2018 | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Coffee Club Beach Road Pattaya

August 31, 2018 by David Herd

Opened September 1st 2018

Coffee Club Beach Road Pattaya

Coffee Club Beach Road Pattaya has just opened at Markland which just happens to be where I live on the 20th floor. As you can see they have a perfect spot overlooking Pattaya Beach.

This business only lasted a year or a little less before closing permanently. It is now January 2022 & a new restaurant is about to open on this site.

Perfect for solo diners like myself. 🙂

The first store opened on 2 November 1989 at Eagle Street Pier in Brisbane then on 1 July 1994 The Coffee Club became a franchise.

More outdoor seating

The smokers are well catered for which is a good reason to sit inside & enjoy the air conditioning.

Coffee Club Beach Road Pattaya

A staff meeting the day before opening.

Here I am with the friendly staff at The Coffee Club.

I am going to enjoy a daily visit here. 🙂

My welcome coffee

My first coffee here & the opening is not until tomorrow. 🙂

Very nice decor & friendly staff

Add excellent coffee & food & it adds up to a fabulous venue at Markland condo.

Where will we meet you?

The Coffee Club of course. 🙂

Let’s take a look at the food.

Their breakfast specialty is Eggs Benedict.

So what is the verdict you may well ask?

Here is my opinion after only one breakfast, I’ll revise it when I try some different dishes. Location 10/10, staff excellent 10/10, decor is very impressive, Eggs Benedict had a slight vinegar taste 7/10, coffee 8/10 & finally in my opinion far to expensive for Thailand.

Baht 476 or $20 AUD or $14.50 USD.

Once again this is only my opinion, similar coffee at Starbucks is B31 cheaper at B115 with every 12th one free when using their debit card. Their price of B146 or $6.20 AUD is way over the top. Even a medium flat white is B124 or $5.27 AUD as you can see above.

Let’s compare it to Bon Cafe

Bon Cafe is a very good breakfast spot. Just under $8 AUD or 185 Baht you get this excellent meal including coffee & orange juice, 668/17-21 Pattaya-Naklua. As you can see there is a huge price difference, $8 or $20 AUD, the choice is yours.

Phad Thai & prawn

This dish was ok, & priced at B200 or $10 AUD.

When it comes to coffee I prefer Starbucks or the Holiday Inn.

Thanks for visiting my Coffee Club Beach Road Pattaya photo blog.

Holiday Inn

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

For London & UK hotels there are great discounts through this link.

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

Soapy Massage Pattaya Bangkok

Spectacular Bangkok Sky Bars

Fresh seafood Bangkok

Pattaya live webcam

Hawker Chan Hollys Coffee

Le Bordeaux Pattaya Restaurant

Atlantic Bar North Pattaya

Art of desert Pattaya

Breakfast Bake n’ Brew

Food review Pattaya 2020

Food review Pattaya 2021

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

July 18, 2018 by David Herd

Renovated May 2018

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya is certainly one of my favourite restaurants. TripAdvisor rating is #22 of 1,025 Restaurants in Pattaya, however in my opinion it is in the top 10.

Perhaps a salad to start with.

Lots of choices at Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya.

The photo does not do it justice.

The Oxtail soup is fantastic, I often drop in and have it for lunch, followed by a waffle of course. 🙂

Of course I sometime have the pancake instead of the waffle. 🙂

They are both delicious.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

Dining with my friend Hamish & my brother Warren in May 2018 just after the renovation was completed.

The Tuesday night special.

Without a doubt they serve the best lamb shank in Pattaya, perhaps even the northern hemisphere.

Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya

The new decor is attractive & modern. This was at 6.30 pm & I was the only customer. 🙂

In case you were wondering, here’s Patrick.

He used to be a parachuter, now he is a biker. 🙂

Early May 2018 they gutted the restaurant.

The finished product is excellent.

Here we are at the old restaurant.

I’m with Greg Clee & Hamish Elton celebrating Hamish’s birthday in 2015. Notice the old fashioned decor?

Can you believe the size of this Tomahawk? 🙂

A whopping 1.5 kilo, I think Hamish could handle it. 🙂

A terrific dinner with friends.

August 31st 2018, 3 Aussies, a Belgium & a Yankee.

Good food & nice people.

From the left we have Dan Escamilla, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Sally Schmidt & Wayne Schmidt.

Another Tuesday night dinner

Half the table ordered the lamb shank. 🙂 From the right we have David Rose, Brendan Tate, Jessica, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Dan Escamilla & last but not least Possum. 🙂

That is a great looking slab of beef.

You would need a huge appetite to get through that. 🙂

Irish stew was exceptional on October 21 2020

Great value at B250 or $8 USD.

Location

Opposite Mike shopping mall in an arcade opposite the Beefeater.

One final look at the Tuesday special.

Lamb shank (French style) & potato au gratin. I only have one criticism of this fine restaurant, the house wine is far too expensive. Everything else is excellent, many thanks for visiting my Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya photo blog.

July 31 st 2020

Belgian waffles & red wine.

For more Pattaya steak restaurants just CLICK HERE.

Patrick discovers El Mercado

Here is what Patrick had to say about El Mercado; “Didn’t know where to eat tonight in Bangkok so I asked my good friend David Herd who is an expert in Bangkok restaurants. He suggested El Mercado. Wow, what a surprise. Never saw anything like that in Thailand. All those choices of cheeses, cold cuts, seafood and fish. Many wines as well, but a bit on the expensive side. I enjoyed a mixed platter with cheeses and cold cuts, my wife went for the oysters and seafood dish. All in all a success and very enjoyable. Book in advance, packed all the time. Worth a visit when in Bangkok.”

Life 2015 Family history Life 1982

Adelaide 1972 Iron Bar Freddy Sydney 2006

Thailand 2008 Gold Coast Babes World trip 2003

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Check out these great food photo blogs.

World is my oyster

Tokyo fabulous food

Upmarket Chinese Food Sydney

Food review Pattaya Thailand

Good English restaurants

Amazing World Food

Fresh seafood Bangkok

Steakhouse New York

Korea restaurants Itaewon

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 4 photos

Longest Trips Air Sea

July 17, 2018 by David Herd

longest-road-sea-air-trips-fivestarvagabond

The Long & Winding Road

Longest Trips Air Sea

Longest Trips Air Sea Road that I have ever taken over all my years of travelling the world. Starting with a six week cruise way back in the 60s from Sydney to Southampton. I’m boarding the Fairsea with my best friend Glenn Beasley.

The old shipboard romance

Leanne Scot was from Adelaide, we spent a lot of time together during the 6 week cruise & later living in London. More photos on THIS LINK.

Longest Trips Air Sea Road

We worked for a few months at the White Lion Hotel in Cobham, about 20 miles south east of London. We lived upstairs & had 1.5 days off each week. The pub closed around 2012.

7th engineer on the La Maria.

I did two trips from Europe to Duluth in the Great Lakes in America, whilst not the longest voyage in distance it certainly was in time at sea, around 6 months.

My longest taxi ride, around 300 kilometers.

We travelled from Natal to Recife around the coast of north east Brazil.

Praia de Pipa

On the way we stayed in Pipa for a few days, it became one of my favourite places in Brail.

Porto de Galinhas

Is an hour south of Recife, in English it means the port of the chickens.

My lovely travelling companion

Simone & I met online 3 or 4 years ago & we always catch up when I’m in Brazil.

A very long road trip.

Three Japanese students, Yukako, Megumi & Noriko & I travelled from the Gold Coast in Queensland, through Broken Hill NSW to Coober Pedy in South Australia, a fascinating opal mining town where most of the population live in underground houses, then on to Ayers Rock and back home to the Gold Coast via Hervey Bay where we went whale watching. On our marathon journey all through the Australian Outback we traveled 7,000 kilometers which was around 82 hours behind the wheel.

It was a wonderful trip

The girls were so excited seeing the Australian outback that it made the trip much more special for me.

It’s way out of focus but you get the picture.

At sunset the rock seems to glow.

Whale watching at Hervey Bay

This was our last stop after the longest road trip I have ever taken.

Longest Trips Air Sea Road

Such magnificent creatures.

My longest flight was from Rio de Janeiro to Brisbane.

Thirty five hours with a 8 hour stopover in Buenos Aires. It was the stopover from hell, I flew 3 hours to Buenos Aires from Rio, then an eight hour wait for my flight to Sydney at 2am with a stop in Auckland, then a 3 hour wait in Sydney before arriving on the Gold Coast at 3pm Friday. To say I’ll be stuffed when I get home could be the understatement of the year. Meanwhile I had a bottle of Argentine Malbec and a fillet steak to help pass the time. 🙂

I was a very tired boy when we arrived in Brisbane.

I don’t ever want to attempt such a flight again. 🙂

My longest residence

Twenty one years I lived in the beautiful home I designed & built in Surfers Paradise, from 1990 until 2011.

My private jetty

At the front of my waterfront home.

My yellow canary

I drove this wonderful Mercedes for 17 years until 2007.

My longest relationships

First there was Carol Luciano from Double Bay in Sydney, we were an item for 3 years or so in the 70s.

Karen Smith was also a 3 year term.

Karen was from Melbourne & we lived together for 3 years in the 80s.

Thanks for visiting my Longest Trips Air Sea photo blog, & they say nostalgia is a thing of the past. 🙂

Life 2015 Family history Life 1982

Adelaide 1972 Iron Bar Freddy Sydney 2006

Thailand 2008 Gold Coast Babes World trip 2003

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Sensational Sydney Fish Market

July 12, 2018 by David Herd

Sydney-Inner-City-Adventure-fish-seafood-market

Too much seafood is never enough.

Sensational Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont Bridge Road is always a hive of activity. We were there on a Monday in July 2018 and it was as crowded as a Sunday.

A very famous name….

The Doyles family first opened their doors in Watsons Bay in 1885. Since then and for over 5 generations, the Doyle family have been serving Australian Seafood in a number of outlets around Sydney.

Doyles at Watsons Bay in 1982

I’m with my girlfriend Helen Burke in 1982 at one of our many lunches at Doyles.

Sensational Sydney Fish Market

Australian seafood is as good as you will find anywhere in the world.

Sensational Sydney Fish Market

As they say in the classics, “shop till you drop” at the Sensational Sydney Fish Market. 🙂

A perfect lunch

Sydney rock oysters & fresh prawns.

Did I mention oysters?

I just spent 4 days on the Gold Coast & 3 times I visited Chevron Island seafood to swallow a dozen Coffin Bay oysters from South Australia. My good friend Frank is the owner & discounted them to $20 a dozen.

Famous Murray Cod.

For some strange reason I don’t think I have ever eaten this iconic Australian fish.

Anyone for a swordfish steak?

Looks very interesting indeed at the Sydney Fish Market.

Sensational Sydney Fish Market still busy after 2 pm.

Half the lunch crowd had left but there were still lots of people eating.

Giant crabs

These monsters would be perfect for a long lunch.

My lunch companions

My brother Bryan Herd on the right & Viv Kennelly. Thanks for visiting my photo blog.

Here are some more posts to check out

Life 2015 Family history Life 1982

Adelaide 1972 Iron Bar Freddy Sydney 2006

Thailand 2008 Gold Coast Babes World trip 2003

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Overnight Narita Station APA Hotel

June 24, 2018 by David Herd

Farewell Japan after my 5th visit since 2007.

Overnight Narita Station APA Hotel

Overnight Narita Station APA Hotel before flying home to Thailand after another wonderful Japanese holiday. My six hour flight was scheduled to leave at 10.00 am so staying in Tokyo would have meant getting up very early.

There is a free shuttle bus from the APA hotel to the airport which takes about 30 minutes.

All you can eat restaurant.

The Spiral Staircase is a small “hole in the wall” restaurant that offers unlimited food for a set price of around 2,200 Yen. They also included the largest glass of red wine that I have ever been served.

Desert included

A pancake with ice cream, delicious.

Reminds me of an old song

Smoke gets in your eyes, sung by the Platters way back in the 50s. 🙂

Overnight Narita Station APA Hotel

Huge glass of red from Chile + a large salad.

My lucky day….

I scored a window seat in am exit row.

Great view from the plane.

A beautiful blue sky and ocean.

Another remote atoll

About an hour out of Tokyo on the way to Bangkok. Thanks for visiting my Overnight Narita Station APA Hotel photo blog.

The APA hotel is located beside Narita station, if you book through THIS LINK you will get an excellent room rate of under $50 AUD, + you have a free cancellation option.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Check out these great photo blogs.

Dotonbori in Osaka – Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai – Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan

June 23, 2018 by David Herd

Day & night Tokyo is fantastic.

Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan

Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan come alive at night as does most of this great city. The lights, the restaurants, the bars, there is so much to do and see in Tokyo. Above is a busy arcade at Asakusa.

Early evening & the crowd is building.

A slow build up however the crowds will come.

A little hole in the wall for dinner.

A typical small Tokyo restaurant.

Delicious Yakitori

My favourite Japanese cuisine, as you probably know by now.

Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan

Asakusa is fabulous at night as is most of Tokyo.

Wet night in Shibuya

My last night in Tokyo tomorrow I take the Shinkansen to Sendai.

Shibuya is about 45 minutes from Asakusa

A direct ride on the Ginza line.

Time for dinner.

So many restaurants to choose from, there must be 5,000 restaurants in Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan.

Soup & dumplings.

Both delicious.

Starbucks in Shibuya overlooks the famous Shibuya scramble.

Check out THIS LINK for the scramble.

Ping pong club

Very different from those in Bangkok. 🙂

Tokyo Sky Tree

The view from Asakusa.

Creme cake in Asakusa

You are never too old to enjoy a creme cake, I hope he is hungry. 🙂

Glass skyscraper in Asakusa.

A terrific building in Asakusa. Many thanks for visiting my Asakusa Shibuya Tokyo Japan photo blog.

30 million visitors means it’s always busy here.

This Buddhist Temple is the cities oldest temple. Senso-ji is the most widely visited spiritual site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually. The temple was completed in the year 645, making it Tokyo‘s oldest temple.

Tawaramachi Station

I stayed at the Agora Place hotel which was a wonderful location close to 3 metro stations Tawaramachi, Ueno & Asakusa. You can get an express train direct from Narita & you can catch the Shinkansen from Ueno. Book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Here are some of my most popular posts.

Pattaya live webcam

Beautiful Brazilian beach babes

Copacabana beautiful beach babes

Nana Plaza Bangkok sex sin sleaze

Sexy Cherry Bar babes Pattaya Thailand

Tim Bristow Iron-Bar Freddy Tropical Joe

Atlantic Bar North Pattaya

Sexy Soi Cowboy Bangkok

Beautiful Budapest

Australian seafood

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure

June 20, 2018 by David Herd

Eat to live, or live to eat?

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure in May 2018, started with the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai, then I flew to Sapporo before another flight south to Nagoya. After a couple of overcast days I had a short trip on the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Four days later I rested in Hikone for 2 days before spending my final night in Narita.

The Yakitori chicken above was in Tokyo & absolutely mouth watering. 🙂

Sushizanmai is my favourite sushi chain of restaurants.

Always fresh & delicious.

Grilled Avocado at the Cellar Grill Omotosando

Quite an amazing taste.

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure continues in Sendai

Sendai is famous for oysters, “a cold current that contains nutrient-rich water travels down the coast from north to south. The two currents collide at around the Sanriku area, which includes the coast of Miyagi Prefecture.” The mixing of these currents leads to plankton blooms, which attract migrating fish. “This same nutrient- and plankton-rich water makes Matsushima Bay oysters delicious,” these wild oysters were first discovered as a culinary delight and harvested from Matsushima Bay back in the 17th century.

Salmon & almonds was delicious.

At the ANA Holiday Inn in Sendai.

Mongolian Lamb in Sapporo.

Lunch at the Beer Garden should certainly be on your bucket list.

Rare roast beef salad at Bistro Masuya Sapporo

Something a little different for a change.

Sapporo seafood market

Hokkaido of course is famous for seafood.

While on the subject of seafood markets,

Here I am at Omicho market in Kanazawa in 2016.

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure includes some edible gold leaf on top?

Kanazawa’s history with gold leaf began 400 years ago. Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) used to make gold leaf, Kanazawa now is the only remaining production hub of the coveted craft.

Lunch at Nagoya

A chicken & salad wrap followed by a cream bun.

Yakitori for dinner in Nagoya

Asparagus wrapped in pork.

Yakitori for dinner in Osaka.

You probably realise by now how much I love Yakitori. 🙂

I also found my fabulous grilled avocado again in Osaka.

Talk about my Gastronomical Japanese Adventure, this creation ranks right up there with the best.

Succulent steak in Kyoto

Cooked to perfection.

Fabulous Ramen in Kagoshima.

This city is a long way off the beaten track but really worth a visit.

Dolphin Port sushi train

How good is this?

The happy guys at Dolphin Port.

They all love a photo. 🙂

I’m still in Kagoshima

I really love Unagi (eel)

Gastronomical Japanese Adventure

Fabulous Pizza at Gorms, which hails from Copenhagen. I first ordered this in their Nagasaki branch, then I repeated the effort in Fukuoko. 🙂

More wonderful food in Kagoshima

Yakitori to die for at the Kagomma Furusato Food Village.

Duck Confit in Hikkone

Absolutely mouth watering & cooked to perfection.

Giant Gyozo aat the Spiral Staircase in Narita.

An excellent all you can eat restaurant 10 minutes walk from Narita station.

Here are some locals I met in Kyoto.

Had a few beers with these nice locals in a tiny beer bar in Gion.

Hamosh & I drinking ice cold Ashari in Osaka.

Thanks for visiting my Gastronomical Japanese Adventure photo blog.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Check out these great photo blogs.

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

June 19, 2018 by David Herd

A city between Tokyo & Kyoto

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan sits by the shore of Lake Biwa the largest lake in Japan. In previous blogs I have been a little harsh when writing about Hikone, however the Castle was interesting & I dined at two very good restaurants. Above is Castle Road which as you can guess leads to the famous Castle.

Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan

Apparently the buildings along Castle road have been designed like town houses from the Edo Period with white walls.

It was a long walk to Starbucks

Always worth the effort though. 🙂

My hotel to Starbucks

I’m sure it took me longer than 31 minutes. 🙂 Hotel Sunroute Hikone is also only 4 minutes walk from the station, you can get a room for around $30 AUD if you book through THIS LINK.

I stopped for an ice cream on the way back to my hotel.

I tend to walk as much as possible to help my fitness, plus you see more of the local environment. Most days I was walking more than 10,000 steps.

Cute coffee shop

Also there are lots more photo opportunities when you walk.

A monster supermarket

By far the biggest I have ever seen anywhere in the world.

The famous Castle

Five castles in Japan are national treasures, this is one of them. Hikone Castle’s three storied castle keep is relatively small but displays a unique design that combines multiple different architecture styles. This is one reason why the castle keep has been designated a national treasure, the highest designation for cultural properties in Japan, held by only four other castle keeps, namely Himejijo, Matsumotojo, Inuyamajo and Matsuejo.

The other four.

Hikone Castle is a 15 minute walk along the straight main road from Hikone Station.

Entry to the castle

After climbing about 800 steps the end is near. 🙂

The climb is worth it.

I have seen so many castles in Japan yet the attraction is still there for me.

The city from the castle.

As you can see it’s a very small city.

Spare a thought for this guy

He is delivery goods to the shop, a long hard climb.

Take a boat ride on the moat.

Everywhere you go in Japan there is a photo opportunity.

Apprenti restaurant

Very good food & delightful owners.

Duck Confit for dinner

Very French, here is the recipe. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven.

Followed by desert of course.

I ate here two nights in a row. 🙂

Here I am with the owners of Apprenti restaurant.

Masanori & his wife Hiromi are 2 delightful people who provide excellent French food & wine in their small French restaurant.

Uomaru

So many restaurants as such little time.

Busy chef at Omaru

Always great to watch the chef in action.

Avocado

I’m always looking for this on the menu. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Hikone Small City Near Kyoto Japan photo blog.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Pattaya live webcam

Dotonbori in Osaka

Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai

Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

Counter only started February 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido

June 17, 2018 by David Herd

The observation deck is 90 meters high.

Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido

Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido Japan offers a great view of the city and surrounding mountains, the observation deck is 90 meters high & certainly worth a visit.

Observation deck.

Not many people here today.

Sapporo is Japan’s 5th largest city.

A population of almost 2 million people.

Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido

The blue sky make such a difference when taking photos.

Leafy boulevard in the city center.

Always nice to see some green breaking up the concrete jungle.

My hotel is in the bottom left hand corner.

APA Hotel Sapporo-Susukino-Ekimae was in a very good location next to the metro station. For a terrific room rate just book through THIS LINK & pay later, free cancellation if your plans change.

One of Sapporo’s modern buildings.

Other than shrines, temples & castles you don’t see many old buildings in Japan, they just knock them down & build a new one.

Photo opportunity

A nice park surrounds the TV Tower with lots of colourful flowers.

Time for lunch

After leaving the TV tower I headed straight for Doutor, one of my favourite cafe’s for a ham & salad roll with a hot latte.

Thanks for visiting my Sapporo TV Tower Hokkaido Japan photo blog. Take a look at the Beergarden & other restaurants before you leave.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

Brazil Hotels

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Pattaya live webcam

Dotonbori in Osaka

Piss Alley Tokyo

Oyster bar Sendai

Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Hokkaido Island Sapporo Japan

June 16, 2018 by David Herd

Very impressive norther Japanese city.

Hokkaido Island Sapporo Japan

Hokkaido Island Sapporo Japan is the countries 5th largest city. Lot’s of things to see in the interesting northern Japanese city.

Airport bus 3 minutes walk from my hotel.

This was far easier than taking the train, 2 or 3 buses every hour arrive at the airport in 70 minutes.

Airport bus leaves from in front of Sushizanmai.

Sushizanmai is my favourite chain of restaurants in Japan.

Hokkaido Island Sapporo Japan at Shushizanmai

When you dine at one of there great restaurants you know exactly what to expect.

Sapporo at night.

Lots of bright lights is this big exciting city.

Bistro Masuya Sapporo

Very good food and service at this nice restaurant.

Warm casual atmosphere.

Only 5 minutes walk from my hotel.

Roast beef salad at Masura

A very tasty dish.

Posing with the statue in Sapporo.

Under a beautiful clear blue sky.

Another nice photo opportunity.

A cute little girl in the park near the TV Tower.

Sapporo TV Tower

A terrific view of the city & the mountains from the observation deck 90 meters high.

Sapporo Clock Tower.

The Clock Tower is a symbol of Sapporo. The building was constructed during the early period of Sapporo’s development in 1878 as a drill hall of the Sapporo Agricultural College. In 1881 a clock purchased from Boston was installed.

Sapporo Beer Garden

Popular in the beer halls are all-you-can-drink beer and all-you-can-eat mutton BBQ, a popular local dish named after the great Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan (Jingisukan in Japanese).