As we have now done several times on our trip, we put together some last minute plans and found ourselves in a situation that exceeded expectations. We flew to Italy to visit with friends who live in Monte di Procida, a small town about 40 minutes outside of Naples. We had planned to stay for the weekend, but lingered there for over a week, gratefully accepting as much hospitality as our hosts could possibly offer*.
After our adventures in New Zealand, Dustin and I set off for a quick three weeks in Japan. Upon arrival in Narita airport, while making our way to customs, we bumped into Sebastien! who joined us for two whirlwind weeks. We started off with several days in Tokyo, went on to Kyoto, overnighted in Kinosaki, then finished with a night in Osaka. From there, Sebastien sadly headed home (no more morning pastry sampling as part of our routine!), and Dustin and I headed to Ikuno for a few nights. Since folks have been asking, below are some photo highlights. For artistic and quality photography, check out Sebastien’s album on Google +.
Kiyomizu dera in Kyoto
This is what you do when your glacier hike gets canceled the first time:
Crossing the Robert's Point Swing Bridge in Franz Josef from Katie Osterdahl on Vimeo.
Thanks to decent wifi and vimeo, some videos of the Abel Tasman track:
HikingTrack from Katie Osterdahl on Vimeo.
Dustie and I did our first solo great walk a few weeks ago called the Abel Tasman track. This is a gorgeous trail in the Tasman region of the south island that to me was just a perfect hike; there were tidal crossings that we needed to wade through ankle-deep water (or rather, we were fording a formidable river), swing bridges over rivers, beach campsites perfect for watching sun and moon rise, golden bays, bright blue waters, and stunning coastal vistas around every bend. The trail was just challenging enough to feel like I had accomplished something, but not so much that I was cranky and exhausted. It was practically perfect, and I look forward to returning to New Zealand to do it again.
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