In support of the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal...

I have been devastated watching the news unfold as the situation worsens in Japan. The first day was heart breaking and each day since has been torture for the poor people affected.

If you are a long term reader, you will know that I spent a few weeks in Japan this time last year and absolutely fell in love with the place and its people.

Prayer cards outside a temple in Tokyo

Everyone we met was so kind and hospitable. We were typical tourists, getting lost every five minutes, standing in the middle of the street holding a map and turning it every which way to try and work out where we were. Well, we never had to stand there for long before someone, a teenager, a business man, a woman with children, a little old man, would come rushing over and without a shared word in the same language, they would set us on our way again in the right direction.

Prayer notes tied to ropes around a temple

in Nikko, just North of Tokyo

There was one day in particular, we had somehow got on the wrong train and ended up in a really empty station where the station master couldn't understand where we were trying to get to. We were there a while, getting more and more frantic, thinking we may have to move into the station when a local man walked in and asked if he could help us. We told him where we were trying to get to and then he had a long conversation with the station master discussing the best route for us to get home. Not only did he tell us which train we needed, but he walked us to the right platform as well. We had a bit of a chat about where we came from and what we thought of Japan and then he went off to get his train. A few minutes later, he came rushing back - he had put us on the wrong platform! So off we went again, following this little man to the right place. He walked off again to catch his train. A few minutes later, we looked up at the glass bridge above to see him jumping around waving a piece of paper in the air. He came rushing down the steps again. He'd written us a note, in Japanese, explaining that we were tourists and saying where we were from and where we were trying to get to just in case we got lost again! Luckily we never needed to use it, but I still have it tucked away in my travel journal.

A girl in traditional dress reading prayers outside a temple

in Kyoto

It was such a lovely act of kindness from a stranger. There was no reason for him to feel obliged to help us, he just did. And we were so grateful to him.

After the earthquake, I knew I had to do something to help people like that man who had been affected and lost everything. I wanted to go out there to help the survivors but only trained personnel have been allowed out up to now. So then I thought about fund raising and came up with a plan.

A prayer note tied to the cherry blossom in Nara

We have the royal wedding coming up soon so I thought it would be a good idea to organise a big village party to raise money. So, me and another lady in the village have joined forces to create the wedding party extravaganza of the year!

We are starting with a wedding dress walk from the church (with the bells ringing behind us) down to the village hall where the wedding will be shown on the big screen television. After the wedding, we will be having a British tea party style lunch - cucumber sandwiches with their crusts cut off, cakes, jelly and tea and coffee. In the afternoon, I'm hoping to get some live music or other live entertainment.

I have been on the beg, asking everyone I know for some kind of donation for a raffle - so far I've managed to collect a meal for two in the Hilton, 3 overnight stays at various hotels, a beer gift pack from a local brewery and, get this, a pair of entry passes to Disney Land Paris!

Prayers outside Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto

So, kind man in the station, this is for you - and all the other people who helped us during our stay in Japan and who warmed my heart everyday through their kindness and warmth to each other. It really is a culture we all could learn something from.

You can read about my time in Japan here.

Soupy noodles

Sometimes, the food on holiday can make or break your trip.

Mostly, I look forward to trying out new cuisine. I'm not a fussy eater and will try almost anything once... but I do have my limits!

Star fish on a stick - In the Hutong, Beijing

When I went to China a few years ago, I was really looking forward to some authentic Chinese food. It wasn't for me. Everything seemed flavourless compared to the English interpretation of Chinese cooking. Meat dishes were not made from succulent pieces of meat as they are back home, but tiny bits of crumbled bone with the odd bit of gristle thrown in for good measure. Tofu was tasteless. The rice wasn't much better. There were no vegetables. There were scorpians, and starfish and sea horses on sticks. I couldn't handle the chopsticks and was flicking food all over the place. In the end, there were McDonalds and Pizza Hut!

Sea horse on a stick - In the Hutong, Beijing

I have to say though, even through all the bad food, we did manage to find something we liked - crispy duck! And you could pick it up with your fingers! We found a world famous crispy duck restaurant (Da Dong Duck Restaurant, Beijing) where they regulalry serve the stars, including past US presidents, singers and actors alike. The food was the best we ate in three weeks!

Outside Da Dong, Beijing

When I went to Japan, I spent months dreading the food. I had visions of a combination of Chinese food and raw fish flapping around on my plate gasping for air! I was releived to find though that the food was not at all what I expected! I discovered Soupy Noodles (ramen) and fell forever in love!

Soupy noodes with pork - Osaka, Japan

There were all different variations on this dish and I enjoyed every one of them! Fat ones, thin ones, wet ones, dry ones, brown ones and white ones.

Hoto noodle soup - A traditional dish in Mt Fuji, Japan

You could eat them with chicken, with pork, with tofu, with vegetables, with rice - the options were endless, and all delicious.

Spicy noodles with sticky rice and honey chicken - Nikko, Japan

I even figured out how to use chopsticks!

Postcards from Travelling-Kat

What better day to start a new blog than the first day of a new year. The time when we are all thinking about what we will do in the coming year, where we want our lives to take us, the new experiences we want to have.

2011 for me, will involve a lot more travelling, a lot more photography and a lot more writing.

In 2010, I set myself a goal to have seen thirty countries by the time I'm thirty, fourty by the time I'm fourty and so on. So far, I've been to twenty three so I've got a bit of work to do.

This year, we're off to Canada (Vancouver and the Rockies) and then hopefully Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore later in the year. I'll be sending regular picture postcards from my travels and in between trips, I'll be talking about my travel wish list, day trips around the UK, weekend breaks in Europe and wherever else my life takes me.

I want this blog to be interactive so once a month, I'd like to feature another globe trotters tales, good or bad, funny or sad, from anywhere in the world. I'd also like to hear about where you plan to go on your next trip and where you just have to see before you die. I love to hear about other people's trips just as much as I love to go on my own, so please join in and talk to me!

So, welcome to my blog and I look forward to hearing from you soon - wherever in the world you are!

Before I go, I'll share a few photos from my 2010 travels...

Japan March - April 2010. The absolute trip of a lifetime and one I would do again in an instant. You can read about my trip over on my other blog. Just keep clicking on "older posts".

Morocco June 2010. I just love those little legs sticking out, seeking refuge from the days heat on the cold mosaic tiles! Read more here and keep clicking "older posts".

South of France August - September 2010. This is where my Grandad lives so we try to go as often as we can. We were lucky enough to see just the start of the autumn leaves turning a beautiful auburn gold, the canal by my Grandads house looked stunning (above). It was Scarecrow festival time as well so all of the villages had little scarecrows guarding the houses and shops made by the school kids. I never tire of France. You can read more on this trip here.

Scottish Highlands October 2010. We hired a minibus with twelve friends and drove for two days to get to Rua Reidh Lighthouse in North West Nowhere! There was literally NOTHING else around and it was amazing! By far the most fun I've ever had. And we were followed by a seal - the icing on the cake for me!