After an overnight transit to Uwajima, along Japan’s inland sea, I was up on deck to watch the sun rise… directly over a mountain peak! As the sun rose and we pulled into Uwajima’s harbor, our ship was escorted by four local fishing vessels that had been elaborately decorated with banners and flags. On each boat there were one or two enthusiastic volunteers who were waving massive flags, all meant to welcome us to their city. [video]. Read on!
An incredibly moving experience.
Our trip around Japan has thus far been fascinating, as we experience the beauty of its landscape, the depth of its culture, and the friendliness of its people. Our afternoon visit to Hiroshima, however, was profoundly humbling and thought-provoking. Now a bustling metropolis of 1.2 million people sprawling across the broad delta of a river pouring into Japan’s inner sea, it was hard to visualize the day, just over 79 years ago in August 1945, when the Enola Gay dropped the world’s first nuclear weapon here – then a city of 350,000 souls. By the end of that year, 140,000 people had died. Please read on.
A visit to Miyajima island to explore the Itsukushima Shrine and the Buddhist temple above. Wild deer!
The Resolution sailed along the rocky shores of Miyajima island, surrounded by hundreds of oyster farms in the shallow waters near shore. Due to the shallow waters and congested port area, the Resolution held position offshore while we boarded Zodiac (inflatable motorboats) to reach the port at Miyajima [video]. This small island in Japan’s inland sea is home to only 1,400 people, most of whom support the bustling tourist industry … foreigners like us, as well as numerous locals who visit the famous Buddhist or Shinto shrines. Read on!
A visit to a bonsai farm, Shikoku-mura outdoor museum, and Ritsurin Gardens.
When we woke on the third day of our voyage we were in the port city of Takamatsu, on the northern shore of Japan’s inland sea. We visited a bonsai farm, an outdoor architectural museum, and Ritsurin Garden, a large, elaborate Japanese garden. Read on!
Koraku-en garden, Naoshima island, and Benesse House Museum.
This morning we docked in Uno, toured Koraku-en garden, “one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan”, and this afternoon we went ashore in Zodiac boats to visit two modern-art museums on the tiny island of Naoshima. Read on!
Himeji Castle, Koko-En garden, and lunch on shore before boarding our ship, the National Geographic Resolution.
Today we joined our expedition group, toured sights near Kobe, and boarded our ship – the National Geographic Resolution. Read on!
The start of our next adventure.
We’re embarking today on the National Geographic Resolution, an arctic-class cruise ship identical to the ship (the Endurance) we sailed to South Georgia in March 2023. On this trip, Coastal Japan: Imperial Dynasties and Modern Culture, run by National Geographic on a ship managed by Lindblad Expeditions, Pam and I and my parents will be cruising along the southern coasts of Japan, and make a brief stop in South Korea, exploring many of the natural and cultural highlights of this beautiful region of the world. More to come, and you can be sure I’ll bring back lots of photographs!
We spent a week on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea, from Malta to Sicily to Greece.
Thus concludes our cruise of the Mediterranean from Malta to Sicily and on to Greece and Athens. We were incredibly lucky with the weather – blue-sky sunshine every day, unusually warm for October, and perfectly calm seas. On board our ship Le Bougainville, which is only five months old, the staff was friendly, the accommodations comfortable, and the food fabulous. (French chef; need I say more?)
The highlight of our time on-board, though, was a series of lectures and panel discussions on the topic of “World Affairs”, organized by Washington & Lee University’s office of lifelong learning. (Although we were part of the W&L group, we comprised only half of the passengers; they were also welcome at the events.) The speakers included Fareed Zakaria from CNN, John McLaughlin retired from CIA, Daniel Mendelsohn from Bard College, and Provost Marc Conner from Washington & Lee. Every lecture and panel was a fascinating reflection on world affairs from the time of the ancient Greeks and Persians to the dramatic news of this week (notably, involving Washington, Ukraine, and Syria).
See the photo gallery for a few photos of the ship, the gallery of “favorite photos” for the entire cruise, and the blog posting from each stop on our cruise:
A brief visit to the lovely island town of Hydra, on a beautiful day.
We pulled into the harbor of Hydra, a little town on a small island in the Aegean Sea, not far from Athens. Once an important port for shipping and, during the war for Greek independence, for the military, Hydra is now entirely driven by tourism. Nearly all of its 1,900 residents live in the hillside village surrounding the bay, navigating the narrow streets, stairs, and alleys on foot. “Rubbish trucks are the only motor vehicles on the island, since by law, cars and motorcycles are not allowed. Horses, mules and donkeys, and water taxis provide public transportation” [Wikipedia].
Although our guided tour included the maritime museum and the preserved mansion of an 19th-century businessman, I found it most interesting to wander the streets and drink in the sights and smells of this quaint little town. Below you can see about half the town, and, in the bay, our ship. Check out the photo gallery for more.
A fascinating visit to the ancient Greek site of Mycenae, built over three thousand years ago.
Our final visit on the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece was to Mycenae, the site of a grand palace and fortification built over three thousand years ago. I find it astonishing that these structures and graves were preserved, buried for millennia, until modern excavations just a couple hundred years ago. It has impressive scale and scope, remarkably with several major structures still intact, notably the Lions’ Gate entrance and tholos/treasury. Read on, and check out the photo gallery.
David Kotz 