Travelling
The post details travel plans for a week-long trip to Japan’s Kansai region. We aim for a culturally immersive experience, visiting grand sites and exploring new ones on a modest budget. Practical aspects like transportation, accommodation, and daily activities are meticulously planned, including considerations for cost-effective traveling and managing sightseeing around Kyoto, Sakai, Tambasasayama and possibly Nara or Uji.
My first Nagasaki souvenir, a Shu Matsubara knife, remains sharp a year after purchase, evoking fond memories of Kyushu each time I use it. Shu Matsubara, located in Omura, offers traditional and modern Japanese knives forged by the dynamic Katsuto Tanaka, who trains the next generation of smiths. My initial purchase led to subsequent visits, enriching my collection with a personalized knife. Shu Matsubara Knives, not just a store but a workshop, provides an enriching experience for those looking to own quality Japanese knives.
Some amazing things come from Eastern Germany but are below many people’s radar. Eastern German Christmas goodies are one such thing, and it is a real shame they are not celebrated worldwide. And as a proud Eastern German, I see it as my job to …
As far as I can see, there is no blog post on fabric shopping in Bursa yet – but if you are a sewist and find yourself in Istanbul or the Marmara region, I highly recommend a trip out to Bursa. Bursa is well worth …
What’s in Rishton? Firstly, it is the centre of ceramics in Uzbekistan. Rishton Ceramics are famous all over Uzbekistan. Moreover, of the ceramics you can buy in many of the tourist places all over Uzbekistan, many are produced in Rishton. The reason for this is …
Now that I had successfully made it to the University of Nagasaki, I spent my first two weeks there studying, venturing out on trips inside the city only. Then my husband came to visit, so we hired a car and went to explore the countryside. …
After a jolly Sunday at Urgut Market, I was really excited about visiting the other famous Uzbek Bazaar the Kumtepe Bazaar of Marghilon. I hadn’t found much about it online, especially not whether it would be good for purchasing some quality locally made silk and …
I have just returned from six weeks of study at Nagasaki University and before I attempt several blog post about graduate study and my time in Kyushu, let’s do the somewhat easier posts – how I got there, and my very entertaining Taipei layover, compressed …
Oh, the fabled Urgut Market. For years, I read internet forums and guide books, wishing to visit this bazaar south of Samarkand. This time, I was going to visit Urgut Market, and please, if you are interested in textiles, let me share my Sunday shopping …
Italy is a great place to shop for quality food and fabulous style. And shopping in Venice is no exception. But this time in Venice, on my first trip for nearly a year, I wanted to see sights, visit restaurants, and shop things that cannot …
Here it comes, the season to… shop and shop, and the publication of endless gift guides on the internets. And, with just a tiny bit of delay, but ready for the (s)hopping madness here in Europe comes Holiday Golightly’s Gift Guide 2022. In 2019, I …
If you would ask what are some top Turkish souvenirs, textiles and especially the famous Turkish towels and Turkish bath accessories come top of my list. Of course, the bazaars and souvenir shops have tons and tons of souvenirs, from sweets, jewellery, lamps, ceramics and …
Another trip to France happened last summer and of course, I had to stock up on cruelty-free French Pharmacy brands. After two false starts and cancellations, we managed to visit my parents-in-law in September. Apart from a very brief pharmacy visit for ten minutes before …
Do you keep a travel journal? What are the best notebooks for your travel journal? Or are they a thing of the past, now the cheapest smarthone has camera and video function? Call me old-fashioned, but I have always loved to write my travel …
If you have read some of my posts, you may know that I love to bring back a souvenir or two. They have to be either edible, useful, or of a high quality. Before I visited Uzbekistan pretty much on a whim, I wondered what …
