Category: Japan

Open post

12 Japanese delicacies we will miss

Flavors in Japan won’t punch you in your face like in Korea, won’t knock you off your feet like on Sri Lanka but they will slowly charm you with subtle flavors. That’s what happened to us and we are completely hooked.

Japan presented us with new ingredients but it also gave us a new concept of a meal. We discovered how great it is to eat a tiny bit of everything. Enjoying bite after bite, each flavor seems more intense and new… and you end up eating less!

  1. Green goodness from the sea- Nori

Or simply seaweed. Before Japan I always thought it was only used to roll sushi but little did I know that it was the best snack at any time. Not to mention what a great addition it is for any meal as well 🙂 Almost like chips but than healthier and so much more delicious!

  1. Bowl of umami- miso soup

No meal could be complete without a bit of miso soup. It’s such an easy soup based on miso paste which is made of soy. What goes in there is pure creativity of the chef, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, maybe some seaweed. Everything's allowed. The taste is not comparable to anything, pure umami goodness that brings warmth and joy to your body.

  1. Sour, sour and even more sour- pickles

After miso soup, pickles are the most important part of every meal. I have never seen such a variety of sour goodness. There are daikons, plums, cucumbers, eggplants and whatever else you could imagine. It’s something that has been around for ages as one of the easiest methods to preserve the food. I was shocked by how many different techniques there are, pickles can be made with miso paste, vinegar, roasted rice bran or humble salt. 

  1. Our guilty pleasure- candied ginger

Jandirk got especially addicted to it. It's definitely something only a few people can like as it’s this weird combination of sweet and very spicy.

  1. Decadent goodness- okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki are kind of pancakes made on a hot plate that hero cabbage and batter. We especially loved the ones that put you straight into a food coma, with bacon, egg, shrimp, lots of soy sauce and shavings of smoked bonito. People on a diet can downscale their choice a bit and go for a bit more basic option...

  1. Pancake balls- Takoyaki

Takoyaki are decadent ball pancakes stuffed with octopus and topped with a decadent sauce and smoked bonito shavings. They reminded us a lot of okonomiyaki but because of their small size they seem a bit less unhealthy. There is not a single food market or event in Japan without them so don’t worry, you won't have to search.

  1. Japan’s famous- sushi and sashimi

Japan is associated with raw food, sometimes I feel like half of the world thinks that it’s all there is. It’s not but it is a big part of the culture. What most people don’t realize, it requires a lot of technique and finesse to put a great sushi together and to slice the sashimi to perfection. With quality comes the price so we haven’t eaten much of the fancy sushi or sashimi. But I have to admit that what is sold in some belt restaurants or even some supermarkets is just to die for!

  1. Upgraded hot pot- Shabu shabu

It’s just a humble broth put on a little stove at the table. But that’s the whole beauty of it. It’s like pure Christmas. Everyone sits around the table and dips in whatever they want. It can be pork, Chinese cabbage or spinach. At first it seemed a bit weird to get raw ingredients and cook your own meal at the table. Especially that that's what you get in a restaurant as well. But it's just pure fun and such a beautiful experience to share. At the very end when the soup is almost finished, you throw beaten eggs in there with some rice and eat that. So don't forget to leave some place for those last bits. So simple and so delicious!

  1. Noddles like no others- soba

Those buckwheat, thin noodles are Japanese natives. Low price, fast serving time and enormous variety makes them a perfect backpacking meal for every taste. It seems to be a bit of a Japanese fast food option.
The best soba we had was in Hakone. Perfectly thin, al dente, it was so good that many people ate just the noodles without the broth. It’s popular to dip them in some yam paste with raw egg. As weird as it sounds and as slimy as it is, it’s delicious. In a country with no cheese that’s as close as you will ever get to indulgent and creamy.

  1. God´s drink- Sake

Everything tastes better with sake. It’s a drink that could accompany every single meal. Dry, mild, cold one by the dinner, warm, sweet one by the dessert. Not to mention the one with rice particles could be the dessert on it’s own.

  1. Good for everything- Green tea

We have been tea lovers all our lives but Japan got us addicted to green tea. We started drinking liters of it, hot and cold. Not to mention the very bitter, intense matcha that we were seeing and tasting everywhere

  1. White and essential- tofu

Comes in a variety of forms and uses. It can be soft or hard and watch out… it can be even deep fried. The last one is sliced very thinly and deep fried twice. It looks like many sheets stacked together and its fluffy and airy. To be quite honest I didn’t know it was tofu when I tasted it and even less that it had anything to do with oil. I naively thought it was healthy…

Open post
Hakone, Japan

How much does it cost to travel in Japan? Our budget and tips

Japan can be described with many words but cheap is not one of them. Transportation, accommodation, food…practically everything is pricey. No wonder it was our biggest budget fear. We prepared ourselves mentally to spend just under 100 euro a day for us both. Sounds like a lot but believe me, that’s low budget.

Surprisingly we ended up spending “just” over 7000 euro in 89 days. So that makes 40 euros per day per person.

So let’s break it down. Where did all the money go?

 

Where did we travel?

We visited many cities like Kyoto, Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya and even Fukuoka in the south. We also explored a lot of the countryside in the Gifu prefecture, Iya Valley and surroundings of the big cities. Unfortunately we didn’t get to go all the way north but hopefully that will still come.

How did we travel?

We didn’t want to spend much on transportation so we used local trains, buses and ferries. So no bullet train for us.

On transportation we spend a massive part of our budget (1597 euro). Short distance buses weren’t huge budget breakers. For example a trip from Kyoto to Sanzenin (1hr) cost 550 yen (so around 4 euro each). Buses on mountainous roads were a completely different story. The steeper the mountain, the more expensive it got. To get from Hakone village to the lake nearby we paid 820 yen each (almost 7 euro) for maybe around 40 min ride. In Iya Valley it got even more expensive.

For long distance travels we sticked to the buses especially to Willer Express, they offered a lot of direct connections for good prices. The journey with them from Kyoto to Fukuoka cost us 5900 yen (around 47 euro). It was a very comfy, overnight bus.

For short journeys between the cities or day trips we used local trains. For example to go from Nagoya to Nabana No Sato garden we paid 400 yen each (around 3 euro)

Where did we stay?

The most economic accommodation turned out to be aribnb so we stayed a lot in small studios with private kitchen, bathroom and all the Japanese crazy commodities of life. In Hiroshima we got a lovely studio with bikes, super-fast wifi and even pocket wifi that we could take with us. All that for only 33 dollars a night. Most of our Airbnb studios were really great value for money, pretty and in range of 30-40 dollars. It’s really hard to believe but they were way cheaper than dorms or guesthouses.

In more rural areas where there was no studio to rent we had to go for hostels. In Hakone we slept in a double capsula for 10400 yen per night (around 83 euro), by far our most expensive accommodation. In Iya valley we stayed in a charming, traditional double room with tatami floor and futon for almost 70 euro per night for us both.

We also spend 2 weeks volunteering in a guesthouse, south of Nagoya where we stayed for free. Except for that we visited a friend and stayed at her grandma’s house for a few days in Osaka. Those saved us a lot of yen… that probably went for food 🙂

In total we stayed 50 nights in Airbnb studios, 18 nights in a variety of shared accommodations, mostly capsula style and the rest in “free” accommodations volunteering or visiting. In total we paid 2558 euro on accommodation.

What did we eat?

We fell in love with Japanese food and its variety. We ate a lot of seaweed, sushi, sashimi and a variety of veg. Since most of the time we had a kitchen, we cooked a lot. But we also ate out to try authentic local cuisine. We went to mid-range restaurants as well as markets, bars and very local ramen micro-restaurants. During volunteering and visiting we enjoyed a lot of Japanese goodies cooked by our hosts.

The only drawback were ridiculous prices of fruit which forced us to limit ourselves to bananas and kiwis…

Overall we spent 2227 euro out of which 473 euro went on eating out and the rest for grocery shopping or convenient store sushi.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 296 euros and that includes entries to castles, museums, gardens and sake tastings.

Most castles cost around 500 yen (around 4 euro). The most expensive ticket (2300 yen so around 18 euro each) was Nabana No Sato, amazing gardens and a bit of a theme park in one.

Where did the rest of our money go?

273 euro in the equipment section of our budget went for clothes that we bought in Japan. We treated ourselves with some amazing socks, t-shirts and replacement for stuff that was worn down. I also bought some Japanese cloth that can be folded to a very nice purse and that according to Jandirk is an essential thing to have and therefore belongs to equipment.

In 98 euro from miscellaneous we included postcards, chopsticks and small souvenirs we bought for ourselves as well as luggage storage and small expenses that didn’t fit in any other category.

Our tips to save money in Japan

  1. Stay in Airbnbs ! ! ! Huge budget saver! I know Airbnb seems to be “the more pricey” option but in Japan it’s really the cheapest that there is. It requires a bit of planning in advance, the best places fly out of the window pretty fast. It’s also better for stays longer than 4 days, just because of the cleaning fee and Airbnb fee which then spreads nicely without hurting your sight and account. Many of the properties have pretty great discounts for stays above 7 nights. If your schedule is flexible, you want to stay longer in a place and you want great value for your money, Airbnb is the way to go!
  2. Consider volunteering! Japan is not a country that you can understand over a day or two. It’s a long, never-ending process and the best way to do it is to volunteer. You get closer to the people that live there, you can ask them questions and see their lifestyle. Not to mention that you can help them! For opportunities in guesthouses, farms and yoga centers go to Workaway.
  3. Go to the tourist information. Except for Tokyo we met nothing but kindness and a sea of help in the tourist information. Those people are magicians, they know everything and what they don’t know, they will find out for you. They can book you a ticket, find a bus, inform you about millions of discounts and save you a lot of money. Japan has a lot of special tickets and offers for foreign travelers but they are pretty complicated so you really need someone to clear all of them up for you and fish out what could work for you.
  4. Use million transportation discounts. They vary per region and per city. Tokyo has metro cards valid for 1 or multiple days and the price changes depending on your home station. In the Kansai region you have a special ticket to see the whole area of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. Some tickets include entrance to castles or public baths. With multiple day tickets sometimes they need to be used for consecutive days but sometimes you can choose the days and even use the ticket together with a few other people. We even came across tickets that you can only buy when you’re still in your own country and pick them up on the spot. It’s a pretty confusing and twisted system. Over time we realized the discounts were not meant for long term, slow travelers. They require a bit of a pace and tight schedule to get the value out.
  5. Take Willer Express! This bus company offers the cheapest buses and plenty of different connections. They also have a loyalty program, you save points every time you travel with them and then you can use them as discount on your next trip. Their webpage is in English and buying tickets online is super easy. You don’t even have to print them!
  6. Take a look at the Japan Guide. It’s an amazing guide book for culture and sights in Japan but they also give you all the transportation info. For each destination they show the cheapest, the fastest and the easiest route. Be prepared though, it’s almost never 3 in 1.

P.S. Exchange rate used for the overall budget 1 EURO = 119 YEN

Open post
Nabana No Sato, Nagoya, Japan

Our secret garden- Nabana no Sato

As a child I was literally obsessed with the Secret Garden, both the book and the movie. I never got bored of reading or watching it and wanted to find my secret garden. Too bad this one can’t be mine. It joins pretty well my two passions: gardens and Christmas markets.

So what is Nabana no Sato?

It’s a garden taken straight from fairy tales. It’s huge and has something to offer every season of the year. When we went there, the plum and cherry blossom was just over but we saw fields of tulips that were just remarkable. They really reminded us of Holland.

The most unforgettable moment was when we walked into the Begonia Garden. We actually entered it through the exit and the first thing we saw was a stunning pond with flowers floating in a circle and chains of begonia hanging from the ceiling. I literally screamed from all the joy and enthusiasm. It was like a Secret Garden from my dreams filled with colors and hidden from greedy eyes. I guess because of its location Nabana no Sato is not particularly busy on a weekday… Which tourist heard of Nagoya? Very few and even fewer would go even further to get to the garden. But it’s worth all the energy.

Except for the flowers…

It’s one of very few places where Christmas lasts for half a year. From October to May there is an amazing Winter Illumination which leaves many Christmas markets in Europe far, far behind. There are two long tunnels of little lamps, light performances and even mulled wine to complete the whole experience. It wouldn’t be Japan if there wasn’t a selection of food to go with it. There are a few restaurants as well as food stands in the park.

The only drawback is…

As usual in Japan… the price. The entrance costs 2300 yen that's including a 1000 yen voucher that you can spend in one of the shops and restaurants. Unfortunately you can’t buy the entrance without the voucher… Begonia Garden, onsite onsen and Mount Fuji-like observation platform are charged extra… The last one spoils the view quite considerable, I’m still wondering how come stylish Japanese came up with a kitsch idea like that.

Still, I would say Nabana no Sato is worth the price. And that’s coming from a lady on a rather backpacking budget:)

Open post
Takayama, Japan

24 hours in Takayama

Takayama is one of those magical places where time disappears and you can spend days just wandering around, hours sipping coffee and countless nights enjoying sake. Although it’s fairly touristic, going just around the corner from the main street, everyone can find a calm place for themselves. We had a few days to explore the place on a very slow pace but the main highlands are definitely doable in a day. So let’s explore Takayama in 24 hours 🙂

Escaping the crowds on the main street

The main street in Takayama tends to get busy at around 9 am with groups of tourists. We went there before to feed our eyes with wooden, traditional architecture. With all gift shops closed and no groups of Chinese tourists it was nicely calm and quiet. Not comparable to the crowds later on the day. Though we loved the other face of the streets as well, vibrant, busy with lots of arty gifts and sake tastings.

Strolling through the morning market

Splendid way to spend a morning is going to the Miyagawa morning market where people who can handle some savory treats in the morning can enjoy pickles and those who love art can enjoy some live, calligraphy artists and locally made chopsticks. Something for everyone that’s for sure.

Morning coffee with charming, old couple in their little art paradise

Walking past it we got tempted by good price for coffee and music hits from the past. As soon as we entered we got completely charmed by the old couple running this place. They were both overjoyed and enthusiastic about art & coffee. We did not only sit on the tatami floor surrounded by pottery and jewelry but we also got coffee that was just divine! Delicious and beautiful with a painted teddy bear on there. Some say that Japanese live long because they follow their ikigai, their passion and purpose in life. That just has to be true with these seniors and we couldn’t resist going back for more every day.

Hida beef for lunch

Takayama is famous for Hida beef- high quality, meat that just melts in your mouth. We enjoyed in an amazing stew from one of the food kiosks on the main street. Although the name is only available in mysterious Japanese alphabet, the location is clear on the map below.

Since it’s not a big portion and not a cheap treat, we recommend it for small eaters for lunch.

Sake tasting

Sake is an essential part of Japnese culture and Takayama reached perfection in its production. There are many sake breweries offering sake tasting for a small charge presenting quite a selection to try. Those who think sake is not for them should give it a try. There are so many dry and sweet variation that I can’t imagine someone wouldn’t find something suitable for his/hers taste buds. For porridge lovers there is even sake with rice particles still in it. For whisky lovers there are quite few smoky ones out there.

We recommend three breweries for sake tasting

Funasaka Sake Brewery

Although located in a touristic, busy street, it’s pretty calm because 99% of the people don’t realize that once you bought your sake you can chill out with it in a charming little bar behind the shop. We especially loved that they were the only ones that served their goodies in a wooden container overflowing on a little ceramic plate underneath it. It also changes the taste slightly making it more whisky-like because of the wood.

Kawashiri Sake Brewery

It’s a small, family business run throughout generations with love and devotion. They don’t speak any English but they give a very interesting leaflet explaining all the different sake they offer as well as the process.

Hirata Sake Brewery

Another small, family business with plenty of sake bottles open to viewing, touching and tasting.

Serious bowl of decadent ramen for dinner

Tiny restaurant with very few tables, chairs along the bar and small table on a tatami floor. That’s where the whole neighborhood comes together to sip their evening away with bottles of sake and delicious noodles. We absolutely loved the food and the vibe in there. And it's worth mentioning that Hida ramen is another specialty of the region.

A good night sleep in a capsula

K’s house is a charming hostel with comfy capsulas as well as private rooms and a great common area to chill out. People working there are enthusiastic, very helpful and always smiling. The hostel has an excellent kitchen with great pottery to make whatever you cook very presentable.

Open post
Japan

12 souvenirs from Japan that I just couldn’t resist

Usually I associate souvenirs with kitsch, plastic gifts made in China and faded postcards of doubtful beauty. Over those two years travelling I’ve rarely been tempted to enter a gift shop less even to buy a single thing. Japan has changed it all. The amount of effort and creativity put in so many little objects here makes them unique and really worth buying. Not to mention the tradition and the beauty that go with them. Below some of gifts that I couldn’t resist, even having in mind that I will have to carry them around. Others I will have to get next time.

  1. Multi-functional piece of cloth- Futoshiki

So simple and traditional and yet so functional. The technique of folding a square cloth around anything has been around for centuries. Previously it was used to carry things and to wrap gifts. The patterns and colors were a way of expressing the purpose of the gift and feelings of the generous person. After World War II part of this beautiful art got pushed out by cheaper and more common plastic and paper. But it hasn’t died just yet. The material can be folded in a really nice bag, actually many different types of bags, only imagination is the limit. That variety of a humble piece of material and the idea of supporting something so fragile pushed me to buy some for myself.

  1. Colorful and very unusual socks

Patterns of sushi, shrines, Mount Fuji, cats and soooo much more can be easily found in any shop selling socks. They are colorful, fun and many are divided in “two toes” or even “five toes”. That makes them perfect to wear with your flip flops, as weird as that sounds. We especially loved the collection available in some Don Quijote. Cheap and just brilliant.

  1. Arty, colorful postcards

Japan has numerous different techniques when it comes to postcards. They can be painted, made from recycled kimonos, washi paper. Options are countless and they all look stunning and one of a kind. I don’t think there is any other country I have seen with so many different patterns and so much art and love put into postcards. Honestly I felt sad I had to send them out… Obviously I kept a few for myself 🙂

  1. Fragrant bath salts

We never really appreciated the benefits of a bath. Not until we came to Japan. Here it has almost a ritual like importance and is supposed to relax you after a tough day. And it really does. But the addition of fragrant, Japanese bath salts is the cherry on the top. The smell is as divine as the package looks.

  1. Playful carnival-like facial masks

I know it sounds weird but in what other country can you become a panda or a cat for a few minutes? Only in Japan. The masks are not only playful and cute in a weird way but also very soothing and relaxing. Perfect little detail going in the bathtub. For more picky customers there are also ones that will make you look like a geisha or hello kitty.

  1. The most beautiful bathrobe - Yukata

Yukata is a kind of casual kimono. It literally means “bathing cloth” and at the beginning it was used just as such, since it’s so easy to just wrap it around you and it can dry the leftover moisture from your skin. Nowadays some wear it as a summer version of the kimono. We got them at one of our Airbnbs and I absolutely loved mine. They were colorful, playful and really comfortable to wear. Jandirk wasn’t overly impressed, yukatas for men lack patterns and are generally kept in darker tones.

  1. Fans for the hot summers ahead

Fans are something that have been in use for centuries and perfected over the time. Now only the imagination and budget is the limit. The can be foldable or rigid, bamboo or paper based. They come in unbelievable variety of forms and patterns. In museums we even saw some covered in gold… those I probably wouldn’t buy as a gift even for my best friends.

  1. Everyone’s necessity- chop sticks

They come in a variety of shapes and designs. We especially loved very simple wooden ones. There is a certain charm in the fact that no two chop sticks are exactly the same since no trees are identical.

  1. Something for the stomach- matcha and green tea

Before coming to Japan we have never tried matcha and we were not big green tea drinkers. Here we got thrown into deep water, we saw and tasted matcha not only as a powdered green tea just served as a drink but also in variety of deserts and snacks. We fell in love with its strong flavor and even stronger green color. It’s one of those ingredients that we will take with us and incorporate in our daily life. Same with the cold green tea that became indispensable to us over those months….

  1. Traditional or modern pottery

This one has totally stolen my heart. I hope one day we will return with an empty suitcase and full bank accounts to buy some of so many stunning pots, mugs and plates. We especially loved collections available in small, cozy ateliers in one of the old pottery towns- Tokoname.

  1. The famous "folded paper"- origami

This beautiful technique of folding paper into complicated but beautiful shapes is especially dear to my hearth. Many of the gifts that I got from Jandirk were origami folded animals and flowers. Here in Japan he could go even crazier with all the variety of paper available. Every Japanese person knows how to fold at least a few basic figures, they learn that at school. It has been a nice beginning of a conversation for us and sometimes a nice evening activity with a little origami battle.

In many shrines and museums we saw origami bookmarks and cranes that we could just take for free.

  1. Something for the soul- sake

Sake comes in such a variety of tastes that I just can’t imagine someone wouldn’t enjoy it. It can be sweet, it can be very dry, it can be clear or contain particles of rice, it can be served cold or hot. There is something for all taste buds out there. I don't think there is anyone that could resist the traditional sake serving. The liquid is supposed to overflow from a shot glass or wooden container onto anything that is under it. Being raised in Poland in a society that drinks vodka and likes to show its generosity, I'm shocked we never came up with it.

Open post
Nagoya, Japan

Our favorite cherry blossom spots

Spring is the most popular season among tourists coming to Japan. All dream of seeing the cherry blossom and that's the time to do it. Most crowds hit Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo. Prices there double and triple which scared us away and made us think of an alternative…

Those turned out to be endless. Spring in Japan goes from February in Okinawa to May in Hokkaido and there are many different types of cherry that bloom earlier or later than the others. We decided to go for the cheapest option, the most off the beaten track possible and it turned out to be the area around and in Nagoya. We got very lucky with that one. There were crowds where we wanted them, on picnics and festivals but we also found peace and the feeling of discovery in so many other places. Having seen the pictures and videos of crowded streets and parks in both Kyoto and Tokyo, we knew we made the right decision.

So to all of you that would like to see nature in its full glory but don’t know where, a short list from us 🙂 and believe me no picture can give you the smell of the fragrant cherry flowers or the feeling of excitement when the petals fall off the trees creating a kind of snow, carried by the wind. You just have to see it with your own eyes. Don’t forget to check the cherry blossom forecast before going!

  1. Enchanting tunnel nearby Ogaki

This one is by far the most spectacular cherry blossom spot we could ever even imagine. It’s one of those where no picture can explain the full glory of it. We discovered it completely by accident, just walking around from the Sunomata Castle. We spotted a few sakura trees and decided to take a closer look, following the trees we were getting deeper and deeper into the tunnel that in our mind should end “just after the next turn”. In reality it literally stretched over few kilometers and there wasn’t a single tree of another kind getting in the way of that marvelous spectacle.

  1. Little “one night” Sunomata Castle

According to the legend the castle was built in just one night and for that many call it a “one night castle”. Although it’s really tiny I can’t believe something that precise and beautiful could be constructed overnight. We loved it because of the surrounding cherry trees and secluded location. Not to mention the proximity to the absolute number one -“the enchanting tunnel”.

  1. Celebration town of Iwakura

This little town north of Nagoya definitely knows how to celebrate spring. During the cherry blossom festival it had just enough people to get the atmosphere right and few enough not to get annoyed with queues and waiting. Sakura was beautifully scattered all over the place with the epicenter of flowers and food stands on both sides of the river. In the evening the riverbed was bathed in warm, pink light coming from charming, little lanterns hanging above it.

  1. Park like no other- Tsurumai park

The place that showed us what hanami (enjoying beauty of flowers) and sakura (cherry) are all about. The park was not only one of the hot spots for the spring festival but a stunning picnic where people shared memories, joy, delicious food and a sea of sake. Many were literally sleeping under the trees guarding their special place under the fragrant cherry trees. There was music, there were dances, amazing food and with a bit of sake even the normally cool and collected Japanese were approaching us. We wish we could celebrate spring like that every year!

  1. Castle with a view in Inuyama

Just about when we already felt like we didn’t want to see any more castles we decided to give a chance to the last one… the one in Inuyama. We never regretted it. The castle itself was pretty empty inside but the view from its terrace was just breathtaking and the cherry blossom alley leading towards it was a little treat.

  1. Stairs to pink heaven at Yamazaki-gawa river

Very calm destination with stairs allowing a great picnic and chilling under immense cherry trees. Plenty of space, trees and stairs so everyone can really get their own little piece of paradise. We loved this place because it was really popular among families and we just loved watching parents trying to take pictures of cute, little kids dressed up for the occasion. Nothing makes us laugh more than a little human running away from a shot 🙂

  1. Nagoya castle

The most traditional spot to enjoy the blossom in the area but we wouldn’t skip it for the world. I dare to say that the most spectacular cherry trees in there are actually the ones surrounding the castle from the outside… Although the best view is from the walls within it. Those trees must have been the biggest and most wide-spread we have seen and from a distance they looked like an impressionism painting.

Posts navigation

1 2 3