Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Japan, Part 1

Our big vacation began last week!  I've already lost track of which day it is, so that's a good sign.  We are eating well, drinking well, reconnecting with old friends, as well as making new ones.

I'm going to try to drop some photos on here throughout so I'm not super far behind when I get back to Sweden in a few weeks.

Here goes!


Excited monkeys on the plane.



This is Juna.  She just might be the sweetest baby on the planet.  This little girl put up with all of our appointments and running around--and she was really into looking at the fancy kimonos at the bridal shop.  Here she is doing what she loves most--EATING.  





This cutie belongs to a darling couple--Tomo and Asami.  He gets freshly cooked steak for dinner, wears a diaper belt, and has stairs to get up on the couch.  Oh, the life of a Japanese dog!






So crazy all of the St. Louis things B and I found at one of the vintage stores in Tokyo.  There were four Blues sweatshirts, but it was the Billikens one that tripped me out the most.





I don't know what kind of fish this was, but it was delicious.  B and I had an adventurous evening at an izakaya on our own.  There were no English menus and not much English was spoken, but luckily we're pretty adventurous eaters so we took whatever they gave us and left full and happy.








It's much better to go to an izakaya with friends, however.  That way you get to try all of the best stuff.  Jetty and Tomo made sure we didn't miss out on anything.





And I found a new favorite drink--umeboshi hi.  It's shochu and soda water with an umeboshi plum at the bottom.  It's like the hangover cause and the hangover relief rolled into one!





And!  They sell sake in juice box-style at any 7-Eleven.  YES!