Walking Germany

When Walking Germany remember to look at everything and investigate interesting shops for some fascinating things for sale. But things to do are to watch and talk to people. You will meet some very interesting people wherever you go in Germany and they might be tourists or migrants.

dino insel
Bill Maher talks about “Insel” a lot. Well I found this advertising for the Dino versions
wheat ber
This is a very nice wheat beer
singers
The volunteer Heidelberg wandering chorus group
cheering on walking germany
Here they are cheering on some local business.
old sign
Nice old sign
church walking gemany
A beautiful church inside
3D cross
An unusual cross display
castle
Heidelberg castle from the plaza
statue
Dressed like an ancient Celt
bridge
Old bridge
walking area
Relaxing walking area
Gate
Old city entranceway
beer time
Singers having a beer
cruise
A river cruise
Toilet
This is what kids call a toilet.
Favorite cheese
My favorite cheese
Scary FIGUre
This could be very scary for a little child going to church
Not so scary figure
Not quite as scary from the front
Stained glass window
An interesting modern stained glass window
Ancient crests
Different districts represented with their ancient crestS
Folding Art
Church art unfolding
Cathedral model
Model of the cathedral
Giveaways
This is everything I gave away after pulling it out out of storage.
Spaghetti
Another wonderful spaghetti with pepper and oil with pine nuts
Vespa shop car
These are produced by the Vespa
Landshut pizza
a very tasty pizza in downtown Landshut

Try Trier Germany

I recommend to try Trier Germany for several reasons. You will love some of the old architecture, the location next to the border with Luxembourg and the surrounding beauty. A one or 2 day visit would be sufficient.

palace
The palace
palace
Try trier germany
Try trier germany
Depot
An old station or depot

Exploring Hsinchu (新竹) Taiwan

What is interesting about Exploring Hsinchu or for Taiwan for that matter? I find food will always by first on my list. The people outside the giant city of Taipei are all living a little slower life and so can spend time being more courteous and polite. The city of Hsinchu was reported by some as a “food desert”. I didn’t find that at all. It is a smaller city than Tainan or Kaohsiung or even Taichung but it has some very good restaurants and plenty of them.

Moto Guzzi
I need to look harder to find the Moto Guzzi here.
Duck
Duck, slghtly undercooked with rice.
Starbucks
Starbucks in the old library, a 1923 designed Japanese colonial building with Frank Lloyd Wright hints.
hints
I am thinking they took some design hints from FLW’s Imperial Hotel designed 2 years earlier in Tokyo
coffee doritos
Adapting to local tastes…..but Coffee flavor?
department store
The big department store. On the left you see the escalator taking people up to the food court on the 4th floor .
dancing
Young people gathered outside dancing to an event
game
A game for parents and kids
character dim sum
Dim Sum for kids with cartoon characters inside other characters
korean noodles
Not expensive, about $6.50
SFO floor Exploring Hsinchu
What I found he 7th floor had
background scene
The city scenery in the background
Fisherman's Warf
quaker
Quake makes a ginseng health drink?
noodles
Tasty noodles
Gate
Japanese architecture
Another Japanese colonial style building
japanese
The train station also left from the occupation

Luxembourg Adventure

Any Luxembourg Adventure starts with the main city which has free public transport (countrywide) and is also very walkable.

Jewish Memorial Luxembourg Adventure
A memorial for the Jewish citizens who lived and perished in this country during the second world war .
statue
An interesting statue
government building
Beautiful building. This is a government building
statue
Statue of the Grand Duchess Charlotte
Nice scenery
bridge view
From the brdge. Lots of grenery
river exercise area
By the river bank lots of space for people to exercise in
War dead memorial
War dead memorial
More views from a bridge
beggar dogs
Beggars in Phuket got dogs when they saw how many people crowded around me when I had a cute puppy. Now it is a worldwide thing. Beggars need dogs.
hotel
Some hotel and archives related to Joan of Arc
church Luxembourg Adventure
Beautiful church
church burial
Churches bury famous people in the floors
artwork
Ancient church artwork
history
Church history
nancy cathedra
Moving on to Nancy in France
gate
Main city gate
cheese
A very interesting cheese
Vienna coffee
I thought Vienna Coffee was a Japanese invention but that is not the case.
Palace
One of the Grand Duke’s palaces
Countryside
Beautiful countryside
toilet
Nice design for a public toilet

Thailand 2025

On my last jaunt through Thailand I stopped in Prachuap Kirikan to visit my good friends Alain and Sunan. They now have full solar power in the main house. The guest bungaloo is not yet a priority for solar adaptation. They have a new dog, a stray that stays due to the abundance of food from her generous hosts.

dog
The new dog.
Laos store
Stopped for a few days in Vientiane, Laos to visit with Pasan. I love the store sinage.
no smoking temple
Good thing it doesn’t start smoking.
pizza
A pretty good pizza
Laundromat
Good marketing.
food salls
Food stalls where you can also find sushi sitting out in the hot sun
train photographers
Kids waiting to get a good photo of the arriving train
Planning lunch
Sunan getting ready to conquer the lunch menu
garden
The garden Sunan created out of a vacant piece of land
palms
Even palm trees
eggs
Animals laying eggs
aquaman
At the Bangkok hotel looking at aquaman prepared to put out an underwater fire
emerald buddha proof of theft
In Vientiane, proof the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Keow was stolen from the main temple in Laos. Thai people are fed a false truth about this Buddhist figure.

Hokkaido Enjoyment

Hokkaido Enjoyment includes food, walking around and traveling the countryside by car. You should be aware that in 5 years, as I was told, many of the local trains will be discontinued. This means car and bus will be the new major modes of rural transport. But the rental car companies seem to have things prepared in English pretty well so renting a car is pretty easy. My experience renting a car in Japan is very consistent. The rental companies are pretty honest and so are not trying to make extra money by charging for things that aren’t your fault. However, taking photos of the car before driving it as well as the gauge cluster showing milage and gas amount is still advisable.

Korean noodles
Korean food (Japanese style) is very popular and becoming more and more Korean style while even Korean food in Korea is changing style. This is Korean noodles with Kimchi and grilled, marbled beef.
White gyoza
This was actually in Kashiwa, near tokyo, at the White Gyoza restaurant. This order of Yaki Gyoza was very tasty and the meal including Kimchi was only US$6.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/f3mG6AXe2rRk7EBS8?g_st=ipc

Ferry for Hokkaido Enjoyment
While the Shinkansen (fast trains) go under the channel to Hokkaido now there is still the ferry system which is cheaper. This one goes from Hakodate to Aomori. This ferry was US$26.
Salmon sashimi Hokkaido Enjoyment
Many Restaurants have a photo of this salmon sashimi with salmon roe on rice in the tourists areas.
One man train
Many rural trains are called *One Man* which means there is one person engineering the train and no second person to issue tickets. So the silver and blue machine is to pay for tickets which the engineer manages at each stop. The fare is displayed above on the screen and calculated by distnce.
Toyo-ura town
I stayed at this small fishing town, Toyo-Ura, which I don’t recommend unless you have a car. There is only one resort here and in my estimation overpriced. Everywhere you see the floats for fishing nets.
Good restaurant
This drinkery has very good quality food and I highly recommend it. However, a reservation would be a good idea since it is pretty popular.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/53duUMjFehibRasy6?g_st=ipc

Dunkin' donuts
I never buy hotel breakfasts separately or pay extra for them since I only want a cup of coffee and something small to prepare the stomach for a late lunch, my only real meal of the day. Here I am at Dunkin’ Donuts. While I am “dunking” the rest of Japan knows nothing of this great American tradition.
Otaru
Proof I was in Otaru, a must visit city with many local craft shops especially glassware.
Kaitenzushi
Kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurant but the only thing on the conveyor belt was advertising for specific items. You order as you do in a regular (modernized) sushi restaurant, from an iPad.
Uni shop
This is the only UNI (sea urchin) specialty shop I can recall.

Relaxing Landshut

Relaxing Landshut is close to Munich and a less expensive community to park youself. Enjoy some of the very nice Italian and German restaurants here especially Ristorante Rossini at the foot of the castle. The make the best Olive Oil/Peperoncino spaghetti I have ever had. The recipe includes pine nuts and next to you on the veranda outside is some fresh basil growing you can use to garnish the flavors.

With a cigar
Enjoying a cigar in the Plaza
campari spritz
The European hit, the campari spritz with a new cigar offering by Toscano, the Robusto.
motorcycle group
Law enforcement officers (one here I met) formed a motorcycle touring group called the Punishers. It was a very nice and interesting discussion.
cappuccino
Of course a cappuccino in the morning
river view
River view
walking town
Beautiful walking town
obama hat
My Obama hat on it’s Last trip. The brim disintegrated after 16 years
preparation for event
Getting ready for a holiday event
River in relaxing Landshut
side dish in relaxing Landshut
A side dish

Cornell Japan 2025

I happened to arrive in Japan just at the right time. A group of Cornell students were in Japan for a study course, one month, and a lot of beautiful cherry blossoms were coming out. Cornell graduates in Japan were about 10 in 1976 and now more than 76.

With a friend’s, and Cornell graduate’s, company employees. Two people from me is Ryoichi (Joe) Shiratsuchi, the boss, and Bob Nellis’s son Scott next to me.
In Osaka with Sang Hong (Seoul) Lee, my former roommate, John Hamada ’65, and Mano Pak, a former student, a close friend, and the one who encouraged his Nephew, Sang Il, to attend Cornell.
Betty Shibata passed away the year before so I visited her grave. Her father on the left received an honorary doctorate the year Betty graduated. He was the first and so far the only Japanese President of Rotary International, a very influential person in US-Japan relations as was Betty.
At Yukko’s entertainment establishment in Golden Gai Shinjuku with the Dates to the left, good friends, and Scott Nellis, rapidly learning Japanese and working here.
The Kobe reception for the Cornell students in Japan for a month on interdisciplinary studies.
Kawasaki-san talking about his enjoyments at Cornell and welcoming students. He is a well known potter
Happy students with Hiroko and her husband in the back. Hiroko was the first blind Japanese student to attend a regular curriculum (not specialized for the blind) in the US.
With Akira Kasano, the Cornell soccer goalie, on the left and his friend Inoue-san at a night club in Wakayama.

Japan Food Varieties

Yesterday I had a nice cold ramen in Kashiwa for $6.80. That seems to be close to the low end of the price range but it was pretty good. Japan Food Varieties will amaze you. You can go from raw to deep fried food in the same restaurant or in speciality restaurants. You can get everything from vegan to almost every kind of meat, even bear. By now you probably know Japan is famous for whale and horse meat. And some of their world famous Italian restaurants are here as well. Every part of Japan has it’s own special foods you should try. Go from Hokkaido for excellent ocean foods to fatty pork in Okinawa to baby bees in Matsumoto. And, heads up, there is no tradition of tipping in Japan so the price you see on the menu is the total you pay except for places that have table charges (OTOSHI) with a small snack or those that don’t include the sales tax in the menu price.

Okinawa gin
This is a very delicious and unusual gin produced in Okinawa and maybe not available elsewhere
ice cream Japan Food Varities
Ice cream is everywhere and somewhat tasty though not as flavorful as most western countries
Noodles
Delicious noodles below
ocean grapes
UMI NO BUDO Ocean grapes prevalent in Okinawa
beef
American food
Expect some TRAD “American food”
noodles
Okinawa style noodles
Ishigaki rum
The most flavorful rum I have ever had. It is available only on Ishigaki Island
Okinawa meal
A Okinawa meal. Fatty pork with rice, noodles, cured seaweed and NIGAORI (goya)
fish and  sashimi
Special Japan Food Varieties.; grilled fish in a semi sweet sauce with sashimi including HOTARU IKA (squid from the north.
tonkatsu
TONKATSU, one of my favorites with sesame above with the stick for grinding it.;
India Thai food
Strange Indian and Thai restaurant. You see the lunch menu varies in price from US$7.50 to US$9.50
Indian, thai
Strange combination
thai food
Thai food in a Karaoke bar in Kashiwa
sushi resautant
My neighborhood Sushi/Izakaya. Mr. Kamiya on the left is the same age as me and looks like my Danish adopted sister’s father
Tempura
I have many favorite foods in Japan. One is TEMPURA.
unagi
A good UNAGI restaurant on the Tokaido line
This is their UNAGI (eel)
noodles
Country noodles
korean
korean style grill
variety
Special variety. Above is something on a cured root.
curry tonatsu
Curry style tonkatsu
noodles
Somewhat spicy noodles with veggies and pork
cheap noodles
On Monday you can get noodles for as low as US$3.40
student discount
Student discounted food
cheap korean
korean style grilled food for as low as US$6
discounts
More student discounts
unagi
Wow! To the Unagi in Noboribetsu
tasty unagi
it was delicious
Sapporo fish restaurant. It was very tasty
kaiten sushi
A Sapporo KAITENZUSHIYA (conveyor belt sushi restaurant )
grilled fish
Delicious grilled fish
pork ramen
In UENO this ramen restaurant has the best pork ramen I have ever had for US$9.30. These are very tasty big pieces of pork which you never see.
izakaya
A typical IZAKAYA (drinkery) with grilled SHSHAMO fish (eat head frst), stingray fin, grilled chicken skin and liver
gyoza
Delicious gyoza in a Shinjuku chinese restaurant I want to return to
neighbor
With my former neighbors at our neighborhood sushiya
kama
Griled BURI jowl with sashimi
beef
side dishes
Side dishes of MENMA and ZASAI
hot dog
a live hot dog
edamame tofu
EDAMAME tofu. First time
prices
You can see the prices of food at drinkeries in Ishigaki

Japan enjoyment

The key to Japan enjoyment is to just relax, take your time and don`t be pressured. There are so many little things to enjoy while bopping around the country. Take the opportunity to look at the smallest of things to understand how things work. You will love the places you visit if you take your time.

batmobile
A Village version of the Batmobile?
lotus Japan enjoyment
Lotus blooms at Ueno Park
Okinawa music festival
The Okinawa music festival in Shinjuku
Friends
Friends playing at Golden Egg
Kaiba
Good Fiends I used to participate with sometimes
concert party
After the concert
with friends
Lots of fun. The guy sitting next to me is Bob Nellis` son
kashiwa festival
Kashiwa festival
Toto adversing their restroom products at the airport
shikotsu
Lake Shikotsu
lake hills Japan enjoyment
Hills around the lake
waterfall
A beautiful waterfall