Is Kanazawa worth a visit?
Read what there is to see in Kanazawa before you decide whether it is worth visiting!
Travel
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A baseball game in Japan
When I took a group of Dutch students to the US a few years ago, I insisted that we attend a professional baseball game, something they were distinctly unenthusiastic about. They said it was a boring game. I told them it wasn’t about the game; it was about the whole event around the game: the…
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Singapore, the Old and the New
NEW Singapore After my visit to Pulau Ubin in Singapore, I spent most of the rest of my very short stay visiting with my foster daughter, Krislyn, and her Singapore family. But Krislyn and I needed time for a good long chat, and decided to check out Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. Disclosure: This article contains…
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A day trip to Hiroshima
I had mixed feelings about visiting Hiroshima and initially decided not to. I know a lot about the atomic bomb attacks on Japan. Back in the early 90s, I attended a three-week intensive workshop for teachers about nuclear issues. I learned about the science of the various kinds of nuclear weapons, the mathematics of radiation…
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What to see in Nikko, a breathtaking World Heritage site
Nikko, Japan, nestled in the mountains north of Tokyo, is a small town, but is home to an incomparable assemblage of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sprinkled around a national park forest above Nikko town is a collection of Shinto and Buddhist shrines and mausoleums that are breathtaking in their beauty and workmanship. Most of them date to…
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Barefoot in Japan: A bumbling fool
Much of the time that I was in Japan I felt like a bumbling fool, and shoes were a big part of it. The Japanese have a lot of rules regarding footwear. Basically, you are expected to go barefoot in Japan pretty much anywhere inside. That was more difficult for me than you’d think. Disclosure:…
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Pulau Ubin: Singapore’s Memory Lane
When my new friend and fellow blogger, Betsy Wuebker, posted about her visit to Pulau Ubin, near Singapore, it couldn’t have come at a better moment. I was on my way to Hong Kong but had just heard from my foster daughter, Krislyn, who lives in Singapore now. It turned out she couldn’t come visit…
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Hong Kong Impressions
My short visit in Hong Kong was a stimulating, perhaps over-stimulating, series of strong impressions. Here are some of the strongest ones.
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On Lamma Island, a Meditative Walk
Car-free Lamma Island is the third largest island of Hong Kong after Hong Kong itself and Lantau.
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Tai O, Hong Kong: Village on stilts
Tai O village in Hong Kong is known as a picturesque village of stilt houses. Up close, though, it raises questions about poverty tourism.
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Big Buddha Hong Kong (and a cable car)
The Big Buddha on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island is breathtaking because of the beauty of its mountain setting and the stunning cable car ride up to its base.
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Victoria Peak: The Top of Hong Kong
Victoria Peak, the mountain that looms over the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, is one of Hong Kong’s top tourist attractions.
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Hong Kong Park Has a Lot to Offer
Hong Kong Park is a destination in itself, with an oddly wide variety of things to see: an aviary, a museum, a conservatory, and more.
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Choosing Accommodations: Consider Out of Town
How do you choose your accommodations when you travel? You probably take several things into consideration: cost, quality of the hotel, and location probably top the list. If you’re like me, you try to balance the three. I want the best quality possible within the amount I can spend. Often, though, I find that a…
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Gothic Barcelona: A Walking Tour with a Difference
As you know, I attended the TBEX travel bloggers’ conference in Lloret del Mar recently. While I was there, I was fortunate to be able to take a walking tour of Gothic Barcelona offered by Context Travel. They operate walking tours in more than 36 cities, “the world’s cultural capitals,” around the world. Context Travel’s unique selling…
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Kreol West Indies: a new concept
On my last day in Guadeloupe, I stumbled upon a special little museum. I was on my way to the easternmost tip of Grande-Terre, the eastern “wing” of the butterfly that makes up Guadeloupe’s main island. Called Pointe des Chateaux, it’s a windblown, craggy place. On the way, I noticed a brightly-colored building, only catching…
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Flying Aeroflot
If you’re an American of a certain age, as I am, the name Aeroflot will conjure certain images. Aeroflot was the airline of the “commies,” and it was considered one of the worst airlines in the world. We Americans didn’t fly Aeroflot. Partly because we didn’t, in general, visit the Soviet Union. They were the…
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Gala Dali Castle: Dalí’s Gift to his Muse
If you like Salvador Dalí’s art—even if you’re not such a fan of his work—the Gala Dali Castle in Púbol, Spain, is something you should not miss. This is not a Dalí museum. Dalí bought the building, a medieval castle, as a gift for his wife and muse, Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, who was called simply Gala….
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5 Things to Do in Bossier City, Louisiana … Besides Gambling!
I’m not much of a gambler, but my husband would gladly tell you a story about having to drag me away from the low-stakes slot machines at Lake Tahoe. I insist that my reluctance to leave had more to do with the generous free drinks I received than the slots themselves. Note: I originally wrote…
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The High Line: an unusual New York City park
I like parks as much as the next person, but when I travel they’re not high on my list. I might pass through a park on the way to something else I want to see, or I might do a bit of people-watching in a park long enough to eat a sandwich, but that’s about…
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Watersports in Marina del Rey, California
If you’ve read my blog at all, you know I tend to go for the more off-the-beaten-path, lesser-known destinations when I travel. Even when I go to a relatively popular place, like, for example, Romania, I seek out sights that the tourists don’t visit, like the painted churches of Moldavia. Or, visiting South Korea, I…
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Solo travel so far
My trip to the Caribbean last month was my first solo trip. When I talk about solo travel, I’m not talking about when I fly somewhere to lead a workshop and then have a day free to explore whatever city I find myself in. I’m not talking about when I go somewhere to visit friends…
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Impressions of Guadeloupe
My impressions of Guadeloupe: how “French” it is (and isn’t) and how I felt as I explored the island. In short, I fell in love with it!
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2 historic homes in New York City
If you’re on a budget in New York City and want to visit historic homes, the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Museum is an obvious choice. After that visit, I ended up also checking out the Merchant’s House Museum. These two historic homes in New York City both lend some insight into the lives of the 19th…
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5 Reasons to Visit Lloret de Mar
(Nederlands versie beneden!) When I told people I was going to Lloret de Mar for the last week of my one-month solo trip (Guadeloupe, Martinique, New York, Lloret de Mar), the usual reaction was something along the line of “Lloret de Mar? But why?” Lloret de Mar has a reputation as a party city, along…
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Fort St. Louis and the Rum Battle
Approaching Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique, by ferry, the most prominent feature of the harbor is the imposing collection of walls and buildings that make up Fort St. Louis, a 17th century naval base. (Zie Nederlands versie beneden.) Fort St. Louis is still a French naval base today; Martinique is still an overseas territory of…
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An over-packing update
Before my recent solo trip, I posted about my plans to travel with just one small 35-liter suitcase. It was a convertible one: it had wheels, but could also be used as a backpack. I chose what I brought along very carefully, and it all fit into that 35-liter bag, except for a small daypack holding…
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5 Secrets of a Successful Marriage
As of today, my husband and I have been married for 25 years. When people hear how long we’ve been married, I get one of two possible responses: “Congratulations! We’re coming up on (fill in a number of years).” “Wow! How do you do it?” This post is directed at the second group, who wonder how…
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4 Snorkeling Trip Surprises in Guadeloupe and Martinique
Sometimes an ordinary activity you’d do on any vacation can turn into something special. On my recent trip in the Caribbean, I took two snorkeling trips …
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The Jane Hotel: Nautical Flair
When I entered the lobby and spotted the stuffed peacocks on the wall, mounted vertically with their faded tail feathers dangling, I knew the Jane Hotel wasn’t a run-of-the-mill hotel. I had suspected it already when I booked the room. First of all, it was suspiciously cheap for New York City—I paid $115 a night—yet…
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Carved Rocks Archeological Park, Guadeloupe
There’s not much left to show that the Arawaks ever lived on Guadeloupe. And it’s not completely clear what happened to them. One story is that they were all wiped out by the Caribs, who arrived in the 15th century. Another story is that they coexisted with the Caribs, but not for long, since Columbus…
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A Special Encounter on a Puddle-jumper
The puddle-jumper Traveling from Martinique to the US involved three separate flights for me, and the first of these was on a Liat Airlines “puddle-jumper.” First, a 15-minute jump from Martinique to St. Lucia, then a half-hour jump to Barbados. If you know me, you know that fear of flying is an ongoing issue for…
