Jean Lorrah's Blog, page 4

Japan, Post One - Introduction

In 2007, the World Science Fiction Convention was held in Yokohama, Japan. Ron and Val Ontell arranged a wonderful tour before the con.I wish I had kept a journal as I did on the India/Nepal tour, because all I can find are my photos from the Japan trip, and our itinerary. I'm not sure how many photos I can actually match to the cities we visited.Well, here goes with three-year-old memory!Japan,

Italy, Part Seven - Venice Part Two

Find Italy Part One here.Venice today is clean. The canals no longer smell. However, the city is still sinking. As global warming speeds up, the water laps ever higher, and the famed Piazzo San Marco frequently floods. If you dream of seeing Venice before major parts of it disappear beneath the waves, I suggest you start saving to make that trip your next European vacation.Being on the water of

Italy Part Six - Venice, Part One

Find Italy Part One here.From Florence we took a high-speed train to Venice. Anyone who has ridden the reliable, comfortable modern trains of Europe or Japan wishes desperately we had the same kind of transport in the U.S.Venice is, of course, famous for its canals. The entire city is a walking precinct--no vehicles allowed. Because the canals wind everywhere through the city, and most bridges

Italy Part Five -- Florence

After visiting Assissi, we drove to Florence and turned in our rental car. We certainly didn't need a car for our last two cities, Florence and Venice. While cars are allowed in Florence, the historic part of the city that tourists want to see is all easily walkable.Florence is arguably the most beautiful city in the world. It's in the center of Tuscany, which many people think is the most

Italy, Part Four -- Assissi

Click on photos to see them full size.While we had the car, we visited the city of Assissi, which is built on top of what would be called a butte in the U.S.This city was the home town of St. Francis of Assissi, the patron saint of animals, and we saw pets everywhere. The city is accessible only by a steep climb, and is very small because it can contain only what will fit atop the butte, so we

Italy, Part Three--The Appian Way

Getting Out in the CountrysideYou may have noticed from my photos of Pompeii and Herculaneum that Italy is an exceptionally photogenic country. Wherever you point your camera, you get a beautifully composed picture. One other country I have visited is similarly camera-friendly: Japan. The difference is that in Japan most of that composition is man-made--every patch of greenery in the city becomes

Italy, Part Two--Pompeii and Herculaneum

Insider Secrets to Cheap FlightsFrom Naples, it's an easy commuter train ride to either Pompeii or Herculaneum. We spent a day in each ancient city.The two cities that perished in 79AD sit in one direction in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. Modern Naples sits in its shadow in another direction. Vesuvius is an active volcano that last erupted in 1944. Eventually, inevitably, there will be another