One of the big issues that I grappled with during the planning stages was where to stay.  Do I stay in a super modern – techno hotel or a traditional, authentic ryokan.  I am usually driven by location and décor, then I will look at the price.  Within the first two parameters, there is quite a bit of choice.  When it came to the third, there was not a large disparity in price unless you go really high-end or hostel.  Narrowing down my choices was hard.  Ultimately, I ended up with a little of both: a high-tech, modern hotel in Tokyo and a hostel/minshuku in Kyoto.

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My first attempt to plan our trip to Japan started with maps. I should have known that one week would not be enough when I realized that I could not find Kyoto on the map because the map was not Japan, but simply Tokyo.  I consider myself fairly adept at reading maps and being able to “get a lay of the land” before I ever visit a place.  That was until I battled the map of Tokyo and Tokyo came out the victor.  I folded the map, waived the white flag and proclaimed, “Forget it!  We will figure out when we get there.”  

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Bargain Shopper and Proud!

Say what you want but I am a Dollar store junkie.  Some of must best finds have been at Big Lots in America, the Pound Store in London, and the 100-Yen Shop in Japan.  You can find these 100 Yen shops all over but the biggest one that I visited was the Harajuku Daiso with four floors full of things you just have to have.  I bought 4 lovely little yellow ramikans that I use ALL THE TIME.

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The tiny, winding, dark streets, grand, tree-lined paseos and intimate, ancient squares keep beckoning me back to Barcelona. On every street, around every corner, in every neighborhood, there is a magnificent juxtaposition of old and new, ancient and modern, traditional and cutting edge. This is a city and people that both celebrate and are inspired by their rich heritage. Barcelona is a city and people that inspire its visitors to celebrate and become immersed in its rich heritage.

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I am one who loves to peer into little gardens behind gates and discover a small pocket park where I can rest my feet or have a picnic. I am always on the lookout for tiny squares where locals are relaxing and talking with one another.
Barcelona’s Hidden Courtyards is a great article that identifies some great parks and courtyards to explore in the Eixample neighborhood and provides links to some other ways to explore the neighborhoods. I highly recommend that you read this article. It will inspire you to take 1wrongturn.

Sometimes the best wrong turns are not physical but virtual. I cam across the following websites that provide great suggestions places that you would find only by taking wrong turns. Check them out!

• Spotted by Locals

• Barcelona.unlike

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