Chasing the Perfect Fuji shot.

[drron29]

I took a little stroll to the restaurants. nothing reall appealed.

 

 

 

 

Back to the bus and scenes a little reminiscent of Angkor Wat.

 

 

And back to the ship with another stop with the Central Park metro stop. A waste of time.

 

 

 

 

 

And the useless stop at Central park. The actual station is meant to be beautiful but you are not supplied with a ticket to access the station. So these are the highlights.

 

 

 

 

 

We got back to the Muse after the lunch restaurants closed so went to the Arts Cafe and had a cheese plate. Better than any you get in the real restaurants.

Edited April 4 by drron29

[drron29]

That night dinner in Atlantide. the menu.

 

 

 

 

I had the assiette of duck and the seabass. The fish was lovely.

 

 

Whilst Rojaan went for the lobster Thermidor and her usual pavlova.

 

[drron29]

The next morning we steamed Into Keelung port on a cold, foggy, wet day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then took off on our excursion to the Zhi Nan temple in the mountains. The weather didn't improve.

 

 

 

We went to one of Taipei's outer suburbs and took a cable car up the mountain. The first stop was the Taipei Zoon and ours was the second stop. It went to a third stop higher up for another temple.

 

 

The views were a little miserable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

This was just a transit area. Not at the zoo yet.

 

 

An amazing cable car ride.

 

 

 

 

Looking down at the Zoo station.

 

 

 

And now the first of the temple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

And now the main temple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is where you find out how you rate. Each of those yellow squares has 3 light bulbs. If one is alight you have donated the minimum amount. Three and you are the equivalent of top airline status. Of course if you miss a year all your lights go out.

 

These displays below are for those who donate very large amounts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are now walking back to the Cable Car station where our minibus will collect us and take us to a tea house.

 

 

 

 

The continuation of the cable car.

 

[drron29]

And now the teahouse.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is open 24 hours a day!

 

 

The tea house. Given peanuts, pistachio and dried loquats which is very nice.

 

 

and served tea the Taiwanese way.

 

 

And tea growing.

 

 

 

A possible ground orchid.

 

And a wild hydrangea.

 

 

More wild flowers.

 

 

And cherry blossom.

 

 

 

[drron29]

I walked up the road to a little cafe. Couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted fried lizard, large intestine or what seemed like their specialty chicken dishes. decided to forgo the pleasure.

 

 

 

And more tea.

 

 

Local Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

Some of the local buildings where in need of a bit of attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to go back to the ship. The weather hadn't improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

A little late back so went to Spaccanapoli and shared a pizza. half mushroom, half diavola.

 

And Atlantide that night.

 

 

 

 

Rojaan had the Mushroom tartare and I the crumbed asparagus. neither outstanding.

 

 

She then had the scallops and I the filet. both very good.

 

 

 

The next day was a sea day.
Lunch was in Kaiseki.

 

Dinner was back in Indochine. Rojaan had beef tataki and I the Tuna and then a Pho.

 

 

 

Rojaan had the lobster sans chilli and I the osso buco which despite having Szechuan in the title was not spicy at all.

 

 

Then our sides and the excellent kaffir lime and ginger creme brulee.

 

 

[rojaan19]

Orchids on board.

Edited April 8 by rojaan19
Typo

[drron29]

Thursday 28/3 and we arrive in Naha, Okinawa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the airport roads goes under this waterway. The brown square buildings mark the access to the tunnel.

 

 

 

A ferry leaving the port.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

Now we had a week driving around Okinawa a few years ago. Fortunately one of the tours featured 2 places we had not been to. The Okinawa Prefectual Museum and the Shinkinaen Royal Garden. We had tried to visit the Garden but couldn't find a parking spot anywhere near it. A statue at the port entrance.

 

And some exhibits outside the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

And a dinosaur found in Hokkaido.

 

We were given free time at the museum. They had a good English leaflet of the exhibits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

We then moved to the Royal garden. Some magnificent trees with most being less than 80 years old.

 

The old guardhouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then down a path to a lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The royal villa.

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving back to the ship. A bad rust problem on a pedestrian overpass.

 

 

[drron29]

Back in time for lunch at Kaiseki.

 

 

Then the afternoon from our balcony..

 

 

 

Sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

Dinner back in Atlantide.

 

 

 

The wines. Feeling old. The Hunter wine maker I first met as a young boy.

 

 

We both started with the foie gras which was good.

 

I then had the roast tomato soup from the everyday menu which was very good.

 

I then had the strip loin and Rojaan the lobster.

 

 

She then had the crumble.

 

[drron29]

The next day was once more a sea day. Passed several Japanese islands.

 

 

 

Then lunch in Atlantide.

 

 

Rojaan had prawns wrapped in bacon. OK.

 

I started with the roast beef baguette which was nice.

 

Then she had the Phyllo basket and I the enchiladas. Both OK.

 

Rojaan finished with the cherry clafoutis.

 

Then sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12 by drron29

[turtlemichael]

That Drayton Vermentino is a passably decent wine. I'd be very happy to have it with my dinner.

[drron29]

Atlantide again for dinner.

 

 

Rojaa

n had foie gras with blackberry which was excellent whilst I had the crispy squid. A bit chewy and quite ordinary.

 

 

She then had her lobster and I the filet. Both still very good.

The next morning not long after sunrise we were steaming into Kagoshima. Our first view of Sakurajima.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

After our usual breakfast in the Arts cafe I set off for the Senganen garden and villa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

Now inside the gardens. First an exhibit on th original owner's local business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original main entrance.

 

 

 

Now with a highway and rail line running past.

 

Then through part of the garden to get to the villa.