Kyoto, Osaka, Germany…

Hi there! This week was really good. I had my last days in Japan and now I am seating and writing this blog at my desk at home here in Germany. I am realizing slowly that I am no longer in Japan. The change is really drastic, and I just came back on Friday, so it will take me few days to get over the jetlag and adjusting myself again to this place. Japan is an amazing country and since I went for the first time in 2019 I have been back every year, except when Covid happened and Japan did not allow tourists in. This was my 7th time there and my love for that part of the world just keeps growing.

I started off this week in Kyoto, did some shopping souvenirs before heading back to Osaka, where I decided to stay until I came back on the 31st. I really wanted to go to Tokyo as it is always on my plans but this time I wanted to spend it more kind of relax and after such busy weeks here in Japan I needed a bit of a break. Although, I did walk a lot across Namba, Dotombori, Tenjibashi, Nakazakicho, Umeda, Tenma, etc. So it was not exactly a break, but it saved me some energy on travelling, but next time I go back definitely I will visit Tokyo. This time I spent a lot of time at Umeda, this part of Osaka is incredibly big. Umeda Station is a big area made of several other stations, all connected underground, and also at many levels, connecting buildings, and many shopping malls, it is just gigantic. One can spend days trying to understand the layout of it, and going through all of it. Just one day is not sufficient to see it all. Believe me I am not exaggerating on the size of it. The amount of restaurants, shops, bars, anything really you can find there. The neighbouring areas like Nakazakicho are great for coffee and just getting a hipster vibe with many little shops and retro vibes. I went to Haiku Coffee where I met the owners and they were really nice and kind and we talk quite a bit about coffee and roasting and their beginnings and they mentioned that Lilo Coffee Roasters was part of it. At Lilo Coffee Roasters I got some beans which I am enjoying here at home and I managed to talk a bit to Kotone which is a barista and we had met since last time I went in December, also  visited Pathfinder Coffee and Pauhana Coffee, all of these places I really recommend. Every time I am in Osaka I keep discovering new places where to eat, shop, walk, it is such a great city, it has it all.  

I was able to visit also Team Lab Botanical Gardens at night with Akiho’s Mum, sister and little Yukito, it was really nice, the only thing was that it was incredible humid and hot. You can give a quick look of it in google.  

This July in Osaka was really humid and the temperatures really high, however that does not stop me to walk the whole day. I love also spending time with Aki’s mama, we get along really well, she is so nice and has a lot of sense of humor, although we have a language barrier we communicate with google translate and also with signs and I use my very limited Japanese and she makes an incredible effort to speak some English. Every time I stay at her place I brew coffee for her every morning, it is kind of our ritual. Also, she is a really good cook, although every time I compliment her, she says “ I am not at all good” but she is, she has a very nice seasoning on everything she cooks, even when she thinks something is a little salty or lacks flavour, it is just not the case, it is always spot on. So, thank you Japan for having me again and confirm why I love so much to spend time there, also for the connections I am building in terms of friendships and meeting new people with whom I will stay in touch.

I flew back and again through Helsinki then Berlin and finally took 3 trains to arrive to Chemnitz. It was a long trip but I am getting kind of use to it. But after very long flights to take 3 trains is really taxing specially the next day haha. Now back in Germany and ready to plan for next season, write agents, theaters, create concerts, etc.

I keep doing my morning pages, exercise routines and my steps, plus reading a new Murakami Book, since ages I do not read him and now is the time again to get into his amazing world.

Take care and see you next week.