Tokyo - NOT a guest blog by Geoffrey

Your work is very well received, I argued.  The people would like to read some more.  But G decided he would rather (a) sleep and then (b) pack than blog, so you're stuck with me.  Some of you will have seen the first picture already, but these images capture something of the spirit of our new favourite place to eat.  It's probably just as well we are leaving as we have become seriously addicted to the food, booze, service and general atmosphere of this bar.  Also we nearly felt like locals by our third visit, with friendly greetings (we stood out a wee bit as the only gaijin in the joint) enthusiastic service and suggestions re food, etc.  Warm handshakes all round marked the conclusion of our final (sniff) dinner last night.

It wasn't all booze and food here tho - we took a spin around the outer reaches of the imperial palace and were lucky to see some of the staff abseiling into the moat in order to do some weeding...

As ever, the Tokyo metro is a breeze - it's the large stations that are a challenge.  No one ever tells you which exit/entrance to use and there are often about seventeen.  Fortunately there are shops, cafes, etc, down there and sometimes even friendly helper people. So, we never starved, and we always made it above ground, eventually.

Seeing a baseball game has been on my to-do list since before our last trip (which was sadly rained out).  This time, being wiser to the weather, we didn't book ahead, but rolled up on Thursday night on the off chance.  Not only did we get tickets to the Swallows (at home) vs the Giants (another Tokyo team) but we got brilliant seats near first base, once we had convinced the ticket-seller that we wanted the best PLACE to sit, rather than the best PRICE.  In fact, we paid quite a lot.  Worth every cent.  This pic shows the crowd walking towards Jingu stadium, many stopping along the way to buy food and drinks.  That's what we'll do next time, even though the beer girls and boys do an awesome job, bringing backpacks of beer right to your seat.

I didn't realise when I took this lovely selfie, but we were sitting in front of the boxes - so a very good position to see the game.  Everyone has a great time - lots of singing and chanting - but without any hassle.  Every seat has a beer (or other drink, I suppose) holder, rubbish is collected regularly and people look after their stuff.  It was heaps of fun.  A particular highlight was the 'lucky seven' routine everyone participates in at the seventh innings - it involves waving tiny umbrellas (swallows umbrellas) and singing a special song...

One small disappointment was being unable to buy a swallows t-shirt that proclaimed UNION IS STRENGTH.  Which it is.  Apparently they were for members only.  Bugger.  I am going to pursue this online once we're home.  Where there's a will, etc...

But enough about the baseball.  There was also culture.  For some reason I've omitted pictures of the temple at Asakusa, which we visited yesterday.  It was lovely to go back.  I first went there in 2009 with an Aotea College group and decided then that I'd like to come back sans kids, plus husband.  I suppose a six year turn around's not too bad.  

I can't include pics of the "Kyosai - master painter" exhibition either, as photos were banned.  But here's the ticket:

I include the paper clip, below, in honour of stationery heaven (or hell, I suppose, for some, naming no names, Geoffrey) Ito Ya, in the Ginza district.  Wow, what a glorious place.  I was very restrained tho, given our bulging luggage.

And so our 2015 adventure draws to a close.  If I can prevail upon G to make some concluding remarks while we wait for the plane there could be a final entry.  Otherwise, thanks for sharing the ride. It's been a blast.  See you in Aotearoa...

Smoking in Tokyo

I'd forgotten that you can't smoke outside in Tokyo but please light up in the restaurant. 

That aside, we had the best dinner. Assigned counter seats near the cook who (reputedly) speaks English (not much) we had a great night, aided by friendly staff and locals, plus two beers each and some sake for good measure. 

We've eaten a few mystery items and aren't entirely sure about the name of the bar. In any case, we'll be going back...

Tokyo, once again, we salute you 

It's a long way from Vantaa to Narita

Quite jet lagged right now.

Looking down our from hotel lobby (15th floor)

We've had a super yum tempura lunch, wandered a few local streets, checked out a couple of shops, been navigated out of Tokyo Station by a JR rail helper person (otherwise would probably still be down there trying to choose an exit), and fetched up back at our hotel keen for our 2pm check in to roll around...

[Finally get room. Three hours go by]

...

Not sure of our time zone arithmetic but we were awake (mostly) from 4am Helsinki Tuesday morning til 2pm Tokyo Wednesday. Got the speed wobbles...

Coming back is always so much tougher jetlag-wise... So those forty winks were just the ticket. 

Hopefully we'll see the palace, Asakusa, and some baseball, tomorrow; tho that very much depends on the rain situation. Timing our stopover on the shoulder of a typhoon doesn't bode hugely well on the weather front:

Kiitos, Finland

It's 5.27am. 

We've made it thru the no person's land that is Vantaa (only people on their way to somewhere else are there - and no one wants to be there, even the locals) and thru airport check-in and security. They didn't like my iPad or G's belt, but we prevailed. 

Now it's one last cup of bad coffee and a delicious cinnamon roll before the long haul to Tokyo. 

I've bought a new copy of a comet in moominland to read on the plane. 

Kiitos, Finland. You've been fabulous. I hope we see you again sometime...

Laundry, but not at the tin tin tango

Today, Sunday, was designated laundry day.  We found the tin tin tango - cafe with laundromat - on the locals app, and toodled there shortly after our very late breakfast.  What the app didn't mention is that the cafe, tho very nice and quite large, has only one washing machine and a long queue of locals.  Hmmm.  We returned to the hotel to consider plan B.  Geoff, undaunted, turned to Yelp and found another.  Thanks to google maps we knew to hop aboard the number 8 tram to Arabia.  Soon we were there - a proper laundromat with the least comprehensible instructions of any we've yet visited, ever.

Nonetheless, we prevailed and now have heaps of clean gear to see us home.  See below the interesting picture of some of their machines.  This laundromat is next to Bear Park, which has lovely karhu statues.  G might put a pic on facebook.  I'm getting niggardly with photos now, as my phone is starting to send me cruel messages about being out of storage.  Ouch.

Excitingly, on our return trip, having just bought our next all day ticket, an inspector boarded the tram.  It's an instant 80 euro fine if found without one.  It was lovely to finally see that tram officials exist, especially with newly minted tickets warming our pockets.  Our fellow passenger (I'm very sorry, madam) was clearly less engaged in the whole ticket auditing process, but I had only a moment for my stealthy pic and couldn't exactly ask her to smile...  As you can see from the happy face of the inspector her job is a rewarding one.

One domestic task done and dusted, it was time to buy toothpaste.  We bought this souvenir recyclable shopping back from our local K-market as well and, looking at our change, think the assistant may have given it to us.  Thanks, K-market.

Finally, a drink.  These are truly horrible.  As committed coffee drinkers we thought they'd be yum.  They are not.  Urgh.

moomin sneaker day!

I don't like to use too many exclamation marks - who does?  But, moomin sneaker day!  Yep, today they became mine.  Ulltimate scandi souvenir - blue and white moomintroll themed karhu brand sneakers.  Even seeing a primary school aged kid wearing a (red) pair hasn't dulled my enthusiasm.  But I'm jumping ahead... (nimbly, in my new #moominsneakers.)

It was sad to leave Turku.  It is starting to feel like the end of our holiday - and no one looks forward to that.  Turku and its archipelago have been lovely; plus we got to meet one of its locals, courtesy of Derek and his daughter-in-law (who is from Turku); plus we met a bunch of great fellow travellers along the cycle way.

But, it was lovely to arrive in Helsinki, know where we were, where we wanted to go, and exactly how to get there.  Trams, baby.  We love those trams.

Once we'd settled in at the Scandic Park (our Helsinki home away from home) and sorted out the moomin sneaker business, we were free to wander.  We snacked by the bay, then wandered down to market for the small fish, finally jumping (spontaneously and at the last moment) onto a ferry bound for Suomenlinna.  I hate to upset former Helsinki-ites (ie, the conference-people who are now back home and working) but you really missed a treat.  Not only is the island lovely - and very interesting - but it's included in the price of your public transport day pass.  A 15 minute ferry jaunt for the cost of a tram!  Wow - more exclamation marks needed...

We may pop back there tomorrow, to see the bits we missed.  Weirdly, on the ferry back, were uber-nerds of some kind, wearing matching outfits covered with sewn on badges, like scouts, but drinking. Turns out these are university guilds.  The colour of your 'overalls' is determined by what degree you are taking, and the badges mark exploits - just like scouts, etc.  Ours were in green, and they had a flag.  Apart from the fact that they were quite hairy and looked like gamers (and nerds) I was worried they might be some kind of neo-fascist thing.  Probably not.  When we arrived back from the island there were other nerd groups (in different coloured overalls) waiting to, presumably, form one large multi-hued nerd pack.  Oh well, good on them, etc...

As if that wasn't enough excitement we narrowly missed getting to join in a protest march against threatened govt child welfare and education cuts.  There were cops everywhere and lots of families with balloons and prams.  Very wholesome.  Unfortunately we were on a tram and unable to disembark quickly enough to join in.  Nonetheless, we were very pleased to see the poeple in action.

We have finished our day with some very tasty tapas at a nearby (spotted by locals) restaurant - or ravintola, for the Finnish speaking - and look forward to a leisurely start tomorrow.  Sunday is truly a Finnish day of rest, and the city will be very quiet, mostly closed.  However, thanks, once more, to our spotted by locals app, we have found a laundromat/cafe that should be open after 10am.  Happily, we will be able to complete our trip with clean clothes and without me having to do more hand-washing.  And kumbaya for that.

I decline the Baltic, snakes and book group

Let me just start by giving a big shout out to the local wifi.  Go the Finnish wifi.  Almost everywhere - strong - reliable - time to lift your game Aotearoa.

Also a couple of resolutions.  Plant more dill.  Learn to bake finnish cinnamon buns.

There was a snake. More later.  Yes, readers, I've been drinking.

Yesterday was a rest day.  We rested.  We walked the barefoot art installation forest walk (pics on instagram and facebook), we visited the 'beach' - ugh - weedy, algal, I decline the Baltic for purposes of swimming.  We visited Korppoo village by bicycle - we bought food for a dinner picnic - we had a hedonistic lunch at the Buffalo restaurant (also illustrated elsewhere), we found a geocache...

Today was day 4.  The last full day of the cycle tour.  To be honest we had low expectations, but in some ways it was the best of the lot.  The ferry rides were beautiful and the cycling, tho' more hilly, was the best of the week.

Now, here we are in Naantali.  Here is a blurry night photo.

Here is a dinner time evening sunset photo - very red and pink...  Dinner was fine - even when the waitress spilled quite a bit of red wine on G.  We were gracious - esp after G convinced them to make good the loss with more wine.  We left our waitress a tip along with much affirmation.

Here is Geoff picking wild raspberries for us at the side of the road.  He is my hero.  For this and so many other reasons.

Here, again, is the flag of Finland.  Get over it and stop selling us out you Tory bastards.  End of the political part.

Here are Geoff and Ward on the penultimate ferry ride...

Here is Eva (partner of Wart - citizens of Belgium) on the same ferry.  She has read Janet Frame.  So there.  Also, might start the first international chapter of our book group. (Did you get that, people, chapter?... nice.)

Here are Louise and Mike from somewhere in England... also on the ferry.  OK, from Warrington or somewhere like that between Manchester and Liverpool.

Here is the chruch at Nauvo.  All the churches have a ship.  They are lovely, straightforward buildings (plus chandeliers).

Here is the church from the graveyard.  Well-tended, as they all seem to be around here.

Here is our last selfie, taken shortly after viewing the snake, so I imposed on G's good humour.  Our barman at the hotel tells us it was the venomous kind.  Apparently there are two kinds in Finland. Very poisonous, and not poisonous at all.  He was sure ours was the first.  So pleased.

Here is the snake.

We have had a fantastic week.  Apart from our sore bums we are not keen to stop.  Certainly not best interested  in returning home.  Harrumph.  Good night.