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With another 10 days in Japan we planned to stay in just two cities –

Tokyo – Nest Hotel Tokyo Hanzomon
Osaka – HR Front Regal Shinmori
Tokyo – Narita Tobu Hotel Airport

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May 6th, 2017

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After our walking tour we revisited a couple of places to explore further.... one was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. A somber topic but a significance part of history. There was a competition to choose the design for this memorial and an American architect’s design was chosen, it was inaugurated in 2005. Above ground is the ‘Field of Stelae’, 2,711 concrete slabs, all the same size (2.38 m x 0.95 m) but each one is a different height positioned over the slightly rolling site. There is also an underground information/exhibition centre - 🎟 Entry is free ⏰ Open 10am - 7pm (October - March) 10am - 8pm (April - September) Closed on Mondays. 🎧 Audio guides available for €3 👥 The centre isn’t recommended for children under 14 and we just let our boys decide how much they wanted to participate. Lincoln (11) listened at some of the audio stations and Braxton (7) looked at some of the photos. 📍 Cora-Berliner-Straße 1 A pretty intense subject but it was very well done. #history #holocaustmemorial #visit_berlin #berlin #germany #visitgermany #germanytourism #europe #europe2020 #amazingplaces #wonderfulplaces #exploretheworld #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #everywherefamilies #everywhereclassroom #worldschooling #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

Another great way to orient yourself with a new place, and learn along the way .... a walking tour. We’ve done a few now with @sandemansneweurope and for our Berlin tour we actually had a New Zealander as our guide. Chris is originally from Dunedin but has been living in Berlin for a few years now and he did a great job over the three hour tour, giving us more insights into Berlin’s history, present and future and visiting some of the interesting parts of the city. Beginning at the iconic Brandenburg Gate and across from Hotel Adlon, where Michael Jackson famously dangled his son over the balcony in 2002. We also visited - 📍the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe 📍the site of Hitler’s bunker 📍The Wall 📍Checkpoint Charlie 📍Gendarmenmarkt and 📍the site of the book burning and memorial of Bebelplatz to name just a few. Who likes a walking tour?? 👣🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ #history #walkingtour #brandenburggate #visit_berlin #berlin #germany #visitgermany #germanytourism #europe #europe2020 #amazingplaces #exploretheworld #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #everywherefamilies #everywhereclassroom #worldschooling #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

🇩🇪 A great way to orient yourself if visiting Berlin 👉👉👉 visit the dome on the top of the Reichstag Building. This is the current parliament building originally opened back in 1894 and has seen a couple of renovations over the years. Plus the dome was added and completed in 1999. 🎟 The dome is free to visit and has a really good audio guide (also free). 💻 You’ll need to register on the website prior to your visit (www.bundestag.de) and secure a time slot. ⏰ The dome is open from 8am until midnight (last entry at 21.45). 📆 You can register for the current or upcoming month and it seems like time slots can go quickly. We looked the week before coming to Berlin and for the whole week that we would be visiting we could only request 8am or the late evening times, so we opted for 8am. 👮‍♂️👮‍♀️ Arrive 15 minutes before your entry time to go through security and you need your passport as well. After the security checks we headed up to the dome, were given the audio guide and left to wander through the building and experience the 360° views around Berlin at our own pace. 🎧 The audio guide included information about the city, it’s history, prominent buildings and points of interest and the features of the dome itself. It was actually well worth the early start, especially when we first entered with not many others around 🤩 #reichstagbuilding #reichstagdome #visit_berlin #berlin #germany #visitgermany #europe #europe2020 #amazingplaces #wonderfulplaces #exploretheworld #roamtheplanet #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #lovetotravel #everywherefamilies #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

🌴Marrakech also has many parks and gardens. Originally I wanted to visit Majorelle Garden, which Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé purchased in 1980 and saved from falling victim to becoming a hotel complex. Unfortunately I didn’t research that you need to purchase tickets ahead of time and when I looked we couldn’t get tickets before we would be leaving Marrakech. So plan B was one of the other gardens and we visited the Secret Garden, tucked in amongst the medina. The origins of the complex date back to the Saadian Dynasty, more than four hundred years ago and over the years many different palaces have stood on the grounds. The last being until the death of the owner in 1934, after which the property wasn’t maintained and fell into a state of disrepair. In 2008 the idea to restore the complex was raised and a few years later it was opened to the public. We wandered around and also had a school lesson in the ancient water system used to get water from the Atlas Mountains to the city and this location and how it is then distributed around to the different parts of the garden using the original water system of pipes, reservoirs and canals. It was a beautiful setting and has been amazingly restored but for under an hours visit, not sure it was quite worth the cost in comparison to visiting the palace for the same amount. 🎟 Adults 60 MAD/$9.65 NZD 🎟 Children (7-24 years) 40 MAD/$6.45 NZD (although they didn’t ask our boys ages and didn’t charge us for Braxton who is 7) It costs extra to visit the tower within the garden but the terrace also give pretty views 🤩 #secretgarden #garden #marrakech #marrakesh #redcity #morocco #africa #africa2020 #amazingplaces #wonderfulplaces #exploretheworld #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #everywherefamilies #everywhereclassroom #worldschooling #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

📍El Badii Palace - there are quite a few palaces in Marrakech, this one was built in the 16th century by the most famous ruler of the Saadian dynasty, Sultan Ahmed El Mansour following his victory over the Portuguese at the Battle of the Three Kings in 1578. Sadly the Sultan died shortly after the El Badia’s completion in 1603. He had asked his court jester what he thought of his palace and the jester replied that it would make a fine ruin. By 1690 this came to pass, as Sultan Moulay Ismail stripped the El Badia completely to adorn his palace in Meknes. The general plan of this palace was inspired by the Alhambra in Granada (which we have also visited) so it was interesting to see this one too. Looking a little worse for wear, not that the storks seemed to mind, and there are signs of some restoration. It was nice to wander around and imagine what it would have been like it all its glory. There were lots of amazing artifacts (that we couldn’t photograph), underground passageways and rooms and beautiful views over the palace and city from the terrace 🤩 🎟 Adults 70 MAD/$11.25 NZD 🎟 Children (Over 6) 30 MAD/$4.80 NZD (although they didn’t ask our boys ages and didn’t charge us for Braxton who is 7) #history #palace #marrakech #marrakesh #morocco #africa #africa2020 #amazingplaces #wonderfulplaces #exploretheworld #roamtheplanet #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #lovetotravel #everywherefamilies #everywhereclassroom #worldschooling #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

Our first full day in Marrakech was probably similar to most who visit the red city.... checking out their famous souk. We went with a bit of a list but they are pretty tough negotiators here and we only managed to get a couple of items but it is an incredible maze of shops and stalls, although the snake charmers and monkeys on chains were sad to see. And what we actually enjoyed more was outside the medina, still plenty of action but just a little more relaxed 😌 #souk #medina #marrakechsouk #marrakesh #redcity #morocco #africa #africa2020 #amazingplaces #wonderfulplaces #exploretheworld #roamtheplanet #traveltheworld #showthemtheworld #longtermtravel #travellingwithkids #travellingfamily #travelwithkids #ourfamilytravels #fulltimetravelfamily #familytravel #travelmadfam #ourtribetravels #travellifestyle #travellingthroughtheworld #lovetotravel #everywherefamilies #ourawesomeworldadventure #kiwifamilyoe

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