Marrakesh
A disappointing riad

A disappointing riad

Our Morocco trip has finally reached Marrakesh, our final base. Marrakesh is the most bustling and chaotic city we’ve visited so far. As we entered the city, the traffic was extremely chaotic. Motorcycles...

Casablanca

Its only redeeming feature is its spaciousness

In Casablanca, Morocco, we stayed in a regular hotel for the first time on this trip. Up until then (and going forward), we had always stayed in riads. The hotel was the Melliber…

Casablanca

Inside a modern, massive mosque

The tour of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, has begun. The young man who guided us in English was very capable and interesting. Hassan II was the father of the current…

Casablanca

The main attraction here

For our End of the Year and New Year’s trip to Morocco, we left Fez and headed to Casablanca. I wondered why the agent had planned such a roundabout itinerary, considering Casablanca is…

Italy

Pienza, another pretty town in Tuscany

I dropped in a small town of Pienza in Tuscany because the hotel landlady in Montepulciano recommended. It is an another pretty town in Tuscany, which is listed in the Unesco World Heritage…

Apulia

Lovely B&B

During our family holiday in south Italy, we went to a pretty seaside town of Otranto.We stayed in a B&B called Palazzo De Mori.Actually I stayed here three and a half years…

Romania

Village without divorces

Biertan in Romania is listed as a World Heritage because of its fortified church, though it did not look very prosperous. It was a rainy day and the village was wet and…

miranda-friends
Miranda Friends

‘Read’ a pasta dish

Talking with a Japanese friend of mine, Koji, who is a wine and food expert, I learned that there is an Italian dish called Napolitan in Japan, which I did not know that existed.
shopping
Shopping

meeting Sani people in Shilin

As of April 2020, the COVID-19 is raging all over the world and we cannot even go out of our house, let alone travel. Therefore I decided to talk about my old travels. These happened...
airlines
Airlines

All Nippon Airways

According to company’s official website, in December 1952, Japan Helicopter & Aeroplane Transports Co., Ltd was established with the goal of restoring regular air transportation services disrupted by WW II. The company started a helicopter...
food
Food

Nothing but potatoes

On the day we had a excursion to Kawagoe in Japan, we only ate potatoes there. Kawagoe is famous for its potatoes. First, we tried baked sweet potato cut in triangle like...
hotels
Hotels

Stay in a Trullo house

In Alberobello in southern Italy, we stayed in a hotel called Le Alcove, which was a real Trulli hotel. It was wonderful. The structure was very interesting, location was very good and the service...
food
Restaurants

To Pizzighettone

We visited Pizzighettone in Lombardy, Italy, to enjoy the autumn scenery before the days got too short. It’s an old town about 66 kilometres southeast of Milan, just over an hour’s drive from...
food
Food

Ate too much

We went to a restaurant called Taverna Toscana in Sansepolcro in Italy, which was recommended by the hotel manager. This is a butcher as well and they say that if you want...