A Trip To Holland?

We saw clogs, plenty of them. All sizes too. From the smallest size for a key-chain to a big one that can sit two adults comfortably in one clog.

Sampled some cheese

Viewed lots of windmills

and got to view some interesting architecture.

All these and we didn't even flew over to Europe! It's right there in Nagasaki; at Huis Ten Bosch theme park!

This and we saw some pirates too! That on the next post. ;)

How Do We Predict the Weather at Our House?

This is Pikes Peaks - the way it looks almost all winter.

The shortest answer is we look out our front window and watch the weather come to us!!

The house faces directly west and looks at Pikes Peak which is the mountain that inspired the song "America the Beautiful".  It is 14,115 feet above sea level and one of the over 50 mountains in Colorado over 14,000 feet.  

When a storm is coming we can watch the clouds float over the mountain, obscuring the peak.  As the storm gets closer, more of the mountain disappears.  We can usually judge how much time we have before the storm hits.  Actually we play a game to see who can guess the exact time of the first snowflake or rain drop. 

At 8:00 AM the clouds started creeping over the mountain. 

10:00 AM

11:00 AM

12:00 Noon. The storm arrived alittle while ago and we only received about 1" total with this storm. 

3:00 PM. The clouds are still covering the foothills, but our snow has started disappearing already. 

Next morning we are back to normal but the foothills are still dusted.  All that will be gone by noon except for the accumulation at the very top!  And another day with a clear blue sky.

 We are on the east side of the mountain range.  All the ski areas are on the west side and get the brunt of the storms and snow  This side of the range does not get even 1/4th of the amount of snow the west side does. 

So we have the best of many worlds.  Snow occasionally and being 6000+ feet above sea level we have low humidity and cooler summers.  PERFECT!!

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse

Another post of man-made structure.

After two posts on the Tokyo Sky Tree, I'm back on track with the much-delayed trip report posts that I should have done right after our return from Japan last December. I got side-tracked, I guess. A LOT! heh

There's Landmark Tower in Yokohama and another building of note is :

Yokohama Red Brick warehouses which was built in 1911. It is facing the Yokohama Port and consisted of two wings. The former shipping warehouses are now renovated to house fancy restaurants and stores.

The first wing houses galleries and there's a hall for concerts. The second wing comprises of stores that includes a beer restaurant and Motion Blue Yokohama.

When we were there, the place was busily in the midst of preparing to put a skating rink, for Xmas celebration. It would've been nice to spend an evening there once the venue is set up, wouldn't it?

With the Cosmo Clock 21 (that's the ferris wheel) and Landmark Tower in the background. The adjacent park known as the Red Brick Park is a nice place to spend a day out relaxing.

It didn't look like it through these two photos, but the place is a popular spot. 

 

We had no interest in the restaurants or shops so rather than going inside the building, we chose to stay out and took a breather enjoying the port's view. Raimie was too tired to care where he's sitting! Mommy had a bit of energy left and couldn't sit still! LOL

There are two other places that I know that has red brick buildings in Japan. One is the Tokyo Station and the other is Hakodate's Red Brick Warehouse.

OLA: Cruising to the Bahamas, Part 2

the Welcome Desk at the Port of Nassau in the Bahamas

Flamingoes, trained to turn to the left,
then turn to the right in a march
at Ardastra Gardens in Nassau

But what blew me away were the wonderful birds, including about some 30 pinkish orange flamingos of the Ardastra Gardens (there are about 30,000 in the Bahamas) who were trained to march by turning left and then right in unison.  Nearby is Arawak Cay where many fish fry stops serve the famous conch salad or conch chowder of the Bahamas. We also got an awesome view of Nassau’s harbor, burgeoning with huge cruise ships, from this Cay. Thus we were reminded to be on board by 4:30 pm; alas 4 hours at Nassau isn’t enough! Not finding a bus, we walked all the way back!

The Port of Nassau, full of cruise ships, from Arawak Cay

the sexiest man alive!

Back at Majesty, we had a quick snack of Sorrento pizzas and then we went to watch the World’s Sexiest Men Competition at poolside. I should have known it wasn’t a serious search! A middle-aged, middle-bulged North Carolinian, who made everyone laugh, won. Bill went to the Heisman Chat where three Huskers who won the coveted college football trophy, the Heisman, held a discussion. Then we met at the Great Watch Sale where designer watches worth $90 were on sale at $20!  Of course Bill got one!

pandemonium at the Great WAtch Sale!

Boogie Wonderland

At the Chorus Line Theatre, we felt like dancing with The Boogie Wonderland, an extravaganza of 70s music. Then we savored our last formal dinner at the Starlight Dining Room . Finally we capped the night with a peek at the Battle of the Sexes and a Late Night Comedy with the very funny Steve Bruner. At 11:45 pm we decided to run back to the room and missed the supposed highlight of the cruise (for adults only), the Quest Game Show! We had to pack.

Battle of the Sexes, another fun activity at the Majesty

Day 4, Feb. 27, Return to Miami

Windjammer, 4 buffets everyday

We finally came to the end of the cruise! Majesty docked at 8 am at the Port of Miami while we were having our final cruise breakfast buffet at Windjammer. We opted to carry our own bags so we could participate in the Express Check-out, otherwise we would be caught in the web of disembarking 2,000 people and maybe 4,000 pieces of luggage! We were at our motel by 9 am. Fortunately they had a room ready for us at 10! We were able to rest before picking up our friends Jure and Katarina from Slovenia at the Miami International airport (their visit will be the subject of my next post).

Texas Hold'Em at the Casino....

I have come to the conclusion that cruising by ship is definitely not a cruising lifestyle. It is the ship itself that cruises at tops 12 knots for an unnoticeable glide in the waters. But it is really a large floating hotel with thousands of people in a temporarily very driven lifestyle. In just three days we sailed to 3 ports, had 12 big sit-down meals and snacks, participated and watched 14 events but missed countless others: Explorer Academy and other seminars, Rock Climbing Wall, Poolside and other Sports Courts, Fitness and Spa Centers, Art Auction, Library, Internet Café, Adventure Room, Bingo Nights, the Casino, and other Games, Dances and Karaoke and other Music Events, and other Sale Events.

entrance to the fitness center and spa...

There was something to do every hour at Majesty’s 14 outlets, something to eat 24x7 in 9 eateries, something to buy any time at 6 stores plus the centerwalk of sales aside from the port of call. It is a dizzying lifestyle but, being seniors, we kept ourselves to the sedentary affairs! But we believe will still sail with other cruises because there are some parts of the world that are better reached through a cruise (Caribbean, Meditteranean, Baltic, and the Alaska Inland Passage. And partying hard and pigging out are good for anyone, once in a while!

Note about the Bahamas._______________________________________

Port of Nassau, from the Majesty

 The Bahamas is a group of more than 3,000 islands with  a population of more than 350,000 (about 250,000 live in Nassau) . The islands were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Mostly deserted from the 1500s, English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera in the 1600s. It became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. By the late 1700s, many British loyalists and their slaves moved to the islands when they lost in the American War of Independence. When the British abolished slave trade, many of those liberated were settled in the Bahamas during the 19th century. Their descendants form the majority of the Bahamas's population today. In terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas (following Bermuda, the United States, Cayman Islands, Canada, and the British Virgin Islands) with tourism and financial services as major industries.

St. Patrick's Day in my eBay Store

 Top o' the morning to ya!!

Being 1/8th Irish I always remember St. Patrick's Day with alot of fondness.  My Grandmother was born in County Monaghan and swore she saw a leprechaun when she was a girl.  And every St. Patrick's Day when we had a pot of shamrocks in the house she would tear one off and eat it.  Even when when she was very ill in the hospital she had to have her Shamrock on St. Patrick's Day.


The best part of the day is that it is my youngest son's birthday.  His father would only let me name the baby Bridget Mary or Sean Patrick if the baby was born on March 17th.  Looks like Grandma had her way with his birth because he was a week early!!

Having to find gifts for a St. Patrick's card party, I stumbled on the Irish scarves and as they say the rest is history.  Our real eBay selling started and our store was opened.  

We started selling on eBay seriously with this shamrocks on white.  It is still one of the most popular 

Also popular is this black with green shamrocks 13" x 60" scarf to add to a plain outfit but still celebrate the day. 

A more generic way to wear that green and not get pinched.  LOL

Gonna be outdoors? Perhaps at a parade?  Then this sun visor would be perfect.  Does not pinch because of a spiral band.  Can be fancied up to with iron ons, sequins, beads and jewels.

How about for a desk decoration or to float this rubber duck in a hot tub or bath tub for a party!!

This leprechaun duck would be cute tied to a hostess gift or as a party favor too.

And of course the day would not be complete for a Irish decedent to wear a good old St. Patrick pin in their lapel. 

 Easter is next so please be sure to visit our store for Easter scarves and rubber ducks and other spring and Easter items. 

Thanks for looking and as they say "And the rest of the day to yerself!"

Reflections

of the Tokyo Sky Tree while we were meandering around; walking from Asakusa to Kinshicho one fine day last year. You can truly view Tokyo Sky Tree from everywhere and at all angles in Asakusa!

Tokyo Sky Tree stands almost twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, a measly 333 metres in height compared to Sky Tree's 634 metres.

Tokyo Sky Tree will replace Tokyo Tower's role of the signal broadcasting tower. The increase of high-rise buildings makes it essential to have a tower that is taller and in 2006, broadcasting firms agreed that a tower that is more than 600 metres high is needed. Constructed one such tower they did and now - Tokyo Sky Tree dominates the landscape. :)

The Tokyo Sky Tree was capped at 634 metres because the Japanese syllables for 6 (mu), 3 (sa) and 4 (shi) spell out Musashi which was the old name of the district the tower stands. The Musashi district was once ranged from modern day Tokyo to Saitama and parts of north-eastern Kanagawa.

Walk around the neighbouring area where the Sky Tree stands and you will be spoiled for choice for Sky Trees inspired goods and food with the Sky Tree theme. 

By the time we return to Japan for our 9th trip (8th for Raimie) in 2014, it will be 2 years after the Sky Tree opens its door to the public. I hope it'll be easier to get in compared to the first few months; from May 22nd - July 10th. 

Can I say I will be so jealous to the folks over in Tokyo who will be among the first to enjoy the view from the Sky Tree? By the way, Rurousha - you are putting your name in the lottery? Be "kiasu" and make sure you are amongst the first few! ;)

I'll be pacing myself with my Sky Tree photos so the next post on the Sky Tree will be on the special day - on May 22nd!

A View Of A Concrete Tree

I have been somewhat remiss about celebrating the completion of Tokyo Sky Tree on Feb 29th. It was two months later than scheduled but Japan was hit by tsunami and earthquakes last year, if you remember.

Move over Canton Tower. Tokyo Sky Tree now officially towers above you at 634 metres (2,080 feet) tall. However, it  is "only" the second tallest structure in the world, beaten by the mighty Dubai's Burj Khalifa that looms at 830metres.

3 years (the construction of the Sky Tree started in July 2008), 580,000 workers and 65billion Yen later - Tokyo Sky Tree now sets to greet visitors on May 22nd.

For visitors - any thoughts of just strolling by on the day and going up to either one of the two observatory at 350metres and 450metres; admission to the observatory is only allowed with prior reservation made until July 10th in anticipation of eager rush to view it. 

Anyway, enough about dry facts and on with photos! Wooo!!!!

Tokyo Sky Tree viewed in 2010

Tokyo Sky Tree viewed in 2011

This is a "rush" post in order to placate a certain impatient individual and also to "kipas-kipas" or butter her up so that she'll post more on obscure shrines in her blog.

By the way, this is the first of (maybe) a few posts on Tokyo Sky Trees since I have like a bazillion photos of them stashed away. Be patient with me. Ooommmmmm....

And how does the Sky Tree looks like now that it's finished?  Either I go visit Japan and Tokyo again this year or I demand someone to post the latest photo of the Sky Tree in their blog. What say you? ;)