Finding Old Travel Photos: Japan Edition

Once again, life is a bit slow. Rick just returned from Florida this week, where he spent time with his dad and saw old friends. He got to travel -- now I am armchair traveling! It's time to share long-ago travel photos from the archive!

Lots more than 1,000 cranes -- taken in Hiroshima's peace park.

Revisiting Travel Photos: Japan

More from the digital photo file vault! This revisiting photo files has been a walk down memory lane for me. Today I'm delighted to share some photos from our February 1998 trip to Japan.

"Peace" - Created with thousands of paper cranes in Hiroshima

If I Could Go Back

Often when I post about travel, it is my beloved England or Paris. But there are a few other spots I've been to which I'd greatly love to return. I've been thinking about those places a lot lately!

Even though I have been vaccinated, it will be a long time before I feel comfortable getting on a plane and going six or seven hours across the sea, I wouldn't mind if my itinerary included another visit to Amsterdam.

I love the canals, the markets and there are more than a few museums and gardens I missed. Spring, I think, would be rather perfect!

 

 

And as long as one was in The Netherlands, it would be nice to revisit Delft.

 

After all, there are more than a few pieces of Delft china and more that I left behind. I'd love a tour of one of the workshops, too.

The first trip I took with Rick was to Japan. It was true culture shock for me and I was pretty terrified of getting separated from him. All I knew to say was "Hello," "Goodbye," "Thank you," "Excuse me," and "I have a cat." These words will not help if you get lost!

But it was a fabulous and eye-opening trip, thanks especially to time we spent with friends from Rick's Japan-America Society and Sister Cities days. We spent time in Toyko, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto and Otsu (some of those were day trips with our friends.) Kanako took us to Kyoto and I'd love to spend more time there. 

The temple at Miyajima was beautiful (and the deer so tame they even chased a man with a McDonald's bag, hoping for food!)

Kiyo and her family welcomed us to Hiroshima and we enjoyed meeting her friends.

 She took us to the Peace Museum, a somber and stunning place to visit and be reminded of the consequences of war. This installation of a thousand cranes made by schoolchildren touched my heart.

I write a lot about Paris but oh, how I would love to revisit Giverny.

Monet's home, with its fabulous kitchen and dining room, all the gardens and the small and charming town all are worth another visit.

St. Malo was another town I'd return to. It is a walled city and an old one. If you read "All the Light You Cannot See," it is set in this town which had quite a World War II history.

And good dog hygiene!

Oh, and the food was to die for! 

I'll never forget how moving the beaches of Normandy were.

Honfleur is another spot I enjoyed all too briefly -- just part of an afternoon and dinner. 

I didn't get to shop but I might have come home with one of these hats!

And when twilight came and the lights came on, it was downright magical! 

Speaking of French, should I want to speak French closer to home (or try), I would head immediately for Quebec City. The old walled city was my favorite part and there was much we didn't have time to explore in our few days here. 

Rick had cycled there from Michigan and his legs did the hills better than mine -- but oh, they were so worth it!

I enjoyed the art galleries and my birthday gift that year was a painting from one of my favorites. But it was hard to choose! 

One of the most magical places I ever visited was Martha's Vineyard and I'd go back in a heartbeat. (It's a shorter flight, too! I could even drive most of the way!)

 

 

When we visited in August 2017, we accidentally (and fortuitously) came during The Grand Illumination, where homes in the Oak Bluffs Campground, a collection of lovingly maintained Victorian homes, illuminate their porches with lanterns. 

That and the massive sing-along would have been enough.

But the towns are lovely, like Edgartown with its harbor... 

 ...and beautiful Oak Bluffs.

...and the beaches are fabulous!

There are  plenty more on the list, along with places I've never been. And I probably won't get to all these old favorites along with the new spots that intrigue me one more time. 

But I'll sure love the remembering!

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O Tannenbaum (Farms!)

My holiday trees have gone artificial. But thank goodness I get the "tree experience" with Rick.

We decided to show our Japanese friends the Christmas decorating experience -- and that started with a visit to Tannenbaum Farms to get our tree!

It was a cold, windy day and snow was falling. It looked beautiful and it was a good thing we were bunded up!

A big red wagon pulled by a tractor took us out into the tree area and dropped us off at a little hut, pointing us toward the available trees.

We pulled our wagon behind us as we checked out numerous trees to see if they would do.

Finally, we found one. Finding the right tree is a big "aha" moment!

We let Rintaro start the cutting, with Rick showing him how to work the saw.

Then he was on his own!

That worked for awhile; then Sunny took a turn.

 Pretty soon Rick took over and it was down in a flash!

While we waited for our ride back, we warmed ourselves by the fire.

It was a very popular place!

Meanwhile Sunny checked out a hollowed tree tunnel...

...and I admired the reindeer!

Back at the main building we stopped into the Christmas store to warm up.

It was beautiful with many decorated trees that captivated us all.

No visit would be complete without checking in with Santa!

Back home, we made hot chocolate. The kids got their lesson in "real" hot chocolate (definitely not my 25 calorie packet of Diet Swiss Miss.)

We all got the lights untangled and tree in place.

Then Hiroko arrived and Rick started making pizza. I'm not sure he's ever cooked before a more attentive audience.

A VERY attentive audience!

Of course, then it was time to decorate the tree. We had plenty of holiday music and holiday cheer as minute by minute the tree became more beautiful.

For all of us, it was a wonderful experience, "topped" off with Rick's placing his grandmother's angel at the top of the tree.

Did I mention that many photos were taken?

 

And lots of love and joy was shared.

For our friends, a new experience. For us, one we'll never forget -- the joy of sharing traditions with friends.