Day 3 (Monday 28th September 2026) Yokohama here we come

 A Slow Start in Narita

Our morning drifted into motion at a wonderfully lazy pace. Our body clocks were still negotiating the one‑hour time difference—7am in Japan feeling suspiciously like 8am back home. For Cos, a lifelong early‑riser, this “sleep‑in” was practically rebellious.

Our train- the Narita Express 

Narita Express Green Car

Hotel Nikko Narita had been a pleasant surprise: 14,000 yen (about $130 AUD) for a comfortable room in a massive 600‑plus‑room hotel. After a good night’s rest, we hopped onto the free shuttle bus and glided back to the airport, then descended into the basement train station where the day truly began.

Japan greeted us with its trademark politeness. Even in the bustle of the station, people were kind, helpful, and often ready with a little English. We practiced our ohayō gozaimasu and polite nods, easing ourselves into the rhythm of Japanese manners. Breakfast was a classic fast Japanese meal from a station café—simple, cheap, and surprisingly delightful.

Narita Express to Yokohama

The Narita Express rolled out smoothly, cruising at 130 km/h and delivering us to Yokohama in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The experience felt on par with the European trains we’d taken in late 2025—clean, quiet, and efficient.

We’d booked the Green Car, Japan’s business‑class equivalent: wide seats, generous legroom, and dedicated luggage space. From Yokohama Station, our IC Suica cards made transferring to the local train effortless.

Our hotel was perched directly above the station, so check‑in was a breeze. By joining the hotel’s club, we secured a 2pm check‑in instead of 3pm and were able to leave our luggage early.

First Adventures in Yokohama

With an hour to spare, we wandered into the legendary 7‑Eleven—a wonderland of snacks, drinks, and quirky gadgets. Cos tried a smoked‑salmon‑and‑mashed‑potato sandwich (oddly delicious), while Melissa opted for a traditional bento 

7/11 experience 

Yokohama 

When we finally checked in, we discovered we’d been given a top‑floor room on level 17, complete with a view of the cruise terminal. After unpacking, we strolled down to explore the waterfront.

Cruise Terminal 

Cruise Terminal 

 The terminal itself is fascinating—wooden ramps spiralling up to a rooftop lookout where visitors can watch ships depart and admire the Yokohama skyline. Out at sea, a tornado was reportedly forming, so we’ll see what the weather decides to do by Thursday.

Strolling to the Great Shop

Along the way to the Great Shop, we fell into step with a Chinese woman who was wonderfully chatty and incredibly friendly. For a moment she assumed we were Americans, but we quickly set the record straight. The walk turned into a lively conversation, and her warmth made the journey even more enjoyable.

We paused at the harbour to take in the views—calm water, soft light, and that gentle sense of anticipation that comes with exploring somewhere new. A simple walk, but a memorable one.

The British merchant House 

The British built sewers in the 1870s

Don Quijote: A Japanese Fever Dream

Next stop: Don Quijote (affectionately “Donki”), a store that defies explanation. Imagine a department store crossed with a carnival crossed with an anime convention. Lights, noise, gadgets, snacks, costumes—aisles that go on forever. We bought a few things simply because resisting felt impossible.

Dinner: Ramen and Spice

Dinner was in the same complex—a ramen shop with a spice scale from 1 to 6. Melissa chose a 3; Cos bravely went for a 5. Both bowls were hot, flavourful, and deeply satisfying. And the price? $36 AUD for two meals. After Europe last year, that felt like a miracle.

Spicy Ramen 

The spicy Ramen was served by the staff that had very little English and we had very little Japanese. One of the young staff had a little bit of English but not much, so we found Google Translate became our friend and they became our friends I think. Lovely people will probably go back there again tomorrow or perhaps the next day because the train system will take us directly to their shop

Navigating Japan’s train system has been surprisingly easy and efficient. Stations are bilingual, people are thoughtful, and with Google Translate, Google Maps which works very well, and a touch of Copilot, everything clicks into place.

Evening Wind‑Down

After dinner, we zipped back to the hotel in minutes. The plan for the night: head down to the lounge on level seven for a quiet nightcap and let the day settle.

Day 2 Sunday 27 Sept 2026 Brisbane to Narita

 Our travel day began surprisingly early, with a short five‑minute ride from the Pullman to Brisbane International Airport. Thanks to valet parking, the whole arrival process was blissfully smooth—no fuss, no circling, just hand over the keys and walk inside.

Qantas Lounge 

Check‑in was equally effortless. With priority assistance, we breezed through the counters and headed straight for the Qantas Lounge, where breakfast came with a celebratory glass of champagne. Because of ongoing airport renovations, the lounge was located before security on the roadside, meaning once we passed through the newly upgraded—and impressively efficient—security area, there was no lounge waiting on the other side.

Our only setback came when our aircraft was delayed by almost two hours, pushing our departure from 10:35am to 12:25pm. But even that was softened by the news we’d received the day before: our bid for a business‑class upgrade had been accepted. We’d offered 60,000 Frequent Flyer points each, and clearly Qantas agreed.

RM Williams kit

Business class was a revelation. Spoiled is the only word for it. Our seats, 7E and 7F at the rear of the cabin near the bulkhead, transformed into fully flat beds complete with mattresses. Drinks were offered constantly, the service was attentive, and the RM Williams amenity kit was a classy touch. After this experience, we’re hoping our return‑flight upgrade bid is accepted too—we’ve officially been ruined for economy.

Business class seats 

Welcome drinks 

We touched down at Narita at 8:08pm local time (9:08pm Queensland time) and finally exited the airport at 9:23pm. The delay wasn’t due to Japan’s famously efficient systems, but rather our own reconnaissance mission—testing tomorrow’s route into Tokyo and wrestling with Telstra’s data roaming until it finally cooperated.

Narita International AirPort and train station 

Narita as landing 

We hopped onto the free shuttle bus for the short ride to our hotel, a journey that ran with the kind of precision and polished politeness Japan is famous for. Every movement was efficient, every interaction gracious.

Our hotel turned out to be enormous, sleek, and unmistakably Japanese in its thoughtful design. Even the bathroom felt like a tiny adventure—complete with an electronic Japanese toilet full of mysterious buttons and gentle whirrs. Another delightful discovery in a country that never stops surprising us.

A long day, a luxurious flight, and the excitement of Japan ahead. The adventure begins.

Day 1 Saturday 26th Sept 2026 Departure Day: Brisbane Bound and Japan on the Horizon

Today marked the beginning of our Japan adventure. We left home for Brisbane, ready for tomorrow’s flight to Tokyo — excitement definitely building with every kilometre.

Of course, the day started the way all big trips do: a major house clean‑up before we could even think about closing the front door. Once everything was in order, we hit the road and headed south to Brisbane for a family catch‑up at Carindale Shopping Centre with Jacqueline, Charlotte, Sean, Peter, Anja and Catherine.

Lunch at Carindale was relaxed and cheerful, the kind of easy gathering that makes the start of a holiday feel even better. Afterwards, we continued on to Charlotte’s unit in Seven Hills, where Sean had baked a beautiful carrot cake to celebrate Jacqueline’s upcoming birthday on Monday. We also met Charlotte’s new flatmate and her husband — both lovely, and perhaps a little surprised to find the unit suddenly full of visitors.

With the afternoon winding down, we made our way to the Pullman to check in for the night. Tomorrow’s 10:35am flight awaits, and with it the beginning of our Tokyo adventure.

Day 36 (Sunday 7th December) Home and a summary

 Our European adventure kicked off with a smooth departure from Brisbane, buzzing with excitement and just a pinch of bittersweet as we said goodbye to our beloved cat, Squirrel. Venice greeted us like a dream with its enchanting canals and Tresente's timeless charm and coffee, though wrestling with Brisbane airport check-in kiosks early on was less magical.

Setting sail on our Mediterranean cruise, we soaked up stunning ports from Ravenna to Rome, diving into history, as well as cultural delights of wine and food, and as well as enjoying the onboard entertainment and sea views. Sure, weather delays and tourist crowds tried to rain on our parade, but the cultural feast more than made up for it.

Rome was a whirlwind of ancient wonders and lively streets. We marveled at the Colosseum and Vatican treasures, savored local markets, and indulged in delicious food. Navigating chaotic traffic and dodging persistent street vendors kept us on our toes, adding a bit of urban adventure.

Florence and Milan dazzled us with Renaissance art and vibrant café culture. From Michelangelo’s tomb to Milan’s glamorous Galleria, we soaked in the sights. Laundry and limited access to La Scala rehearsals were minor bumps in an otherwise art-filled ride.

Train rides through the Italian landscape brought breathtaking views, leading us to fly over the Alps to Amsterdam’s charming canals and windmills, then whisking us off to our cozy Parisian hotel. Battling a cold and some Eurostar boarding confusion tested our patience, but the journey was worth every twist.

Paris charmed us with iconic landmarks like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, festive markets, and gourmet dining. Long queues and a missed perfume shop visit were small hiccups amid the magic. Travel fatigue hit hard with flight delays and boarding pass issues in Doha, but we powered through.

Returning to Brisbane, smooth customs and a comfy hotel helped us unwind, though lost paid seats and just four hours of sleep on the long flight left us ready for some serious rest.

All in all, our trip was a colorful tapestry of culture, food, and unforgettable moments, sprinkled with the kind of travel hiccups that makes great stories later on. 

Our next adventure, Japan in October 2026 to celebrate milestone birthday or two. 

Day 35 (Saturday 6th December) Time travel to Brisbane

 Thankfully, we made our Doha connection to Brisbane—though not in the seats we had carefully selected and paid for. Somewhere along the way, they’d been reassigned to other passengers, leaving us with less comfortable spots for the long haul.

Almost home after 14 hours of flight from Doha 

Determined to stay awake through the journey, we managed only about four hours of sleep each across the entire flight. By the time we landed at 10:43 p.m. Brisbane time, the thought of a bed at the Ibis felt like a dream waiting just beyond border security.

Customs was straightforward: our wooden Christmas decoration and chocolate were waved through at the secondary checkpoint without fuss. Luggage arrived safely, and we collected our duty-free items before heading to valet parking. The car pickup went smoothly—though amusingly, the paperwork had us scheduled for collection the following day.

From there it was just a short drive, about a kilometer down the road, to the Ibis. Tomorrow, we’ll make the final leg home to Toowoomba. Not bad considering we just travelled over 16000km from Paris to Brisbane over 24 hours!

Day 34 (Friday 5th December) Paris and Europe Farewell: Journey Home Begins

 Ready for the trip home—well, sort of. The morning began with the familiar ritual of zipping up the last bags, double-checking the suite to make sure nothing was left behind, and then heading out for one final Parisian breakfast.

Down to breakfast 

Looking up to the ground floor 

Our hotel served breakfast in what was once a noble family’s wine cellar, carved straight into the rock and lined with ancient bricks. The descent down the rustic staircase felt like stepping back through centuries of history.

View from our window 

Front of hotel 

Down to breakfast 

Street view Hotel 

Hallway in Hotel 

Breakfast in a cellar 

The spread was quintessentially French: baskets of bread and croissants, platters of cold meats and cheeses, fresh orange juice squeezed on the spot, steaming coffee, and a bright fruit salad. Simple, elegant, and delicious.

Paris greeted us with a cloudy sky, clear enough in the city center but fading into fog as we drove further out. Leaving is bittersweet—Cos could easily linger another week. This trip has been all about culture and food, with shopping happily left aside.

Our driver was delayed by a truck stuck in a one-way street, arriving ten minutes late. No matter—the journey to Charles de Gaulle usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, and we still reached the airport at 11:59 a.m., right on time.

Check-in was smooth, though we’ll need fresh boarding passes in Doha for the onward flight to Brisbane. Terminal 1 is strikingly modern: after passport control, you walk into a block of gates, each with its own security checkpoint. Signs are mostly in French and English , with  French spoken by security,  translations by hand signals—adding a touch of adventure to the process.

Airport 

Airport

Airport

Airport 

Airport

Security was straightforward, and soon we were at Gate 30, not far from the checkpoint, waiting for the next stage of the journey. 

Usual seat entertainment 

Up to deck 2

View from aircraft of the airport 

We boarded a little late, just before 3pm Paris time. Our aircraft (a beautiful A380-800 airbus) is a double decker, so we are on top deck seats 27A and 27B  slightly trailing the wing and above. 

3/4 of hour late before we moved to taxi. Due to overhead congestion of aircraft wanting to takeoff and land. Keen stay a little longer in Europe but not seated in a stationary aircraft. At 4:20pm we took off. 😊

Doha

Doha

Doha Dash: A Gate-Crashing Adventure. 

We touched down in Doha an hour behind schedule, which left us with a mere 45 minutes to sprint across one of the world’s largest airports to reach gate C15. The terminal sprawls like a small city, so we hopped on the train and hurried through endless corridors, hearts racing as the clock ticked down.

Along the way, things got complicated. Staff insisted they couldn’t issue our boarding passes because check-in had already closed—though they only revealed this little detail once we arrived at the gate. The real snag had started back in Paris: the service desk checked us in for the Doha flight but claimed they couldn’t process the Doha–Brisbane leg since it was a joint Virgin/Doha ticket. Online check-in hadn’t helped either, throwing error messages and directing us to “sort it out in Doha.” Of course, with the delay, check-in technically closed while we were still in the air.

After another round of security checks, we finally reached the gate—just in time. The gate manager, who turned out to be Virgin’s airport manager, pulled us aside to break the bad news. Melissa stayed calm, but Cos… not so much. Let’s just say his frustration was clear.

Thankfully, after some firm but polite exchanges, the manager relented and got us onto the flight. The catch? Not in the seats we had carefully chosen. Still, relief washed over us as we stepped onto the plane bound for Brisbane.

In the end, it became yet another chapter in our ongoing journey—proof that travel is never just about destinations, but about the unpredictable adventures along the way. The magic question, do we still have luggage. 😊

Day 33 (Thursday 4th December) A Day in Paris: Markets, Towers, and late Wanders

 Our morning began at Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris’s oldest covered market, founded back in 1615. Its name comes from a nearby orphanage where children once wore red uniforms—hence les enfants rouges. Tucked just off Rue de Bretagne, the entrance is easy to miss, but step through the gate and you’re suddenly in a bustling maze of food stalls, produce stands, and kitchens serving dishes from every corner of the globe.

Marché des Enfants Rouges

Marché des Enfants Rouges

Jewish quarter 

We didn’t sample the market fare this time, having already indulged in breakfast and coffee at a Vietnamese flower shop café—a quirky little find that served excellent cake alongside blooms.

From there, we wandered through the neighborhood’s boutique shops. Paris excels at small, independent stores; chain retailers are rare here, and it’s a reminder that Australians could learn a thing or two about preserving character in shopping streets.

After lunch, we boarded a Batobus boat bound for the Eiffel Tower. 

Seine River

Near the river 

An enjoyable and relaxing ride. A quick pizza and some shopping later, we joined our guided tour. Dining near the tower comes with a warning: two cappuccinos set us back €15, and the pizza was €23. Converted, that’s nearly $30 AUD for coffee—almost Monaco prices! 

We joked that after paying Paris prices we no longer had kidneys and only part of our livers left. The Aussie dollar doesn’t help either—sitting at around 56 Euro cents to one of ours. Some might say, “Suck it up, you’re travelling overseas,” but the exchange rate has bigger implications. Australia imports most of its manufactured goods, so a weak dollar doesn’t exactly work in our favour as consumers. The real winners are the primary industries exporting abroad, while the rest of us feel the pinch every time we order a coffee or purchase something made from overseas. Hmmm, perhaps finding an economical balance to benefit more Aussies? (And I know it’s not as simple as that when comes macro economics, and it would be nice to ignore such economic triggers such as interest rate differentials, commodity export prices, China’s economic slowdown, global trade tensions with tariffs, domestic housing & credit stress etc, etc…., (Bugger still remember 1st year economics.)

Our guide, a Ukrainian woman who had relocated to Paris during the invasion of her country, shared fascinating insights into the tower’s history and mechanics. Security was tight, with two checks before reaching the lift. Adventurous visitors can climb the stairs, but we opted for the elevator to the second floor, then continued 200 meters higher to the summit. In total the tower is about 300 metres high, not bad for 1889 temporary building for the world expo. 

The views were breathtaking—Paris stretched endlessly below, with nothing taller to obstruct the panorama. We toasted the moment with champagne (€24 per glass, a splurge for the memory rather than the taste). As night fell, we were lucky enough to witness the Eiffel Tower’s light show, sparkling every hour after sundown. Seeing it both from above and later from the ground was unforgettable.

Mr Eiffel's apartment at summit 

Dinner was at Le Bourbon, a restaurant directly across from the French National Assembly. The clientele matched the location—polished, political, and Parisian. We took advantage of the prix fixe formule, bringing the bill to €80. We figured it be awhile before we visit Paris, perhaps 2027 😉?

Le Bourbon

Our walk home led us past festive Christmas markets and the Louvre, before finally hailing a taxi. 

Near the Loure

Loure

Loure

Loure

The only tragedy of the night? Needing to pack our bags for tomorrow’s journey home. Of course after packing we enjoyed some cheese and wine French style.