NAGOYA, JAPAN- The cherry blossoms have long since fallen, but we trade one beauty for another. Along with September comes the scent of autumn; overhead, American planes fly in training formation. The sound impedes into the relative stillness of Nagoya Castle and village. Rice fields populate the surroundings, with a few factories interspersed. The cars …
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Postcard from Bath
BATH, ENGLAND – There is only one way to gain the immersive feeling one has of strolling into one of Jane Austen’s novels, and that is to enter by way of Bath. Bath, named after the baths of Roman times one can take in the vicinity, is a countryside where a myriad of possible activities …
Postcard from Québec City
QUEBEC, CANADA- In early spring, the smell of maple syrup mixes with the brisk morning air. In Québec, maples are a symbol of their livelihood. The landscape of black maples are ensconced in this region. Here, the French-Canadians live, and their’s is a landscape that is large, with hilly fields flattened for so far as …
Postcard from Mount Saint-Michel
SAINT-MICHEL, FRANCE – The tide is low. Saint-Michel, archangel in many religions, stands watch over the island. In times like this, when the tide is low, the dark grey quicksand is revealed to surround the mount. From up top, straight lines of wooded territory delineates the grasslands, where white shells lay ontop of the swaying …
Postcard from Antwerp
ANTWERP – The summer heat was beginning to infiltrate the city. In the evening, the dusk stayed for a long time, hanging just at the horizon. Even in the city, where several floors of houses surrounded every way you looked, you could tell that night was not ready to come. The soccer match was on …
Postcard from New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS – The heat from the summer was just barely being introduced to these swampy marshlands. Just outside of New Orleans, the bus winded its way into the town. For the most part, it appeared that the morning air was still and not yet quantified. Folks who got on and off the bus in …
Postcard from Bonn
Listen to Beethoven as you stroll through Bonn BONN – Walking through the tree-lined lane behind University of Bonn, one feel as if one is in a relatively vibrant city, despite its storied history. The capital of West German after World War II, the lawn in front of University of Bonn has the feel of …
Postcard from Haarlem
HAARLEM – Beauty comes in the unexpected. Haarlem was just a stop along many that day, but a worthwhile venture. The seaport town would never have been thought of as a stop back in the 1600s. Then, it had been at the height of its crowning glory. Wares entered the Netherlands through Haarlem. The brick …
Postcard from Vianden Castle
LUXEMBOURG CITY – The castle was reachable by train, the IC attendant said. It seemed that many had the same idea, since everyone getting off the train headed to the waiting bus. The bus traversed sections of countryside passable by road wide enough for only one vehicle. The driver managed the bus with an ease …
Postcard from Tokyo
TOKYO – The Shinkansen operator removed a small, laminated card from his front shirt pocket. On it, he tapped the time when the train would pass by Mount Fuji. “Left,” he said, gesturing to the window over his shoulder. He continued on his way checking ticket passes. It felt unnecessary. Everybody was so orderly. On …
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