Life between trips

  1.  Nagoya Castle — Pretty from the Outside, but Closed for Visitors 1-1 Honmaru, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0031, Japan Nagoya Castle was having a free open‑house day due to the ongoing Nagoya Matsuri , which normally would be perfect — except the main castle tower has actually been closed to visitors since 2018.  So even though the grounds were open, the interior wasn’t accessible. We still walked around the exterior, and the castle is genuinely pretty from the outside. The combination of green roofs with its golden shachihoko shimmering and clean white walls,  the entire castle looks very striking. It photographs beautifully and has a calm vibe despite the festival crowd. As for the Honmaru Palace , it looked impressive and is well‑known for its gold leaf screens and restored interiors. But unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit it properly, so we skipped it this round. Overall, our stop at Nagoya Castle was short — more of a visual appreciat...

Japan, 〒480-1342 Aichi, Nagakute, Ibaragabasama, 乙１５３３−１ We reached Ghibli Park at 9:00 AM , right when the gates opened, and went straight to the Valley of Witches . The queue was already long, and for a moment, I genuinely thought we wouldn’t get a slot for Howl’s Moving Castle . But somehow, we managed to get a 1:30 PM slot — which felt like winning a tiny lottery. With time to spare before our entry, we explored the surrounding areas inside the Valley of Witches. Valley of the Witches — Beautiful, Magical, and a Little Mixed This zone brings together worlds from Howl’s Moving Castle , Kiki’s Delivery Service , and other witch‑themed Ghibli classics. If your ticket includes this area, it’s one of the most immersive parts of the park. The Bakery from Kiki’s Delivery Service One of the most impressive recreations in the entire park. It is an exact replica from the anime — both the inviting front shop and the familiar backyard area where Kiki often appears. The best part is that you c...

Travel  Itinerary from 10 September 2025 to 21  September 2025. Here's a day by day for reference. Click on link for more details on the place of interest or the food. Plan on day 4 changed. Originally also plan to take a cruise around Sai Kung. But the round trip island hopping will take about 2 hours minimum excluding hiking in the area. Hence, i decide to skip this part. Otherwise, the trip is as planned.  Day 1:   DO:  Flight from Singapore to Hong. Arrival at 1.20 pm, Symphony of Lights EAT:   Lunch  at Hung delicacies ,  Dinner  at   Bolton Cafe STAY: Marco Polo Gateway Hotel Day 2:   DO: Tsz Shan Monastery   EAT:   Coffee  at Ometsesando , Br unch  at  One Dim Sum Yi Dian Xin  ,  Dinner  at   Kam Roast Goose,  STAY:  Marco Polo Gateway Hotel Day 3:   DO: Shopping at harbour city and sim city EAT:   Breakfast  at Bakehouse ,  Dinner  at Littl...