At Hankyu Department Store’s Food Hall, there’s a fresh-fruit filled mochi called ISHINDO MOCHI. It features only in-season fruits as filling. It is so fresh with no preservatives that it is recommended to be eaten on the same day. If you will buy it for takeaway, they will provide you with mini ice packets to…
From Osaka to Gion, Kyoto with Lunch
From Osaka to Kyoto, there are several travel options and the most convenient/ quickest will depend on where you are coming from in Osaka. If you have the JR Pass with unlimited train rides, from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto is a 15 minute train ride but you will need to make train changes from where you…
Memoirs of a Geisha Tour: Kyoto
The very word “geisha” means artist, and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art. -Mameha, Memoirs of A Geisha Gion is a preserved district in Kyoto which was built in response to the food, drink, and accommodation needs of travelers who came to the Yasaka (Shinto) Shrine, designated…
Fushimi Inari
Number 1 most visited shrine in Japan by foreigners according to TripAdvisor 2014, 2015, and 2016? Fushimi Inari! It is popular among foreigners for the mountain trails that lead into Mount Inari, considered sacred in Shinto. It is known for its multitudes of brilliant red torii gates and dozens of fox statues— torii gates marking…
Kenroku-en Gardens, Kanazawa, Japan
Considered one of The Three Great Gardens of Japan, Kenroku-en (meaning “having six factors”) was thus named for having the six attributes that comprise the perfect garden landscape: antiquity, artifice, magnificent views, spaciousness, tranquility, and waterways. The spectrum of flowering trees allows the garden to be beautiful throughout all four seasons. In the spring, plum…
Takayama, Japan
Dubbed as Little Kyoto of the Japanese Alps, Takayama —meaning “tall mountain”— (sometimes Hida-Takayama) in Gifu Prefecture, is an ancient feudal city known for its Edo-style preserved old town. Despite its distance from the rest of Japan, it gained prosperity during the Edo period when the city was placed under direct control of the shogunate…
Pizza Is Love
Because now everyday is Valentine’s Day, a pizza date at the corner sans traffic gives me joy. In my blinder years I might have minded but I am starting to learn to be grateful for what’s there and not grumble about what’s not, be content in every situation, not insist on my own way and…
You. Are. Loved.
Kapatid, Kaibigan, Kabayan, YOU❤️ARE❤️LOVED. Unconditionally. Completely. Eternally. Lavishly. Here. Now. Always. . “for God so lo*V*ed….V YOU that he g*A*ve…..A his one and on*L*y…….L begott*E*n………………..E so*N*………………………..N tha*T*……………………….T if you believe *I*n him,..I you shall *N*ot perish…N but have *E*ternal life…E John 3:16 NIV. . . You are His Valentine! Happy Valentine’s Day! . . #happy…
Winter Gear Packing List for a Tropical Girl at Shirakawa-go
Since I’m sensitive to cold even in tropical Manila and want to avoid headaches from wobbly temperature changes, it was a puzzle to prepare for a winter trip. If you opened this post, you’re probably in the same pickle… so just for you, I’m sharing my list on what worked for me in Shirakawa-go winter wonderland….
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama: How To Day Trip from Osaka
A winter trip to Shirakawa-go is like traveling inside a snow-globe. Designated in 1995 as UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan, the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are known for their traditional farmhouses in the architectural style of gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り), meaning “praying hands” referring to the likeness of the steep thatched roof shape to Buddhist monks…
Visitor Tips for Art in Island, Manila
Yes, I had been living under a rock for the last few years so I’m probably one of the last to come to Art in Island but late is better than never! Speaking of rocks, here’s me on one: In case you haven’t been here either, you too can be part of the spectacularly painted 3D…
Eto Na! MusikalnAPO! On Monthlong Rerun!
Creative genius in musical theatre on display in the Filipino original ETO NA! MUSIKALNAPO! 🇵🇭 💫 👏 Writer/ Director Robbie Guevarra (in photo) strung a part of the legendary APO Hiking Society’s treasury of beloved songs 🎶🎵into the musical group’s journey while giving an often humorous nostalgic peek at culture icons even during the martial…
Feed the Birds: George C. Reifel Sanctuary
Situated next to Westham Island’s flat marshlands and farms, the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, British Columbia provides food and rest for millions of migrating birds. Originally, the farms and fishing communities in this area along the Fraser River were safeguarded with dikes. Other areas in further islands were not reinforced with dikes…
Snowshoeing on Grouse Mountain
Just a seventeen-minute drive from our downtown hotel, Grouse Mountain— the Peak of Vancouver— has grand nature trek possibilities throughout the four seasons. Heidi takes me on a snow trip, my first in over thirty years! Her annual pass affords us some lead over the holiday crowds… …plus half off for my entrance ticket and…