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April 30, 2025

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Time in Budapest

Hungary’s Parliament on the banks of the Danube River in Budapest

Budapest is the perfect place to visit after Vienna since they are so closely connected & have similar backgrounds.

For a little background, the city is divided by the great Danube River. The West side is hilly Buda & the East side is flat Pest. The two were brought together in 1873 creating the capital of Hungary.

This consolidation made Budapest the 2nd capital after Vienna of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 18th Century. This status is why Budapest has similar architecture, a love for coffee, & many German speaking people.

Like most Eastern Europe, Hungary was under Communism from WWII until 1990. But, Budapest has very little of the classic square gray Communist style buildings or propaganda paintings. All the old Soviet statues have been moved to a park outside the city. (Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see it)

There are a few bars like the Red Ruin that like to make fun of this time period.

Today , Budapest is working to revive its glorious pre- WWII past.

In 2021, Buda Palace along with other historical sites on Castle Hill are slowly being restored to their previous splendor. This area was heavily damaged during WWII & little was improved during the Soviet Era.

Not far from Buda Palace is the very lovely Matthias Church. I absolutely fell in love with how this church’s interior was decorated.

We were very lucky on a Sunday night to attend a classical concert in the amazing cathedral St Stephen’s Basilica on the Pest side.

The concert featured only a few stringed instruments & one singer; but, it was amazing! The acoustics in the church provided the most beautiful sound for classics by Mozart, Bach, Handel, & Vivaldi. Hearing Ava Maria in this setting was a dream come true.

Earlier in the day we toured St Stephen’s Basilica & climbed the stairs to the dome for a city view.

As expected, the treatment of the Jewish population in Hungary during WWII is a grim one.

Budapest is the perfect place to learn more about this history because it has the 2nd largest synagogue in the world & the largest in Europe seating 3,000 people. The Dohany Synagogue survived WWII & has been fully restored making it magnificent to view both inside & out.

The synagogue provides a free 45 minute talk & tour in many languages & has a good history museum.

Starting in October 1944, it is believed that over 20,000 Jews from Budapest were shot on the banks of the Danube River. Before they were shot, they were forced to remove their shoes which were in short supply. Their bodies fell into the river & were swept downstream.

Today there is a memorial to this atrocity along the Danube near the Parliament building called “Shoes along the Danube”.

Not to be missed on any trip to Budapest is the Grand Market Hall. It is popular among both the locals & tourists. It is also a perfect place to buy a Hungarian souvenir, some paprika, or taste the local Hungarian food.

A Hungarian favorite is Langos that we enjoyed in the market. Langos is fried bread that can be topped with savory or sweet toppings. We chose the traditional sour cream & cheese toppings.

While in Budapest we also enjoyed chimney cake. They are sold all over town in many different flavors & are sometimes filled with ice cream.

We didn’t have a chance to visit a coffee shop in Vienna, but made up for it in Budapest.

Ice coffee with ice cream & 3 different cakes at Gerbeaud. 😋

It is always super fun to window shop in Europe where little shops still line the streets. Couldn’t resist a chocolate shop that we found by accident.

One block was lined with these clever stick-on posters.

Sometimes you see something that makes you go hmmmmm 🤨❓Budapest has a statue from the 70’s detective TV show Colombo. And yes, it is on Falk Street and no, Peter Falk was not Hungarian. Just a little street humor for those of us who actually remember the show. “Oh yeah, …one more thing.”

Our last meal in Budapest was at the Central Grand Cafe & Bar which started in 1887. We ate a delicious meal outside enjoying the sights & sounds in this grand old city. Having a meal on the sidewalk is among the great joys of touring Europe when the weather is perfect.

I wasn’t so sure how much I was going to like Budapest after Vienna, but I must say it won me over. It would be nice to return once the Buda Palace has been fully restored to its 19th Century grandeur.

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April 28, 2025

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Austria, Europe

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Vienna, Austria – City of Music

Many of the great classical musicians are Austrian and lived in Vienna. Here are just a few.

Opportunities to attend classical music concerts are almost endless in the city. While there, we enjoyed 2 evening concerts. The first performance was in the opulent Schönbrunn Palace. Sitting where Kings & Queens sat many years ago, our ears listened & our hearts leapt at the brilliant written music from the anniversary listed men.

On our way back to our hotel, a couple musicians who were in the orchestra that entertained were on our subway car. Their large carrying cases for their instruments gave them away.

The second night was a smaller venue where the concert was devoted to The Waltz King, Johann Strauss. This evening, we had front row seats to the small orchestra that accompanied an opera singer & two dancers.

There are many things to see in Vienna; but, we only had 2 days, so we focused on a few highlights.

Just like Berlin, Vienna is filled with history. The city has many beautiful buildings ranging from the 15th to the 19th Century to marvel at while you walk the city.

One only needs to be aware of how powerful the Habsburg Monarchy was before WWI to understand how this was possible. Unlike past empires that grew by raging war, the Habsburg often did so through marriage.

Even though we had visited Schönbrunn Palace in 1985, it was worth another visit even though it was a cool rainy day.

Just like many European palaces, the extreme opulence is on full display. One can easily see Marie Antionette growing up in this palace… which she did.

We enjoyed touring Mozart’s apartment where he lived with his wife Constance & their child while he wrote “The Marriage of Figuro.” There is little to see in the apartment; but, it was nice to have an idea about his life where he lived with his wife, small children, a dog, a bird, & a few servants in a very small place.

Fortunately, we were able to get tickets one morning to see the Lipizzaner Stallions perform at the historic Spanish Riding School.

Before going to the show, we both read this amazing book about how the US Army went on a secret & daring mission behind Nazi lines to rescue these magnificent animals from being captured & destroyed by the Soviets in WWII’s final days.

We saw 22 ea. Lipizzaner stallions perform. They are born with black hair that turns pure white as they mature.

No photos or videos were allowed during the performance; but, here are some photos.

Ever since seeing the movie “Woman in Gold”, I have loved paintings by Gustav Klimt.

Most museums only contain 1-2 of his paintings, if they have any at all. Knowing that the Upper Belvedere Museum had the largest Klimt collection along his most famous piece “The Kiss,” it was a must see.

Even though the main reason to come to the Belvedere was to see Klimt’s paintings, the building & grounds were also magnificent. Even though it was once a palace, it has served as a public museum since 1736.

Our time in Vienna was much too short. Places like Beethoven’s home were missed along with having coffee in one of their famous coffee houses. Hopefully we can come back again in the future.

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April 25, 2025

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Germany

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Leipzig, Germany- City for Music Lovers

Leipzig is a beautiful place to visit; but, it is not too well known, so, unfortunately, it is missed by many travellers

During WWII most of the city was destroyed; but, thankfully, instead of being leveled, many beautiful buildings were restored to their original appearance.

Under Soviet rule there was little money to rebuild; but, when East & West Germany finally reunited, the citizens realized that rebuilding their city to restore its appearance would be to their benefit.

Here are just a few restored buildings:

The New City Hall houses many government offices. While walking around in it, we came across the German Green Party office where they offered these postcards to take for free. You will quickly get the idea of what their message is for the voters.

Leipzig is only surpassed by Vienna & Salzburg for musical influence. At one time or another, the most prevalent German composers lived here.

The most famous is Johann Sebastian Bach who is also buried in Leipzig’s St. Thomas Church which was founded in the early 13th Century.

Proving that classical music is timeless, many modern musicians have used Bach’s music for inspiration.

Clara & Robert Schumann also lived in Leipzig.

The Schumann home is now museum & a children’s music school

Nearby is another children’s music school.

As you walk around the city, you still see many buildings that were built by the Communist government.

The Latin inscription atop this building means “Labor Conquers All” which the Communists used to encourage & extoll their workers

Most people know about the Berlin Wall coming down; but what most people don’t know is a month before, a huge gathering occurred in Leipzig with more than 100,000 people protesting for reforms. This demonstration hastened the Berlin Wall being dismantled.

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April 23, 2025

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Germany

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Berlin- A City with Many Faces & Memories

First night back in Berlin at the historic Brandenburg Gate

Berlin is a fascinating & beautiful city that has changed greatly as its history unfolded. It seems that every step here is filled with history that has many twists & turns.

But, Berlin is so much more than its history. It has the most opera houses in the world, over 180 museums, the most visited zoo in Europe (it is among the few zoos with a panda bear), & the world’s largest outdoor art gallery that is free to see.

For myself, Berlin is special for many reasons. I moved here in 1982 to teach US military children whose parents were stationed in West Berlin.

In 1983, I also met my future husband here.

We lived here until 1986 which was almost right before the Berlin Wall came tumbling down on 9 November 1989.

So, returning to Berlin is always like revisiting our younger selves which is always joyful.

On our first day we went to the housing area where we lived & met 42 years ago. We checked out the many changes in the area. The Allied Museum is now located in the old American library & movie theater.

In the parking lot at our apartment standing at the spot where we first met

We were in Berlin only for a few days, so we didn’t have time to revisit all the places we loved back in the 1980s; but, we had time to see a few.

In Summer 1985, we took a picture at the wall near Checkpoint Charlie which separated East & West Berlin & my how things have changed.

1986- Corner of Charlottenstrasse & Zimmerstrasse

Some places never grow old no matter how often you have seen them in the past.

Checkpoint Charlie- the actual building structure we knew is now displayed at the Allied Museum

The Wall was a big part in Berlin’s history from 1961 to 1989. When we lived in Berlin, we never dreamed it would come down, let alone only a few years after we left.

When I first started driving in Berlin, the older teachers at my school always joked about never having to worry about getting lost, saying you will eventually run into the Wall & have to turn around. 🤣

It was true that for us in West Berlin that we were totally surrounded by the Wall. We were allowed to leave at anytime; but, needed a special pass called “Flag Orders” because they had an American flag on them. They were also written in English, French, & Russian which were the languages of the occupying powers- America, Britain, France, & Russia. Flag Orders were necessary to leave & return to West Berlin by car or train.

Flag Orders- Note the Russian stamps to get through Checkpoint Alpha which was on the border between East & West Germany & through Checkpoint Bravo which was the entry point into West Berlin from East Germany

Signs by all exits in the American sector in West Berlin

The Jewish Holocaust Memorial is located in what we formerly called “No Man’s Land” or the “Death Strip.” This was a wide open space in the East adjacent to the Wall. It is also the area in which Hitler’s Bunker where he committed suicide was located.

Although individual Wall segments are displayed throughout the city, Wall sections still exist in only two places- Bernauer Strasse & Muhlenstrasse

Bernauer Strasse- The way the Wall looked in East Berlin

The large section at Muhlenstrasse along the Spree River was opened to artist & is calked called The East Side Gallery. 118 artists from 21 countries were invited to paint on the Wall’s plain, unpainted side after it opened. It is now the world’s longest open air art gallery & is a protected memorial.

The most photographed mural is the “Fraternal Kiss” which depicts former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev & the former East Germany leader Erich Honecker showing some love to each other

As Americans associated with the US military, we had special license plates on our cars so we were not allowed to be searched by the East Germans when entering or exiting East Berlin.

Also, American soldiers were required to be in uniform when going to East Berlin.

However, returning to the former East Berlin area now has no such requirements.

When entering East Berlin, you were required to give the American authorities at Checkpoint Charlie the time when you planned to return to the West. Since I didn’t want to get lost, I never ventured too far off the main streets & possibly missing my return time which meant a search party would have been dispatched to find me.

However, with no such restrictions or concerns on this trip, we went to many places we had never previously gone.

At the Stasi archives we applied to see if they even had a file on us. ⁉️🤨

Of course, one of my favorite things about Germany is the BREAD! And then some desserts as well. I like their desserts because most are only slightly sweet.

For the 28 years that the Wall existed, West Germany gave its citizens incentives to live in Berlin such as lower taxes, financial subsidies for having children, & relief from its mandatory military service requirement.

Those policies helped create & encourage Berliners to be unique & a bit quirky. These photos show just a touch of that whimsy. People who look at the world through different eyes are always welcomed here. Hmmm, maybe that’s why I love Berlin so much. 🥰

“Falling in Love” Finale
Think Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cirque de Soleil, & a Gay Pride Parade all rolled up into a two hour musical & you can imagine the performance.
Almost like a modern Cabaret.
It was very Berlin!

Finally, and last but not least, Berlin’s city symbol is the Bear. You see Bear statues all over the city. Here are a few that are displayed. Pick your favorite.

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February 24, 2025

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Japan

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My Top 10 Reasons to ❤️ Japan

One

The Shinkansen or “bullet train.”

Very fast, smooth, & almost always on time.

Two

Super CLEAN!

Just try to find trash on the ground.

This in itself is amazing; but, even more astounding is there are hardly any public trash cans in sight.

Paper towels are very hard to come by in their public bathrooms.

One day my husband saw a child drop a package of the gummy bears on the ground & then pick them all up.

I saw someone drop a small piece of paper on the ground by accident as they exited the train. In less than 30 seconds, a train conductor picked it up.

Even the garbage trucks are spotless.

Three

The food.

I’m vegetarian; but, I always found something good to eat.

Especially at the noodle shops. Yea for ramen, soba and udon noodles. Lo

Four

The Japanese desire to hold on to their long-standing customs & traditions.

Being an American, only Native Americans have traditional clothes.

But in Japan, people still love to dress in their traditional clothes.

The Japanese still bow out of politeness to show respect & to say thank you.

And, those lovely Onsens with hot mineral water that are still regularly used for public bathing & relaxation. Some are 1,000s of years old.

Five

So many lovely shrines & temples.

It’s impossible to go very far without seeing these lovely structures & enjoying learning about the traditions that come with them.

Six

Extreme kindness.

Even in a subway or train station where it is very crowded, nobody pushes or shoves.

One night at dinner, the small restaurant was very busy, so it took them over 20 minutes to take our order.

They constantly & profusely apologized for their delay.

Seven

Don’t laugh, but the toilets!

Even the public toilets come with a bidet & warm seats.

My bum has never been happier. 🤣

The nicer toilets have dryers & motion sensors to raise the lid & flush automatically.

I used a toilet inside a museum that played soothing running water sounds when you sat down. 🤨

Eight

Cuteness is important. 😌

Nine

Everything is small.

The cars are so small I almost felt like I could pick them up.

Check out this tiny store which sells high end outdoor apparel.

Ten

Last; but not least & perhaps my most important reason- the Japanese LOVE cats! 😻🐈

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February 24, 2025

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Japan

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Hiroshima & the Itsukushima Shrine

Hiroshima

When you hear “Hiroshima”, you often think about the first Atomic Bomb used in war. One reason why I wanted to come here is to learn more about that event.

Before coming , I read To Hell And Back- The Last Train from Hiroshima by Charles Pellegrino.

This marvelous book written in easy narrative form tells the stories about some people who suffered & survived not only the extreme flash, heat, fire tornadoes, invisible radiation, & radiation falling in “Black Rain” in the 1st atomic blast in Hiroshima; but also, the 2nd & much more powerful atomic blast at Nagasaki.

The book also covers the physics & science in making atomic weapons as well as US & Japanese military & government actions & decisions leading up to the bombings & their aftermath. It provides very detailed accounts of both US air missions which dropped the bombs which were not sure of things & were very risky undertakings.

This book enabled me able to experience fully this monumental & consequential event & place during my visit.

The city turned the area where the most severe damage occurred under the “Hypocenter” into a Peace Park. The “Little Boy” atomic bomb was dropped from the “Enola Gay” B-29 Superfortress & detonated 600 meters above Hiroshima at 8:15 AM on 6 August 1945. Right under where it exploded is known as the Hypocenter.

The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall (Hiroshima-ken Sangyo Shoreikan) building was mostly destroyed; but, a section remained standing making it the building closest to the atomic bomb’s hypocenter that remained at least partially standing.
It has been preserved as a stark reminder to the atomic bomb’s awful power.

This remnant is now called the “A-Bomb Dome”.

Between the Museum and the A-Bomb Dome is the **Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims**. The Cenotaph is an arched tomb for those who died due to the bomb, either from
the initial blast or radiation exposure. Below the arch is a stone chest storing holding a register with the names of people who perished due to the atomic bomb.

There are 220,000 names on it.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum contains many images & artifacts discussed in the book.

Photo taken on the Sumitomo Bank steps soon after the bombing where a person waiting for the bank to open was vaporized

Some of the more than 1,000 cranes Sadako Sazaki folded

The museum has an exhibit about Sadako Sazaki.

Despite being exposed to nuclear radiation as a young girl, she seemed fine. However, like many A-bomb survivors, years later as a teenager, she developed Leukemia.

Her father told Sadako about a Japanese legend that the crane lives for a 1,000 years & it is said that if you fold a 1,000 cranes & put your heart into each one, then they will help you with your wish for wellness.

While in the hospital, Sadako folded more than 1,000 cranes. The museum has some displayed which are about the size of an American quarter. She even folded some cranes from paper that were the size of a single grain of rice.

Unfortunately, Sadako’s wish to get well did not come true; but, her doctors said she lived far longer than expected.

The Hiroshima Peace Park & its museum are both worth visiting. They served as reminders not only to war’s brutality & a testimony not to use nuclear weapons; but also, to the human spirit’s resilience to overcome adversity & ability to show kindness & compassion.

Itsukushima Shrine

Among Japan’s most iconic structures & images is the Itsukushima Shrine with its remarkable Torii Gate.

This shrine & its torii gate originally built in 593 are not only a Japanese national treasure; but also, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine located on Miyajima which is an island in Hiroshima Prefecture

The Shrine which is dedicated to the three daughters of the Shinto deity of Seas & Storms is built on piers over the Seto Sea because the island was originally thought to have been too sacred for commoners to tread.

Miyajima Island also contains many shops along with wild deer who roam freely looking for food from tourists. The main food attraction was the popular Hiroshima oysters.

I bought some beautiful handmade wooden rice spoons from this man’s shop

Sayonara Japan!
We have had a lovely visit.
Thank you for your hospitality & kindness.

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February 23, 2025

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Japan

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Kyoto, Japan

Kyoto was Japan’s capital for almost 1,000 years and as such, it is totally engrossed in Japanese culture, religion, & beauty.

I recently read that Zen Buddhism did not start in Japan; but, most likely, the Japanese would have created it on their own.

If you lived in Kyoto for a full year & visited 5 temples & shrines every day, you couldn’t see them all.

This was my 3rd visit to Kyoto. The first was in Summer 2004 followed by another in Spring 2005.

Some things have changed in 20 years; but, Kyoto allows a visitor to remember things exactly as they were before with the only difference being the people you see.

However, I did note a couple differences. Kyoto now has numerous Starbucks. One is even located on the Ninenzaka which is the historical road leading to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Gion. The other change is that ATMs are ubiquitous which is now true throughout Japan.

On this visit, we chose to return to a few favorite places; but also, to embrace some new ones.

First Time Visits

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

(The 10,000 Torii Gate Shrine)

It’s hard not to love this unique shrine. The numerous visitors, both foreign & domestic, attests to this statement.

We got up early to be there by 8:00 AM; but, many other people had the same idea, so there were many people already there by that time.

Fushimi Inari Shrine is famous for its countless torii gates which are offerings by worshippers that cover the hiking trails on wooded Mount Inari.

Torii gates line a winding path for over 2.5 miles up & down Mount Inari.

We reached the top after a 2 hour hike which included many stops to take pictures & visit small shrines along the path.

Kamiji Kakimoto

Japan is well known for their high quality paper & stationery stores. This store called Kamiji Kakimoto dates back to 1716!

I absolutely loved this small store & its very kind shopkeepers. My luggage contains proof that I liked what I found there.

Samurai & Ninja Museum

A very informative small museum. Fun for both little & big boys. 🤣😂

Ichihime-ninja Shrine

(Women’s Shrine)

This small shrine is popular among women. Many women come here praying for protection, blessings for having healthy babies, & for good luck in raising children.

Honke Owariya

The Honke Owariya restaurant is popular with both locals & tourists. It is a small place only open 4 hours daily, so there is always a line to get in; but, it is definitely worth the wait.

Honke Owariya started in 1465 as a confectionary store making & selling soba (buckwheat) rice cakes. It has remained a family- owned business for 14 generations.

By the mid-Edo period (around 1700), Honke Owariya had become both a confectionery shop & was among the city’s main soba noodle suppliers. It also secured the great honor to provide soba to the Imperial household which secured its culinary reputation,

Yes, some soba noodles from their shop are accompanying me home. 🥰

Always Worth Another Visit

Rokuon-ji Temple

Temple of the Golden Pavilion

About a century after Marco Polo’s travels to the Far East during the Muromachi period, shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu purchased & renovated Kitayama-den which was a vast villa located in Kyoto’s northern sector.

He used the villa for official meetings with Chinese traders & also constructed a quiet garden with a gilded reliquary hall, or shariden, which was completed in 1398.

After Yoshimitsu’s death, in accordance with his will, the villa was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple complex.

Ryōan-ji

The meditative rock garden tradition is prevalent in Japanese culture; but, very few have survived as long & in such perfect condition as the Zen garden at Ryoan-ji.

Constructed around 1500 either by professional gardeners or monks, the meditative scene contains 15 small boulders resting in white gravel bed which is raked into perfect lines each day by the current temple monks.

Nishiki Market

Nishiki Market well merits its nickname as “Kyoto’s Kitchen.”

It first opened in 1310 as a fish market & has expanded over the centuries to become the best spot for seafood, produce, & local street food in the city.

Gion District

Gion is the best place to see a Geisha. You can also see many Japanese dressed in traditional clothes in this very quaint area. These sightings along with temples & old wooden buildings built in traditional Japanese style makes Gion very popular.

This visit was my third trip to Kyoto & I certainly hope it won’t be my last. There are many other temples, shrines, museums, & restaurants to visit. Also, I need to return in Autumn so I can say I experienced all four seasons in this wonderful city.

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February 23, 2025

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Japan

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Nagano & Snow Monkeys

We enjoyed a Nagano day tour & then went up to the mountains to see the snow monkeys in Jigokudani Monkey Park.

The first stop was at Nishomon Yodhinoya for sake tasting. There we sampled different kinds of rice wine & learned how different qualities were created based on how much of the rice husk was milled off to create the sake. We also enjoyed drinking Amazake which means “Sweet Sake”. It can also be made as an alcoholic drink. The Japanese have been making it since the 3rd Century & it is mentioned in “The Chronicles of Japan” which is Japan’s second oldest book.

Amazake is a sweet, creamy, non-alcoholic drink made from rice which is typically a summer drink; but, Japanese families drink it at dawn on New Year’s Day to ring in the New Year.

We learned the word “sake” actually means all alcoholic drinks in Japan including beer. Rice wine is actually called Nihon-shu.

When we left the sake shop it started snowing. We enjoyed the winter ambiance while visiting the Zenkoji Temple which is a very important Buddhist temple in Japan.

Ritual Offering Made Before Entering the Temple

Light small incense sticks on a hot burner

Pictures are not allowed inside the temple; but, it was a large area to visit & inside you can buy small charms for wishing things such as “good luck, good health, & good fortune.” There are even charms for “good luck on exams.”

Here are a few sights near the temple.

You can write your wish on these small wooden boards which are hung outside most temples.

Nagano is known for 2 things- people living the longest here in Japan & its apples. We were told they grow over 40 apple varieties in Nagano.

While waiting for the tour to continue, I enjoyed an apple custard hot pie. It was delish!

We then had an hour drive to the Jigokudani Monkey Park. But, first we had a wonderful Japanese lunch with a traditional hot pot to cook your food at the table along with some veggie sushi & veggie tempura.

After lunch, we had a 1.25 mile walk through the forest to reach the Snow Monkey Park. Thankfully, I had clip-on crampon spikes for my shoes because the path was covered in snow & ice.

The monkey troop has the only monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs. This troop has over 150 monkeys. The troop size is large because other than raptors who may occasionally take babies, they have no natural predators on the ground & they are protected in the park.

Japanese macaques (snow monkeys) have the northernmost range of the world’s primates.

Snow Monkey Park was created in 1964 so the Japanese macaques could have a refuge within what was already their natural habitat. The naturally curious monkeys observed humans using the outside onsen hot spring at a nearby guesthouse during winter. The monkeys thought this was a great idea & jumped in the pool. However, the guesthouse owner was not too keen on monkeys fouling his clean onsen.

To keep the monkeys out of the onsen, a special hot bath was created for them inside the park.

In 1970, Life magazine featured the Snow Monkeys on its cover creating a world wild fascination about them & catapulted their onsen into a tourist destination overnight.

On the day we went it was very cold so many monkeys were in their special onsen. Our guide said we were lucky to see so many young ones.

Since getting into hot baths is not a natural behavior for monkeys & they only started doing it in the 1960s by copying humans, this is the textbook definition for “Monkey See… Monkey Do.”

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February 18, 2025

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Japan

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Skiing at Hakuba, Japan

After talking about it for many years, we finally decided it was time to go skiiing in Japan. There are many ski resorts in Japan; but, we chose the place where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held.

The Alpine skiing events took place about a 1 hour drive from Nagano in the Hakuba Valley.

When planning a ski trip, you always hope for good snow on the slopes; but, you also dream of being in a winter wonderland.

This year both came true as the locals told us this is the most snow they have had in years & it is three times the norm.

Not wanting to lug skis through Japan’s busy train & bus terminals, we chose to rent our skies & poles which we got at a tiny shop near our hotel.

The Hakuba Valley has many resorts in varied sizes which are separated only by short distances from each other. With your ski pass, you have the option to ski at 6 different resorts. Each resort is connected by a free shuttle bus.

There was so much snow that sometimes our skies almost touched the snow while we were riding on the chair lifts. Many chair lifts had to be dug out from the snow to operate.

In the 5 days we skied, we were lucky to have 3 days with sunny blue skies.

Many skiers come to Japan to experience the light fluffy snow called Japow (Japan Powder).

On our last ski day we got to experience this magical condition when it snowed almost a foot in a few hours.

After a 30 minute break we could barely find our skis.

Japanese food always provided a warm & tasty lunch break

If you need something to drink, you could opt to use one of the many vending machines which found both inside & outside.

One ski lodge temped skiers with yummy desserts of ice cream or crepes.

Some resorts had gondolas to reach the top.

Covers for skis & snowboards are given to prevent scratching the glass windows

My greatest apres-ski pleasure was going to an Onsen (public bath) which was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. For only $5, I could relax in hot mineral water for as long as I wanted. Maybe this is why the average person lives to be 85 in this area.😌

I was the only foreigner to use the Onsen during each of my visits

The Onsen I enjoyed did not allow tattoos & had signs in many locations stating this policy. Maybe because they knew besides keeping away criminals & young people, the policy would also would keep away many foreigners.

Time to see more of Japan.

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Posted on

May 18, 2024

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England, Europe

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Cotswold Walk – Day 11 (Final)

Cold Ashton to Bath

11 miles / 17.7 km

Even though it lightly sprinkled & a few big raindrops briefly fell, we made it into Bath without any measurable precipitation. Next to a miracle to walk the entire Cotswold Way in May in England all the way without any rain.

It was yet another pleasant walk mostly through fields.

We crossed an area where the Battle of Lansdown was fought in 1643 during the First English Civil War.

These areas always make me sad knowing many lives were lost where it is now peaceful.

We saw many markers from the battle over a 2 mile stretch.

As we approached Bath, we passed the Bath Horse Racetrack.

And also saw some scary sculptures.

Then we returned to more beautiful walking paths as we approached Bath. It was sad to know we would be saying goodbye to all the animals & green hills that we had enjoyed for the last 11 days.

I have mentioned the flowers over the past few days; but, they really are wonderful. They seem to grow in places where they weren’t even planted. We have plants growing in sidewalk cracks in the US; but, they aren’t amazingly beautiful flowers.

Today we made it back to the city scene with buses & heavy traffic.

Bath is a world renowned UNESCO site which means it has many tourists; however, almost all of them came by car, train, or bus whereas we walked to get here.

This circular plaque in front of Bath Abbey signifies completing our Cotswold Way trek.

The Wanderers

Enjoying the world together wherever life takes us.

Tag Archives: travel

Time in Budapest

Vienna, Austria – City of Music

Leipzig, Germany- City for Music Lovers

Berlin- A City with Many Faces & Memories

My Top 10 Reasons to ❤️ Japan

Hiroshima & the Itsukushima Shrine

Kyoto, Japan

Nagano & Snow Monkeys

Skiing at Hakuba, Japan

Cotswold Walk – Day 11 (Final)