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Continue reading →: Tokyo excursion: Shunkaen Bonsai Museum (April 22, 2024)At the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum, created by the Bonsai Master Kunio Kobayashi, we saw dozens of unique and spectacular bonsais, including one that is 1,000 years old! We also participated in calligraphy and origami classes. But my personal favorite part was being expertly dressed in a beautiful kimono; a very…
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Continue reading →: Mt. Fuji!!We were about to dock at Shimizu last evening when we got our first sighting of this glorious iconic mountain.
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Continue reading →: Ohkouchi Sansou Garden, Kyoto, Japan (April 19, 2024)This garden was built by the Japanese silent film star Ohkouchi Denjirou (1898-1962) over a 30-year period. The garden is on top of a steep slope, navigated through narrow paths and on large stepping stones. On the way, we walked past the Nonomiya Shrine in the middle of the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest,…
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Continue reading →: Tenryu-ji Zen Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, Japan (April 19, 2024)Vegetarian lunch and garden tour at the Temple
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Continue reading →: Greece: CreteCrete is the largest island in Greece, home to Europe’s earliest recorded civilization, the Minoans (2700 to 1420 BC). As I’ve mentioned before, I love ancient Greek pottery, but I’m especially fond of Minoan pottery. Whereas Classical Greek pottery (480-323 BC) is quite formal and celebrates gods and heroes of…
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Continue reading →: Greece: Athens 2023Climbing to the Acropolis was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. When I was in grad school as an art history major, one of my favorite classes was Greek Art and Architecture, taught by Professor Jeffrey Hurwit, one of this country’s leading scholars of ancient Greek art . I loved the…
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Continue reading →: Greece: Olympia 2023My Viking excursion “Ancient Olympia & Magna Grecia Farm” began at the site of the first Olympic Games which began in 776 BCE and ended in 393 CE. Although most of the site—which originally contained over 760 buildings—is covered in ruins, it was exhilarating to be on the spot where…
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Continue reading →: Greece: Corfu 2023The Island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea, once ruled by the Venetians, English, and French before it was united with Greece in 1864, is now a popular destination due to its excellent weather, gorgeous crystal-clear beaches, delicious Mediterranean produce, and its cosmopolitan Old Town. The town of Corfu has…
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Continue reading →: Croatia: Split and Dubrovnik 2023SPLIT is one of Croatia’s oldest cities—over 1,700 years old, overlooking a bay that opens on the Adriatic Sea. The city is constructed around the ancient Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian. Our Viking excursion—“Highlights of the Split Riviera”—began with a drive to the coastal town of TROGIR, a UNESCO World…
Because Life’s Too Short!
Hi Everyone! Welcome to my little corner of cyberspace where I’m going to share my travel adventures with you!
Deb's Blog 