It was an easy two hour train ride to the City of Lights when we lived in Belgium in the late 1980s, so we could basically go on a whim. We’ve not been back since, so we decided to arrive a few days early to reacquaint ourselves with this world class city. I must say it’s just as enchanting as I remember with its wide boulevards, beautiful architecture, picturesque bridges, and romantic, sophisticated vibe. The Eiffel Tower and the white dome of Sacré-Cœur Basilica dominate the skyline, just like in the movies. It takes no effort to picture the famous artists, writers, and philosophers of days gone by lingering over a cup of coffee (or a tipple?) at one of the sidewalk cafes.

Because it is so close to our hotel we decided to start getting reacquainted with the city with a quick visit to the Arc de Triomphe or, more formally, the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. Etoile means star which makes the name perfect since it is situated at the center of a pretty intimidating roundabout where 12 avenues radiate out. The Arc dates to 1806 and honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The Tomb of the Unknow Soldier from the first world war lies beneath its vault.

Described by many as ‘the most beautiful avenue in the whole world,’ the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the 12 avenues running to and from the Arc. It is known for its world-famous theatres, cafés, and luxury shops; as the finish of the Tour de France; and for its annual Bastille Day military parade. We strolled but did not submit to temptation.

A bus tour gave us a nice orientation to the city. We passed many of Paris’ classic highlights including the gigantic Louvre Museum with its I. M. Pei–designed glass pyramid entrance. We drove through the Latin Quarter where Mother bought me a T-shirt during our meanderings here 36 years ago. No surprise to some, I still have it and wore it the week before we left. We drove past the Les Invalides complex of military buildings which houses Napoleon’s Tomb, the recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais, the former home of NATO Headquarters, the current home of UNESCO, as well as neighborhoods where Josephine Baker, Rodin, and the Kennedys had homes and apartments. We saw the ruins of a Roman bath and made a quick stop at the famous bookstore Shakespeare and Company.

We joined a walking tour of Le Marais, a neighborhood built on a former swamp that was once favored by royalty, and in turn the nobility, aristocracy, heads of commerce, and finally as a neighborhood for Chinese immigrants, the working class, and the LGBT community. This was once home to the largest Jewish community in Europe, but sadly 75% were rounded up and died or were murdered in German concentration camps. Once it became a priority to revive this area there was a lot to work with because of the stately buildings, mansions, and regal architecture. Today it’s a sought after location once again with upscale establishments vying for customers along with well established Jewish bakeries, delis, restaurants, museums, galleries, and fashion houses. Our surprise stop: the house that was given to the not altogether attractive, one-eyed, older woman, Catherine Henriette Bellier, also known as one-eyed Catherine or Kate. This house along with other valuable things were her reward for deflowering the 15 year old future King Louis XIV. I kid you not on all accounts.

Dan and I spent one afternoon exploring the West Bank. We made a stop at the Hotel Lutetia to see the bar named in honor of Josephine Baker, the American icon of the Roaring Twenties known for her risqué, popular performances. She made her home in France, developed her reputation as a Paris staple, and became a spy for the French resistance during WWII. The hotel was originally built to house the influx of shoppers at the nearby Le Bon Marché but quickly became popular with writers, artists, and politicians as well. Charles de Gaulle honeymooned here actually, and at the end of WWII he allowed the Red Cross to set up headquarters in the hotel. It was there that former Jewish prisoners were housed and fed while they looked for loved ones and loved ones looked for them. There’s a small plaque to commemorate this.

As long as we were in the neighborhood we popped into the original Le Bon Marché and then moseyed over to check out the Ritz which is located in the eye popping Place Vendôme in the 1st arrondissement. The hotel was home for over twenty years to Coco Chanel and hosted top tier writers as well as those on their way up. We were here to have a drink at the teeny tiny Hemingway Bar tucked into a hard-to-find corner. With just eight mini-tables and a line to get in we decided it was not worth the wait.

Montmartre, one of the most celebrated districts in Paris, seemed worthy of a separate outing. Known for retaining its bohemian charms from the bygone Belle Époque era, this enclave in the 18th arrondissement was the stomping ground of greats including Modigliani, Monet, Renoir, Degas, and van Gogh. It was in fact the world’s most famous artists’ colony in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Artist came for the cheap rent and tax-free wine. We learned about Picasso’s start here, the contributions that Toulouse Lautrec made in this art community, and the necessity for the 17 windmills that were once located at the top of the hill. The district has as its centerpiece 100-year-old Sacré-Coeur Basilica. Something a little more contemporary is the Wall of Love which was created in 2000 and is composed of 612 blue tiles on which the phrase ‘I love you’ is featured 311 times in 250 languages and dialects including Navajo and Inuit.

With Apple Maps in hand it was easy to locate a few fun stops near Montmartre. The red windmill of the famous Moulin Rouge, for example, a cabaret founded in 1859. Think risqué Cancan dancers performing to rich and poor alike. We popped into the Fragonard Perfume Museum for a quick review of the story of perfume from Egyptian times to the present. The winner of most dazzling site/sight goes to the Garnier Opera built between 1669 and 1775. Picture the opulence of Versailles in the form of an opera house and you’ll be close. It was designed so that the 2,000 in attendance not only had a nice view of the stage but also a nice view of one another.

Of all the things to see in Paris Dan and I were the most excited to see Notre Dame again. It took 182 years to build this iconic cathedral which is situated on a small island, L’île de la Cité, in the middle of the river. Capacity: 6,000. Right along with the rest of the world we were shocked when a fire in the spring of 2019 destroyed virtually all of the structural components made of wood including the spire and the roof. Donations exceeding €840 million are covering the cost to rebuild and repair the extensive damage to this treasure dating to the 12th century. We’ve missed the reopening by a mere two months!

Although we used the Metro once, we decided to walk from place to place, so we could discover things along the way. We sort of overdid it on Day One with 11.5 miles, so we slowed that to a modest 8.5 on Day Two and an embarrassingly meager 4 on Day Three. Our reward Day One was a cocktail and snacks (to the tune of €100!) on the 34th floor of our hotel where we had a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower lit up against the night sky.

Day Three was a very slow day because we had to center our activities around having the bags out by 10:00, rallying in the lobby at 11:15 to identify said bags, and taking a bus to our vessel which, surprise surprise, had to be relocated downriver about 17 miles because the high water in the center of Paris did not allow our vessel to get under the bridges. Our new location at Le Pecq was perfect for a quick walking tour of the upscale area of Saint Germain-en-Laye, birthplace of Louis XIV, and its palace turned museum turned German headquarters for the western front during WWII turned back into a museum. When King Francis I lived here he was gifted the Mona Lisa by his buddy Leonardo da Vinci who was in France by the King’s invitation. The highlight of this relaxing day was meeting up with Hettie and Ronnie, who were fresh off their plane, for dinner.

Day Four, our last in Paris, had us back in town logging more miles, eating more fun food, and learning a brain-popping amount of information ranging from Roman times to the current project of breaking down all the temporary structures used in hosting this year’s summer Olympics.

We headed downstream toward the channel about the time we were sitting down to dinner.

… Sidebars …

Breakfast buffet: In an attempt to satisfy as many preferences as possible the buffet at the hotel has a wide assortment including prosciutto, olives, grilled vegetables, cheese, chia seed custard,
pastries (duh) and baguettes, eggs, rice, dumplings,
and mini-lettuce heads the size of large Brussel sprouts.

Parks: They have been a center piece of life in Paris since Roman times.
Today there are 421 municipal parks, some formerly attached to palaces, chateaus, monasteries, and museums, but others were developed solely for the pleasure of the average Parisian.
The oldest still in existence date to the 1500s.
166 new parks have been added since 1977!

Cruise Director Hettie dangled a carrot in front of us that we couldn’t resist: a Viking river cruise in France. Make that two cruises actually, back to back. We’ll go northwest out of the City of Light/City of Love to the Channel and back on the Seine aboard the Fjorgyn and then we’ll transfer to the Hermod to cruise south from Lyon to Avignon on the Rhône.

The obvious first task is to get ourselves to Paris which for us is easy peasy since we can go nonstop. We chose the 11:00 PM departure to increase the odds we’d sleep on the plane. Our flight time from Dulles to Charles de Gaulle was seven and a half hours. Immigration and luggage retrieval were a breeze and took another hour tops. We were met by cheerful Viking staff and whisked off to our hotel. By the time we were settled in our room it was 2:30 PM local time, 8:30 AM at home. Jet lag here we come.

Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements or administrative districts. They are arranged in the form of a spiral moving clockwise, much like a snail shell, starting from the middle of the city near the Louvre Museum. Our hotel, the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, is conveniently located in the 16th arrondissement in case you were wondering.

A treat for us was meeting Jen and Rhett, along with their traveling companions Megan, Steve, and their son Tanner, for dinner. It was our first day in country and their last. By sheer luck or brilliant planning on Jen’s part, or both, our hotel and theirs are on the same side of the river, the East Bank as they say here, about 30 minutes apart on foot. Everyone enjoyed their meals which ranged from duck to chicken to salmon. Crème brûlée for dessert.

Boy does the bed look inviting tonight. We’re heading that way after a perfect Day One.

… For the Unduly Curious …

We are in the land of the euro. Exchange rate: 1€ = $1.12 or $1.00 = 90€.

There’s not a single stop sign in all of Paris, or so they say. Lights and roundabouts, yes. Stop signs, no.

The Bloody Mary was invented in Paris at the Ritz Hotel for, legend has it, Ernest Hemingway.

France is a little smaller than Texas.

Austria, not France, created the croissant.

A baguette must measure between 21.5 and 25.5 inches in length in order to be considered genuine.

Once Cyd, Dan, and I decided we would attend the All Classes From the 1960s Reunion of Douglas High School, our alma mater in western South Dakota, we decided to make a circle trip out of it.

Our circle began and ended in Denver. As always, the white peaked roof of the Denver airport, with the Rockies in the background, made quite an impression from the air. The 34 peaks that make up the roof were designed to resemble Colorado’s snow-capped mountains and the countless Native American teepees that were once located across the Great Plains. It is hard to believe the roof is made of white Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric “as thin as a credit card.”

Dan and I made our way to Avis Car Rental where we met up with Cyd and began our adventure.

First stop: Colorado Springs, population 500,000+/-, elevation 6,035.
Because of its climate, mountain setting, and great rail access the city was founded as a resort town in 1871. The city became home to mine owners, artists, and writers as well as folks in need of clean mountain air to get well. Dan and I have owned five acres east of town since 1978. The lot is undeveloped and sits at the top of a windy, treeless rise in a small community of five-acre plots. It did not take long to survey this vast (wink) acreage. Pleased that there were no squatters, unauthorized construction, rattlesnake dens, or pop up coffee shops on our property, we only stayed a few minutes.

Second stop: Salida, population 6,000+/-, elevation 7,094.
Even though the Arkansas River runs right through town, it was not the river that initially brought folks here. The town actually sprang up in 1880 as a rail hub that ran trains to and from mining communities. Precious metals had nothing to do with our visit however, we came to visit Kimberly, Brady, Kamryn, and Brennan. We spent two fun nights and a day strolling the downtown historic district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places; enjoying their ranch; sharing meals and funny stories; soaking up the spectacular scenery and tranquil beauty of the area; having one-on-one time with the kids; and just catching up in general.

Third stop: Meeker, population 2,500+/-, elevation 6,240 feet.
Meeker was founded in 1885 on the site of a former U.S. Army post. Nestled along the White River, it was the first permanent town in northwestern Colorado. Billy the Kid stayed the night in1889; President Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Meeker on a Concord stagecoach in January 1901 to hunt mountain lion. We arrived in way more comfort, I can assure you, to see Si, Susan, Chad, Heather, Tanner, and Emi. We made the best of our two nights and a day by sharing delicious meals, enjoying the kids, sharing fun stories, driving out to see a wild fire, catching up on everyone’s news, and spending a lovely day at Si and Susan’s cabin where we explored what’s left of ‘homes’ dug into the sides of dirt hills. On the way out of town Dan bought the last four cans of Green Chili Sauce With Pork at the local grocery. (It was the secret ingredient in a dish Susan made for us.)

Fourth stop: Fraser, population 1,500+/-, elevation 8,813.
Colorado Springs and Fraser got their start the same year with Fraser having a far more practical purpose. It was laid out as a railroad terminus for a large sawmill. It soon gained notoriety for its 45-50-degrees-below-zero winter temperatures. A fun fact is that German prisoners of war were here during WWII, and after the war President Eisenhower, world famous for his military success in Europe during the war, visited Fraser frequently to fly fish. You guessed it, fishing, cold weather, and prisoners had nothing to do with our being here. Last spring Cyd’s and my extended family gathered here to bury Mother’s remains in the Fraser Cemetery. At the time of our service her monument had not been installed, so we came to see it and prune a couple of pine trees that had branches obstructing the view of the back of the stone. On a whim we decided to outline her plot with river rock. Just like we pruned without permission, we gathered river rock from property nearby without anyone’s approval and outlined her grave. We left very satisfied with our work and with how beautiful the monument looks in the small country cemetery blanketed in native pine. We spent a restful night in town. On our way out the next morning Dan stopped for MORE cans of Green Chili Sauce With Pork and a spare bottle of Fraser Whiskey.

These first four stops had been thought through before we left home. The next part of the trip, not so much, actually not at all. We left home knowing at this point we’d just take it a day at a time. So, first things first: knowing our destination was Rapid City we needed to decide what route to take. We chose to stay off interstates as much as possible and headed north on Colorado 125 toward Wyoming. In many places we had the two-lane road to ourselves. Everything was to our liking: small herds of antelope, countless hawks, deer, a couple of wolves, and the stillness of the landscape.

While Dan drove and the car navigated Cyd and I looked up points of interest and decided, what the heck, a prison might be a worthy stop.

Fifth stop: Laramie, population, 32,000+/-, altitude 7,220.
Wyoming Territorial Prison opened in 1872 and for 30 years held 1,000+ prisoners, 13 of whom were women. Most were violent, desperate outlaws. We were welcome to sit in a paddy wagon before browsing the imposing stone-with-brick-trim prison building, the Industries Building (a broom factory then and now), and the Warden’s House. We walked through everything from in-processing to bathing, eating, sleeping, and laundering. We learned about the Outlaw Trail, a no man’s land for bad guys where no law was The Law. We read about the lives of a number of prisoners. One that stands out is a man who ‘learned his lesson’ while incarcerated and went on to be an upstanding citizen. His grandchildren sponsored a cell that tells his story. Another is Bunch Cassidy who was incarcerated here from 1894-1896 for stealing horses. You could say he epitomizes a guy who did not ‘learn his lesson’ because upon his release he established what would become the most successful band of bank and train robbers this country has ever seen. By the time the band dissolved in 1901 they had stolen over $233,905.00 ($12,000,000.00 in today’s money)! Butch and the Wild Bunch were the country’s last horseman outlaws.

After our very interesting prison tour we strolled into a western wear shop downtown and chatted up the saleslady about what was on down the road. With no hesitation she recommended a motel and a site an hour and a half north. Off we went.

Sixth stop: Guernsey, population 1,200+/-, elevation 4,354.
We headed out on a wing and a prayer since we had no reservations. Lucky us, the Bunkhouse Motel had two rooms. The motel was very clean, well appointed with the bare necessities, and aptly named if you get my drift. The staff was out-West friendly and answered all our questions starting with where we could get dinner. Next door at Crazy Tony’s was the obvious answer.

Homecooked breakfasts are a hallmark of the Bunkhouse Motel we were told. Sure enough, burritos, biscuits and gravy, and a few other choices were on offer the next morning. The owner was friendly and once we mentioned we’d never been to his home state of Montana he brought up beautiful pictures on his desktop computer to convince us it would be a worthy place to spend some time. As soon as we could gracefully pull ourselves away from the slideshow we headed down the road to see the main attraction in these parts: trail ruts.

Here’s the backstory. In the 1840s pioneers came to Guernsey to bathe, water their stock, and do their laundry. Most of these pioneers were part of wagon trains that over time took a half million people over one of three main trails headed west: the California Trail, the Mormon Pioneer Trail, and the Oregon Trail. By the time these rocky, rutted trails got to Wyoming the relatively easy going of the flat plains was over and navigating the rugged, arid landscapes of hills and mountains lay ahead. The site we visited, known as the Guernsey Ruts, is located where the Oregon Trail crossed a ridge of soft sandstone. The thousands of oxen, mule, and draft horse drawn wagons, carts, and Conestogas that traveled the trail carved ruts into the rock. The ruts, some as deep as five feet, are considered some of the most impressive remaining along the trail. We stopped out of curiosity and left with a deep respect for those who chose to or had no other option than to make this arduous journey 180 years ago.

Still flying by the seat of our pants, we asked the friendly inn keeper before checking out this morning if he had any suggestions. Sure enough.

Seventh stop: Hartville, population 65+/-, elevation 4,682.
Prospectors searching for gold, silver, copper, onyx, and iron first settled in the area in the 1870s. At the turn of the century it was a thriving city with Wyoming’s first jail, which we visited; an opera house; several stone buildings; and impressive wooden structures with false fronts, a few of which still stand today. Somehow this little dot on the map has managed to hang on and is now Wyoming’s oldest incorporated town still in existence. It also boasts having Wyoming’s oldest bar which sadly did not open until later in the day.

We did not run into a single soul in Hartville, or you know we would have picked their brain. We managed to find lunch and decide for ourselves what our next stop would be.

Eighth stop: Devils Tower National Monument, population 0, elevation 4,250 (at the base).
We had no clue what we were in for, so we headed straight to the visitors center to learn about this 1,347 acre park, the very first national monument in the country, with its imposing tower (technically a butte) that seems to have popped up out of the prairie and ponderosa pines. It rises 867 feet from its base to the summit. We learned about the volcanic process that formed the zillions of four- to seven-sided columns that form the tower. They are actually the longest and largest natural rock columns in the world. (Cleone and Hettie: the columns reminded me a bit of Giants Causeway) Once we three had mastered the basics we strolled the quiet path around the base of the monument and then headed into town to find dinner and a place to sleep.

We laid out an aggressive plan for tomorrow before going to bed, so we woke up knowing we had a big day ahead. We grabbed breakfast and got right to it.

Ninth stop: Petrified Forest, population one family, elevation 3,583.
Knowing nothing about how wood becomes rock and why this particular spot was ideal for just that, we watched the video at the visitors center and then enjoyed a self-guided nature walk through the vibrant forest with its fossilized trees. There were a few trees petrified in their entirety and others in pieces. Big ones, little ones, heavy ones, and relatively light ones. A few actually petrified standing straight up!

On our way to our next stop we swung by the Rapid City Airport to pick up our classmate and friend Rick who had just flown in Iowa. He was a good sport and with no say in the matter cheerfully tagged along.

Tenth stop: Badlands National Park, population 0, elevation 2,460 – 3,340.
This 244,000 acre park is home to bald, colorful eroding buttes and pinnacles as well as the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. After a stop at the visitor center we drove slowly through the dramatic rock formations, deep canyons, and maze-like landscape. It’s a land with rugged terrain, extreme temperatures, and an obvious lack of water. Raw beauty is the best description I’ve come across. Of the numerous animals that call the park home, we got a up close view of antelope, prairie dogs, and big horn sheep.

Eleventh stop: Wall, population 800 +/-, elevation 2,815.
A collection of gift shops, restaurants, and photo op statues that encompass an entire city block = Wall Drug Store. A struggling drug store from its inception in 1931, it now draws two million visitors a year in spite of the fact that it freely admits it is “the geographical center of nowhere.” We all remembered the considerably less slick Wall Drug of our high school days and were surprised to see how they have really upped their game. Free ice water and $0.05 coffee are still on offer.

Twelfth stop: Rapid City, population 75,000 +/-, elevation 3,200.
We all looked forward to what we assume could easily be the last high school reunion. There were just under 40 in attendance, but the small number made it easy to talk to old friends and get better acquainted with what were once intimidating upper-classmates and unworthy-of-our-attention lower-classmates. Anna Marie did an amazing job of planning the mixer Friday night, the dinner Saturday night, and breakfast and a tour of our high school Sunday morning. Between events Cyd, Rick, Dan, and I explored downtown Rapid City and Ellsworth Air Force Base where we all lived back then.

There were two fun surprises. It was homecoming weekend for the School of Mines. Cyd studied there two years and Ricky graduated from there. We enjoyed the homecoming parade (candy is thrown from the floats!) and walking around the small campus.

The other surprise deals with law enforcement. Within 30 minutes Dan was pulled over twice. Seriously. He got a verbal warning for speeding from a civilian policeman just before we went on base and then military police pulled him over minutes later for getting too close to a restricted area. Dan’s offer of a can of Green Chili Sauce With Pork seemed to do the trick. I jest, but only about the sauce.

Thirteenth stop: Crazy Horse Memorial, population 0, elevation 6,532.
Begun in 1948, this privately funded memorial is a (very) slowly evolving sculpture of Lakota leader Crazy Horse. At completion it is projected to be 641 feet long and 563 feet high, the world’s largest sculptural undertaking. This granite sculpture works in conjunction with the Education and Cultural Center, Visitor Center, and Indian Museum to honor all indigenous people by protecting and preserving the culture, tradition, and living heritage of the North American Indians. 

Fourteenth stop: Greeley, population 110,000+/-, elevation 4,675.
Jim is buried in a family plot in Linn Grove Cemetery. Our purpose in stopping was to visit his grave. We rolled into town just after dark and with much confidence we thought we could find the plot in the dark. What a ridiculous notion that was! We stayed the night in town, per plan, and visited the cemetery on our way out of town the following morning.

Fifteenth stop: Broomfield, population 76,000+/-, elevation 5,348.
Cyd’s and my Cousin Kay lives here, so our final stop was a fun visit with her. It was nice to see her new place and know that she is comfortably settled in.

What a perfect trip…from start to finish! Sunny days, great visits with family and friends, beautiful sights, on time departures and arrivals, delicious food, fun strangers, interesting sites, good travel companions, a comfortable ride, no car trouble, loads of trips down Memory Lane…………. 🙂 It doesn’t get any better than that.

Sixteenth stop: home, population 160,000, elevation 30.

Our last day was spent at sea which called for sleeping as late as possible, think 9:15, in preparation for a long travel day tomorrow. I augmented my packing day with a tour of the galley where thousands of meals are prepared each day. This sea of spotless stainless steel is broken up into four kitchens plus a station where all the gelato, ice cream, and sorbet is made. The passengers’ dining areas and room service as well as two crew messes are served by this massive, impeccably clean kitchen thanks to 300+ crew.

It came as a surprise to us that essentially all the groceries needed for each cruise are flown into the home part, in our case Yokohama, three days prior to each set-sail date. Each shipment must go through local quarantine before being brought on board, inventoried, and stored away for the upcoming cruise. This seems amazing considering the ship is usually in port for roughly 12 to 14 hours. We have found the food on board to be wonderful, so they seem to have this process down to a science.

The relaxing day passed quickly by the time we ate, read, and skillfully stuffed our purchases into the nooks and crannies of our suitcases. After dinner we bid farewell to the waitstaff who has taken such good care of us. Dinner was followed by our final entertainment and lastly we placed our suitcases outside our rooms by the bewitching hour of 10:00 PM.

We four agree that it has been a perfect cruise. Less one day of pouring rain while we were at sea, the weather was unseasonably warm and pleasant, the sites, sights, and sounds interesting, the food delicious, and having one another for company great fun. It doesn’t get any better than that.

If tomorrow goes as planned Dan and I will walk in our door about 24 hours after we wake up thanks to our nonstop flight. Factoring in the International Dateline we will land at the same time and on the same day as we take off. Hettie and Ronnie are not as fortunate since they have two connections to make.

We are docked at the port city of Aomori on the northern tip of Honshu. It’s a hop, skip, and a sea jump from Hakodate. The life expectancy here is a whopping 86, so they are obviously doing something right. Their castle was used in the original Shogun series and down the road used to be a WWII POW camp. I can’t imagine how cold those prisoners were in the winter since three to six feet of snow is the norm.

We have chosen to spend our day exploring the small city of Goshogawara about 20-ish miles west. This town of 48,000 is far enough north that their cherry trees are just now in full bloom. Our group had two fun stops.

The art of pottery making was the focus of an interesting stop at Kanayama kiln. Although the art of pottery making dates back 2,200 years this establishment dates back to 1985. Their method of pottery making is characterized by being unglazed and wood-fired at very hot (2,462 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures. High quality local clay is used and the end result is a dark, rustic aesthetic. Pieces are stacked five deep before they are fired. A thin layer of straw is placed between each layer which leaves distinctive, one-of-a-kind markings. We were given a tour of the huge barn structure that houses the kilns and the work area where we saw women working clay on pottery wheels. After the tour we were turned loose, to the accompaniment of Beatles music, to shop, roam the grounds to enjoy life sized clay animals and warriors, and grab a light snack.

There are three major festivals in the Aomori area each year. A magnificent parade of colorful floats called Neputa is the centerpiece of each festival. We visited the Tachineputa Museum where we were astounded by three of these incredible floats. They are constructed out of intricately-painted washi paper, stand over 72 feet tall, are lit from the inside like lanterns, and weigh almost 17 tons! We were taken by elevator to the top of the tall museum and then walked down a gradual slope which afforded us a great view from top to bottom of the characters depicted on the floats.

We were back on board the ship with plenty of time to clean up, change, and savor our four-course meal before the evening’s entertainment.

… Fun Facts About the Area …

The small town of Fujisaki on the northwestern area of this prefecture is where the Fuji apple was first developed. It comes as no surprise that there are all kinds of apple-related products for sale here.

The area is home to the Shirakami Mountains which boast the world’s largest virgin forest of beech trees.
It is a World Heritage Site.

A three and a half hour train ride south of Aomori will land you in the hometown
of Shohei Ohtani, the baseball phenom.

It was believed that two huge fires in the 1940s had destroyed all the Neputa blueprints. Eighty years without the festival followed until a few pictures and blueprints were found in 1993.

We were definitely born under lucky stars because what started out to be a cloudy, chilly (think turtleneck sweater) day morphed into a sunny, mild one. We are in the sub-Arctic, so the cool day did not come as a total surprise.

A southern city on the northern island of Hokkaido, Hakodate is best known for spectacular views, fresh seafood, ramen, and hot springs. Although Hokkaido is the second largest of the Japanese islands and has 22 percent of its landmass it remained underdeveloped and sparsely populated until the mid-1800s when its fabulous port caught the eye of foreigners looking for advantageous places to replenish their stores and make repairs. The folks who had made their home here for generations were largely of Chinese and Russian heritage.

This low-rise city with street cars and a magnificent harbor has a quarter of a million residents. I had read about the steamy outdoor foot baths for the inspired pedestrian and hoped there would be time for that. Sadly there wasn’t. There was, however, time for two inspired sites.

Goryōkaku Fort, Japan’s first and only Western style fortress, is now used as a gorgeous public park and is a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing. There are 1,600 cherry trees in the park, so the profusion of color must be astonishing when they are all in full bloom. We are at least a week early. Rats. The park features Goryōkaku Tower built to offer a panoramic view of the park as well as mainland Japan (on clear day) across the Tsugaru Strait. We zipped to the top of the tower and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the fort which is, as promised, star shaped and surrounded by a moat.

Our Lady of the Lighthouse Trappist Monastery, better known as Trappistine Convent, was founded in 1898 by eight French Catholic nuns. This handsome green-roofed brick structure, Japan’s first convent, has zero resemblance to Japanese architecture, in fact we felt like we had stepped into a small European enclave. We learned about the nuns (there are currently 60) who lead quiet lives filled with prayer and labor beginning as early as 3:30 AM and ending around 7:45 PM. They pray seven times a day, study the sacred texts of the Trappist Order, and bake delicious cookies, butter candies, and Madeline cakes. All are for sale. Yes, we succumbed to temptation.

Along the grounds of the convent are beautiful gardens featuring an impressive collection of religious sculptures, some honoring important figures in Catholic history. Included are Mother Teresa, the Archangel Michael, and Joan of Arc.

Once Japan opened its doors to foreign trade it slowly became necessary to designate a place for the foreigners who followed to live, work, and worship. No surprise, this area in Hakodate is very near the water so easily accessible, if you discount the uphill climb, on foot. We saw a Russian Orthodox, an Episcopal, and a Catholic church as well as a large Buddhist temple. A few consulates remain as well as homes with a distinctive western meets eastern flair. A stop at the immaculately repurposed warehouses was our last hurrah for today.

Our day ended, per usual, with a fabulous four-course meal and entertainment. The last few days we’ve augmented our dinner conversation with the Colbert Questionnaire and conversation cards. From time to time those eating around us glance over with curious eyes, so we’ve shared a few questions with them as an introduction to this fun activity.

… Fun Facts about the City of Hakodate and the Island of Hokkaido …

Because of its history as a squid fishing port, Hakodate’s mascot is
none other than the humble, often overlooked squid.

In 1854 Hakodate was Japan’s first port opened to foreign trade
making it, in days gone by, the most important port in northern Japan. 

An underwater railway tunnel connects the island of Honshu with the island of Hokkaido.

The island of Hokkaido, well known for high-quality dairy products, produces 50% of Japan’s milk and 90% of its cheese. No surprise then that we saw lots of cheese, yoghurt, and ice cream for sale.  

… Fun Memory …

When we lived in Japan I got a modeling job at the snow festival in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
I impersonated a representative from Sapporo’s Italian sister city.
The real deal couldn’t make it at the last minute, so I was offered the job.
I waved demurely from the float being careful not to speak a word
since my Italian was and still is nonexistent.

Up and at ‘em I was in order to enjoy coffee and a muffin by the window in the coffee shop before a busy day. Yep, there is such a thing on a cruise. First up was Brent Nixon’s presentation. We attended all his presentations during our Panama Canal cruise, so when I learned he was on this cruise I decided to work my morning around him. Anyway, he talked about dolphins …they are matriarchal, have no bones in their tails, are not the same as porpoises, and count orcas as their biggest family members… the previous sea day and today his lecture was titled Aurora. Even though rock art from 30,000 BC illustrates what is believed to be auroras, a name for them did not come into use until Galileo decided on auroras in 1619. If these dancing ribbons of light occur north of the equator they are called borealis and south of the equator australis.

Mary Amanda Fairchild presented after Brent and was received just as enthusiastically. Get this: after she won a renowned harp competition years ago she was invited to come to Japan to teach jazz harp to the empress! For real…she has pictures. She lived at the palace for six month. I digress. Today she spoke about Japan’s famous visual arts, iconic food, and the cultural importance of saving face—one’s own as well as anyone else’s. Geisha and the fact that they are considered a national treasure are of particular interest to her. These traditionally turned out (in kimono) performers of dance, fans, multiple musical instruments, and vocals train up to five years and are called upon to perform at the most prestigious government functions as well as private events. In the past year they have been targeted and harmed because of the misconception that they are sex workers. For that reason the geisha districts in Kyoto and Tokyo have been closed off to tourists and curiosity seekers.

With two lectures under my belt I rushed to the movie—The Railway Man—being shown in the outdoor theatre on deck 12. It was warm in the sun, but the breeze was a few degree past light/refreshing which I remedied with a couple of blankets.

Next up was a light lunch, writing, reading, chatting with fellow cruisers who are completing back to back Japan cruises, and finally a divine short rib dinner.

… A Little About Our Ship …

This very ship used to have a room called Olympic. The beautiful paneling in this dining room
came from the ocean liner Olympic which was a sister ship of the Titanic.

Celebrity Cruises operates 15 vessels.
On average the line comes out with a new ship every two years,
and it typically keeps vessels in its fleet between 20 to 30 years.

Our ship, Celebrity Millennium, is the oldest Celebrity ship at 23 years old.

Inaugural date: June 17, 2000 / Refurbished: 2019

Number of full decks: 11

Passenger capacity: 2,218

Registered in: Malta

Welcome to the second largest city in South Korea, population three and a half million. We are docked at the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula where we spent the day exploring this clean, modern, bustling port city. Each person getting off the ship had to go through immigration which was a super smooth process. A small sticker with a QR code was put on the back of our passports.

Once organized we headed to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple complex which is perched on a rock formation beside the sea, an unusual location since most Buddhist temples in Korea are located in the mountains. The disputed date of 1376 is used for its founding with the undisputed date of 1970 as the date the main sanctuary of the temple was reconstructed, with careful attention paid to the bright, cheerful colors that were traditionally used. The complex is gorgeous and an odd combination of ornate religious structures, whimsical and colorful plastic lanterns, stone sculptures of the Chinese zodiac animals, a large gold Buddha, two huge gold pigs, amazing views of the sea, and opportunities to buy blessings. We strolled downhill along a path to get there and climbed the 108 steps along the shore to come back. Both routes had their charm.

The ultra modern, award winning Busan Cinema Center, home to the Busan International Film Festival, holds the Guinness World Record for largest free-standing cantilevered roof. We had a chance to walk around the outside and admire this huge stainless steel colored structure. If the city’s intent was to impress the celebrities, film makers, and judges alike, they surely exceeded their mark.

For an introduction to traditional Korean jeongja architecture we went to Dongbaekseom Island (actually a man made peninsula) to visit the Nurimaru APEC House, built to host the 2005 APEC Summit. Jeongja are traditional Korean pavilions built entirely of wood and stone using traditional (no nails or screws) joinery methods. They are often hand-painted with colorful floral designs. Jeongja are often used for social occasions and are usually situated to take full advantage of beautiful landscapes, but they can also be located at the entrance to a village.

The three-story Nurimaru APEC House is a modernistic expression of jeongja with a roof shaped to symbolizes the ridge line of Dongbaekseom Island. The APEC House is not made of wood and stone, is not colorful, and from the sheer scope of the project I dare say screws, nails, and modern joinery methods were used in its construction. It is a beautiful building inside and out, nonetheless, in a gorgeous park setting with azaleas in full bloom. We toured the interior and marveled at the specially made lacquer artwork in the entrance, the round room where the APEC conference delegates sat in session, photos of the event, and hanbok* worn by a couple of the delegates.

Before our last two stops we enjoyed (possibly an overstatement) a traditional Korean lunch. As is the custom here, four people shared condiments and main dishes placed in the middle of the table. Stainless steel chopsticks (not wood) are common as well as spoons for soup. I liked the fish, sticky rice with little beans, pancakes with scallions, and translucent noodles. Dan ate all of that, shared a big bowl of stewed beef with a guy from England, and ate the rice on offer from the Englishman’s wife. He did us proud.

Spanning just under two miles ( ! ) it is not difficult to believe that the bustling Jagalchi Fish Market is Korea’s largest seafood market. We took a quick spin through a small section of the area dedicated to dried fish of all sorts before moving on to the live fish section. Wow! There is an area of bright yellow booths in the live fish section for folks who want to select fish and eat it on site. Presumably raw. For those dining in rice and condiments are priced into the sale.

A stop at the largest department store in the world, with a Guinness plaque to prove it, rounded out our tour. Centum Shinsegae Department Store is designed to please with its ice rink, dinosaur park, golf, spas, restaurants of all kinds, and every high-end store imaginable. It is ultra modern, beautiful, and overwhelming. We spent our time in the Korean goods section which is actually quite small.

Our guide for the day was very good and filled our heads with all topics Korean. She said she is part of the third of her countrymen who now live alone. Her point being that the culture has slowly moved away from the traditional multigenerational living arrangement. She explained that her country is essentially an island since it is bordered by communist North Korea with no access by road to the rest of Asia.

Back at the port, immigration was a breeze since it only involved scanning the QR code we got on our way into the city. Another delicious dinner, another fun show, and off to bed we went after a good day with the bonus of unseasonably warm weather.

… Fun Memories …

My dad was the maintenance officer for the 730^th Bomb Squadron during the Korean War.
He arrived in Puson, now Buson, in July of 1951 and headed back to Colorado in July of 1952.
Mother was 29 when he left; Cyd was four; I was two-and-a-half; Si was not on the scene yet.

We thought of our old friends Walter, Pat, and Larry as we ventured off the ship this morning.
We all met shortly after they returned to the U.S. from living in Korea
and we returned from living in Japan.

This is our first time back to Korea since we vacationed in Seoul in the early 1970s.
On that trip we tasted kimchi for the first time, crammed in as many sites as we could, and shopped for bargains. We still have an antique Korean clock in the guest room
that never ticked a day since we bought it.

… Korea Trivia …

South Korea is one quarter the size of Japan.
Just like Japan, 70% of the country is mountainous and there are no garbage cans.

Koreans drive on the right side of the road, love coffee,
and have made unprecedented progress since the Korean War ended in 1953.

South Korea has the distinction of being the nation with the lowest birth rate, fastest internet,
highest percent of college grads, most plastic surgery (mostly men),
best selling liquor (soju), and a 50-53 hour work week.

*Hanbok is the native dress; Buddhism is the primary religion in a predominately non-religious society; men unashamedly wear makeup; and smog, blown in from China,
is a major issue with the right (or wrong?) weather conditions.

1,200 KRW (won) = $1.00

Nothing like a sea day to let your mind wander in the direction of trivia. Shrines and temples, for example. Since we’ve seen both it might be fun to note the distinction between the two. Shrines are built to serve the Shinto tradition (a philosophy, not actually a religion) and are characterized by a torii gate at the entrance. Temples are built to serve the Buddhist religious tradition and are characterized by a sanmon gate at the entrance.

Moving right along, Godzilla, star of no less than 32 films, originally appeared in a series of Japanese movies beginning in 1954. This fictional sea monster was awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation leading to the common belief that he was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. If you watched this year’s Academy Awards you’ll recall he walked away with an Oscar.

Did you know that karaoke originated in Japan? Singing karaoke here usually involves renting a private karaoke room equipped with all the necessities. Rooms are priced by the hour; English songs are in the playlist; and whoop whoop, drinks and snacks can be ordered from and delivered to your private room.

Fans of the new 10-episode mini-series Shogun might enjoy knowing what one is exactly. Officially the shogun served the emperor, but unofficially the overwhelming majority of power rested with this military protector or shogun. The first de facto military leader/dictator was granted the title Seii Taishōgun in 709 and the last one stepped down in 1868. That is one long run! The era during which a shogun and his family were in power is called a shogunate.

Not to be confused with dark-robed ninjas, those semi-fabricated mercenaries, samurai were real. These provincial warriors slowly came into prominence as the shogunate system formalized and gained in power and influence. Samurai eventually gained social status in the 1590s and became identifiable by their distinctive armor and swords, both of which were practical yet elaborate. Two little samurai surprises: women were welcome in their ranks and many senior samurai were well versed in poetry and were patrons of painters and sculptors. They attended literary salons held by imperial court nobles and monks, and even perfected a ‘sword dance.’ No doubt they did dishes and changed diapers too.

Staying on the topic of death and dying, let’s talk ritual suicide. Hara-kiri or seppuku developed in the 12th century as a means for samurai to achieve an honorable death. There are two kinds: voluntary and obligatory. The ritual of cutting one’s own stomach was performed to avoid capture after battlefield defeats, as a means of protest, a way of expressing grief over the death of a revered leader, or as a means of capital punishment. There was even a female version of seppuku. Although seppuku fell out of favor over a hundred and fifty years ago many troops chose it over surrender during World War II and as late as 1970 a renowned novelist and Nobel Prize nominee committed ritual seppuku.

On a brighter note, let’s talk sumo wrestling, Japan’s national sport. It originated in Japan and it’s now the only place where you can practice it professionally. There are only two rules: you must wrestle inside a straw-lined ring and the wrestler who touches the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet loses. There are six major sumo tournaments each year. Sidebar: Dan and I went to several tournaments and even visited the dressing area when we lived here in the 1970s.

One of the best-known symbols of Japan is Mount Fuji (Fujisan). This iconic mountain, considered sacred since ancient times, was forbidden to women until the early 1900s. 

Cremation is mandatory in Japan. Cemeteries have family shrines where the ashes of generations are placed together.

Japan has 10% of the world’s active volcanoes. Add lots of earthquakes and the occasional typhoon and it’s not exactly an uneventful place to live from a natural disaster perspective.

We woke up on the southern coast of the island of Shikoku looking forward to a day exploring one of each: a beach, a castle, a market, and a temple.

Our day started with a visit to Katsurahama Beach to see the bronze statue of the famous samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, a native son. Despite being born into a samurai family, he was a loyalist to the emperor and played an essential role in ending the era of samurai and shogunate control. His statue is the centerpiece of a beautiful park situated at the water’s edge. We strolled along the beach and in amongst the pine trees and enjoyed the peaceful feel of the park.

Kochi Castle, the most intact of Japan’s 12 original castles, was constructed at the beginning of the 17th century and boasts being the only castle in Japan where the original castle tower and main keep remain intact. This relatively small, white, five-storied castle has a striking black roof and is situated on a hill in what today is another beautiful park. Two rivers form an outer moat a third the length and half the width of the original. Steps and then more steps leading to the last set of steps are the centerpiece of this park. Dan and I took it all in, steps and all. Inside the castle (no shoes allowed) there are multiple interesting displays plus it was fun to see how the rooms were laid out. Shachi sea creatures which are half fish, half dragon kept an eye on us from the roof. It was explained to us that the large amount of rain in this area called for special gutters, 16 total, to direct excess water from underground water tunnels to daylight. The massive stack stone walls were designed to allow for rain also.

A stop at Hirome-ichiba Market, with its 60 food stalls, gave us a chance to sample the food of the region and take in the atmosphere of this lively market nicknamed Kochi’s Kitchen. Think food court vibe without the fast food. It was hopping, as in standing room only.

Chikurin-ji Temple, thought to have been established in 724, is the 31st stop on the 870-mile-long Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage. We approached via photogenic stone steps and then went through the entrance gate. Once past the gate, we walked along a moss-covered approach before arriving at the main temple building and the standout structure which is a fire engine red five-storied pagoda. Several other small wooden buildings nestled among the trees complete this complex. The main figure enshrined here is Monju Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of wisdom, making the temple a popular destination for students during exam season, each praying to pass with flying colors.

Pilgrims, foreigners and Japanese, often wear white, so they were easy to spot. Most had walking sticks. Speaking of walking sticks, some were on loan at the bottom of the first set of stairs, no doubt offered as an enticement to tackle the 120+ steps involved in getting to the temple structures.

It rained here yesterday and gloomy weather is predicted tomorrow, but today was ideal. Sun and low 70s, unseasonably pleasant for this time of year.

Not only were we greeted with a welcome performance on the pier this morning, but shamisen players, Yosakoi* dancers, and a flag (think Huge beautiful flag!) waver performed pier side for the sail-away.

… Fun Facts about Shikoku and Kochi …

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands.

Shikoku’s famous 88 Temple Pilgrimage takes visitors on a spiritual journey across the island.
Each temple is believed to represent a different stage of spiritual enlightenment.

I kid you not, there is also a Shikoku Dog Pilgrimage.
Dog lovers can explore various spots that celebrate the loyalty and significance of the Shikoku breed.

Katsuo no tataki, a fish called bonito that is basically only available here, is Kochi’s signature dish.
It is traditionally seared over piles of burning straw. 
We watched it being prepared and consumed at the market today.

*Yosakoi combines traditional Japanese dance movements with contemporary music.
It is choreographed, lively, and often performed by large teams at festivals.