Of a morning, coffee in hand and dogs in tow, I love to wander through my garden. Pull some weeds here, a little harvest there, and I can keep my veggie patch almost under control.
A Small Green Door
I flew into Venice on a clear blue day. Below me the lush farmlands of the Veneto morphed into marshes bordering on the sea. A network of small islands followed, before the beauty of Venice overshadowed them all. I could see every part of the city, from the Ghetto to the crowds milling outside San Marco.
Kurashiki, the Venice of Japan
Down to my last coins, I braved a coffee shop on my own. I was in the Japanese town of Kurashiki, where the one ATM which I managed to find hidden away in the back of a shop decided not to recognise my travel card.
Each time I visit Japan I’m struck anew by the juxtaposition of the extremely modern and the impressively quaint along side a culture steeped in traditions centuries old, if not far older. Despite resurrecting their economy on electronic innovation, Japan remains a land of cash. Even in the larger cities notes are preferred to plastic, and coaxing yen from a machine is a system of trail, error, and prayers to a myriad of gods.