YES! That is the current tag-line I am borrowing from Princess Cruise Lines that I and both my travel groups sailed on – for 7 days in the Western Mediterranean and then for 8 days in Northern Japan. What a frantically wonderful number of days – and what a confusing time for my body clock to switch from Central European Summer Time (CEST DST) to Japan Standard Time (JST), or UTC+9 which is 9 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. No matter – just know that my circadian rhythm is out of whack and cannot seem to find its ‘rhythm’!
Nonetheless, I (and everyone in my travel group) have come back renewed – better yet, refreshed, relaxed, revitalized…..and raring to go forward with all the vim and vigor that my vacation had brought me!
Copious notes taken, voluminous amount of photos taken, people “interviewed”, the crew and staff of both our cruise ships quizzed – I have so much to share!
So, allow me to regale you with both the historic and the exotic by sharing some photos right now. The first four photos were taken in Barcelona, Spain. The next batch of images were taken in Japan – a temple in Hakodate (commonly known as Hokkaido) as well as the floats of the Nebuta festival in Aomori-shi and the famed bronze Buddha.
Casa Battlo is one of the extraordinary buildings designed by the prolific architect Antoni Gaudi. You cannot miss it because everyone who is within throwing distance of the building are either looking up or taking a picture of it.
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La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous of Gaudi. Construction started in 1892, and it is not expected to be completed until the year 2030. I call it a true representation of the Living Church because of the number of human lives that had been and still are being touched by the church.
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Hakodate is a real pleasure to visit because you see the melding of the old and the new. Above is the entrance to the Temple area which included a huge ground for meditation as well as the water trough where one uses the dippers provided. The property goes as far as the eyes can reach, with flat buildings erected in strategic areas so as to meld with the environment.
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We specifically chose this itinerary for the Nebuta Festival – an annual parade of lighted floats – both huge and small – that depicts a story of bravery and honor. The lantern-like floats are made of waterproof paper and thick wire with numerous lights. The floats are guided and pushed by an unknown number of participants who are trained to push, pull, lift, turn, and dance with the float!
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Aomori is also home to the Great Statue of Buddha, the tallest seated bronze statue of Buddha in Japan. The crown on his head as well as the Zen meditation pose struck are characteristics of this statue.
Well, hope the above whet your appetite to read more about my trip. Watch out for my next article. I will focus on each port we visited.