Moving, in Japan

I flew back from Tokyo on Tuesday and I’m only now adjusting to the time difference.

Jet lag hit me super-hard this time round, but I’m finally over it. I think.

As predicted, I walked a lot. I actually think that’s an understatement. While in Japan, we visited Osaka, Kyoto, Miyajima, Hiroshima and Tokyo and waked an absolute ton while we were there. The weather was fantastic for April, with sunshine and 20C temperatures as the norm. We only had one day of rain, so I’m not complaining.

I walked least on our day of arrival, as so much of it was spent on planes and trains. A mere 8,654 steps. The very next day, I hit a high of 29,445 steps. This involved a wander around Osaka Castle, its gardens, a nearby park, and an evening in Dotonbori.

That set the scene for the remainder of the trip. Lots of walking, lots of looking up at blue skies and lots and lots of eating and drinking. So I’m afraid my plans for moderation hit the dirt as soon as I boarded my first flight.

With unlimited free champagne on offer from Finnair, I didn’t say no and enjoyed quite the ‘relaxed’ journey. That, plus the free drinks and canapés in our hotel’s executive lounge every evening, means all the walking didn’t lead to weight loss.

But let’s remember I was on holiday, not at boot camp. The walking contributed to healthy amounts of sleep. The eating and drinking did wonders for my mood. So all round it was a good thing. But by the end of the trip, I was craving bland food and steering clear of booze. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing.

In less than three weeks, I’ll be heading on my next trip: a visit to Mallorca to see the in-laws. I’m determined to lose a few kilos before then, so I’m reigning in the eating and drinking, and increasing the exercise. I may even make it back to the gym…