Tag: travel
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #8
Arrival in Kyoto, May 13, 2026 Wednesday, May 13: This morning we left Kanazawa on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train), changed trains in Tsuruga, and arrived in Kyoto. The Kyoto train station was also a modernist work of art. From the Kyoto Station, we went to the Daitoku-ji monastery. But first a Zen Vegetarian lunch at…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #7
Kanazawa, May 12, 2026 Tuesday, May 12, began in the Kenroku-en Garden, ranked as one of the three most beautiful strolling gardens in Japan. The 28-acre garden contains ponds, teahouses (see below)…. ….waterfalls, and manicured shrubs and flowers. The garden was established in the 17th Century by the feudal lords of Kaga (which was the…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #6
Kanazawa, May 11, 2026 Yesterday, I referenced the tradition of the staff of department stores bowing to customers at opening time. We were told not to take photos, but it didn’t occur to me that pictures are available on the internet. So here we go: Andy pointed out that the word I had used for…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #5
Tokyo, May 10, 2026 This was our last day in Tokyo. We began the day with an architectural walk of the Marunouchi and Ginza neighborhoods. The first stop was the Tokyo Train Station, designed by the architect Kingo Tatsuno (reputed father of modern Japanese architecture), and built in 1914. The modern feel of the place…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #4
Tokyo, continued, May 9, 2026 Yesterday, Saturday (May 9), the “culinary” part of the tour began in earnest. For literally hundreds of years, the Tokyo Central Market drew merchants as well as tourists to its major wholesale auctions of fish. The Central Market was surrounded by an unofficial “outer market,” an unorganized network of small…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #3
Tokyo, continued, May 8, 2026 May 9, 2026, 4:40 am Japan Standard Time (JST). Our first experience yesterday (Friday) was a visit to the Meiji Shrine. It’s a Shinto shrine (Shinto is the native Japanese religion, going back to the beginnings of Japanese culture). The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi #2
First Days in Tokyo, May 6-7, 2026 May 8, 2026, 4:30 am Japan Standard Time (JST). Well-established circadian rhythms tend to prevail, don’t they? After a flight of over 14 hours, with less than 4 hours’ sleep, we conked out early last night. But we woke up at 3 am. We fought the jet lag,…
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If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi
Stan and Stef in Japan, May 6-19, 2026 Again, an hommage (and the usual apologies), this time to Eddie Cantor. Also to Joseph Meyer (music) and Buddy DeSylva (lyrics), who wrote “If You Knew Susie Like I Know Susie” in 1925. (Apologies also to blog readers under the age of 60, who have no idea…
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Snow Bird Interlude, Part 3
Stef and Stan in Sarasota, continued… Friday, February 13, 2026 On Monday (February 9), Stef and I visited Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. “Mote” isn’t an acronym; it commemorates its major benefactor, William R. Mote and his family. (Stef approves of this fundraising reference.) Mote was established in Sarasota in 1955. On a previous stay…
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Snow Bird Interlude
Stef and Stan in Sarasota. February 3, 2026 Stef’s late mom (Ruth) lived in Sarasota for many years, and Stef was a frequent visitor. Ruth died in 2020 at the age of 106!! For the past several years, the two of us have been snow-birding here for two-week winter stays. The usual experience has been…
Something to Declare 