After waking up at the Mercure, we visited the nearby Haneda-jinja, popular for aviation safety, before going further away to Gotokuji, a temple with thousands of Maneki-neko. We then came across a fantastic Mount Fuji view, had lunch, and checked out the new Azabudai Hills before dinner nearby. We ended the day by viewing winter illuminations at Roppongi and the Meguro River.
Continue reading “Cats, Planes, and More in Tokyo”Mount Takao
After waking up at the Mercure, we went up to Tokyo Station where we had tsukemen for breakfast at Rokurinsha. We then took the train to Takaosanguchi, a chairlift partway up Mt. Takao, and then walked up to the summit. We enjoyed the view as well as the Takao-san Yakuo-in before returning to Tokyo. We then went to see the winter illuminations at Tokyo Midtown and Tokyo Midtown Hibiya.
Continue reading “Mount Takao”Historic Zurich
After waking up and having breakfast at the Kameha Grand, we took the tram to walk through Zurich‘s historic city center. We visited a few churches and Christmas markets around the Limmat, the river that runs through the city, as well as the Lindenhof and Polyterrasse viewpoints.
Continue reading “Historic Zurich”Amsterdam
After arriving at AMS, we headed to the Apollo Hotel to check in. We then headed into historic central Amsterdam where we visited the Royal Palace, followed by the New Church, Old Church, and Basilica of Saint Nicholas. We also spent time walking by the city’s canals, had some Dutch snacks, and had a seafood dinner.
Continue reading “Amsterdam”Remnants of the Berlin Wall
Today, we mostly visited portions that remain of the Berlin Wall. While doing so, we also saw Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing between East and West Berlin. And we spent some time at the Topography of Terror, a Dokumentationszentrum (Documentation Center) that covers the Nazis’ rise to power and the evils that they committed. There is also some special focus on this particular site as it is where the Gestapo headquarters was located.
Continue reading “Remnants of the Berlin Wall”