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Musings and meanderings, poetic and otherwise, photography, travels, recipes, whatever comes my way that seems interesting to my gray matter!
Showing posts with label Bangkok. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangkok. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, July 04, 2011
Happy 4th of July - Home To The USA - July 4, 2011
It's almost 2AM here in the San Francisco area and, already, I can hear
firecrackers going off. I guess some folks must have been out on the
town and have decided not to wait until tonight to celebrate our
country's independence from England. I have no special plans
myself. I've been busy shredding papers all day, going through
boxes and trying to tidy up a bit before my dear friend of forty-
nine years, Martha Genin, arrives on Wednesday. That is cause, in
itself, for celebration.
My oldest son, Shawn, just got back late tonight, from a weekend with
friends in Las Vegas so I suspect he may sleep away the 4th. My
youngest son, Jeremy, stopped by briefly this evening after an
afternoon of fishing and crabbing with a friend on the Pacific ( they
threw back their catch ) and Alex, my middle son, who lives a hundred
miles away in West Sacrmento is working. That's all fine by me.
I celebrate the 4th in my heart, glad, in spite of all the problems we
face in the United States, that I am an American.
Everyone knows, I am sure, how much I love to travel and I've been
truly blessed in that I have, until the loss of my job three years ago,
been to practically every corner of the globe. The cherishd memories
of the beauty of this earth, the wonderful people I've met along the
way, the delights I've experienced will forever be with me. Yet, when
all is said and done, it is always good to return to my homeland, this
country that I love above all, these fifty states that make up America.
One of the first poems in my book of poetry, "Life's Journey" which
was published in May of 2010 is called, "Home To The U.S.A.".
I may have printed it in my blog before but, today, on the 4th of
July, I am repeating it. I love you, America!
Home to the USA
I*ve traveled all about this world,
And seen sights most sublime,
The marble towers of the Taj,
And set my watch by Big Ben’s time.
I stood in awe at the Acropolis,
Drank wines thoughout Bordeaux,
Sailed past the Sydney Opera House,
Played black jack in Monaco.
I’ve watched a Barbados sunset,
Rode the Star Ferry in Hong Kong,
I saw exotic dancers in Bali,
Heard Bangkok temple bells gong.
I marveled at David in Florence,
Prayed at a mosque in Brunei,
Danced tango in Buenos Aires,
Sampled samosas in far Mumbai.
Yet, no matter where I travel,
And how far afield I roam,
It feels good to return to America,
The best country of all – for it’s home.
Carmen Henesy
Copyright (c) 2005 Carmen Henesy.
All Rights Reserved
I am participating in Mellow Yellow Monday #128 -
add your post and join in the fun!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
The Lure of Cities
There are those who relish adventure travel that takes them to the wilds of the Amazon or battling altitude sickness to scale the highest mountain peaks. Others journey to remote Borneo or marvel at icy Antarctica. In my youth, perhaps, this type of travel appealed more to me but, in my "mature" years, I find myself seeking out the world's great cities. I am slowly getting to see a few of them.
This spectacular multicultural city is the capital of New South Wales and was the first European settlement in Australia.
The famed Sydney Opera House is a landmark known to many cruise passengers. Its Opera Australia ranks as the 3rd busiest opera company in the world!
There are more than seventy beaches in this area so popular with young and old alike.
Sydney has a temperate climate.
It is the home of many cultural events of various ethnicities, the Sydney Film Festival, and Australian Fashion Week.
The city thrives with entertainment venues, excellent restaurants, parks, and outdoor activities.
Rugby is the most popular sport in Sydney.
The University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university and the city houses five other public universities.
One of the largest cities in the world, this is the de facto capital of Japan and is home to the Japanese Imperial Family and is the seat of the Japanese government
Tokyo grew from the small fishing village of Edo.
Tokyo prefecture is made up of twenty-three special wards, twenty-six cities which are part of western Tokyo and numerous outlying island. There are also four national parks within Tokyo.
Tokyo ranks as one of the top three financial centers in the world and its urban railway network leads the world. Tokyo trains are clean as well as efficient.
Festivals of every kind are celebrated in Tokyo, from the world famous cherry blossom events at various parks to the Sanja Festival in May. This three day event held at Asakusa Shrine draws nearly two million people, with parades of portable shrines, each carrying a deity, and drinking, dancing onlookers.
Tokyo hosts ancient and modern performing arts such as noh, a classical musical drama, beginning in the 14th century to kabuki, with its elaborate makeup, beginning in the 1600's to the symphony, rock and roll venues and other forms of entertainment.
Its restaurants are superb. In fact, it topped Paris two to one in Michelin stars in their 2007 restaurant guide, a fact I feel certain the French had difficulty living down!
Of course, we are all familiar with Japanese sumo wrestlers but Tokyo also has two baseball teams and has venues that host international sporting events of every kind - including the Olympics.
A trip to Tokyo isn't complete without a 5:30AM visit to Tsukiji Fish Market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It is an area of frenzied activity, with hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish being bought and sold. After watching the action, you can stop at one of the little shops or restaurants on the periphery for a breakfast of sashimi and sake before heading home for a little sleep.
Stockholm is a beautiful city, situated on fourteen islands where the Baltic Sea and Lake Maarlen and the Baltic Sea meet.
It is Sweden's largest city, its capital, the seat of Parliament, and the home of the monarchy. King Carl XVI Gustaf is the king of Sweden and his wife, Silvia, is queen.
Because of its location in the far north, Stockholm experiences only about six hours of daylight at the winter solstice, increasing to eighteen hours of daylight by the summer solstice. Summer is a wonderful time to visit as temperatures remain mild. Winter temperatures drop into the 20's.
Because of its lack of industry and factories, Stockholm remains a clean city. It is a financial center with a number of high technology companies. Stockholm is also a multicultural area with three UNESCO world heritage sites: the Royal Palace Drottningholm,which is the private residence of the Swedish Royal family, Birka and Hovgrden, part of the Viking trading network, and the Skogskyrkogrden (The Woodland Cemetery).
Stockholm is a city of contrasts - the new and the old. The medieval city, Old Town, with its cobblestones, dates back to the 13th century. Here one finds the Stockholm Cathedral and the baroque Royal Palace. There are dozens of restaurants in this area.
Modern Stockholm, or "Venice of the North" as it is often called, is a city of broad streets, lovely parks, and a new city hall built in the early 1900's. There are very few slums in Stockholm.
Sydney ( Australia ) - some Sydney facts:
This spectacular multicultural city is the capital of New South Wales and was the first European settlement in Australia.
The famed Sydney Opera House is a landmark known to many cruise passengers. Its Opera Australia ranks as the 3rd busiest opera company in the world!
There are more than seventy beaches in this area so popular with young and old alike.
Sydney has a temperate climate.
It is the home of many cultural events of various ethnicities, the Sydney Film Festival, and Australian Fashion Week.
The city thrives with entertainment venues, excellent restaurants, parks, and outdoor activities.
Rugby is the most popular sport in Sydney.
The University of Sydney is Australia's oldest university and the city houses five other public universities.
Looking toward Sydney & the Circular Quay from the Sydney Opera House
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com/
The Sydney Opera House
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com
Waterways near Sydney, Australia
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com/
The Old and The New - old buildings near the Sydney Tow
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com
The Sydney Harbor Bridge
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com/
A Beautiful Moreton Bay Fig in a Sydney Park
photo credit http://freelargephotos.com
."Tokyo ( Japan )- some Tokyo facts:
Tokyo grew from the small fishing village of Edo.
Tokyo prefecture is made up of twenty-three special wards, twenty-six cities which are part of western Tokyo and numerous outlying island. There are also four national parks within Tokyo.
Tokyo ranks as one of the top three financial centers in the world and its urban railway network leads the world. Tokyo trains are clean as well as efficient.
Festivals of every kind are celebrated in Tokyo, from the world famous cherry blossom events at various parks to the Sanja Festival in May. This three day event held at Asakusa Shrine draws nearly two million people, with parades of portable shrines, each carrying a deity, and drinking, dancing onlookers.
Tokyo hosts ancient and modern performing arts such as noh, a classical musical drama, beginning in the 14th century to kabuki, with its elaborate makeup, beginning in the 1600's to the symphony, rock and roll venues and other forms of entertainment.
Its restaurants are superb. In fact, it topped Paris two to one in Michelin stars in their 2007 restaurant guide, a fact I feel certain the French had difficulty living down!
Of course, we are all familiar with Japanese sumo wrestlers but Tokyo also has two baseball teams and has venues that host international sporting events of every kind - including the Olympics.
A trip to Tokyo isn't complete without a 5:30AM visit to Tsukiji Fish Market, the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It is an area of frenzied activity, with hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish being bought and sold. After watching the action, you can stop at one of the little shops or restaurants on the periphery for a breakfast of sashimi and sake before heading home for a little sleep.
Sensoji Temple and Pagoda at Asakusa, Tokyo
Tokyo Fire Hydrant
High Tech Tokyo Toilet
Early morning at Tsukiji Fish Market
Awa Odori Dance Festival
photo credit benoist sebire@www.benoa.net
Tokyo City View From The Mori Tower
photo credit benoist sebire@www.benoa.net
Christmas Time in Shinjuku
photo credit benoist sebire@www.benoa.net
Stockholm ( Sweden ) - some Stockholm facts:
Stockholm is a beautiful city, situated on fourteen islands where the Baltic Sea and Lake Maarlen and the Baltic Sea meet.
It is Sweden's largest city, its capital, the seat of Parliament, and the home of the monarchy. King Carl XVI Gustaf is the king of Sweden and his wife, Silvia, is queen.
Because of its location in the far north, Stockholm experiences only about six hours of daylight at the winter solstice, increasing to eighteen hours of daylight by the summer solstice. Summer is a wonderful time to visit as temperatures remain mild. Winter temperatures drop into the 20's.
Because of its lack of industry and factories, Stockholm remains a clean city. It is a financial center with a number of high technology companies. Stockholm is also a multicultural area with three UNESCO world heritage sites: the Royal Palace Drottningholm,which is the private residence of the Swedish Royal family, Birka and Hovgrden, part of the Viking trading network, and the Skogskyrkogrden (The Woodland Cemetery).
Stockholm is a city of contrasts - the new and the old. The medieval city, Old Town, with its cobblestones, dates back to the 13th century. Here one finds the Stockholm Cathedral and the baroque Royal Palace. There are dozens of restaurants in this area.
Modern Stockholm, or "Venice of the North" as it is often called, is a city of broad streets, lovely parks, and a new city hall built in the early 1900's. There are very few slums in Stockholm.
The Central Inner Harbor
photo credit www.zanzig.com
Gamla Stan ( historical town center )
photo credit http://www.zanzig.com/
Kungsholmen with Stadshuset (City Hall) at night
photo credit www.zanzig.com
Old Architecture Meets New Architecture
photo credit http://www.zanzig.com/
Town Centre
photo credit www.zanzig.com
These are just three of the world's special cities that I have been privileged to visit. Others that I've seen come to mind - Mumbai, Barcelona, Paris, Honolulu, Auckland, Montevideo, Zurich, Bangkok....the list goes on and on - each one unique and special with its hidden delights. I just hope that I live long enough to see some of the others on my list of "must see" cities.
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