Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Quick links for new visitors!

Welcome!

Maybe you found your way here through Google (many people does) and want to read more about spending one week in Japan. Where to start? A few suggestions:

- At the first blogpost in this blog
- Read about my days in Tokyo
- Read about my days in Kyoto
- Read about whisky and whisky tasting 
- How to get a Japanese pre-paid sim-card for your iPhone

Or take a look at the word-cloud to the right to find the areas you are interested in!


Monday, September 16, 2013

Home again! A bit jetlagged ...

Back in Stockholm! After 24 hours of traveling, it was extremely nice to come home, take a shower and change clothes. Then off to pick the kids up a little extra early from school and go home and cuddle with them. They have become a bit spoiled with me always bring small gifts to them when I come back from traveling, but I try to keep it to just small things. Now I had bought the same things for both of them so there would be no jealously. A small monchichi (Japanese monkeydoll), a small ice cream from the store that sold plastic food in Kyoto and erasers that looked like miniature packages of food. And some Japanese candy with "cool" stickers. They were happy with the gifts, especially the erasers! 


After a trip when i eat out all the time, I always long for something really simple when I come back home. So the first dish I cooked was pasta bolognese.  I actually have no direct craving for more Japanese food now, but it will surely be back!

I had decided to try to get back into the Swedish time as soon as possible and I managed to stay up to 9 pm. Then I slept until 07:00. Feels like adjusting to time zones gets easier with age. 

I've had a wonderful week in Japan and will definitely go back. 

Long way home...

On the way to Tokyo, I got the change airlines at the last second to Air China, with a change of plane in Beijing. About two hours faster (or rather fewer hours in the air) than Air France with changing planes in Paris.

The plane home now flies teasingly over Sweden on the way to Paris, where it now awaits a six-hour gap until the flight to Stockholm. Clumsy booked trip quite clear.


I have managed to see three whole movies on flight, so there's always something good with a long flight. Good selection of movies here at Air France- I watched The Hangover 3, Oblivion, and The Internship. The latter two had I planned to see at the movies, but neither of them were great movies so it was perfect to watch them on the flight.

I sat next to a very nice talkative French lady who was an artist and lived on a small island off Australia. Interesting conversation with someone who is living a completely different life than we do.


Now the five-hour wait in a deserted Charles De Gaulle ...



Edit 05:30: Now I managed to get into the business lounge that just opened. Equally empty here but comfortable armchairs and fast wifi.



We'll see how long I can stay there ... Would be nice to hang out here the four hours until my flight yesterday. I have to stay here at the back where no one can see me!

Edit 09:00: The flight was a little late but now is the time to go to the gate. 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Shopping in Shibuya - the toy store Kiddyland and Tokyu Food Shaw

Shopping is hardly an interest of mine rather a necessary evil. But today I had no other plans and wanted to look for some small gifts to Gustaf and Filippa. I began with a visit to the 4-storey toy store Kiddyland.


Where I had price references, the toys were more expensive here than at home, but on the other hand, they provided free gift wrapping of the presents  where you could choose one of eight color combinations.

Then on to one of Tokyo's best food halls - Tokyu Food Shaw (in the lower level of the big department store Tokyu in Shibuya). I stayed there a long time! Shopped nothing, but looked and tasted everything from bread, steak, noodles and candy to German beer! Absolutely fantastic store where much of the ready to eat food is made ​​behind glass behind the counter.


Live candy making , great place to park the kids at!

Brunch at New York Grill - Park Hyatt Hotel Tokyo

I had read that the brunch here at Park Hyatt Hotel would be fantastic and it really was. I arrived just after half past two and they had actually stopped taking in guests, but they let me sit down after a little persuasion ...

Lovely brunch menu with sparkling wine, large appetizer buffet, a main course and then a large dessert buffet and coffee. Awesome views of Tokyo from the 52 floor of this luxury hotel. And jazz band entertainment!

Last day in Tokyo - starting with the failure of brunch plan

Last day then! It's raining today and it actually fits pretty well as I planned only to do some shopping today. I have really been lucky with the weather the other days.

I planned to start with a breakfast at Cafe Kaila that I had read was really nice and it is only a fifteen minute walk from the hotel. On a rainy Sunday, however, more then I had that idea though...


At least two hours of queuing to get in here:

Looked very nice, but I can not just stand in line so long for a breakfast. I went to another cafe nearby instead, but it was a very bad idea. Barely edible, but I managed to eat the fruit.


Well, I've heard of some people that have not eaten well one single time in Japan, and I have been very lucky most of the times I've eaten. Like everything else, it is about research. I could for example have asked the hotel to call Cafe Kaila before I went there and asked about waiting times in line...

Now a trip downtown!

Last night in Tokyo

I came back to Tokyo 18:44 and went directly to the hotel in Shibuya. It was actually better than expected and very nice staff. I went up to my room, worked out a bit and took a shower. Then I went to a whiskey bar I had been recommende - zoetrope. It was a bit to get there, three metro stops away, but I figured it was worth the trip. When Google Maps told me I had came to the right address, I found no bar at all. But with the advice from of a helpful bartender in a nearby bar, I eventually found the place. 



I stepped in to a regular block of flats and took the elevator up to the third floor, only to find out that this particular day  - Zoetrope was hosting a private party until 10 pm... When looking in, the bar neither look so special and worth waiting for another hour, so I went back to Shibuya...


Now when the time was past nine I started to get really hungry. I did not find any restaurants that looked nice, but after a while I just took a random place and it was great!


They had a grilled organic chicken on the menu that was their signature dish - was served with a cream on Japanese lime and pepper that was nice. It was a big, bustling, smoky place where I got a table in a corner at the entrance with a perfect view of the entire restaurant.

As a single guest (and the only non-Japanese also by about 200 guests), I notice that the staff takes care of me a little extra, as with beer coming in like this:


It was really nice nice to sit in my corner and be looked after, but I wanted more and after a bit of advice from people I met walking around, I found what they said was Tokys biggest house club - Womb. Four floors but just a big dance floor.

Japanese counterparts to Rebecca and Fiona played on one of the floors.

Good DJ, nice sound and light and very good atmosphere, but an hour was enough for me. Going to club's is more fun with friends!

So - despite last night in Tokyo, I did not go "all in". Longing for my family now and looking forward to going home tomorrow!