Torii gate – old Takayama town Walking down the street in old Takayama town, we passed through the Torii (gate) Hie-jinja, up a few flights of steps to reach the entrance gate to the Shinto Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine at the top of the hill. The shrine sits against a background of dark green forest trees. […]
Two headed monster-Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine-Takayama-Gifu Province
February 6, 2013 by
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Takayama Festival Floats – Matsuri Festivals – Gifu Province Japan
January 30, 2013 by
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This photo of Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall is courtesy of TripAdvisor Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall Takayama is famous for the Sanno-machi Historic District (old town area) and the biannual Takayama Matsuri (Festival). The Takayama Matsuri considered one of the most beautiful festivals in Japan with ancient (17th century) floats being pulled through the […]
What is an ‘Irori’? What is a ‘Jizai-kagi’? Takayama – Gifu Province Japan
January 21, 2013 by
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Timber forests along the riverbank We left the hotel and pretty topiary gardens and made good time to Odawara Station. Nice views of small settlements and dark green timber forests along the riverbank. A smooth ride on the Shinkansen to Nagoya where a new guide met us on the platform, an easy transition to the […]
Fabulous Villas on the Lakeshore – Lago di Como – Part 2
December 5, 2012 by
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Villa Carlotta – a famous Villa at Tremezzo on the lakeshore The ferry comes across from Bellagio to Tremezzo regularly, a pleasant trip across Lago di Como. The Villa has a grand pair of entrance gates in wrought iron with impressive statues on stone columns either side. Visitors enter via a small side gate.The gardener, […]
Fabulous Villas on the Lakeshore – Lago di Como – Part 1
November 26, 2012 by
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Lakeshore Villas – Lago di Como Amongst the dark green forested hills along the lakeshore of Lago di Como, fabulous Villas dot the skyline. During my stay in Bellagio I visited two historical waterfront Villas on Lago di Como. The first villa,Villa Melzi, and the second,Villa Carlotta on the lakeshore at Tremezzo, a short ferry […]
Bellagio on the waterfront – Lake (lago) Como – Lombardy
November 19, 2012 by
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Historic and scenic – waterfront of Lake (lago) Como Bellagio,a beautiful historic and scenic spot on the waterfront of Lake Como in the Lombardy region of Italy. Bellagio sits at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian). It is the third largest lake in Italy and […]
Delectable Desserts – Hopetoun Tea Rooms – Victorian elegance in the City Centre
November 11, 2012 by
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Hopetoun Tea Rooms a popular venue in Victorian times A famous spot just inside the entrance to the Block Arcade is the Hopetoun Tea Rooms. The Tea Rooms opened in 1891 for the Victorian Ladies’ Work Association by Lady Hopetoun. Lady Hopetoun was the wife of the first Governor of Victoria, Lord Hopetoun. The Tea […]
Exclusive specialty shops – Iconic Block Arcade – Business centre of Melbourne
November 6, 2012 by
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Block Arcade – Melbourne – Business Centre On my last trip to Melbourne I managed a day in the business centre to visit the iconic Block Arcade. The Block Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade built between 1891 and 1893. A Melbourne financier Benjamin Fink requested architect, David C Askew to produce plans for a […]
Milan Cathedral – Duomo-di Milano – Galleria Vittorio Arcade – City Centre – Milano
October 25, 2012 by
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Magnificent Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) I spent a day in Milan before traveling by train through the scenic Italian alps to beautiful Lake Como. In Milan the first sighting of the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano in Italian) took my breath away; it is magnificent. There is no other way to describe this amazing […]
Cows – skinny white cows or oxen – Livestock – Cambodia
October 13, 2012 by
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Skinny white cows or Zebu The skinny white cows and oxen we saw all over Cambodia are known as Zebu, also known as Brahmin. There are about 75 known breeds of Zebu. A characteristic of the Zebu is a fatty hump on their shoulders, drooping ears, and a large dewlap or long flap of […]