Kyoto Style Sushi at Izuju | Kyoto, Japan


While in Kyoto, I ate one of the best meals of my life at Izuju. Izuju specializes in Kyoto-style sushi, which is a bit more creative than sushi that we're accustomed to. I'm not a huge fan of mackerel but Izuju made me a believer. They pickle the mackerel, which gives it this flavor that is incredibly delicious. For one of their signature rolls, Sabazushi, they fill the entire body of the fish with rice. I thought it might be too meaty or fishy, but it was so tasty and I wished that more sushi rolls were like that. The rest of the sushi was just as good and I was glad that we ordered a variety. The meal itself wasn't too expensive and worth the money. It was one of my top three meals for sure and one that I will never forget!


Kinkaku-ji | Kyoto, Japan


Never in my life have I ever seen anything like Kinkaku-ji. After living in Korea for two years, I've seen so many different kinds of Asian temples, but nothing like this! The name translates to Temple of the Golden Pavilion and was originally a villa built in 1397 by a powerful statesman. In 1950, the villa burnt down when a monk attempted suicide. Afterward the pavilion was rebuilt in 1955. It's a close replica to the original villa and was covered with pure gold-leaf.

I loved Kinkaku-ji and the surrounding gardens were absolutely beautiful. It does get a bit busy with tourists but it's definitely a must-see when you're in Kyoto!


Skógafoss Waterfall | Skogar, Iceland

The final stop of our first day in Iceland was Skógafoss Waterfall. Even though we saw 

Seljalandsfoss

 right before, it was still absolutley stunning. It's one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland measuring 200 ft tall and 83 ft wide. The fall has been featured in both 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

 and 

Thor: The Dark World

. Iceland is a country full of fantasy and magical tales and Skógafoss also has it's own lore. 

It's said that the first Viking, 

Þrasi Þórólfsson, hid a treasure chest in a cave behind the waterfall. Years later, the chest was discovered by a local man. He was unable to get the entire treasure, but managed to detach one of the rings on the side of the chest.  He then gave the ring to a local church and later was donated to the Skogar Museum. It's also said that when the sun is shining, you can see gold glittering through the water. 

Seljalandsfoss Waterfall | Þórsmerkurvegur, Iceland

Before traveling to Iceland, I booked an eight-day self-drive tour with

Touris

. They were an essential part in making this trip so fantastic. As a part of the package, they provided a very detailed itinerary and map. We spent the first day stopping so much because everything was so beautiful. Along the way, we ended up seeing our first of many waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to go behind the waterfall or hike to the top, but we still got pretty close!