downtown Lewisham a.m. 15 Sept. - before I turn into a blogging pixie (note: Marrickville appears on list of possible locations for the blogger - like Bondi, Coogee etc - but not Lewisham or Dullo) this could be addictive - but of course I must stop sometime. Got the 4.26pm Limited Express Kesei line to Narita as planned - only 1000Y and about 70mins (rather than almost 3000Y for "fast" options that only save 10 mins - and best of all it goes from my new home in Tokyo, Nippori (after Ueno). So checked in early at NRT (a new thing for me) - went and ate - at the same place as I did "last time" - a good sushi bar (not revolving) upstairs from check in counters - 1260Y then 500Y for a biru ... read more

12.45pm Sunday 13 Sept. - the Annex Katsutaro Ryokan - Yanaka not a place you will find on the average tourist map I am sure. the disadvantage of tatami rooms is of course as it is all mat there are no chairs! - so am sitting leaning against the wall. I found this one cos it was listed along with half a dozen others in Tokyo in a Japanese Inn Group book I found at the airport this morning on arrival from Berlin-Helsinki- there were also some flyers for a couple of the others and they were all around 6000yen or so (think just under $80 - which is pretty reasonable for Tokyo). I was thinking of going to the one I found at Ueno last time (if its still there) after an expensive night in ... read more

Berlin - the laundromat 8.30pm Friday 11 Sept. given the state of Tokyo connectedness (well, maybe with wee fee it eez now possible) this might be my last msg. I said earlier Now Berlin - where will I end up?? - well the answer is not at all organised (quelle surprise) - which is why having done nothing other than spending 2 hrs in the Pergamon Museum late yesterday (open til 10pm on Thurs. as are most of the museums on Museum Island) I decided I had better go on one of the walking tours of Berlin to at least see the bits I was otherwise going to miss out on (like, most of it!). So this picked me up at the Circus Hostel this morning - Terry Brewer himself (the founder) who leads some ... read more

train Warsawa to Berlin - Wed. 9 Sept.09 (or as I realise on having train tickets checked - 09-09-09) sitting on a Polish train which is rolling across Poland at a generally good Intercity pace towards Berlin (I could save up my joke about rolling across Poland like der Nazi blitzkreig but that would be tastless, ja?)- this was the fastest to Berlin - but still takes 6hrs - it is about 600km after all - and of course Berlin is really only about 50km from the Polish border. It also has the advantage of arriving into Berlin at about 5.30pm so I will have some daylight to hopefully find a hotel or hostel - from the price details I now see from the LP Berlin chaper I have I think it ight be the single ... read more

Vilnius - the slow finale yes well it was a very slow start - as well as being an Accidental Tourist I have also become a less than fired up get outta the door one. Have to set an alarm almost to get up for breakfast at 10 - then take more than 3 hours to get out the door. Mind you (he says as an excuse) the weather here has been rather spotty. Its about midnight (I work hard at this y'know) and there have just been some spots of rain - which is better than last night when the rain was relatively serious. Tonight it just turned COLD - and we are not talking Riga bit uncomfortable cold, but fleece jacket for the first time cold before going ofr dinner. Never thought it was ... read more