Tokyo, Japan Good morning, still struggling with the time change. We have a tour this morning and will get to the ship at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal about 14:00. This morning we will visit the Meiji Shrine, Imperial Outer Gardens and the Hamarikyu Gardens. The Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji (1852 – 1912) and his white Express Shōken. Again, it was totally destroyed in WWII. The present iteration of the shrine

Tokyo, Japan Good morning, another early day. Still fighting the time shift. We are going to visit Asakusa & Ginza today. The truth is we aren’t visiting Asakusa but we are visiting the Senso-ji Buddhist temple. They claim is that this is the Tokyo’s oldest and most iconic Buddhist temple. The claim it was founded in 628. It may have been founded in 628 but it was completely destroyed on March 10, 1945 during WWII. It was rebuilt in the late 50’s and the pagoda was built in

Tokyo, Japan Last night was a long and restless night. Quite a bit of tossing and turning. Finally staying in bed was no longer an option so at 04:30 it was out of bed and into the bath. The hope was that a nice warm bath would help sleep return. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Breakfast is downstairs just off the lobby in the Marble Lounge, adjacent to the St. George’s Bar beginning at 06:00. We have roughly a three and a help hour tour of Tokyo today. The pre-departure a

Wednesday & Thursday, April 15th and 16th, 2026 Sonoma > San Francisco > Tokyo, Japan This two-day transfer actually begins on Monday or Tuesday with packing and repacking for the trip. We have preordered a Blacklane car and driver to take us to the airport. We are on an airline we haven’t taken before, All Nippon Airways or ANA. ANA was founded in 1952, so it is as old as we are, as a Japanese Helicopter and Airplane Transports. It was renamed in 1957 when it merged with F

Saturday Torino, Italia Good morning. Beginning to think about leaving and heading back to California to get ready for the Japan Cruise in April. This morning we went with Pietro, Serra and the girls to Torteria 40 for cappuccino and cornetto (brioche and croissant are not necessarily the samething, and cornetto is something different, here in Torino the proper term is cornetto not brioche, although everyone seems to understand it and no one has ever corrected me). Torteria

Friday Torino, Italia We did nothing this morning. Laundry was all done, packing in preparation for leaving on Monday done as much as it could be, so we’ll just chilled in the apartment until 11. Then it was time to go and get something for lunch. Mary wanted to stop at Calzedonia and Legami (a place similar to Flying Tiger). We went online and checked out places for lunch in the vicinity of those two stores. Turns out that Calzedonia and Legami are both on Via Giuseppe G

Thursday Torino, Italy One relaxing day. Didn’t even go out for coffee. Had coffee right here in the apartment. The morning was spent working on the blog. Mary had an 11:30 lunch with Serra, so she left about 11:20 to meet Serra. I went to the store and bought some chicken cutlets, cheese and pasta. I came back and made my lunch. I tried to nap but that wasn’t going to happen, so I spent the early afternoon looking into different neighborhoods to stay in next time we are in

Wednesday Torino, Italia Italian electricity is a funny thing. The heater was on in the bedroom/living room and when the one in the bathroom was activated poof – off went everything. After trying the circuit breakers nothing was happening. Texted the owner and asked what to do. It is 06:00. He wasn’t awake yet. It was light enough to get dressed and go for coffee. This morning it was a quick trip to Caffeteria Antonelli for a cappuccino and brioche. The surprise this morn

Tuesday Gela > Catania > Torino, Italia Today is a travel day. We go from Gela back to the airport at Catania and then on to Torino. We arranged for a 10:00 pick to take us to Catania for our 13:30 flight. It is about and hour-and-a-half to Catania, so that puts us there about 11:30. Two hours before our flight but allows sufficient time to get through security and still have time for a bite to eat. The car was a few minutes late in arriving. We were, of course, outside d

Monday Gela, Sicilia, Italia Monday, Monday, what a day. It is Sicilia, Monday mornings are simply part of the weekend. There are very few things open. Few if any retail stores, only a very few small markets, and even fewer restaurants, at least before 13:00. We spent the morning being lazy. I walked down to Piazza Umberto I, King of Italy 1878 – 1900, and into Bar (Café) Monte Bianco for my morning cappuccino and brioche and got one for Mary to go. The woman behind the cou

February 22, 2026 Gela, Sicilia, Italia This morning, we are heading to Piazza Armerina to visit a Roman Villa. First the confusion, where we are going isn’t a Piazza (square) named Armerina, it is a town. In this case the term “piazza” acts as an identifier for a “place” or fortified settlement. No literal translation here. While significantly older, the commune was “re-founded” in the 12th-century with its name evolving from its location and history, without any reference

Catania > Gela, Sicilia, Italia Another travel day. The car is picking us up at 11:00 and returning us to Gela and Palazzo Gioffrè. We don’t hurry this morning but are out the door and on our way to Levante Gelato Artigianle a morning coffee and brioche. The meeting place is right in front of the café. We had seen a photo of a coffee that had a rim of chocolate topped with pistacchio nuts. Mary wanted to try that this morning. It is called a Affogato 2 Palline di Gelato.

Catania, Sicilia, Italia Good morning. The room was a little hot last night. Tonight, I will have to ask them how to turn on the air, or at least the fan. Today, we are going on the Godfather Movie Locations Tour. Apparently, quite a bit or at least a few scenes from each of the three movies were shot in Sicilia, many of them near by. They pickup is at 9:00 just a few blocks from here. We went down for breakfast at 08:00, but the man setting up the room said, sorry breakf

Gela > Catania, Sicilia, Italia Not really a travel day, although we are changing cities. We are going to Catania so we can do a “Godfather Movie locations Tour” tomorrow. Saturday we’ll return to Gela. The morning was spent relaxing, working on the blog, talking to V, planning his and Ali’s trip to Venice. I did go and get cappuccino and brioche, and I did bring one of each back to Mary. We packed and got ready for our 12-noon pickup. We went downstairs and stood in the

Wednesday Gela, Sicilia, Italia The purpose for being in Sicilia and Gela in particular is to have our eyes tested and order glasses. Carmen and Maria, Pietro’s sister, live here. Carmen ownes Ottica Contarino with her sister Anna. Carmen is studying to be an ophthalmologist. Both she and her sister are optometrists. Their father was an optometrist here in Gela. When you have to opportunity it is best to get family involved, especially if they are qualified. This is my se

Torino, Italia > Gela, Sicilia Travel Day. We are making our first Ryan Air flight together today. Ryan Air was chosen only because if offers a flight between Torino and Catania, the nearest airport to Gela. Ryan Air is a low cost (ha, ha) no frills airline that offers the flight for €19.99 (about $25) each way. Cheap right? Well, what is included in this “Basic” fare? You get a seat somewhere on the plane. They will assign it. You get one bag which must fit under the sea

Monday Torino, Italia A nice peaceful day. Our only obligation for today is to make dinner, polenta, for Serra and family. I went to the breakfast room around 08:00 and had a coffee and brioche. Note, coffee not cappuccino. The breakfast spread was ok, but not anything like the hotel. Not meats and cheese, just yogurt and cereal. Mary got up and we went out about 10:00. We stopped around the corner at a Pasticceria Tamborini (1812) on Via Garbaldi and had a proper cappucc

Torino, Italia Serra and Pietro got home very late last night. The girls were very excited to see them this morning. We were not much more than an appendage, probably the appendix, this morning. They went out about 9:30 to get a coffee and walk the chocolate festival with the girls. We need to stay and pack both for the next two days and the next week in Sicilia. We are off to have your eyes examined, by Carmen, Gela. Then we’ll wait and see if we order glasses or not.

Valentine’s Day Torino, Italia We thought Tizana would be here until 10 this morning, but I decided to take the girls for a walk and get a brioche at 9. Tizana was coming with me, but left shortly after we departed the building. Hey significant other was waiting the car outside. I continued on with the girls but it was a short walk and no brioche. The day was spent watching cartoons, Luisa, and going for a walk, Amadea. Amadea likes it when I take her for a walk where she

Friday the 13th! Torino, Italia It looks like it is going to be a nice day, at least weather wise. This morning Tizana walked with me to take Luisa to school. Lusia wasn’t happy with either of us for dropping her off. Tizana and I parted company outside of school. She went home and I went back to Serra’s. We took it easy all day because tomorrow after Tizana leaves we are on our own until she comes back at 19:00 for the night. Gloria came at 11:00 and took Amadea out. D