Before I continue to write about my huge backlog i.e., blog posts about our travels last summer, let's take a break and see what we've been up to lately. I can't believe it's November already. Wasn't it just yesterday when the new year rung in? It's scary how fast time flies. One more month and … Continue reading Lapita Hotel’s daycation brunch: why it’s perfect for families
Visiting Japan’s small town charm
I've been thinking a lot about Japan lately. I blame my husband - we have been watching Japanese news on the TV almost every night at bed time. Everything sounds and feels familiar once again. I blame my mother in law who, right now got addicted to sending Japanese foodstuff lately. Or this is just plain … Continue reading Visiting Japan’s small town charm
Rothenburg ob der Tauber: a Medieval gem you can visit now
Photo credit I love places that makes me feel I am in one of the pages of a fairy tale book. I love old German inner cities that I have only seen through books, magazines or travel blogs and Rothenburg ob der Tauber could be my favorite. The architecture is very well preserved, you can't … Continue reading Rothenburg ob der Tauber: a Medieval gem you can visit now
Hotel Club Rooms & Executive Floors: Are they worth it?
We were upgraded to a club room on our latest stay at Grand Hyatt Dubai. It came as a lovely surprise and because we didn't have any expectations on what a club room looks like or the perks that come together with it, we were delighted to find our room was bigger, the beds were … Continue reading Hotel Club Rooms & Executive Floors: Are they worth it?
Where we stayed: Grand Hyatt Dubai
Way back in 2007 when we were new in Dubai, we needed to meet some people who set the meeting place at Grand Hyatt Dubai and I could not forget being so impressed the moment I entered the hotel. After all, we just moved here from Japan - the land of mini this and that. Small apartments, … Continue reading Where we stayed: Grand Hyatt Dubai
The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg
I have visited the Austrian city of Salzburg in 2015 and since it was a very short visit (I only spent 24 hours in Salzburg), I know I had to go back, with the kids one day. Salzburg - I can't say this word without the songs and hymns of the movie The Sound of … Continue reading The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg
Dealing with food allergies while eating out or travelling
My son Benjamin (6 years old next month) is allergic to all tree nuts - almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachio, cashew, etc. We've had accidental ingestion in the past where he ended up in the emergency so we are very careful with his food but alas, sometimes even I fail. The last incident was a year and … Continue reading Dealing with food allergies while eating out or travelling
Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum – is it worth it?
One of the "must do" things to do on our trip to Japan was to EAT. And oh boy, our list was long! There's simple eats at the convenient stores to that special soba in Niigata (my husband's hometown), summer sweets, curry rice, gyoza and of course, RAMEN! My kids are crazy with ramen which … Continue reading Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum – is it worth it?
Visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka
Have you seen any Ghibli movies? You must have heard or watched some of it but never realized it's a "Ghibli" (pronounced, "jiburi" in Japanese) - Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro. The delightful animated films of Studio Ghibli are full of magic and fairytales. They can be very simple, dark, fantastical, melancholy, ecstatic, … Continue reading Visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka
Our trip to Japan, summer 2017
It's currently summer vacation for all of the kids in the UAE. It's actually over a month already since most of the schools have closed for the school year 2017. Since classes will start on September 10, that's about 12 weeks long of holidays! When I planned where to take the kids in summer and … Continue reading Our trip to Japan, summer 2017
Finding Backroads 