Images of Yokohama and Nagano. January and February 2024. “Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and by area, and the country’s most populous municipality. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main […]
Images of Ise, Okayama and Fukuyama, taken in November and December 2023. “Ise, formerly called Ujiyamada, is a city in central Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan. Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō shrine in Japan. “Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region […]
Devils, samurai and Vikings. Actually, it wasn’t a hellish time. Look down for my list of 46 books read and rated in 2023. (* Indicates it has been read before.) Five stars Two on a Tower, Thomas Hardy, 1882 The God Equation, Michio Kaku, 2021The Golden Ass, Apuleius, 2nd cent. ADThe Epic of Gilgamesh, Unknown, […]
Images of Osaka, Wakayama, Himeji and Nara, taken in October and November 2023. “Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan, and one of the three major cities of Japan. Osaka means ‘large hill’ or ‘large slope’. It is unclear when this name gained prominence over Naniwa [the old name […]
Images of Conisbrough Castle, Sheffield and York, taken in August 2023. “Conisbrough Castle is a medieval fortification in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire. The castle was initially built in the 11th century by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. “Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, whose name […]
Images of Vienna, Linz and Salzburg, taken in April-June 2023. “Until the beginning of the 20th century, Vienna was the largest German-speaking city in the world, and before the splitting of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I, the city had two million inhabitants. Today, it is the second-largest German-speaking city after Berlin. “Linz is […]
Images of Budapest, taken in June 2023. “The history of Budapest began when an early Celtic settlement transformed into the Roman town of Aquincum, the capital of Lower Pannonia. The Hungarians arrived in the territory in the late 9th century, but the area was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241–42. Re-established Buda became one of […]
Images of Bratislava and Devin Castle, taken in May 2023. “Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is set along the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. It’s surrounded by vineyards and the Little Carpathian mountains, crisscrossed with forested hiking and cycling trails. The pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town is known for its lively bars […]
It’s an anniversary to celebrate with this sixth album review. A brief summary of Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order. Review Number: 6Review Date: 29 May 2023 Album: Power, Corruption & LiesArtist: New OrderCountry: EnglandRelease Date: 1983Genres: Synth-Pop, New Wave “When a new life turns towards you, and the night becomes a day.” There […]
Images of Arashiyama, Nagoya, Otsu, Sendai, Sapporo, Wakkanai and Nemuro, taken in March and April 2023. “Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto.” It is famous for its bamboo grove. “Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan. “Ōtsu […]