2020 - Giles and Paula go to Japan

[Seul]

Nothing like a good, flawless start to a journey!..

[neph93]

When Gosport says stay, Giles says «fekk right off». Happy trails and safe journey. You travel like my daughter… «What do you mean I need a visa? I’m sure it’ll be fine...». It was. Good luck with the drivers licence.

[Giles]

So there are two types of International Driving Permit.  The 1949 version and the 1968.  You cant apply for the 1968 version online, guess which version Japan requires 

[Seul]

They're making this far too easy on you…

[Giles]

We're just going to have to front up at the car hire joint and play innocent.  I suspect though, Japan being Japan, we will be catching trains rather than driving…. ::)

[Steffen]

@Giles:

We're just going to have to front up at the car hire joint and play innocent.  I suspect though, Japan being Japan, we will be catching trains rather than driving…. ::)

They are in the End like we Germans, they like their rules and regulations and dont have any humor if you dont follow them 

[Giles]

Plane is virtually empty…..

[Kasi]

Have a safe journey. Keep in good health.

Thanks [emoji4]
M

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[the246guy]

@Giles - Have a safe journey! Counting on you to deliver me the IH 526 LV - V2 jacket in size small!

[Giles]

The 19L jackets are western only (not stocked in Japan), so we still have to wait for production run to be completed I am afraid….

[Giles]

The plane that @Chap was coming in on was cancelled anyway…..

@Madame Buttonfly doing her best to ward off Coronavirus….

On the subway to Shinagawa station to catch the Shinkansen…

And here comes the Nozomi to Shin Osaka…

When we landed in Haneda, I got in touch with @Sarina and she worked her magic with the car rental company - my 1949 International Driving Permit will be accepted…..

What would we do without her.....

[Giles]

Granted, not the most picturesque foreground  :D, but that is Fuji san there…...

[Matty123]

I’m betting @Chap isn’t the only one who got the bad news from his insurance company. Austria ain’t havin it.

[Giles]

Got to Shin-Osaka, found the car rental joint and they did not even ask for the bloody International Driving Permit.  That was some magic that Sarina wove….

As we knew there was an SS20 viewing at the Osaka store, we went to pay a surprise visit to Haraski and Kenta....

Hanging out with the collection….

[neph93]

Size 10. Just saying.

Say hi to everyone for me. Especially Kenta-san, that Osaka tee is a prized posession.

[Kasi]

Nice pictures have fun. 

[Anesthetist]

Great pics, Paula is looking beautiful as always, and I love how Haraki-san is layering his primaloft. I would have never thought it could look so badass.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[trail and arrow]

@Giles:

Granted, not the most picturesque foreground  :D, but that is Fuji san there…...

@Giles this is a really great photo!

[Giles]

Thank you.  Here is the original before I cropped….

[Giles]

Last night in Kyoto.  Hit a craft beer and whisky bar.  It was on the first floor (that is one above the ground floor for you infidels who call the ground floor 1F …) and barely visible from the street as so many bars and restaurants are in Japan.

I did not try this, but I guess it was some sort of London style beer…

Asked the barman where we should get noodles and he sent us to:

https://en.japantravel.com/kyoto/nagahama-ramen-miyoshi/12882

What sold me was this sentence….."To spot Nagahama Ramen, all you have to do is spot the most rustic (read: shabbiest) establishment on Kiyamachi Street."

I'll def be going back…...And when I do, I will try and get a photo of the broth stockpots, you could literally take a bath in them, they are so large...