We Leave for Japan!!!

The day finally arrives. The bus arrives at 5.10am - we are not ready and there is no time for checking and rechecking. We trundle our suitcases out to the bus and have the pre-take off photo - the bus driver is not amused, but we go on regardless - we are bleary-eyed but excited and this is our big trip!:)




Dodgy Jetsar turns out fine - apart from a boring time being offloaded at the Gold Coast into a very primitive and squashy transit lounge.
Once we are going again, the flight is fine -probably better than the airline starting with Q, esp as it is an airbus configured with just 2 seats to the side rows - they are comfortable and roomy ( as far as airline seats go!!). Excitment builds the closer we get to Kyoto and Chris!:)

We arrive at Kansai!!We clear C&I.
We are so excited to be in Japan!:) There is slight angst as we try to figure out how to buy a train ticket from the ticket machine and some to-ing and fro-ing between the queue in the ticket office and the macIine on the platforms. Eventually all is resoved and we are Kyoto bound. We arrive -.
Kyoto station is an engineering feat -

so grand and amazing and has the most beautiful Christmas tree! -We look around with delight and awe , but our focus is on the Hotel Granvia -built on top of the station- where Chris is wating for us We are wondering if he'll be asleep in his room- No as we go upthe escalator and along the walkway, there he is coming to meet us!! Yay!! Such excitment -..we do a quick sightseeing tour of the station then go to our rooms, drink wine and catch up... before bed -
It is the end of the day...we are tired and exciterd and happy and it is very late and we have lots of sightseeing ahead....but so happy!!:)

Tim's 23rd birthday- Kyushu

We decided to celebrate Tim's 23rd at a Japanese restaurant to get us in the mood for our forthcoming trip. I had heard Kyushu in Neutral Bay was good - I was not disappointed - the food was wonderful - fresh, delicious and prompt and the service magnificent.
We each ordered and shared Chinese style, except for Barry who was very happy with his seafood hotpot. - I thought the pot was cute! We ate our way through vast amounts of food and had to ask the kitchen to cancel the last plate of tempura, so we could fit in the birthday cake which Millie very kindly had made - a flourless chocolate cake - rich and gorgeous..The staff candled up the cake, added extra complimentary sparklers and presented it to Tim en masse and a whole bevy of little waiters came out and sang to him with enthusiasm and excitment.

It was a happy casual little birthday party and Kyushu is now my favourite restaurant du jour!

Advent

Megs found a lovely little real Christmas tree and decorated it for Andy.
We also gave him a solar powered star. It glows at night. We bought a 2nd one , so we have one in our backyard too - we also gave him one of Chris's little advent gnomes.

Pre - Christmas Christmas dinner

This was our pre -Christmas festivities dinner back in mid Novemeber. Our Christmas celebration is tomorrow morning. We are having breakfast and a glass of champagne. This will be brief and fun. I have serious shopping to do tomorrow, followed by Tim's birthday dinner.