The sun is shining on us and we are headed to the Rossio Train Station to catch the train for a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra. On the way we walked down this really steep hill that has some colorful graffiti and tram also covered in bright graffiti. This tram’s only route is to go up and down this hill all day. (That could get old real quick.)
I’d definitely take this tram up, rather than walk it if I had to go up it every day.
At the Rossio Train Station
You go up a series of escalators before you get to the top where the ticketing booths are located. There were also some ticket machines, but the booths operated by people seemed to be faster. We got our tickets and then headed out to the train headed for Sintra, Portugal. It was already waiting on the platform. (They have regular departures, so no need to reserve in advance.) Also if you happen to have the Lisboa Card, I believe this train’s fare is included with that card.
Arriving in Sintra, Portugal
The train to Sintra takes about 40 minutes from Rossio station. When you arrive you will exit the train station and turn right. Pass all the tuk-tuks and walk over to the buses to find Bus 434. We spent 6.40€ to ride the bus 434 loop that will take you to the Palace of Pena, stopping at the Moorish castle and making a loop back down to let you off by the National Palace of Sintra before returning you to the train station. It was the best money we spent! Sintra is hilly! And the Palace of Pena is way too far to walk to from town for our day trip.
Originally I had planned on visiting the National Palace of Sintra first, but the bus took us straight up to the Moorish Castle and then to the Palace of Pena. However, it worked out as I learned that getting to the Palace of Pena earlier is really the way to go. There were a lot fewer crowds and the weather was better earlier in the day.
Purchasing Tickets:
The bus drops you off by the ticket offices which are located about a 10-minute walk below the Palace of Pena. We purchased a combo ticket that included both the Palace of Pena as well as the Palace of Sintra.
Alongside the ticket office, you can choose to pay a tuk-tuk, take a shuttle or walk the remaining way up to the Palace of Pena. We chose to walk and although it is uphill, it was a very scenic walk thru the trees. If you are in decent shape and the weather is good, I would recommend it. It took us about 10 minutes to walk up to the palace.
Palace of Pena
The Palace of Pena is unlike any other palace we had visited before. This one is so playfully designed and so colorful it is really something special!
For me, it was definitely worth the day trip to Sintra. However had the weather been really awful and rainy, I probably would not have gone. There is a considerable amount of outdoor walking and viewing involved in appreciating this castle. You also get to tour the inside, but the outside is really what most people come to see.
On the backside of the palace, you’ll find the below chapel.
This is the palace chapel found on the rear side of the Palace of Pena.
There is also a pathway that circles behind the chapel and leads you along the palace walls. You can walk all the way around the palace along the wall and catch wonderful views of the Moorish Castle as well as the town of Sintra.
Views of the Moorish Castle from the Palace of Pena walls
We walked back down the hill from the palace to the bus stop. We caught the next bus (keep your ticket handy to show the driver) and were off to see the Palace of Sintra.
Snack Break
We got off the bus and decided to take a snack break before heading to the National Palace of Sintra. So we stopped at Piriquita, a bakery that was recommended on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. They have a local style pasteis that are a little different than the kind we ate in Lisbon (click here to read more on that). They were good, but honestly, they don’t hold a candle to Pasteis de Belem.
We tried both the version that was unique to Sintra as well as the regular Portuguese pasteis. They are served cold – which makes a difference, the one that is long and has a flaky sugar-coated crust was pretty good, it sort of reminded me of a strudel.
Sintra National Palace
The Palace of Sintra is unique in its own right. It has two cone-shaped chimneys and a big open square out front with views of the city below.
Notice the unique cone-shaped chimneys.
We timed our visit just right as we pretty much had the palace to ourselves. Which was very apparent when I would attempt to walk across the floors and my shoes would squeak, squeak, squeak with every step. It was really funny and annoying at the same time.
The Sintra National Palace has rooms with unique ceilings and wood furniture, walls with beautiful tiling, an enormous Murano glass chandelier, a garden, it’s own chapel and much more.
I know most people will probably come to Sintra to see the Palace of Pena, but I highly recommend also visiting the National Palace of Sintra.
Afterward, we left the palace and walked back down the street to where the bus had let us off before and got on the next bus (showing our receipt again) that soon dropped us off at the train station.
Back in Lisbon
We ended our last night in Lisbon doing laundry. Yeah I know, real glamorous, but you have to do it sometime! Also, a laundromat is a great place to meet people. We met a Brazilian man who was in Lisbon studying to get his Master’s degree. It was great learning about his perspective on living in both Lisbon and in Brazil.
For more on how we spent our first two days in Lisbon read about it here on Things to Do in Lisbon. And if you’re looking for a great place for dinner in Lisbon check out my experience at Cantinho Lusitano.
Useful Info:
Rossio Train Station & Oriente Tran Station are the two main train stations for getting to Sintra from Lisbon. Check out their timetables here.
Bus 434 in Sintra will take you on a loop starting at the train station going to the Moorish Castle, Palace of Pena, National Palace of Sintra and back to the train station.
Uber in Lisbon is very affordable, you can check out Uber fares.
What are some things to do in Lisbon, Portugal? How should you spend your time there? Well, however, you want of course! Travel is about the experience, so don’t get too hung up on seeing everything your first time. Enjoy all the new sights, food and culture of your new destination.
Here’s how I spent 2 days in Lisbon, Portugal to get you started with some ideas.
Where: Lisbon, Portugal How Long: 2 Days Weather: Mostly rainy and windy Traveling Companion: Moe (my childhood friend, read more about our friendship here) Day 1: The Jeronimos Monastery, Monument to the Discoveries, Pasteis de Belem Day 2: Riding Tram 28, Alfama Neighborhood, LX Factory Useful Info: Getting Around, Where We Stayed, Places to Eat
Day 1
We stayed at the Flores Guest House while in Lisbon and they had the cutest breakfast delivery ever! Each room had a little hook outside the door where they would deliver your breakfast basket by 8:00 a.m. every morning. Then whenever you were up and ready, you just opened your front door and retrieved your basket.
The baskets are filled with fruit, bread, meat and cheese, juice and a “surprise” item, that usually consisted of fresh baked good. You could put in requests to tailor the basket more to your preferences. For example, we asked instead of the meat and cheese if we could just have extra fruit for the rest of our stay.
This basket was made up of croissants, rolls, fruit, jam and orange juice.
So after enjoying our lovely breakfast, we went to catch the bus to visit the Jeronimos Monastery.
Jeronimos Monastery Lisbon, Portugal
TIPS:
Arrive early (preferably before noon) as the lines can get long.
The Jeronimos Monastery costs €10. You can pay an additional €2 for a combo ticket to also visit their National Archaeological Museum.
Additionally, you can also purchase this combo ticket at the National Archaeology Museum (in case the ticket line at the monastery is too long – purchase there and then skip the line at the monastery) OR you can also buy a combo ticket at Belem Tower should you choose to see that first.
Plan to visit Pasteis de Belem either before or after, it’s totally worth it!
For more information on hours and directions visit the official Jeronimos Monastery website.
This view is across the street from the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery.
The Monastery is 500 years old and is beautiful inside and out. It is architecturally stunning! The intricate carvings all throughout it will keep you gasping in awe as you walk around each corner and discover something new. It is no wonder that it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The cloister inside the monastery.
Jeronimos Monastery is constructed out of limestone and took 100 years to build. I can just imagine them chiseling out the beautiful carvings by hand. That’s some dedication to detail!
There are faces, creatures and designs carved everywhere.Beautiful limestone archways that overlook the cloister.
Pasteis de Belem Lisbon, Portugal
After visiting the Monastery we walked a few blocks up the street to try pastel de nata at Pasteis de Belem. Pastel de nata (or pasteis de nata for plural) is a Portuguese custard tart and is a must try when in Lisbon. Pasteis de Belem was the top rated place to have pasteis de nata in all of Lisbon. They use the same recipe that the monks at Jeronimos Monastery created in 1837.
Now that’s a recipe with some history!
Navigating Pasteis de Belem
It can be a little confusing when you first arrive at Pasteis de Belem. Outside at the furthest entrance, we found a HUGE line of people waiting to buy pasteis to go. However, we wanted to sit inside and take a break from the rain.
The first entrance you reach when walking from the monastery is the entrance for those wanting to sit inside. You’ll see the entrance and the cashier line for those purchasing to-go orders to your right as you walk inside.
When you enter you will want to follow the blue signs (straight and to the right) for “Table Service: Service de Mesa 400 Seats” until you reach another sign that says “Queue for Seating.” Don’t panic if it seems really long, with 400 seats the line moves very quickly!
What a beautiful sight! These are enough to make me want to return to Lisbon, Portugal.
We both decided to get 6 of the pasteis, some hot chocolate (if a cup of thick, molten chocolate is your thing you’ll want to try it too) and a pot of tea. Hey, this was going to be our lunch and not just a snack, so don’t judge us.
Now to add that nice coating of cinnamon & sugar!
Our plate of pasteis arrived, we each took one and added the obligatory cinnamon and powdered sugar on top. DON’T SKIP THIS PART. Sorry, don’t mean to yell, but the cinnamon really adds that extra
something special.
Then we bit into the pastry, it had a crispy flaky outer shell with a warm custard filling that made you smile and go mmmm. For something that appears to be so simple, it was really very delicious. I ate all 6 of mine and drank my whole pot of tea! Oh yeah, that’s how I roll. Moe was the runner up with 4 pasteis, pretty good for her first time. And you can see below that she thoroughly enjoyed them.
Moe is having her “mmmm good moment” eating her first pasteis de nata.
After we slowly waddled, I mean walked out of the cafe, we decided since the rain had stopped for the moment that we’d walk over to the Monument to the Discoveries or as it’s also known: Monument to Henry the Navigator.
The Monument to the Discoveries Lisbon, Portugal
The monument is really impressive! It is huge and rises up alongside the water. I loved the beautiful map they had built into the ground using stones and pictures. From the monument, you can also get nice views (at least when the weather is good) of the April 24th Bridge as well as the large Christo Rei or Christ the King statue (it looks similar to Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue).
Moe walking along the water.
There’s a great boardwalk where you can watch sailboats pass by or wander over to the marina. If the weather is nice you can also take the sidewalk along the road to walk down to the Tower of Belem. Due to the weather, we chose to skip this. But the tower is beautiful and would have lovely views on a sunny day. There is also a viewing area from inside the Monument of Discoveries as well as historical information regarding the monument.
If you look you can just make out the small silhouette of the Christ the King statue in the background by the bridge.
National Archaeological Museum
It began to rain again, so we made our way to the National Archaeological Museum. Its entrance is just to the left (when facing it) of the Monastery. Since it had only been an extra €2 we had purchased the combo ticket at the Jeronimos Monastery.
The archaeological museum is very small, but it has some nice exhibits on Egyptian and Roman artifacts as well as a small area for archaeological items specific to Portugal. If you have extra time and are interested in archaeology and ancient artifacts, then the €2 will probably be worth it. If you’re pressed for time or just don’t have any interest, it is definitely not a “must-see.”
This was an ancient “doll” that had movable arms and legs.
We caught the next bus back to our guest house and along the way we enjoyed views of the beautifully tiled buildings and the ancient aqueduct that was built in the 1700s. It is one of the few structures to survive the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
Day 2
Tram 28
It is raining even harder today. We were thoroughly soaked on our way to the historical Tram 28 stop. Our hope is to get a nice tour of the city as we ride it up to Saint George’s Castle.
We get on the tram and it is very full and the windows are fogged over. We laugh about our “scenic ride.” Eventually, someone opens up some windows and that does help with the fogging. However, the tram continues to pick up more and more passengers and at one point there was a ticket officer squeezing through the crowd to check that we all had valid tickets.
That, by the way, is a fairly common procedure that we’ve seen throughout our travels in Europe. They will pass through on the subways, buses, and trains checking to make sure everyone has paid. Usually, this seems to happen on the weekend vs the weekdays. So it’s always good to make sure you have a valid ticket or pass. You can be hit with hefty fines or as we saw on one train, the police might even be called in.
Although not Tram 28, we saw this one when hopping off in Alfama.
Due to the fogging of the windows, I would recommend taking Tram 28 on a sunny day if you’re hoping for a scenic ride. For us, it was mainly a mode of transportation.
Walk thru the Alfama neighborhood to St. George’s Castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge)
We hopped off Tram 28 and took time to soak in the views around us. We were now in Alfama, the medieval neighborhood in Lisbon that survived the great earthquake, tsunami, and fire of 1755 (talk about the ultimate trifecta of destruction!). It is a charming neighborhood with smaller streets, shops, and cafes. It has a different feel than the “newer” neighborhoods that were rebuilt after 1755.
Alfama Neighborhood with St George’s Castle on the hill.
We walked up to the Castle but decided due to the rainy weather to not pay to go inside, the castle is mostly outdoors and one of its highlights is walking the old walls and taking in the views — views which we didn’t have on this stormy day. So I’ll save that for another visit.
The walk to the castle though was an interesting one. We passed through an area with old ruins that had been turned into an outdoor studio for graffiti artists.
Having fun with the graffiti
There was also an outdoor urinal, which as an American, was quite a novelty and the first we’d seen on our travels. So we couldn’t miss that photo opp!
Moe is peeking over the urinal door.
Next up was the LX Factory, so we hopped a bus and headed that way.
LX Factory Lisbon, Portugal
This must bee the place. (Oh yeah I said that!)
The LX Factory is an old warehouse district turned artsy. There are art studios, cafes, bookstores and outdoor art sculptures all inside this old factory area. Once inside the LX Factory gates, you’ve got warehouses on each side of a small street. We made our way to the bookstore, Ler Devagar, and stepped inside not a moment too soon. We heard the rain just thunder down on the metal roof and I said to Moe “boy we made it here just in time!”
Ler Devagar
Looking down on this creative bookstore.
The bookstore is so cute! It has multiple levels of books, both used and new to search through. There is also a fairly large selection of English books. Additionally, they have a cafe so you can grab a comfy seat and have a cup of coffee while reading a book – or in our case – listening to the rain.
I loved all the hanging art pieces.
We spent time looking upstairs where they have their used books selection as well as a small local artist exhibit. Then we wandered back downstairs by the cafe and found a comfy seat by the window to watch the rain and look through some books. We even had fun finding Waldo in the “Where’s Waldo Book” we found in the children’s section. Hey, we’re still kids at heart!
We eventually decided that although it is still raining cats and dogs outside that we would quickly dash out and into the adjoining cafe next door. We go inside WISH Slow Coffee House and put our name on the list. It’s about a 20-minute wait as they are quite busy with all of us trying to escape the rain.
WISH Slow Coffee House
Soon we are seated at a window seat that gives us a view of the main street in front of the shops. We are warm and comfy as we leisurely sit here and watch the people pass by with their umbrellas or those not-so-fortunate without umbrellas dashing as fast as they can. Then there’s the guy not looking where he’s going and sploosh he steps right into a puddle. Ahh man!
People watching from a dry seat.
It was so relaxing and fun to just be sitting there in this refurbished warehouse eating lunch while watching the rain and the people passing by. I sat there and thought to myself, I am in Lisbon, in a cafe. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t out sightseeing, I was experiencing the city right where I sat. Moe soon turned to me and said, “I’m having a really great time.” It was nice that we both felt the same about this very simple, yet enjoyable moment.
A delicious grilled pear with goat cheese bagel sandwich.
We stayed there for over 2 hours just watching people and enjoying the ambiance and good food.
We tried the carrot cake for dessert and it was some of the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! Not to mention the Jasmine tea they served us was top notch! I also tried their slow-roasted coffee as they slow roast their beans in house. They have a variety of good coffee choices to try.
Uber & Making Our Own Adventure at the Mall
The rain had no intentions of letting up, so we decided we’d go watch a movie at a nearby mall (they show them in their original language throughout Portugal). We requested an Uber, which met us at the door so we could avoid getting wet. It was great! Oh and Uber in Lisbon is VERY affordable! I highly recommend using it here, there were a couple of times where it was cheaper for us to split the fare for Uber than take the bus.
At the Mall
The movie we planned to see was sold out, so we went shopping instead! Soon what was just casual browsing turned into a friendly competition of who could try on the ugliest outfit. Now that was fun! Although not as much fun when we actually saw ourselves in the silly outfits…
We grabbed dinner in the mall and hailed another Uber ride back to the guest house.
Although Day 2 wasn’t our typical “see it all” style of sightseeing, it was a lot of fun and memorable. And that’s how it should be, don’t hold to tightly to your “to-do” list while traveling, leave room for change and spontaneity. You never know what memories you might create.
To learn about our visit to the Palace of Pena on our final day in Lisbon, read about it here: Day Trip to Sintra, Portugal.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Lisbon
Everyone here has been so friendly! Really, we’ve met nothing but helpful people, friendly people and they have a great sense of humor here too. And the food! Not to mention the beautifully tiled buildings!
To say I enjoyed my time here in Lisbon would be putting it mildly. I hope to return and explore the entire country of Portugal in greater depth in the future. We just touched the tip of the iceberg on things to do in Lisbon, there was so much more to see!
There are amazing, friendly people everywhere and traveling never fails to reveal this to me.
USEFUL INFO:
Getting Around Lisbon, Portugal:
Purchase 24-hour transit passes or single-use passes from any metro station (including at the Lisbon airport). There are also some local stores that sell it as we purchased ours from the newspaper store by our hotel.
We used the Viva Viagem 24 hour carris/metro card. This allowed us unlimited travel on the metro, bus, trams & funicular for a 24 hour period. Check out this article from Lisbon Guru for more information regarding their metro cards.
There is also a Lisboa Card which is a sightseeing pass, we didn’t use these on our trip, however, you can check it out and see whether or not it makes sense for your visit.
They have the cutest breakfast delivery I’ve ever had. They leave a breakfast basket outside your door each morning by 8:00 a.m. for you to retrieve when you’re ready.
I would definitely stay at Flores Guest House again, it is located near excellent restaurants all within minutes of walking and the staff that runs it could not have been more helpful and kind. We really enjoyed our stay there.
Restaurants we enjoyed:
Cantinho Lusitano – 2020 Update – Cantinho Lusitano is permanently closed Rua dos Prazeres 52, 1200-355 Lisboa, Portugal Overall Thoughts: Love the small dining atmosphere, the service was impeccable, food was delicious, I highly recommend it! To read more about our adventures at dinner, please check out this article “Dinner at Cantinho Lusitano.”
If you’re looking for a fun and easy sightseeing activity, look no further than Snoqualmie Falls! It is a great way to spend the day with family and friends whether you’re a local or an out of town visitor. Perhaps you don’t have time in your schedule for a long hike, but want to see some of the natural wonders this area has to offer. Then this is the hike you’ve been looking for!
In the past, your only option was to park above the falls next to the Salish Lodge & Spa and then hike down and back out. But thanks to the recent Puget Sound Energy restoration project you can now access the falls from the new lower parking lot.
From the lower parking lot, it is just a short 10 min walk to the falls viewpoint along a wooden boardwalk. If you have extra time and want to hike down from the upper observation deck, you still have that option. However, it is nice if you’re pressed for time or aren’t feeling up to the steeper and longer hike, to be able to park and quickly walk to the viewpoint.
The Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Power Plant sits alongside the beautiful river. Power generated from the falls has supplied electricity for over 100 years.
Follow the boardwalk as it winds its way along the river.
You are rewarded with gorgeous scenery all along the short journey to see the falls.
The boardwalk ends here and provides a magnificent view of Snoqualmie falls.
Snoqualmie Falls is located about 30 minutes outside Seattle.
These cascading falls attract over a million visitors a year!
I just love playing tourist at home! It gives me a fresh appreciation for where I live and reminds me of all the wonderful things there are to do so close to home. If you’re a local you know how fortunate we are to live in this gorgeous natural setting. We need to make time to appreciate it whenever we can.
If you’re just visiting here, perhaps this will inspire you to discover some local sights near home. I suggest doing a Google search for things to do in your own area and then carve out some time to go exploring. You will be glad you did!
We got up early to get some breakfast before catching our train from Tokyo to Nikko. And although our “there’s always something open in Tokyo” concept may have worked the night before when we were getting ramen at 10:00 at night, we discovered, that not even Starbucks was open at 8:00 in the morning in Tokyo! Coming from Seattle we were not expecting that!
Thankfully I pack a backup breakfast option, my own personal French press and also some instant oatmeal packets. These are great when you don’t have time to go out or if you just want to save some money.
So we returned to our hotel to eat in our room.
Eating our instant oatmeal with chopsticks. Note to self: bring plastic silverware next time.
Then we were off to Nikko. We discovered that our trip coincided with their annual Spring Festival or the Shunki Reitaisai. So we were excited to be able to join in the festivities. The festival celebrates the funeral procession for one of their great leaders Tokugawa leyasu and is a memorial to how his remains were transported to Nikko in the early 1600’s.
We chose to walk from the train station all the way up to the top of the town where the procession would start. There was the option to take the bus, however, the lines were very long for that. The walk turned out to be a scenic one and with the crowds only took about 30 minutes.
River running through part of the town.Shinkyo Bridge in Nikko
It was wonderful timing for us to be able to experience this celebration and local custom firsthand. They even had English translations during the procession to explain what was happening and what each of the men in the procession represented.
We stopped to eat some dango on our way back down to the train station. These yummy treats are sort of like mochi, they boil them and then grill them. You can see in the picture he is grilling one over charcoal. You can choose from different sauces and styles. I highly recommend them!
A mid afternoon snack, grilled Mochi anyone?
We also passed by a restaurant with these displayed in its window outside. You will find this to be very typical of restaurants in Japan to have rubber replicas of the food so you can see what each thing will look like before deciding whether to go in or not.
They sure can make rubber food look appetizing!One very big bowl of rice!
Nikko is a very beautiful and charming town with little shops and places to eat. It is only a two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo, making it a wonderful day trip option. I highly recommend it on any trip to Japan!
Getting to Nikko from Tokyo:
We chose to purchase a 14 day Japan Rail Pass prior to our trip and we absolutely loved having this. It saved us so much money and was so easy and convenient to use. You can just hop on and hop off trains as needed. For more information about the pass and how to use it to visit Nikko check out the website Japan Rail Pass website.
It was my husband’s childhood dream to travel to Japan and he was finally getting to accomplish it. His interest in video games, computers and all things technology started as a very young child. So this trip was a bucket list trip for him. I was also excited to be traveling to Japan, but I think on this trip his anticipation beat mine.
Here’s a picture of him at the airport waiting for our flight to Tokyo. He’s just a wee bit excited!
Waiting for our flight to Tokyo
Side Note:
I happen to like airplane food. Okay, not really the food I guess, but the experience of the food they give you. Depending on where you travel you are typically served food that is consistent with that area. Since we were traveling to Japan we were given options like miso soup, udon noodles and green tea. When I’m flying I look forward to seeing what mystery meal I will get. I know I’m weird and easily amused, but there you have it!
The chicken option.And the beef option.
First Night in Tokyo:
We arrived at our hotel in the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo at around 8:00 p.m. and after checking in and freshening up, (and learning how to use the toilet) it was nearly 9:00 p.m. by the time we headed out for dinner.
Fancy controls on our toilet
We don’t normally eat that late, however with our internal clocks still set for Pacific time back home, we decided: Hey, it’s Tokyo, there’s always something open!
So we did a quick Google search to find the nearest restaurants and decided to go to Mutekiya, a ramen shop that was just a short walk from our hotel in Ikebukuro. Mutekiya got great reviews and this would be our first experience eating authentic Japanese ramen vs those $0.20 packets of dried noodles we were fed for lunch as kids.
A staple food for both kids and college students.
It took us a little bit to actually find the place, as Google maps was having difficulty getting a lock on our GPS, we weren’t sure if it was due to all the tall buildings, or some other interference.
This is a common issue you might have when traveling, it can also depend on the SIM card or local cell phone service you get when you arrive, we chose to use a data only SIM by DoCoMo, which we purchased at an airport vending machine. (Another cool thing about Japan, you can buy almost anything from a vending machine!)
Shortly after crossing the street we found the restaurant and also a line that wrapped around the building and up the street! I couldn’t believe that we were waiting in line at 10:00 at night to eat ramen!
Painted sign outside restaurant detailing the ramen we would soon eat.
45 minutes later we were seated on two bar stools discovering a new love for ramen. This is not your store bought ramen! Wow! The ramen was delicious! The broth was full of flavor, the soft boiled eggs were cooked just right and mine had delicious crispy garlic toppings. It was a great experience and the perfect way to begin our time in Tokyo.
The most delicious bowl of ramen we had ever eaten.
I recommend that you jump right in when you first arrive at your destination. It forces your body to get adjusted to the local time zone. Even if it’s only for a couple of hours before you go back to your hotel and crash. It sets your trip out on the right foot and the excitement you get from exploring your new surroundings will usually overcome your jet lag – at least for a few hours.
Traveling to Japan opened our eyes up to the country’s varied and delicious cuisines. And although eating a bowl of ramen at almost 11:00 at night was never on my list of to-dos, it turned out to be a great first experience in Tokyo!
