Minutes away from the ultra-modern steel and glass skyline, uber efficient ramps and highways in the Shibuye Ward of Tokyo, visitors can find the sublime peace of the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, Meiji Jingū). Wooded, with pea gravel walking paths (the Japanese encourage serenity by paving with tiny stones mimicking the sound of water) this is a sacred place dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Emperor …
Opatija, Croatia is a beautiful seaside town with a long tradition as a tourist destination and a 7 mile shoreline promenade called the Lungomare offering sparkling vistas from sunrise well into the indigo evenings. Hotels all offer breathtaking views. And of course, there are the legends. Every town in Croatia has at least one. Here, a statue of a Maiden with a Seagull extends her arm to the sea. In …
Since most of the world is dealing with scorching summer temps, here’s a cooling visual reprieve. Croatia’s first national park since 1949 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plitvice Lakes is the country’s oldest and largest with sixteen lakes and innumerable waterfalls. Located very close to the Croatian border with Bosnia, it’s about a two hour drive from either Zagreb or the Adriatic coast. The park is broken up into the …
My first stop along Croatia’s coastline was a ferry ride to Korcula, only 20 miles long but 6th largest of the collection known as the Dalmatian Isles. It’s old town is charming with streets designed in a fishbone shape and walled since the 13th century. Built for protection from the sea winds in the winter and cooled by onshore winds in summer. Reputed to be the birthplace of famed explorer …
It’s impossible not to be impressed by (1) the sheer immensity of this walled city and it’s legendary fortress. But an impressive distant past beginning with 7th century onslaughts of Slavs, followed by Saracens, 11th century Venetian rule and, through canny diplomacy, good relations with neighboring countries…even the Ottoman Turks, allowed the city to flourish. Until 1667 when flourishing art and architecture (2) was destroyed by an earthquake, marking the …
The climb is a 306 step staircase bordered by mythical serpents called naga. Presiding over the city at the top is Wat Phra That, one of northern Thailand’s most sacred temples. The golden spire glitters near the summit of Doi Suthep, a 5,499-foot mountain outside Chiang Mai. Lanna was an ancient Thai state located in the upper northern region of Thailand and literally means the land with a million paddy …
