The Heights of Ulm

The Christmas market was centred around a beautiful church. Not sure if it was the highest spire in the world, maybe it's the highest one on a building classed as a church instead of a cathedral or something?

The Sparrows of Ulm

Sadly we weren't around long enough to figure out why sparrows are associated with Ulm, but it had a lovely Christmas market. Bonus points for illustrations of fairy tales we'd never heard of.

Red Cross and cooking engine

The Red Cross had set up in the town centre and seemed to be letting children look inside their ambulances, and we later found a converted fire engine that looked like it was now a mobile food van.

The usual

I tried to send some interesting photos of our trip to Ulm at the weekend, but it looks like the photos from the new phone are too large. You'll have to make do with the view from the balcony this morning (which cleared slightly, then closed in again mid-afternoon).

Keep it classy, Germany (NSFW)

Inside and outside the public toilets at whatever train station we ended up waiting for 1.5 hours at on the way to Ulm on Saturday after the train we were supposed to get was too full of ragingly drunk football supporters.

Well played

Coop knows how to tempt me.

Winter in the eye of the camera

Some more winter photos!

Winter closing in

We've had high winds over the last two weekends, complete with dried out and empty balcony boxes and flower pots being hurled across the balcony, along with mats and chairs. So I did a final harvest of salad leaves and made many, many trips to the green bin. Only two boxes left at the moment, some bee-attracting mix that is still flowering. None of the peppers or pumpkins were edible in the end, but it was fun. I'll try to focus a bit more and try again next year.

Last home-grown salad of the year.

The view the following day.

The Christmas markets are open already, and I had fun walking around one of the smaller ones near Bellevue with a new friend. It's icy out in the mornings and evenings, so might be time to get some new photos for cards - we'll probably run out of our stock this year.

Shine on, you crazy mushroom

The final Hello Kitty of the trip, this time her clinging to one of Hachijojima's famous glowing mushrooms.

Still my favourite time of the year

Pumpkin and persimmon from the local supermarket.

Sacrilege?

Buddhism just doesn't seem to have it. Hello Kitty as the great Buddha at Kamakura.

Hello there

Another flight on the way to somewhere in vaguely the same direction.

Homeward bound

Beautiful sunset out the window of the flight from Helsinki to Zurich.

Thinking of you

You know who you are.

Tasty erase

I needed a pencil eraser for my wonderful rewritable luggage tags. This was on one of the saner options at the 24-hour Lawson convenience store inside the hotel.

Celebration

We stopped at Haneda for some delicious soba and tempura before getting the coach to Narita and onwards to the hotel.

Filled with what?

On second thoughts

I could do without the video advertising inside the cubicles of the ladies toilets.

Return to civilisation

We made it! Back to Tokyo and all of its madness. The ANA flight got cheers and a round of applause when it landed, despite warnings just a few minutes before that it might be forced to turn back. Yay for ANA!

Thanks, I needed a laugh

Seen outside a car dealership.

Close call

The view out the window on the bus back towards the airport. The wind didn't seem to be dying down.

Last meal on the island

The outside of the wonderful fish restaurant.

Still stormy

Looks like the incoming flight from Haneda will take off, but ANA's site warns that there's a chance it will have to turn back.

Heading back from the onsen by bus, shouldn't be too much longer until we're at the airport and we might find out more.

If in doubt, eat and bathe

The second flight was cancelled so now we just have to wait and see if the last one goes or not. (If not, we almost certainly won't make our homeward flight tomorrow.) Takeshi took us to an amazing fish place that looked like the warehouse of a fishmongers, and then dropped us at an onsen with incredible views. There can't be much better ways to spend the time.

Stormy morning

High winds this morning meant that the first flight of the day was cancelled. Even though we're on an advance, no changes allowed tickets the people at the ANA desk put us on standby for the second flight - there's a chance that the third and last flight of the day, the one we're booked on, will also be cancelled which will make it a bit difficult to get to Narita in time for the flight back tomorrow...

Fishie fishie fishie

Delicious sashimi of local fish on our last night in Hachijojima.

My one a day

Pumpkin pudding!

Relevant to my interests part 2

Cocoa pods!

Relevant to my interests part 1

Coffee beans!

Aloha

Amazing hibiscus flowers at the botanical gardens.

Fields of paradise

Despite the forecast

It did drizzle most of the day, but we still got to see the island scenery thanks to our friend Hanae. We drove around the south of the island, visited a lighthouse, drove some more, saw the island's traditional weaving, had lunch, went to an onsen, saw some old thatched houses and were treated to tea, freshly roasted sweet potatoes and mochi, saw and were persuaded to try some taiko drumming, went around the local history museum and then made our own glass beads! And had a fantastic dinner and a great time hanging out with Hanae and her family.

Lookout

Gecko! We found several small ones in and around the hotel.

Long long ago

Found during a futile search for restaurants last night. No idea how long this has been here...

All view

A ten minute walk from the hotel, a very volcanic seaside. It's a very, very sparsely populated place...

Welcoming committee

Arrived safely in Hachijojima, so far almost Okinawa-style vibes although the weather is supposed to turn tomorrow. Can't complain as it's been amazing so far.

Working girl

Air stewardess Kitty at Haneda airport.

Boo to you too

Exceedingly cute "ghost bread" that was white on the outside but chocolate with chocolate cream filling on the inside.

Om nom nom

Amazing chicken and coconut curry and whole breaded mackerel at Wander Kitchen in Kamakura!

Go big

At the giant statue of Buddha in Hase.