My first trip to Osaka in 6 years. Day 7

10.17, Muc coffee place

So glad I popped here. This is the kind of place that understand what a coffee place should be like. Had been like... 

10.55, Rinku park

Finally found some trees that are aware that it's autumn. Most are still oblivious to this fact :) 

11.03

Couldn't really process what this is supposed to mean... 🙄 

11.12

Surely building a seaside walk like this is not a very hard task. Why does my city has so much trouble with it? 

12.20, Kansai Airport

Looks like smaller companies do open check-in strictly 3 hours before the flight. Had to put my luggage in a storage so that I don't have to drag it throughout the airport while I'm making my last purchases and having lunch.

16.50

For some reason, the queue to enter the country is long and slow, but the process of leaving is fast and simple. The check-in, the preflight inspection, the passport control are all done in a moment. While in China it's the opposite. 

21.30, Shanghai airport

I'm pleasantly surprised to see how eager to help the airport staff are and how good their English is. What a drastic difference with Beijing "international" airports.

00.38

Like I said... Boarding a plane in China is not an easy task. An hour of queuing at check-in, the same for inspection with a thorough groping done by a security lady... At least they're guiding you through the process and it's easy. Next time I'll be aiming for Shanghai. 

My first trip to Osaka in 6 years. Day 6

10.23, Takarazuka Grand Theatre

I feel like it's changed and not changed... Like it was yesterday and long ago... I feel like a granny visiting the places of her youth 😂

13.06

The nice thing about this theatre is that each row of seats is properly higher than the previous so you can see the stage well enough. Some theatres may learn from this. Yes, I'm speaking about you, Concert hall in Vladivostok! 

15.01, L'omelette restaurant 

They even have a place that specialises in omelette with rice... Special for me I guess 

My first trip to Osaka in 6 years. Day 5

12.37, Kobe city museum Grand Van Gogh exhibition 

I thought if I come on weekday, I'd be able to enter instantly... Wrong! On the other hand, someone in the queue said we'd wait for an hour, but we didn't, and it took only 20 minutes to enter. I guess it's not bad? 

The line to view "The cafe terrace" inside is impressive again...

12.45

Wow. They allow to make photos. One per person though, but that's enough. I'm usually against it... But reminding myself I've seen it is something really special. 

Naturally, the museum shop had Van Gogh postcards, Van Gogh keychains, Van Gogh notebooks, Van Gogh candies, Van Gogh folders, Van Gogh bags, Van Gogh T-shirts...

13.51, museum cafe

I'm not particularly a foodie, but what can I do? Coffee and sweets served in museum cafes are the best. 

14.50, atoa aquarium 

A woodchuck's tail. That's all we saw today from a woodchuck...

15.01

Today I saw a lot of new animals and fish. Some were looking like sparkling decorations 

Some were like plasticine

Some like felt toys

And some like they were printed from plastic with a 3d printer

The atoa aquarium is very pretty. Hey you handsome! 

Japanese rooms with koi cars and goldfish are just something

15.21

There is also a very educating area. Here you can have a sniff of an animal's rear 👍

15.26

Hello my friends we meet again! 

15.29

I wish my city looked like this. It has the sea, and the seaside walk, and the port and the cranes... 

18.04, Herbis plaza 

Went to buy a new Sony phone. This shopping mall is very modest....... 

With a very plain view from a panoramic elevator

18.24, Akakuro restaurant 

Yep, a very normal bar with a very normal view and very normal teppanyaki 

My first trip to Osaka in 6 years. Day 4

12.50, Aeon Mall Rinku Sennan 

Went shopping, robbed Uniqlo, found Lavazza coffee, checklist done.

13.15, Kurochobei restaurant 

This is what you get for just a bit more than two thousand yen. Does it look big? Yes. Is it extremely big for one very elegant lady? Nope. 

15.41, Sennan long park

Who thought to put palm trees here I don't know, but this looks very nice. Please ignore the strong wind spoiling the whole atmosphere. And I wanted to sit on a bench and create some art on the beach....... Not today. 

Osaka for the first time in 6 years. Day 3

11.35, Namba station

They turned the hall inside the station into an improvised 19 - early 20 century exhibition!

11.59, Nakanoshima museum of art 

This is probably a work of some famous artist. Well, I call it an "alien cat" 

12.32, "Venus of the new age" exhibition 

I don't really like art deco style very much, but this is impressive. Can you feel nothing when looking at this car? I think not... 

The women were surely very thin, I understand... 

14.10, Una toto

But I get to eat this wonderful grilled eel! I don't care if I don't get to wear those wonderful art deco gowns! 

18.12, Bicerin Hankyu Umeda 

And this delicious dessert! Check and mate! 

19.11, Umeda 

I don't know if anything changed, something probably did... But I feel like I was here just yesterday. 

Osaka for the first time in 6 years. Day 2

14.44, Harvest hill

Seems like they have kapibaras here. Hmm...

15.35

They most certainly do! 

15.40

But I came here for the flowers. Who named them cosmos, I wonder? 

15.55

It's only 4 pm but I can feel the evening coming already. Still can't get used to the fact that sunrise and sunset are much earlier in Japan... 

17.07, Evans restaurant 

Wow... Even in residential areas far from city centre there are wonderful restaurants with perfect Italian courses

18.40

Just look how pretty it is! 

19.25, Harvest hill

On one hand, it's too early for Christmas decorations. It's middle November! On the other hand, I could see it now, without waiting for December... So I can't complain right? 

Osaka first time in 6 years. Day 1

11.58, Vladivostok airport

A cute tiger made of pebbles locked smooth by sea water. Father says the wooden decorations in Haneda ap were better, but well... We're not Haneda level yet :)

13.50, inside Hainan airlines plane

It's. So. Hot. What's with their air conditioning... 

13.35 local time, PEK ap

Wow. I thought we'd be 20 minutes early, but we're 20 minutes late. Which makes 40 minutes of needing to hurry up. 

14.15, shuttle bus to Terminal 3

I'm so glad Terminal 2 is small and there are no crowds.

17.30, inside Air China plane

Who would expect this plane model to be so... Modest. At least, there are more dishes in the meal set. Including some melon 🍈 Hainan only offered the hot meat dish, small bun and inedible Chinese yoghurt. Well, it depends on what you compare, huh? S7 doesn't even offer that. 

20.35, Kansai ap

There are actually Chinese parents changing diapers of their child in the hall for passport control. Ever heard of a restroom?

21.06

One thing the Japanese airports can learn from China is... Speed... 

Tokyo in April 25. day 7

9.40, Coffee Shop Porsche

The shop owner didn't seem to be surprised with foreigners spending Japanese coming for the second time. Or at least he didn't show it. It was me who was surprised 😁

13.22, Haneda Airport

An observation deck with benches and a hall decorated with artificial flowers, and a replica of Nihonbashi, the famous Tokyo bridge. Just your normal Japanese airport. 

13.51, Ginza Ogura in Haneda Airport

I couldn't leave you behind, my oily eel...