Tag: trip
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The Seto inland sea as a backdrop
Day 1 We arrive in Marugame after an easy trip. We visit the small MIMOCA museum, which features a few lovely paintings and a temporary exhibition about the mural Freedom that decorates Ueno Station in Tokyo. The whole restoration process of the mural is detailed here. We have a late lunch, then pick up a…
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Hiroshima getaway
Day 1 We take the shinkansen from Kyoto Station around 8:30, and I finish my night’s sleep during the ride. I get mixed up with the timetable and we miss our stop… We get off at Shin-Yamaguchi Station and catch another train back in the opposite direction. We finally arrive in Hiroshima around noon instead…
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Back to West Lake
It has only been 3 months since my last visit to Hangzhou, but I’m happy to be back. As soon as I arrive, I meet again the cluttered sidewalks with cars parked everywhere, loud conversations drifting through the streets, and the smells of simmering dishes. Because it’s Chinese New Year season (this year falling on…
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Hangzhou
Arrived on the previous evening, we headed straight to our hotel in the Qing Zhi Wu district. This area had long been neglected by residents, but the city helped owners renovate the buildings and convert them into hotels. As a result, there’s now a good concentration of accommodation and restaurants in this neighborhood next to…
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Kohechi
Kohechi is one of the three Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes. It’s the most mountainous of the three and links Koyasan to Hongu Taisha…
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Koyasan
After leaving at 6:30, we take a bus to Saiin, then the train to Awaji. We change at Tengachaya, then again at Gokurakubashi. This third train only has four cars but large windows — perfect for enjoying the scenery comfortably seated. We finish the journey with a funicular to Koyasan Station, then a bus that…
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Hakusan
+1350m / -1350m / 14km We’re off work this Friday. We leave Nijo Station at 6:59 and transfer at Kyoto Station to the Thunderbird, a limited express train that runs all the way to Tsuruga, at the northern tip of Lake Biwa. From there we take a local train to Fukui. Once there, we pick…
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Of azure and ochre
Day 1 The hardest part is renting the car. I had booked a compact, but there isn’t one available. After a 30-minute wait, an employee shows us a black Jeep. We walk around the vehicle together, and I spot a nasty gash in one of the tires. Goodbye Jeep. Another 30 minutes go by while…
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Paris as a tourist
A trip to France usually means passing through Paris. It’s the perfect chance to visit a few places in the capital. We start at Place de la Bastille, then move on to Place des Vosges and Saint-Paul. Crossing the Seine, we reach Île Saint-Louis and soon find ourselves on the forecourt of Notre-Dame. We were…
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Ayabe
It’s fireworks season. Each city holds its own display on a different date, so it’s possible to see fireworks every weekend throughout July and August. This year we choose Ayabe. We wander around the town in the sweltering heat, then, as the day fades, we climb up to a park on higher ground to watch…
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Experiences in Tokyo
A visa application forces us to go to the French Embassy in Tokyo. We take the opportunity to spend two days there. The first experience, at the embassy, is rather unpleasant. Only those applying for a visa are allowed inside the building. For companions like me, waiting outside is the only option. I thought there…
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Ishigaki
Day 1 It’s nighttime when we step out of the airport. A car is waiting for us and takes us a few hundred meters to a rental agency parking lot. We pick up our own vehicle and drive to the city center under a light drizzle. Day 2 The sky is gray, but it’s not…
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Sunrise on mount Fuji
+1400m / -1400m / 11km Departure by shinkansen a little after 6:30am from Kyoto Station, arriving at Mishima at 9:20. Then we take a bus to Mizugatsuka Park. There’s a large parking lot, already fairly full, a souvenir shop that also serves as a cafeteria, and, most importantly, the station for the shuttle buses that…
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Road-trip in Hokkaido
Day 1 We pick up a rental car at Kushiro Airport in the late afternoon and head towards Lake Akan. We follow straight roads through fields and forests, spotting local deers. It’s drizzling. It’s dark by the time we reach the hotel in Akancho. Day 2 We drive 30 minutes east to the Yamanoyado Nonaka…
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Trip to the sea of Japan
We reserved the last two seats on the bus from Kyoto to Amanohashidate at the beginning of the week. To travel on the first weekend of Golden Week, you either need to plan well in advance or be a bit lucky. Departing from the station around 9am, we arrive at Amanohashidate Station 2h later. We…
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Kumano Sanzan
The three temples dedicated to the three sacred mountains of Kumano, in three days! Day 1 Departure from Kyoto this Friday around 6:30am then change at Osaka to catch the Kuroshio. We board the train just in time after asking for directions twice: the platform for this train is quite far from those of other…
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Frozen
Or how to ski in 3 resorts, in 4 days, in the land of the Snow Queen. Day 1 It all starts with going to Osaka airport by train. Taking a flight to Sapporo, hopping on a bus to downtown, then changing buses to reach the 1st resort: Bankei (or “ban.K” for the insiders). Renting…
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Ski Jam
Leaving Kyoto around 6:30am for this weekend organized by my company’s Ski Club. I sleep a bit more on the bus chartered for the occasion. We stop twice at highway rest areas that strangely resemble each other. The final stop is in front of a rental shop a few kilometers from our destination. We leave…