Skip to content
Retired and Restless.scot

Retired and Restless.scot

Exploring Scotland, Europe and the World

  • Home
  • Big Trips
    • Browse All Big Trip Intros
    • 2020
      • Japan in Winter (2020)
  • About This Site
  • 2004-2019 Archive
  • Search Guide

Category: Asia

Ice sculpture

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 6: Last full day in Sapporo

8 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Today, like Thursday before it, was neatly subdivided into three sections. After sampling a McDonalds breakfast (which, if anything, was marginally better than the previous day’s Starbucks experience), we set

Continue reading
Sapporo Beer Museum

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 5: Getting to know Sapporo

5 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Morning … Today started with breakfast at a local Starbucks – the coffee was nice enough, but the food wasn’t so great. After a brief return to the room to

Continue reading
A temple in Sapporo

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 4: Onwards to Sapporo

3 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Morning relocation Today began with another fabulous, private-dining breakfast – just as good as the previous day’s, but tinged with a feeling of regret that we were about to leave

Continue reading
Hell's Valley

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 3: Heaven and ‘Hell’

2 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Breakfast & Hotel Tour A member of staff arrived at 7:30 to begin setting up for our 8am breakfast. Just like dinner the previous evening, but on a smaller scale,

Continue reading
Welcome amenity

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 2: To Takinoya Ryokan

2 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Transfer to Noboribetsu Onsen Following our inclusive hotel breakfast, we checked out and took the bus to Memanbetsu Airport. This visit brought home what a small airport this is, although

Continue reading
Ice breaker

Japan in Winter (2020): Day 1: Disappointment and Delight

2 August 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Diary Entry, Japan

Morning: Cruise to nowhere Spoiler alert: the header image above is what we were MEANT to be doing this morning. We got up nice and early, had breakfast at the

Continue reading
Ryokan breakfast

Japan in Winter (2020): Introduction

30 July 2020 RandR.scot Asia, Big Trip, Big Trip Intro, Japan

This trip, like many before it, was planned and undertaken as a joint venture with my Bristol-based friend and travelling companion, Bruce. We had both become great fans of Japan

Continue reading
Text and photos copyright © 2020-21. All rights reserved.