​1) Heian Shrine (Heian-jingu) This a large temple complex in Higashiyama north of Yasaka-jinja built in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th...

Sanjocho Neighborhood We mostly explored food and necessities in Sanjocho (google map location), but there are also many clothing,...

Neighborhoods in Kyoto One of our long-term ideas is to spend 1-3 months a year in Japan – we love the food, culture and lifestyle. So,...

Arashiyama Arashiyama is a region of west Kyoto with many temples, shrines and other attractions. It’s a great day trip from central...

Vietnam – The Basics Want to know the basics like how to cross the street, make a call, or find local currency? We’ve got you covered....

Thailand – The Basics Thailand in a nutshell – the old and the new side-by-side Posts on Thailand: Things to Do in Chiang Mai, Food in...

Our daughter wanted to improve her Spanish language before college started. She had her eye on an immersion program in the US. For the...

Netherlands Amsterdam: 8 Things to Do Amsterdam: Food The Amsterdam flag (above) has three X’s. Our tourboat guide said it is to remember...

Cordoba Cordoba is a short, 45 minute train ride from the Seville Santa Justa station. We went on a day trip there having made...

Madrid: Passover Are you looking for a Seder in Madrid? (or Shabbat?) Here’s what we found and our recommendations. Registration in...

Seville: 5 Things About Food The Lowdown on What You Will Find 1. Tapas You can seek out the highest-rated tapas restaurants, or you can...

Israel General information, logistics, and safety Did you feel safe in Israel? Why YES! The media focuses only on the negative,...

Bruges, Belgium To do: Bruges is well worth an overnight and perhaps two. Highlights for us were the architecture, chocolate, and...

Sonoma, CA As COVID sheltering eased up, a romantic trip to Sonoma was just what we needed. This was our first time back to indoor...

Koya-san Why you should go: Koya is a UNESCO site and an important Buddhist location. Access requires several forms of transportation:...