It was time, for now, to say goodbye to Tokyo and head for Kyoto. With our JR Pass. We’d reserved seats on the Shinkansen. Earlier, we’d checked out which platform the train would leave from because the station is huge, serving about half-a-million people every day. When the Shinkansen arrived, it seemed to come from … Continue reading / view photos Hello Kyoto
Shinkansen, the metro and cars
The Shinkansen, known as the “bullet train” looks like it comes straight from the future. It travels at more than 200kmh and you barely notice the speed because the journey is so smooth. It’s everything that train travel should be. In the photos below, you’ll see the two interiors: one airline style and the other … Continue reading / view photos Shinkansen, the metro and cars
Ginza shopping
After visiting Senso-ji, we took the metro to the Ginza shopping district. Our first stop was to the huge Muji flagship store, not just to browse but to have lunch. This was a simple dish with freshly made tofu. Itoya is possibly the largest stationary shop in the world. It has eight floors and stocks … Continue reading / view photos Ginza shopping
Senso-ji temple
The most visited temple in Tokyo is Senso-ji. The temple was about a 30 minutes’ walk from our hotel. We took the long way round, walking along Sumida River. The sun was out and so were the office workers, having lunch. We left the river at Asakusa and headed to the Kaminarimon Gate, the most … Continue reading / view photos Senso-ji temple
Cherry blossom in Ueno Park
Travelling on the Shinkansen (“bullet train”) is expensive for foreigners. To soften the blow, you can buy a JR Pass voucher before you arrive in Japan. Once in Japan, you exchange the voucher for a pass, after which you can reserve seats on the inter-city trains. If you buy from the official website (not an … Continue reading / view photos Cherry blossom in Ueno Park
Going to Tokyo
This is my first trip abroad since the pandemic. It’s been almost four years. When you travel regularly, it becomes a habit. You get used to the rhythm: booking places, planes, trains, and buses. When you stop travelling, the process becomes alien. Tasks that seemed second nature are now done with caution, hesitation. You can … Continue reading / view photos Going to Tokyo
Minaturised marvel
I was thinking the other day that I write very few technical articles given how much of my spare time is spent experimenting with technology! Having studied computer science and worked/played with computers all my life, I’m familiar with many operating systems. Many people have heard of Windows, macOS and Linux for laptops and desktops. … Continue reading Minaturised marvel
Rock houses
The Midlands is full of treasures unknown to me. Of them is the National Trust site of Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses. We visited the Holy Austin Rock site. People lived in these rock houses from the late 1700s to 1963 when the last resident left. Water came from a well and eventually there … Continue reading / view photos Rock houses
London Loop – sections 7, 8
After a full day in Wimbledon, the following day I headed slightly further south-west with my fellow London Loop walker. We were blessed with blue skies again. Our plan was to do section 8 first (from Kingston to Ewell) then section 7 (Ewell to Banstead Downs) since we were going anti-clockwise for this section. The … Continue reading / view photos London Loop – sections 7, 8
Wimbledon
I’ve never been to Wimbledon or much to the area southwest of London. Coincidentally, I went to both areas yesterday and today with two different friends. My only knowledge of Wimbledon is the annual tennis tournament and The Wombles, especially the song, Remember you’re a Womble! Yesterday, on heading to Wimbledon, our target was Wimbledon … Continue reading / view photos Wimbledon