The last time I visited Kyoto was earlier this January. While researching a few spots to see, I came across a couple of articles about Kyoto's hidden gem --Ineno Funaya (伊根の舟屋). As a sucker for seaside dwellings and lifestyle, this became one of my most sought out places to visit in Kyoto. Unfortunately back in January, the weather was quite unbearably cold and the commute here would take quite a huge chunk of the weekend that I had planned to stay there. So, I wasn't able to make it then. For this time around, I made the stay long enough to have enough time for a day trip here.

I'll admit, getting to this place was quite the trek. I believe we took 4 different trains and 2 buses along the way since we also got lost, and also wandered off. But was it worth it? YES.

There are a few reasons why this place is considered one of Kyoto's hidden gems and one of the biggest is probably due to how tricky it is to actually get here. Located about 130km away from the center of Kyoto, there are barely any tour guides that will reveal this place and there aren't any direct transportations here either. While that sounds troublesome, my adventure here was quite eye-opening. I got to see most of the northern parts of Kyoto via train that I probably would never be able to see. The gorges we passed by were stunning and it was unreal when the train went along the coast for breathtaking views of nothing but the sea and sky.

Another reason why this fishing village is considered a hidden gem is probably due to its well-kept tradition of life coexisting with the sea, in the forms of living in a 'funaya.' As the name is Ineno Funaya, you can already guess that it is what the boathouses in this village are called. This type of housing existed as early as the 1700s and has been kept that way until this very day. Along the 5km coast, only 230 of these 'funaya' homes stand today and they are all occupied by fishermen and families who actually live there. From the sea, looking into the houses, it's really hard to put into words how beautiful and serene it must be to live with the mountains behind you and the sea right in front of you... And it is no wonder why this place is also sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of Japan'.

I've warned you already that getting here is not an easy trip - but if you're up for the adventure, or looking for something else to do besides the usuals in Kyoto, such as Fushimi Inari-taisha or Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, then read on to see what my itinerary for a day trip here was like.

How To Get To Ineno Funaya

This is probably the hardest part, but also most rewarding if you invest some time in planning. I recommend following Google map as it is pretty reliable. Make sure to always ask train conductors and operators along the way so that you can travel with an ease of mind as you'll be sitting on these buses and train for about 40min at a time without knowing if you're even on the right track.

To search, make sure you put in 'Ine-cho, Kyoto Prefecture' from where you are. The trip itself takes roughly 3 hours and 20 min to 4 hours depending on what route you decide to take. There are times for the last bus and train you need to take back, so keep that in mind. I left at around 7:30 am for my trip and arrived at around 11:30 am which gave me around 5/6 hours to explore, eat and wander around before catching the last bus back.

Accommodations

I decided to do a day trip - but staying overnight is possible. There aren't many tourists that come here, but there are a few really cute boathouses that are open for you to stay the night at, since many people have begun coming here for quiet escapes from the cities. I would recommend staying at '与謝荘 Waterfront Inn.' If I find myself here again in the future, I would definitely stay the night to wake up early and see how the fishermen start their day.

与謝荘 Waterfront Inn
507 Hirata, Ine, Yosa District,
Kyoto Prefecture 626-0423, Japan

Activities You Can Do

Although the village is small and there aren't many tourists, you'll be surprised to find out that there are water taxis that you can take out to sea to admire the view from out there. There are also sightseeing tours by boat which are super relaxing as they are generally small groups. You can also rent bikes to ride around too. And also book a fishing experience as well.

What To Eat

Since it is a boating village, you can expect to find some of the freshest fish straight from the net here. I was supposed to eat at 'Funaya' but decided last minute to dine at 'Wadatsumi 海宮' instead for a more quiet lunch with views of the ocean behind our sushi chef. I later learned that this restaurant took a sea to table approach with a sustainability for the seafood it serves making it even better than what I remembered the meal to be.

Wadatsumi 海宮
593-1 Azahirata, Ine-cho, Yosa-gun
Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

It rained a lot that day so I got to have coffee in a pretty scenic cafe with the boyfriend. It was quite lovely to watch the rain in such a peaceful place.

INE CAFE (イネカフェ)
626-0423 Hirata, Ine, Yosa District,
Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Without a doubt, this part of Kyoto was one of the places that I looked forward to visiting the most this Japan trip and it ended up to not only lived up to all my expectations and more, but it is one of the best date-day-trips that I can remember with the boyfriend.

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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D750 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-85mm F3.5 lens.

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Paris, France

A day in Paris somehow felt like 2, or even 3. It’s no wonder why there are cafes at every corner for that 2nd or 3rd nap you’ve just woken up from. It’s dinner time, usually 8 pm in Paris, but the sun hasn’t even begun setting. I didn’t find myself in Paris because I had intended to. In a way, Paris was calling for me. Maybe it’s because I’m Vietnamese and grew up with parents whose drinking sessions were drowned over with Paris By Night re-runs, this city wasn’t one that was as magical and romantic as many others have come to know it as, for me.

So, this is probably not anything typical for someone visiting Paris for the first time - but if you find yourself in Paris somehow without trying to, maybe you’ll end up doing some of the things I did too. Despite what you might have assumed from these photos, I was in Paris for pretty much 48 hours. I landed in Paris the first day around 2 pm, and Shun's flight was delayed so I waited at CDG for like 4 hours. Our first day was already somehow shortened, but after checking into our hotel, we found ourselves at Ober Mamma, an Italian place with an oak wood tree in the middle of the restaurant that served a mean truffled pasta dish and left me feeling so satisfied with their special lemon tiramisu. Somehow our 9 pm was just perfectly in sync with the Parisians, and the rounds of drinks and wine put us to sleep really well that night.

We got up relatively early the next morning and took a walk to Buvette, a cafe that I personally also really loved her in New York despite actually never gone with Shun. So, lucky for him, his first time was at their original location. On the way back we stopped by Musée Gustave Moreau, an art museum of works by the painter himself, in his personal apartment. Later that day we boarded a flight to Venice as you might have remembered from my previous photo diary. Paris is quite lovely, but I knew I wanted to see Venice again. At the end of our trip, we came back to Paris. This time a little more adjusted to the European clock. There were several restaurants on our list that we wanted to try, but many of them were closed for the summer. Grabbing lunch at Daroco gave us the opportunity to see the Louvre. It was pouring like crazy and no one was sitting around. After almost 6 years of dating Shun, I can finally tell you that he waited for me in the rain (while I set up the self-timer, HAHA). We napped after this of course. And woke up at Cafe De Flore. We walked all the way to the Eiffel Tower after and saw a lot of people picnicking (it's on my to-do list when I visit Paris again). We thought about waiting for the tower to light up but got hungry while deciding so we headed to Carbón. We arrived at Carbón at 8 pm and somehow ended up having dinner for 5 hours. We're definitely coming back here again, so that's a testament to how good that place is.

The next morning we got breakfast in bed because Hotel Panache's balcony was so hard to pass up despite my usual neglect to Parisian cliches.

Paris reminded me a lot of Barcelona somehow. Maybe it's the architecture and endless balconies. But, I still kind of prefer tapas a little over escargots. That said, I wouldn't mind going back at all though. There's a charm to Paris that overwhelms you when you're just strolling along the Sienne that's similar to how all the lights at Time Squares makes your heart beat a little faster when you get the chance to look up at night.

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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D750 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-85mm F3.5 lens.

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Summertime Venice

The last time I visited Venice was early Spring in 2015. Since that time, I always had a gut feeling that I would be back because to me, Venice was as captivating as a first love

Before heading to Venice in the peaked-tourist summertime, I was mentally prepared for all of the things Venice was known for in these sweltering months, overcrowded with tourist, humid temperatures and unbearable stenches from the water in the canal. In the back of my head, I knew that if I could love Venice even through all of these things that I hate most on travels, Venice would forever be my own little happy place.

Wearing: Urban Outfitters checkered top, RAEY slip dress, Common Projects sneakers and Proenza Schouler PS11 bag.

Wearing: T by Alexander Wang striped top, Aritzia skirt (similar), and Common Projects sneakers.

Wearing: Maison Du Soir kimono, Common Projects sneakers and J.W Anderson Mini Pierce bag (full post here).

Wearing: Style Mafia top, GRLFRND denim, Common Projects sneakers and J.W Anderson Mini Pierce bag.

We stayed in Venice for 5 nights and 4 days this time and that still felt quite short. Tucked away from the touristy areas, we stayed in a hotel that was more like a bed and breakfast (Ca' Amadi) and had a window that opened right out to the canal. It made taking naps so easy and leaving our bed so hard.

Every day, we got up at 7 am, to do what we love doing most in Venice (yes, even when the place was empty when were there off-peak season) —walk around to catch the sunrise over the Rialto bridge. If you ever get a chance to visit this magical place, I can promise you that this will be one of the things you must do. Watching Venice wake up is even more enchanting than the gondola ride for sure. Of course, I also made sure I had all the gelato I could.

We discovered some new lovely restaurants like Antico Pizzo and Osteria All Staffa— and revisited a couple of our favorites, Taverna Al Remer and Estro Vino & Cucina.

Two years ago, I left a huge chunk of my heart in Venice even without having to experience all of the romantic charms it had to offer. A part of me was always hopeful that not being able to ride the gondola will somehow bring me back one day, and it did! I woke up on my birthday, a little grumpy at Shun actually (because yes, it's not always sunshine and butterflies), but he somehow convinces me to get on the gondola and got the gondolier to sing happy birthday in Italian. Silly enough, that did the trick and I forgot why I was even upset that morning. I suck with words, but it was quite a ride and it’ll be a birthday experience that I won’t be able to top for a long long time. 

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