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  We stood behind a crowd at Edinburgh Castle waiting for the one-o’clock cannon to fire. Many eyes were fixed on cell phones to catch the moment to share on Facebook. Bodies in Edinburgh, minds in other places. Meanwhile, my nephews were determined to climb up rocks where climbing was not allowed. Last month’s trip… Continue reading Small Experiences on a Big Journey

At the start of today’s hike in Northumberland, England, we came upon a hiker who had slipped and made a faceplant on the street. He was elderly, and his vision was sub-par. He was bleeding from cuts beside one eye and on his wrist. My brother-in-law had a surprising variety of wound dressings in his… Continue reading A Tale of Two Falls

Today we start an adventure with our nephews (7 and 8) and their parents.

My mother-in-law has acquired a photo mat with 17 cutouts. 17 just happens to be the right number for her to be surrounded by baby photos of her children, her children’s partners, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchild. 16 babies, one matriarch. My partner’s photo is a vertical-format portrait, which means he’s deprived of his cranium… Continue reading Lost Stories

On a recent flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, I found a Canadian passport. The owner of the passport would have been in for a surprise when he reached for his passport at US Border Control. Maybe he had a NEXUS card, or maybe United Airlines would have to fly him back to Tokyo where he… Continue reading Travel Gear: Wot, No Passport?

I had thirty minutes to kill before boarding a bullet train, enough time for a bicycle-themed walk. I was outside Hakata Station, the busiest train station on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. I tried to walk predictably so as not to confuse cyclists who shared the sidewalk with pedestrians. About 17% of… Continue reading Cycling Around Hakata Station

Next month we’ll be taking our nephews and their parents to the UK. Today the mother of the nephews asked me about adapters for UK electrical outlets. I had anticipated the question and had stocked up on this necessary item. Ax-Man, a local surplus store had a supply of UK adapters at 75 cents apiece.… Continue reading Travel Gear: UK Electrical Adapter

I’m planning a June trip to the UK. We’re bringing our nephews (7 and 8) and their parents. We start in Edinburgh, Scotland, then hop on a train to Morpeth, Northeast England, near where I grew up. We’re carrying backpacks and we won’t be taking cabs. I expect my nephews will revel in small things… Continue reading Journeys Through the Eyes of Children