgrade!! It's never happened to me).

- Tell the staff if you prefer an aisle or window early on, it holds up the line if they have to re-do your seating.

On the Plane:
- I like to get myself set up early on. In the pocket in front of me I have my lip balm, ear plugs, eye mask and inflatable pillow. I always travel with a small bag that I keep on me with my passport and valuables.

- Best not to leave money and passports in overhead lockers, you don't know who is accessing bags whilst you may be sleeping.

- Enjoy your flight and catch up on movies you may have missed.

I could go on forever...

Japan specific TIPS

Money was a big issue in Japan. Most ATM machines don't accept foreign issued cards. The post office machines wouldn't accept my Maestro EFTPOS card, luckily I had a Master Card debit card and Visa credit card with me as a back up.
Most shops are cash only.

I took Yen and US dollars with me with the intention of changing my US over there but never came across any exchange offices.

Narita airport is quite a way out of town. Best to catch the Limousine Bus to the general area in Tokyo where you need to go.

We purchased a PASMO card for public transport which one can load up and use on any train and bus service, it saves heaps of time and stops you fumbling around for the right money at ticket machines.

If you have any general or specific questions, please leave a comment and I'll answer them in a comment so everyone can see. I may even write another post if the answer is complex.

Bon Voyage...

Can you afford to travel with Kids?

Image credit

Now if you read my post the other day '37 countries in 37 years' you'd probably think I was the child of a diplomat or came from a wealthy family, both untrue. I wanted to clarify these points because I think many people/families believe traveling overseas is beyond their budget when the opposite may be possible. It all depends on HOW and WHEN you travel.
I have never flown business class, and unless I am upgraded for free (which is always something I dream about), I doubt I ever will. Even if I could afford it I'd probably save that money and spend it at my destination and/or choose to stay longer.
My Point is: Some times you have to give up comfort for the experience.

I was very lucky as a child to have parents that loved to travel. My sister and I went on a couple of round the world trips, which looking back on, were a real epic achievement. Firstly I suppose my parents sacrificed a fair bit to save for our travels, they were both public servants on modest incomes with a mortgage. We went to state school and didn't really 'buy' a lot of stuff, wore hand me downs but I really never noticed, although I did want a Barbie. I clearly remember having a family meeting where my parents gave me a choice of going to Private school or going to Europe, guess which one I chose?

Most trips were taken during the cheapest travel season, usually winter, and our accommodation was often in Hostels or family run pensions. Meals were often at cheap eateries, bars, cafes or a picnic bought at a local market. Our days were filled with free activities like museum and church visits. Mum and Dad would never hesitate to take us out of school during term (to take advantage of cheaper flights). I mean really, what were we going to miss in class that could top visiting the Louvre or an archaeological site?

Sometimes it was a bit crappy, these were the days before Internet so usually we would arrive somewhere and mum would go off to find accommodation within our budget. We were never left without a bed but there would often be a lot of schlepping bags around on public transport etc...

Our trip to china was an all inclusive tour which included all our meals and sightseeing, I think this was a last minute special which my parents couldn't pass up (luckily they had flexible jobs). We were the only children on the trip, I was 12 my sister 9, and because we were mature and well behaved, no one was bothered. In fact I remember always receiving lots of little gifts from the other members of the tour.

So has that changed your perspective on traveling with kids?

I can't wait till Emma is a little bit older, I still have lots of must visit places on my bucket list...

37 countries in 37 years...

I was just reading Melissa's blog One Crafty Mamma*, and her post on her Top 10 Holiday Destinations caught my attention. Why, because with the exception of 2 of the destinations I'd experienced 8 out of 10 of her choices. (Sorry, not trying to be a show off)

(*One Crafty Mamma is a sponsor this month, but I've read her blog for a long time and its full of good stuff, pop over and visit. She has recently won a top blogger award, and is taking her family on a great adventure with her prize money! Well done Melissa.)

This lead me to start thinking of all the countries I've visited to in my life and I started to make a list. The criteria was that I had to have spent at least a day there (airport transit didn't count). Some of these countries I've visited more than once, some for a day, some for several months, some when I was a kid with my family, others on my own or with friends...
So in alphabetical order I have been to:

Argentina
Australia (obviously)
Austria
Belgium
Chile (inc. Easter Island)

ChinaHere I am on the left with my mum and sister in Feb 1986 on the Great Wall of China. It was cold, we were dressed like Yetis

Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
French Polynesia (Tahiti)
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Macau
Malaysia
New Zealand

PeruAfter trekking the Inca trail for 4 days, I made it to Machu Picchu

Portugal
Russia
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
United Kingdom
USA
Vatican City (yes it is officially a country!)

VietnamRisking life and limb on a cyclo in Vietnam

So that's 37 countries, and I'm turning 37 this year, coincidence? o_O

Would you like to know more about any of these adventures? I'd love to share my photos and experiences with you. Some pics are in my parents' photo albums so they may be a bit harder to dig out.
Have you been to any of these places? Which ones did you love the most?

Cinti's Poscards from Japan - Kyoto Flea Market

We were lucky that our stay in Kyoto coincided with the flea market that is held at the Toji Temple on the 21st of each month. It had it all, antiques, food, craft, clothing, new things and old, everything was so pretty and very reasonably priced. It was large and super busy so we only covered about half of it. I bought a pretty pincushion made from vintage kimono silk in a sake cup, and a cheap paper fan because it was hot! (So hot that unfortunately a lady had collapsed and was being taken away by paramedics.)
To cool down we had some tasty shaved ice with sweet, sweet syrup. I had green apple and Pilgrim had melon. The shaved ice guy was doing a rip roaring trade.If you happen to get to the Toji flea market, it's a great place to pick up some handmade souvenirs and vintage kimonos inexpensively. There were lots of little food stalls too, mainly selling octopus balls on sticks and savory pancakes, mmm, octopus balls...

Cinti's Poscards from Japan - Tradition in Kyoto

After all the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, I was excited to experience a little bit of the traditional side of Japan in Kyoto. I had booked a Ryokan, which is a traditional style inn, for our stay. It was quite the experience, and just what we needed to help us relax on out holiday.
The Ryokan was called TOWA, and even though I'd booked an 8 tatami mat room (number of tatami floor mats indicates size), we were upgraded to a suite, lucky us!
Upon check-in we were treated to a cup of matcha green tea and a sweet. It was the first time I'd tried this type of delicious tea, but not the last...
As you can see in the picture, we sat and slept on the floor. I must say the unless you sleep on your back, futons aren't that comfortable, my big pokey out hips and boney shoulders were screaming out for a nice soft mattress and fluffy pillow.
The breakfast was amazing and was served in our room, you can see pics of it here (along with my terrible bed hair).
There was a large communal bathing room in the basement, which I probably didn't take advantage of enough, but we also had our own private bathroom facilities. Phew!
I would definitely stay there again, and a suite would be ideal for a family.
Oh and no shoes allowed on the tatami mats...And here is my impulse buy, a secondhand kimono and obi. Bought on a late night walk home in a little hole in the wall shoppe that smelt like old stuff and cats. I can't resist the smell of old stuff. I wasn't intending on buying a kimono, but just thought it would be fun to try it on. Well after the lady fussed about getting everything just right and tied the obi so beautifully, I felt super special, and of course wanted to wear it home. I told her I'd never be able to re-tie the obi, and she just giggled and said ' You Tube'. Now who wants to have a costume party so I can wear my new (old) kimono? One traditional experience I would really recommend would be a Tea ceremony class at En. It was fascinating and mesmerizing watching our hostess prepare the tea. Every movement was mindful and controlled with meaning behind it. She described it as a kind of meditation which is part of her everyday life, it centers and grounds her. We even got to whisk up our own tea, mine turned out a little weak as the amount of powder I used was less than adequate.

I'll share more of our adventures in Kyoto on Friday...

Cinti's Poscards from Japan - Food

So many people have asked me what the favorite part of my trip to Japan was. It was all pretty amazing but the highlight was THE FOOD!

The Japanese really know how to eat, food is a real experience, and it always looks amazing. Presentation is a big part of Japanese cuisine and I felt like nearly everything we ate was a little work of art. And apart from a few unexpected flavours and textures, everything was quite delicious.

We took lots of photos of what we ate but I'll share some of the highlights here:
'Oishii' means delicious in Japanese, my mouth is watering just looking at these pictures. clockwise from top left:
Skewers- we went to several little bars that offered these delectable treats, they were a delicious and inexpensive snack (around $1-2 each), as long as you didn't eat too many. Mainly variations of chicken, but also mushroom, eggplant and other veggies with yummy dipping sauces. I had some sake at one of the bars and it was much nicer than I expected.
Bentos- A little taste of everything, these boxes come in every food and flavour combo you can imagine, great for taking to the park for a picnic or on the train. The best place to get these were in the department store food courts but they were a little bit dearer that I expected ($15-17) so sometimes it was preferable to go to a cafe for lunch for the same money.
Menu Set- It's likely every meal you order will come with rice and miso even if you don't order it or expect it to. We would often order a menu set because it was a nice way to try a few different things.
Pretty food- As you can see great care was taken to make everything look beautiful.
We went to dinner at AMATARO the first night of out Tokyo stay, and without really realizing we chose to sit in the DIY BBQ section. It was heaps of fun, you just had to be careful not to singe any hair. There was a touch screen display that you could order your food or drinks from but because we had no idea what we were ordering it was easier to flag down a waiter and mime what we were after. The dipping sauces there were so yummy, and we had a radish salad that was pretty rad too.

Another cook it yourself type of experience in Kyoto. This is a modern style Okonomiyaki restaurant that we stumbled across near Kyoto train station. It was a quirky take on the traditional vegetable pancake that had some interesting ingredient combinations. The dish was served up on a hotplate to keep it warm and one had to mush it all up before eating. The avocado and noodle one was delish!

A couple of examples of fast food. On the top is a vending machine type eatery where you choose your dish, press a button and pay to get a ticket. Once you have your ticket you give it to the kitchen and hey presto you have a yummy meal without having to speak a work of Japanese.
I thought I was ordering just Sashimi, but it came with soup, rice, cooked fish and pickles. The sashimi just melted in my mouth it was so tender. All this for under $10.
Their were lots of these ticket style cafes around mainly selling ramen noodles or curry style dishes.
Below is a fast food joint called Mos Burger. It had been recommended to me by several people and had some really odd burger choices including buns made of rice?! It didn't rock my world, but was fun to try Japan's alternative to McDonalds. I have heard that a Mos Burger is opening in QLD soon.

We were lucky enough to stay in a traditional Ryokan whilst we were in Kyoto. Our stay included a Japanese breakfast which changed every day but always consisted of fish, egg (omelet, poached), rice, vegetable salad, miso, tea, tofu, fruit and pickles. I quite enjoyed most of it but I must admit, silky tofu with jellied broth on top is a bit hard to eat first thing in the morning. As are Umeboshi the saltiest sourest things you will ever eat! It was the kind of thing you innocently chomp on, and then your face contorts into the most horrifically disgusted expression, sending anyone else in the room into fits of laughter. I dare you to try them... I'll share more about my Ryokan experience soon.
Last but not least, Sweet treats. Japanese desserts come in very interesting flavour combinations and some aren't very sweet at all. Many feature green tea or sweet beans which are totally delicious. These colourful fruity cups had a variety of jellies and glutenous balls that texturally tasted a bit weird to my western pallet, they came with a little bottle of sticky syrup that you could pour over the beans to sweeten them.

So have I whet your appetite for a Japanese foodie adventure? I must admit I'm looking forward to going to back to Japan just so I can eat myself silly. I probably put on several kilos in those 2 weeks...mmm...oishii

Cinti's Poscards from Japan - Red

Just a few colourful snaps is all I could manage today after spending hours yesterday trying to transfer my emails to my new laptop without much success. My brain is a bit frazzled.
Luckily the computer repair guy managed to transfer all my data off my dead laptop, so I have got access to it which is a relief.

I needed a shot of colour to brighten this grey day...
clockwise- letter box Kyoto central post office, Octopus ball stall at flea market in Kyoto, Torii gate Kyoto, Me at a little cafe/bar named Unice in Tokyo.

Sock it to me...

I think I developed an addiction to socks in Japan, I came back with about 15 pairs just for me, plus about 6 pairs for Emma. You see not only are there sock shops on every street corner, every shop has a different selection, each more awesome than the next. But the real kicker is 3 pairs for 1050 yen ($12ish) regardless of style or size, long or short, so one is forced to buy 3 pairs!Every time I bought some socks, I would tell Pilgrim that they were the last ones, and not to let me buy any more, but I have an illness and I just couldn't stop. The fact is I regret not buying more pairs to get me through to the next trip there.
So there were socks with 5 toes, split toes and no toes at all. Some with fronts but no heels, some with heels but no fronts, long, short, padded, thin thick and all cute. One size fits all so those with extra large feet are out of luck.
If I had to pick a favourite pair it would be the strawberry Mary Jane socks, but really I love them all.
Which are your favourites?