The time had come. I was ready to begin letting people know about my plan to live in Japan, specifically Tokyo, for 6 weeks. Having lived on a (very) small island for the past couple of years, moving to the other side of the world is not taken lightly by the locals and as expected, many questions rolled in, starting with: "Aren't you scared?" to "But you don't know Japanese! How will you get about?!". Needless to say, most of the individuals including my close friends and family, were extremely excited and positive for this opportunity that I so luckily happened to come across. I knew that this was only a short period of time that I'd be away, and even though it seemed like a vacation to most, I would be working my full-time job overseas through the time-difference, which I admit, takes considerable self-discipline, but I was ready.

I am writing this four weeks in and I cannot begin to explain the experiences I have had. I had been told by friends that had been to Tokyo previously, that I had to be prepared for a culture-shock, truth be told I found myself experiencing the city as it is: a city. Sure, it's not London, Paris or Rome, but neither are the said three alike either! The first thing I noticed once arriving to Tokyo, was how friendly and polite everyone is, always willing to help and that's something that has actually continued to make my stay up until now very comfortable, even with slight language barriers which do not bother me in the slightest.

I am currently residing in my boyfriend's apartment in the central part of Tokyo called Shinjuku with brilliant views of skyscrapers surrounding us. I have taken a couple of walks around the area and it's a ridiculously-large ward however in around one hour of walking I am able to reach Shibuya, Roppongi and Ikebukuro, which are another three main Tokyo-an (is that even a word?) regions. Till now I have:

- Visited the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
- Tasted delicate Sakura Wine
- Ate Kitkat in multiple flavours: Strawberry, Matcha and Sake till now
- Walked through Yoyogi Park
- Tasted the best Cashew-Caramel popcorn from Garrett
- Visited a Cat Cafe
- Had a traditional Japanese dinner at an Izakaya in Shibuya
- Tasted 4 kinds of sake from different areas in Japan
- Entered a Buddhist Temple
- Tasted the best Matcha Green Tea Latte & Cake in a 100 year old Traditional Japanese Tea House
- Visited Ueno Zoo
- Attended a few comedy shows
- Gazed at plum blossom trees
- Explored Tokyo Dome City
- Tasted my first meal at Bubba Gump
- Beat my boyfriend at bowling
- Played a Japanese drumming game to the PPAP song
- Explored Shinjuku by foot (multiple times)
- Pampered myself with a homemade dinner by my boyfriend and I
- Tasted Dragonfruit
- Ate Chicago-style Pizza
- Devoured the limited edition Sakura-flavoured latte and Sakura Chiffon Cake at Starbucks
- Explored Kanda by foot, entering the Imperial Palace Garden
- Crossed the Shibuya Crossing

I have a lot more to do on my list, however for the time being I am pretty satisfied with what I have achieved while being here. Keep an eye out for my future posts for updates.

Finally I have had the time from work to put my Krakow clip together. There have been many other things Daniel and I got up to while we were there, just check out the other two posts on My visit to Krakow and Krakow : What I recommend, but while my phone and camera were on hand, I took some videos to show you all what a typical holiday to Krakow in April is like. Enjoy.

My first time to Rome has been oddly different to what I would have imagined my visit to be like. First of all, I had the faintest idea of what Rome actually looked alike, and I am so glad that I have finally seen it for my own eyes : ruins and romantic sidewalks.


As I was told by many, the driving there is absolutely insane, but that just makes it more exciting as a tourist in the country seeking excitement. Watching cars whiz by alongside the trams, buses, coaches, and plenty of taxis, I managed to make my way to everywhere that I needed and wanted to visit on my 5 day trip to this historical capital.

I stayed in the wonderful Lodi Guesthouse on Via Di Porto Maggiore, just 6 minutes from Manzoni Station, and 10 minutes from Termini Station. Our landlord, Marco, was warm and inviting and gave us many tips on what to see and where to visit. One of the best places I visited with Fred was Trastevere, a colourful little picturesque area in south-west Rome. I had planned attending a Food Tour on the day as it was my surprise for him for our two years together, and we ate our hearts out happily. A big thanks goes out to our tour guide, Jasmine, who took us to the best places to taste the traditional food of Rome, while also taking us to the oldest building in Rome, which is now a wine cellar - it's even older than the Colosseum! Trastevere really does have a lot to offer when it comes to gastronomy from sweet parma ham to the oldest Romano cheese and smooth healthy gelato in floral flavours. I am happy to say that this has been one of the best ideas I have had in a while!




























The Colosseum is a must-see for all tourists heading their way to Rome, and while in the area, Fred and I decided to take advantage of all the nearby sights too including the public rose garden, the knights of Malta keyhole,  the 'Bocca Della Verità' (Mouth of Truth), the Palatine Hill and Forum.














After eating to our heart's content and visiting many ruins and historical areas, we decided to head to another area of Rome to visit more important landmarks, unfortunately the Fontana Di Trevi was under re-construction so there was no water in it, however I still managed to throw a coin into the empty fountain, just to feel like I made my presence known in the world, as for everything else, it was all lovely.













We also made a stop at Villa Borghese on one of the days to visit the zoo and all the cute animals there.













On the majority of the nights we were there, Fred and I dined at La Taverna Italiana, a wonderful restaurant round the corner from the place we were staying that basically won us over from the first day we were there, and every time got better and better. They made our dining experience, especially on the day of our anniversary, absolutely fantastic. They were even so kind enough as to give us a free bottle of champagne to celebrate! Rome was a wonderful place to visit, even though the driving is crazy, the people are very friendly and there is loads to see and learn.