far away lands

I fell in love with Norway while watching the 1994 Olympics 

I'm pretty sure I could miss out on this experience at Preiskestolen.  I would be happy to be on a boat cruising Lysefjord and looking UP at the 604 metre cliff.

However, I would not want to miss out seeing a Stave.  How would a 900 year old wood church smell, I wonder? 

I don't know what triggered my fascination with Japan, but it would be my top dream destination if I could choose anywhere in the world.  I would prefer to be with someone who was Japanese and could translate and explain...

It helps that I love the food - sushi, sashimi, ramen... not to mention  over 300 flavours of Kit Kat!

I wish I had a more modern card of this exclusive and expensive shopping street. Not sure I could afford much anyway, which would make me less interested. 

  I would maybe last an afternoon before wanting to escape.  I would be much more interested in the train journeys and the shrines and temples.

The Kumano Nachi Shrine and a waterfall! (Nachi-no-Otaki, the tallest in Japan)

Izumo Taisha Shrine

Hong Kong was never really on my radar as a place I'd want to visit, it was just a place I'd heard of.  Then, with all the attention during the time of the handover, it became more interesting.

 the stunning vistas from the harbour and the mountains.  The city is densely packed with people and skyscrapers, but also with parks and gardens (over 1,600 covering more than 40% of the land area!)

'the second coolest street in the world'

This is more interesting shopping

island side

 

to slay or not to slay

April 23rd is St George's Day.  I couldn't find a stamp featuring that particular saint, but I do have a rather miserable looking St Augustine holding a model church

maybe he was wishing he had a dragon to slay

like this colourful creature, a Year of the Dragon stamp from Hong Kong

on the water

 

from China

and a ferry from Hong Kong

or, for something a little more away from it all, a boat in cottage country

or, even more bucolic, an early sunrise in a canoe

victoria harbour

 

Since 1888, the ferry has conveyed passengers between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

1920s

Hong Kong street showing tram tracks but no trams.
Today, I imagine this street is very busy though I wonder if any of these buildings still exist.
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harbour

Hong Kong Harbour
by artist Shen Ping

pandas on trams

pandas across Hong Kong tram

rooftops

received from Hong Kong,