1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #519 - Suruga Bay Ferry and Toi Goldmine, Shizuoka, Japan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #519

- Suruga Bay Ferry and Toi Goldmine, Shizuoka, Japan

 

 

(We took the Suruga Bay Ferry, which connects the Shimizu Port to the town of Toi on the Izu Peninsula in an hour. On a picture perfect day, the shy Mt Fuji opened up for us, and from the deck of the ferry, it is as beautiful as those printed on magazines. Our time at this quirky Toi Goldmine was spent walking through their goldmine, ending with lunch that included gold-leaf tips as dressing for our dishes. The 250kg gold bar here, if touched, will give the person a load of fortune - which means, my new year will be filled with lots of dollars)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #518 - Hamamatsu Fruits Park, Miyakoda-cho

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #518

- Hamamatsu Fruits Park, Miyakoda-cho, Japan

 

 

(With over 4000 trees and 15 different fruits, the Hamamatsu Fruits Park gave us a proper treat we had never had before - the largest and sweetest strawberries ever! And straight from the strawberry plants to the mouth - no washing required. We felt like kids in a candy store, easily popping 50 large strawberries between us. The park ladies gave us a strange dip for these strawberries - condense milk. Why? They are already so sweet as they are. What a vitamin, fibre and antioxidant overload for us - love it!)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #517 - Daoigo-ji Shrine, Kyoto

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #517

- Daigo-ji Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

 

 

(Another shrine in Kyoto that brings out the best of Japan. Daigo-ji Shrine is nestled below a hill and is a prime spot for cherry blossoms here. We came a little too early for that but the red bridge of the Bentendo Hall here is striking, especially with its reflection from the small lake here. The Golden Hall was busy on this day, as monks marched in on this early morning for their prayers. The 5-storey pagoda here, built in 951, is the oldest building in Kyoto)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #516 - Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #516

- Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

 

 

(Kyoto opened up to us on this CNY trip of ours through these bright red torii gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. We didn't get to see it in previous trips here - the Kiyomizu Shrine always taking centre-stage then. But these more than 10,000 red tori gates make for mesmerising photos opportunities. These gates were donated by businesses, for making wishes come true, since the 1400s, thus the huge numbers here. The shrine is below Mt Inari, with treks up this 250m high mountain that will take 2 hours to complete. We stopped after 40minutes, with the tour manager calling us back)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #515 - Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia 5

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #515

- Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia 

 

 

(Called "the lighthouse at the end of the world", Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse guards the entrance of the Beagle Channel into Ushuaia. We hopped onto a small boat for 15people for our final tour here to see some spectacular birdlife and seal colonies amongst the small islands about 5 miles east of Ushuaia. Stopping on one of the islands, we begin to understand why they are uninhabited - strong winds and the bitter cold months would mean nothing can be planted here. Against the Andes mountain background, these islands are wildlife havens)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #514 - Serravalle Designer Ourlet, Milan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #514

- Serravalle Designer Outlet, Milan, Italy 

 

 

(We try to make it a point to check out the designer outlets in Europe. They usually put out good deals but being early January, the bargains are even better. Milan is circled by 4 or 5 outlets, but we decided to head out to Serravalle Designer Outlet, some 90min outside of Milan, after reading good reviews in TripAdvisor. We were not disappointed - many were 30 to 40% off the already low outlet prices because of the post-New Year sale period. Taking the outlet's coach for 20euro pp was easy - just 50metre from our hotel. Likewise, we took the coach too to Florence's outlet - the Mall, 75min away. We thought our decision to save our dollars for Milan's outlet was a smart decision)