Geo: 38.26, 140.89 - Sendai Its probably not a good sign when the remarks on your boarding gate say that the flight may be diverted due to bad weather. We didn't get diverted but It was a wet and wintry welcome when we arrived in Sendai. The rain and the sub fifteen degrees temperatures have persisted pretty much for our entire stay. Our search for a place to have dinner on the first night of our stay became a bit of an ordeal in the rain but we eventually settled on a place very close to our hotel - why didn't we just go there in the first place? Turned out to be good choice. It was a quirky little Tapas cafe run by a chef from Bangladesh and a hip looking Japanese guy. The chef ... read more

Geo: 34.68, 135.5 - Osaka For a seven hour flight we found it to be suprisingly comfortable and the time passed quickly. It makes a difference when the plane is new and modern with soft seats and plenty of mod cons. Jetstar you have improved your status in my eyes. We arrived in Osaka on time and found the free shuttle bus with barely a hitch. So far so good. It was a very short drive to the hotel. We were staying out near the airport ready for a domestic flight the next morning. Kansai airport holds an impressive location in the midst of Osaka Bay. As we travelled on the bridge across the bay to the mainland our hotel emerged as a solitary monolith over fifty storeys high. The same imposing structure we had seen ... read more

Geo: -16.9254, 145.775I know its been done before but its a great way for us to remind ourselves what's important and what's necessary when planning for the next trip. With any luck somebody else may find something useful in here as well. So after a few weeks of careful consideration, whilst being safely back in our own comfort zone, here it is - favourites and travel tips. Feel free to visit back later when we have added our favourite photos as well. There's a lot of photos so we want to enjoy taking our time to sort through them.FavouritesFavourite Country - Greece - It was before we started and probably always will be when it comes to Europe. It has history that is so remarkably visible. It has beauty in its people and its landscape. It ... read more

Geo: 1.28941, 103.85So here we are in Singapore. Its a culture shock for us, not because its Asia, we have experienced Asia many times before. Its because its not Europe. As difficult as it sometimes was to communicate in some parts of Europe I already miss the challenge of trying to speak the local language. Despite the fact that there is little or or no language barrier here service is nowhere near as friendly as in Europe and I miss that too. Perhaps that's because there is no tipping culture in Singapore. Maybe they should introduce one! In the higher class establishments the service is extremely courteous and sometimes friendly but in other places the service can be downright rude. But maybe that's because some people are distracted by their hunger as they fast for Ramadan. ... read more

Geo: 43.9797, 12.6958Our last stop in Europe was Misano Adriatico on the east coast, a three hour drive from Verona. Its a popular summer holiday destination for Italians and the venue for the eighth round of the World Superbike Championship. We stopped off on the way in Bologna to visit the Ducati factory and museum along with quite a few bike riders that were also on their way to the races. For me the factory was interesting seeing how the bikes were put together and how they were tested and to visit the place where the bike we own was actually made. For the boys it was obviously alot more than that, something more along the lines of Mecca I would think. The museum was very sleek and well thought out, clearly showing the history and ... read more