Happy New Year, everyone!  A little late, but better late than never, as they say.  I had a lovely New Years spent with some guest house friends.  We went to Izu, a prefecture that is a bit of drive from Tokyo.  The nearest part of Izu is not that far away but getting to the tip of the peninsula takes some time.  We stayed at a place close to Shimoda on the tip of Izu.  The owner was a crazy old lady with many stories to tell, very memorable.  We ate delicious food including very fresh raw fish, fish burgers, soba and mochi.  It was a really nice trip.  The view from the place we stayed was awesome as well.  I really liked Izu.  It is the perfect mix of mountains and ocean.  I highly recommend it.  I hope everyone had a nice New Years!  Ready to start the new year off right?!